284 



BANANEIRA FALLS. 



season. Large heaps of drift wood lodge against the trees. On the 

 highest rocks we found pot-holes, worn down to the depth of eight and 

 ten feet by the action of small pebbles, put in motion by the current as 

 it passes over and whirls down, boring into the solid mass of coarse 

 granite. These pot-holes are generally half full of stones, the large 

 stones on top ; gradually descending towards the bottom, they were 

 smaller, until at the very last they were composed of bright little, trans- 

 parent, angular-shaped stones, less in size than a pin's head ; among 

 these the diamond hunter looks sharp. Some of these pot-holes are 

 three feet wide at the mouth, decreasing in edge uniformly towards the 

 bottom. When we gained the foot of these falls, over which it is utterly 

 impossible for a steamboat to pass at any season of the year, we had to 

 ascend a channel on the Bolivia shore for the baggage. Mamore lay by 

 a part of it as watch, while the rest of the party were at the other side of 

 the island. We were nearly exhausted ; the men had nothing to eat 

 half a day, and the dog looked thin and sick. There were no fish, birds, 

 monkeys, or Indians to be seen, nor were the men successful in finding 

 castanhas, Brazil nuts, which they very much needed, as they had no- 

 thing to eat but their allowance of farinha. The negroes were very tired, 

 but I observed the life improved them ; they looked stronger, and were 

 getting fat. This was a great relief, for we. were the worse for wear. I 

 was kept in constant excitement, lest some accident should happen to our 

 boat, or that an attack would be made upon our baggage party by the 

 savages. At 3 p. m., thermometer, 85°; water, 81°, and less muddy ; 

 dashing over the rocks appears to filter it. 



The boat was carried along at a rapid rate by the current, which 

 boiled up and formed great globular-shaped swells, over which the little 

 boat gayly danced on her homeward way. The satisfaction we felt, 

 after having safely passed these terrible cataracts, cheers us on. We 

 were nearly the whole day getting two miles. We were prevented from 

 the danger in our path to proceed at night. The boat was fastened to 

 the Brazil bank, and after supping on a wild goose Titto was fortunate 

 enough to shoot, we slept soundly until midnight, when we were sud- 

 denly aroused by the report of a gun. The men were lying by a fire on 

 the bank, near a thick tall growth of grass which skirted the large forest 

 trees. Richards was close by me. I heard Titto's voice immediately 

 following the report, saying " the devil" — we were all up in arms ; Titto 

 said he had shot at a tiger, which was approaching the men as they slept; 

 Mamore had been faithfully prowling in the woods, keeping close watch 

 over us while we all slept ; because he gave the men some trouble in the 

 boat, they laid this plan to put our trusty friend to death. Richards found 



