ITINERAUY. XIX 



a sign to all coming on later — for there are always a good many 

 stragglers, who may be out of sight^that those trails were barred. 

 It might not be always necessary, but it was always, done to save 

 mischance. 



The path across to the descent to the river was very irregular : 

 sometimes up or down steep ridges, iinder high forest or quite low 

 open scrub, over rocky ledges .and broken debris with or without the 

 very tiresome network of bare roots destitute of soil below, and across 

 - creeks or through swamps lined with a rank growth of plants like 

 marantas, cannas, and wild ginger. , 



On the retuin journey through this jungle the roar of the jaguar 

 was often heard, the animals being attracted by the hunting-dogs, 

 which the Indians accompanying us held for security on a leash. Our 

 guides told us that our party was too large to be troubled, but with 

 two or three people dogs were sometimes carried off by prowling 

 ja,guars, the animals dashing across the path and seizing the dogs, 

 even when led on the string. At night the dogs were never left on 

 the ground, but put high up on rough wooden stages made for them. 

 If they strayed singly they were done for, their security in hunting 

 lying in the fact of there being several of thtm together, and one is 

 always stiuck by the number of theiii usually found about the settle- 

 ments in u. state of semi-starvation, where with fowls and pigs — as on 

 the great savannahs where a. few of the latter have been introduced — 

 they will even devour the excrement of the settlement. Tliese large 

 cats seem ^o have a strong ta.ste for dogs, and they will pi owl at night 

 around the large clay-wattled hoii!-es on the open savannahs when dogs 

 are within, even clawing the strongly-posted door, made of hard-wood ; 

 though one would think they would choose instea-d to break through 

 the wattling. It may be that the scent of the dogs is much stronger 

 through the interstices of tlie door. 



It is peculiar that while jaguars are thus dangerous to dogs singly 

 or running in single file, three or four expeiienced dng.s hunting 

 together in a group, with loud larking, can always drive them up a 

 tree, if there be one for refuge. This is how a noted jaguar-hunter in 

 Berbice usually secured his object when cattle had been killed or 

 calves carried ofi" from the -farms. It was easy then to shoot the beast 

 up tlie tree. 



Where the low open shrubby growths occurred on the rocky parts. 

 Cozier assured us was- just the kind of place where the cock-of-the-rocks 

 would have their dancing-ground, and where their nests would be 

 found. He had often seen them on the Merume Mountains proper. 

 The vegetation varied much from this shrubby character in places to 

 what may more correctly be described as short stunted trees, with 

 thick stems send open short branches, mostly heavy with small epi- 

 phytes ; and there were many of these amid more shrubby growths. 

 We made search for a short time at a few of these places, both going 

 and coming back, and though we came upon neatly trodden spaces w© 

 found no nests. Their season was earlier in the year. In other places 

 where the forest was higher, Cozier and the Indians could quite qaickly 

 bring these birds overhead by imitating their sharp cry, "Quank, 

 quank," when they had heard them in the distance; and the birds 



