SOUTH AMERICA. 



183 



In Mibiri creek there was a Cayman of the small spe- Third 



Journey. 



cies, measuring about five feet in length ; I saw it in ^7 



ohoots a 



the same place for months, but could never get a shot at ^^^^yman in 



it ; for the moment I thought I was sure of it, it dived creek. 



imder the water before I could pull the trigger. At last 



I got an Indian with his bow and arrow ; he stood up in 



the canoe with his bow ready bent, and as we drifted 



past the place he sent his arrow into the Cayman's eye, 



and killed it dead. The skin of this little species is 



much harder and stronger than that of the large kind ; it 



is good food, and tastes like veal. 



My friend, Mr. Edmonstone, had very kindly let me Negro ser- 

 vant. 



have one of his old negroes, and he constantly attended 

 me ; his name was Daddy Quashi ; he had a brave 

 stomach for heterogeneous food ; it could digest, and relish 

 too, Caymen, monkies, hawks, and grubs. The Daddy 

 made three or four meals on this Cayman while it Avas 

 not absolutely putrid, and salted the rest. I could never 

 get him to face a snake ; the horror he betrayed on see- 

 ing one was beyond description ; I asked him why he 

 Avas so terribly alarmed ; he said it was by seeing so 

 many dogs, from time to time, killed by them. 



Here I had a fine opportunity of examining several Species of 

 species of the Caprimulgus. I am fully persuaded that miiigus." 

 these innocent little birds never suck the herds ; for 

 when they approach them, and jump up at their udders, 

 it is to catch the flies and insects there. When the 



