268 THE RIVER OF DOUBT [chap, vm 



and Colonel Rondon had spoken to me on the subject, 

 and I had urged, and Kermit had urged, as strongly as 

 possible that the name be kept as Rio da Duvida. We 

 felt that the " River of Doubt " was an unusually good 

 name ; and it is always well to keep a name of this 

 character. But my kind friends insisted otherwise, and 

 it would have been churlish of me to object longer. I 

 was much touched by their action, and by the ceremony 

 itself At the conclusion of the reading Colonel Rondon 

 led in cheers for the United States, and then for me 

 and for Kermit ; and the camaradas cheered with a will. 

 I proposed three cheers for Brazil, and then for Colonel 

 Rondon, and Lyra, and the doctor, and then for all the 

 camaradas. Then Lyra said that everybody had been 

 cheered except Cherrie ; and so we all gave three cheers 

 for Cherrie, and the meeting broke up in high good 

 humour. 



Immediately afterward the walkers set off on their 

 march down-stream, looking for good canoe-trees. In 

 a quarter of an hour we followed with the canoes. As 

 often as we overtook them we halted untU they had 

 again gone a good distance ahead. They soon found 

 fresh Indian sign, and actually heard the Indians ; but 

 the latter fled in panic. They came on a httle Indian 

 fishing village, just abandoned. The three low, oblong 

 huts of palm-leaves had each an entrance for a man on 

 all fours, but no other opening. They were dark inside, 

 doubtless as a protection against the swarms of biting 

 flies. On a pole in this village an axe, a knife, and 

 some strings of red beads were left, with the hope that 

 the Indians would return, find the gifts, and realize that 

 we were friendly. We saw further Indian signs on both 

 sides of the river. 



After about two hours and a half we came on a httle 



