272 DOWN AN UNKNOWN RIVER [chap, ix 



of the tall trees. We saw a recent tapir-track ; and 

 under a cajazeira-tree by the bank there were the tracks 

 of capybaras which had been eating the fallen fruit. 

 This fruit is delicious, and would make a valuable addi- 

 tion to our orchards. The tree, although tropical, is 

 hardy, thrives when domesticated, and propagates rapidly 

 from shoots. The Department of Agriculture should 

 try whether it would not grow in southern California 

 and Florida. This was the tree from which the doctor's 

 family name was taken. His paternal grandfather, 

 although of Portuguese blood, was an intensely patriotic 

 Brazilian. He was a very young man when the inde- 

 pendence of Brazil was declared, and did not wish to 

 keep the Portuguese family name ; so he changed it 

 to that of the fine Brazilian tree in question. Such 

 change of family names is common in Brazil. Dr. Vital 

 Brazil, the student of poisonous serpents, was given his 

 name by his father, whose own family name was entirely 

 diflFerent ; and his brother's name was again different. 



There were tremendous downpours of rain, lasting for 

 a couple of hours and accompanied by thunder and 

 lightning. But on the whole it seemed as if the rains 

 were less heavy and continuous than they had been. 

 We all of us had to help in buUding the canoes now and 

 then. Kermit, accompanied by Antonio the Parecis 

 and Joao, crossed the river and walked back to the little 

 river that had entered from the east, so as to bring back 

 a report of it to Colonel Rondon. Lyra took observa- 

 tions, by the sun and by the stars. We were in about 

 latitude 11° 21' south, and due north of where we had 

 started. The river had wound so that we had gone two 

 miles for every one we made northward. Our pro- 

 gress had been very slow ; and until we got out of the 

 region of incessant rapids, with their attendant labour 



