CHAPTER V 
Great Islands —The Trinchao Fish — A Fisherman's Paradise — 
Alastar Island — Plentiful Rubber — The Civilized Man's Idea 
of the Tropical Forest — The War-Cries of the Indians — 
Swarms of Bees and Butterflies 
W E had another cool night on July twelfth — 
minimum temperature 47° Fahrenheit. It was 
very damp, and in the morning we had, as on the 
previous day, a thick mist which prevented our starting 
until it cleared up, at 7.40 a.m. The mist rose in columns 
and square blocks over the warmish water of the river. 
The right bank of the Arinos was forty feet high. 
We had gone some 1,500 metres from our camp 
when we came to a magnificent island, 400 metres long 
and 200 metres wide, Griselda Island, which divided the 
stream into two channels. 
All the islands we had seen of late showed on the 
up-stream side a more or less extensive spit of beautifully 
coloured gravel and glittering crystals. The latter shone 
in the sun with such iridescent luminosity that it gave 
those islands a fairy-like appearance. 
We encountered troublesome eddies which swung the 
canoe about, and in one case actually spun her completely 
round in a most alarming manner, tearing out of Alcides’ 
hands the steering gear, which we had some trouble in 
recovering. 
There were many handsome large-leafed pacova 
somewhat resembling banana palms; also quantities of 
SipJionia elastica , although these were not quite so plenti¬ 
ful as farther south nor the trees so high. A tiny brook 
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