408 



case (petaca), containing our provision, in the 

 centre ; then our instruments, and the cages of 

 the animals ; our hammocks were suspended 

 around these ; and beyond, were those of the 

 Indians. The exterior circle was formed by the 

 fires, which are lighted to keep off the jaguars 

 of the forest. Such was the order of our en- 

 campment on the banks of the Cassiquiare. 

 The Indians often spoke to us of a little nocturnal 

 animal, with a long nose, that surprises the 

 young parrots in their nests, and makes use of 

 it's hands to eat, like the monkeys, and the ma- 

 niveris, or kinkajous. They call it guachi; it is, 

 no doubt, a coati, perhaps the viverra nasua, 

 which I saw wild in Mexico, but not in that 

 part of South America which I visited. The 

 missionaries gravely prohibit the natives from 

 eating the flesh of the guachi, to which, accord- 

 ing to far-spread superstitious ideas, they attri- 

 bute the same stimulating qualities, which the 

 people of the east seek in the skink*, and the 

 Americans in the flesh of the alligators. 



May the 11th. We left the mission of San 

 Francisco Solano at a late hour, to make but a 

 short day's journey. The uniform stratum of 

 vapours began to be divided into clouds with 

 distinct outlines ; and there was a light east 

 wind in the upper regions of the air. We re- 



Lacerta scincus f L. 



