July i, 1910.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



347 



Oncas Island — Inland Waterway. 



Many of the vines and trees were masses of beautiful flowers, 

 and while the epyphites and orchids that clung to and clustered 

 on trunks and branches did not show many blooms, they added 

 to the decorative effect wonderfully. We looked here for the 

 manatee, or sea cow, which lives in these waters, suckles its 

 young, and lives out its quiet uneventful life, shyly avoiding 

 everything animate but its own kin. But we had no luck. 



Every now and then we passed a seringueiro's hut, or barracao 

 close to the water's edge, built on posts above the rise of the 

 river, while in front of it were tethered one or more canoes, 

 the only means of transport, and indeed of refuge, when the 

 water is very high. These huts were simple in construction, 

 made of poles lashed together with bush rope, the sloping roof? 

 covered with broad palm leaves. The floors were of rough hewn 

 logs, with a pile of clay or earth for a fireplace and no chimney. 

 Oftentimes the whole front of a hut was open. 



So close did we run to the shore that we could see the owners 

 idling in their hammocks and many times surprised coveys of 

 naked children, who promptly fled to cover, only to venture out 

 when we got by. Some of the older ones, to be sure, would 

 jump into canoes and paddle toward us, coming close to the 

 stern as we passed so that the wash of the steamer tossed their 

 frail craft up and down most perilously, which adventure they 

 hailed with shrill squeals of delight. 



Bungalow on Oncas Island. 



We saw many such huts and it is from them that the impres- 

 sion often is gained that the whole population of the Amazon 

 valley is made up of hut dwellers. Such is far from being 

 the fact. On the rising ground away from the river bank are 

 some magnificent estates, or facendas, with fine buildings, great 

 herds of cattle and horses, and very considerable plantations. 

 Vast areas of the country are, of course, not only unsettled but 

 unexplored. And these fazendas, widely scattered as they are, 

 do not make the showing they deserve. 



As we ran close to the shores we were constantly flushing 

 flocks of birds that looked' like short tailed pheasants. They 

 were very striking in their brown and red plumage, and as they 

 flew along the margin of the stream alighting often and balancing 

 themselves on swaying branches near at hand, it looked as if 

 sportsmen were few. We put them down as Brazilian partridges, 

 but learned later that they were a sort of gilded buzzard unfit 

 for food, and altogether despicable. It was a disappointment, 

 for all the way to Manaos they persisted, sometimes in flocks 

 of a hundred or more. 



Of alligators we saw not one. Not that this saurian had dis- 

 appeared permanently, but the high water had driven it into 

 the smaller waterways somewhat removed from the river proper. 



In the afternoon of the first day the ship's doctor, net in 

 hand, came to our deck and talked very interestingly of his 



On the Booth Liner — The Doctor. 



On the Booth Liner — The Editor. 



