Chap. IV. LAKE OF CAYAMBfi. 303 



our host, having listened to my praises of the fruit, sent 

 down' to our canoe a large basketful as a present. The 

 conversation after dinner turned on the difficulty of get- 

 ting good houses built at Ega ; on the backward condi- 

 tion of the province ; the disregard of the interests of 

 the agricultural class shown by the Government in taxing 

 all the produce of the interior on its reaching Para, and 

 so forth. Senhor Gaspar had just finished the erection 

 of a substantial town-house at Ega. He told me that 

 it was cheaper to send down to Para (2800 miles there 

 and back) for doors and shutters, than to make them 

 at Ega ; for, as there were no large saws anywhere on 

 the Solimoens, every plank had to be hewn out of the 

 tree with a hatchet. 



On our return to the mouth of the Cayambe, whilst 

 in the middle of the lake, a squall suddenly arose, in the 

 direction towards which we were going, and for a whole 

 hour we were in great danger of being swamped. The 

 wind blew away the awning and mats, and lashed the 

 waters into foam : the waves rising to a great height. 

 Our boat, fortunately, was excellently constructed, rising, 

 well towards the prow, so that with good steering we 

 managed to head the billows as they arose and escaped 

 without shipping much water. We reached our igarite 

 at sunset, and then made all speed to Curubarti, fifteen 

 miles distant, to encamp for the night on the sands. 

 We reached the praia at 10 o'clock. The waters were 

 now mounting fast upon the sloping beach, and we found 

 on dragging the net next morning that fish was begin- 

 ning to be scarce. Cardozo and his friends talked quite 

 gloomily at breakfast time over the departure of the 



