02 
THE AIVIAZON AND MADEIRA RIVERS. 
at a few paces from behind, which left him just strength enough to 
shout to us to open fire. 
“ Discharging our eight guns (we mustered no more), we wounded 
several of the Indians, the rest of whom retired to the protection of 
the nearest big trunks, and thence sent a perfect volley of arrows; 
which, however, wounded but two of our crew, as we had taken shelter 
behind our salt-bags. Eut for this bulwark we should have been 
destroyed, every one of us. When the Caripunas saw that more tlian 
one of them Avould be killed if they tried to take our strong position 
by assault, — and Indians rarely attack unless sure of success, with 
only small loss, — they gave in, and sloAvly retreated into the forest, 
carefully screening themselves behind the trees ; and we saw no 
more of them. But our poor comrade was dead, despite all our 
efforts to recall him to life; and we had to bxu-y him here in the 
wilderness.” 
Thus spoke the old mulatto. His tale bore the impress of truth 
so strongly that, though reluctantly, I was forced to modify the good 
opinion I had conceived of the Caripunas on the occasion of our visit 
to their shed. 
Again our whole crew had to Avork hard for two days to get the 
heavy barques to the smooth water above the Girao. 
Even Avith the cylinders placed underneath, the rolling is not easily 
effected over such an uneven rocky soil ; but, as the Avood is freshly 
cut and the sappy bark crushed by the AA'^eight of the boats, the 
rollers soon get smooth and slippery, and the canoes glide over them 
Avith tolerable rapidity. 
The temperature then was extraordinarily low, having sunk on the 
31st of July (in the dawn, betAveen four and five o’clock am.), to 65° 
Eahrenheit — a temj)eratm:e of rather disagreeable freshness to our skins, 
accustomed so long to a tropical heat of 80° and 90°. 
At the next rapid of Tres-Irmaos (the three brothers), Avhose name 
is derived from a hill Avith a three-headed summit, the Madeira, broken 
by a large island into tAVO main arms, Avith a sharp bend suddenly 
alters its principal direction from South-west to North-east, and runs 
duo East along the parallel of 9° 33". 
A porous ferruginous sandstone, called Pedra Canga, which AA-e had 
remarked at Manaos, and which is found in the whole Amazon Valley, 
now reaftpears on the surface. The banks are raised somewhat above 
