288 Through the Brazilian Wilderness 



but not inflicting serious damage. Hard-working, will- 

 ing, and tough though the camaradas were, they naturally 

 did not have the skill of northern lumberjacks. 



We hoped to finish the two canoes in three days, A 

 space was cleared in the forest for our tents. Among 

 the taller trees grew hugeJeafed pacovas, or wild ban- 

 anas. We bathed and swam in the river, although in it 

 we caught piranhas. Carregadores ants swarmed all 

 around our camp. As many of the nearest of their holes 

 as we could we stopped with fire; but at night some of 

 them got into our tents and ate things we could ill spare. 

 In the early morning a column of foraging ants appeared, 

 and we drove them back, also with fire. When the sky 

 was not overcast the sun was very hot, and we spread 

 out everything to dry. There were many wonderful 

 butterflies round about, but only a few birds. Yet in the 

 early morning and late afternoon there was some attrac- 

 tive bird music in the woods. The two best performers 

 were our old friend the false bell-bird, with its series of 

 ringing whistles, and a shy, attractive ant-thrush. The 

 latter walked much on the ground, with dainty move- 

 ments, courtesying and raising its tail ; and in accent and 

 sequence, although not in tone or time, its song resem- 

 bled that of our white-throated sparrow. 



It was three weeks since we had started down the 

 River of Doubt. We had come along its winding course 

 about 140 kilometres, with a descent of somewhere in the 

 neighborhood of 124 metres. It had been slow progress. 

 We could not tell what physical obstacles were ahead of 

 us, nor whether the Indians would be actively hostile. 

 But a river normally describes in its course a parabola, 



