326 THE LOWEPt AMAZONS. Chap. VII. 



with holes, as is usual with the older Mui'as seen on the 

 river. They used formerly to wear tusks of the wild hog 

 in these holes whenever they went out to encounter 

 strangers or their enemies in war. The gloomy savagery, 

 filth, and poverty of the people in this place, made me 

 feel quite melancholy, and I was glad to return to the 

 canoe. They offered us no civilities ; they did not even 

 pass the ordinary salutes, which all the semi-civilised 

 and many savage Indians proffer on a first meeting. 

 The men persecuted Penna for casha9a, which they 

 seemed to consider the only good thing the white man 

 brings with him. As they had nothing whatever to give 

 in exchange, Penna declined to supply them. They 

 followed us as we descended to the port, becoming very 

 troublesome when about a dozen had collected together. 

 They brought their empty bottles with them and pro- 

 mised fish and turtle, if we would only trust them first 

 with the coveted aguardente, or cau-im, as they called 

 it. Penna was inexorable : he ordered the crew to 

 weigh anchor, and the disappointed savages remained 

 hooting after us with all their might from the top of 

 the bank as we glided away. 



The Muras have a bad reputation all over this part 

 of the Amazons, the semi-civilised Indians being quite 

 as severe upon them as the white settlers. Every one 

 spoke of them as lazy, thievish, untrustworthy, and 

 ciTieL They have a greater repugnance than any other 

 class of Indians to settled habits, regular labour, and 

 the service of the whites ; their distaste, in fact, to any 

 approximation towards civilised life is invincible. Yet 

 most of these faults are only an exaggeration of the fun- 



