102 
THJfi WOODS AT NIGHT. 
racts of the Orinoco, we shall soon find, among the Piraoas, 
the Macos, and the Maquiritaras, milder manners, a love 
of acricultuve, and great cleanliness in the interior of then* 
huts'. On mountain ridges, in the midst ot impenetrable 
forests, man is compelled to fix himself, and cultivate a 
small spot of land. This cultivation requires little care ; 
while in a country whore there arc no other roads than 
rivers, the life of the hunter is laborious and difficult The 
Guamos of the mission of Santa Barbara could not furnish 
us with the provision we wanted. They cultivate only a 
little cassava. They appeared hospitable; and when we 
entered their huts, they offered us dried fish, and water 
cooled in porous vessels. 
Beyond the Vuelta del Gochino Koto, in a spot where 
the river bus scooped itself a new bed, we passed the night 
on a bare and very extensive strand. The forest being 
impenetrable, wo had the greatest difficulty to find dr.' 
wood to light fires, near which the Indians believe them- 
selves in safety from the nocturnal attacks of the tiger. 
Our own experience seems to bear testimony in favour ot 
this opinion ; hut Azara asserts that, in his time, a tigei 
in Paraguay carried off a man who was seated near a fii' 
lighted iu the savannah. , 
The night was calm and serene, and there was a beautum 
moonlight. The crocodiles, stretched along the shore- 
placed themselves in such a manner as to he able to see the 
lire. We thought we observed that its blaze attraeteu 
them, as it attracts fishes, crayfish, and other inhabitants 0 
the water. The Indians showed us the tracks of three tiger-; 
in the sand, two of which were very young. A female ban 
no doubt conducted her little oues to drink at the river* 
Finding no tree on the strand, we stuck our oars in the 
'■■round? and to these we fastened our hammocks. Every- 
thin" passed tranquilly till eleven at night ; and then a noise 
so terrific arose in the neighbouring forest, that it was 
almost impossible to close our eyes. Amid the cries, of 3® 
many wild beasts howling at once, the Indians discriminate' 
such only as were at intervals heard separately. The® 
were the little soft cries of the sapajous, the moans ot t 
alouate apes, the bowlings of the jaguar and couguar, 
peccary, and the sloth, and the cries of the curassao, 
