144 TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. [November, 



half-breed woman, of about thirty, was introduced as the 

 " mother of his younger children." Senhor L. had informed 

 me during the voyage that he did not patronise marriage, and 

 thought everybody a great fool who did. He had illustrated 

 the advantages of keeping oneself free of such ties by informing 

 me that the mother of his two elder daughters having grown 

 old, and being unable to bring them up properly or teach them 

 Portuguese, he had turned her out of doors, and got a younger 

 and more civilised person in her place. The poor woman had 

 since died of jealousy, or " passion," as he termed it. When 

 young, she had nursed him during an eighteen months' illness 

 and saved his life ; but he seemed to think he had performed 

 a duty in turning her away, — for, said he, " She was an Indian, 

 and could only speak her own language, and, so long as she 

 was with them, my children would never learn Portuguese." 



The whole family welcomed him in a very cold and timid 

 manner, coming up and asking his blessing as if they had 

 parted from him the evening before, instead of three months 

 since. We then had some coffee and breakfast ; after which 

 the canoe was unloaded, and a little house just opposite his, 

 which happened to be unoccupied, was swept out for me. My 

 boxes were placed in it, my hammock hung up, and I soon 

 made myself comfortable in my new quarters, and then walked 

 out to look about me. 



In the village were about a dozen houses belonging to Indians, 

 all of whom had their sitios, or country-houses, at from a few 

 hours' to some days' distance up or down the river, or on some 

 of the small tributary streams. They only inhabit the village 

 at times of festas, or on the arrival of a merchant like Senhor 

 L., when they bring any produce they may have to dispose of 

 or, if they have none, get what goods they can on credit, with 

 the promise of payment at some future time. 



There were now several families in the village to welcome 

 their sons and husbands, who had formed our crew ; and for some 

 days there was a general drinking and dancing from morning 

 to night. During this time, I took my gun into the woods, in 

 order to kill a few birds. Immediately behind the house were 

 some fruit-trees, to which many chatterers and other pretty 

 birds resorted, and I managed to shoot some every day. 

 Insects were very scarce in the forest ; but on the river-side 

 there were often to be found rare butterflies, though not in 



