110 The Boats' Crews Broach the Liquor. 
269. .What with the high level the water had already reached, the 
Awaricuru was uow only separated from Lake Amucii by a small ridge, 
for which reason both our provision boats could be lauded here, emptied, 
and then dragged over it, and so briug by lake the longed-for goods aud 
chattels up to the immediate neighbourhood of the village, thus making 
the tiresome laud-transport unnecessary. 
270. Unfortunately, both the provisions as well as "trade" had been 
considerably spoilt by the incessant laiu to which they had been exposed 
during the journey, aud ys lwn we opened the boxes that contained our 
small supply of wine, rum, etc., we recognised signs of damage inside as 
well, for out of every dozen bottles, six on an average were broken. 
Naturally, we could only ascribe tliis loss to neglect in packing, until 
here again Eepeutauce or Revenge, on account of an insufticient share of 
the stolen spoils, supplied us with tlie explanation. Coxswain Heudriek, 
like our countryman Eeuter. A^■hose business it was to superintend the 
paddlers, knowing Avliich cases roulaiued the spirits, could not resist 
the temptation, aud in eonjuncliou with the boats' crews drove nails 
through the seams of tlie ])Oxes in sueli a way as to break some bottles In 
every one of theui, when the escaping liquor was collected in 
calabashes and divided. Had the boats' crews committed this refined 
theft amongst themselves, we should not liave been so upset as we 
were on learning that Hendrick and Renter had been the ringleaders. 
Unfortunately, we could not do without Hendidck, though Renter's 
days among us were now numbered, — the militaiy boats returning took 
him back to Georgetown which he certainly never lived to see on account 
of his contracting at Bartika the same disease which we had recognised in 
the young Dutch girl on the Essequibo (I. 641)) : he was huried there 
three days after arrival. 
271. As Lieutenant Bingham had at the same time received despatches 
for the President of Para iuforndng him of the luarching orders of the 
English militar-y. Lieutenant Weiburg was sent mth them next day to 
Fort Sao Joayjuim, to hand them over to Captain Leal and have them 
forwarded on. One of the three boats we had used on the Takutu trip, 
which according to the statement of some Indians who had visited Pirar-a 
mouth a few days before, ought still to be there, offered him the most 
convenient means for the journiey: our countryman Tiedge accompanied 
him to fetch the baskets of nmndiocca or farinha, which with the 
Brazilians takes the place of cassava bread, i)ronused us by Commandaut 
Leal. It is obtained from the starch of the cassava roots, and by means 
of special handling formed into grains of tlie size of our groats. When 
meal-time comes round the Brazilians are so adept at throwing these 
crumbs into their mouths with the fiugeivtips, that only rarely does one 
un'ss its mark. 
272. Mr. Weibnrg returned six days after his departure and specially 
interested me with a report whicli Tiedge confirmed. While travelling up 
the Takutu they were at first regularly frightened by several shapeless 
animals whose heads appeared from time to time above the surface of the 
water, owing to the creatures l)eing entirely unknown to them: their 
existence, however, was subsequently substantiated when they recognised 
