CROSSING THE BURITY 199 



and next day the rain continued. In the morning the 

 mules were ferried over, while the oxen were swum 

 across. Half a dozen of our men — whites, Indians, 

 and negroes, all stark naked and uttering wild cries — 

 drove the oxen into the river, and then, with powerful 

 overhand strokes, swam behind and alongside them as 

 they crossed, half-breasting the swift current. It was 

 a fine sight to see the big, long-horned, staring beasts 

 swimming strongly, while the sinewy naked men urged 

 them forward, utterly at ease in the rushing water. We 

 made only a short day's journey, for, owing to the lack 

 of grass, the mules had to be driven off nearly three 

 miles from our line of march, in order to get them feed. 

 We camped at the headwaters of a little brook called 

 Huatsui, which is Parecis for " monkey." 



Accompanying us on this march was a soldier bound 

 for one of the remoter posts. With him trudged his 

 wife. They made the whole journey on foot. There 

 were two children. One was so young that it had to 

 be carried alternately by the father and mother. The 

 other, a small boy of eight, and much the best of the 

 party, was already a competent wilderness worker. He 

 bore his share of the belongings on the march, and 

 when camp was reached sometimes himself put up the 

 famUy shelter. They were mainly of negro blood. 

 Struck by the woman's uncomplaining endurance of 

 fatigue, we offered to take her and the baby in the 

 automobile, while it accompanied us. But, alas ! this 

 proved to be one of those melancholy cases where the 

 effort to relieve hardship well endured results only in 

 showing that those who endure the adversity cannot stand 

 even a slight prosperity. The woman proved a querulous 

 traveller in the auto, complaining that she was not made 

 as comfortable as, apparently, she had expected ; and 



