HUNTING ALONG THE UPPER PARAGUAY 215 



then turned into the mouth of the Taquary. The water of 

 the latter river being pretty low, a steam-launch was towed 

 along as a precaution; should the steamer become stranded 

 it would have been possible to proceed on the launch. We 

 had been travelling but a short time, when cries from mem- 

 bers of the crew drew our attention to the water; and there, 

 where the launch had been but a moment before, were only 

 a few sticks of fire-wood floating on the water. A man had 

 been placed aboard the smaller craft to operate the steering- 

 gear; he had fallen asleep at his post, and in rounding a 

 sharp bend the launch had capsized and sunk. We spent 

 several hours trying to drag the submerged boat to the 

 bank, but the task had to be abandoned, and the launch 

 was left a total loss. 



There were scores of caimans along the Taquary. As 

 these reptiles are justly classed as vermin they may be 

 destroyed on sight. Frequently rows of them dotted the 

 edges of the sand-banks, lying with wide-open mouths. A 

 shot in the head was instantly fatal, and the only move- 

 ment perceptible was the sudden closing of the mouth as 

 the bullet went home. Crocodiles frequently enter the for- 

 est to quite some distance from the water; I know of no 

 more repulsive sight than to come suddenly upon one of the 

 huge saurians lying quietly in wait among the shadows; 

 the evil, grinning expression; the leering green eyes and 

 the glistening, scaly body of the creature suggest treachery 

 and cruelty combined with agility and cunning. One of 

 the reptiles that we saw had cornered a school of fish in a 

 small inlet, blocking the entrance with its body. As the 

 frantic fish tried to escape by jumping out of the water 

 and over the obstruction, the crocodile caught them in 

 mid-air and swallowed them. 



Late in the afternoon we saw a giant ant-eater galloping 

 across a grassy field. The steamer was brought to the 

 bank instantly and a hunting-party with dogs landed. 

 Soon the animal was brought to bay and shot. When it 

 was brought aboard darkness had set in, so no photograph 



