A NIGHT IN THE WILD WOOD. 



1S7 



but as soon as they felt hungry, would get fish from the river or turkeys 

 from the woods. 



We slung our hamacs between two trees, a fire was made, our mules 

 were turned out in the woods to roam, picking up whatever they might 

 find, under charge of the old white mare, "the mother," as she is 

 called, of the train. Rice is boiling without turkey.* The moist climate 

 has affected the gun-caps. Cornelio begins to look thin and haggard. 

 The mules have fallen away so much, it is very doubtful if they will be 

 in fit condition to refurn. 



After supper we lay down to sleep in the rain. The noise of the 

 neighboring stream was musical. We felt we should make headway 

 when once launched upon the river. Though roughly used, our health 

 keeps good, and every day we gain a little. The farther we go the 

 slower the animals move ; they are too weak to bear pushing. The 

 men help them up steep places by the after-part of the baggage, chang- 

 ing cargoes every day. The mule that carried a heavy load to-day 

 takes a lighter one to-morrow. Our saddle-mules do better, as they 

 carry a living man with more ease than dead boxes. One of the bag- 

 gage-mules ran under a tree fallen across the road, struck the end of 

 the box of instruments and knocked it off, and away it rolled down the 

 bank. 



The musquitoes bothered us during the night, and the vampire bats 

 bit the mules. One struck Mamore on the tail, and another Pinto — an 

 arriero — on the big toe. 



At the head of the Paracti, we find birds of beautiful plumage. As 

 soon as we come where fish are found in the streams, there the woods 

 are filled with birds ; the air with musquitoes and flies. Ants and bees 

 are more numerous, as well as wild animals. The wild Indians do not 

 permanently reside here ; they only come on hunting occasions for fish 

 and game in the woods. The wild duck is seldom found above where 

 the fish reach. The different species of animals seem to be joyously 

 feeding on each other. One bird robs another of its eggs, while a third 

 carries off the young of the second. One bird feeds upon the berries of 

 the trees, and prepares himself as food for another of greater strength. 

 Some fowls feed upon the fish of the river, while the snake is busy 

 entrapping their mates. Bees make honey, and the bears eat it. While 

 the arriero preys upon the ring-tailed monkey, the vampire bat sucks 

 the blood from his toe or his dog's tail. The ants are disturbed by our 

 fire ; the whole race seems to be in a rage ; and while the Indian can 

 travel all day without shoes, these insects crawl into our boots and sting 

 us most unmercifully. 



