364 
TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. 
\_ApriI, 
whicli now consisted of four monkeys, about a dozen 
parrots, and six or eight small birds. It was a constant 
trouble to get food for them in sufficient variety, and 
to prevent them from escaping. Most of the birds are 
brought up without being confined, and if placed in a 
cage, attempt constantly to get out, and refuse food, 
till they die ; if, on the other hand, they are loose, they 
wander about to the Indians’ houses, or into the forest, 
and are often lost. I here had two new toldas made to 
my canoes, but all attempts to hire men were fruitless. 
Fowls and fish were tolerably abundant, so we were 
better off than at Uarucapuri. 
On the 4th, in the afternoon, Senhors Jesuino and 
Chagas arrived with a whole fleet of canoes, and upwards 
of twenty prisoners, all, but one, women and children. 
Seven men and one woman had been killed ; the rest of 
the men escaped ; but only one of the attacking party 
was killed. The man was kept bound, and the women 
and children well guarded, and every morning and even- 
ing they were all taken down to the river to bathe. At 
night there was abundance of caxiri and caxa^a drunk, 
in honour of the new comers, and all the inhabitants 
assembled in the great house. I spoke to Jesuino abouC 
obtaining some Indians for me, which he promised to do. 
Next morning however his first act was to summon my 
pilot, and scold him for coming with me at all, — fright- 
ening the poor fellow so, that he immediately went oflP 
with his father down the river. Before he had left how- 
ever, having been told by my guardas what was going 
on, I applied to Jesuino about the matter, when he de- 
nied having said anything to the pilot, but refused to*^ 
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