[850.] JOURNEY THROUGH THE FOREST. 149 



forest cut down so as to fall across each other in every 

 conceivable direction. After lying a few months they are 

 burnt; the fire, however, only consumes the leaves and fine 

 twigs and branches ; all the rest remains entire, but blackened 

 and charred. The mandiocca is then planted without any 

 further preparation ; and it was across such a field that we, all 

 heavily laden, had to find our way. Now climbing on the 

 top of some huge trunk, now walking over a shaking branch 

 or creeping among a confused thicket of charcoal, few journeys 

 require more equanimity of temper than one across an 

 Amazonian clearing. 



Passing this, we got into the forest. At first the path was 

 tolerable ; soon, however, it was a mere track a few inches 

 wide, winding among thorny creepers, and over deep beds of 

 decaying leaves. Gigantic buttress trees, tall fluted stems, 

 strange palms, and elegant tree-ferns were abundant on every 

 side, and many persons may suppose that our walk must 

 necessarily have been a delightful one ; but there were many 

 disagreeables. Hard roots rose up in ridges along our path, 

 swamp and mud alternated with quartz pebbles and rotten 

 leaves ; and as I floundered along in the barefooted enjoyment 

 of these, some overhanging bough would knock the cap from 

 my head or the gun from my hand; or the hooked spines 

 of the climbing palms would catch in my shirt-sleeves, and 

 oblige me either to halt and deliberately unhook myself, or 

 leave a portion of my unlucky garment behind. The Indians 

 were all naked, or, if they had a shirt or trousers, carried them 

 in a bundle on their heads, and I have no doubt looked upon 

 me as a good illustration of the uselessness and bad conse 

 quences of wearing clothes upon a forest journey. 



After four or five hours' hard walking, at a pace which would 

 not have been bad upon clear level ground, we came to a 

 small stream of clear water, which had its source in the Serra 

 to which we were going. Here we waited a few moments to 

 rest and drink, while doing which we heard a strange rush and 

 distant grunt in the forest. The Indians started up, all 

 excitement and animation : "Tyeassii ! " (wild hogs) they cried, 

 seizing their bows and arrows, tightening the strings, and 

 grasping their long knives. I cocked my gun, dropped in a 

 bullet, and hoped to get a shot at a "porco;" but being afraid, 

 if I went with them, of losing myself in the forest, I waited with 



