1 852.] ANNOYANCES OF THE JOURNEY. 243 



has to be heaped together in a hurry, palm-leaves cut, and 

 the more perishable articles covered ; but boxes, redes, and 

 numerous other articles are sure to be wetted, rendering us 

 very uncomfortable when again hastily tumbled into the over- 

 crowded canoe. If I had birds or insects out drying, they were 

 sure to be overturned, or blown by the wind, or wetted by the 

 rain, and the same fate was shared by my note-books and 

 papers. Articles in boxes, unless packed tight, were shaken 

 and rumpled by not being carried evenly ; so that it was an 

 excellent lesson in patience, to bear all with philosophical 

 serenity. We had passed all these falls by midday ; and at 

 night slept on a rock, where there was a small rapid and a 

 house without inhabitants. 



On the 8th we had tolerably quiet water, with only two 

 small rapids, the " Taiena " (Child), and " Paroquet " caxoeiras. 

 On the 9th, in the morning, we reached the " Pacu " fall, and 

 then had a quiet stream, though full of rocks, till the afternoon, 

 when we passed the "Macucu" (a tree), "Anacas" (Pine- 

 apple), and " Uacu " (a fruit) caxoeiras ; all very -bad and 

 difficult ones. We had left Caruru with very little farinha, as 

 none was to be had there, and we had seen no inhabited sitios 

 where any could be purchased ; so our Indians were now on 

 short allowance of "beiju," which they had brought with them. 

 Of a passing Indian I bought a basket of Ocoki, and some 

 fish. The Ocoki is a large pear-shaped fruit, with a hard thick 

 outer skin of almost a woody texture, then a small quantity of 

 very sweet pulpy matter, and within a large black oval stone. 

 The pulp is very luscious, but is so acrid as to make the mouth 

 and throat sore, if more than two or three are eaten. When, 

 however, the juice is boiled it loses this property ; and when 

 made into mingau with tapioca, is exceedingly palatable and 

 very highly Esteemed in the Upper Rio Negro, where it is 

 abundant. It takes at least a peck of fruit to give one small 

 panella of mingau. 



On the next day, the 10th, in the afternoon, the Indians all 

 suddenly sprang like otters into the water, swam to the shore, 

 and disappeared in the forest. " Ocoki," was the answer to my 

 inquiries as to the cause of their sudden disappearance ; and I 

 soon found they had discovered an ocoki-tree, and were load- 

 ing themselves with the fruit to satisfy the cravings of hunger, 

 for an Indian's throat and mouth seem invulnerable to all those 



