ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
we generally had white mist rising among the trees, while 
during the day rain was usually plentiful and rendered 
travelling somewhat monotonous, as we could not see 
much. We saw many specimens of the tagua or yarina , 
a small palm, the leaves of which were used in that region 
for roofing houses. At last we came to the first rocks I 
had seen in the river since leaving the Tapajoz River. 
They were at the double whirlpool of Naittavo. At the 
island of Errera was a narrow channel only thirty to 
forty metres wide, where the current was extremely 
strong, and just deep enough for our launch, which drew 
five feet of water. The upstream end of the island was 
strewn with logs of wood, forming a kind of barrage, 
the water of the dividing stream being thrown with great 
force against it. It was here that we got the first sight 
of high mountains — a great change after the immense 
stretches of flat land we had encountered all along the 
Amazon, Solimoes and Ucayalli. I saw some beautiful 
specimens of the idle or sleepy monkey, the preguya, a 
nocturnal animal with wonderful fur. The small launch 
was swung about with great force from one side to the 
other by the strong current and whirlpools. We saw a 
number of Cashibos (Carapaches and Callisecas) on the 
right bank of the river. They are said to be cannibals, 
but personally I rather doubt it. If they have occasionally 
eaten a missionary or two, I believe that it must have been 
rather as a religious superstition than because of the actual 
craving for human flesh. Also it is possible that, as is the 
case with many African tribes, the Cashibos may believe 
that eating an enemy gives strength and courage, and 
may have indulged in this practice purely on that account. 
So that I do not think that it is fair to call those Indians 
cannibals in the true sense of the word, any more than 
it would be fair to call a teetotaller a drunkard because 
he took a drink or two of brandy for medicinal purposes. 
The word “ Cashibo ” in the Pana language means 
372 
