raising their war-cry, set off at a gallop. If the march be long, they change horses several times, and always reserve their best ones to be mounted fresh after they are in sight of the enemy. The horses only are used for riding; but they drive mares along with them to serve as food. Their onset is destructive, and, until their horses are worn out by fatigue, to resist them is no easy matter. The war between them and the Guachos is a war of passion and extermination; and no quarter is given on either side. They have some religious notions: they believe in the existence of good and evil spirits, and in a future state; and when their friends die, they kill some of their best horses at the grave, in order that the departed may have something to ride, in the land to which they are gone. Their marriage ceremony is singular : when two parties intimate their wish of entering into the holy state, they are laid down on the ground, with their heads to the west, and covered with the skin of a horse; and if they continue under the skin till the sun rises at their feet, in the east, they are held and accounted to be married per sons. They occasionally visit the towns, where they exchange the skins which they procure in the chase, for knives, spurs, and strong liquors, of the last of which they are very fond. In their cups, however, they have a knowledge of their own weakness, and a caution which, it were to be wished, could be introduced among people who consider themselves far more civilized. "The day," says Captain Head, " of their arrival, (at Mendoza), they generally got drunk; but before they indulge in this amusement, they deliberately deliver up to their cacique their knives, and every other weapon they possess, as they are fully aware that they will quarrel as soon as the wine gets into their heads. They then drink till they can hardly see, and fight, and scratch, and bite, for the rest of the evening. The following day they devote to the selling of their goods, for they never will part with them on the day on which they resolve to get tipsy, as they conceive that, in that state, they would be unable to dispose of them to advantage." ESQUIMAUX TRAVELLING. The following spirited description of Esquimaux sledge travelling, we give in the words of Capt. Lyon : "Our eleven dogs were large and even majestic looking animals, and an old one of peculiar sagacity was placed at their head by having a longer trace, so as to lead them through the driest places, these animals having such a dread of water as to receive a severe beating before they will swim a foot. The leader was instant in obeying the voice of the driver, who never beat, but repeatedly called to him by name. When the dogs slacked their pace, the sight of a seal or bird was sufficient to put them instantly to their full speed; and even though none of these might be seen on the ice, the cry of a seal, a bear, a bird, &c. was enough to give play to the legs and voices of the whole pack. It was a beautiful sight to observe the two sledges racing at full speed to the same object, the dogs and men in full cry, and the vehicles splashing through the holes of water with the velocity and spirit of rival stage coaches. There is something of the spirit of professed whips in these wild races; for young men delight in passing each other's sledges, and jockeying the hinder one by crossing the path. In passing on different routes, the right hand is always yielded; and should an inexperienced driver endeavor to take the left, he would have some difficulty in persuading his team to do so. The only unpleasant circumstance attending these races is, that a poor dog is sometimes entangled and thrown down, when the sledge, with perhaps a heavy load, is unavoidably drawn over his body. The driver sits on the fore part of the vehicle, whence he jumps when requisite to pull it clear of any impediments which may lie in the way, and he also guides it by pressing either foot upon the ice. The voice and long whip answer all purposes of reins, and the dogs can be made to turn a corner as dexterously as horses, though not in such an orderly manner, since they are constantly fighting; and I do not recollect to have seen one receive a flogging without instantly wreaking his passion on the ears of his neighbors. The cries of the men are not more melodious than those of the animal, and their wild looks and gestures, when animated, give them the appearance of devils driving wolves before them. dogs had eaten nothing for fortyeight hours, and could not have gone over less than seventy miles of ground; yet they returned to all appearance as fresh and active as when they first set out." Our MR. BLANQUART DE SALINES' RACCOON. My raccoon was always kept chained before he came into my possession, and in this captivity he seemed sufficiently gentle, though not caressing; all the inmates of the house paid him the same attention, but he received them differently treatment he would submit to from one person, invariably offended him when offered by another. When his chain was occasionally broken, liberty rendered him insolent; he took possession of his apartment, suffering no one to approach him, and was, with difficulty, again confined. During his stay with me, his confinement was frequently suspended; without losing sight of him, I allowed him to walk about with his chain on, and he expressed his gratitude by various movements. It was otherwise when he escaped by his own efforts; he would then ramble for three or four days together over the neighboring roofs, and only descended at night into the yards, enter the hen-roosts and destroy the poultry, especially the Guinea fowls, eating nothing but their heads. His chain did not render him less sanguinary, though it made him more circumspect: he then employed stratagem, allowing the poultry to familiarize themselves with him by partaking of his food, nor was it until he had induced them to feel in perfect security that he would seize a fowl and tear it to pieces: he also killed kittens in the same man ner. "If the raccoon be not very grateful for favors received, he is singularly sensible of bad treatment; a servant one day struck him some blows with a stick, and often afterwards vainly endeavored to conciliate him, by offering eggs and shrimps, of which the animal was very fond. At the approach of this servant he became enraged, and with sparkling eyes would spring towards him, making violent outcries; under such circumstances he would accept of nothing until his enemy had withdrawn. The voice of the raccoon, when enraged, is very singular, sometimes resembling the whistling of a curlew, and at others the hoarse barking of an old dog. When struck by any one, or attacked by an animal stronger than himself, he offered no resistance; like the hedgehog, he hid his head and paws, by rolling his body in form of a ball, and would have suffered death in that position. I have observed that he never left hay nor straw in his bed, preferring to sleep on the boards; when litter was given, he threw it away immediately. He did not seem very sensible to cold, and passed two out of three winters exposed to all the rigors of the season, and did well, notwithstanding he was frequently covered with snow. I do not think he was solicitous to receive warmth; during some frosts I gave him separately warm water and water almost frozen, to soak his food in, and he always preferred the latter. He was at liberty to sleep in the stable, but often preferred passing the night in the open yard." CURIOUS CONTEST. bear, who had made his way up the other side of the ravine, as far as the rocks would admit, and sat under a projecting cliff, steadfastly eyeing the motions of his enemy. Mayborne, desiring his boy to remain where he was, took the pitchfork, and descending to the bottom, determined from necessity to attack him from below. The bear kept his position until the man approached within six or seven feet, when, on the instant, instead of being able to make a stab with the pitchfork, he found himself grappled by the bear, and both together rolled towards the pond, at least twenty or twentyfive feet, the bear biting on his left arm, and hugging him almost to suf focation. By great exertion he thrust his right arm partly down his throat, and in that manner endeavored to strangle him, but was once more hurled headlong down through the bushes, a greater distance than before, into the water.— Here, finding the bear gaining on him, he made one desperate effort and drew the animal's head partly under water, and repeating his exertions, at last weakened him so much, that calling to his boy, who stood on the other side in a state little short of distraction for the fate of his father, to bring him the hatchet, he sunk the edge of it by repeated blows into the brain of the bear. This man, although robust and muscular, was scarcely able to crawl home, where he lay for nearly three weeks, the flesh of his arm being much crushed, and his breast severely mangled. The bear weighed upwards of four hundred pounds. INDIAN HOAXES. FROM WATERTON'S WANDERINGS. These Indians are, according to Mr. Waterton, fond of misleading those who ask many questions about the interior; and though they do not talk of "Men Whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders,” they tell of a nation of Indians, with long tails, who are so very malicious and ill-natured, that the Brazilians have been obliged to stop them off. They have a river story, too, the counterpart of that of the " Old Man of the Sea." When a horrible beast, called the Water-mamma, takes a spite against a canoe, it rises to the surface, catches hold of the canoe, Indians and all, and, diving with them, devours the whole at its leisure, at the bottom of the river. Mr. Mayborne, who resides in Ovid township, Cayuga county, between the Seneca and Cayuga lakes, in the state of New York, went one afternoon through the woods in search of his horses, taking with him his rifle and the only load of ammunition he had in the house. On his return home, about an hour before dusk, he perceived a very large bear crossing the path, on which he instantly fired, and the bear fell, but immediately recovering his legs, made for a deep ravine a short way onwards. Here he tracked him awhile by the blood, but night coming on, and expecting to find him dead in the morning, he returned home. A little before day-break the next morning, taking a pitchfork and hatchet, and his son, a boy of ten or eleven years of age with him, he proceeded to the place in quest of the animal. The glen or ravine into which he had disappeared the evening before was eighty or ninety feet from the top of the bank to the brook below: down this precipice a stream of three or four yards in breadth is pitch-so confident, that the government sent out a depa ed in one unbroken sheet, and, forming a circular basin or pool, winds away among the thick underwood. After reconnoitering every probable place of retreat, he at length discovered the Sometimes they manage to play off more prac tical, and, to themselves, more profitable hoaxes. A savage came down the Essequibo in great state, represented himself as the monarch of a mighty tribe, treated the government of Demerara with princely contempt, got large supplies, and was invited back the next year for more. He came, and his boastings about the length of his country and the extent of his dominions, were so loud and tation to meet their princely ally. When the da putation arrived at the expected capital, and the kingdom of the monarch, they found the palace a solitary hut, the monarch a needy savage, the heir-apparent with nothing to inherit but his father's club and arrows, and all was poor and desolate in the extreme. ANECDOTE OF A COUGAR. About the close of the late war, a merchant of Piqua named Herse, received a considerable sum of money in small bills, which made it appear of still greater magnitude to several suspicious looking persons who were present when it was received. Mr. Herse being unarmed, was apprehensive that an attempt would be made to rob him at the camping ground, and expressed his apprehensions to a single fellow traveller, who was also unprovided with arms. In consequence, they resolved not to go to the camping ground, but to pass the night in the woods without fire; there, turning their horses loose, they lay down in their blankets on the leaves. In the night they were aroused by hearing the horses snort, as they are apt to do on the approach of Indians, and shortly after they were heard to make several bounds through the woods, as if some one had unsuccessfully attempted to catch them. After some time had elapsed they both distinctly heard what they supposed to be a man crawling towards them on his hands and feet, as they could hear first one hand cautiously extended and pressed very gently on the leaves, to avoid making a noise, then the other, and finally the other limbs in like manner and with equal care. When they believed that this felonious visiter was within about ten feet of them, they touched each other, sprang up simultaneously, and rushed to some distance through the woods, where they crouched and remained without further disturbance. A short time after they heard the horses snorting and bounding furiously through the woods, but they did not venture to arise until broad day-light, being still ́gnorant of the character of their enemy. When sufficiently light to see, by climbing a sapling they discovered the horses at a considerable distance on the prairie. On approaching them it was at once evident that their disturber had been nothing less than a cougar. It had sprung upon the horses, and so lacerated with its claws and teeth their flanks and buttocks, that with the greatest difficulty were they able to drive the poor creatures before them to Shane's. Several other instances of annoyance to travellers had happened at the same place, and Shane believed by the same cougar. POLAR BEAR. A great majority of the fatal accidents following engagements with the polar bear, have resulted from imprudently attacking the animal on the ice. Scoresby, in his interesting narrative of a voyage to Greenland, relates an instance of this kind. "A few years ago, when one of the Davis' Strait whalers was closely beset among the ice at the south west,' or on the coast of Labrador, a bear that had been for some time seen near the ship, at length became so bold as to approach alongside, probably tempted by the offal of the provisions thrown overboard by the cook. At this time the people were all at dinner, no one being required to keep the deck in the then immovable condition of the ship. A hardy fellow who first looked out, perceiving the bear so near, imprudently jumped upon the ice, armed only with a handspike, with a view, it is supposed, of gaining all the honor of the exploit of securing so fierce a visiter by himself. But the bear, regardless of such weapons, and sharpened probably by hunger, disarmed his antagonist, and seizing him by the back with his powerful jaws, carried him off with such celerity, that on his dismayed comrades rising from their meal and looking abroad, he was so far beyond their reach as to defy their pursuit." "A circumstance, communicated to me by Capt. Munroe, of the Neptune, of rather a humorous nature as to the result, arose out of an equally imprudent attack made on a bear, in the Greenland fishery of 1820, by a seaman employed in one of the Hull whalers. The ship was moored to a piece of ice, on which, at a considerable distance, a large bear was observed prowling about for prey. One of the ship's company, emboldened by an artificial courage, derived from the free use of rum, which in his economy he had stored for special occasions, undertook to pursue and attack the bear that was within view. Armed only with a whale-lance, he resolutely, and against all persuasion, set out on his adventurous exploit. A fatiguing journey of about half a league, over a yielding surface of snow and rugged hummocks, brought him within a few yards of the enemy, which, to his surprise, undauntedly faced him, and seemed to invite him to the combat. His courage being by this time greatly subdued, partly by evaporation of the stimulus, and partly by the undismayed and even threatening aspect of the bear, he levelled his lance, in an attitude suited either for offensive or defensive action, and stopped.. The bear also stood still; in vain the adventurer tried to rally courage to make the attack; his enemy was too formidable, and his appearance too imposing. In vain also he shouted, advanced his lance, and made feints of attack; the enemy, either not understanding or despising such unmanliness, obstinately stood his ground. Already the limbs of the sailor began to quiver; but the fear of ridicule from his messmates had its influence, and he yet scarcely dared to retreat. Bruin, however, possessing less reflection, or being regardless of consequences, began, with audacious boldness, to advance. His nigh approach and unshaken step subdued the spark of bravery and that dread of ridicule that had hitherto upheld our adventurer; he turned and fled. But now was the time of danger; the sailor's flight encouraged the bear in turn to pursue, and being better practised in snow-travelling and better provided for it, he rapidly gained upon the fugitive. The whale-lance, his only defence, encumbering him in his retreat, he threw it down, and kept on. This fortunately excited the bear's attention; he stopped, pawed it, bir it, and then renewed the chase. Again he was at the heels of the panting seaman, who, conscious of the favorable effects of the lance, dropped one of his mittens; the stratagem succeeded, and while Bruin again stopped to examine it, the fugitive, improving the interval, made considerable progress a-head. Still the bear resumed the pursuit with a most provoking perseverance, except when arrested by another mitten, and, finally, by a hat, which he tore to shreds between his fore-teeth and paws, and would, no doubt, soon have made the incautious adventurer his victim, who was now rapidly losing strength, but for the prompt and well-timed assistance of his shipmates-who, observing that the affair had assumed a dangerous aspect, sallied out to his rescue. The little phalanx opened him a passage, and then closed to receive the bold assailant. Though now beyond the reach of his adversary, the dismayed fugitive continued onwards, impelled by his fears, and never relaxed his exertions until he fairly reached the shelter of his ship. The bear once more came to a stand, and for a moment seemed to survey his enemies with all the consideration of an experienced general; when, finding them too numerous for a hope of success, he very wisely wheeled about, and succeeded in making a safe and honorable retreat." ADVENTURE IN THE ANDES. FROM HEAD'S NOTES. As the Captain and his party ascended the ravine, the road became more and more wild, and the rocks more and more steep and rugged. At one place an immense mass of porphyry had the appearance of a castle of giant mould, and so strong was the likeness, that one of the Cornish miners declared, he "could see an old woman coming across the draw-bridge." The Captain generally contrived to keep ahead of his party; but after he had proceeded a little way from this castellated rock, the capataz rode up to him, and invited him to a reconnoisance of the "Ladera de las Vacas," the most difficult pass in the route, and one which, for some time after the opening of the Cordillera by the melting of the snow, is quite impracticable, though it becomes a little better as the summer advances. They trotted on, and the capataz reported the "Ladera" passable; but the place and the passage cannot be so well described as in Captain Head's own nervous and graphic language. "The mountain above," says the Captain, "appears almost perpendicular, and in one continued slope down to the torrent which is raging beneath. The surface is covered with loose earth and stones, that have been brought down by the water. The path goes across this slope, and is very bad for about seventy yards, being only a few inches broad; but the point of danger is a spot where the water which comes down from the top of the mountain, either washes the path away or covers it with loose stones. We rode over it, and certainly it was very narrow and bad. In some places the rock almost touches one's shoulder, while the precipice is immediately under the opposite foot, and high above head are a number of large loose stones, which appear as if the slightest touch would send them roling into the torrent beneath, which is foaming and rushing with great violence. However, the danger to the rider is only imaginary; for the mules are so very careful, and seem so well aware of their situation, that there is no chance of their making a false step. As soon as we had crossed the pass, the capataz told me it was a very bad place for baggage-mules; that four hundred had been lost there; and that we should also very probably lose one. He said that he would go down to the water, at a place about a hundred yards off, and wait there with his lasso, to catch any mule that might fall into the torrent; and he requested me to lead on his mule. However, I' was resolved to see the tumble, if there should be one; so the capataz took away my mule and his own, and then scrambled down on foot till he got to the level of the water, while I stood on a projecting rock, with the two English captains of mines, the three Cornish miners, the assayer, and the surveyor, who were all anxious to witness the passage of the baggage. "The drove of mules came in sight, one following another; a few were carrying no burdens, but the rest were either mounted, or heavily la den; and as they moved along the crooked path, the difference of color in the animals, the different colors and shapes of the huggage they were carrying, with the picturesque dresses of the peons, who were vociferating the wild song by which they drive on the mules, and the sight of the dangerous path they had to cross, formed altogether a very interesting scene. "As soon as the leading mule came to the commencement of the pass, he stopped, evidently unwilling to proceed, and of course all the rest stopped also. "He was the finest mule we had, and on that account had twice as much to carry as any of the others. His load had never been relieved, and it consisted of four portmanteaus, two of which belonged to me, and contained not only a heavy bag of dollars, but papers that were of so much consequence, that I could hardly have continued my journey without them. "The peons now redoubled their cries; and, leaning over the sides of their mules, and picking up stones, they threw them at the leading mule, who then commenced his journey over the path. With his nose on the ground, literally smelling his way, he walked gently on, often changing the position of his feet, if he found the ground would not bear, until he came to the bad part of the pass, where he again stopped, and I then certainly began to look with great anxiety at my portmanteaus; but the peons again threw stones at him, and he reached me in safety: several others followed. At last a young mule, carrying a portmanteau, with two large sacks of provisions, and many other things, in passing the bad point, struck his load against the rock, which knocked his two hind legs over the precipice, and the loose stones immediately began to roll away from under him; however, his fore legs were still upon the narrow path; he had no room to put his head there, but he placed his nose upon the path to his left, which gave him the appearance of holding on by his mouth. His perilous fate was soon decided by a loose mule that came next, and in walking along the Ladera, knocked his comrade's nose off the path, destroyed his balance, and, head over heels, the poor creature commenced a fall which was quite terrific. With all his baggage firmly lashed to him, he rolled down the steep slope until he came to the point which was perpendicular, and then he seemed to bound off, and turning round in the air, fell into the deep torrent on his back, and upon his baggage, and instantly disappeared. I certainly thought he was killed. "But up he rose, looking wild and scared, and immediately endeavored to stem the torrent which was foaming about him. It was a noble effort, and for a moment he seemed to succeed, but the eddy caught the great load 'which was upon his back, and he turned completely over; down went his head with all the baggage, and all I saw were his hind quarters, and his long thin wet tail lashing the waters. As suddenly, however, up his head came again, but he was now weak, and went down the stream, turning round and round by the eddy, until passing the corner of the rock, I lost sight of him: I saw, however, the peons with their lassos in their hands, run down the side of the torrent for some little distance; but they soon stopped, and after looking towards the poor mule for some seconds, their earnest attitude gradually relaxed, and when they walked towards me, I concluded that all was over. I walked up to the peons, and was just going to speak to them, when I saw at a distance, a solitary mule walking towards us."—It was the mule which had fallen from the Ladera, not much injured by his perilous adventure. FEROCITY OF THE COUGAR. Major Smith witnessed an extraordinary instance of the abstracted ferocity of this animal, when engaged with its food. A puma [cougar] which had been taken and confined, was ordered to be shot, which was done immediately after the animal had received its food. The first ball went through its body, and the only notice he took of it was by a shrill growl, doubling his efforts to devour his food, which he actually continued to swallow with quantities of his own blood till he fell.-Griffith's Translation of Cuvier. PARENTAL AFFECTION OF THE BEAR. A she bear, with her two cubs, were pursued on the ice by some of the men, and were so closely approached, as to alarm the mother for the safety of her offspring. Finding that they could not advance with the desired speed, she used various artifices to urge them forward, but without success. Determined to save them, if possible, she ran to one of the cubs, placed her nose under it, and threw it forward as far as possible; then going to the other, she performed the same action, and repeated it frequently, until she had thus conveyed them to a considerable distance. The young bears seemed perfectly conscious of their mother's intention, for as soon as they recovered their feet, after being thrown forward, they immediately ran on in the proper direction, and when the mother came up to renew the effort, the little rogues uniformly placed themselves across her path, that they might receive the full advantage of the force exerted for their safety.-Scoresby. A THIEF. The following instance occurred in the western part of the state of New York, in the year 1824. The back window of a farm-house was forced open one night, and a considerable quantity of pork carried off. The proprietor, without suspecting the nature of the plunderer, placed a loaded musket opposite the window, having a string so adjusted that the gun would be discharged by anything attempting to enter the room through the window. During the night the report of the gun was heard, and in the morning the body of a large black bear was found at a short distance from the spot where he had received his death wound.-Godman. This is the principal When he has procured ingredient in the poison. enough of that, he digs up a root of a very bitter taste, ties them together, and then looks about for two kinds of bulbous plants, that contain a green and glutinous juice. He fills a little quake, which he carries on his back, with the stalks of these; and lastly, ranges up and down till he finds two species of ants. One of them is very large and black, and so venomous that its sting produces fever; it is commonly found on the ground. The other is a little red ant, which stings like a nettle, and generally has its nest under the leaf of a shrub. After obtaining these, he has no more need to range the forest. A quantity of the strongest Indian pepper is used; but that he has already planted round his hut. The powdered fangs of the libarri and counacouchi snakes are added. These he commonly has in store; for when he kills a snake, he generally extracts the fangs, and keeps them by him. |