c H i P. after but during, .that; time we had no further .indinar
^ X’ tion tót reih. : At laft the fun’s bright beams began to
dart through th e trees and gild the; foliage?; on whidi
We: caft -off. 'feorai ©nr moorings/: and continued rowing
up Cormoetibo; Creek: {which was now very narrow^ till
near hoöii^L^dtem we IdiihöVeréd a fmoak# and a t Iaft
Came to the mouth of the Waha Creek, which runsinto
the Maïâwinâ£>;ând WhibhJwas the place of rendezvous,
where - however the troops -were j - n o t; yet -i arrived ;
and oppofite to which were encamped ä few of the
ranger®, to guard the; prbvifions1 that were- waiting the
arrival ©f Colonel Foürgeoûd and * his; party from Craw*-
aflibo, and Taft from Pätansaca.
One o f the rangers having killed a tattu or armadillo,
called in Sv.mtizm eapajcet I Mall- embrace this opportunity
Of ' deferring' iC-^This j animal is: With propriety
fbmetimes Mied a hog-in-armour ; its head; ätid oars
being much like thofe ó f at mailing pig,: and' its wholb
body covèred over With b ird Mdls like Mieldsy Aiding l à
moveable rings, like thofe of the qti'êê-ÿkeê fife älreädy
mentioned, the one over the- Other, excèpt oh thb
Moulders and the rump, which afeMcéWerèd fofebthfeg
lifee tint le, with one; folid mafs of Uhmoveahte bond,
called by feme a cuirait arid a : helmet. Of this- crëa^
ture there are many- fpecies in Guiana, the làrgeft being
from thé1 ‘ fnóut to the tip of the th.il' above three
feet iri length,: o f a reddiih colour^ and marked all
over with hexangulär figurés. Its eyes are fmall, the
WM I ■ tail
tail long and thick at th e iro6t, and tapering gradually chap.
like a -carrot’ towards the.. point, and is covered over „ .
like the body with moveable tings* This animal has
four Mort ifegs-with four toes, armed with; two 1 daws
on, the för-e-fêet, and sfiye -on ‘ thöfë ;• behind.'' .• armadillo
walks generalij during the-night, being feldonn
feen through the iday,J and fleeps in burrows under
ground, which it makes with gie^t fapilityj and in
which it- flicks fo;faft .that. the itrongeff man cannot
draW it out, though hè Were to pull its tail with bath
hands* When attacked or -'terrified, it forms itfelf into*
a -round; bill; like f a hedge-hog, making -its euiraifs and
helmet ttoeêfe together, itt%hich- ^ré endofed i,ts head>
feet, and Whole body."-- This creature feeds on roots,
infedfc,- fruits,' *r birds, &tc:> and when- dreflbd appeared
to me a feldraMy: good diM, - though in. -general- by
Eutópe&ös lit is^ accounted: ho great-delicacy; the Indians,
are, however,; extremely fend of it.
I Mall, in this place# abb take the opportunity, of mentioning
thé Guiana porcupine, which -is frequently called
here the adjora. This -anirinal, which [is from its muzzle
to thé root o f the tail femetimes three feet in length, is .
eovered with hard prickle^ the feet, the face, and part
■of its tail êXcfepfcédJ Thefe prifekJeè are about th®#ès iöches-
long, yellow at the root, a dark chefuut colour in the
middle, and white at the points;. diey -are extremely
Marp, highly polhbed, and moveable, fervipg for th e
creature’s defence, whiph, when irritated,, it-d re fe in
array* .