I 
384 
TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. 
\June^ 
the river, now at its height, carrying us down with great 
rapidity ; and the succeeding night we had a tremendous 
storm, which blew and tossed our little vessel about in 
a very alarming manner. The owner of the canoe, an 
Indian, was much frightened \ he called upon the Virgin; 
and promised her several pounds of candles, if she 
would but save the canoe ; and, opening the door of the 
little cabin where I was sleeping, cried out in a most 
piteous voice, Oh ! meu amigo, estamos perdidos '' 
(Oh ! my friend, we are all lost). In vain I tried to 
comfort him with assurances that, as the vessel was new 
and strong, and not too heavily laden, there was no 
danger,— although the night was pitch-dark, and the 
wind blew in the most fierce and furious gusts imagin- 
able. We did not know whether we were in the middle 
of the river or near the side, and the only danger we 
were exposed to, was of our drifting ashore or running 
aground. After about an hour however the canoe came 
to a stop, without any shock whatever, and remained ' 
perfectly still, although the wind still blew. It was so 
dark that nothing was to be seen, and it was only by 
stretching his arm down over the side, that the master 
ascertained that we had drifted into one of the large 
compact beds of fioating grass which, in many places, 
line the banks of the Amazon for hundreds of yards 
from the shore. Here therefore we were safely moored, 
and waited for the morning, sleeping comfortably, with 
the knowledge that we were out of all danger. 
The next day, by noon, we reached the mouth of the 
Tapajoz, and went in the montaria to Santarem, to make 
some purchases and visit my friends. I found old 
11 
