A NOCTURNAL SCENE. 143

For the sake of adventure and for the acquisition
of knowledge, no sacrifice is too great.

Let us now draw from the pages of M. Humboldt
a few of his animated pictures of nature and of his
personal adventures amid these untrodden wilds.
Here is a nocturnal scene on the banks of the river
Apure :—

“The night was calm and serene, and there
was a beautiful moonlight. The crocodiles were
stretched along the shore. They placed themselves
in such a manner as to be able to see the fire. We
thought we observed that its splendour attracted
them, as it attracts fishes, crayfish, and other in-
habitants of the water. The Indians showed us
the traces of three tigers in the sand, two of which
were very young. A female had no doubt con-
ducted her little ones to drink at the river. Find-
ing no tree on the strand, we stuck our oars in the
ground, and to these we fastened our hammocks.
Everything passed tranquilly till eleven at night,
and then a noise so terrific arose in the neighbour-
ing forest, that it was almost impossible to close
our eyes. Amid the cries of so many wild beasts
howling at once, the Indians discriminated such
only as were heard separately. These were the
little soft cries of the sapajous, the moans of the
alonates, the howlings of the tiger, the couguaz or
American lion without mane, the pecari, and the