274 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



down the cayman's throat, should he come open-mouthed 

 at me. When this was told to the Indians, they brightened 

 up, and said they would help me to pull him out of the 

 river. 



" Brave squad ! " said I to myself, " ' Audax crania 

 perpeti,' now that you have got me betwixt yourselves 

 and danger." I then mustered all hands for the last 

 time before the battle. We were, four South American 

 savages, two negroes from Africa, a Creole from Trinidad, 

 and myself a white man from Yorkshire. In fact, a little 

 tower of Babel group, in dress, no dress, address, and 

 language. 



Daddy Quashi hung in the rear ; I showed him a large 

 Spanish knife, which I always carried in the waistband of 

 my trousers : it spoke volumes to him, and he shrugged 

 up his shoulders in absolute despair. The sun was just 

 peeping over the high forests on the eastern hills, as if 

 coming to look on, and bid us act with becoming fortitude. 

 I placed all the people at the end of the rope, and ordered 

 them to pull till the cayman appeared on the surface of 

 the water ; and then, should he plunge, to slacken the rope 

 and let him go again into the deep. 



I now took the mast of the canoe in my hand (the sail 

 being tied round the end of the mast) and sunk down upon 

 one knee, about four yards from the water's edge, deter- 

 mining to thrust it down his throat, in case he gave me 

 an opportunity. I certainly felt somewhat uncomfortable 

 in this situation, and I thought of Cerberus on the other 

 side of the Styx ferry. The people pulled the cayman to 

 the surface ; he plunged furiously as soon as he arrived in 

 these upper regions, and immediately went below again 

 on their slackening the rope. I saw enough not to fall 

 in love at first sight. I now told them we would run all 

 risks, and have him on land immediately. They pulled 



