144 
VOYAGE TIP THE TAPAJOS. 
Chap, II. 
than in June ; and in many places, ledges of rock are 
laid bare, or covered with only a small depth of water. 
I had been warned of these circumstances by my Cupari 
friends, but did not form an adequate idea of what 
we should have to undergo. Canoes, in descending, only 
travel at night, when the terral, or light land-breeze, 
blows off the eastern shore. In the day-time a strong 
wind rages from down river, against which it is impos- 
sible to contend, as there is no current, and the swell 
raised by its sweeping over scores of miles of shallow 
water is dangerous to small vessels. The coast for the 
greater part of the distance affords no shelter : there are, 
however, a number of little harbours, called esperas, 
which the canoe-men calculate upon, carefully arranging 
each night-voyage so as to reach one of them before the 
wind begins the next morning. 
We left Aveyros in the evening of the 21st, and 
sailed gently down with the soft land-breeze, keeping 
about a mile from the eastern shore. It was a brilliant 
moonlit night, and the men worked cheerfully at the 
oars, when the wind was slack ; the terral wafting from 
the forest a pleasant perfume like that of mignonette. 
At midnight we made a fire and got a cup of coffee, 
and at three o'clock in the morning reached the sitio of 
Ricardo's father, an Indian named Andre, where we 
anchored and slept. 
Sept. 22nd.— Old Andre with his squaw came aboard 
this morning. They brought three Tracajas, a turtle, 
and a basketful of Tracaja eggs, to exchange with me 
for cotton cloth and casha^a. Ricardo, who had been for 
some time very discontented, havingnow satisfied his long- 
