446 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
sentinel, who, however, allowed him to pass on the same plea 
which had imposed on the old woman. It wanted but a few 
minutes of ten, his absence would soon be remarked in the sloop, 
and he plied his oar with all his force. Approaching the mouth 
of the igarape, he heard within it splashing of oars and numerous 
voices laughing and talking. These sounds proceeded from several 
montarias which were on their way to the town. It would not do 
to be seen by the occupants of these, so he stood out wide and 
did not again approach land until he could not distinguish either 
human sight or sound. Warned by former experience, he deter- 
mined to trust himself rather to tigers than to men, and to avoid 
every appearance of a habitation. For greater security he kept 
always on the left bank of the river, along which vessels scarcely 
ever pass either ascending or descending, nor is there any village 
on this side until Sta. Isabel. He rowed night and day, and 
allowed himself very little sleep, and this chiefly in the middle of 
the day, when he pushed his canoe deep into the gapo, and closed 
his eyes in security from the assaults of his fellow-men, but not 
without risk of being strangled by some water-snake. His food 
all the way up the Rio Negro was the fruit of a curious twiner 
(Gnetum) with jointed branches, the joints tumid and bearing a 
pair of leathery leaves : it is called Ituan in Brazil, and the species 
which furnished Custodio's food is common all the way up the Rio 
Negro, where I have gathered it in flower and fruit. I have met 
with it also on the Casiquiari and Pacimoni. He gathered these 
wherever they appeared in quantity, and at any convenient place 
lighted a fire and roasted them, afterwards piling the roasted 
fruits in the prow of the canoe, and when they were eaten up he 
roasted others. Thus he went on until he reached the mouth of 
the Marania, up which he had decided to ascend. A far shorter and 
easier way would have been to continue right up the Rio Negro 
to San Carlos, where was his family, but he could not hope to 
pass the garrisons of Sao Gabriel and Marabitanas, especially as 
they were known to be on the look-out for fugitive escaped slaves 
and cabanos. Up the Marania he therefore proceeded, and here 
was no more Ituan, but its place was imperfectly supplied by 
eating the thin pulp of the Miriti palm, which is barely sufficient 
to sustain life, though it is very insipid. At the end of thirty-five 
days, counting from his leaving the Barra, he safely reached the 
friendly Yabahanas. During all this time he had never spoken 
to a human being, nor had he once tasted cassave or farinha, or 
indeed any sort of food which is produced by human industry. 
After a short repose among the Yabahanas he once more started 
for San Carlos, by the same route as before, and had the happi- 
ness to rejoin his family just as he had left them. 
For several years after this he remained in San Carlos working 
at his trade ; until the Comisario General of the Canton, who 
