Chap. IV. 
LAKE OF CAYAMBfi. 
803 
our host, having Hstened to my praises of the fruit, sent 
down^to our canoe a large basketful as a present. The 
conversation after dinner turned on the difficulty of get- 
ting good houses built at Ega ; on the backward condi- 
tion of the province ; the disregard of the interests of 
the agricultural class shown by the Government in taxing 
all the produce of the interior on its reaching Para, and 
so forth. Senhor Gaspar had just finished the erection 
of a substantial town-house at Ega. He told me that 
it was cheaper to send down to Para (2800 miles there 
and back) for doors and shutters, than to make them 
at Ega ; for, as there were no large saws anywhere on 
the Solimoens, every plank had to be hewn out of the 
tree with a hatchet. 
On our return to the mouth of the Cayambe, whilst 
in the middle of the lake, a squall suddenly arose, in the 
direction towards which we were going, and for a whole 
hour we were in great danger of being swamped. The 
wind blew away the awning and mats, and lashed the 
waters into foam : the waves rising to a great height. 
Our boat, fortunately, was excellently constructed, rising 
well towards the prow, so that with good steering we 
managed to head the billows as they arose and escaped 
without shipping much water. We reached our igarite 
at sunset, and then made all speed to Curubaru, fifteen 
miles distant, to encamp for the night on the sands. 
We reached the praia at 10 o'clock. The waters were 
now mounting fast upon the sloping beach, and we found 
on dragging the net next morning that fish was begin- 
ning to be scarce. Cardozo and his friends talked quite 
gloomily at breakfast time over the departure of the 
