ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
We frequently met with plants of caju or acaju or 
acajueiro (Anacardium Occidentale L.), on our course. 
They belonged to the Terebinthacece group. In a pre¬ 
ceding chapter I have already described the red or 
yellow delicious fruit of this tree. Then we found other 
interesting trees, such as the oleo , the tall and handsome 
poinna , and numerous specimens of the small but good- 
looking palm pindova. 
There were not many flowers in that particular spot, 
barring perhaps an occasional cluster of white flowers, 
principally bocca de carneiro , said to have properties 
refreshing for the blood. 
Near a small stream I noticed some lovely, slender, 
tall geguitiba vermelho trees (Cour atari estrellensis 
Raddi), from 75 to 80 feet high, with branches and 
clusters of deep green, healthy leaves at the summit only. 
There was a little less monotony in the scenery before 
us that day, for to the west stood, over a long, slightly 
undulating line, one peculiar, conical hill heavily wooded. 
In pools of stagnant water were lovely water flowers, and 
in the neighbourhood of that moisture many handsome 
burity palms were prominent in the landscape. 
We had been mounting gently all the time from our 
last camp. Early in the afternoon we reached that mag¬ 
nificent river, the Araguaya, over 200 yards wide, although 
something like between 2,500 and 3,000 kilometres, or 
perhaps more, from its mouth. Its lovely, placid waters, 
reflecting with the faithfulness of a mirror the vegetation 
on the high steep banks as well as the clouds in the sky, 
made an effective picture. The dead silence, disturbed 
only by the shouts of my men as they urged the mules 
to the water-side, was most impressive, the water flowing 
so slowly that it almost looked stagnant. 
Not a mountain, not a hill could be perceived, except 
one low, humble range of hills to the south. It was on 
those hills that the great Araguaya had its birth. 
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