CHAPTER IX. 



JAVITA. 



Leave Gufa — Marabitanas — Serra de Cocoi — Enter Venezuela — S5o 

 Carlos — Pass the Cassiquiare — Antonio Dias — Indian Shipbuilders 

 — Feather-work — Maroa and Pimichfn — A Black Jaguar — Poisonous 

 Serpents — Fishing— Walk to Javita — Residence there — Indian Road- 

 makers — Language and Customs — A Description of Javita — Run- 

 away Indians — Collections at Javita — Return to Tomo — A Domestic 

 Broil — Marabitanas, and its Inhabitants — Reach Guia. 



When at length our visitors were gone, I commenced 

 arrangements for my voyage further up the country. 



Senhor L. lent me a canoe, and I had four Indians to go 

 with me, only one of whom, an old man named Augustinho, 

 could speak a little broken Portuguese. I took with me my 

 watch, sextant, and compass, insect- and bird-boxes, gun and 

 ammunition, with salt, beads, fish-hooks, calico, and coarse 

 cotton cloth for the Indians. My men all had their gravatanas 

 and quivers of poisoned arrows, a pair of trousers, shirt, 

 paddle, knife, tinder-box, and rede, which comprise the whole 

 assortment of an Indian's baggage. 



On the 27th of January, 185 1, we left Gufa, paddling up 

 against the stream. The canoe had been fresh caulked, but 

 still I found it leaking so much, as to keep me constantly 

 baling ; and in the afternoon, when we stayed for dinner, I made 

 an examination, and found out the cause of the leakage. The 

 cargo was heavy and was supported on a little stage, or floor, 

 resting upon cross-bearers in the bottom of the canoe ; the 

 ends of these bearers had been carelessly placed just on a seam, 

 so that the whole weight of the cargo tended to force out the 

 plank, and thus produce the leak. I was accordingly obliged 

 to unload the boat entirely, and replace the bearers in a better 

 position, after which I was glad to find the leak much 

 diminished. 



