Chap. IY. VOYAGE EESUMED. 129 



now and then one would come suddenly with a whirr 

 full at my face, and get under my shirt if I attempted 

 to jerk it off. As to the rats, they were chasing one 

 another by dozens all night long, over the floor, up and 

 down the edges of the doors, and along the rafters of the 

 open roof 



September 7th. — We started from Baia5 at an early 

 hour. One of our new men was a good-humoured, willing 

 young mulatto, named Jose ; the other was a sulky 

 Indian called Manoel, who seemed to have been pressed 

 into our service against his will. Senhor Seixas, on 

 parting, sent a quantity of fresh provisions on board. A 

 few miles above Baiao the channel became very shallow ; 

 we got aground several times, and the men had to dis- 

 embark and shove the vessel off. Alexandro here 

 shot several fine fish, with bow and arrow. It was the 

 first time I had seen fish captured in this way. The 

 arrow is a reed, with a steel barbed point, which is fixed 

 in a hole at the end, and secured by fine twine made 

 from the fibres of pine-apple leaves. It is only in the 

 clearest water that fish can be thus shot ; and the only 

 skill required is to make, in taking aim, the proper 

 allowance for refraction. 



The next day before sunrise a fine breeze sprung up, 

 and the men awoke and set the sails. We glided all 

 day through channels between islands with long, white, 

 sandy beaches, over which, now and then, aquatic and 

 wading birds were seen running. The forest was low, 

 and had a harsh, dry aspect. Several palm trees gi'ew 

 here which we had not before seen. On low bushes, 

 near the water, pretty, red-headed tanagers (Tanagra 



