ENOBMOUS JAOUAE. 
158 
by a singular mixture of boldness and timidity. They ad- 
vanced within the distance of two feet from the animal, but at 
the least movement he made they drew back. In order to 
observe more nearly the manners of these creatures, wo 
went into the little skiff that accompanied our canoe. Tigers 
very rarely attack boats by swimming to them; and never 
but when their ferocity is heightened by a long privation of 
food. The noise of our oars led the animal to rise slowly, 
and hide itself behind the amtso bushes that bordered the 
shore. The vultures tried to profit by this moment of 
absence to devour the chiguire ; but the tiger, notwith- 
standing the proximity of our boat, leaped into the midst of 
them, and in a fit of rage, expressed by his gait and the 
movement of his tail, carried off his prey to the forest. 
The Indians regretted that they were not provided with 
their lances, in order to go on shore and attack the tiger. 
They are accustomed to this weapon, and were right in 
not trusting to our fire-arms. In so excessively damp an 
atmosphere muskets often miss fire. 
Continuing to descend the river, we met with the great 
herd of chiguires Svhich the tiger had put to flight, and from 
which he had selected his prey. These animals saw us land 
very unconcernedly ; some of them were seated, and gazed 
upon ns, moving the upper lip like rabbits. They seemed 
not to be afraid of man, but the sight of our dog put them 
to flight. Their hind legs being longer than then.’ fore legs, 
their pace is a slight gallop, hut with so little swiftness that 
we succeeded in catching two of them. The chiguire, which 
swims with the greatest agility, utters a short moan in 
running, as if its respiration were impeded. It is the largest 
ol the family ot rodentia or gnawing animals. It defends 
itself only at the last extremity, when it is surrounded and 
wounded. Having great strength in its grinding teeth, # 
particularly the hinder ones, which are pretty long, it can 
tear the paw of a, tiger, or the leg of a horse,' with its bite. 
* We counted eighteen on each side. On the hind feet, at the upper 
end of the metatarsus, there is a callosity three inches long and three 
quarters of an inch broad, destitute of hair. The animal, when seated, 
rests upon this part. No tail is visible externally ; but on putting aside 
the hair we discover a tubercle, a mass of naked and wrinkled fleifa, of * 
conical figure, and half an inch long. 
