74 



TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. U(^nuary, 



A great deal more rain now fell, and small pools were 

 formed in some parts of the campos. About these, plovers 

 and other birds were to be seen wading, and a small flock of 

 the elegant long-legged plover {Himantopus), After much 

 difficulty I succeeded in killing three or four of them. The 

 curious razor-bill was also often seen skimming over the water, 

 and the great tuyuyu occasionally approached near the house, 

 but always kept out of gunshot, and although I crawled 

 along prostrate to get within reach of him, he always found me 

 out in time for his own safety. 



As I was getting scarcely any insects here, and the birds 

 were not very valuable, I determined to return to Para with 

 Mr. C, who was going to pass a week at his other estate on 

 the island of Marajo by the way. 



The journey across in Mr. C.'s schooner occupied but a few 

 hours, and we then entered a river which leads up to the 

 estate called Jungcal. On arriving we found a mud-walled 

 house not quite finished, which was to be our abode while we 

 stayed. At the back of the house stretched out, as far as the eye 

 could reach, a perfectly flat plain or campo, on which fed 

 numerous herds of cattle. Round about were corrals " fenced 

 in for collecting the cattle, and huts for the " vaqueiros," or 

 cowherds ; and along the banks of the river were patches of 

 wood, and thickets of a great prickly bamboo. About the 

 campo were numerous marshes and narrow streams or ditches, 

 which contained many curious and pretty aquatic plants. 

 Mosquitoes were plentiful, and annoyed us much in the 

 evenings, when we wished to enjoy the cool air in the 

 verandah. 



The Negroes and Mulattoes employed about the estate were 

 mostly fine young men, and led a life of alternate idleness and 

 excitement, which they seemed to enjoy very much. All their 

 work is done on horseback, where they showed to great 

 advantage, only wearing a pair of trousers and a cap with a 

 tassel, displaying the fine symmetry of their bodies. We were 

 much amused by seeing them bring in the cattle, driving them 

 into the corral, or using the lasso when one was to be 

 slaughtered. For this purpose they generally get two lassos 

 on the head or legs of the animal, the end of each of which is 

 held by a horseman. The "matador" then goes up and 

 hamstrings the poor animal with a cutlass. This quite disables 



