A CURIOUS SUPERSTITION 151 



air-roots as ladders to climb by. Now and then appears 

 a Mimosa or other tree having similar fine pinnate foliage, 

 and thick masses of Inga border the water, from whose 

 branches hang long bean-pods, of different shape and 

 size according to the species, some of them a yard in 

 length. Flowers there are very few. I see, now and 

 then, a gorgeous crimson blossom on long spikes orna- 

 menting the sombre foliage towards the summits of the 

 forest. I suppose it to belong to a climber of the Com- 

 bretaceous order. There are also a few yellow and violet 

 Trumpet-flowers (Bignoniae). The blossoms of the Ingas, 

 although not conspicuous, are delicately beautiful. The 

 forest all along offers so dense a front that one never 

 obtains a glimpse into the interior of the wilderness.' 



The length of the Jaburu channel is about 35 miles, 

 allowing for the numerous abrupt bends which occur be- 

 tween the middle and the northern end of its course. 

 We were three days and a half accomplishing the passage. 

 The banks on each side seemed to be composed of hard 

 river mud with a thick covering of vegetable mould, so 

 that I should imagine this whole district originated in a 

 gradual accumulation of alluvium, through which the 

 endless labyrinths of channels have worked their deep 

 and narrow beds. The flood tide as we travelled north- 

 ward became gradually of less assistance to us, as it 

 caused only a feeble current upwards. The pressure of 

 the waters from the Amazons here makes itself felt ; as 

 this is not the case lower down, I suppose the currents 

 are diverted through some of the numerous channels 

 which we passed on our right, and which traverse, in their 

 course towards the sea, the north-western part of Marajo. 

 In the evening of the 29th we arrived at a point where 

 another channel joins the Jaburu from the north-east. 

 Up this the tide was flowing ; we turned westward, and 

 thu> met the flood coming from the Amazons. This 

 poiit is the object of a strange superstitious observance 

 on the part of the canoemen. It is said to be haunted 

 by a Paje, or Indian wizard, whom it is necessary to 

 propitiate by depositing some article on the spot, if the 

 voyager wishes to secure a safe return from the * sertao 

 as the interior of the country is called. The trees were 

 all lung with rags, shirts, straw hats, bunches of fruit, 

 and so forth. Although the superstition doubtless ori- 

 giucted with the aborigines, yet I observed, in both my 



