WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 267 



fresh-water turtle is not hard like that of the land tor- 

 toise, but appears like white parchment and gives way to 

 the pressure of the fingers; but it is very tough, and 

 does not break. On this sand-bank, close to the forest, 

 we found several Guana's nests ; but they had never more 

 than fourteen eggs a-piece. Thus passed the day in 

 exercise and knowledge, till the sun's declining orb 

 reminded us it was time to return to the place from 

 whence we had set out. 



The second night's attempt upon the cayman was a 

 repetition of the first, quite unsuccessful. We went a 

 fishing the day after, had excellent sport, and returned to 

 experience a third night's disappointment. On the fourth 

 evening, about four o'clock, we began to erect a stage 

 amongst the trees, close to the water's edge. Prom this 

 we intended to shoot au arrow into the cayman : at the 

 end of this arrow was to be attached a string, which would 

 be tied to the rope, and as soon as the cayman was struck 

 we were to have the canoe ready and pursue him in the 

 river. 



While" we were busy in prepariug the stage, a tiger 

 began to roar. We judged by the sound that he was not 

 above a quarter of a mile from us, and that he was close 

 to the side of the river. Unfortunately, the Indian said 

 it was not a jaguar that was roaring, but a couguar. The 

 couguar is of a pale, brownish red colour, and not as large 

 as the jaguar. As there was nothing particular in this 

 animal, I thought it better to attend to the apparatus for 

 catching the cayman than to go in quest of the couguar. 

 The people, however, went in the canoe to the place 

 where the couguar was roaring. On arriving near the 

 spot, they saw it was not a couguar, but an immense 

 jaguar, standing on the trunk of an aged mora-tree, which 

 bended over the river ; he growled and showed his teeth 



