358 
TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. \Mafch, 
Philippe, one of my gnardas, to try and engage him, and 
also to buy all the living birds and animals he could meet 
with. The following day he returned, bringing with him 
one “ Macaco barrigudo’’ {Lagotlirix Humholdtii), and a 
couple of parrots. On most days I had a new fish or 
two to figure, but birds and insects were very scarce. 
This day Senhor Mcolau returned. On my first ar- 
rival, I had been told that he had a “tataruga pintata” 
(painted turtle) for me, but that he would give it me 
himself on his arrival; so I did not meddle with it, 
though my Indians saw it in a '' corral,’’ in a small stream 
near the house. On arriving, he sent to fetch it, but 
found it had escaped, though it had been seen in its cage 
on the preceding day. I thus lost perhaps my only 
chance of obtaining a much- desired and probably un- 
described river turtle, as the time of disovation was past, 
and they had now retired into the lakes, and become 
very scarce and difficult to be met with. 
As my Indians were here doing nothing, I sent three ^ 
of them with Sebastiao up the Codiari, with beads, 'i 
hooks, mirrors, etc., to buy monkeys, parrots, or what- i 
ever else they could meet with, as well as some farinha, 
which I did not wish to be in want of again. I sent 
them with instructions to go for five or six days, in 
order to reach the last sitio, and purchase all that was 
to be had. In two days however they returned, having 
been no further than Philippe had gone, Sebastiao saying 
that his companions would not go on. He brought me 
some parrots and small birds, bows, bird-skins, and more 
farinha than my canoe would carry, all purchased very 
dearly, judging by the remnant of articles brought back" 
