FORESTS OF THE UAUPES 329 
no place of security in which to leave the bulk of 
my goods at Panure, where are only Indian houses, 
with doors frequently of straw and, of course, with- 
out locks. I was fortunate in finding three whites 
(two of them with their families) established at 
Panure for the summer, for the purpose of building 
large canoes ; had it not been for these I do not 
see how I could have stayed there at all, as my 
house could at any time be entered when I was 
away from it. I used to leave it in charge of the 
wife of one of the whites,^ and but for her it would 
once have been entered by some Indians, who had 
begun to make a hole at the back when she came 
on them. I would gladly have stayed to complete 
the twelvemonth at Panure, for I have occupied no 
station so rich in respect of plants, and not at all 
to be complained of in respect of eatables, but I 
found it impracticable to remain there alone, and 
we (the whites) all left on the same day. 
[A few lines from a later letter to myself (dated 
''San Carlos, July 2, 1853"), referring to his 
life at Sao Jeronymo, will serve to wind up the 
account of his visit to the almost unknown and 
extremely interesting river Uaupes.] 
'' Besides myself, there were three brancos in the 
place, Agostinho, Chagas, and Amansio, all three 
building large canoes. We generally all supped 
together, and passed the evening very agreeably, 
"a rir et a nos divertimos " (''laughing and amus- 
ing ourselves "). You, who go of nights to Geo- 
graphical Societies' meetings and other long-faced 
reunions, will perhaps despise our mode of passing 
^ [Agostinho, referred to in his letter to myself.— Ei).]] 
