Library of Cryptozoology

I have heard talk on the Liberdade of the mysterious little carnivorous boule-boule. It seems that an old Amazonian mesitzo who knew the nheen gatú dialect of the Tupi-guaraní tongue, called it anga i uára, which would probably signify "the greedy devil" or the "eater of souls." I also heard mention of a terrestrial caiman who lived in holes under the tree roots. They cited a seringueiro whose hand it had bitten and who had been maimed for life. It is said to be dark brown, almost black with a rather broad back. But the description is very vague. A literate seringueiro who had seen it found that it closely resembled the monotreme in his text book. Every person who had glimpsed it thought it a rare and strange animal.

January 7th [1888, Yambuya] [...] Assad Farran [a Syrian interpreter] came to me this morning, and told me that a curious beast, which he was sure was a whale, habitually came out of the water near our two canoes, and fed on the grass on the bank, but disappeared back into the water on the approach of any one. He said the sentry over the canoes constantly saw it, and on my inquiring if he was certain it was a whale, said, "Oh yes! it is something like the shape of a crocodile; I am sure it is a whale." I imagine the animal to be an iguana [monitor]; however, he is to let me know the next time it is visible, for me to shoot it.