Chap. YII. CLAY CLIFFS. 307 



of horny lancets, which are shorter and broader than is 

 usually the case in the family to which it belongs. Its 

 puncture does not produce much pain, but it makes 

 such a large gash in the flesh that the blood trickles 

 forth in little streams. Many scores of them were 

 fl3dng about the canoe all day, and sometimes eight or 

 ten would settle on one's ancles at the same time. It is 

 sluggish in its motions, and may be easily killed with 

 the fingers when it settles. Penna went forward in the 

 montaria to the Pirarucu fishing stations, on a lake 

 lying further inland ; but he did not succeed in reaching 

 them on account of the length and intricacy of the 

 channels ; so after wasting a day, during which, however, 

 I had a profitable ramble in the forest, we again crossed 

 the river, and on the 16th continued our voyage along 

 the northern shore. 



The clay cliffs of Cararaucii are several miles in 

 length. The hard pink and red-coloured beds are here 

 extremely thick, and in some j)laces present a compact 

 stony texture. The total height of the cliff is from thirty 

 to sixty feet above the mean level of the river, and the 

 clay rests on strata of the same coarse iron-cemented 

 conglomerate which has already been so often mentioned. 

 Large blocks of this latter have been detached and 

 rolled by the force of currents up parts of the cliff where 

 they are seen resting on terraces of the clay. On the top 

 of all lies a bed of sand and vegetable mould which sup- 

 ports a lofty forest growing up to the very brink of the 

 precipice. After passing these barreiras we continued 

 our way along a low uninhabited coast, clothed, wherever 

 it was elevated above high water-mark, with the usual 



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