THIRD JOURNEY. 



185 



and fro, and at otTier times we could hear him mend 

 his pace, as if impatient. At last the Indian, not 

 relishing the idea of having such company in the 

 neighbourhood, could contain himself no longer, and 

 set up a most tremendous yell. The jaguar bounded 

 off like a race-horse, and returned no more; it appeared, 

 by the print of his feet the next morning, that he was 

 a full-grown jaguar. 



In two days after this, we got to the first 



Readies the ^ o 



Falls of the falls in the Essequibo. There was a superb 

 barrier of rocks quite across the river. In 

 the rainy season these rocks are for the most part under 

 water ; but it being now dry weather, we had a fine 

 view of them, while the water from the river above 

 them rushed through the different openings in majestic 

 grandeur. Here, on a little hill, jutting out into the 

 river, stands the house of Mrs. Peterson, the last house 

 of people of colour up this river ; I hired a negro from 

 her, and a coloured man, who pretended that they knew 

 the haunts of the cayman, and understood everything 

 about taking him. We were a day in passing these 

 falls and rapids, celebrated for the pacou, the richest 

 and most delicious fish in Guiana. The coloured man 

 was now in his element ; he stood in the head of the 

 canoe, and with his bow and arrow shot the pacou as 

 they were swimming in the stream. The arrow had 

 scarcely left the bow before he had plunged headlong 

 into the river, and seized the fish as it was struggling 

 with it. He dived and swam like an otter, and rarely 

 missed the fish he aimed at. 



Did my pen, gentle reader, possess descriptive 

 powers, I would here give thee an idea of the enchant- 

 ing acenery of the Essequibo ; but that not being the 



