380 EXCURSIONS BEYOND EGA. Chap. VI. 



that the Conibos practise the art of knitting cotton 

 cloth, which they fashion into long cloaks. The cloth, 

 of which I saw many specimens, forms a regular, durable, 

 and not inelegant web of tolerably close texture. The 

 Conibos, like the Indians of Peru, do not grow the 

 poisonous kind of mandioca, but simply the sweet kind, 

 or Macasheira (Manihot Aypi). I estimate the length 

 of the Jutahi at about 400 miles, and that of the Jurua 

 at 600 miles. 



We remained at anchor four days within the mouth 

 of the Sapo, a small tributary of the Jutahi flowing 

 from the south-east ; Senhor Raiol having to send an 

 igarite to the Cupatana, a large tributary some few miles 

 further up the river, to fetch a cargo of salt fish. During 

 this time we made several excursions in the montaria 

 to various places in the neighbourhood. Our longest 

 trip was to some Indian houses, a distance of fifteen 

 or eighteen miles up the Sapo, a journey made with 

 one Indian paddler, and occupying a whole day. The 

 stream is not more than forty or fifty yards broad ; its 

 waters are darker in colour than those of the Jutahi, 

 and flow, as in all these small rivers, partly under shade 

 between two lofty walls of forest. We passed, in ascend- 

 ing, seven habitations, most of them hidden in the 

 luxuriant foliage of the banks ; their sites being known 

 only by small openings in the compact wall of forest, 

 and the presence of a canoe or two tied up in little 

 shady ports. The inhabitants are chiefly Indians of 

 the Maraua tribe, whose original territory comprised all 

 the small by-streams lying between the Jutahi and 

 the Jurua, near the mouths of both these great tribu- 





