THE RAPmS OP THE MADEIRA AND THE MAMORfi. 70 
slaves; and this state of things can he remedied only hy improving 
the communications, and thereliy destroying the monopoly of commerce 
in the hands of a few enterprising hut unscrupulous speculatoi-s. 
riic Campos on the left hank of the Mamore are inhabited hy the 
C^hacovos, a peaceful tribe of Indians, who used to visit Exaltacion 
from time to time ; hut of late they seem to have retired more mto 
the unknown interior. They consider the herds of wild cattle in the 
Campos between the Mamore and Beni as their property, and resent 
any hunting or killing of them by the inhabitants of Exaltacion 
and Santa Ana. 
At two days’ journey below the ancient Mission of Exaltacion, we 
found the first nidc beginnings of agricxiltnre, plantains and cacao 
planted by the Indians of the Mission ; in close jiroximity to which 
was the first civilised house Ave had seen for mouths. It belonged 
to an old Brazilian, Antonio de Barros Cardoza, the same who rendered 
such material assistance to Lieutenant Gibbon, of the U. 8. Navy, 
eighteen years ago, and Avhose aid was so important to us, when 
piepaiing to return. He is a good-looking man, of about fifty years ; 
his brown, weather-beaten face and strong frame showing the true 
1 01 tuguese type, and his vivacity and activity contrasting singularly 
V ith his long, gi’cy beard. His house, a low, one-storied edifice, 
Avith a large open slied that serves at once as sitting-room, store, 
bed-room for guests, and kitchen, stands on a projecting rock on the 
right margin, and bears the name of Cerrito. We spent a couple of 
jileasant hours Avith liiin, talking about the Avar in Paraguay, the 
politics of Bolivia, and the future Madeira Eaihvay; and Ave left him, 
after having acceptc'd his kind offer to lodge us at a little house of 
his at Exaltacion. 
In the jiort ’ of that Mission, Ai'liere \ve landed presently, a feAV 
small canoes and two larger barques of the same iimvieldy shape as 
ours, Avere moored at the foot of the steep slope, Avhilc on its top 
some miserable thatched huts, Avith stunted bananas and the dwarf 
Avind-torn giwth of tlie Campos around them, mark the place that 
bears the high-sounding name of PrEirro be Exaltacion de la Santa 
Cruz. 
Some Indians bathing, and a couple of broAvn avoiucu filling their 
large earthen jars, Avere the only olijects that imparted an air of life 
to the melanehoh' scene. 
