400 EXCURSIONS AROUND EGA 



countless swarms their favourite sand-islands ; for it is 

 only a few praias that are selected by them out of the great 

 number existing. The young animals remain in the pools 

 throughout the dry season. These breeding places of 

 turtles then lie twenty to thirty or more feet above the 

 level of the river, and are accessible only by cutting roads 

 through the dense forest. 



We left Ega on our first trip, to visit the sentinels whilst 

 the turtles were yet laying, on the 26th of September. 

 Our canoe was a stoutly-built igarite, arranged for ten 

 paddlers, and having a large arched toldo at the stern, 

 under which three persons could sleep pretty comfort- 

 ably. In passing down the narrow channel to the mouth 

 of the Tejffe, I noticed that the yellow waters of the Soli- 

 moens were flowing slowly inwards towards the lake, 

 showing how much fuller and stronger, at this season, was 

 the current of the main river than that of its tributary. 

 On reaching the broad stream, we descended rapidly on 

 the swift current to the south-eastern or lower end of 

 the large wooded island of Baria, which here divides the 

 river into two great channels. The distance was about 

 twelve miles : the island of Shimuni lies in the middle of 

 the north-easterly channel, and is reached by passing 

 round the end of Baria, Two miles further down the 

 broad, wild, and turbid river, lies the small island of 

 Curubaru, skirted like the others by a large praia ; this 

 is not, however, frequented by turtles, on account of the 

 coarse, gritty nature of the deposit. The sand-banks 

 appear to be formed only where there is a remanso or 

 still water, and the wooded islands to which they are gener- 

 ally attached probably first originated in accumulations 

 of sand. 



We landed on Curubaru ; Cardozo wishing to try the 

 pogos (wells, or deep pools) which lie here as in other praias 

 between the sand-bank and its island, for fish and tracajas. 

 The sun was now nearly vertical, and the coarse, heated 

 sand burnt our feet as we trod. We walked or rather 

 trotted nearly a mile before reaching the pools : there 

 was not a breath of wind nor a cloud to moderate the heat 

 of mid-day, and the Indians who carried the fishing-net 

 suffered greatly. On arriving at the ponds we found the 

 water was quite warm ; the net brought up only two or 

 three small fishes, and we thus had our toilsome journey 

 for nothing. 



