Chap. 11. 
GREAT WIDTH OF RIVER. 
86 
young Indian, named Manoel. He came on board this 
morning at eight o'clock, and we then got up our anchor 
and resumed our voyage. 
The wind was Kght and variable all day, and we 
made only about fifteen miles by seven o'clock in the 
evening. The coast formed a succession of long, shallow 
bays with sandy beaches, on which the waves broke in 
a long line of surf. Ten miles above Altar do Chao is a 
conspicuous headland, called Point Cajetiiba. During 
a lull of the wind, towards midday, we ran the cuberta 
aground in shallow water and waded ashore, but the 
woods were scarcely penetrable, and not a bird was to 
be seen. The only thing observed worthy of note, was 
the quantity of drowned winged ants along the beach ; 
they were all of one species, the terrible formiga de fogo 
(Myrmica ssevissima) ; the dead, or half-dead bodies of 
which were heaped up in a line an inch or two in height 
and breadth, the line continuing without interruption 
for miles at the edge of the water. The countless 
thousands had been doubtless cast into the river whilst 
flying during a sudden squall the night before, and after- 
wards cast ashore by the waves. We found ourselves 
at seven o'clock near the mouth of a creek leading 
to a small lake, called Aramana-i, and the wind having 
died away, we anchored, guided by the lights ashore, 
near the house of a settler, named Jeronymo, whom I 
knew, and who, soon after, showed us a snug little 
harbour, where we could remain in safety for the night. 
The river here cannot be less than ten miles broad ; it 
is quite clear of islands and free from shoals at this 
season of the year. The opposite coast appeared in the 
