the bridge over the creek, we heard some creature give a 
succession of leaps in the bed of wild plantains on the 
other side of the creek and the next moment it began 
thrashing about, making a tremendous noise. Carr went info 
the thicket with a cutlass in one hand and a bull's eye 
lantern in the other and found a large water rat (one of 
Chapman's new species of last year) fast in one of Cl s trap 
into which he had run, quite by accident, when startled "by 
our approach. 
On reaching a large cacao plantation beyond the 
creek, the dogs were put out and all my companions followed 
them, but I remained in the road, preferring to watch and 
listen there alone. It was bright moonlight and many 
nocturnal creatures were astir. Trie tree toad was making 
his prodigious clatter near the creek, every now and then 
an Owl hooted, and thrice there was a loud rushing sound 
me 
of wings close to my head. Chapman afterwards told/that 
it was undoubtedly made by a big fruit bat but I saw 
nothing although the noise was equal to that which an Eagle 
would have made. The dogs finally started a Manicou but 
it escaped them and the hunters came back empty-handed an 
hour later 
