252 TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. {April, 



are often lost. I here had two new toldas made to my canoes, 

 but all attempts to hire men were fruitless. Fowls and fish 

 were tolerably abundant, so we were better off than at 

 Uarucapuri. 



On the 4th, in the afternoon, Senhors Jesuino and Chagas 

 arrived with a whole fleet of canoes, and upwards of twenty 

 prisoners, all, but one, women and children. Seven men and 

 one woman had been killed ; the rest of the men escaped ; 

 but only one of the attacking party was killed. The man was 

 kept bound, and the women and children well guarded, and 

 every morning and evening they were all taken down to the 

 river to bathe. At night there was abundance of caxiri alid 

 caxaga drunk in honour of the new-comers, and all the 

 inhabitants assembled in the great house. I spoke to Jesuino 

 about obtaining some Indians for me, which he promised to 

 do. Next morning, however, his first act was to summon my 

 pilot, and scold him for coming with me at all, — frightening 

 the poor fellow so, that he immediately went off with his 

 father down the river. Before he had left, however, having 

 been told by my guardas what was going on, I applied to 

 Jesuino about the matter, when he denied having said anything 

 to the pilot, but refused to call him back, or make him fulfil 

 his engagement with me. Soon after Jesuino left, having first 

 sent five Indians to take me to Jauarite ; so I started immedi- 

 ately after him. The men, however, had had instructions to go 

 with me only a short distance, and then leave me where I 

 could not procure any more ; and about noon, much to my 

 surprise, they got into a little oba, and intimated their intention 

 to return, saying that they had only been told to come so far. 

 I had overtaken Jesuino at this place, and now appealed to 

 him ; but though the men would have immediately obeyed an 

 order from him he refused to give it, telling me that he had 

 put them in my canoe, and now I must arrange with them as 

 well as I could. I accordingly told the Indians, that if they 

 came on with me to Jauarite, I would pay them well, but that, 

 if they left me at this place, they should not have a single 

 fish-hook ; but they knew very well what Senhor Jesuino 

 w^anted, so without another word they paddled off, leaving me 

 to get on as I could. I had now only one man and one boy 

 in each canoe, to pass rapids which required six or eight good 

 paddles to shoot with safety ; but staying here was useless, so 



