FIRE- ANTS 



295 



June 20th, — We had a light, baffling wind off shore all 

 day on the 20th, and made but fourteen or fifteen miles 

 by six p.m. ; when, the wind failing us, we anchored at 

 the mouth of a narrow channel, called Tapaiuna, which 

 runs between a large island and the mainland. About 

 three o'clock we passed in front of Boim, a village on the 

 opposite (western) coast. The breadth of the river is here 

 six or seven miles : a confused patch of white on the high 

 land opposite was all we saw of the village, the separate 

 houses being undistinguishable on account of the distance. 

 The coast along which we sailed to-day is a continuation 

 of the low and flooded land of Paquiatuba. 



June 21 St. — The next morning we sailed along the 

 Tapaiuna channel, which is from 400 to 600 yards in 

 breadth. We advanced but slowly, as the wind was 

 generally dead against us, and stopped frequently to 

 ramble ashore. Wherever the landing-place was sandy it 

 was impossible to walk about, on account of the swarms 

 of the terrible fire-ant, whose sting is likened by the 

 Brazilians to the puncture of a red-hot needle. There 

 was scarcely a square inch of ground free from them. 

 About three p.m. we glided into a quiet, shady creek, on 

 whose banks an industrious white settler had located 

 himself. I resolved to pass the rest of the day and night 

 here, and endeavour to obtain a fresh supply of pro- 

 visions, our stock of salt beef being now nearly exhausted. 

 The situation of the house was beautiful ; the little har- 

 bour being gay with water plants, Pontederiae, now full 

 of purple blossom, from v/hich flocks of Piosocas started 

 up screaming as we entered. The owner sent a boy with 

 my men to show them the best place for fish up the creek, 

 and in the course of the evening sold me a number of fowls, 

 besides baskets of beans and farinha. The result of the 

 fishing was a good supply of Jandia, a handsome spotted 

 Siluride fish, and Piranha, a kind of Salmonidae (Tetra- 

 gonopterus). Piranhas are of several kinds, many of 

 which abound in the waters of the Tapajos. They are 

 caught with almost any kind of bait, for their taste is in- 

 discriminate and their appetite most ravenous. They 

 often attack the legs of bathers near the shore, inflicting 

 severe wounds with their strong triangular teeth. At 

 Paquiatuba and this place I added about twenty species of 

 small fishes to my collection ; caught by hook and line, or 

 with the hand in shallow pools under the shade of the forest. 



