AROUND SAO GABRIEL 
my two men to clear the path to the serra, which 
they accompHshed and returned at night. But 
this making a road through the forest is not the 
heavy task which might be supposed. The great 
point is to know in which direction to steer, and 
at this the Indians are remarkably sagacious. The 
road consists merely of twigs broken half through 
and bent to the off side on each hand in passing, 
and occasionally of a sipo cut through when it 
obstructs the way. Sometimes advantage is taken 
of the sandy bed of a stream — when the water is 
not over knee-deep — to walk along it for some 
distance, and in doing this twigs on each side 
are in a like manner broken down. Such a track 
is very difficult to follow, to an unaccustomed eye, 
and I when alone am obliged to trace it with slow 
and cautious, steps ; but an Indian trips along as 
securely as if he were on one of the Queen of 
England's highways, and so securely fenced in on 
each side as to render it impossible to stray. 
The expedition was fixed for next day, but 
whilst the men were tracing out the path in the 
forest comes a trader from Para with a boat-load 
of dry and wet goods, whose house in Sao Gabriel 
having been burnt down, sought a residence in 
Gama's sitio, his pilot, by the way, being Gama's 
eldest son. As usual on arriving off a long voyage, 
the trader " stood treat," and there was great firing 
off of rockets, drinking, and dancing for the space 
of two days, after which a third day was necessary 
to recover from the effects of the debauch. 
On Friday afternoon, having heard that the 
correo had arrived in Sao Gabriel, I went to see 
if he had brought anything for me, accompanied 
VOL. I x 
