1848 .] 
JOURNEY TO MAGOARY. 
39 
afterwards felt no more of it. The insect is a minute flea, 
wliich bmTows into the skin of the toes, where it grows 
into a large bag of eggs as big as a pea, the insect being 
just distinguishable as a black speck on one side of it. 
When it first enters it causes a slight irritation, and if 
found may then be easily extracted ; but when it grows 
large it is very painful, and if neglected may produce a 
serious wound. With care and attention however this 
dreaded insect is not so annoying as the mosquito or our 
own domestic flea. 
Having made arrangements for another and a longer 
visit to Magoary, we packed up our hammocks, nets, and 
boxes, and went on board a canoe which trades regularly 
to the mills, bringing the rice and timber, and taking 
whatever is required there. We left Para about nine at 
night, when the tide served, and at five the next morning 
found the vessel lying at anchor, waiting for the flood. 
We were to proceed on to the mills in a montaria, or small 
Indian canoe, and as we were five with the Negroes who 
were to paddle, I felt rather nervous on finding that 
we sank the little boat to within two inches of the water’s 
edge, and that a slight motion of any one of the party 
would be enough to swamp us altogether. However 
there was no help for it, so off we went, but soon found 
that with its unusual load our boat leaked so much that 
we had to keep baling by turns with a calabash all the 
time. This was not very agreeable ; but after a few miles 
we got used to it, and looked to the safe termination of 
our voyage as not altogether improbable. 
The picturesque and novel appearance of the river’s 
banks, as the sun rose, attracted all our attention. The 
