TO THE AMAZON AND HOME 335 



cargo-boats of the line to Para, and thence on one of the 

 regular cargo-and-passenger steamers to Barbadoes and 

 New York. The Booth people were most courteous to us. 



I said good-by to the camaradas with real friendship 

 and regret. The parting gift I gave to each was in gold 

 sovereigns; and I was rather touched to learn later that 

 they had agreed among themselves each to keep one sov- 

 ereign as a medal of honor and token that the owner had 

 been on the trip. They were a fine set, brave, patient, 

 obedient, and enduring. Now they had forgotten their 

 hard times; they were fat from eating, at leisure, all they 

 wished; they were to see Rio Janeiro, always an object of 

 ambition with men of their stamp; and they were very 

 proud of their membership in the expedition. 



Later, at Belen, I said good-by to Colonel Rondon, 

 Doctor Cajazeira, and Lieutenant Lyra. Together with 

 my admiration for their hardihood, courage, and resolu- 

 tion, I had grown to feel a strong and affectionate friend- 

 ship for them. I had become very fond of them; and I 

 was glad to feel that I had been their companion in the 

 performance of a feat which possessed a certain lasting 

 importance. 



On May i we left Manaos for Belen Para, as until 

 recently it was called. The trip was interesting. We 

 steamed down through tempest and sunshine; and the 

 towering forest was dwarfed by the giant river it fringed. 

 Sunrise and sunset turned the sky to an unearthly flame 

 of many colors above the vast water. It all seemed the 

 embodiment of loneliness and wild majesty. Yet every- 

 where man was conquering the loneliness and wresting the 

 majesty to his own uses. We passed many thriving, grow- 



