198 
TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. 
\peptemher, 
picture-writings, being representations of numerous ani- 
mals and men, roughly picked out of the hard granite. 
I made careful drawings of these at the time, and took 
specimens of the rock. 
The next day we reached Carvoeiro, a village desolate 
and half deserted, as are all those on the Rio Negro. 
We found only two families inhabiting it, a blacksmith, 
and a Brazilian, who bore the title of Capitao Vascon- 
cellos, a good-humoured, civil man, who treated us very 
well the day we remiiined with him. Bor dinner we had 
turtle, with silver knives and forks, but our table was a 
mat on the ground. In the afternoon the Capitao got 
drunk with his old friend Senhor L., and then became 
very violent, and abused him as a vile, unworthy, skulk- 
ing Portuguese villain, and used many more epithets, of 
which the language has a copious store. Senhor L., who 
prides himself on never getting intoxicated, took it very 
coolly, and the next morning the Capitao expressed his 
heartfelt contrition, vowed eternal friendship, and re- 
gretted much that he should have given the '‘estrangeiro’' 
so much reason to think ill of his countrymen. 
‘ Proceeding on our journey, we entered on a labyrinth of 
small islands, so flooded that they appeared like masses 
of bushes growing out of the water. Though Senhor L. 
is well acquainted with the river, we here almost lost our 
way, and met another canoe which had quite done so. , 
As it was late, we staid at a point of dry land for the 
night, and hung our hammocks under the trees. The 
next day we called at the house of a man who owed 
Senhor L. some money, and who paid him in turtles, 
eight or nine of which we embarked. 
I : 
1 
