1850.] 
A NIGHT IN A CAVE. 
225 
The tapir, they say, has a peculiar fancy for dropping 
his dung only in the water, and they never find it except 
in brooks and springs, though it is so large and abun- 
dant that it could not be overlooked in the forest. If 
there is no water to be found, the animal makes a rough 
basket of leaves and carries it to the nearest stream, and 
there deposits it. The Indians' tale goes, that one tapir 
met another in the forest with a basket in his mouth : 
What have you in your basket ? " said the one. 
“ Fruit," answered the other. '' Let me have some," 
said the first. “ I won't," said the other ; upon which 
the first tapir pulled the basket from the other's mouth, 
broke it open, and on seeing the contents both turned 
tail, quite ashamed of themselves, ran away in opposite 
directions, and never came near the spot again all their 
lives. 
With such conversation we passed the time till we fell 
asleep. We rose with the earliest dawn, for the naked 
Indian feels the chill morning air, and gets up early to 
renew his fire, and make some mingau to warm him- 
self. Having no coffee, I had to put up also with “ min- 
gau" (farinha gruel), and we then all started off again 
in search of game. This time I took the forest, having 
had enough of the Serra, and the two boys came with 
me for guides and companions. After wandering about 
a good way we found some fine curassow-birds high up 
in lofty trees, and succeeded in shooting one. This, 
with a large jacamar, was all we could find, so we re- 
turned to the cave, skinned the jacamar, and put the 
‘‘mutun" (curassow-bird) on the fire for breakfast. 
In the afternoon the other parties returned unsuccess- 
Q 
