HEADWATERS OF THE PARAGUAY 121 



keys in this riverine tree-fringe — active common monkeys 

 and black howlers of more leisurely gait. We saw cay- 

 mans and capybaras sitting socially near one another on 

 the sand-banks. At night we heard the calling of large 

 flights of tree-ducks. These were now the most common 

 of all the ducks, although there were many muscovy ducks 

 also. The evenings were pleasant and not hot, as we sat 

 on the forward deck; there was a waxing moon. The 

 screamers were among the most noticeable birds. They 

 were noisy; they perched on the very tops of the trees, 

 not down among the branches; and they were not shy. 

 They should be carefully protected by law, for they readily 

 become tame, and then come familiarly round the houses. 

 From the steamer we now and then saw beautiful orchids 

 in the trees on the river bank. 



One afternoon we stopped at the home buildings or 

 headquarters of one of the great outlying ranches of the 

 Brazil Land and Cattle Company, the Farquahar syndi- 

 cate, under the management of Murdo Mackenzie — than 

 whom we have had in the United States no better citizen 

 or more competent cattleman. On this ranch there are 

 some seventy thousand head of stock. We were warmly 

 greeted by McLean, the head of the ranch, and his assis- 

 tant Ramsey, an old Texan friend. Among the other as- 

 sistants, all equally cordial, were several Belgians and 

 Frenchmen. The hands were Paraguayans and Brazilians, 

 and a few Indians — a hard-bit set, each of whom always 

 goes armed and knows how to use his arms, for there are 

 constant collisions with cattle thieves from across the Bo- 

 livian border, and the ranch has to protect itself. These 

 cowhands, vaqueiros, were of the type with which we were 



