referable, although perhaps very unsportsmanlike, and so we
wended our way homeward.

It is rather unusual that these peccaries make such a brave fight in
daylight, but it was chiefly owing to their accidentally finding
themselves in such considerable numbers on this occasion, as they are
commonly scattered over their feeding-grounds in very small parties
during the day, and return to a common haunt at night, whence they sally
out in immense numbers upon any foe that trespasses upon their
neighborhood, like when they tracked our dogs in the Sapao.

THE PERILS OF TRAVEL.

IDA PFEIFFER.

[Among travellers there have been few more ardent and
enterprising than the woman from whose writings our present
selection is made. Ida Pfeiffer was born in Vienna about 1795,
married, brought up and educated her two sons, and in 1842,
when nearly fifty years of age, set out on a series of travels
which she had long contemplated, and in which she spent the
succeeding ten years. After a series of travels in Asia Minor,
Scandinavia, and Iceland, she set out in 1846 on a tour of the
world, which was not accomplished without great hardships and
dangers. In 1851 she entered on a second journey around the
world, visiting various new countries. She died in 1858. From
her "A Woman's Journey round the World" we select the following
thrilling experience. She had set out from Rio Janeiro, in
company with Count Berchthold, on an excursion to Petropolis,
a German colony in the vicinity. Suddenly, in a lonely spot, a
negro sprang out upon them, knife and lasso in hand, indicating
by gestures that he intended to murder them and drag their
bodies into the forest. She gives a vivid description of what
followed.]

We had no arms, as we had been told that the road was perfectly safe,
and the only weapons of defence which we possessed were our parasols, if
I except a clasp-knife, which I instantly drew out of my pocket and
opened, fully determined to sell my life as dearly as possible. We
parried our adversary's blows as long as we could with our parasols,
but these lasted but a short time; besides, he caught hold of mine,
which, as we were struggling for it, broke short off, leaving only a
piece of the handle in my hand. In the struggle, however, he dropped his
knife, which rolled a few steps from him; I instantly made a dash, and
thought I had got