A Ravenous Crew. 
169 
streams that here fall into the Waini on both sides, where avc might hope 
to attain our object with far greater probability. Although Ave AA r ere 
still about 70 miles distant from the Waini mouth the effects of ebb and 
lioAV were distinctly visible. Caberalli's proposal was accepted, and the 
first rise, on which, we moreover found some travellers’ shelters, Avas 
heartily Avelcomed. When the Indians on their numerous journeys find 
suitable spots for spending the night they hastily erect small shelter- 
sheds covered with palm-leaves in which to protect themselves from 
rain, and sling their hammocks : those lints one sees on almost all rivers 
and subsequent occupiers are supposed to keep them in repair. A post 
stuck into the banks is the surest, sign to an Indian that a shelter of 
this description is to be found in the near distance. But the roof that 
gives protection to the men unfortunately offers a sure asylum for 
snakes, scorpions, the Scolopend ra mors-itans, and the bird-spider 
(Mygale aviculnria) for which reason a complete dispersal of these 
dangerous sleeping-partners must be ensured beforehand by means of 
smoke. 
570. Never before had our boathands jumped out of the corials so 
quickly, never yet had the Avood been transported so rapidly to the four 
fires blazing cheerfully away, as it Avas to-day. Everything that only 
bore resemblance to a pot, everything that held water, Avas pushed on to 
the fire. To Avait until the Avater boiled proved far too long for several 
of the Negroes, avIio in spite of all dissuasions on our part accordingly 
threw the crabs alive into the fire to let them roast a little before devour- 
ing them. Anybody who has ever been in the predicament of having to 
satisfy Avith river-crab the hunger caused by fatiguing work on a two 
days’ fast aa ill also know the agony which the stomach of a voracious 
eater suffers when its most urgent requirements have to be satisfied Avith 
continuous small doses. Even had the crab contained say four times 
more flesh than that of one of our large e ray-fish, it was nevertheless but 
a drop upon a glowing hot stone. Hardly was a pot emptied of its last 
boiled crustacean, than it wa s immediately refilled until finally the very 
last remaining crab put an end to all further hopes of satisfying the 
hunger still experienced. The meal had continued an hour and a half 
during which period no sounds Avere heard other than the Avorking of the 
jaAvs, the breaking of the legs and claws, and the sucking of the tlesh out 
of them: it Avas only when the final unit had disappeared that this noise 
stopped, and the dissatisfaction of the Negroes proclaimed afresh. I am 
absolutely convinced that had the number of crabs offered them been even 
six times greater, they would not have rested until I lie last full claAA' had 
been devoured. 
577. Hardly had avc sought our hammocks than the rain fell like a 
Avater-spout. The thatching of the simple huts in which we rested was 
too weak to offer opposition to such a volume of water. Innumerable 
streams that trickled down from the roof changed our hammocks into in- 
hospitable basins and drove us from our cover. It Avas an aAvful night 
and Avlien morning broke, and the opened flood-gates of Heaven finally 
closed, our limbs Avere shivering and shaking Avith cold. We cast one 
more glance upon our camp which almost put us in mind of the confusion 
