i852.] 



VOYAGE TO JAVA RITE. 



we went on, — drifting down the stream after Senhor Jesuino, 

 who, no doubt, rejoiced in the idea that I should probably lose 

 my canoes, if not my life, in the caxoeiras, and thought himself 

 well revenged on the stranger who had dared to buy the canoe 

 he had wanted to purchase. 



In the afternoon we passed a caxoeira with considerable 

 danger, and then, luckily, persuaded some Indians at a sitio to 

 come with us to Jauarite. In the afternoon I stayed at several 

 houses, purchasing fowls, parrots, bows and arrows and 

 feathers ; and at one of them I found my runaway pilot, and 

 made him give me two baskets of farinha, instead of the pay- 

 ment he had received for the voyage from Caruru to Jauarite. 

 At the last caxoeira, close to Jauarite, we were very near losing 

 our canoe, which was let down by a rope, I remaining in it ; 

 but just in passing, it got twisted broadside, and the water 

 rushing up from the bottom, had the curious effect of pushing 

 it up against the fall, where it remained a considerable time 

 completely on one side, and appearing as if every minute it 

 would turn over. However, at last it was got out, and we 

 reached the village, much to the surprise of Senhor Jesuino, 

 who had arrived there but a few hours before us. My friend 

 Senhor Augustinho, of Sao Jeronymo, was also there, and I 

 spent the evening pleasantly with them. 



I found that we differed in our calculations of the date, 

 there being a day's difference in our reckonings of the day of 

 the week and the day of the month. As I had been three 

 months up the river, it was to be supposed I was wrong ; yet 

 as I had kept a regular diary all the voyage, I could not at all 

 make out how I had erred. This, however, is a common thing 

 in these remote districts. When two parties meet, one going 

 up and the other coming down the river, the first inquiry of 

 the latter, after the usual compliments, is, "What day is it 

 with you ? " and it not unfrequently happens, that there are 

 three parties present, all of whom make it different days ; and 

 then there is a comparison of authorities, and a determination 

 of past Saints' days, in order to settle the correction of the 

 disputed calendar. When at Caturu caxoeira, we had found 

 that Messrs. Jesuino and Chagas differed from us on this 

 important particular ; but as they had been some time out, 

 we thought they might have erred as well as ourselves. Now, 

 jiowever^ that Senhor Augustinho, who had recently come from 



