226 Through the Brazilian Wilderness 



In the afternoon of the day following our arrival there 

 was a heavy rain-storm which drove into the unglazed 

 windows, and here and there came through the roof and 

 walls of our daub-and-wattle house. The heat was in- 

 tense and there was much moisture in this valley. Dur- 

 ing the downpour I looked out at the dreary little houses, 

 showing through the driving rain, while the sheets of 

 muddy water slid past their door-sills ; and I felt a sincere 

 respect for the lieutenant and his soldiers who were hold- 

 ing this desolate outpost of civilization. It is an unhealthy 

 spot ; there has been much malarial fever and beriberi — 

 an obscure and deadly disease. 



Next morning we resumed our march. It soon began 

 to rain and we were drenched when, some fifteen miles 

 on, we reached the river where we were to camp. After 

 the great heat we felt quite cold in our wet clothes, and 

 gladly crowded round a fire which was kindled under a 

 thatched shed, beside the cabin of the ferryman. This 

 ferry-boat was so small that it could only take one mule, 

 or at most two, at a time. The mules and a span of six 

 oxen dragging an ox-cart, which we had overtaken, were 

 ferried slowly to the farther side that afternoon, as there 

 was no feed on the hither bank, where we ourselves 

 camped. The ferryman was a soldier in the employ of 

 the Telegraphic Commission. His good-looking, pleas- 

 ant-mannered wife, evidently of both Indian and negro 

 blood, was with him, and was doing all she could do as 

 a housekeeper, in the comfortless little cabin, with its 

 primitive bareness of furniture and fittings. 



Here we saw Captain Amilcar, who had come back to 

 hurry up his rear-guard. We stood ankle-deep in mud 



