222 VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS. Cuap. IX. 
towards midday, we ran the cuberta aground in shallow water and 
waded ashore, but the woods were scarcely penetrable, and not a bird 
was to be seen. The only thing observed worthy of note was the 
quantity of drowned winged ants along the beach; they were all of 
one species, the terrible formigo de fogo (Myrmica szevissima) ; the 
dead or half-dead bodies of which were heaped up in a line an inch or 
two in height and breadth, the line continuing without interruption for 
miles at the edge of the water. The countless thousands had been doubt- 
less cast into the river while flying during a sudden squall the night 
before, and afterwards cast ashore by the waves. We found ourselves 
at seven o’clock near the mouth of a creek leading to a small lake, 
called Aramdna-i ; and the wind having died away we anchored, guided 
by the lights ashore, near the house of a settler, named Jeronymo, 
whom I knew, and who soon after showed us a snug little harbour, 
where we could remain in safety for the night. The river here cannot 
be less than ten miles broad ; it is quite clear of islands, and free from 
shoals at this season of the year. The opposite coast appeared in the 
day-time as a long thin line of forest, with dim grey hills in the back- 
ground. 
June 18th and 19th.—Senhor Jeronymo promised to sell me a 
montaria, so I waited for three hours after sunrise the next morning, 
expecting it to be forthcoming, but in vain. I sent Pinto and after- 
wards José to enquire about it, but they, instead of performing the 
errand, joined the easy-natured master of the house in a morning 
carousal. I was obliged, when my patience was exhausted, to go after 
them, having to clamber down a projecting bough, in the absence of a 
boat, to get ashore ; and then found my two men, their host, and two 
or three neighbours, lolling in hammocks, tinkling wire guitars, and 
drinking cashaca. I mention this as a sample of a very common class 
of incidents in Brazilian travelling. Master Jeronymo backed out of 
his promise regarding the montaria. José and Pinto, who seemed to 
think they had done nothing wrong, sulkily obeyed my order to go on 
board, and we again got under way. The wind failed us on the 18th 
towards three p.m. About six miles above Aramdna-i we rounded 
a rocky point called Acardtingari, the distance travelled being altogether 
not more than twelve miles. The greater part of the day was thus lost: 
we passed the night in a snug little harbour sheltered by trees. 
To-day (19th) we had a good wind, which carried us to the mouth of 
a creek, called Paquiattiba, where the “inspector” of the district lived, 
Senhor Cypriano, for whom I had brought an order from Captain 
Thomas to supply me with another hand. We had great difficulty in 
finding a place to land. The coast in this part was a tract of level, 
densely-wooded country, through which flowed the winding rivulet, or 
creek, which gives its name to a small scattered settlement hidden in 
the wilderness ; the hills here receding two or three miles towards the 
interior. A large portion of the forest was flooded, the trunks of the 
very high trees near the mouth of the creek standing 18 feet deep in 
water. We lost two hours working our way with poles through the 
inundated woods in search of the port. Every inlet we tried ended in 
a labyrinth choked up with bushes, but we were at length guided to the 
