184 Reviews. [ Jan. 
ery which rends the air—sounds not repeated, while the succeeding 
silence tends to heighten the impression which they make on the mind. 
“With the natives it is always the Curipira—the wild man or 
spirit of the forest—-which produces all noises they are unable to 
explain.” (p. 73.) 
Near Cameté, on the river Tocantins, Mr. Bates had an oppor- 
tunity of verifying a fact which had almost fallen into discredit, viz. 
the bird-catching propensities of the great Mygale spider (M. avicu- 
laria). Its web was stretched across a crevice in the tree-trunk, and 
in it were entangled two birds about the size of our English siskins; 
one of them was dead, and the other under the spider, not quite dead. 
The observation appeared to be new to the residents, though the insect 
was well known ; and the crab-spiders, as they call them, are injurious 
even to man, from the maddening irritation produced by their hairs, 
which come off when touched. Nevertheless, Mr. Bates “saw the 
children belonging to an Indian family, who collected for me, with 
one of these monsters secured by a cord round its waist, by which 
they were leading it about the house as they would a dog.” (p. 162.) 
The impediments which Mr. Bates encountered in his journeys up 
and down the ‘Great Father of Waters’ almost exceed belief, owing 
partly-to the dangers of the river navigation, and partly to the scarcity 
of trading-canoes large enough for his accommodation. Although but 
a river, a strong breeze would produce such a sea, that the vessel (a 
schooner) pitched and rolled like a ship in the ocean; and in the 
Tocantins, the view from the middle of the stream is described as very 
imposing :—“ Towards the north-east, there was a long sweep of horizon, 
clear of land; and on the south-west, stretched a, similar boundless 
expanse, but varied with islets clothed with fan-leaved palms, visible, 
however, only as isolated groups of columns, tufted at the top, rising 
here and there amidst the waste of waters.” (I. 220.) 
We cannot sufficiently admire the perseverance and earnestness with 
which Mr. Bates overcame difficulties that would have deterred any 
ordinary traveller, and encountered dangers of no insignificant nature. 
These difficulties and dangers are best illustrated by his account of a 
voyage up the Tapajos, from Santarem to the Munduruct village. It 
was necessary first to procure a vessel of his own, a two-masted cuberta, 
of about six tons’ burthen, strongly built of Itauba wood. This was 
hired at the cheap rate of 1s. 2d. perdiem. (Then men were necessary, 
and although only six were wanted, it was almost impossible to procure 
them; and at length, after almost fearimg that the voyage must be 
given up, he procured one man, and with his servant José he deter- 
mined to attempt the journey. Before they had got many miles a 
storm arose which blew away their boat, tore their sails to rags, 
snapped their ropes, and drove their vessel broadside on the beach. 
Nine days were necessary to repair the rigging ; but not lost days, for 
there were rich forests to explore. Having been fortunate enough to 
meet with another hand, they again proceeded, and for some days all 
went on well, but the loss of the boat was a great source of annoyance, 
and ultimately was remedied by building a canoe out of a tree felled 
for the purpose, and moved with great labour to the river-side upon a 
