200 



INDIANS — SCENERY. 



Ineom- 



inodions 



resseL 



cnAr.xvii The canoe which they had i^rocured was forty-two 

 — feet long and three broad. The missionary of Atures 

 tionrfortiie and Maypures had offered to accompany them as far as 

 voyage. ^^^^ frontiers of Brazil, and made preparations for the 

 voyage. Two Indians who were to form part of the 

 crew were chained during the night to prevent their 

 escape ; and on the morning of the 10th the company 

 set out. The vessel was found to be extremely incom- 

 modious. To gain something in breadth a kind of frame 

 had been extended over the gunwale in the hinder part 

 of it ; but the roof of leaves which covered it was so low, 

 that the travellers were obliged to lie down, or sit nearly 

 double, while iu rainy weather the feet were liable to 

 be wetted. The natives, seated two and two, were 

 furnished with paddles three feet long, and rowed with 

 surprising uniformity to the cadence of a monotonous 

 and melancholy song. Small cages containing birds and 

 monkeys were suspended to the shed, and the dried 

 plants and instruments were placed beneath it. To 

 their numerous inconveniences was added the continual 

 torment of the mosquitoes, which they were \inable by 

 any means to alleviate. Every night, when they esta- 

 blished their watch, the collection of animals and instru- 

 ments occupied the centre, around which were placed 

 first their own hammocks, and then those of the Indians, 

 while fires were lighted to intimidate the jaguars. At 

 sunrise the monkeys in the cages answered the cries of 

 those in the forests, affording an affecting display of 

 sympathy between the captive and the free. 



Above the deserted mission of Pararuma the river is 

 full of islands, and divides into several branches. Its 

 total l)readth is about G395 3'ards. The country becomes 

 more wooded. A granitic prism, tenninated by a flat 

 surface covered with a tuft of trees, rises to the height 

 of 213 feet in the midst of the forest. Farther on, the 

 river narrows; and upon the east is an eminence, on 

 whicli the Jesuits formerly maintained a garrison for 

 l)rotecting the missions against the inroads of the Caribs, 

 and for extending what, in the Spanish colonies, was 



Mosquitoes. 



IslancU. 



