A WHITE CABALLKUO. 
159 
flesh has a musky smell somewhat disagreeable; yet 
fi ams are made of it in this country, a circumstance which 
ahttost justifies the name of ‘ water-liog,’ given to the 
e higuire by some of the older naturalists. The missionary 
•fionks do not hesitate to eat these hams during Lent, 
-according to their zoological classification they place the 
' l >'madillo, the thick-nosed taper, and the manati, near the 
°rtoises ; the first, because it is covered with a hard ar- 
,n ° ur like a sort of shell; and the others because they are 
' l,u phibious. The chiguires are found in such numbers on 
j le banks of the rivers Santo Domingo, Apure, and Arauca, 
r\ ^bo marshes and in the inundated savannahs* of the 
t j ail °s, that the pasturages suffer from them. They browze 
' 5e grass which fattens the horses best, and which bears the 
|. a . rne of cMguirero, or chiguire-grass. They feed also upon 
,S l i and we saw with surprise, that, whan scared by the 
' Pproach of a boat, the animal in diving remains eight or 
if - 
Vh 
acutes under water. 
a ) 0 passed the night as usual, in the open air, though in 
.Plantation, the proprietor of which employed himself in 
a i U , n g tigers. lie wore scarcely any clothing, and was of 
v e ^ b r °vm complexion like a Zambo. This did not pre- 
liis ‘.'is classing himself amongst the Whites. He called 
.j^jvife and his daughter, who were as naked as himself, 
Isabella and Doha Manuela. Without having ever 
the banks of the Apure, he took a lively' interest in 
„ news of Madrid, — -enquiring eagerly respecting “those 
eluding wars, and everything down y r onder (todas las 
Co as alia).” He knew, he said, that the king was soon to 
be a 'bsit “ the grandees of the country of Caracas,” but 
Pg^bed with some pleasantry, “ as the people of the court 
the f 0lll 7 wheaten bread, they will never pass beyond 
Ihal°i' V11 "Victoria, and we shall not see them here.” 
We brought with me a ehiguire, which I had intended to 
g air . , r °asted ; but our host assured us, that such ‘Indian 
(whii ' Vas uo ^ ^ 00< ^ ^ I' 01 ' “nos otros caballerus llancos ,” 
ojf 0r ® gentlemen like ourselves and him). Accordingly lie 
Witli US some venison, which he bad killed the day before 
» j^ ln arrow , for he had neither powder nor fire-arms. 
•he hi,W b' r 'tucu, in the Caiio del Ravanal, we saw a flock of eighty or 
hundred of these animals. 
