CARIPUNA SAVAGES. 



295 



They all declared they had nothing to eat in their houses. We made 

 them a little present, and bought a bow with arrows from one of the 

 boys. They were particularly desirous of getting fish-hooks and knives. 



Matua is in the full dress of the men, who wear beads of hard wood, 

 round their necks, with bands bound tight round the arms above the 

 elbow and round the ankles. The foreskin is tied up to a band of cot- 

 ton twine, which is wound tight round the hips and under part of the 

 belly. All wear their hair long, and cut square off in front. In large 

 holes in their ears, they carry pieces of bone, or a stick of wood. 

 Through the whole in the nose a quill is pushed, the cavity being filled 

 up with different colored feathers, gives them a moustached appearance. 

 These people are nearly all of the same height and figure, but differ very 

 much in the features of the face. Some have thick lips, flat noses, and 

 round faces ; others are just the reverse. The former very ugly, and a 

 few of the latter tolerably good looking. The women are larger than 

 those we saw near the mouth , of the Beni. There are not many of 

 them ; they live about in small bands, and said they found few fish in 

 the river. They promised to plant yuca and corn, so that the crew 

 might have something to eat on their return to the fort. As we em- 

 barked, they said " shuma" which Pedro informed us meant " good 

 man;" but probably referred to more presents. 



The lands on the south side of the river are inhabited by the Cari- 

 punas. It is flat, and a beautiful spot for cultivation. Small mountains 

 and hills are in sight on the north side, as we descend by a rapid cur- 

 rent. The river seems to be creeping along on a ridge, seeking an out- 

 let to the north. At 3 30 p. m., thermometer, 90° ; water, 83° ; light 

 northerly airs ; thunder to the north, and a rainbow to the northeast. 



September 2*7. — At " Trez Irmaos" rapids we found no difficulty. A 

 large island in the middle of the river chokes it, and the water rapidly 

 flows through two channels. As we dashed by, the men blew their 

 horns for " Capitan Macini," another Caripuna chief, who lives on the 

 south side of the river, with a small band of his tribe. Pedro speaks 

 of " Capitan" in complimentary terms. He is represented as being ex- 

 ceedingly obliging ; we wanted his services as pilot, but missed him. 

 After passing " Trez Irmaos" rapids, the river turns north. A rapid 

 current carries us through a chain of hills on each side, tending east 

 and west. The foliage is unusually green and thick ; forest trees have 

 been broken by the action of violent winds. We scarcely are fairly 

 launched out of the Madeira Plate into the Amazon basin, before we 

 meet, at midday, a storm of wind and rain from the northeast, accom- 

 panied w x th thunder. We find the sea-way in mid-channel much too 



