ON THE AMAZON, 271 
We had light winds to Obidos, and did not reach it-until towards 
evening of the 14th. By night there was seldom any wind sufficient to 
enable us to stem the current, and our usual practice was to anchor 
near shore or to tie to the projecting branch of some submersed trunk. 
Tn such situations I had sufficient opportunity (sorely against my will) 
of further cultivating my acquaintance with the carapanas, and I received 
ample proof of a fact which I had previously doubted, namely, that 
with the wind off shore, vessels are not persecuted at all by carapanás, 
but the contrary when the wind blows on shore; and the reasons 
assigned for this by the Indians seems to be the correct one, namely, 
that in the former case these blood-thirsty creatures scent their prey in 
the wind, which they cannot do in the latter. It is rarely that there 
is perfect silence on the shores of the Amazon ;—even in the heat of the 
day, from 12 to 3 o’clock, when birds and beasts hide themselves in the 
recesses of the forests, there is still the hum of busy bees and gaily- 
coloured flies, culling sweets from the flowering-trees that line the 
shore, especially from certain Ingas and allied trees; and with com- 
mencing twilight innumerable frogs in the shallows and among the 
tall grasses chant forth their ** Ave Marias," sometimes simulating the 
chirping of birds, at others the hallooing of crowds of peopleina - 
distant wood. About the same hour, the carapan begins its night- — 
enduring song, more annoying to the wearied voyager than even the - 
wound it inflicts. There are besides various birds which sing, at in- - 
tervals, the night through, and whose native names are uniformly e 
framed in imitation of their note; such are the Acuráu, the Murueu- — — 
tutá, a bird of the owl tribe, and the Jaeurutá, whose song is peculiarly — 
lugubrious. A sort of pigeon, which is heard at 5 o'clock in the morn- 
ing, is called, and is supposed to say, “ Maria, ja he dia ! ” (* Mary, it 
is already day ! ”)—a name which reminds me of * Milk the cow clean, _ 
Katty,” a common Yorkshire appellation of the stockdoye. Amongst - 
the birds which most amused us by day, may be mentioned the ** Bem, 
te vil” (* Well, I saw thee!") and **Joaó, corta pao!” (John, eut 
the stick ! ") s 2 mi 
I one night much amused the sailors by inquiring whaf bird it was 
that was making a croaking noise in an opposite cacoal. I was in- - 
formed it was a small quadruped the size of a rat, which had its residence - 
in the cacoals and lived on the fruit. It is one of the animals specially — 
resorted to by the Indian “ feiticeiros,” and great importance is at- — 
VOL. III. 2N 
