UP THE RIVER OF TAPIRS 161 



us. Several days were needed to apportion the loads and 

 arrange for the several divisions in which it was necessary 

 that so large a party should attempt the long wilderness 

 march, through a country where there was not much food 

 for man or beast, and where it was always possible to run 

 into a district in which fatal cattle or horse diseases were 

 prevalent. Fiala, with his usual efficiency, took charge of 

 handling the outfit of the American portion of the expedi- 

 tion, with Sigg as an active and useful assistant. Harper, 

 who like the others worked with whole-hearted zeal and 

 cheerfulness, also helped him, except when he was engaged 

 in helping the naturalists. The two latter, Cherrie and 

 Miller, had so far done the hardest and the best work 

 of the expedition. They had collected about a thousand 

 birds and two hundred and fifty mammals. It was not 

 probable that they would do as well during the remainder 

 of our trip, for we intended thenceforth to halt as little, and 

 march as steadily, as the country, the weather, and the 

 condition of our means of transportation permitted. I 

 kept continually wishing that they had more time in which 

 to study the absorbingly interesting life-histories of the 

 beautiful and wonderful beasts and birds we were all the 

 time seeing. Every first-rate museum must still employ 

 competent collectors; but I think that a museum could 

 now confer most lasting benefit, and could do work of most 

 permanent good, by sending out into the immense wilder- 

 nesses, where wild nature is at her best, trained observers 

 with the gift of recording what they have observed. Such 

 men should be collectors, for collecting is still necessary; 

 but they should also, and indeed primarily, be able them- 

 selves to see, and to set vividly before the eyes of others, 



