The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-06-27
EXPLORING THE AMAZON.
The Natives ignore the Peaceful Intent
of the Esplorers-A Midnight Ex-
pcrieno. with "a blood
thirsty Jaguar.

/ was second mate OF the British
steamer Forward during her two years
of exploration in the mouths OF the
Amazon. and no other field could have
been selected 10 furnish more daily
adventures. The Forward wns a pro-
peller. carried two six pound cannon
rs her armament. ard when loaded
drew only five feet OF water.
We had IA steam launch and two
yawls for exploration where the
steamer could not go. and there were
six OF NJ out in the launch n day
making s~onndings in "A great bend.
when "A monster crocodile rose 10 the
surface close beside MS. lunged for
ward, and had his head and n leg
over the gunwale before any one saw
him. The engineer had IA Ratchet
within reach. and with this he gave
the reptile such "A blow "a made him
draw Oft and sink out OF sight. The
launch had scarcely righted herself.
however. when n full dozen more Of
the saurinns rose TO the attack. We
should have been captized and every
man devoured alive had we not been
in one OF the yawls. As IL was. we
them. though some of them persued
US for half n mile. and we were nearly
swamped with the water splashed into
the boat
A few days later. n afternoon n
the steamer came to anchor In n chan
mel. the anchor must have dropped
among "A bed OF sleeping c%rocodiles.
They rose all about us. Kissing and
splashing. and this excitement brought
up others. until sixty-six enormous big
fellows were 10 be counted at n time.
They attacked the steamer with the
utmost fury. and. while their efforts
we're harmless, their struggles rocked
her "a II she wns nj sea In "A gale. A
fuse shell was prepared In a keg, to-
gether with three pounds OF lose pow
der. and ut "A proper time the keg was
thrown overheard. IL had drifted "a
hundred feet astern before they saw IL
and made "A rush. They had pulled it
about five feet under water when the
explosion came. and a full dozen OF
the saurians must have been killed by
II. IL was nearly n month after that
before another one came about the
steamer. and IL looked TO us as II
couriers had been sent up and down
with the news that we were an enemy
20 be avoided.
Perhaps no instance OF the destruc-
tive power OF n six-pounder can be
recorded 90 match the one ! am about
10 relate. We were about forty miles
above the sea. and had come 10 anchor
about pistol shot from the shore. which
was here entirely clear OF bushes
when we were suddenly greeted by n
flight OF arrows and darts from n grove
w our port quarter. We knew from
the number OF missiles that there must
be at least fifty natives punched there.
They had not waited 4 see who we
were or what we wanted. but had sent
out a challenge TO battle before our
anchor was fairly buried in the mud.
As our mission vas one Of peace.
we sheltered ourselves and made no
reply for some time. This simply en-
boldened the fellows. who doubtless
comprised some war party passing up
or down. and they shot so many ar
rows and darts into the steamer that
her port side literally bristled with
them. II was nj length decided TO
teach them n lesson. and the captain
ordered the ~six-pounder on that side
cast loose and loaded with shell. This
was done under cover OF "a screen pro-
vided for the purpose. and when all
was ready the gun was aimed at the
center of the grove and fired. One
loud. long wall followed the explosion.
and then we heard no more OF the
natives.
An hour later. when we landed 10
secure some wild fruit. we found four
teen dead and dying natives in the
grove-all the work OF tina: one she'll.
which had exploded In the midst Of
the crowd. In this case, too. the news
seemed TO spread with great rapidity.
for we were not annoyed again for
months.
The jaguar OF the Amazon is also
called n cougar. n puma. and "A pan
Their and he seems to be- one and the
same beast, no matter what the name.
He il 1.-THE. fierce. and vigilant and an
enemy 10 be dreaded by even the best
armed man. We often saw pumas on
the shores or crouched in trees. and
now and then floating past ON drifting
logs, aud their far-reaching cries were
always TO be- heard Mt night. II we lay
within "A mile OF "A Jungle. The only
man we had killed In the two years met
his fate nj the hands OF a jaguar aud un-
dar a~inOutnr circumstances We hul
wooded on tho right-hand shore and
then paid out our rope cable. by which
we were fast 10 "A tree, 10 be safe from