Chap. IV. 
ISLANDS OF THE SOLIMOENS. 
247 
from the town), all of which are visited annually by 
the Ega people for the purpose of collecting eggs and 
extracting oil from their yolks. Each has its com- 
mander, whose business is to make arrangements for 
securing to every inhabitant an equal chance in the 
egg harvest hj placing sentinels to protect the turtles 
whilst laying, and so forth. The pregnant turtles 
descend from the interior pools to the main river in 
July and August, before the outlets dry up, and then 
seek in countless swarms their favourite sand-islands ; 
for it is only a few praias that are selected by them out 
of the great number existing. The young animals 
remain in the pools throughout the dry season. These 
breeding places of turtles then lie twenty to thirty or 
more feet above the level of the river, and are accessible 
only by cutting roads through the dense forest. 
We left Ega on our first trip, to visit the sentinels 
whilst the turtles were yet laying, on the 26th of Sep- 
tember. Our canoe was a stoutly-built igarite, arranged 
for ten paddlers, and having a large arched toldo at the 
stern, under which three persons could sleep pretty 
comfortably. In passing down the narrow channel to 
the mouth of the Teffe, I noticed that the yellow waters 
of the Solimoens were flowing slowly inwards towards 
the lake, showing how much fuller and stronger, at this 
season, was the current of the main river than that of 
its tributary. On reaching the broad stream, we 
descended rapidly on the swift current to the south- 
eastern or lower end of the large wooded island of 
Baria, which here divides the river into two great chan- 
nels. The distance was about twelve miles : the island 
