198 



TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. 



[June^ 



days I had only taken a little farinha gruel once in the twenty- 

 four hours. In a day and a half from Jukeira we reached 

 Jauarite, a village situated just below the caxoeira of the same 

 name, the second great rapid on the Uaupes. Here we had 

 determined to stay some days and then return, as the caxoeira 

 is very dangerous to pass, and above it the river, for many 

 days' journey, is a succession of rapids and strong currents, 

 which render the voyage up at this season in the highest 

 degree tedious and disagreeable. We accordingly disembarked 

 our cargo into a house, or rather shed, near the shore, made 

 for the accommodation of traders, which we cleaned and took 

 possession of, and felt ourselves quite comfortable after the 

 annoyances we had been exposed to in reaching this place. 

 We then walked up to the malocca, to pay a visit to the 

 Tushaua. This house was a noble building of its kind, being 

 one hundred and fifteen feet long, seventy-five wide, and about 

 twenty-five feet high, the roof and upper timbers being black 

 as jet with the smokes of many years. There were besides 

 about a dozen private cottages, forming a small village. Scat- 

 tered around were immense numbers of the Pupunha Palm 

 {Guilielma speciosd)^ the fruit of which forms an important 

 part of the food of these people during the season ; it was now 

 just beginning to ripen. The Tushaua was rather a respect- 

 able-looking man, the possessor of a pair of trousers and a 

 shirt, which he puts on in honour of white visitors. Senhor 

 L., however, says he is one of the greatest rogues on the river, 

 and will not trust him, as he does most of the other Indians, 

 with goods beforehand. He rejoices in the name of Calistro, 

 and pleased me much by his benevolent countenance and 

 quiet dignified manner. He is said to be the possessor of 

 great riches in the way of oncas' teeth and feathers, the result 

 of his wars upon the Macus and other tribes of the tributary 

 rivers ; but these he will not show to the whites, for fear of 

 being made to sell them. Behind the malocca I was pleased 

 to see a fine broad path, leading into the forest to the several 

 mandiocca rhossas. The next morning early I went with my 

 net to explore it, and found it promise pretty well for insects, 

 considering the season. I was greatly delighted at meeting in 

 it the lovely clear-winged butterfly allied to the Esmeralda^ 

 that I had taken so sparingly at Javita; and I also took a 

 specimen of another of the same genus, quite new to me. A 



