272 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



why he did that. He said it was to let the cayman hear 

 that something was going on. In fact the Indian meant 

 it as the cayman's dinner-bell. 



Having done this, we went back to the hammocks, not 

 intending to visit it again till morning. During the night, 

 the jaguars roared and grumbled in the forest, as though 

 the world was going wrong with them, and at intervals we 

 could hear the distant cayman. The roaring of the jaguars 

 was awful ; but it was music to the dismal noise of these 

 hideous and malicious reptiles. 



About half-past five in the morning, the Indian stole off 

 silently to take a look at the bait. On arriving at the 

 place he set up a tremendous shout. We all jumped out 

 of our hammocks, and ran to him. The Indians got there 

 before me, for they had no clothes to put on, and I lost 

 two minutes in looking for my trousers and in slipping 

 into them. 



We found a cayman, ten feet and a half long, fast to 

 the end of the rope. Nothing now remained to do, but 

 to get him out of the water without injuring his scales, 

 " hoc opus, hie labor." We mustered strong : there were 

 three Indians from the creek, there was my own Indian 

 Yan, Daddy Quashi, the negro from Mrs. Peterson's, James, 

 Mr. R Edmonstone's man, whom I was instructing to 

 preserve birds, and lastly, myself. 



I informed the Indians that it was my intention to draw 

 him quietly out of the water, and then secure him. They 

 looked and stared at each other, and said I might do it 

 myself ; but they would have no hand in it ; the cayman 

 would worry some of us. On saying this, " consedere 

 duces," they squatted on their hams with the most perfect 

 indifference. 



The Indians of these wilds have never been subject to 

 the least restraint ; and I knew enough of them to be 



