;'.' ( ti*'>>; 



208 



JAGUARS, 



so that only two shrubs were found to be near 

 enough to each other and of sufficient strength 

 to support a hammock; between these mine was 

 hung, whilst the people took up their quarters 

 upon the packages as to them seemed best. Be- 

 tween one and two o'clock in the morning the 

 rain commenced, at first, with some moderation ; 

 the guide fastened two cords from shrub to 

 shrub above my hammock, and laid some hides 

 upon them as a covering for me, but soon the 

 rain increased, and the whole party crowded 

 under the hides. I got up, and all of us stood 

 together in some degree sheltered, until the 

 hides fell down owing to their being quite 

 soaked. Our fires were of course completely 

 extinguished. I reminded my people of the ne- 

 cessity of keeping the locks of" our fire-arms dry ; 

 indeed those persons of the party who knew the 

 Sertam must be even more aware than myself of 

 the number of Jaguars which are to be met with 

 upon these travessias. I had not spoken many 

 minutes before Feliciano said that he heard 

 the growl of one of these animals — he was 

 right, for a lot of mares galloped across the path 

 not far from us, and shortly after the growl was 

 distinctly heard ; either the same or many of 

 these beasts were near to us during the remainder 

 of the night, as we heard the growl in several 

 directions. We stood with our backs to each 

 other, and by no means free from the chance of 



