36 THREE DAYS ON THE ORINOCO, 



clearly see would be a matter of no very easy attainment ; their ex- 

 treme agility, and their great strength, which would no doubt be 

 called into vigorous action for self-defence, rendered it apparent that 

 nothing but stratagem would enable me to contend with them. 

 They had been as much frightened by the attack of the tiger as my- 

 self, and since then had betaken themselves to the most inaccessible 

 parts of the tree. I should therefore, at least, have to wait till their 

 alarm had subsided, and till they descended within my reach. 



The mist was now clearing away ; an under-current of air sweep- 

 ing over the surface of the river and the lake beneath me exposed 

 them again to my view. Gazing upon the rock which my evil stars 

 had induced me ascend, I became sensible that it had now an occu- 

 pant ; and that in the shape of a large jaguar whether it was the 

 same individual that had already attempted my fastness, I had no 

 means of determining. However that might be, it was evident 

 enough that it was meditating the best means of reaching either me 

 or the iguanas. He was crouched upon the highest point of the grey 

 rock, distant about six feet from the nearest branches, and perhaps 

 ten or twelve from the bole a distance quite within the range of a 

 spring. The perpendicular height of the waving boughs above him 

 with the uncertainty of retaining his hold amongst them, seemed to 

 have determined him to make his attempt upon the latter. From 

 the advantage of my position, I had little fear as to the result, and 

 congratulating myself on having discovered my enemy before he had 

 made nearer advances, I descended as rapidly as my stiffened limbs 

 would permit, to meet him before he had succeeded in getting 

 amongst the branches, where in my present enfeebled state the con- 

 test would be much more doubtful. Arming myself again with the 

 stoutest of the sticks, and grasping my open knife in my left hand, I 

 stationed myself where the trunk first divided itself, waiting the 

 attack. My motions had been closely watched by the jaguar ; he 

 was much below me, so that if he should succeed in fixing himself 

 on the stem, I should have him at great advantage during his neces- 

 sary slow ascent along its smooth bark. Curling up his body he 

 prepared to spring, and in half a second he was clinging about ten 

 feet below the point where I stood. Drawing up his hind-legs and 

 fixing his claws firmly, he raised his fore-paws cautiously, and com- 

 menced his approach. My intention was to permit him to come 

 almost close to me before I opposed him. I had supposed that I 

 could easily dislodge him ; but when I saw how firmly he held him- 

 self, I at once became aware this would be more difficult than I had 

 anticipated. Step after step, growling fiercely, he came on ; his hot 

 breath steamed up in my face, whilst his eyes like living emeralds 

 glared upon me, evidently aware of my hostile intentions. The 

 situation in which I found myself was not peculiarly fitted for obser- 

 vation, still I was confident in my resources, and I could not but ad- 

 mire the strength and elegance of his frame. He was a large-sized 

 male, and as the muscles of the loins and hind-quarters were brought 

 into full play, the fine contour of his body was fully shewn. Already 

 his paws were within reach of my hand, and it behoved me to try my 

 means against him. Laying my knife in a wide fork of the tree, I 



