A NOCTURNAL SCENE. 143 



For the sake of adventure and for the acquisition 

 of knowledge, no sacrifice is too great. 



Let us now draw from the pages of M. Humboldt 

 a few of his animated pictures of nature and of his 

 personal adventures amid these untrodden wilds. 

 Here is a nocturnal scene on the banks of the river 

 A pure : 



' The night was calm and serene, and there 

 was a beautiful moonlight. The crocodiles were 

 stretched along the shore. They placed themselves 

 in such a manner as to be able to see the fire. We 

 thought we observed that its splendour attracted 

 them, as it attracts fishes, crayfish, and other in- 

 habitants of the water. The Indians showed us 

 the traces of three tigers in the sand, two of which 

 were very young. A female had no doubt con- 

 ducted her little ones to drink at the river. Find- 

 ing no tree on the strand, we stuck our oars in the 

 ground, and to these we fastened our hammocks. 

 Everything passed tranquilly till eleven at night, 

 and then a noise so terrific arose in the neighbour- 

 ing forest, that it was almost impossible to close 

 our eyes. Amid the cries of so many wild beasts 

 howling at once, the Indians discriminated such 

 only as were heard separately. These were the 

 little soft cries of the sapajous, the moans of the 

 alonates, the bowlings of the tiger, the couguaz or 

 American lion without mane, the pecari, and the 



