48 THROUGH THE BRAZILIAN WILDERNESS 



blazed overhead; and the Southern Cross hung in the star- 

 brilliant heavens behind us. But after the moon rose the 

 constellations paled; and clear in her light the tree-clad 

 banks stood on either hand as we steamed steadily against 

 the swirling current of the great river. 



At noon on the twelfth we were at the Brazilian bound- 

 ary. On this day we here and there came on low, conical 

 hills close to the river. In places the palm groves broke 

 through the belts of deciduous trees and stretched for 

 a mile or so right along the river's bank. At times we 

 passed cattle on the banks or sand-bars, followed by their 

 herders; or a handsome ranch-house, under a cluster of shady 

 trees, some bearing a wealth of red and some a wealth of 

 yellow blossoms; or we saw a horse-corral among the trees 

 close to the brink, with the horses in it and a barefooted 

 man in shirt and trousers leaning against the fence; or 

 a herd of cattle among the palms; or a big tannery or 

 factory or a little native hamlet came in sight. We 

 stopped at one tannery. The owner was a Spaniard, 

 the manager an "Oriental," as he called himself, a Uru- 

 guayan, of German parentage. The peons, or workers, who 

 lived in a long line of wooden cabins back of the main 

 building, were mostly Paraguayans, with a few Brazilians, 

 and a dozen German and Argentine foremen. There were 

 also some wild Indians, who were camped in the usual 

 squalid fashion of Indians who are hangers-on round the 

 white man but have not yet adopted his ways. Most of 

 the men were at work cutting wood for the tannery. The 

 women and children were in camp. Some individuals of 

 both sexes were naked to the waist. One little girl had a 

 young ostrich as a pet. 



