152 JOURNAL OF THE TRINIDAD 



of the narrow bridge. It was the case of a fiery Scylla and a 

 thorny Charybdis, combined with the sword-blade bridge by 

 which good Mahommedans reach Paradise. I started on my 

 journey, at first slowly, step by step, but presently finding the 

 heat on my right almost insupportable, I attempted to move 

 faster, a frantic struggle to regain my balance ensued but without 

 avail, and I fell with a heavy crash into the thorny bed on my 

 left. Not being minded to become a nineteenth century St. 

 Laurence I struggled vigorously and extricated myself at the 

 cost of sundry scratches to my hands and rents to my garments, 

 and eventually, considerably the worse for wear, I rejoined my 

 companions who were standing round a dead animal which 

 looked like an exaggerated guinea pig, of a brown colour with 

 white spots, which I was told was a lappe.* The beast weighed 

 about 30 lbs. and was in fine condition. From the appearance 

 of the mammae (which b3 r e-the-bye I noticed with surprise were 

 situated immediately between the forelegs, like those of the elephant) 

 she had evidently young ones at home. It appeared that the dogs 

 first started an agouti, which had run into the lappe's hole. This 

 latter animal cannot stand canine barking and yelping and 

 invariably bolts from its retreat on such occasions. This lappe 

 had done this and was taking refuge in another burrow when 

 it was shot by a half naked individual who was prowling about 

 and who hearing the noise made by the dogs had come up in time 

 to see the chase. The lappe was only severely wounded and 

 again ran away but was soon afterwards pulled down by the 

 dogs who would not allow the man to apj:>roach it. It was the 

 lappe which had wounded Spotty's eye and ripped up Gertrude's 

 ear. While Boney prepared the game for convenient transit 

 to the forest we sat down to the huntsman's snack — biscuits 

 and sugar ! On the return journey much of the ground we had 

 passed over was retraced — my bridge excepted. In the forest 

 a Mahoef sapling was cut down and its bark stripped off in long 

 bands. With these Boney cleverly tied up the lappe's feet and 

 so arranged it that two long bands formed a pair of braces, 

 through which Sammy passed his arms so that the animal rested 

 comfortably upon his back like a knapsack, leaving his hands 

 free. Several birds were observed, amongst them being a wood- 

 pecker, called by the country folk Le Charpentier.\ It is said 

 that this bird adopts a rather cunning method to obtain food. 

 He is supposed to make a hole in a tree and then leave it for some 

 time. After a week or two he returns, knowing that insects of 

 various kinds are sure to have taken possession of it. Arrived 



*Ca:logcnys paca, L. 



jSterculia caribbcea. 



\Dendrobates kiikii, Mahl. 



