An Indian's Welcome in Poktuguese. 
^87 
thunderstorm compelled us to pitch our tents. In front of us lay the 
Canuku Ranges the summit of which was hidden in masses of dark 
cloud. The rain continued throughout the night. 
672. The more unpleasant the night, the more charming the dawn. 
Tlie rising sun was covered with' that white transparent cloudy fleece 
so peculiar to tlie rainy season, and now and then cast its rays upon the 
millions of rain drops glittering like diamonds hanging from the trees, 
and which in association lent an enchanting freshness to the whole of 
the vegetation. ' 
673. 'After passing, on the western hank, the mouth of the Camarapa, 
which also has its source in the Cannku Ranges, the latter received us 
within its honndaries. On resuming our journey we saw ahead of us an 
object hobhing to and fro on the surface of the water and again starting 
up perpendicularly a foot or two above it. Tt did not take the Indians 
long to recognise that it was the shaft of an arrow sticking into the back' 
of some fish which, jndffing from the rapiditv of its movements, must be 
of considerable size. We spent a long while iri unsuccessfully chasing 
the shot spoil and then considered it an unnecessary waste of time to 
(Continue it longer. On the right or eastern bank we passed the mouth 
of the Mapare : above this, several granite rocks which the Indians 
called Maipure came into view on both water-sides. On account of the 
heavy downpours of rain, the stream was rising almost every hour so as 
not only to increase the force of the current but particularly our efforts 
to an extreme derrree : it finally comnelled ns to take in our paddles and 
drag the corial alons: throujxh the foam-flaked rush of water by hauling 
onto the branches of trees that had tn milled into the stream. 
674. We soon got so exhausted at this work that, although it waa 
yet early in the day, we were obliged to pitch camp at the mouth of the 
Aripai, a little creek that flows into the Rupununi here from the east- 
ward. After recovering a I>it we strolled to the small Wapisiana settle- 
ment of the same name, situate somewhat inland from the mouth, on 
the bank of this small tributary. 
675. All the residents were collected iri brie of the houses, iri front of 
which the old chieftain welcomed us in Portuguese, whereupon the 
others, almost all of them young people, shook hands with us. That 
the chief and his wife, still a beautiful imposing figure although already 
aged, must have lived long among the Portuguese was shown not only by 
their knowledge of the language, but especially so by the kind of greet- 
ing with" which she welcomed my brother because, before he could pre- 
vent her, she had seized and kissed his hand. I confess that this 
ceremony turned me against the woman from the very first, and was 
more unpleasant than surprising. Put I was astounded when, oti 
entering the house, my brother was addressed by name by a young 
female in whom he at last recognised a servant of a Senhora Librada, a 
lady who was living at Fort Sao .Toaquim in the year 183S. The young 
woman had fallen out with her mistress and seizing the first oppor- 
tunity of leaving her clandestinely had sought asylum with the chief- 
taints wife a Paravilbana and relative of hers. 
