300 EXCURSIONS AROUND EGA. Chap. IV. 



several miles in circumference. We slept again in the 

 forest, and again were annoyed by rain and mosquitoes : 

 but this time Cardozo and I preferred remaining where 

 we were to mingling with the reeking crowd in the 

 boats. When the grey dawn arose a steady rain was still 

 falling, and the whole sky had a settled leaden appear- 

 ance, but it was delightfully cool. We took our net into 

 the lake and gleaned a good supply of delicious fish 

 for breakfast. I saw at the upper end of this lake the 

 native rice of this country growing wild. 



The weather cleared up at 10 o'clock a.m. At 3 p.m. we 

 arrived at the mouth of the Cayambe, another tributary 

 stream much larger than the Juteca. The channel of 

 exit to the Solimoens was here also very narrow, but 

 the expanded river inside is of vast dimensions : it 

 forms a lake (I may safely venture to say) several score 

 miles in circumference. Although prepared for these 

 surprises, I was quite taken aback in this case. We 

 had been paddling all day along a monotonous shore, 

 with the dreary Solimoens before us, here three to four 

 miles broad, heavily rolling onward its muddy waters. 

 We come to a little gap in the earthy banks, and find 

 a dark, narrow inlet with a wall of forest over-sha- 

 dowing it on each side : we enter it, and at a distance 

 of two or three hundred yards a glorious sheet of water 

 bursts upon the view. The scenery of Cayambe is 

 very picturesque. The land, on the two sides visible of 

 the lake, is high and clothed with sombre woods, varied 

 here and there with a white-washed house, in the 

 middle of a green patch of clearing, belonging to set- 

 tlers. In striking contrast to these dark, rolling forests 



