DRAINING OUR FISH-POND. 219 
ed. I need not tell you that we had our guns, and plen- 
ty of powder, shot, and bullets. 
It was no small work to empty this creek or little 
pond, I can assure you. For hours we went on dipping 
our kettles and baskets and throwing the water out, until 
at last the water became shallow, and we could see great 
quantities of ground fish, called nioz, together with 
other large ones whose names I forget. These niozi are 
splendid little fishes, and the natives think a great deal 
of them. In the dry season a great many are caught, 
and they are smoked and kept for hard times. 
We made a bountiful harvest, and had to make bask- 
ets with the branches of trees in order to carry our loads 
to the camp. Then we lighted fires under our oralas to 
smoke the fish, and after cooking we ate some of them. 
We had had a grand success with the fish, and now 
we determined to try our hands at a wild boar hunt, 
which is certainly one of the most difficult, for the wild 
boar is very shy in these forests; but when fat, the ani- 
mal is the nicest game one can kill, for the flesh is very 
savory and delicious. 
And successful we were. ‘T'wo large enormous wild 
boars were bagged, one of them by myself—a splendid 
fellow, weighing several hundred pounds. We were 
very thankful that these two fellows were killed within 
about two miles from the camp. We disemboweled 
them, cut their hind and fore quarters apart, and the 
rest of the body in large pieces, and brought the meat to. 
the camp. We had to make several journeys, till I be- 
gan to feel so tired that I wished the boar meat any- 
where else, but we must make hay while the sun shines. 
In the evening we had bright fires under the oralas. 
