Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

NARCOTICS AND STIMULANTS 441
than myself, soon made up their minds about the
origin of the unwonted sound. It was the Yamadu,
in propria persona, hunting near us, and he would
infallibly send us terrible rain or some other
calamity to warn us off his territory. The soughing
of the approaching tempest was already heard, and
presently it burst upon us, with thunder and
lightning and deluging rain that lasted until midnight.
The two following days were dull and
dropping, and a little later on in the day that is,
towards nightfall we each day heard a single
report, not quite so near at hand, and then we had
heavy rain from 7 P.M. throughout the night. My
people became silent and gloomy, were afraid, they
said, to hunt or fish, and I believe if I had remained
another night would have every one deserted
me. So in the afternoon of the 25th I gave the
order for resuming our voyage down the Casiquiari,
to their very great content. When I came on deck
shortly afterwards to see if everything was in
readiness for I
starting, saw some of the men in a
tree that overhung our encampment, fastening to
the branches a couple of scarecrows they had rigged
"
up out of old shirts and trousers. What does this
mean, Antonio ?" said I to one of them who was
fond of talking to me
rangaua
in Lingua Tupi.
"
Yane-
"
(our effigies), said he. "Oh, I see," said
I. "You think to cheat the Yamadu. Seeino- O us
up the tree, he will fancy we are still here, and will
not pursue us clown the river!" P>ut I had a quiet
laugh over it in the recesses of my cabin. It
reminded me of a fellow pursued by a bull, who
throws off hat and coat to detain the savage brute
until he himself can gain a place of safety.