TAPIR HUNTING 205 



the repairs to the large boat, which had had a hole 

 knocked through its bottom during the portage ; ' the 

 Pirate ' and several others went out hunting with the 

 dogs ; Maite fished for Aymaras in the pool close by the 

 camp, using pieces of meat for bait. He caught several 

 of these voracious fishes, some of which were of a large 

 size. The Indians say that the Aymara is never caught 

 in the river below. On the other hand the Morocoto is 

 not found above the falls ; nor are electric eels. The 

 large alligator is replaced by a much smaller species 

 called Baba by the natives. In fact the falls of Para 

 appear to constitute an effectual barrier between distinct 

 forms of river life. The word Baudales as applied to 

 Para is to my mind misleading, for the same word cannot 

 be used indiscriminately with reference to Mura, Piritu, 

 and Para. The former are rapids, but the latter is a 

 succession of falls or cataracts. All the maps to which 

 I have had access give no idea whatever of the country 

 through which the Caura flows, although the course of 

 the stream is tolerably correct. At Para the land rises 

 abruptly some 800 feet to a plateau about 1,000 feet 

 above sea-level, and this plateau in its turn rises 

 gradually to 1,500 feet at Ameha and to some 2,000 feet 

 at the foot of the Merevari range. This tract of elevated 

 country must be of considerable extent ; it probably 

 constitutes the whole of the most northerly portion of 

 Brazil drained by the Branco and its tributaries. 



It was almost dark when the men who had gone out 

 hunting returned. They brought the welcome news that 

 they had killed a fat tapir, which they had left on an 

 island some distance up the river. Three of them went 

 in the small boat to bring the meat into camp. In about 

 an hour's time they came back with the head and the 



