SEARCH FOR DIAMONDS 



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4° 10' S. lat. ; and lies, therefore, about 130 miles from 

 the mouth of the Tocantins. Fifteen miles above Guaribas 

 another similar cataract called Tabocas lies across the 

 river. We were told that there were in all fifteen of 

 these obstructions to navigation between Arroyos and 

 the mouth of the Araguaya. The worst was the Inferno, 

 the Guaribas standing second to it in evil reputation. 

 Many canoes and lives have been lost here, most of the 

 accidents arising through the vessels being hurled against 

 an enormous cubical mass of rock called the Guaribinha, 

 which we, on our trip to the falls in the small canoe, 

 passed round with the greatest ease about a quarter of 

 a mile below the main falls. This, however, was the dry 

 season ; in the time of full waters a tremendous current 

 sets against it. We descended the river rapidly, and 

 found it excellent fun shooting the rapids. The men 

 seemed to delight in choosing the swiftest parts of the 

 current ; they sang and yelled in the greatest excitement, 

 working the paddles with great force, and throwing 

 clouds of spray above us as we bounded downwards. 

 We stopped to rest at the mouth of a rivulet named 

 Caganxa. The pilot told us that gold has been found 

 in the bed of this brook ; so we had the curiosity to 

 wade several hundred yards through the icy cold waters 

 in search of it. Mr. Leavens seemed very much interested 

 in the matter ; he picked up all the shining stones he 

 could espy in the pebbly bottom, in hopes of finding 

 diamonds also. There is, in fact, no reason why both 

 gold and diamonds should not be found here, the hills 

 being a continuation of those of the mining countries 

 of interior Brazil, and the brooks flowing through the 

 narrow valleys between them. 



On arriving at the place where we had left our canoe, 

 we found poor Jose the mulatto much worse, so we 

 hastened on to Juquerapua to procure aid. An old 

 half-caste woman took charge of him ; she made poultices 

 of the pulp of a wild fruit, administered cooling draughts 

 made from herbs which grew near the house, and in fact 

 acted the part of nurse admirably. We stayed at this 

 place all night and part of the following day, and I had 

 a stroll along a delightful pathway, which led over hill 

 and dale, two or three miles through the forest. I was 

 surprised at the number and variety of brilliantly-coloured 

 butterflies ; they were all of small size, and started forth 



