WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 239 



I preferred dining entirely on monkey. After 

 resting here, we went back to the river. The In- 

 dians, three in number, accompanied us in their 

 own curial, and, on entering the river, pointed to 

 a place a little way above, well calculated to har- 

 bour a cayman. The water was deep and still, 

 and flanked by an immense sand-bank ; there was 

 also a little shallow creek close by. 



On this sand-bank, near the forest, the people 

 made a shelter for the night. My own was 

 already made; for I always take with me a 

 painted sheet, about twelve feet by ten. This, 

 thrown over a pole, supported betwixt two trees, 

 makes you a capital roof with very little trouble. 



"We showed one of the Indians the shark-hook. 

 He shook his head and laughed at it, and said it 

 would not do. Wlien he was a boy, he had seen 

 his father catch the caymen, and on the morrow 

 he would make something that would answer. 



In the meantime, we set the shark-hook, but it 

 availed us nought; a cayman came and took it, 

 but would not swallow it. 



Seeing it was useless to attend the shark-hook 

 any longer, we left it for the night, and returned 

 to our hammocks. 



Ere I fell asleep, a reflection or two broke in 

 upon me. I considered, that as far as the judg- 

 ment of civilized man went, everything had been 

 procured and done to ensure success. We had 

 hooks, and lines, and baits, and patience; we had 

 spent nights in watching, had seen the cayman 

 come and take the bait, and after our expecta- 

 tions had been wound up to the highest pitch, all 

 ended in disappointment. Probably this poor 



