MR. SPRUCE'S EXCURSION ON THE AMAZON. ' 267 
of a coming storm by a low distant murmur, which speedily deepened 
into a sound as of the rushing of mighty waters. The thunder rolls over 
our heads, and the lofty trees bend like willows under the force of the 
hurricane; then, after a sullen pause, rendered almost awful by the cir- 
eumstances in which we are placed, the rain bursts upon us in a perfect 
torrent. We were threading the thicket in Indian file, Manoel first 
and I next, but such was the noise of the rain and tempest, that we 
could not hear each other speak, and Mr. King, lingering behind to 
break open a castanha, was unfortunately left. He very soon lost his 
way, by going up an igarapé which ran into the one we were following, 
and had so slight a fall that he did not perceive he was ascending. 
He went on thus for about a mile ere he found out his mistake—floated 
two leaves on the stream to assure him of its direction, and then 
turned back ; but we were already far in advance. By halting somewhat — 
for him, I allowed Manoel to get out of sight, and I was above half 
an hour before I came up with him. The rain still continued unabated, 
and ran down my back and breast in streams. The igarapé, at first 
a precipitous mountain-stream, soon descended into a valley, where it 
turned and doubled, as if determined to lose us ; and so thick was the 
vegetation on its banks, that often we could scarcely effect a passage : 
the groves of entangled bamboos and cut-grass, especially, were only 
passable on our hands and knees. Manoel grew dreadfully frightened : 
he said that we should certainly have to pass the night in the forest 
in our wretched plight—that oncas were numerous, and we had no 
arms to defend ourselves—that the igarapé we were following would 
iufallibly end in a palm-swamp (which I knew to be not at all impos- 
sible); and his complaints at length grew to such a pitch, that I 
told him he might leave me and choose his own path, for that I was 
not afraid to be alone ; but this only frightened him the more. 
We called on our companion until we were hoarse, and I made 
Manoel climb a tree and shout at the top of his voice, as well as en- 
deavour to spy out some known object; but we had no response, nor 
could he see anything but the tops of other trees. We crept slowly 
on, occasionally halting to call out and to listen, and I began to 
feel exceedingly anxious about our companion’s fate; at length we 
heard his voice, far behind us, and about three o'clock, to our great 
joy, he rejoined us. The rain had now ceased, and iu an hour more, 
our patience being nearly exhausted, we reached the embouchure of the 
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