Chap. VI. A CURIOUS SUPERSTITION. 225 



are delicately beautiful. The forest all along offers 

 so dense a front that one never obtains a glimpse into 

 the interior of the wilderness." 



The length of the Jaburii channel is about 35 miles, 

 allowing for the numerous abrupt bends which occur 

 between the middle and the northern end of its course. 

 We were three days and a half accomplishing the 

 passage. The banks on each side seemed to be com- 

 posed of hard river mud with a thick covering of 

 veofetable mould, so that I should imao^ine this whole 

 district originated in a gradual accumulation of allu- 

 vium, through which the endless labyrinths of channels 

 have worked their deep and narrow beds. The flood 

 tide as we travelled northward became gradually of less 

 assistance to us, as it caused only a feeble current up- 

 wards. The pressure of the waters from the Amazons 

 here makes itself felt ; as this is not the case lower 

 down, I suppose the currents are diverted through some 

 of the numerous channels which we passed on our right, 

 and which traverse, in their course towards the sea, the 

 north-western part of Marajo. In the evening of the 

 29th we arrived at a point where another channel joins 

 the Jaburti from the north-east. Up this the tide was 

 flowing ; we turned westward, and thus met the flood 

 coming from the Amazons. This point is the object of 

 a strange superstitious observance on the part of the 

 canoemen. It is said to be haunted by a Paje, or 

 Indian wizard, whom it is necessary to propitiate by 

 depositing some article on the spot, if the voyager 

 Avishes to secure a safe return from the "sertao,' as 

 the interior of the country is called. The trees were 



