230 
Indian "Sport" with a Kaiman. 
experienced. Up liill and down dale, it Avent over nothing else tlian 
quartz rocks and granite bonlders where we had to be continually 
skipping from one to the other — an exercise Avhich under the scorching 
sun very soon tired us to death. Finally, after progressing in a 
southerly or south-easterly direction and jumping for hours, across and 
OA-er galleys, scrubs, mountain heights and slopes Avhere mountain 
streams often splashed doAvn l)etAveen our st(ipping stones, Ave reached 
the ridge top of a mountain range at the foot of Avhieli, to our intense 
delight, we saAv a savannah spreatling itself out in the south, south-east, 
and south-Avest horizon. It Avas upon tliis savannah (hat here and there 
a group of trees, an oasis, losc like a ship u])on a greenish sea: the verdant 
streaks of forest indicated (lie uicaiKh'riiig course of the Cotinga and its 
tributaries as Avell as the Znrunia. In the Avest one l)elieved one could 
see ancient strongliolds and castles in tlie cleft granite crest of Mt. 
Mairari. All the troubles of the last dreary days were forgotten. 
Arrived in the savannah A\'e turned to the eastward and folloAved the foot 
of the mountain chain. ATith tlie shout of "Piatzang'' the Indians dreAV 
attention to our old friend Avhich rose in the orient still further back in 
the bluish distance l)ehind the Avoodcd borders of the Cotinga. 
514. By sunset, and dead tired, Ave finally reached the 
Cotinga, about 2 miles below Piatzang and 6 miles from the sjiot 
Avhere Ave had left our l)oat: here Ave proposed Avaiting for it. 
Later in the evening we had to l)e Avitness once more of one of those 
cruel scenes in Avhich all tlie higher instincts peculiar to the Indians 
were contradicted. A kaiman had foolishly come into the close proximity 
of two Indians while fishing, and two lucky balls seemed to have 
killed it. But as the creature Avas being dragged on shore, it pulled 
itself together, and defended itself Avith all the energy left at its com- 
mand. There Avas then re-enacted the same gruesome scene that we had 
already, in spite of our remonstrances, Avitnessed on the Zuruma: large 
pointed posts, the tips of Avhich the Indians had burnt in the fire and 
set alight were jammed into the open jaws until it breathed its last under 
the most awful torments and Avild yells of pain. In reply, to all our 
protestations and persuasions to stop this fiendish cruelty, they simply 
laughed and said — "Were we to fall into its jaws it would tear us. to 
pieces just in the same way."- 
515. The unpleasant impression left upon us by this gruesome sight 
was at least somewhat obliterated by the nearing paddle-strokes of our 
[lx)at, out of which a number of known voices were shouting their cheerful 
"Matti, matti!" The two Indians from EAvaboes had not avoided the 
roundabout circuit (Sect. 512) Avithout hastening to Torong-Yauwise 
and informing the inhabitants of our return, whereupon several imme- 
diately joined them to greet us at the spot for crossing. The question 
as to our things left behind Avere answered to our complete satisfaction. 
Our old chief from Carakitta had sprained his foot that morning by 
jumping from boulder to boulder, but little notice Avas taken until 
evening when it Avas evident that he could not continue his journey to 
^^appi. The accident was regarded by all the Macusis and Arekunas as 
