224 



TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. {September, 



a fine windj which took us across the great bays above Barra ; 

 and about four in the afternoon we landed on a sandy beach, 

 near which were a couple of cottages. Here Mr. S. found 

 some handsome new flowering shrubs and trees, and I obtained 

 five specimens of a small fish, a pacu new to me, so we both 

 had work till supper-time ; after which meal we hung our redes 

 under the bushes as we best could, and passed an agreeable 

 night. The next morning we bade each other farewell ; Mr. 

 S. returning to Barra, and I pursuing my voyage up the river. 

 On arriving at a sitio, where I had on the way down left my 

 montaria in order that it might not be stolen in Barra, I found 

 my precaution had been of no avail, as it had been stolen a 

 few days before by an Indian of the Rio Branco. He had had 

 his own canoe taken from him near that place, by a man going 

 to the Solimoes, who tried to compel the owner to go also, and 

 so, in self-defence, the Indian took mine to pursue his journey. 

 I had no remedy, so we went on, trusting to buy a montaria 

 somewhere shortly. We had several strong " trovoados," which 

 were rather dangerous, owing to my canoe being very much 

 loaded. One came on with great violence from the other side 

 of the river, raising tremendous waves, which would have 

 driven us on shore and broken our boat all to pieces, had there 

 not luckily been some bushes in the water, to which we fastened 

 prow and poop, and remained tossing and rolling about more 

 than an hour, baling out the water as fast as it came in, and in 

 constant fear of shipping a sea that would send us to the 

 bottom. 



The same evening I overtook Frei Joze, who was on a 

 pastoral and trading visit to Pedreiro. We stayed at the same 

 place to sleep, and I went to converse a little with him in his 

 canoe, which was large and commodious. Our conversation 

 turning on the prevalence of the small-pox in Para, he related 

 an anecdote of his own diplomatic powers with respect to that 

 dreadful disease, on which he appeared to pride himself con- 

 siderably. 



" When I was in Bolivia," said he, '^here were several nations 

 of very warlike Indians, who plundered and murdered travellers 

 on the way to St*. Cruz. The President sent the soldiers after 

 them, and spent much money in powder and ball, but with 

 very little effect. The small-pox was in the city at the time, 

 and the clothes of all who died of it were ordered to be burnt, 



