TAPAIUNAQUARA 



89 



Being unable to obtain men, Mr. Leavens now gave 

 up his project of ascending the river as far as the Ara- 

 guaya. He assented to our request, however, to ascend 

 to the cataracts near Arroyos. We started therefore 

 from Patos with a more definite aim before us than we 

 had hitherto had. The river became more picturesque as 

 we advanced. The water was very low, it being now 

 the height of the dry season ; the islands were smaller 

 than those further down, and some of them were high 

 and rocky. Bold wooded bluffs projected into the 

 stream, and all the shores were fringed with beaches of 

 glistening white sand. On one side of the river there was 

 an extensive grassy plain or campo with isolated patches 

 of trees scattered over it. On the 14th and following 

 day we stopped several times to ramble ashore. Our 

 longest excursion was to a large shallow lagoon, choked 

 up with aquatic plants, which lay about two miles across 

 the campo. At a place called Juquerapua we engaged a 

 pilot to conduct us to Arroyos, and a few miles above 

 the pilot's house, arrived at a point where it was not 

 possible to advance further in our large canoe on account 

 of the rapids. 



September 16th. — Embarked at six a.m. in a large 

 montaria which had been lent to us for this part of our 

 voyage by Senhor Seixas, leaving the vigilinga anchored 

 close to a rocky islet, named Santa Anna, to await our 

 return. Isidoro was left in charge, and we were sorry 

 to be obliged to leave behind also our mulatto Jose, who 

 had fallen ill since leaving Baiao. We had then remaining 

 only Alexandro, Manoel, and the pilot, a sturdy Tapuyo 

 named Joaquim ; scarcely a sufficient crew to paddle 

 against the strong currents. 



At ten a.m. we arrived at the first rapids, which are 

 called Tapaiunaquara. The river, which was here about 

 a mile wide, was choked up with rocks, a broken ridge 

 passing completely across it. Between these confused 

 piles of stone the currents were fearfully strong and 

 formed numerous eddies and whirlpools. We were ob- 

 liged to get out occasionally and walk from rock to rock, 

 whilst the men dragged the canoe over the obstacles. 

 Beyond Tapaiunaquara, the stream became again broad 

 and deep, and the river scenery was beautiful in the ex- 

 treme. The water was clear and of a bluish-green colour. 

 On both sides of the stream stretched ranges of wooded 



