habits of civilization. You find yourself in contact with a
new world, with savage and unconquered Nature. Sometimes it is the
jaguar, the beautiful panther of America, which issues from its
dark retreat; at others the hosco, with its dark plumes and curved
head, which traverses the _sauso_, as the band of yellow sand is
called. Animals of the most various kinds and opposite
descriptions succeed each other without intermission. 'Es como en
el Paraiso,' (It is as in Paradise,) said our pilot, an old Indian
of the Missions. In truth, every thing here recalls that primitive
world of which the traditions of all nations have preserved the
recollection, the innocence, and happiness; but on observing the
habits of the animals towards each other, it is evident that the
age of gold has ceased to them as well as to the human race; they
mutually fear and avoid each other, and in the lonely American
forests, as elsewhere, long experience has taught all living
beings that gentleness is rarely united to force."

* * * * *

"When the sands on the river side are of considerable breadth, the
sauso often stretches to a considerable distance from the water's
edge. It is on this intermediate space that you see the
crocodiles, often to the number of eight or ten, stretched on the
sand. Motionless, their huge jaws opened at right angles, they lie
without giving any of those marks of affection which are
observable in other animals which live in society. The troop
separate when they leave the coast; they are probably composed of
several females and one male. The former are much more numerous
than the latter, from the number of males which are killed in
fighting during the time of their amours. These monstrous reptiles
have multiplied to such a degree, that there was hardly an instant
during our voyage along the whole course of the river that we had
not five or six in view. We measured one dead which was lying on
the sand; it was sixteen feet nine inches long. Soon after, Mr
Bonpland found a dead male on the shore, measuring twenty-two
feet three inches. Under every zone--in America as in Egypt--this
animal attains the same dimensions. The Indians told us, that at
San Fernando scarce a year passes without two or three grown up
persons, usually women, who are drawing from the