214 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



owl of another species with us which had been named 

 "Moses." When we found him in the market at Asuncion 

 he was a forlorn and hungry little creature, but showed 

 such a friendly disposition that he was promptly pur- 

 chased and soon became the very popular mascot of the 

 expedition. At Urucum Moses was given his liberty 

 among the rafters of our home; he walked about gravely 

 overhead and came down only when hungry or when the 

 half-filled wash-basin lured him to the delights of a cool 

 bath. Sometimes I put him out in a tree for an airing, but 

 carnivorous ants were abundant and nearly always discov- 

 ered him before very long; then he danced about, clattered 

 with his bill, and made queer little cooing noises until I 

 rescued him. 



We spent nearly three weeks at Urucum. They passed 

 very quickly, for Urucum is one of those delightful places 

 found all too rarely in South America. Word reached us 

 that Colonel Roosevelt and his Brazilian escort had reached 

 Corumba, so we hastened back to town; there we met the 

 entire party and made the acquaintance of Colonel Rondon 

 and the other members of the Brazilian Commission. 



A hunting-trip on the Taquary had been planned to secure 

 some of the large game that is found in the region. De- 

 cember 16, therefore, found the hunting-party aboard the 

 Nyoac. This boat, which was a river steamer of consider- 

 able size, had been placed at the disposal of the expedition 

 by the government, and served as our "home" during the 

 weeks that followed, until we reached Porto Campo. Be- 

 sides Colonel Roosevelt, there were on board Colonel Can- 

 dido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Kermit Roosevelt, Captain 

 Amilcar de Magalhaes, a photographer, physician, taxider- 

 mist, and myself. Mr. Cherrie had returned to Urucum 

 to finish the work in that locality, and Mr. Fiala remained 

 in Corumba to complete the examination of the enormous 

 amount of impedimenta which he had so ably brought to- 

 gether. 



The Nyoac steamed up the Paraguay a few hours, and 



