HUNTING THE JAGUAR 35 



answers the purpose of bread, and is exceedingly 

 nutritious. 



By nightfall we came to just such a little 

 Indian hamlet as I have described, and it was 

 here I was to get my two Indians. They were 

 of the Macoushi tribe, quite pleasant fellows, 

 always ready to laugh, especially when ill-luck 

 befell them. One peculiarity of these fellows is 

 that they will never give their Indian name, but 

 will have you call them "John" or "Charlie," so 

 Ranjettan informed me that one was John Char- 

 ley and the other was just plain John. From 

 acting as guide and carrier before for Euro- 

 peans, John Charley could say a few words in 

 English, and could also understand a few, but 

 very few. In answering it seemed that he tried 

 to say what pleased, whether it was really so or 

 not; as when I would ask him if there were any 

 jaguars in certain sections he would always re- 

 ply, "Plenty tigers, plenty tigers." That night 

 we swung our hammocks in one of their "benabs." 

 In the morning, instead of continuing on our 

 way, we decided to remain over a day, and try 

 for a little fresh meat, having been encouraged 

 by John Charley, who told us of seeing large and 

 fresh tapir tracks about two miles up the river 

 the evening before. To follow hounds through 



