3^0 TRAVELS IN 
ed ; and he who had fired at the river horfe 
came back very late without having feen any- 
thing. This difappointment afforded his com- 
panions a fubjed: for ridiculing him. He be- 
came the objed of the farcafms of all my wits ; 
every one put in his word ; and they wiflied 
to perfuade him that the animal at which he 
fired had been only a guana -*'''. Thefe plea- 
fantries being infenfibly converted into abufe, 
I obferved that their ridicule was about to be 
terminated by a combat with fifts ; but by one 
word I put an end to their warmth, and made 
the orators be filent. 
On the 14th the rain fell fo abundantly 
during the whole night, that it extinguiflied 
our hres, nor was it poffible for us to kindle 
them again. Our dogs made a dreadful noife, 
which kept us all awake, but we faw no fero- 
cious animals. I obferved that in thefe rainy 
nights the lion, the tyger, and the hysena, are 
entirely filent, and it is then that the greateft 
danger is to be apprehended ; for as thefe ani- 
mals never ceafe on fuch occafions to range 
through the fields, they fall upon their prey 
w ithout giving warning, and without allowing 
The guana is a kind of large lizard, very common 
in the rivers of Africa. 
people 
