EXCURSION TO MAUHES AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD. 307 



panied by thunder and lightning. The delay occasioned by 

 this interruption, however, proved a good fortune in the end. 

 By eleven o'clock the storm was over, but the sky contin- 

 ued overcast during the rest of the day. Our way lay up 

 the river Mauhes, past the mouths of nameless streams 

 and lakes, broad sheets of water, perfectly unknown out 

 of their immediate neighborhood. Night brought us to our 

 destination, and at about eight o'clock we anchored before 

 this little village. As we approached it a light or two was 

 seen glimmering on the shore, and we could not help again 

 wondering what was the feeling of the people who saw and 

 heard for the first time one of these puffing steam monsters. 

 This morning, with a boat-load of goods of all sorts, in- 

 tended by the President as presents for the Indians, we 

 put off for the shore. Landing on the beach we went 

 at once to the house of the chief, a most respectable look- 

 ing old man, who stood at the door to receive us. He 

 was an old acquaintance of Major Coutinho, having for- 

 merly accompanied him on his exploration of the Rio 

 Madeira. The inhabitants of this village are Mundurucu 

 Indians, one of the most intelligent and kindly disposed 

 of the Amazonian tribes. Although they are too civil- 

 ized to be considered as illustrating in any way the wild 

 life of the primitive Indians, yet, as it is the first time we 

 have seen one of their isolated settlements, removed from 

 every civilizing influence except the occasional contact of 

 the white man, the visit was especially interesting to us. 

 It is astonishing to see the size and solidity of their houses, 

 with never a nail driven, the frame consisting of rough 

 trunks bound together by withes made of long, elastic sipos, 

 the cordage of the forest. Major Coutinho tells us that 

 they know very well the use of nails in building, and s;sy 



