The morning times., 1896-05-31

by something humping against the bottom
OF my hammoc4-the end onc-and at tue.
same time heard a yell fronI'the cur and
saw Il yellow streaK disappear into tito
bush on the other side OF the clearing. IL
was "a jaguar, and the beast had helpeu MIN
self to our dog. The big fires had almost
died out, and he ha stalked rightinto our
camp. The men heard the dogs yell, and
one or two OF them saw the jaguar-no
more sleep for that night. They built up
the fires and sat about Inem troubling til
morning-no more jaguaY, either.
On the seventh day we reached the Tama-
tamarl Falls, in the PotafO River, which
runs into the Essequebo from the west.
Potaro Landing is quite town in ap-
pearaBce, there being seventy houses there;
but IT Is all i'll appearance, Tor they are
Stereheuses, belonging tu tie companies.
Ii it Were not for the fever the POlaro
gold camps would be very decent places
In which to spenia few weeks, butthrfever
is so strong there that one can almost inn
agine that he smells ii. A II the placcrs
are near creeks, for water Is the most
essential thing; so there always is plenty
of fresh water for drinking and cooking
and bathing. The underbrush is cleared
away, but most OF the trees are left stand
Ing, so that there is plenty OF shade. The
men live in large huts, called "loges,'
the sides OF which are open but the roofs
are CONtTeu WIFI
The blacks who had come up with us
started TO work next morning, and L
| had ample opportunity to see the pacers
| in operation for the next two days. In
J the first place, the surface dirt Is re-
moved from IL space twenty-four feet
| square, and two -sluices are set up in
| this, or rather running across this. The
| sluices are compos ed of six or seven sep
aTate troughs, or ''daals,' as they are
| fn1 mr. thn ntI or,,
one about thirteen feet long. In each
of these daals Qt is pronounced "doIrD
| are two "riffies, about eighteen inches
| apart. rifle Is made on the principle
OF gridiron, only the pieces run length
| wise of the daal. They are half an inch
| apart, and are made of mora weod-the
hardest in the forest, the daals being Of
the same material Quicksilver is put
| along the front of it and on the inside
along the piece of wood to which the
| lower ends OF the rifle are nailed; also
| where the one daal Joins the other there
| Is piece of wood across the end called
| check, and quicksilver is put in front
| of 1t. II is about an inch high.
| Tie sluicc is built on an angle OF five de-
| grecs, and steady stream OF water flows
| tiroushit. There are twelve men required
| TO each sluicc, eight shovelng dirt into it
| Two shaking up the dirt with utchforks
and two cleaning away the tailings. The
| two with the forks are called duai boys
| and their forks are made TO fit between the
strips on top OF the rirfies, so that they can
| Stir up tie dirt that fails Into them. The
| other TWO pick out the heavy stones which
| the running water cannot wash down.
| Any gold THAT may be in the dirt is sepa
| rated by the water, and being heavy, is not
| washed past the rifles. but sinks to tnt
bottom ana i 5 Immediately seized upon By
the quicksilver. All day long the sluices art
| kept going, the only stop being made fol
| breakfast, III about l O'Clock.
Then comes the brushing GOWN which is
the most interesting part OF the whole pera
ton, and is always Superintcuded by tht
manager himself. The rifles and check.
are lifted Out one by one, beginning at The
top, and gold and quicksilver together rur
| down to tie last check ut the END OF the last
| daal The whole business is Scooped III
| then and put into bag, which is squeezed
till tile quicksilver runs out between tht
| threads, and the gold remains, though il
| stIll has hin coating OF quicksilver Il
| Is put III frying pan with bit OF butte
OF lard and fried till the quicksilver dis
! appears, and the rich, yellow. shining goiC
is before you. About eight ounces 10 tn,
siulce IS the result OF a days work. A!
soon lit is cool, il is weighed and put into
a safe, shipments to oGeorgctown being mad,
! once month, where the metal is sold fo
about S17.5 an ounce.
The beginning of the end was com
flu dance, which took place on the sec
DAD night. 1t was the most idiotic thing
l have ever witnessed. After dinner one
Of the dggerS, who, | think, was a bit
wrong i'll his head, announced that lie
would entertain his fellows with a dance
so all the men arranged themselves IN d
circle about big fire in the clearing
betw their own logies and the one tie
managers aud myself nad One man had d
fiddle made out OF q cigar box. another q
banjo similarly made, another an oil can
with a string IN ii, ana the rest with tin
plates and cans, which they beat upon with
their fists. TIE ''Comluman" appeared ii
the circle wrapped IN white blanket, SC
that only his eyes showed, aGdas he stepped
into the circle the music began. 1t wa
| a horrible ROISe-no tune, but simply g
| beating OF time 90 the tins, while the
man with the fiddle Sa wed away on his
| own hook, aud the one with the oil can
and the string made his Instrument moaL
and Groan in a most delightful manner
We watched the show from our hammocks
which we had slung bet weeu trees out ul
the circle of light.
The "confuman's" dance consisted o
different variations of hop and nothin
more, first on one foot, then on the other
circiing round and round the fire while b
| chauted Il sort OF song. A first the ste
was very slow, then i gradually got taste
and faster and faster, the music increasin
in volume all the time. Then the dance
began to wave his arms about, and finally
after he had been Il il for nearly an hou
and il half he started to run about the fir
for all he was worth. By this time the ban'
was wildly excited, and was singing a
we'll as pounding desperately on its iDstrr
nents. Then, Just as some OF them wer
beginning to jump up themselves, til
dancer made wild leap over the fire
another jump over the fiddler, and tor
away down stream at n terrific pace, wint
ing up by falling into an old pit that wa
hair full of water. He was dragged OF
by some of his fellows, frOthng at III
mouth. and he struggled SO that he ha
to be tied down.
The dance had dbeenConCludedat10 10 o 'cloC
and at 1890 all was quiet-the 'confl
man. still hound in his hammock, snorin,
peacefully; the rest Of the camp also wa
sDoring-all except myself. Lying in N
hammock, which was still under the tree;
] amused myself trying to count the STAR