All was now ready for our departure from our first halting-place. Early
in the morning, having carefully laden our two vessels, we embarked.
John, Ellen, Maria, and Domingos went in the larger one, accompanied by
Nimble and Poll, with Naro and two of his followers; while Isoro,
Arthur, and I embarked in the smaller, with two of the other men. True,
of course, went with us, his usual post being the bow, where he stood
with his fore-feet on the gunwale, as if it were his especial duty to
keep a look-out ahead. Isoro acted as captain, and Arthur and I and the
two Indians, with paddles in our hands, formed the crew. Shoving off
from the bank, we rapidly glided down the river, the current carrying us
along at a great rate with little aid from our paddles. The large canoe
took the lead, we following in her wake. The water whirled and eddied
as we glided on. On either side rose the giant trees of the primeval
forest--while, looking astern, we could see far away across the mighty
mass of foliage the range of the Andes, with the beautiful cone of
Cotopaxi standing out boldly above its fellows.
We soon, however, had something else to think of. Several dark rounded
rocks rose up ahead of us, between which the water furiously rushed,
dashing against their sides, and throwing up clouds of spray, while
whirling, boiling eddies came bursting up from the bottom, as if some
subaqueous explosion were taking place. Short cross waves curled up
round us, with here and there smooth intervening spaces, the more
treacherous for their apparent calmness; for as we passed through them
we could with difficulty keep the head of our small canoe in the
direction of our leader. The Indians plied their paddles with redoubled
vigour, while the helmsman of John's canoe every now and then gave vent
to loud, wild shrieks. Isoro sat calmly clenching his teeth, and
looking out eagerly ahead. The large canoe went gliding on. And now we
saw her passing between two rocks, over which the water dashing formed
an arch of spray, almost concealing her from our sight. Presently we
also were passing through the same channel. It seemed as if our small
canoe would be swamped by the swelling waters. The clouds of spray
which broke over her almost blinded us, the loud roaring, hissing sound
of the waves as they rushed against the rocks deafened our ears, while
the whirling current so confused our senses, that we could scarcely tell
in what direction we were going.
"O Harry, what has become of the other canoe?" exclaimed Arthur.
A dark rock rose before us. No canoe was to be seen. A horror seized
me. I feared that she had been engulfed. But presently, Isoro turning
the head of our canoe, we shot past the rock, and to our joy again saw
the other canoe rushing on with still greater speed towards another
opening in the channel. We followed even faster than before. The
current seemed to increase in rapidity as we advanced, pressed together
by the narrower channel. Yet, fast as we went, we could scarcely keep
pace with our leader. Now we glided on smoothly, now we pitched and
tossed as the mimic waves rose up round us, and thus we went on, the
navigation requiring the utmost watchfulness and exertion to escape
destruction. We, perhaps, in our smaller canoe, were safer than those
in the larger one; indeed, I thought more of them than ourselves.
Should we meet with any accident, however, they could not return to help
us, whereas we might push forward to their assistance. We followed the
movements of the Indians. When they paddled fast, we also exerted
ourselves; when they ceased, we also lifted our paddles out of the
water. I was very glad that we were thus employed, as we, having plenty
to do, thought less of the danger we were in.
After being thus tossed about for I cannot judge how long, every moment
running the risk of being dashed on the rocks, now on one side, now on
the other, we found the river again widening and the current flowing on
more tranquilly. In a short time, however, we came to another rapid.
Once more we were amid the wild tumult of waters. The current rushed on
with fearful speed. Now we saw the stern of the leading canoe lifted
up, and it appeared as if her bows were going under. I could not
refrain from uttering a shriek of horror. Isoro and the Indians
remained calm, just guiding our canoe. John's canoe disappeared. On we
went, expecting the same fate which I dreaded had overtaken her. An
instant afterwards we saw her again gliding on calmly. Downwards we
slid over a watery hill, the Indians paddling with might and main, we
following their example. We had descended a fall such as I should
scarcely have supposed it possible so small a boat as ours could have
passed over in safety. Our companions continued plying their paddles,
sending out their breath in a low grunt, as if they had been holding it
in for some minutes.
We now came up with the other canoe, which had been waiting for us.
"That was nervous work!" exclaimed John "I am thankful we are through
the falls; they are the worst we shall meet with."
Paddling on till nearly dark, we landed on an island, where it was
proposed we should pass the night. There were but few trees in the
centre, the rest consisting of sand and rock. This spot had been
selected to avoid the risk of being surprised by unfriendly natives or
prowling jaguars. The canoes were hauled up, the goods landed, and
fires were lighted, round which we were soon seated taking our evening
meal. The Indians then cut a number of stout poles, which they drove
into the ground, forming a square, the roof being thatched over with
palm-leaves, extending some distance beyond the poles, so as to form
deep eaves. To these poles were hung up our hammocks, a small part
being, as usual, partitioned off for Ellen and Maria. This was our
usual style of encampment. When the trees grew sufficiently wide apart,
we sometimes secured our hammocks to them, with a roof such as I have
mentioned above our heads. The fires were kept up all night, and a
watch set to prevent surprise, should any unfriendly natives find us
out, and come across the river in their canoes. Isoro advised us always
to select an island for our night encampment. "Indeed," he observed,
"it would be safer never to land on the banks, if you can avoid so
doing."
Our Indians, besides their usual blow-pipes, had come provided with
harpoons and lines for catching fish. Generally, at the end of our
day's voyage, they would go out in the smaller canoe, and invariably
come back with a good supply.
Arthur and I, with True, one day accompanied Naro and two of his men.
While the Indians remained in the canoe, we landed and walked along the
sandy shore of the island. True ran before us, shoving his nose into
the tall reeds and rushes. Suddenly out he backed, barking furiously,
but still retreating, and evidently less disposed than usual for battle.
Fully expecting to see a huge anaconda come forth, Arthur and I retired
to a safe distance, while I got my gun ready to fire at the serpent when
he should appear. We stood watching the spot which True still faced,
when the reeds were moved aside, and the oddest-looking monster I ever
set eyes on came slowly forth, and for a moment looked about him. True
actually turned tail, and fell back on us for support. He would have
faced a lion, but the creature before him had not a vulnerable part on
which he could lay hold. It meantime, regardless of him or us, made its
way towards the water. It was as grotesque and unlike what we fancy a
reality as those creatures which the wild imaginations of the painters
of bygone days delighted in producing. How can I describe it? It was
covered all over with armour--back, neck, and head. On its head it wore
a curiously-shaped helmet, with a long tube in front serving as a snout,
while its feet were webbed, and armed with sharp claws at the end of its
thick and powerful legs. From the chin hung two fringe-like membranes,
and the throat and neck were similarly ornamented. Naro was not far
off, and came paddling up at a great rate, crying out to us to turn the
creature from the water. Its formidable appearance and size made us
somewhat unwilling to get within reach of its head; for it was fully
three feet long, and its covering would, it appeared, turn off a bullet.
Arthur, however, bravely ran in front of it, and True kept barking
round it, keeping wisely beyond its reach. We thus impeded its
progress; but still it made way, and was just about to launch itself
into the river when the canoe coming up, Naro's harpoon, struck it under
the shield at the neck. It struggled to get free, but was hauled again
on to the sand, and soon dispatched by the Indians. They seemed highly
pleased at the capture, and signified that, in spite of its strange
appearance, it was excellent for food.
"Why, after all, it is only a tortoise!" exclaimed Arthur, who had been
examining it. A tortoise it was, though the strangest-looking of its
tribe, but not at all uncommon.
The strange creature we had found was a matamata (_Chelys matamata_).
It is found plentifully in Demerara, where its flesh is much esteemed.
What we took to be a helmet, consisted of two membraneous prolongations
of the skin, which projected out on either side from its broad and
flattened head. The back was covered with a shield, with three distinct
ridges or keels along it, and was broader before than behind. It had a
stumpy pointed tail. I should add that it feeds only in the water,
concealing itself among reeds by the bank, when it darts forward its
long neck and seizes with its sharp beak any passing fish, reptile, or
water-fowl--for it likes a variety of food--or it will swim after them
at a great rate.
We carried the matamata to the camp, and on landing it drew it up with
sipos, with its neck stretched out. Ellen could scarcely believe that
it was a real creature.
"I am very glad that I did not meet it when by myself on the sands. I
am sure that I should have run away, and dreamed about it for nights
afterwards!" she exclaimed. "It was very brave, Harry, of you and
Arthur to face it; and as for True, he is worthy to take rank with Saint
George, for it must have appeared a perfect dragon to him."
"Barring the want of tail, my sister," observed John with a laugh.
"True will find many more formidable antagonists than the matamata in
these regions, and he must be taught to restrain his ardour, or he may
some day, I fear, `catch a Tartar.'"
Maria meantime stood behind us, lifting up her hands and uttering
exclamations of astonishment, as she surveyed the creature at a
respectful distance.
The next evening we again accompanied the Indians. It was very calm,
and the water in a narrow channel through which we went smooth and
clear, so that we could look down to a great depth and see the fish
swimming about in vast numbers. Presently I caught sight of a huge
black monster gliding silently up the channel just below the surface.
It was, however, too far off for the harpoons of the Indians to reach
it. We followed, they intimating that we should very likely come up
with it. We had not gone far, when they ceased rowing and pointed
ahead. There I saw, on the other side of a clump of bamboos which grew
on a point projecting into the stream, a creature with a savage
countenance and huge paws resting on the trunk of a tree overhanging the
water. It was of a brownish-yellow colour, the upper parts of the body
variegated with irregular oblong spots of black. It was so intently
watching the stream that it did not appear to observe us. Had it not
indeed been pointed out to me, I might not have discovered it, so much
had it the appearance of the trunk on which it was resting. Presently
we saw a huge black head projecting out of the stream. In an instant
the jaguar, for such was the animal on the watch, sprang forward and
seized its prey. The creature which had thus ventured within the grasp
of the jaguar was a _manatee_, or sea-cow, the _peixe boi_ of the
Portuguese. A fearful struggle ensued, the manatee to escape, the
jaguar to hold it fast. I lifted my gun to fire, but the Indians made a
sign to me to desist. If I should kill the jaguar the manatee would
escape, and their object was to allow the latter to be too exhausted to
do so, and then to shoot the jaguar. Now it appeared as if the jaguar
would drag the water-monster out of its native element, now that the
former would be drawn into it. The sea-cow struggled bravely, but the
beast of prey had got too firm a hold to let it escape. The surface of
the water was lashed into foam. The jaguar's claws and teeth were
firmly fixed in the thick hide of the sea-cow. Slowly it seemed to be
drawn higher and higher out of its native element. So eager was the
savage beast, that it did not even observe our approach, but continued
with its sharp teeth gnawing into the back of its defenceless prey. We
now paddled closer. It turned a look of savage rage towards us, seeming
to doubt whether it should let go the manatee and stand on the
defensive, or continue the strife. The way it held the sea-cow gave us
a notion of its immense strength. Gradually the efforts of the manatee
began to relax. It was very clear how the combat would have finished
had we not been present. At a sign from the Indians I lifted my rifle
and fired. The ball passed through the jaguar's neck. Though wounded,
the fierce animal stood snarling savagely, with its fore-feet on the
trunk of the tree, as if prepared to make a spring into the canoe.
While I was reloading, the Indians raised their blow-pipes and sent two
of their slender arrows quivering into its body. Still the jaguar stood
at bay, apparently scarcely feeling the wound. Meantime the huge
cow-fish was slipping off the bank. Naro, on seeing this, ordered his
men to paddle forward, while, harpoon in hand, he stood ready to dart it
at the manatee. Every moment I expected to see the jaguar spring at us.
Just as the manatee was disappearing under the water, the harpoon flew
with unerring aim from Naro's hand, and was buried deeply in its body.
Again we backed away from the bank, just in time, it seemed, for in
another moment the jaguar would have sprung at us. Having got out of
its reach, the Indians shot two more of their deadly arrows into its
body. Still it stood, snarling and roaring with rage at being deprived
of its prey. Gradually its cries of anger ceased, its glaring eyes grew
dim, its legs seemed to refuse it support, and slowly it sank back among
the mass of fern-like plants which bordered the bank.
Meantime, the Indians were engaged with the harpoon line, now hauling in
on it, now slackening it out, a ruddy hue mixing with the current
showing that the life-blood of the manatee was fast ebbing away. In a
short time the struggles of the huge river monster ceased, and the
Indians paddling towards the bank, towed it after them. I was all the
while looking out for the jaguar. A movement in the shrubs among which
it had fallen showed that it was still alive. I was sure that my shot
had not injured it much, and I could scarcely suppose that those light
needle-like darts could have done it much harm. I reminded Naro of the
jaguar. He shook his head in reply. "He will no longer interfere with
us," I understood him to say. The manatee was soon hauled on shore, and
as it was too large to be taken bodily into the canoe, the Indians,
having thoroughly knocked out any spark of life which might remain,
began cutting it up.
The creature was between seven and eight feet long, and upwards of six
in circumference in the thickest part. The body was perfectly smooth,
and of a lead colour. It tapered off towards the tail, which was flat,
horizontal, and semicircular, without any appearance of hind limbs. The
head was not large, though the mouth was, with fleshy lips somewhat like
those of a cow. There were stiff bristles on the lips, and a few hairs
scattered over the body. Just behind the head were two powerful oval
fins, having the breasts beneath them. The ears were minute holes, and
the eyes very small. The skin of the back was fully an inch thick, and
beneath it a layer of fat, also an inch or more thick. On examining the
fins, or fore-limbs, as they should properly be called, we found bones
exactly corresponding to those of the human arm, with five fingers at
the extremity, every joint distinct, although completely encased in a
stiff inflexible skin. The manatee feeds on the grass growing at the
borders of the lakes and rivers. It swims at a rapid rate, moved on by
the tail and paddles. The female produces generally only one at a
birth, and clasps it, so Naro told us, in her paddles while giving it
suck.
Having cut up the cow, with which we loaded the canoe, we paddled in
towards where the jaguar had been seen. The chief and one of his
followers without hesitation leaped on shore: Arthur and I followed,
when to our surprise we saw the savage brute lying over on its side
perfectly dead. It had been destroyed by the poison on the tip of the
arrows, not by the wounds they or my bullet had produced. It was
quickly skinned, cut up, and part of the meat added to our store, while
the skin, which I thought was the most valuable part, was at my request
taken on board.
On emerging from the inlet, we steered for the island, guided by the
light of the camp-fire. We were welcomed with loud shouts by the
generally impassive Indians, who were delighted with the supply of flesh
which we had brought. No time was lost in cutting the meat into small
pieces, each person fastening a dozen or more on long skewers. These
were stuck in the ground, and slanted over the flames to roast. The
meat tasted somewhat like pork, I thought, but John considered it more
like beef.
We were one evening approaching a long island with a sand-bank extending
from its side. Isoro told us that the Indians were unable to proceed
further, and that after this we should find the navigation tolerably
easy. The sand-bank, he said, was frequented by turtles, and they hoped
to be able to supply us and themselves with a good store of eggs, and to
catch also some turtles.
Having hauled up the canoes, and formed our sleeping-places as usual,
leaving Domingos in charge of the camp, we all, including Ellen and
Maria, set out to search for turtles' eggs, our Indians having in the
meantime woven a number of baskets of reeds in which to carry them.
Each of the Indians carried a long stick in his hand. We proceeded a
short distance along the bank, till we came to a somewhat higher part.
The sand felt quite hot to our feet. The Indians pointed out some
slight marks in it, which they told us were made by the turtles. Going
on, one of them stuck his stick into the sand. It sank easily down.
Instantly he and his companions were on their knees digging with their
hands, and soon cleared out a hole full of eggs. Upwards of one hundred
were collected from that hole alone. In the meantime the rest were
searching about, and we were soon all on our knees, busily engaged in
picking up the eggs. The eggs were about an inch and a half in
diameter, somewhat larger than an ordinary hen's egg. They have thin
leathery shells, an oily yoke, and a white which does not coagulate.
Having laden ourselves with as many as we could carry in our baskets, we
returned to the camp. Domingos at once set to work to make cakes,
mixing the eggs with flour. Others were roasted. The Indians, however,
ate them raw.
While we sat round our camp-fire, Isoro excited our curiosity by an
account of the way the turtles lay their eggs, and we agreed to start
away the next morning before daybreak to watch the process. He called
us about two hours before daybreak. We found that Naro and two of his
men had already gone off to try and catch some of the animals. After
walking a short distance, we discovered the Indians squatting down
behind a shelter of branches, which they had put up to conceal
themselves from the turtles. They told us to take our seats by them,
and remain quiet. We had not been there long before we saw a number of
dark objects moving over the light coloured sand. Two or three came
close to us, when the Indians rushing out, quickly turned them on their
backs, and again ran under shelter.
We waited for some time till the light of day enabled us to see more
clearly, when, as far as our eyes could reach, we observed the upper
part of the bank covered with turtles, all busily employed with their
broad-webbed paws in excavating the sand, while others were apparently
placing their eggs in the holes they had made. As the morning drew on,
they began to waddle away towards the river. The margin of the upper
bank was rather steep, and it was amusing to see them tumbling head
foremost down the declivity, and then going on again till the leaders
reached the water. We now all rushed forward, and were in time to catch
several, turning them over on their backs, where they lay unable to
move.
The first comer, Isoro told us, makes a hole about three feet deep. In
this she lays her eggs, and then covers them up with sand. The next
reaching the shore lays her eggs on the top of her predecessor's, and so
on, several turtles will lay one above the others, till the pit, which
holds about one hundred eggs, is full, when the last carefully sweeps
the sand over the hole, so as to make it appear as if it had not been
disturbed. It is only, indeed, from the tracks made by the turtles
themselves as they are returning to the water that the nests can be
traced. In the settled parts of the country great care is taken not to
disturb these sand-banks till the whole body of turtles have laid their
eggs. Sometimes they occupy fourteen days or more in the business.
People are stationed at some elevated spot in the neighbourhood to warn
off any one approaching the bank, and to take care that the timid
turtles are in no way disturbed; otherwise it is supposed they would
desert the ground altogether.
We had now a large supply of turtle and turtle eggs. Our Indian
friends, well satisfied with their expedition, loaded their canoe almost
to the water's edge. We also took on board as many as we could consume.
Naro and his followers had behaved very well, but they were
uninteresting people, and had done nothing particular to win our regard.
John wrote a letter to Don Jose for Isoro to carry, and we all sent
many messages, expressing our affectionate regard. Had it not been for
Don Jose, we might have been subjected to much annoyance and trouble,
and been prevented probably from following our family. We each of us
presented Isoro also with a small remembrance. We parted from him with
sincere regret; and I believe that had it not been for his devoted love
to his master he would gladly have accompanied us. He and his
companions waited till we had embarked in our own canoe, and cast off
from the shore. A light breeze was blowing down the river. We hoisted
our mat sail, and Domingos taking the steering oar, we recommenced our
voyage down the river. The Indians then set forth on their toilsome one
up the stream, having to paddle with might and main for many days
against it.