but estimated it at about 15 feet. IMrs head ^as raised about two feet, facing 
me, I backed off respectfully. 
At Santa Barbara at the loot of Gapara6 it took all our powers of 
persuasion to secure men and mules, the whole settlement taking part 
in the discussion and telling us it was r£o possivel. It was raining 
when we started — it is alvmys raining on Caparao apparently, especially 
on the seaward side. The river ^as high and our pack mule came out with 
water dripping from the paniers containing plant driers and food. We 
stayed at the last house that night and proceeded on foot next morning 
entering the rain forest in h'^rs. We )^ere to spend the night in 
a cave, but the cave was full of fleas, so Mrs. Mexia and I spent the night 
in her tiny tJ^^^T^e forest. The 4 men stayed with the fleas. In 
the morning we got off early, still raining, the trail, where there was 
any^a deep sponge or running rivulet. Every tMng was covered ^ith 
feras, from little lilmies to tree ferns. The araponga, the anvil bird, 
struck ringing blows stertlingly like a hammer on an anvil-^When we 
reached the bamboo zone I re joioed, thinking the worst wan over. But this 
was really the hardest part, tripped continually by the interlacing culms 
and the trail very steep. About 3:30 we struggled out of the bamboo. 
It was still steep climbing up the rocky slope but grasses aJl about re joic. . 
my heart, though I was wobbly in the knees. There was still a league to 
go to shelter (a herder's hut on the shoulder of the mctmtain)-a league 
is any distance in Brazil. Mrs. Mexia gave out^ and we had the men put up 
the little tent. It was late, so they had to hurrj^ away to reach the shelter 
before dark. The tent was tied to a boulder at one end and to a gnarlad tree 
, -u^if A.HI> CHASE 
son 
