116 LOWER AMAZONS—PARA TO OBYDOS.  Cuap. VI. 
On the 3oth, at 9 p.m., we reached a broad channel called Macaco, 
and now left the dark, echoing Jaburti. The Macaco sends off branches 
towards the north-west coast of Marajo. Whilst waiting for the tide I 
went ashore in the montaria with Joao da Cunha The forest was 
gloomy and forbidding in the extreme, the densely-packed trees pro- 
ducing a deep shade, under which all was dark and cold. There was 
no animal life visible—vertebrate, articulate, or molluscous. At its 
commencement the Macaco is about half a mile wide, and runs from 
S.S.W. to N.N.E.; towards the north it expands toa breadth of two 
or three miles. It is merely a passage amongst a cluster of islands, 
between which a glimpse is occasionally obtained of the broad waters 
of the main Amazons. A brisk wind carried us rapidly past its 
monotonous scenery, and early in the morning of the 1st of October 
we reached the entrance of the Uituqudara, or the Wind-hole, which is 
15 miles distant from the end of the Jaburt. This is also a winding 
channel, 35 miles in length, threading a group of islands, but it is much 
narrower than the Macaco. 
On emerging from the Uituqudra on the znd, we all went ashore— 
the men to fish in a small creek, Joad da Cunha and I to shoot birds. 
We saw a flock of scarlet and blue macaws (Macrocercus macao) feeding 
on the fruits of a bacaba palm, and looking like a cluster of flaunting 
banners beneath its dark-green crown. We landed about fifty yards 
from the place, and crept cautiously through the forest, but before we 
could reach them they flew off with loud harsh screams. ' At a wild-fruit 
tree we were more successful, as my companion shot an anaca (De- 
rotypus coronatus), one of the most beautiful of the parrot family. It is 
of a green colour, and has a hood of feathers, red bordered with blue, at 
the back of its head, which it can elevate or depress at pleasure. The 
anaca is the only new-world parrot which nearly resembles the cockatoo 
of Australia. It is found in all the lowlands throughout the Amazons 
region, but it is not a common bird anywhere. Few persons succeed in 
taming it, and I never saw one that had been taught to speak. The 
natives are very fond of the bird nevertheless, and keep it in their houses 
for the sake of seeing the irascible creature expand its beautiful frill of 
feathers, which it readily does when excited. ‘The men returned with a 
large quantity of fish. I was surprised at the great variety of species ; 
the prevailing kind was a species of Loricaria, a foot in length, and 
wholly encased in bony armour. It abounds at certain seasons in 
shallow water. The flesh is dry, but very palatable. ‘They brought 
also a small alligator, which they called Jacaré curtia, and said it was a 
kind found only in shallow creeks. It was not more than two feet in 
length, although full-grown according to the statement of the Indians, 
who said it was a “ mai d’ovos,” or mother of eggs, as they had pillaged 
the nest, which they had found near the edge of the water. The eggs 
were rather larger than a hen’s, and regularly oval in shape, presenting 
a rough hard surface of shell. Unfortunately, the alligator was cut up 
ready for cooking when we returned to the schooner, and I could not 
therefore make a note of its peculiarities. ‘The pieces were skewered 
and roasted over the fire, each man being his own cook. I never 
saw this species of alligator afterwards. 
