A Fishing Trip on the Upper Waters of the Mazaruni River. 67 



of a tarpaulin drawn over a vertically placed pole between two trees and 

 stretched out to posts on either side. The ' floor ' is another tarpaulin on 

 which the necessary camp impedimenta are placed. 



" Early to bed and early to rise " is the keynote of such camps ; no 

 time is wasted in making or striking camp. Supper is taken at about 

 6.30 p.m. and most people are asleep by 8.30 p.m. The men are astir at 

 the first suspicion of daylight and further sleep is then impossible. 

 Personally, I rarely sleep well in a hammock and consequently welcome 

 such early rising. I can recall however quite a number of really com- 

 fortable and cheerful camps on this particular trip. Occasions when 

 a glorious sunset over the river enhanced the natural beauties thereof, 

 the cooking fires burning bravely and cheerily, a snatch of song from the 

 crew, and the prospects of a good dinner caught by ourselves were all 

 conducive to a happy memory. 



I started fishing the following morning just above Tutruba but had 

 little sport beyond a couple of large perai. A large lukanani occasionally 

 turned lazily over in mid stream but quite refused to regard my spoon. 

 Clearing the ' portage ' at these rapids occupied the whole of that morning 

 but in the afternoon we moved some distance up stream and camped on a 

 rocky islaud. This was one of the best and driest camps we experienced 

 during the whole trip. All that evening and on the following day Mr. Cole 

 and myself moved from spot to spot in the small boat trying every likely 

 piece of water. A few perai and a small lukanani were our reward. The 

 weather was hot and bright and the river exceedingly low. The Indians 

 brought in a couple of powis and I was fortunate in shooting an acourie 

 which the captain's dog had been chasing for some time and accidentally 

 drove near the camp. 



The perai is a horrible fish to catch. In the first place he disillusions 

 one by seizing the bait with a vigour worthy of a far larger fish, makes one 

 short run and then comes in more or less placidly. He is quite capable, 

 with his formidable teeth, of shearing clean through any tackle softer 

 than twisted steel wire. When safely landed he grunts in a most sinister 

 manner and woe betide any naked foot or finger that conies within °rasp 

 of his steel trap jaws ; he thinks nothing of taking a toe or finger clean 

 off. The crew always eat the perai we caught, whether vindic- 

 tively or not, I could not make out. As soon as they were caught the 

 Indians invariably battered the heads to pieces so as to make quite sure. 



I have two sets of perfectly preserved perai teeth before me as I write. 

 They are very sharp with the edges saw shaped ; the teeth of the lower 

 jaw fit accurately into the spaces between those of the upper. This fish is 

 a robber also ; many a time when hauling in a small lukanani or one of 

 his own brethren the line suddenly went slack ; a perai had removed fully 

 half of the captured fish. I have nothing good to say for this denizen of 

 our rivers. 



Our next camp was above the rapids known as Mapituri. It was here 

 that I caught the lukanani of the trip. I well remember the evening. It 



