A Substitute tor the Christmas Goose. 237 
538. Wlieu we took leave of the friendly Commaudaut aud the Fort 
towards midday, the large Brazilian flag was unfurled in our honour. We 
made but slow progress on our return journey because in consequence of 
the strong current of the Takutu, we could hardly advance more than 
one mile an hour. 
539. On the morning of 24th December we reached the fazenda of 
Friar Jose. While taking our stinted l)reakfa.st there, our attention was 
drawn to a boat, not only on account of its coming down tlie Takutu 
with a completely blue sail, but particularly owing to its crew wearing 
large white straAv hats. The greater tlie difficulty in solving the pnzzb\ 
the more unexix'otod did its solution become wlien, uiion the vessel 
drawing close, recognised our former craft from Warami. and in her 
crew men whom we knew fi-om Xnppi. Onr deserters had foi tnnatel.v 
reached there, and as some of the villagers wanted to make a bnsiness 
trip to the Parima and ol)tain some dogs, spnn cotton, etc.. they had 
willingly undertaken to lu-ing the boat l)ack to Warami. A large piece 
of salempore served them as a sail. The news they brought us proved 
a sad Christmas present. They were the first to infoi m ns of the death 
of our faithful and conscientious friend, Youd, and at the same time 
that Pirara, formerly so lively, was occupied l)y no one except Tiedge and 
an old woman. Mr. Goodall and his party had met them at the innction 
of the Mahn with the Takutn, where they Avere busy entting np a tapir. 
Overcome with the painful news of the death of one whom we had learnt 
to know In life as one of the bravest and noblest of men, we oontinned 
our jonrney. P>oth river-banks consisted of large 'quantities of the 
!l>eautifnl Mortui c.rccUa in full bloom. The Macnsis call this lovely 
tree Ajawi-ye. The monotony of the morning and evening of Tliristmas 
Day was at least varied somewhat by onr efforts, though vainless, to kill 
a tapir which we often met in twos and threes on the sandbanks at 
these times. 'K number of tortoises stretched their heads out of the 
water close to the sandbanks npon which they searched for a place to lay 
their eggs. 
540. On the second of the holidays M-e reached the month' of the Mahu, 
Fledged yonng, usually two, rarely three, were everywhere to be found in 
the nests of the Jabini. Tn spite of every effort we did not succeed in 
supplying a roasted dnck for the fc^stive boai d : the young Jabiru remained 
our only resource. P>iit to climb one of the colossal trees was an im- 
possibility: one that was crowned Avith sneh a nest would have to be cut 
down. Tn the course of an hoiiT- the tiresome work was completed, the 
giant fell over and in its fall killed one of the three yonngsters which 
was immediately gutted and cooked. The lives of both the undamaged 
ones were spared, as we wanted to take them with us to Pirara: they 
proved at first so stuliborn and cross that we could not go near them, but 
calmed their tempers fairly quickly and very soon became tame. Of 
course they proved a pair of almost insatiable guests, but fortunately 
they swallowed everything we threw to them, even the flesh of their own 
brother. The nowise they produce with their beak has much similarity 
with the "clatter" of our storks, 
