138 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



using big calabashes to pour the water over us. It is 

 dangerous to get into the water in the Orinoco or any of 

 its tributaries, on account of the fearlessness and voracity 

 of some of the fish which inhabit these streams. Most 

 of the men I had with me had been brought up either on 

 the banks of the main river, or of one of its affluents. 

 They were in consequence unable to swim. They told 

 me that they did not stand in much fear of alligators, but 

 that they dreaded electric eels and rays, and, most of 

 all, the rapacious carihe. This terrible little fish has been 

 most appropriately named after the ferocious aborigines 

 of the Antilles, who have contributed the word cannibal 

 to our language. I had one day a good opportunity of 

 observing this characteristic of the caribes of immediately 

 setting upon and devouring any members of a shoal the 

 moment they appear to be disabled or unable to take care 

 of themselves. I was washing out a pot containing paste 

 into which some carbolic acid had been put to prevent 

 its being attacked by cockroaches. The caribes, attracted 

 to the spot by the white particles, greedily swallowed the 

 bits of paste. Those who had succeeded in securing the 

 biggest share of this dangerous food paid the penalty of 

 their gluttony, for no sooner did an individual turn upon 

 its side and show signs of distress than it was imme- 

 diately attacked by the others and torn to shreds, 



Jacobson took several views at La Prision, and at 

 the rapids of Mura. After he had developed his plates, 

 which he always did at night, the washing-boxes would 

 be taken down to the slab of rock where we had our bath 

 in the morning, and there we would spend an hour or 

 two. 



While the tedious process of cleansing was being 

 performed I whiled the time away by spreading a piece 



