122 
TRAVELS IN 
It being now aim oil night., I returned to my 
camp, where I had left my fifh broiling, and my 
kettle of rice Hewing; and having with me oil y 
pepper, and fdt, and excellent oranges hanging in 
abundance over my head (a valuable fubflitute for 
vinegar) I fat down and regaled myfeif cheerfully. 
Having finifned my repail, 1 rekindled my fire for 
light, and whilft I was revifing the notes of my pail 
day’s journey, I was fuddenly roufed with a noife 
behind me toward the main land. I fprang up on 
my feet, and liftening, I diftinfitly heard feme crea- 
ture wading in the water of the ifthmus. I feized 
my gun and went cautiouily from my camp, direbt- 
ing my fteps towards the noife : when I had ad- 
vanced about thirty yards, I halted behind a cop- 
pice of orange trees, and foon perceived two very 
large bears, which had made their way through the 
water, and had landed in the grove, about one hun- 
dred yards diftance from me, and were advancing 
towards me. I waited until they were within thirty 
yards of me : they there began to fnuff and look to- 
wards my camp: I fnapped my piece, but it fiafhed, 
on which they both turned about and galloped off, 
plunging through the water and fwamp, never halt- 
ing, as I fuppofe, until they reached fall land, as I 
could hear them leaping and plunging a long time. 
They did not prefume to return again, nor was I 
molefted by any other creature, except being occa- 
fionaliy awakened by the whooping of owls, feream- 
ing of bitterns, or the wood-rats running amongft 
the leaves. 
The wood-rat is a very curious animal. It is 
not half the fize of the domeftic rat ; of a dark brown 
or black colour 3 its tail fiender and fhorter in 
proportion, and covered thinly with fhort hair. 
It 
