Chap. IV. SEARCH FOR DIAMONDS. 137 



vessels being hurled against an enormous cubical mass 

 of rock called the Guaribinha, which we, on our trip 

 to the falls in the small canoe, passed round with the 

 gTeatest ease about a quarter of a mile below the main 

 falls. This, however, was the dry season ; in the time 

 of full waters a tremendous cun-ent sets against it. 

 We descended the river rapidly, and found it excellent 

 fun shooting the rapids. The men seemed to delight 

 in choosing the swiftest parts of the current ; they 

 sang and yelled in the greatest excitement, Avork- 

 ing the paddles with great force, and throwing clouds 

 of spray above us as we bounded downwards. We 

 stopped to rest at the mouth of a rivulet named 

 Caganxa. The pilot told us that gold has been found 

 in the bed of this brook ; so we had the curiosity to 

 wade several hundred yards through the icy cold waters 

 in search of it. Mr. Leavens seemed very much inte- 

 rested in the matter ; he picked up all the shining 

 stones he could espy in the pebbly bottom, in hopes of 

 finding diamonds also. There is, in fact, no reason why 

 both gold and diamonds should not be found here, 

 the hills being a continuation of those of the mining 

 countries of interior Brazil, and the brooks flowing 

 through the narrow valleys between them. 



On arriving at the place where we had left our 

 canoe, we found poor Jose the mulatto much worse, 

 so we hastened on to Juquerapua to procure aid. An 

 old half-caste woman took charge of him; she made 

 poultices of the pulp of a wild fruit, administered 

 cooling draughts made from herbs which grew near the 

 house, and in fact acted the part of nurse admirably. 



