138 UP THE OKINOCO. 



trates with his hoof to the hidden beverage. Thus Xatiire 

 in times of rain stores \ip within this humble plant the 

 nourishment it needs for itself durhig the long period of 

 drought, and which also serves to quench the thirst of the 

 herds that roam the savannas. 



A short distance farther on and we came to the licmdal 

 de Atabaja, Avhere, half an hour was consumed in the pas- 

 sage, when we turned into a small creek to seek shelter 

 from the heat of the mid-day sun. Our boat had scarcely- 

 touched the bank before the ominous cry of " El tigre ! 

 el tigre ! " rose from our natives, who were rushing fran- 

 tically about. With our rifles we hastened upon the shore, 

 but looked in vain for some huge jaguar among the tree- 

 tops, whither our attention was directed. The creature 

 responsible for the disturbance proved to be a venomous 

 serpent whose long, slim body was as sj^otted as the animal 

 whose name it bore. 



The night of the 19tli was jiassed upon a rock, where 

 bats took the place of sancudos in disturbing our slumbers. 

 These filled the crevices and lay in scores beneath every 

 bowlder. As soon as darkness invited them from their 

 hiding-places, they poured out in hundreds, and made night 

 hideous with their screeching. We had scarcely composed 

 ourselves, before a cry from our Indian guide told that he 

 had been made a victim by one of these creatures, which 

 h.ad taken a large mouthful at the expense of one of the 

 poor fellow's toes. Presently another, and soon a third 

 one of our natives received similar visits, when we deemed 

 it advisable to protect our own pedal appendages, which 

 w^ere exposed, as w'e had other use for them than feeding 

 ugly bats. The nose seems also to oiler them particular 

 attractions ; but we, being especially opposed to molesta- 

 tion at that point, rolled ourselves in our blankets cap-a- 

 2)ie / but the heat of the atmosphere, and the still hotter 

 rocks beneath, led us to abandon the experiment, and very 



