CHAPTER VII 



WITH A MULE-TRAIN ACROSS NHAMBIQUARA LAND 



From this point we were to enter a still wilder region, 

 the land of the naked Nhambiquaras. On February 3 

 the weather cleared and we started with the mule-train 

 and two ox-carts. Fiala and Lieutenant Lauriado stayed 

 at Utiarity to take canoes and go down the Papagaio, which 

 had not been descended by any scientific party, and per- 

 haps by no one. They were then to descend the Juruena 

 and Tapajos, thereby performing a necessary part of the 

 work of the expedition. Our remaining party consisted of 

 Colonel Rondon, Lieutenant Lyra, the doctor, Oliveira, 

 Cherrie, Miller, Kermit, and myself. On the Juruena we 

 expected to meet the pack ox-train with Captain Amilcar 

 and Lieutenant Mello; the other Brazilian members of 

 the party had returned. We had now begun the difficult 

 part of the expedition. The pium flies were becoming a 

 pest. There was much fever and beriberi in the country 

 we were entering. The feed for the animals was poor; 

 the rains had made the trails slippery and difficult; and 

 many, both of the mules and the oxen, were already weak, 

 and some had to be abandoned. We left the canoe, the 

 motor, and the gasolene; we had hoped to try them on 

 the Amazonian rivers, but we were obliged to cut down 

 everything that was not absolutely indispensable. 



Before leaving we prepared for shipment back to the 



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