Chap. IV. GUARIBAS FALLS. 1.35 



confused piles of stone the currents were fearfully 

 strong and formed numerous eddies and whirlpools. 

 We were obliged to get out occasionally and walk 

 from rock to rock, whilst the men dragged the canoe 

 over the obstacles. Beyond Tapaiunaquara, the 

 stream became again broad and deep, and the river 

 scenery was beautiful in the extreme. The water was 

 clear and of a bluish-gi'een colour. On both sides 

 of the stream stretched ranges of wooded hills, and in 

 the middle picturesque islets rested on the smooth 

 water, whose brilliant gTeen woods fringed with palms 

 formed charming bits of foreground to the perspective 

 of sombre hills fading into grey in the distance. Joa- 

 quim pointed out to us grove after grove of Brazil nut 

 trees (Bertholletia excelsa) on the mainland. This 

 is one of the chief collecting grounds for this nut. 

 The tree is one of the loftiest in the forest, towering 

 far above its fellows ; we could see the woody fruits, 

 large and round as cannon-balls, dotted over the 

 branches. The currents were very strong in some 

 places, so that during the gi'eater part of the way the 

 men preferred to travel near the shore, and propel the 

 boat by means of long poles. 



We arrived at Arroyos about four o'clock in the 

 afternoon, after ten hours' hard pull. The place consists 

 simply of a few houses built on a high bank, and forms 

 a station where canoe-men from the mining countries 

 of the interior of Brazil stop to rest themselves before 

 or after surmounting the dreaded falls and rapids of 

 Guaribas, situated a couple of miles further up. We 

 dined ashore, and in the evening again embarked to 



