me A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



parts, yet we had to exercise the greatest care in handling 

 our cranky boat. Jacobson, ' the Pirate,* and Villegente 

 could not swim a stroke. With the exception of Maite 

 and myself the others were very poor swimmers. Freddy 

 landed several times after game-birds, and fired ten or 

 twelve shots in all, but he only secured two curassows. 

 Perhaps nervousness or hunger had something to do with 

 his bad shooting. Stopped at noon to cook one of the 

 curassows Freddy had killed. By way of a change the 

 meat was roasted on the glowing coals, but although I 

 ate my full share I could not get over the sensation of 

 emptiness from which I had been suffering during the 

 last few days. I had read somewhere that the Kaf&rs 

 and other savage tribes use hunger-belts when pressed 

 for food, so I wound a strong creeper several times round 

 my waist. This certainly gave me a good deal of relief 

 from the dull gnawing pain I experienced. Kiver con- 

 tinued broad and deep. Landed once to try to get a 

 shot at two red howlers I had noticed on a big tree, but 

 was unsuccessful. Weather gloomy with strong gusts of 

 wind and showers at intervals. Procured no game. At 

 about three o'clock heard the distant roar of Achaba and 

 half an hour afterwards passed through the first channel 

 of these formidable rapids. It was time to look for a 

 camping-place, so that the men might be able to 

 build before nightfall some sort of covering against 

 the threatening weather ; so we moored the boat along- 

 side of a thinly wooded island where were many fine 

 Cattleyas in full bloom. We ate the curassow left over 

 from the morning. Heavy rain, with lightning and 

 thunder, all night. 



May 10. — Suffered so much from fever during the 

 night that I can scarcely stand this morning. Started 



