204 
TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. 
[ October y 
5 
Here we staid two days, unloading and loading. I 
found plenty to do capturing the butterflies, several rare 
species of which were abundant on the hot rocks by the 
river’s side. At length all was right, and we proceeded 
on our way in two heavily-laden canoes, and rather 
cramped for room compared to what we had been be- 
fore. We had several little rapids to pass, round project- 
ing points of rock, where the Indians had to jump into 
the water and push the canoe past the difficulty. In 
two days more we reached the village of Sao Pedro, 
where Senhor L. borrowed another canoe, much better 
and more convenient, so that we had again half a day’s 
delay. The owner was a young Brazilian trader, a very 
hospitable and civil fellow, with whom we spent a pleasant 
evening. He and Senhor L. were old cronies, and began 
talking in a language I could not understand, though I 
knew it was some kind of Portuguese. I soon however 
found out what it was, and Senhor L. afterwards told 
me that he had learnt it when a boy at school. It con- 
sisted in adding to every syllable another, rhyming with 
it, but beginning with p ; thus to say, “ Yenha ca ” 
(come here), he would say “ Venpenhapa capa,” or if in 
English Comepum herepere and this, when spoken 
rapidly, is quite unintelligible to a person not used to it. 
This Senhor was a bit of a musician, and amused us 
with some simple tunes on the guitar, almost the only 
instrument used in this part of the country. 
Leaving this place, we passed the mouth of the small 
river Curicuriari, from which we had a flne view' of the 
Serras of the same name. These are the finest moun- 
tains I had yet seen, being irregular conical masses of 
\ 
II 
■f I 
I': 
S?:] 
