's friend the shepherd, whereas the herds of vicunas and
guanacos consisted of wild animals.

Perhaps no animal of South America has attracted so much attention as
the llama, as it was the only beast of burden the Indians had trained to
their use on the arrival of Europeans in that country. So many strange
stories were told by the earlier Spanish travellers regarding this
"camel-sheep," that it was natural that great interest should attach to
it. These reported that the llama was used for riding. Such, however, is
not the case. It is only trained to carry burdens; although an Indian
boy may be sometimes seen on the back of a llama for mischief, or when
crossing a stream and the lad does not wish to get his feet wet.

The llama is three feet high from hoof to shoulder, though his long neck
makes him look taller. His colour is generally brown, with black and
yellow shades, sometimes speckled or spotted; and there are black and
white llamas, but these are rare. His wool is long and coarse, though
the females, which are smaller, have a finer and better wool. The latter
are never used to carry burdens, but only kept for breeding. They are
fed in flocks upon the Puna heights, and it was a flock of these that
our travellers saw near the hut.

The males are trained to carry burdens at the age of four years. A
pack-saddle, called _yergua_, woven out of course wool, is fastened on
the back, and upon this the goods are placed. The burden never exceeds
120 or 130 pounds. Should a heavier one be put on, the llama, like the
camel, quite understands that he is "over-weighted," and neither coaxing
nor beating will induce him to move a step. He will lie down, or, if
much vexed, spit angrily at his driver, and this spittle has a highly
acrid property, and will cause blisters on the skin where it touches.
Sometimes a llama, over vexed by ill-treatment, has been known, in
despair, to dash his brains out against a rock.

The llamas are used much in the mines of Peru, for carrying the ore.
They frequently serve better than either asses or mules, as they can
pass up and down declivities where neither ass nor mule can travel. They
are sometimes taken in long trains from the mountains down to the coast
region for salt and other goods; but on such occasions many of them die,
as they cannot bear the warm climate of the lowlands. Their proper and
native place is on the higher plains of the Andes.

A string of llamas, when on a journey, is a ve