of triumph, rushed forward with his
hunting-knife and quickly despatched them. The shots and our voices
aroused our companions, who leaped up and came rushing towards us.
Together we dragged the two carcasses close to the camp, thinking that
the doctor would wait till the morning to cut them up; but, in his
eagerness, he insisted on commencing operations at once.

"I want their skins," he said; "and if we don't secure them, the
armadilloes, the ants, and the vultures will have made a feast off them
before we awake, if a jaguar has not torn them to pieces."

Grasping his knife, he commenced his labours, in which we were fain to
assist him; and as he cut away, he lectured on the creature.

"You see," he observed, "this is one of the Pachydermata, or
thick-skinned animals. It is a link which connects the elephant and
rhinoceros to the swine; indeed, their habits are somewhat similar. It
measures about four feet in height and six in length, and is thus the
largest animal of this part of the continent. Observe its flexible
proboscis--how much it resembles the rudiment of the elephant's trunk;
and it serves for the same purpose--that of twisting round the branches
of trees, and tearing off the leaves, on which it partly feeds. In form
it is like the hog; while its skin resembles that of the rhinoceros: and
like that animal it delights in water, and is a good swimmer and diver;
while, as does the hog, it enjoys wallowing in the mud. During the day
it remains concealed in the deep recesses of the forest, and, as we have
had an instance, issues out at night to seek its food. Here, look at
its front feet: there are four toes (while on the hinder there are only
three), their tips, as you observe, cased in small hoofs. See! the eyes
are small and lateral, and the ears long and pointed. Observe the
teeth, which are strong and powerful, to enable it to crush its food, or
defend itself against its enemies. The hair, as you observe, is of a
deep brown, nearly black, short, scanty, and closely depressed on the
surface; while it has little or no tail. The animal is of enormous
strength, and its tough hide enables it to force its way through the
dense underwood, where no other creature can penetrate. It generally
moves forward at a trot; but when pursued it breaks into a gallop,
carrying its head downwards very much as does a hog. It holds its own
against all the other animals of the forest, and, being of a peaceful
disposi