y, passion-flowers, and wild vines, hanging in graceful
festoons, and orchids with their brilliant red spikes. As we passed
through the valley we saw directly before us the mountains we were about
to visit, and from their shape we agreed that they were well called the
Organ Mountains; for as we then saw them, the centre height especially
wore the appearance of a huge organ. "A grand instrument that," said
Tony, "such as I suppose an angel might choose to sound forth the music
of the spheres."

We wound our way up amid the tame beautiful and wild scenery till we
reached the summit, whence we enjoyed a magnificent view over the
surrounding country, with Rio and the blue ocean in the far distance.
We had not come without provisions, nor had the scenery taken away our
appetites. We had also brought our guns, and led by our friend, we
started off on foot in search of game. We had gone some distance, when,
as we were approaching one of the numerous pools of dear water which are
found even in the higher parts of the Organ Mountains, our friend
stopped us and pointed towards a large tree, beneath the shade of whose
wide-spreading boughs lay a creature apparently asleep. At first I
thought he was a large horse or hornless cow, but as we crept closer to
it, and could see the shape of its head, I discovered that it was a very
different animal. "That is a tapir--the largest wild animal we have in
South America," whispered our friend. As we approached the animal got
up and looked about. We remained perfectly quiet, to examine it at
leisure. It appeared to be nearly four feet in height, and perhaps six
in length, the colour a deep brown, almost black. It had a stiff mane,
and a very short stumpy tail, while its body appeared destitute of hair.
It was not so, however, as I afterwards found; but the hair could not
be perceived in consequence of being closely depressed to the surface.
Its legs were short and thick, and its feet of great size. The head was
unlike that of any other animal I had ever seen. It was very long, and
the upper lip or snout was lengthened into a kind of proboscis, which
looked as if it might grow up into the trunk of an elephant. We were to
leeward of the animal, but it quickly discovered us, and began to move
off, when Faithful and True rushed forward, barking vehemently.
Houlston fired, but the shot bounded off the tapir's thick shield-like
hide, and away it went dashing through the dense underwood