CuAP. IV. CAMETA. 117 



sun ; and the gloomy solitude beneath, through which 

 the sound of our voices seemed to reverberate, could be 

 compared to nothing so well as a solemn temple. The 

 fruits of the two palms were scattered over the ground ; 

 those of the Ubussu adhere together by twos and threes, 

 and have a rough, brown-coloured shell ; the fruit of the 

 Mauritia, on the contrary, is of a bright red hue, and the 

 skin is impressed with deep crossing lines, which give 

 it a resemblance to a quilted cricket-ball. 



About midnight, the tide being favourable and the 

 breeze strong, we crossed the river, taking it in a slanting 

 direction, a distance of sixteen miles, and arrived at 

 eight o'clock the following morning at Cameta. This 

 is a town of some importance, pleasantly situated on the 

 somewhat high terra firma of the left bank of the 

 Tocantins. I will defer giving an account of the place 

 till the end of this narrative of our Tocantins voyage. 

 We lost here another of our men, who got drinking 

 with some old companions ashore, and were obliged to 

 start on the diflQcult journey up the river with two 

 hands only, and they in a very dissatisfied humour 

 with the prospect. 



The river view from Cameta is magnificent. The 

 town is situated, as already mentioned, on a high bank, 

 which forms quite a considerable elevation for this flat 

 country, and the broad expanse of dark-green waters is 

 studded with low, palm-clad islands, the prospect down 

 river, however, being clear, or bounded only by a sea- 

 like horizon of water and sky. The shores are 

 washed by the breeze-tossed waters into little bays and 

 creeks, fringed with sandy beaches. The Tocantins has 



