FISHERWOMEN 



307 



ares, and Senhora Joaquina showed us the fly baits used 

 to take this kind of fish, which she had made with her own 

 hands of parrots' feathers. The rods used are slender 

 bamboos, and the lines made from the fibres of pine- 

 apple leaves. It is not very common for the Indian 

 and half-caste women to provide for themselves in the 

 way these spirited dames were doing, although they are 

 all expert paddlers, and very frequently cross wide rivers 

 in their frail boats without the aid of men. It is possible 

 that parties of Indian women, seen travelling alone in 

 this manner, may have given rise to the fable of a nation 

 of Amazons invented by the first Spanish explorers of 

 the country. Senhora Joaquina invited me and Jose to 

 a Tucunare dinner for the afternoon, and then shouldering 

 their paddles and tucking up their skirts, the two dusky 

 fisherwomen marched down to their canoe. We sent the 

 two Indians into the woods to cut palm-leaves to mend 

 the thatch of our cuberta, whilst I and Jose rambled 

 through the woods which skirted the campo. On our 

 return, we found a most bountiful spread in the house of 

 our hostess. A spotless white cloth was laid on the mat, 

 with a plate for each guest and a pile of fragrant newly- 

 made farinha by the side of it. The boiled Tucunares 

 were soon taken from the kettles and set before us. I 

 thought the men must be happy husbands who owned 

 such wives as these. The Indian and mameluco women 

 certainly do make excellent managers ; they are more 

 industrious than the men and most of them manufacture 

 farinha for sale on their own account, their credit always 

 standing higher with the traders on the river than that of 

 their male connections. I was quite surprised at the 

 quantity of fish they had taken ; there being sufficient 

 for the whole party, including several children, two old 

 men from a neighbouring hut, and my Indians. I made 

 our good-natured entertainers a small present of needles 

 and sewing-cottoU; articles very much prized, and soon 

 after we re-embarked, and again crossed the river to 

 Aveyros. 



August 2nd, — Left Aveyros ; having resolved to ascend 

 a branch river, the Cupari, which enters the Tapajos 

 about eight miles above this village, instead of going 

 forward along the main stream. I should have liked 

 to visit the settlements of the Mundurucu tribe which 

 lie beyond the first cataract of the Tapajos, if it had 



