In Peru and Chile there are four different kinds of these camels of the New World, two of which, the Llama and Alpaca, have been tamed, the others being wild. These are not animals of the desert, but lovers of the hills, as they dwell on the highest parts of the Andes. Like the camels of the East, they have long been in the service of man. The Llama was the bearer of burdens for the old Peruvians and is a burden-bearer to-day, though the mule is beginning to take its place.
These animals do not look like the camel. Their backs have no humps and their heads are more like that of the deer. Instead of the small ears of the camel they have erect ears like the mule. But they have long necks like the camel, also cushioned feet and a stomach that is fitted to hold water. This is strange in animals that have no need to store up water. It seems as if the habit of storing water began very long ago among the ancestors of the camel tribe.
The Llama is a much smaller animal than the camel, being about three feet high at the shoulders. It keeps its head raised like a deer and is a gentle and docile animal, though it has a habit that is not much liked by those that make it angry. This is to squirt a mouthful of its yellow spittle into their faces. This has an unpleasant odor and this nasty habit makes drivers careful not to overwork the animals.
[Illustration: A Llama Train Descending the Mountains of Peru]
The Llama is a sure-footed creature, knows how to find food for itself, and can carry a weight of a hundred pounds about twelve miles a day. This makes it very useful for the miners of the Andes, who use it to carry their ore down the rough and steep mountain paths. When the animals are tired they will lie down, and the only way to make them get up is to take off their loads. That is another way they have to make their drivers treat them kindly.
The Alpaca is a smaller animal than the Llama and is not used to carry goods, but for all that it has its uses and is kept in large flocks on the high levels of the Andes. Its value lies in its wool. While the hair of the Llama is coarse and of little use, the Alpaca is covered with a long, fine wool, of a silky lustre, which if left uncut will grow to twenty, and even to thirty inches in length. If cut every year it grows to be about six or eight inches in length. Its color is often a yellowish-brown, but is sometimes gray or black.