In Some Parts Of These Deserts Where There Was No Snow, The Spaniards Were Reduced To Great Straits From Want Of Water; On Which Account They Had To Make Bags Or Leather Bottles Of The Skins Of Sheep, In Which To Carry Water For Their Supply.

It is proper to remark, that the Peruvian sheep are much larger animals than those of Europe, and are used as beasts of burden.

They resemble in some measure the camel in their shape, except that they have no hunches on their backs, and are able to carry a load of a hundred pounds or more, with which they are able to travel four or five leagues a-day. The Spaniards even sometimes rode on their backs. When fatigued, they immediately lie down, and it is impossible to make them rise again by any means whatever, neither blows nor kindness are of any avail, and it becomes necessary to unload them. When a person rides on one of these animals, and endeavours to urge it on when weary, it turns round its head towards the man, blowing upon him a most offensive breath mixed with a kind of stinking dew, which seems to proceed from the contents of its stomach. This is a most useful and profitable animal, as besides serving as a beast of burden, its wool is excellent and very fine; more especially that species which is called _pacas_, which has very long wool. These animals are supported at very little expence while on a journey, requiring only a very small allowance of maize, and they can subsist four or five days without drinking. Their flesh is well tasted and wholesome, and equal to the best fat mutton of Spain; and it is accordingly sold in all the butcher-markets of Peru. At the first settlement of the Spaniards in this country, before the establishment of regular markets, when any person killed one of these sheep, his neighbours used to participate, and they in their turns killed others, and divided them among the neighbours.

In some of the level plains of Peru there is a species of ostrich, which is taken in the following manner. Several horsemen place themselves in ambush, while others likewise on horseback pursue the ostriches and endeavour to drive them towards their companions who are concealed. These birds, although they are unable to rise in flight into the air, go with astonishing swiftness, partly by running, and partly by means of short flights close to the ground, insomuch that a man on horseback is altogether unable to get up with them, so that it requires stratagem to kill or take them alive.

In Chili there are some rivers which have water only during the day, and are entirely dry during the night. This is owing to the heat of the sun melting the snow on the mountains by day, by which temporary rivers, or torrents rather, are formed by day, which cease again at night when the cold puts a stop to the melting of the snow.

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