
1891. | The Island of Mindoro. 1053 
ried down the river, and after many narrow escapes in the rapids,. 
we reached the village at the mouth of the Catuiran just before 
dark, To make the canoe load lighter I set out, with three of 
the guns, on foot to Calapan, while the rest came up the coast, 
and about midnight we had everything under shelter in our 
house. Our skins and skeletons were great curiosities to the 
people of the town, and a great many of them visited us‘to see 
them. From the stories and remarks of the old settlers in. 
Mindoro we learned much that was semi-authentic in regard to. 
the ¢amarou. It is said to be very abundant on the opposite, 
uninhabited side of the island, and to there come down to the 
sea coast. Some said the cows had a habit, when the calves 
were young, of taking them in time of danger on the neck andi 
holding them with the horns, and running with them in this. 
way. Our host, who had been on the island many years, said. 
that there was another ¢amarou of the mountains, much smaller. 
This story, from what we afterwards learned, probably refers to a 
mountain goat. As we found the ¢amarou and observed their- 
habits, we found them chiefly living in cane-brakes, upon the: 
young shoots of which they were feeding. At night they would. 
gather in some numbers along the open beaches of the river. 
During the morning they would feed solitarily, or lie in the mud’ 
and water of the small streams, and later in the day would take 
refuge under certain trees, whose branches drooped to the ground, 
forming an almost impenetrable shelter. The tracks and wallows. 
under these trees showed that much of the time the samarou: 
must occupy them. 7 
The rainy season was now fairly begun, but Mateo offered to 
return to the Catuiran for more ¢amarou if I wished, while I 
should go on to Manila. Having fitted him and old Juan out. 
for another expedition, I took the steamer, which came along 
near the end of June, and after a day’s voyage was back in. 
Manila, and settled in the same hotel we had occupied nearly a. 
year before, on our arrival in the islands. On the way across I 
had felt premonitions of fever, and after I had got my collections 
all housed and in safety, and my baggage carried to my room, I. 
_ Was taken with a severe attack. As soon as I had recovered suf-. 
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