A Tame Water-Haas. 
327 
be seen upon the open flat. They were vaqueiros and, in fact, members 
of Captain Leal's party who, immediately recognising me, hurried up and 
told me they were deserters on their way to Pirara. My poor knowledge 
of the Portuguese language made our mutual intelligibility none too 
easy, and it required some considerable time before I could satisfy the 
curiosity of the Indians, who on the tip top of expectation, were sur- 
rounding me. Quiet in the camp was soon restored, but the word 
“Caraiba” remained current all day. After the three refugees had re- 
freshed themselves, they set out for Pirara, where they could be sure 
of receiving an open welcome, being very much required there for catch 
ing wild cattle: hitherto these had had to be hunted, with the result that 
not only was a portion of the meat always left behind in the savannah, 
but if the animal had been killed at any distance away that which was 
brought home arrived in the pot with a high flavour. 
904. Among the many domesticated animals met with at 1 lie settle- 
ment I was specially interested in a full-grown water-haas. The 
creature was so tame that it regularly stuck to the heels of the women. 
Although the river Nappi flowed past the houses not fifty paces away, 
it never visited its favourite element otherwise than in company with 
the women when they went to draw water, and even then only to drink : 
with the loss of its liberty, its natural instinct for water seemed to have 
been lost. I also saw for the first time a hokko hen (Cra.r tomcntosa 
Spix.) that is only met with on the savannahs, particularly in the oases 
and forested edges of the savannah streams. Among tame birds it is said 
that the P sophia crepitans and still more rarely the hokko hens are the 
only ones to breed. I have never met with small groups of Crax tomcn- 
tosa in a natural state, but always only two to three together at a time: 
the peculiar gurring and purring bass note that slowly issues from the 
uncommonly long and repeatedly tortuous wind-pipe is only rarely to 
be heard in the tamed specimens; their flat nests are built out of brush- 
wood in the angles of the branches, not high from the ground: the two 
eggs are white and somewhat larger than those of our ordinary fowls. 
905. Our first hunting expedition was richly rewarded because I not 
only brought home with me a magnificent deer, but also the brilliant 
Firebird (Ampelis canvife.r Linn.). Unfortunatelv T was unable to set 
Tiedge to skin either the birds or mammals, and if I did not want to let 
my booty spoil T had always to call Night to mv assistance. T anxiously 
looked forward to the helping band of Stöckle, who had promised to 
follow me as soon ns the fever allowed of his doing so. 
906. I had soon made friends with the little boys and girls, and not 
a day passed on which they did not bring me some insect or other, in most 
cases, of course, in such a state that it was unable to be made use of, but 
I had to take the good children’s will for the deed. Judging from these 
finds the environs of Nappi would seem to be especially rich in insects, 
but particularly in Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera. I paid a pin 
for every beetle I wanted. During the day I was generally present in the 
'village along with Tiedge. After the customary morning bath in the neigh- 
bouring river the man went off with bow and arrow, the long blow-gun or 
the fishing gear to hunt and fish, while the wife betook herself to the 
