236 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



that they were not fresh, and of course would not 

 keep : those which had no speck were put into dry 

 sand, and were good some weeks after. 



At midnight, two of our people went to this 

 sand-bank, while the rest stayed to watch the 

 cayman. The turtle had advanced on to the sand 

 to lay their eggs, and the men got betwixt them 

 and the water ; they brought off half a dozen very 

 fine and well-fed turtle. The egg-shell of the 

 fresh-water turtle is not hard like that of the land 

 tortoise, but appears like white parchment and 

 gives way to the pressure of the fingers; but it 

 is very tough, and does not break. On this sand- 

 bank, close to the forest, we found several Guana's 

 nests; but they had never more than fourteen 

 eggs a-piece. Thus passed the day in exercise 

 and knowledge, till the sun's declining orb re- 

 minded us it was time to return to the place from 

 whence we had set out. 



The second night's attempt upon the cayman 

 was a repetition of the first, quite unsuccessful. 

 We went a fishing the day after, had excellent 

 sport, and returned to experience a third night's 

 disappointment. On the fourth evening, about 

 four o'clock, we began to erect a stage amongst 

 the trees, close to the water's edge. From this 

 we intended to shoot an arrow into the cayman: 

 at the end of this arrow was to be attached a 

 string, which would be tied to the rope, and as 

 soon as the cayman was struck we were to have 

 the canoe ready and pursue him in the river. 



Wliile we were busy in preparing the stage, a 

 tiger began to roar. We judged by the sound 

 that he was not above a quarter of a mile from 



