branch of commerce, the fur trade, or are in other refpects peculi arly ufeful or curious. THE LAMAL The lama is the camel of Peru and Chili; and, before the conqueft of thofe countries by the Spaniards, was the only beast of burden known to the Indians; its difpofition is mild, gentle, and tractable. Before the introduction of mules, these animals were used by the natives to plough the land, and now ferve to carry burdens. They march flowly, and feldom accomplish journies of more than four or five leagues a day; but what they want in speed is made up by perseverance and industry. They travel long journies in countries impaffable to most other animals, are very fure-footed, and are much employed in transporting the rich ores, dug out of the mines of Potofi, over the rugged hills and narrow paths of the Andes. They lie down to be loaded, and, when weary, no blows can excite them to quicken their pace. They, neither defend themselves with their feet nor their teeth; when angry, they have no other method of revenging injuries but by fpitting; they can throw out their faliva to the distance of ten paces; and if it fall on the skin, it raises an itching, accompanied with a flight inflammation. Their flesh is eaten, and faid to be as good as mutton; and of the hair of the wild fort the Indians make cloth. Like the camel, they have the faculty of abstaining long from water, and, like that animal, their food is coarse and trifling; they are neither allowed corn nor hay, green herbage, of which they eat very moderately, being fufficient for their nourishment. The wild lamas, called guanacos, are ftronger and more active than the domeftic kind; they live in herds, and inhabit the higheft regions of the Cordelieres, and they run with great fwiftnefs in places of difficult accefs, where dogs cannot eafily follow them. The lama refembles the camel in the form of its body, but is without the dorial hunch; its head is fmall and well shaped, its neck long, and very protuberant near its junction with the body; in its domestic state its hair is fhort and fmooth, when wild it is coarte and long, of a yellowift colour; a black line runs along the top of the back, from the head to the tail. The tames ones vary in cofome of them are white, others black, others of a mixed colour-white, grey and ruffet, difperfed in fpots: its tail is fhort, its eats are four inches long, its feet are cloven like those of the ox, lour; and and are armed behind with a fpur, by which the animal is enabled to support itself on rugged and difficult ground. The height of the lama is about four feet, and its length, from the neck to the tail, fix feet. THE TAPIIR. The tapiir is the hippopotamus of the new world, and has by fome authors been mistaken for that animal; it inhabits the woods and rivers on the eastern fide of South-America, from the ifthimus of Darien to the river of the Amazons. It is a folitary animal, fleeps during the day, and goes out in the night in fearch of food; lives on grafs, fugar-canes and fruits. If disturbed it takes to the water, fwims with great eafe, or plunges to the bottom, and, like the hippopotamus, walks there as on dry ground. It is about the fize of a small cow, its nofe is long and flender, and extends far beyond the lower jaw, forming a kind of proboscis, which it can contract or extend at pleasure; each jaw is furnished with ten cutting teeth, and as many grinders; its ears are small and erect; its body formed like that of a hog; its back arched; legs fhorts and hoofs, of which it has four upon each foot, small, black and hollow; its tail is very fmall; its hair fhort, and of a dusky brown colour. It is mild and inoffenfive, avoids all hoftilities with other animals, and flies from every appearance of danger. Its skin, of which the Indians make bucklers, is very thick; and when dried, is fo hard as to refift the impreffion of an arrow. The natives eat its flesh, which is faid to be very good. ANIMALS OF THE OX KIND. Of this genus, different writers have given an account of three diftinct fpecies in America befides the common domesticated animal, viz. the BUFFALO, the MUSK, and the BISON, though it is doubtful whether the former of these is any other than the bison, and whether the variation between the neat cattle and the bifon is any thing more than the effect of domeftication; we fhall, however, describe each of them. Buffalo.--Though there is the most striking resemblance between this animal and the common ox, both in regard to form and nature, their habits and propenfities being nearly fimilar, are both equally fubmiffive to the yoke, and may be employed in the fame domeftic fervices; yet it is certain, from experience, that no two animals can, in reality, be more diftinct; the cow refuses to breed with the buffalo, |
