The National tribune., 1901-04-18
CANOEING ALONG NICARAGUA.
Adventures on Sea and Shore Among the Mosquito Indians
By DR.. ]. HAMPDEN PORTER.

That spot from which we started in pur
suit of the black jaguar whose chase j:
TO be related, was solitude so absolute
that one felt as if those then occupying
It were the first human beings by whom
its confines had been visited.
Our party was gathered on some lcye
ground above a first line of cliffs gradual
ly rising far up and beyond that point al
which trees ceased TO grow. Here and
there erythriana's scarlet flowers, or some
solitary ceiba's golden bloom. splashed
these somber woodlands with CLEANS of
vivid color; but this availed little toward
relieving the scene of its stern, sad state
liress.
As we rested at our bivouac after an
exhausting march, Lopez, called in his ma
tive language, He who sees by night
walked out from one of the neighboring
gorges, and laid a small bundle of coarse,
black hairs rolled round with cObweb be
fore us.
'GI tigre negro" he said, and explained
in terms that to reproduce would require
them to b.- translated out of broken Span
ish into English the most eccentric. 1t is
an undertaking too formidable TO be at
tempted; but before rendering his com
munications in ordinary words, the follow
ing may serve as an example Of how he
announced the black tiger:
''You see l 20 walkin' somewheres, meb-
be fine sign. Well, bout half a league
ND canyon seen one little small kind of
pine with bark scratched. Tiger stan
on his hine legs to clean claws. By -
and - never see no scratches so high.
Mus be very old tiger, big as anything,
an | know 'taint long since he been there.
So 1 think pretty poor chance TO stay
when don't have no good gun, an he can
come back"
In the vernacular, Lopez found there
hairs sticking TO the bark, saw immense
footprints, and was instantly convinced
that gigantic jaguar, also black, must
be an out and out bona fde, ramping,
raging demon.
hurry, and despite his offer to trail the
beast next day, we could see that long
standing superstitious fears prevailed
over all recently acquired confidence IN
magic rifles which would shoot a mile.
That night a jaguar hunted the forest
below, and SO far as his proceedings could
be interpreted through hearing alone, he
was attempting to round up deer after a
royal tigers method, which consists in
driving them toward some selected place
by making a circuit and roaring. If this
were the case, and he succeeded, several
things might happen, though it is impos-
sible TO particularize, because we know
much less about jaguars than concerning
their Asiatic relatives.
Admitting the design and its accom-
plishment, however, he would approach
these frightened creatures up-wind, get
within springing distance, and strike some
victim dead. Then the brute might either
be satisfied or go on killing so long as any
prey remained in reach. If content, and
still supposing that subsequent acts were
like those of a tiger, the slain animal
would be neatly disemboweled and its
Viscera rolled up and laid aside. Almost
invariably the haunch is devoured first
torn away in great bites, and swallowed
whole.
Like all formidable cats except true
panthers, jaguars are thirsty beings, SO
having finished that part q drink must be
taken. During their gorgings most Of
these feline destroyers go to water more
than once; but some of them, the most
murderous because they need to kill
oftener-eat little meat, living almost en-
tirely upon warm blood.
Our self-introduced acquaintance down
In the woods may have belonged to either
class, yet his chances for supper appeared
doubtful, for we soon heard some foxes
barking.
Those small marauders follow up q
prowling jaguar and often spoil his sport,
Just as jackals or hyenas do that of Old
World beasts Of prey; but there are
apparently no such superstitions about
them as prevail there with reference to
those annoying satellites.