144 VOYAGE UP THE TAPAJOS. Chap. II. 



than in June ; and in many places, ledges of rock are 

 laid tare, or covered with only a small depth of water. 

 I had been warned of these circumstances by my Cupari 

 friends, but did not form an adequate idea of what 

 Ave should have to undergo. Canoes, in descending, only 

 travel at night, when the terral, or light land-breeze, 

 blows off the eastern shore. In the day-time a strong 

 wind rages from down river, against which it is impos- 

 sible to contend, as there is no current, and the swell 

 raised by its sweeping over scores of miles of shallow 

 water is dangerous to small vessels. The coast for the 

 greater part of the distance affords no shelter : there are, 

 however, a number of little harbours, called esperas, 

 which the canoe-men calculate upon, carefully arranging 

 each night-voyage so as to reach one of them before the 

 wind begins the next morning. 



We left Aveyros in the evening of the 21st, and 

 sailed gently down with the soft land-breeze, keeping 

 about a mile from the eastern shore. It was a brilliant 

 moonlit night, and the men worked cheerfully at the 

 oars, when the wind was slack ; the terral wafting from 

 the forest a pleasant perfume like that of mignonette. 

 At midnight we made a fire and got a cup of coffee, 

 and at three o'clock in the morning reached the sitio of 

 Ricardo's father, an Indian named Andre, where we 

 anchored and slept. 



Sept. 22nd. — Old Andre with his squaw came aboard 

 this morning. They brought three Tracajas, a turtle, 

 and a basketful of Tracaja eggs, to exchange with me 

 for cotton cloth and casha9a. Ricardo, who had been for 

 some time very discontented, having now satisfied his long- 



