Chap. IV. CATUA. 273 



Amazons is, that the turtle has very greatly decreased 

 in numbers, and is still annually decreasing. 



We left Shimuni on the 20th with quite a flotilla of 

 canoes, and descended the river to Catua, an eleven 

 hours' journey by paddle and current. Catua is about 

 six miles long, and almost entirely encircled by its praia. 

 The turtles had selected for their egg-laying a part of 

 the sandbank which was elevated at least twenty feet 

 above the present level of the river ; the animals, to 

 reach the place, must have crawled up a slope. As we 

 approached the island, numbers of the animals were seen 

 coming to the surface to breathe, in a small shoaly bay. 

 Those who had light montarias sped forward with bows 

 and arrows to shoot them. Carepira was foremost : hav- 

 ing borrowed a small and very unsteady boat of Cardozo, 

 and embarked in it with his little son. After bagging 

 a couple of turtles, and whilst hauling in a third, he 

 overbalanced himself : the canoe went over, and he with 

 his child had to swim for their lives, in the midst of 

 numerous alligators, about a mile from the land. The 

 old man had to sustain a heavy fire of jokes from his 

 companions for several days after this mishap. Such 

 accidents are only laughed at by this almost amphibious 

 people. 



The number of persons congregated on Catua was 

 much greater than on Shimuni, as the population of 

 the banks of several neighbouring lakes was here added. 

 The line of huts and sheds extended half a mile, and 

 several large sailing vessels were anchored at the place. 

 The commandant was Senhor Macedo, the Indian black- 



VOL. II. T 



