234 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



the other on the bait in the river, said he saw the 

 cajTnan coming. 



Upon looking towards the place, there appeared 

 something on the water like a black log of wood. 

 It was so unlike anything alive, that I doubted 

 if it were a cayman; but the Indian smiled, and 

 said he was sure it was one, for he remembered 

 seeing a cayman, some years ago, when he was in 

 the Essequibo. 



At last it gradually approached the bait, and 

 the board began to move. The moon shone so 

 bright that we could distinctly see him open his 

 huge jaws, and take in the bait. We pulled the 

 rope. He immediately let drop the bait; and 

 then we saw his black head retreating from the 

 board, to the distance of a few yards, and there it 

 remained quite motionless. 



He did not seem inclined to advance again; 

 and so we finished our supper. In about an hour's 

 time he again put himself in motion, and took 

 hold of the bait. But, probably, suspecting that 

 he had to deal with knaves and cheats, he held it 

 in his mouth but did not swallow it. We pulled 

 the rope again, but with no better success than 

 the first time. 



He retreated as usual, and came back again in 

 about an hour. We paid him every attention till 

 three o 'clock in the morning ; when, worn out with 

 disappointment, we went to the hammocks, turned 

 in, and fell asleep. 



WTien day broke, we found that he had con- 

 trived to get the bait from the hook, though we 

 had tied it on with string. We had now no more 

 hopes of taking a cayman till the return of night. 



