210 MR. SPRUCE'S BOTANICAL EXCURSION 
clothes and hands were torn, and the latter thickly stuck with -prickles, 
some of them venomous. Our limbs were stiff for many days after- 
wards from the wetting, and I myself suffered much from lumbago 
for about a week. We had got, also, a sufficient number of mocuins 
and carapatos on our skins to keep them in constant irritation for some 
time afterwards, 
When we reached the canoe, our faithful guides were quietly sleep- 
ing by their fire: they had arrived about four o'clock. When 
reproached for deserting us, they pretended that they had supposed 
we were all the while following them ! I was not at all surprised at their 
conduct, for I had heard that not very long ago a crew of Tapuyas 
had deserted altogether a gentleman in the Trombétas, who was thus left 
alone and unable to navigate his canoe for several days, until another 
boat happened to pass that way. There is something repugnant to 
an Englishman in the forced service to which these people are subjected, 
itis so manifestly unjust ; but it is bringing its own reward. Numbers 
of Tapuyas have fled, either to the unexplored parts of Brazil, or 
across the frontier into the English, Peruvian, and other neighbouring 
territories. From this and other causes, their number has so 
diminished, that there are barely sufficient to meet the various calls 
for their services ; and as they are quite aware of this, they take great 
liberties, working just as much or as little as they like, knowing that 
you must be content with that or go without, and caring neither for 
imprisonment nor any other punishment. But although the Brazilians 
do not merit any commiseration for this state of things, it is felt to 
‘be a great annoyance by strangers who travel through their country. 
Since arriving at the cachoeiras my crew had been very refractory : 
.. they evidently disliked the place, and wished themselves away from it. 
— ‘The sound of the waterfalls, they said, was “muito triste," and pre- 
. vented their sleeping, even if the nights had not been so cold.as they 
found them,—though Mr. King and I thought the temperature quite 
agreeable. Fish and game were abundant, but I had unwisely brought 
a good supply of pirarucá, and when an Indian has food for to-day 
. he cares not for to-morrow ; there was, therefore, no getting them to 
fish; and though I gave them powder and shot, they were either lazy 
or unskilful hunters, for they killed nothing. Then we had frequent 
and heavy rain, coming on at any hour of the day or night, and often 
= without warning; this made their night's lodging very uncomfortable, 
