134 THE TOCANTIN'S. Chap. IV. 



us than we had hitherto had. The river became more 

 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 of them 

 were high and rocky. Bold wooded bluffs projected into 

 the stream, and all the shores were fringed with beaches 

 of glistening 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 lai'ge shallow lagoon, choked up 

 Avith aquatic j^lants, which lay about two miles across 

 the campo. At a place called Juquerapua we en- 

 gaged a pilot to conduct us to Arroyos, and a few 

 miles above the pilot's house, arrived at a point 

 where it was not possible to advance further in our 

 large canoe on account of the raj^ids. 



September IQth. Embarked at six a.m. in a large 

 montaria which had been lent to us for this part of our 

 voyage by Senhor Seixas, leaving the vigilinga anchored 

 close to a rocky islet, named Santa Anna, to await our 

 return. Isidore was left in charge, and we were sorry 

 to be obliged to leave behind also our mulatto Jos^ who 

 had fallen ill since leaving Baiao. We had then re- 

 maining only Alexandre, Manoel, and the pilot, a sturdy 

 Tapuyo named Joaquim ; scarcely a sufficient crew to 

 paddle against the strong currents. 



At ten a.m. we arrived at the first rapids, which are 

 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 



