86 



THE TOCANTINS 



time I had seen fish captured in this way. The arrow 

 is a reed, with a steel barbed point, which is fixed in a 

 hole at the end, and secured by fine twine made from 

 the fibres of pine-apple leaves. It is only in the clearest 

 water that fish can be thus shot ; and the only skill re- 

 quired is to make, in taking aim, the proper allowance 

 for refraction. 



The next day before sunrise a fine breeze sprung up, 

 and the men awoke and set the sails. We ghded all 

 day through channels between islands with long, white, 

 sandy beaches, over which, now and then, aquatic and 

 wading birds were seen running. The forest was low, 

 and had a harsh, dry aspect. Several palm trees grew 

 here which we had not before seen. On low bushes, 

 near the water, pretty, red-headed tanagers (Tanagra 

 gularis) were numerous, flitting about and chirping like 

 sparrows. About half-past four p.m., we brought to at 

 the mouth of a creek or channel, where there was a 

 great extent of sandy beach. The sand had been blown 

 by the wind into ridges and undulations, and over the 

 moister parts large flocks of sandpipers were running 

 about. Alexandro and I had a long ramble over the 

 rolling plain, which came as an agreeable change after 

 the monotonous forest scenery amid which we had been 

 so long travelling. He pointed out to me the tracks of 

 a huge jaguar on the sand. We found here, also, our 

 first turtle's nest, and obtained 120 eggs from it, which 

 were laid at a depth of nearly two feet from the surface, 

 the mother first excavating a hole, and afterwards covering 

 it up .with sand. The place is discoverable only by 

 following the tracks of the turtle from the water. I 

 saw here an alligator for the first time, which reared its 

 head and shoulders above the water just after I had 

 taken a bath near the spot. The night was calm and 

 cloudless, and we employed the hours before bed-time 

 in angling by moonlight. 



On the loth we reached a small settlement called 

 Patos, consisting of about a dozen houses, and built on a 

 high, rocky bank, on the eastern shore. The rock is the 

 same nodular conglomerate which is found at so many 

 places, from the sea-coast to a distance of 600 miles up 

 the Amazons. Mr. Leavens made a last attempt here 

 to engage men to accompany us to the Araguaya ; but 

 it was in vain ; not a soul could be induced by any amount 



