WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 235 



The Indian took off into the woods, and brought 

 back a noble supply of game. The rest of us went 

 into the canoe, and proceeded up the river to 

 shoot fish. We got even more than we could use. 



As we approachd the shallows, we could see 

 the large Sting-rays moving at the bottom. The 

 coloured man never failed to hit them with his 

 arrow. The weather was delightful. There was 

 scarcely a cloud to intercept the sun's rays. 



I saw several scarlet aras, anihingas, and 

 ducks, but could not get a shot at them. The 

 parrots crossed the river in innumerable quan- 

 tities, always flying in pairs. Here, too, I saw 

 the Sun-bird, called Tirana by the Spaniards in 

 the Oroonoque, and shot one of them. The black 

 and white Scarlet-headed Finch was very com- 

 mon here. I could never see this bird in the 

 Demerara, nor hear of its being there. 



We at last came to a large sand-bank, probably 

 two miles in circumference. As we approached 

 it we could see two or three hundred Fresh-water 

 Turtle on the edge of the bank. Ere we could 

 get near enough to let fly an arrow at them, they 

 had all sunk into the river and appeared no more. 



We went on the sand-bank to look for their 

 nests, as this was the breeding season. The 

 coloured man showed us how to find them. 

 Wherever a portion of the sand seemed smoother 

 than the rest, there was sure to be a turtle's nest. 

 On digging down with our hands, about nine 

 inches deep, we found from twenty to thirty white 

 eggs ; in less than an hour we got about two hun- 

 dred. Those which had a little black spot or two 

 on the shell we ate the same day, as it was a sign 



