The Beaztlian Boundary Commission. 
315 
he certainly did not receive correct information, and liad lie based his 
map upon our diplomatic perfidy, an extraordinai-y boundary line ■would 
have been the result. Colonel de Matoz could not commence mapping 
for the present, because he was still aM^aitinrj another engineer officer : 
but how this map was ever to be made rcmaiued an intricate puzzle to 
Mr. Fryer and myself, because, in the belief that neither astronomical 
instruments nor sextant were necessary, those two gentlemen had 
brought none Miüi them. Our statements remained consequently the 
only basis for fixinc; the boundary. 
760. When in the course of conversation we came to talk about the 
"trade'' with which thq Indians have always to be paid when their 
assistance is re(|uired, the Colonel assured us that as this was unneces- 
sary he had brought none: the Indiansi had to render him the help de- 
manded without any recompense, a statement that showed clearly enough 
that I knew as little of the relations existing between ihe aboriginals and 
the authorities on the Brazilian side, as Colonel de Matoz of the Indians 
under free or English government. The whole undertaking bore the 
greatest- resemblance to a Don Quixottiade. Wliilo the presence of tlie 
Boundary Commission proved the source of many a cheerful hour to us, 
it was the cause of the most abject terror for <>ur absc(mding Portuguese 
friend because she was continually afraid of being discovered by mem- 
bers of the Colonel's party when they Avere rambling around. Fortu- 
nately she escaped the detection she so feared, by hiding during the day 
in the thickest spots of the wooded oases, and only returning to the 
village at nightfall. A second source of amusement was the fruitless 
attempts of the Colonel to make rebels of our valiant old one-eyed chief- 
tain Basiko and his subordinates. HoAvever often the Colonel might 
invite the hitter, together with the oldest men fi'om his village TTuiata, 
to his own camp, treat them there in such ?r,letidid style, and on each 
occasion shew Basiko the beautiful gold and silvtM- spangled uniform and 
polished sword tliat he had brought and ])romised liim as i-eward if he 
and his sul)ordinates would only recognise allegiance to the Brazilian 
Covernment, it had no effect although it was an inducement very often 
nractised l>v the Brazilians with success. The many outracres of Avhich 
Basiko had been witness, the terrible oppression to which his tribe liad 
Iieen subjected by the Brazilians, together with the threat of Majors 
Coelho and Leal tohansr him like a dotr. had so impressed themselves on 
his memory that glittering gold and coloured cloth could nevei' effaca 
them. Basiko remained true and Colonel dp Matoz must have noticed 
with annoyanee thnf on our departure from Pirara, he accompanied us in 
excellent snirits to Creorc-etown where, ns a reward for his manv ser- 
vices, he would receive, at the hands of the Governor, if not a uniforTo 
'decorated with jrold nnd silver, at least a beautifully oruanient^d 
chieftain's staff, and a larcre nrinted patent of office, upon wliich the 
Indians set an uncommonly hiffh value. 
761. On gettinsr back to Pirara Ave did not find the coloured cap- 
tains we had expected but thev came on the 7th June, when we started 
busily to work transnorting the baggag** to the landing'^stage of 
Quatata now only 1,000 yards away. On the IStli this was completed 
