They Sell us a Cargo or Turtle. 
9; 
reply to whicli question at once allayed all fear, for it Avas in the nega- 
tive. Soldiers Avithout Aveapons could make no sudden attack and still 
less have a siege in vieAV. The national ensign flying gaily in the morning 
wind Avas hauled down, aud the signal "False Alarm" run up. Mr. Youd 
and ISororeug, who Avould have relieved us of our anxiety long ere this, 
AN ere neither of them present, and we Avere not even yet able to accustom 
ourselves to the fact that Avith the Indians, everything exceeding the 
number of their digits, means "i:)leuty.'' 
>\'hile Ave Avere still making fun with one another over the 
homwopathic dose of our courage, and each one was maintaining that 
the continuation of the report had been a matter of alisolute iuditterence 
to him, there came into vieAV upon the surface of the huge lake, now as 
smooth as a mirror, a large boat that Avas nearing Pirara, Avhile almost 
at the same moment a small troop of Brazilians stepped out from the 
oasis. They Avere Captain Leal's subordinates, a portion of the garrison 
of Sao Joaquim, who, hoAvever, had come for anything but a warlike 
purpose. Captain Leal probal>ly Avanted just as good cash as Father 
■Jose, for both had collected a large corial-load of jjrovisions Avhich they 
were offering us for sale. No one had dared hope a few minutes before 
that our confusion Av-ould hav^e changed to joy like this. Curiosity over the 
cause of the false alai'm naturally drcAv the asseuibled officers over to 
Pirara, AAdiere their accounts of the effects produced by our militaiy 
.signal redoubled the fun. The call to arms had even frightened them 
out of a game of wliist and forced them to distribute \A"eap<uis, munitions, 
etc., which the black garrison received wit\i every indication of heroic 
courage. The largest of the turtle, of which Captain Leal had sent us a 
fairly good supply, as prepared by our present-time cook, Adams, of 
course oliliterated the last trace of the excitentent. AVe Avere still more, 
delighted, however, when we learnt from the Brazilians that one of their 
countrymen Avas on his waj^ A\dth an even larger boat from the Rio 
Branco, and bringing us a load of turtle, salted and dried lieef, and 
farine. It had already reached the landing of the Pirara the week before, 
but as the owner could not yet get his deeply-laden vessel up to the 
village, he had asked us through one of his people to pay him a visit, 
^ly brother and Lieutenant Weiburg immediately got on horseback and 
rode over to the place of sale, had a look at the goods, and soon 
returned with the trader from whom they purchased the whole cargo 
Avhich consisted of 23 giant turtle {Emi/s amazonk-a Mart. ) and a 
qnantity of salted and sun-dried beef (Carne secca). My brother })aid 
21- dollars for each of the turtle. The Carne secca both in appearance and 
taste l)ore very great resemblance to a dried piece of wood, which was 
of course only to be expected considering its method of preparation. 
The meat is cut into long thin strips, rubbed Avell in A\dt]i salt, and then 
slung up on cords and so dried and impoverished in the sun until it 
becomes as hard as bone and completely black. 
24.^. Stöckle aud Tiedge and several Indians receiA^ed orders to build 
a palisade in one of the inlets of the Pirara, where we could cage our 
turtle, and haA^e them fetched one at a time for slaughter according "to 
taste and requirements. Some of them were so heaA^' that tliey could 
hardly be carried by three men, 
1 G. 
