THE RIVER OF DOUBT 265 



finally met at the mouth of the Gy-Parana, where it enters 

 the Madeira. The lost man whom they had found seemed 

 on the road to recovery, and they left him at a ranch, on 

 the Madeira, where he could be cared for; yet after they had 

 left him they heard that he had died. 



On the 1 2th the men were still hard at work hollowing 

 out the hard wood of the big tree, with axe and adze, while 

 watch and ward were kept over them to see that the idlers 

 did not shirk at the expense of the industrious. Kermit 

 and Lyra again hunted; the former shot a curassow, which 

 was welcome, as we were endeavoring in all ways to econo- 

 mize our food supply. We were using the tops of palms 

 also. I spent the day hunting in the woods, for the most 

 part by the river, but saw nothing. In the season of the 

 rains game is away from the river and fish are scarce and 

 turtles absent. Yet it was pleasant to be in the great silent 

 forest. Here and there grew immense trees, and on some 

 of them mighty buttresses sprang from the base. The 

 lianas and vines were of every size and shape. Some were 

 twisted and some were not. Some came down straight 

 and slender from branches a hundred feet above. Others 

 curved like long serpents around the trunks. Others were 

 like knotted cables. In the shadow there was little noise. 

 The wind rarely moved the hot, humid air. There were 

 few flowers or birds. Insects were altogether too abun- 

 dant, and even when travelling slowly it was impossible 

 always to avoid them — not to speak of our constant com- 

 panions the bees, mosquitoes, and especially the boroshudas 

 or bloodsucking flies. Now while bursting through a tan- 

 gle I disturbed a nest of wasps, whose resentment was 

 active; now I heedlessly stepped among the outliers of a 



