Manati and Tuktlk 215 



CHAPTEK XV. 



Sea-Cows and Turtles' Eggs.— The Forest.— Peccaries.— Indian Tribes on 

 the Lower Napo. — Anacondas and Howling Monkeys. — Insect Pests. — 

 Battle with Ants.— Barometric Anomaly.— First View of the Amazon. — 

 Pebas. 



The thirtieth of JSTovember was an exciting day on the 

 monotonous Napo. We fell in with numerous sea-cows 

 sporting in the middle of the stream. They were greatly 

 disturbed by the sight of our huge craft, and, lifting their 

 ugly heads high out of the water, gave a peculiar snort, as 

 if in defiance, but always dived out of sight when fired 

 upon. The sea-cow is called vaca marina by the Span- 

 iards, ^(jzire; hoy by the Brazilians, and manati in the West 

 Indies. It has no bovine feature except in its upper lip. 

 The head and skin remind one of a large seal. In many 

 respects it may be likened to a hippopotamus without tusks 

 or legs. It has a semicircular flat tail, and behind the head 

 are two oval fins, beneath which are the breasts, which 

 yield a white milk. The flesh resembles pork, with a disa- 

 greeable, fishy flavor. 



To-day we anchored at several plaias to hunt turtles' 

 eggs. Our Indians were very expert in finding the nests. 

 Guided approximately by the tracks of the tortugas^ as the 

 turtles are called, they thrust a stick into the sand, aud 

 wherever it went down easily they immediately commenced 

 digging with their hands, and invariably "struck" eggs. 

 In four nests, whose contents we counted, there were one 

 hundred and thirty-two, one hundred and fourteen, one 

 himdred and twelve, and ninety-seven ; but we have heard 

 of one hundred and sixty eggs in a single nest. The tur- 



