NATURALIST ON THE RIVEK AMAZONS. 



-canio m >re picturesque as we advanced. 

 The water was very low, it being now the 

 .height of the dry season ; the islands were 

 smaller than those further down, and some 

 )f them were high and rocky. Bold wooded 

 fluffs projected into the stream, and all the 

 .-shores were fringed with beaches of glisten- 

 ing white sand. On one side of the river 

 there was an extensive grassy plain or campo 

 with isolated patches of trees scattered over 

 :it. On the 14th and following day we 

 stopped several times to ramble ashore. Our 

 longest excursion was to a large shallow la- 

 .goon, choked up with aquatic plants, which 

 .lay about two miles across the campo. At a 

 place called Juquerapua we engaged a pilot 

 to conduct us to Arroyos, and a few miles 

 ab >ve the pilot's house, arrived at a point 

 where it was not possible to advance further 

 in our large canoe, on account of the rapids. 



September \Qth. Embarked at six A.M. in a 

 -large montaria which had been lent to us for 

 this part of the voyage by Senhor Seixas, 

 .leaving the vigilinga anchored close to a 

 rocky islet, named Santa Anna, to await our 

 return. A ten A.M. we arrived at the first 

 rapids, which aie called Tapaiunaquara. 

 'The river, which was here about a mile wide, 

 was choked up with rocks, a broken ridge 

 passing completely across it. Between these 

 confused piles of stone the currents were 

 feat fully strong, and formed numerous ed- 

 dies and whirlpools. We were obliged to get 

 put occasionally and walk from rock to rock, 

 while the men dragged the canoe over the 

 obstacles. Beyond Tapaiunaquara the stream 

 became again broad and deep, and the river 

 scenery was beautiful in the extreme. The 

 water was clear, and of a bluish-green color. 

 On both sides of the stream stretched ranges 

 of wjoded hills, and in the middle picturesque 

 rislets rested on the smooth water.whose brill- 

 iant green woods fringed with palms formed 

 charming bits of foreground to the perspec- 

 tive of sombre hills fading into gray in the dis- 

 tance. Joaquim pointed out to us grove after 

 grove of Brazil-nut-trees (Bertbolletia ex- 

 xjelsa) on the mainland. This is one of the 

 hief collecting grounds for this nut. The 

 tree is one of the loftiest in the forest, tower- 

 ing far above its fellows ; we could see the 

 wo'xly fruits, large and round as cannon- 

 tmlls, dotted over the branches. The cur- 

 rents were very strong in some places, so that 

 during the greater part of the way the men 

 pivf"-recl to travel near the shore, and oro- 

 >p<;l the boat by means of long poles. 



We: an ived at Arroyos about four o'clock 

 i i Ih ; afternoon, after ten hours' hard pull. 

 'Tin plactt consists simply of a few houses 

 luiilt on a high bank, and forms a station 

 wher -.; canoe-men from the mining countries 

 of t lie interior of Brazil stop to rest them- 

 selves before or after surmounting the 

 drea led falls and rapids of Guaribas, situated 

 a couple of miles further up. We dined 

 .-.ashore, and in the evening again embarked 

 to vi>it the falls. The vigorous and success- 

 ful way in which our men battled with the 

 terrific currents excited our astonishment. 



The bed of the river, here about a mne wide, 

 is strewn with blocks of various sizes, which 

 lie in the most irregular manner, and be- 

 tween them rush currents of more or less 

 rapidity. With an accurate knowledge of 

 the place and skilful management, the falls 

 can be approached in small canoes by thread- 

 ing the less dangerous channels. The main 

 fall is about a quarter of a mile wide ; we 

 climbed to an elevation overlooking it, and 

 ,had a good view of the cataract. A body of 

 j water rushes with terrific force down a steep 

 slope, and boils up with deafening roar 

 around the boulders which obstruct its course. 

 The wildness of the whole scene was very 

 impressive. As far as the eye could reach 

 stretched range after range of wooded hills, 

 scores of miles of beautiful wilderness, in- 

 habited only by scant}' tribes of-wild Indians. 

 In the midst cf such a solitude the roar of 

 the cataract seemed fitting music. 



September 17th. We commenced early in 

 the morning our downward voyage. 

 Arroyos is situated in about 4 10' S. lat., 

 and lies, therefore, about 130 miles from the 

 mouth of the Tocantins. Fifteen miles 

 above Guaribas another similar cataiact, 

 called Tabocas, lies across the river. We 

 were told that there were in all fifteen of 

 these obstrur tions to navigation between 

 Arroyos and the mouth of the Araguaya. 

 The worst was the Inferno, the Guarihas 

 standing second to it in evil reputation. 

 Many canoes and lives have been lost here, 

 most of Hie accidents arising through the 

 vessels be.ng hurled against an enormous 

 cubical mass of rock called the Guaribinha, 

 which we, on our trip to the falls in the 

 small canoe, passed round with the greatest 

 ease about a quarter of a mile below the main 

 falls. This, however, was the dry season ; 

 in the time of full waters a tremendous cur- 

 rent sets against it. We descended the river 

 rapidly, and found it excellent fun shooting 

 Hie rapids. The men seemed to delight in 

 choosing the swiftest parts of the current ; 

 they sang and yelled in the greatest excite- 

 ment, working the paddles with great force, 

 and throwing clouds of spray above us as we 

 bounded downward. We stopped to rest at 

 the mouth of a rivulet named Caganxa. The 

 pilot told us that gold had been found in the 

 bed of this brook ; so we had the curiosity 

 to wade several hundred yards through the 

 icy cold waters in search of it. Mr. Leavens 

 seemed very much interested in the matter ; 

 he picked up all the shining stones he could 

 espy in the pebbly bottom, in hopes cf find- 

 ing diamonds also. There is, in fact, no 

 reason "why both gold and diamonds should 

 not be found here, the hills being a continu- 

 ation of those of the mining countries of in- 

 terior Brazil, and the brooks flowing through 

 the narrow valleys between them. 



On arriving at the place where we had left 

 our canoe, we stayed all night and part of 

 the following day* and I had a stroll along a 

 delightful pathway, which led over hill and 

 dale, two or three miles through the forest. 

 I was surprised at the number variety of 



