. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . r clay banks facing steep ones, first on the right, thenon the left side, according to the bend of the stream and theforce of the current. As we went along a splendid maleCrested Curassow 1 flew up and was shot, to be added toour menu. Before we came in sight it was clucking softly. A splash around a bend, and sharp claw and toe marksshowed where a capybara (Hydrochoerus capybara) hadjust entered the water, and from here on we found suchtracks common on every sandy bank. We were amu
. Our search for a wilderness; an account of two ornithological expeditions to Venezuela and to British Guiana . r clay banks facing steep ones, first on the right, thenon the left side, according to the bend of the stream and theforce of the current. As we went along a splendid maleCrested Curassow 1 flew up and was shot, to be added toour menu. Before we came in sight it was clucking softly. A splash around a bend, and sharp claw and toe marksshowed where a capybara (Hydrochoerus capybara) hadjust entered the water, and from here on we found suchtracks common on every sandy bank. We were amused at our steersmans occasional orders tothe < rew. In places where the current was swift and polingwas very difficult he would shout in a most woful and despair-ingvoice O Lord!, giving us quite a start. Weeventuallyfound that he was intending this ejaculation for Pole-hard! Black-shelled mollusks were common on submerged logs,and on the banks above the water line were scores of curiousSpiders and insects, while dragon-flies of a half dozen or morespecies darted swiftly about. Throughout the morning we. Fig. 123. Where only Otters and Fish can pass. 284 OUR SEARCH FOR A WILDERNESS. were never out of hearing of the hammering of Woodpeckers,or the cooing of Doves or the laughing, descending scales ofWoodhewers. The Chinese music of the cicadas cameto our ears, a sound which recalled vividly the forests ofVenezuela. The water was now at a medium level, but after heavyrains when it is high, all the great tacubas six feet above ourheads are submerged and much of the land along the riverbanks becomes a swamp. Farther upstream when the water became very shallowand the stream narrowed to twelve or fifteen feet, some of usleft the ballyhoo in order to make the work of the blackseasier, and took to the trail. After a fifteen minutes walkwe saw the glimmer of sunshine through the trees and knewthat we had reached the gold mine of the Little Aremu. CHAPTER IX. JUNGLE LIFE AT AREMU. SO
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