212 THE UPPER AMAZONS. Chap. III. 



burnt on the floor, and the ashes dirtily gathered up 

 and mixed with the powder. The Ypadu-eaters say 

 that this prevents the ill-effects which would arise from 

 the use of the pure leaf, but I should think the mixture 

 of so much indigestible filth would be more likely to 

 have the opposite result. 



We lived at Ega, during most part of the year, on turtle. 

 The great fresh-water turtle of the Amazons grows on 

 the upper river to an immense size, a full-grown one 

 measuring nearly three feet in length by two in breadth, 

 and is a load for the strongest Indian. Every house has 

 a little pond, called a curral (pen), in the back-yard 

 to hold a stock of the animals through the season of 

 dearth — the wet months ; those who have a number of 

 Indians in their employ sending them out for a month 

 when the waters are low, to collect a stock, and those 

 who have not, purchasing their supply ; with some diffi- 

 culty, however, as they are rarely offered for sale. The 

 price of turtles, like that of all other articles of food, 

 has risen greatly with the introduction of steam-vessels. 

 When I arrived in 1850 a middle-sized one could be 

 bought pretty readily for ninepence, but when I left 

 in 1859, they were with difficulty obtained at eight 

 and nine shillings each. The abundance of turtles, or 

 rather the facility with which they can be found and 

 caught, varies with the amount of annual subsidence of 

 the waters. When the river sinks less than the average, 

 they are scarce ; but when more, they can be caught in 

 plenty, the bays and shallow lagoons in the forest having 

 then only a small depth of water. The flesh is very 

 tender, palatable, and wholesome ; but it is very cloy- 



