NARROW ESCAPES 
ever I remonstrated they scooped the water carelessly 
with their paddles for a few minutes. As is the case with 
individuals mentally deficient, everything seemed to dis¬ 
tract them. One moment it was the flight of a jacutinga, 
a handsome black gallinaceous bird with a white crest. 
Another moment it was the jump of an inquisitive fish. 
Many mergulhao commun (Podiceps Americanus), won¬ 
derfully graceful, velvety black birds with long beaks, 
flew about unconcerned from tree to tree. Whenever 
anything moved about anywhere, the paddles were aban¬ 
doned, the rifles were seized, and there was a regular 
fusillade. The men seldom hit anything, although on 
many occasions, with the unsteady canoe, we all of us 
had narrow escapes. One day the man in front of me 
fired a shot at a bird, but so close to my head, — not more 
than one foot away, — that the concussion blinded me 
for several seconds. On other occasions the rifles went 
off when they were not expected to. I had ceased to give 
orders of any kind about the careful use of the weapons. 
It was time and lung-power absolutely wasted, and only 
made things worse. 
After floating down a beautiful stretch of 3,000 
metres, two more islands were reached within a great circle 
over 200 metres wide. A small tributary entered the 
Arinos on the right bank. Another island, 500 metres 
long, was seen farther down, at the end of which, where 
two channels met again, violent eddies were produced by 
the meeting of the two strong currents. 
Immense quantities of Siphonia elastica were there to 
be seen on both sides of the stream in the forest, which 
was getting more and more luxuriant as we proceeded on 
our journey farther north. Many wild banana palms 
(bananeira do matto ) were to be seen here and there along 
the lovely, deliciously clean river, with its extraordinarily 
tidy banks. 
Another great basin, 300 metres in diameter, was met, 
41 
