CHRISTMAS ON THE CAUllA 177 



crop every two or three years. The frail huts they had 

 built were tumbhng to pieces, and a rank growth of bush 

 had sprung up where they had cut the forest trees down. 

 A large tree that had been stripped of its bark stood as 

 a sentinel in the middle of the clearing. Many parrots 

 were on its bare branches when we arrived, and towards 

 sunset two hawks perched close together on its very top, 

 evidently with the intention of passing the night, but 

 Pedro disturbed their calculations by killing both with 

 a single shot from my twelve-bore. These birds were 

 smaller than the large dark-coloured hawk I have already 

 described as being the terror of the poultry yards. 



We spent Christmas afternoon on an island opposite 

 to the hill of Cangrejo, the farthest point visited by tonca- 

 bean collectors. Maite caught a large catfish, and as a 

 Christmas dinner the men had roasted fish in addition to 

 their sancoclio. The only delicacy we were able to allow 

 ourselves in honour of the day was a tin of kippered 

 herrings brought by Longacre. Jacobson took a photo- 

 graph of our camping-place in commemoration of the 

 occasion. 



All night long Facundo, who had been so unwell 

 during the day that he was unable to stand, complained of 

 acute pain in the intestines. He appeared so ill when 

 day broke that I decided to send him back without delay. 

 The small dug-out having been hastily unloaded of its 

 cargo of provisions, a thick bed of palm-branches was 

 made in its bottom. Upon this the men spread his 

 blanket and then placed him gently on top. Two of my 

 best paddlers, Benito and Pio, went with him, with 

 instructions not to stop until they reached La Prision. 

 After leaving him there they were to return with a fresh 

 load of provisions and meet us on the Nichare. I bade 



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