CHAP. Ill] BIRDS AND FISHES 65 



gauchos had come to meet us. After dark they kindled 

 fires, and sat beside them singing songs in a strange minor 

 key and strumming guitars. The red firehght flickered 

 over their wild figures as they squatted away from the 

 blaze, where the light and the shadow met. It was still 

 and hot. There were mosquitoes, of course, and other 

 insects of aU kinds swarmed round every light ; but the 

 steamboat was comfortable, and we passed a pleasant 

 night.J 



At sunrise we were off for the fazenda, the ranch of 

 M. de Barros. The baggage went in an ox-cart — which 

 had to make two trips, so that all of my belongings 

 reached the ranch a day later than I did. We rode 

 small, tough ranch horses. The distance was some 

 twenty miles. The whole country was marsh, varied 

 by stretches of higher ground ; and, although these 

 stretches rose only three or four feet above the marsh, 

 they were covered with thick jungle, largely palmetto 

 scrub, or else with open palm forest. For three or four 

 miles we splashed through the marsh, now and then 

 crossing boggy pools where the little horses laboured 

 hard not to mire down. Our dusky guide was clad in a 

 shirt, trousers, and fringed leather apron, and wore spurs 

 on his bare feet ; he had a rope for a bridle, and two 

 or three toes of each foot were thrust into little iron 

 stirrups. 



The pools in the marsh were drying. They were 

 filled with fish, most of them. dead or dying; and the 

 birds had gathered to the banquet. The most notable 

 dinner guests were the great jabiru storks ; the stately 

 creatures dotted the marsh. But ibises and herons 

 abounded ; the former uttered queer, querulous cries 

 when they discovered our presence. The spurred lap- 

 wings were as noisy as they always are. The ibis and 



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