232 VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS. Cuap, IX. 
tract, along the coast to the north of Santa Cruz. We spent two days 
in this way, landing at many places, and penetrating a good distance in 
the interior. Although unsuccessful with regard to the White Cebus, 
the time was not wholly lost, as I added several small birds of species 
new to my collection. On the second evening we surprised a large 
flock, composed of about fifty individuals, of a curious eagle with a 
very long and slender hooked beak, the Rostrhamus hamatus. They 
were perched on the bushes which surrounded a shallow lagoon, 
separated from the river by a belt of floating grass: my men said they 
fed on toads and lizards found at the margins of pools. They formeda 
beautiful sight as they flew up and wheeled about at a great height in 
the air. We obtained only one specimen. 
Before returning to Aveyros we paid another visit to the Jacaré inlet 
leading to Captain Antonio’s cattle farm, for the sake of securing further 
specimens of the many rare and handsome insects found there ; landing 
at the port of one of the settlers. ‘The owner of the house was not at 
home, and the wife,a buxom young woman, a dark mameluco, with clear 
though dark complexion and fine rosy cheeks, was preparing, in company 
with another stout-built Amazon, her rod and lines to go out fishing for 
the day’s dinner. It was now the season for Tucunarés, and Senhora 
Joaquina showed us the fly baits used to take this kind of fish, which 
she had made with her own hands of parrots’ feathers. The rods used 
are slender bamboos, and the lines made: from the fibres of pineapple 
leaves. It is not very common for the Indian and half-caste women to 
provide for themselves in the way these spirited dames were doing, 
although they are all expert paddlers, and very frequently cross wide rivers 
in their frail boats without the aid of men. It is possible that parties of 
Indian women, seen travelling alone in this manner, may have given 
rise to the fable of a nation of Amazons, invented by the first Spanish 
explorers of the country. Senhora Joaquina invited me and José toa 
Tucunaré dinner for the afternoon, and then, shouldering their paddles 
and tucking up their skirts, the two dusky fisherwomen marched down to 
their canoe. We sent the two Indians into the woods to cut palm leaves 
to mend the thatch of our cuberta, whilst I and José rambled through 
the woods which skirted the campo. On our return we found a most 
bountiful spread in the house of our hostess. A spotless white cloth 
was Jaid on the mat, with a plate for each guest, and a pile of fragrant 
newly-made farinha by the side of it. The boiled Tucunarés were soon 
taken from the kettles and set before us. I thought the men must be 
happy husbands who owned such wives as these. The Indian and 
mameluco women certainly do make excellent managers ; they are more 
industrious than the men, and most of them manufacture farinha for 
sale on their own account, their credit always standing higher with the 
traders on the river than that of their male connections. I was quite 
surprised at the quantity of fish they had taken, there being sufficient 
for the whole party, including several children, two old men from a 
neighbouring hut, and my Indians. I made our good-natured enter- 
tainers a small present of needles and sewing-cotton, articles very much 
prized, and soon after we re-embarked, and again crossed the river to 
Aveyros. 
