158 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



ing of wings, the mate sits on a branch near by and gives a 

 twitter of alarm upon the approach of danger. Some mem- 

 bers of the family build a huge pile of twigs on the entrance 

 to their burrow to hide it. At the end of the tunnel, a foot 

 or two back, the snow-white eggs are laid upon a thin layer 

 of straw and feathers. 



The highest falls in the river are known as Carretia, and 

 are supposed to be about thirty feet high; they block the 

 eastern channel of the river, here divided into two branches 

 by the immense Isla de Raton. In the western arm the 

 Raudal del Conejo and Raudal Saltinero effectively block 

 this watercourse to navigation. It is said that the Span- 

 iards built a road from Atures to the foot of the Cerro Si- 

 papo above the falls of Carretia, and that the Indians still 

 follow this route occasionally. If true, this was doubtless 

 a great convenience, as it did away with the necessity of 

 navigating some fifty-odd miles of the most difficult and 

 dangerous waterway of the entire river. 



A large boat called piragua was obtained at Maipures, 

 and in this the expedition travelled to San Fernando de 

 Atabapo in six days' time. The river is dotted with a num- 

 ber of islands, the largest being the great Isla de Raton, 

 all heavily forested; the current is frequently so strong 

 that no headway could be made either by rowing or poling 

 the heavy boat. At such times a thick cable of the braided 

 fibre of a palm called chiquechique had to be requisitioned, 

 and everybody walked on the bank, dragging the boat 

 slowly along. The very first day the man in the lead ran 

 into a bushmaster fully eight feet long, and narrowly 

 escaped the vicious thrust of the deadly reptile; a charge 

 of shot soon put an end to the creature's menacing career, 

 but the men jumped into the boat and did not want us to 

 take along the dead snake, or they said its mate would be 

 sure to follow and inflict a terrible revenge for the loss of 

 its companion; this kind of superstition is very common 

 among the natives on the Orinoco. Few of them would 

 dare shoot a jaguar, as they firmly believe that for every 



