Chap. YI. 
ALLIGATORS. 
391 
September 5th, 1857. — Again embarked on the 
" Tabatinga/' this time for a longer excursion than the 
last, namely to St. Paulo de 01iven5a, a village higher 
up than any I had yet visited, being 260 miles distant, 
in a straight line, from Ega, or about 400 miles following 
the bends of the river. 
The waters were now nearly at their lowest point ; 
but this made no difference to the rate of travelling, 
night or day. Several of the Parana mirims, or by- 
channels, which the steamer threads in the season of 
full-water, to save a long circuit, were now dried up, 
their empty beds looking like deep sandy ravines in 
the midst of the thick forest. The large sand-islands, 
and miles of sandy beach, were also uncovered, and 
these, with the swarms of large aquatic birds, storks, 
herons, ducks, waders, and spoon-bills, which lined their 
margins in certain places, made the river view much 
more varied and animated than it is in the season of 
the flood. Alligators of large size were common near 
the shores, lazily floating, and heedless of the passing 
steamer. The passengers amused themselves by shoot- 
ing at them from the deck with a double-barrelled 
rifle we had on board. The sign of a mortal hit was 
the monster turning suddenly over, and remaining 
floating, with its white belly upwards. Lieutenant Nunes 
wished to have one of the dead animals on board, for 
the purpose of opening the abdomen, and, if a male, 
extracting a part which is held in great estimation 
amongst Brazilians as a remedio," charm or medicine. 
The steamer was stopped, and a boat sent, with four 
strong men, to embark the beast ; the body, however, 
