CAL Len TV. 
THE TOCANTINS AND CAMETA. 
Preparations for the journey—The bay of Goajara—Grove of fan-leaved palms—The 
lower Tocantins—Sketch of the river—Vista alegre—Baiad—Rapids—Boat 
journey to the Guariba falls—Native life on the Tocantins—Second journey to 
Cameta. 
August 26th, 1848.—Mr. Wallace and I started to-day on the excur- 
sion which I have already mentioned as having been planned with 
Mr. Leavens, up the river Tocantins, whose mouth lies about forty-five 
miles in a straight line, but eighty miles following the bends of the 
river channels, to the south-west of Para. This river, as before stated, 
has a course of 1,600 miles, and stands third in rank amongst the 
streams which form the Amazons system. The preparations for the 
journey took a great deal of time and trouble. We had first to hire 
a proper vessel, a two-masted zzgz/imga twenty-seven feet long, with a 
flat prow and great breadth of beam, and fitted to live in heavy seas ; 
for, although our voyage was only a river trip, there were vast sea-like 
expanses of water to traverse. It was not decked over, but had two 
arched awnings formed of strong wickerwork, and thatched with palm 
leaves. We had then to store it with provisions for three months, the 
time we at first intended to be away ; procure the necessary passports ; 
and, lastly, engage a crew. Mr. Leavens, having had much experience 
in the country, managed all these matters. He brought two Indians 
from the rice-mills, and these induced another to enrol himself. We, 
on our parts, took our cook, Isidoro, and a young Indian lad, named 
Antonio, who had attached himself to us in the course of our residence 
at Nazareth. Our principal man was Alexandro, one of Mr. Leavens’s 
Indians. He was an intelligent and well-disposed young Tapuyo, an 
expert sailor and an indefatigable hunter. To his fidelity we were in- 
debted for being enabled to carry out any of the objects of our voyage. 
Being a native of a district near the capital, Alexandro was a civilised 
Tapuyo, a citizen as free as his white neighbours. He spoke only 
Portuguese. He was a spare-built man, rather under the middle height, 
with fine regular features, and, what was unusual in Indians, the upper 
lip decorated with a moustache. Three years afterwards I saw him at 
Para in the uniform of the National Guard, and he called on me often 
to talk about old times. I esteemed him as a quiet, sensible, manly 
young fellow. 
We set sail in the evening, after waiting several hours in vain for one 
of our crew. It was soon dark, the wind blew stiffly, and the tide 
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