THE TOCANTINS AND CAMETA 75 



to store it with provisions for three months, the time 

 we at first intended to be away ; procure the necessary 

 passports ; and, lastly, engage a crew. Mr. Leavens, 

 having had much experience in the country, managed 

 all these matters. He brought two Indians from the 

 rice-mills, and these induced another to enrol himself. 

 We, on our parts, took our cook Isidoro, and a young 

 Indian lad, named Antonio, who had attached himself to 

 us in the course of our residence at Nazareth. Our prin- 

 cipal man was Alexandro, one of Mr. Leavens's Indians. 

 He was an intelligent and well-disposed young Tapuyo, 

 an expert sailor, and an indefatigable hunter. To his 

 fidelity we were indebted for being enabled to carry 

 out any of the objects of our voyage. Being a native 

 of a district near the capital, Alexandro was a civilized 

 Tapuyo, a citizen as free as his white neighbours. He 

 spoke only Portuguese. He was a spare-built man, 

 rather under the middle height, with fine regular features, 

 and, what was unusual in Indians, the upper lip decorated 

 with a moustache. Three years afterwards I saw him 

 at Para in the uniform of the National Guard, and he 

 called on me often to talk about old times. I esteemed 

 him as a quiet, sensible, manly young fellow. 



We set sail in the evening, after waiting several hours 

 in vain for one of our crew. It was soon dark, the wind 

 blew stiffly, and the tide rushed along with great rapidity, 

 carrying us swiftly past the crowd of vessels which were 

 anchored in the port. The canoe rolled a good deal. 

 After we had made five or six miles of way the tide turned, 

 and we were obliged to cast anchor. Not long after, we 

 lay ourselves down all three together on the mat, which 

 was spread over the floor of our cabin, and soon fell 

 asleep. 



On awaking at sunrise the next morning, we found 

 ourselves gliding upwards with the tide, along the Bahia 

 or Bay, as it is called, of Goajara. This is a broad channel 

 lying between the mainland and a line of islands which 

 extends some distance beyond the city. Into it three 

 large rivers discharge their waters, namely, the Guama, 

 the Acara, and the Moju ; so that it forms a kind of sub- 

 estuary within the grand estuary of Para. It is nearly 

 four miles broad. The left bank, along which we were 

 now sailing, was beautiful in the extreme ; not an inch 

 of soil was to be seen ; the water frontage presented a 



