ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
Cumaseba and Tamanco, where an interesting collection 
of animals and Indian weapons had been made by the pro¬ 
prietor, we came in the evening to the farm of Buenos 
Aires. 
Early on January third we passed San Roque, and 
then Condorcanqui, a fine plantation of bananas along the 
river bank, and also a plantation of yuta (jute) and some 
bread trees. Clouds of aigrette storks could be seen in 
the evening circling about, thousands and thousands of 
them. They produced a most curious effect in the distance 
against the heavy black clouds of the sky. 
We entered the Yanna Yakka stream, the water of 
which was almost absolutely stagnant and as black as ink, 
full of snakes, fish, and crocodiles. Yanna Yakka in the 
local Indian language means “ black water.’’ We steamed 
for two hours up that river as far as Porto Central, the 
river being quite narrow — only 150 metres wide. We 
eventually arrived at the prettiest spot I had so far seen 
on the river, called Porto Principal. On an elongated 
island not more than eighty metres wide were to be seen 
four large buildings of bona palm, with spacious verandas 
and corrugated iron roofs. The buildings were connected 
by high bridges. All those structures were built on piles 
twelve feet high. Many chapaha palms of great height 
were to be seen there. 
I heard at that place an extraordinary account of how 
a dirigible balloon, with nobody on board, had some few 
years before passed over the house. The balloon — which 
my informant, in his ignorant language, called a “ huge 
square globe ” — flew, according to him, a flag, the stars 
and stripes, and had an anchor dangling down. The bal¬ 
loon was travelling in a westerly direction. It flew a little 
higher than the trees, and caused a great scare among 
the natives. My informant told me that there was no one 
in the car at all, but they waved their hands at him (sic) 
when they passed over his house! He then told me that 
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