NAKUATIYr., *#. 5 



length of tail. It is thin readily distinguished from ordinary 

 specie*, Its most striking peculiarity of habit, is its extreme 



activity and BWiftoeM of motion. 



The Yellow Head landed, during the morning, to fire at a 

 deer, which \va< seen grating on a meadow, at some distance. 

 lie approached cautiously, but was unsucccsful in the shot he 

 iired. What nod excited our surprise, was the rapidity with 

 which he reloaded and fired again, before the deer had got with- 

 out the range of his shot. Thii was effected without the use of 

 Wedding to separate the powder from the hall. It did not, how- 

 ever, arrest the deer, who pursued his flight. The Indian re- 

 turned to {lis canoe with a look of marked disappointment. 

 Request opportunity was given in the course of the day, for 

 tiring at the various species of water fowl which resort to this 

 stream. The saw-billed duck,* which is a common species, has 

 an art of protecting its young, which we had frequent opportu- 

 nities of observing. When the mother is surprised with a brood, 

 ^ii<* affects to have a wing broken, and flaps awkwardly on the 

 water, as if unable to rise. By thus attracting notice to herself, 

 the young, who are unable, at this season, to fly, have an oppor- 

 tunity to screen themselves: and the mother then boldly r I I 

 from the stream, and puts an end to the pursuit. 



The river continues to descend in steps. The second series 

 of rapids was followed by a second level, or plateau, in which 

 the channel assumes a width nearly, or quite, double to that 

 which it presents on the rapids. On this level, the Cano river 

 comes in, as a tributary on the right shore. The volume of 

 Water is perceptibly increased by it. This plateau may extend 

 nine miles. It is succeeded by rapid* of a milder character, 

 below which the river again displays itself in savannahs, with a 

 comparatively wide, winding channel. These arc finally ter- 

 minated by short and easy rapids, which bring the river out of 

 what, we may designate as it-< alpine passes. We landed for 



♦ Onzi;:, of the Cliippcwaa. 



