THE RIVER TROMBETAS 
passing off, we were gladdened by the sight of the 
river — whose aspect, however, was quite strange to 
us, still and tranquil as a lake — and the very 
mountain we had been in quest of close at hand 
to northward. At some distance to westward, 
another stream came rushing down over rocks to 
join the one by which we were standing ; and there 
was a peninsula of rude granite blocks piled up to 
a great height at their junction. We were plainly 
a long way from our camp, and our only thought 
was to reach it as speedily as possible. We started, 
therefore, down the river, but it was impossible to 
follow the very margin, for there was no beach, 
and the forest was denser and more entangled 
there than at a little way inland. I found that 
Manoel could get along much more rapidly than 
we could, and when the sun was getting low I sent 
him ahead, with instructions to cook something 
when he reached the canoe, and await our arrival 
— another error on my part, for Manoel's tercado 
had greatly facilitated our progress through the 
forest. 
We continued to struggle on until a little past 
sunset, when it became too dark to allow us to 
proceed ; for although the moon was only just past 
the full, it was some time ere she rose above the 
tree-tops. We sat down at the foot of a large tree, 
in the angle between two sapopemas ; but both 
tree and ground were very wet, and we ourselves 
were thoroughly soaked, for, even after the rain 
ceased, every bush we pushed through, every liana 
we cut, brought down on us a shower of drops. 
Our situation was no enviable one, for we had no 
arms save King's tercado and my lichenological 
