TIGER OF THE NEW WORLD. 79 



burning. He roamed round, like the fabled wild 

 huntsman of Scandinavia, and the travellers found 

 it impossible to shoot him ; no sooner was he aimed 

 at, than he as rapidly disappeared, then returned on 

 the other side, and occasioned a perpetual alarm. 

 Thus he proceeded, till wearied at length by the 

 resistance which he met with, and by the sight of 

 blazing fires continually augmented, he sullenly 

 withdrew with dreadful bowlings. 



Jaguars are often seen in the deep forests of 

 Demerara. " You no hear tiger, massa T said an 

 Indian to Waterton, as he lay awake in his ham- 

 mock. Waterton listened attentively, and heard 

 the softly-sounding tread of his huge feet. The 

 moon was set, but every now and then the flicker- 

 ing flame of the fire made him visible, and the spots 

 on his coat clearly indicated that he was a Jaguar. 

 The Indian wished to fire, but Waterton would not 

 allow it ; he longed to see a little more of the new 

 visiter, for it is not every day or night that an un- 

 disturbed view can be obtained of a Jaguar in his 

 native forests. 



Whenever the fire got low he came near; when 

 the Indian threw on fresh fuel, and the flame burst 

 forth, he hastily drew back. Sometimes he ad- 

 vanced within twenty yards, and then he was seen 

 to great advantage, sitting on his hind legs, like a 

 dog. Again, he moved slowly to and fro, and at 

 other times he would mend his pace, as if impatient. 

 At length, the Indian, not liking the vicinity of 

 such a formidable guest, set up a tremendous yell, 

 which was repeated by all the echoes, far and near. 

 On hearing this, the Jaguar bounded ofF like a 



