HEADWATERS OF THE PARAGUAY 113 



lost; three several times they travelled round in a com- 

 plete circle; and we had to set them right with the compass. 

 About noon the rain, which had been falling almost without 

 interruption for forty-eight hours, let up, and in an hour 

 or two the sun came out. We went back to the river, and 

 found our rowboat. In it the hounds — a motley and rather 

 worthless lot — and the rest of the party were ferried across 

 to the opposite bank, while Colonel Rondon and I stayed 

 in the boat, on the chance that a tapir .might be roused 

 and take to the river. However, no tapir was found; 

 Kermit killed a collared peccary, and I shot a capybara 

 representing a color-phase the naturalists wished. 



Next morning, January i, 1914, we were up at five 

 and had a good New Year's Day breakfast of hardtack, 

 ham, sardines, and coffee before setting out on an all-day's 

 hunt on foot. I much feared that the pack was almost 

 or quite worthless for jaguars, but there were two or three 

 of the great spotted cats in the neighborhood and it seemed 

 worth while to make a try for them, anyhow. After an 

 hour or two we found the fresh tracks of two, and after 

 them we went. Our party consisted of Colonel Rondon, 

 Lieutenant Rogaciano — an excellent man, himself a native 

 of Matto Grosso, of old Matto Grosso stock — two others 

 of the party from the Sao Joao ranch, Kermit, and myself, 

 together with four dark-skinned camaradas, cowhands from 

 the same ranch. We soon found that the dogs would not 

 by themselves follow the jaguar trail; nor would the 

 camaradas, although they carried spears. Kermit was the 

 one of our party who possessed the requisite speed, endur- 

 ance, and eyesight, and accordingly he led. Two of the 

 dogs would follow the track half a dozen yards ahead of 



