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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



large dugout made from a single tree 

 trunk, was. a little more than five feet 

 wide, from thirty to thirty-six inches 

 deep, and thirty- four feet long. It was 

 so solid and heavy that we could 

 scarcely turn it over, although as a mat- 

 ter of fact we did drag it over a great 

 many rapids, the first of these at Cari- 

 ben, where there is a swift and danger- 

 ous cataract foaming between immense 

 sentinel-like masses of black granite. 

 For about one third of its length the 

 bungo was covered with a carroza, or 

 awning, which resembled in shape the 

 old "prairie schooner" coverings, but 

 the carroza was thatched with reeds. 

 Under this we slept, and also stored 

 such articles as needed to be kept 

 dry. 



Arrangements for cooking in the ca- 

 noe included a box of dirt upon which a 

 fire could be built. Firewood in suf- 

 ficient quantity was gathered at one 

 place or another, and sometimes several 

 days would pass without our touching 

 land at all. When night came we would 

 simply tie up in the tree tops. We 

 found it advantageous to take with us 

 such articles of food as sugar, salt, cof- 

 fee, rice, and beans, for while some of 

 these could be purchased en route, the 

 prices were excessively high. For meat 

 we depended upon wild game; ducks 

 and geese were abundant, also squirrels, 

 a species of raccoon, the iguana, and 

 other animals which we esteemed as 

 food. Plantains, yams, and corn we 

 often were able to obtain from the na- 

 tives in exchange for coffee, pepper, and 

 salt, supplies of which we always took 

 with us for trading purposes. Natives 

 and half-breeds who had been in the 

 settlements and learned the use of black 

 pepper, were almost wild in their desire 

 to obtain this condiment ; so with a lit- 

 tle of that article we frequently made 

 advantageous trades; occasionally we 

 traded a little salt for some of their hot 

 red peppers. 



We were very snug and comfortable 

 in our canoe, where a few chickens in 



the prow gave an added touch of home- 

 liness, besides furnishing us with occa- 

 sional fresh eggs. It was interesting to 

 note that whenever the canoe touched 

 shore these chickens would clamor 

 loudly to get out, whereas while on the 

 water they stayed very contentedly in 

 their quarters. When we landed, and 

 the top of the coop was thrown open, 

 they would immediately fly out, al- 

 though they never wandered very far 

 from camp. In spite of this, however, 

 one of them flew squawking home one 

 evening with two toes missing, probably 

 nipped off by a turtle or a man-eating 

 flsh. 



We camped in one spot from a day 

 to a week or more, depending on its 

 suitability as a place for collecting 

 specimens. On moving days we made 

 an early start, usually about four 

 o'clock in the morning, stopping when 

 we reached a favorable place for a new 

 camp. In the vicinity of rapids or 

 falls, we were greatly troubled by black 

 flies and other insect pests. Above the 

 falls of Atures and Maipures the black 

 flies were a great plague. They are tiny 

 little fellows but have a very big bite 

 which produces an intolerable itching. 

 Frequently I found it necessary to work 

 under the hammock net while prepar- 

 ing my specimens; otherwise the at- 

 tacks of the swarms of biting, blood- 

 sucking insects on my hands and face 

 would drive me almost frantic. Mos- 

 quitoes, during the dry season, were no 

 more abundant than they are in New 

 Jersey or Long Island. 



A very curious bird found in this re- 

 gion is the "hoactzin." It is said to be 

 a distant relative of reptiles, which in 

 its immature stages it somewhat resem- 

 bles. It is provided with claws near 

 the wrist-joint; by means of these, its 

 feet, its bill — and often by hooking the 

 head over a twig or branch— it climbs 

 about its nest in the tree tops after the 

 manner of a quadruped. The nest is a 

 very frail affair, consisting of a plat- 

 form of sticks and twigs so slight that 



