224 VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS. Cuap. IX, 
Tapaitina, which runs between a large island and the mainland. About 
three o’clock we passed in front of Boim, a village on the opposite 
(western) coast The breadth of the river is here six or seven miles: a 
confused patch of white on the high land opposite was all we saw of the 
village, the separate houses being undistinguishable on account of the 
distance. ‘The coast along which we sailed to-day is a continuation of 
the low and flooded land of Paquiattiba. 
June 21s¢t.—The next morning we sailed along the Tapaitina channel, 
which is from 400 to 600 yards in breadth. We advanced but slowly, 
as the wind was generally dead against us, and stopped frequently to 
ramble ashore. Wherever the landing-place was sandy it was impossible 
to walk about on account of the swarms of the terrible fire-ant, whose 
sting is likened by the Brazilians to the puncture of a red-hot needle. 
There was scarcely a square inch of ground free from them. About 
three p.m. we glided into a quiet, shady creek, on whose banks an 
industrious white settler had located himself. I resolved to pass the 
rest of the day and night here, and endeavour to obtain a fresh supply 
of provisions, our stock of salt beef being now nearly exhausted. The 
situation of the house was beautiful; the little harbour being gay with 
water plants, Pontederiz, now full of purple blossom, from which flocks 
of Piosdcas started up screaming as we entered. ‘The owner sent a boy 
with my men to show them the best place for fish up the creek, and in 
the course of the evening sold me a number of fowls, besides baskets of 
beans and farinha. The result of the fishing was a good supply of 
Jandia, a handsome spotted Siluride fish, and Piranha, a kind of 
Salmonide (Tetragonopterus). Pirdnhas are of several kinds, many 
of which abound in the waters of the Tapajos. They are caught with 
almost any kind of bait, for their taste is indiscriminate and their appetite 
most ravenous. They often attack the legs of bathers near the shore, 
inflicting severe wounds with their strong triangular teeth. At Paquiatuba 
and this place I added about twenty species of small fishes to my 
collection, caught by hook and line, or with the hand in shallow pools 
under the shade of the forest. 
My men slept ashore, and, on their coming aboard in the morning, 
Pinto was drunk and insolent. According to José, who had kept him- 
self sober, and was alarmed at the other’s violent conduct, the owner of 
the house and Pinto had spent the greater part of the night together, 
drinking aguardente de beijt, a spirit distilled from the mandioca root. 
We knew nothing of the antecedents of this man, who was a tall, strong, 
self-willed fellow, and it began to dawn on us that this was not a very 
safe travelling companion in a wild country like this. I thought it better 
now to make the best of our way to the next settlement, Aveyros, and 
get rid of him. Our course to-day lay along a high rocky coast, which 
extended without a break for about eight miles. The height of the 
perpendicular rocks was from too to 150 feet; ferns and flowering 
shrubs grew in the crevices, and the summit supported a luxuriant 
growth of forest, like the rest of the river banks. The waves beat with 
loud roar at the foot of these inhospitable barriers. At two p.m. we 
passed the mouth of a small picturesque harbour, formed by a gap in 
the precipitous coast. Several families have here settled; the place is . 
