On the Upper Berbice River. 325 



and in not a single case was anything sufficient met 

 with to justify working for the metal. Time alone will 

 show whether these prospe6lions were altogether com- 

 plete and satisfa6lory. Several of the expeditions met 

 with more or less serious damage to their boats, owing 

 to careless handling in the catarafts where the water 

 thunders through the narrow gorges — two being damaged 

 at Itabru, one at Winter's, and another at Umbrella 

 catara6l ; but happily there was no loss of life in any case. 



The captain of one of these boats, a strong-looking 

 Arrawak Indian, was a celebrated man in his way — for 

 had he not been dragged out of his hammock one night 

 by a jaguar or so-called tiger (Felis oncaj, and yet had 

 escaped with his life? The adventure had taken place a 

 year or two previously, on the hill at the North-eastern 

 corner of Itabru. In a mixed crew, the Arrawak had 

 been the only Indian ; and, as is their fashion, he had 

 slung his hammock some little distance away from the 

 others, in the forest. During the night the camp was 

 roused by fearful shrieks from the Indian, and his 

 comrades managed, by shouting and beating the ground 

 and bush, to rescue him from a jaguar that had seized 

 him. The brute evidently had been lurking around, 

 attrafted by the unusual event of an encampment in his 

 region, and, coming in conta6l with the Indian's ham- 

 mock, had seized him and attempted to bear him off. 

 The tale was related by the manager who had employed 

 the Indian on the occasion referred to, and was substan- 

 tiated by the man himself, and must therefore be regarded 

 as genuine — unique though it certainly is. 



During the fortnight's camping at Itabru, a large and 

 interesting colle6tion of Natural History specimens was 



SS2 



