i8Si.] 



MA NOEL JOAQUIM, 



215 



to be made, and penetrating through the forest; but his 

 movements were, no doubt, thought suspicious, and it was 

 considered safer to get out of his way ; he was, however, con- 

 fident of succeeding next time in another place, where he 

 thought he could arrive unawares. 



Having now no further cause for delay, we loaded oui 

 canoes, and the next morning left Sao Jeronymo, on our return 

 to Guia, where we arrived on the morning of the 24th, having 

 been absent on our trip fifty days. 



The most important event that had occurred in the village 

 was the arrival from Barra of Manoel Joaquim, a half-breed 

 Brazilian, some time resident at Guia. This man was a 

 specimen of the class of white men found in the Rio Negro. 

 He had been a soldier, and had been engaged in some of the 

 numerous revolutions which had taken place in Brazil. It was 

 said he had murdered his wife, and for that, or some other 

 crimes, had been banished to the Rio Negro, instead of being 

 hung, as he deserved. Here he was accustomed to threaten 

 and shoot at the Indians, to take their daughters and wives 

 from them, and to beat the Indian woman who lived with him, 

 so that she was obliged to hide for days in the forest. The 

 people of Guia declared he had murdered two Indian girls, 

 and had committed many other horrible crimes. He had 

 formerly been friendly with Senhor L., but, a year or two ago, 

 had quarrelled with him, and had attempted to set fire to his 

 house ; he had also attempted to shoot an old Mulatto soldier, 

 who was friendly with Senhor L. For these and other crimes, 

 the Subdelegarde de Policia of the district had indicted him, 

 and after taking the depositions of the Indians and of Senhor 

 L. against him, had wished to send him prisoner to Barra, but 

 could not do so, because he had no force at his command. 

 He therefore applied to the Commandante of Marabitanas, 

 who was at Guia at the time ; but he was Manoel Joaquim's 

 " compadre," and took his part, and would not send him as a 

 prisoner, but let him go in his own canoe, accompanied by two 

 soldiers, bearing a recommendation from the Commandante 

 in his favour. 



This had happened shortly before we left for the Uaupes ; 

 and now we found that Manoel Joaquim had returned in great 

 triumph — firing salutes and sending up rockets at every village 

 he passed through. He had gone on to Marabitinas ; but in 



