304. EXCURSIONS IN NEIGHBOURHOOD OF EGA. Cuap. XI. 
course of a few days, and escape to the main river, but the Tracajas 
remain, and become an easy prey to the natives. The ordinary mode 
of obtaining them is to whip the waterin every part with rods for several 
hours during the day; this treatment having the effect of driving the 
animals out. ‘They wait, however, until the night following the beating 
before making their exit. Our Indians were occupied for many hours 
in this work, and when night came they and the sentinels were placed 
at intervals along the edge of the water, to be ready to capture the run- 
aways. Cardozo and I, after supper, went and took our station at one 
end of the pool. 
We did not succeed, after all our trouble, in getting many Tracajas. 
This was partly owing to the intense darkness of the night, and partly, 
doubtless, to the sentinels having already nearly exhausted the pool, 
notwithstanding their declarations to the contrary. In waiting for the 
animals it was necessary to keep silence: not a pleasant way of passing 
the night ; speaking only in whispers, and being without fire in a place 
liable to be visited by a prowling jaguar. Cardozo and I sat on a sandy 
slope with our loaded guns by our side, but it was so dark we could 
scarcely see each other. ‘Towards midnight a storm began to gather 
around us. ‘The faint wind which had breathed from over the water 
since the sun went down, ceased; thick clouds piled themselves up 
until every star was obscured, and gleams of watery lightning began to 
play in the midst of the black masses. I hinted to Cardozo that I 
thought we had now had enough of watching, and suggested a cigarette. 
Just then a quick pattering movement was heard on the sands, and 
grasping our guns, we both started to our feet. Whatever it might have 
been it seemed to pass by, and a few moments afterwards a dark body 
appeared to be moving in another direction on the opposite slope of 
the sandy ravine where we lay. We prepared to fire, but luckily took 
the precaution of first shouting “(Quem vai 14?” (Who goes there ?) It 
turned out to be the taciturn sentinel, Daniel, who asked us mildly 
whether we had heard a “‘raposa” pass our way. ‘The raposa is a kind 
of wild dog, with very long tapering muzzle, and black and white 
speckled hair.* Daniel could distinguish all kinds of animals in the 
dark by their footsteps. It now began to thunder, and our position 
was getting very uncomfortable. Daniel had not seen anything of the 
other Indians, and thought it was useless waiting any longer for 
Tracajds ; we therefore sent him to call in the whole party, and made 
off ourselves, as quickly as we could, for the canoe. The rest of the 
night was passed most miserably; as indeed were very many of my 
nights on the Solimoens. A furious squall burst upon us; the wind 
blew away the cloths and mats we had fixed up at the ends of the 
arched awning of the canoe to shelter ourselves, and the rain beat right 
through our sleeping-place. There we lay, Cardozo and I, huddled 
together, and wet through, waiting for the morning. 
A cup of strong and hot coffee put us to rights at sunrise; but the 
* T had once only an opportunity of examining a specimen of this animal. It is 
probably new to science, at least I have not been able to find a published description 
that suits the species. The one mentioned was taken from a burrow in the earth in 
the forests bordering the Teffé, near Ega. 
