178 
I Let a Hacca Tiger Escape Me. 
get as close as possible to such an imposing waterfall that already at n 
distance had exerted so appreciable an effect. The impression to which 
this snblime valley and its lieauty spots gave rise was strong enough for 
fatigue and hunger to be temporarily forgotten. 
419. As far as we could follow the Kukenam from the situation 
where we were, it came from the N.E. and then flowed to the N.W. The 
way into the valley led alongside a small mountain stream that took its 
rise on the northern declivity of Pntiparn, flowed into the Kukenam, 
and was banked in with a thick bush of ClKsiae in full bloom. We en- 
tered a forest fnll of trees reacliing to the skies and soon stood on the 
banks of the Kukenam the l)readth and depth of whicli peremptorily 
called a halt. Wading was out of the question, but how to get the bag- 
gage over dry? A raft had already been proposed when one of the accom- 
panying Arekunas told us that Barapang Village, not so far away, 
possessed a corial which he would be willing to fetch with another 
Indian, and so stopped us putting our plan into execution. The two 
of them pulling hard swam across the river and disappeared in the 
thick forest scrub: the other remaining Indians amnsed themselves 
in the water, while we watched them and relieved our tired limbs with 
a rest in the sombre shade of ithe timber. In the course of an hour! both 
the powerful paddlers' were back with the little corial and three hours 
later we were able to resume our journey on the opposite bank, the path 
soon leading us to the open savannah on which we climbed the rising 
ground from which the Eue rushes down into the depths. Six to eight 
milps to the "NT-.E. the Kukenam rolls over the same stoeu declivity and 
forms the l)ig Mariam-aru Fall. Earapang Village, which consisted of 
a single huge house, stood on the flat of the hill. Before reaching it' I 
noticed a large blackish tiger-cat {Felh Tafnifiniud}) sitting on a 
rock boulder not far from tbf patbwav. anrl as a ffroun of residents 
were standing at a, snot hardlv a hundred paces distant, I natnrallv 
supposed the strange beast was the tamod property of the settlemput, 
and therefore resisted all idea of shootinjr it. On afetting to within 
about 50 paces of the wilv animal which was watchincr me, it left tho 
spot and hnrried into the bush close bv. Mv supposition was wroni: 
the Hacca-arowa, as the Arawaks call this cat, did not belong to the 
settlement, but to 'the foi'est, and all further search for it with the dogs 
proved fruitless. The 21 occupants of the huge oblong hut, the high 
roof of w^hich rested on strong mud walls, gave us a hearty welcome : the 
large number of dogs on the contrary barked and howled at us angrily 
and could only be momentarily soothed with the greatest difficulty on 
the part of the women. It is strange that dogs have such a strong 
aversion to Europeans, the reason why it is a risky l)usiness for 
travellers to approach an Indian house guarded by them. They made 
friends at once with our brown attendants, who like ourselves were 
visiting them for the first time. This aversion or fear of the European 
is exhibited by other domesticated animals in the Indian household. 
Some yams, unripe bananas, and the( promise to send a messenger to 
the nearest settlement to get them to let us have a portion of their 
scanty provisions also, w'as all 'that could be done on behalf of our 
