peeping down from among the dense foliage.
Then off they would go, leaping from bough to bough through the forest.
Here a flock of paroquets appeared in sight for a few moments. Now one
of the light-blue chatterers, then a lovely trogon, would seize a fruit
as it darted by; or the delicate white wing and claret-coloured plumage
of a lovely pompadour would glance from the foliage; or a huge-billed
toucan would pitch down on a bough above us, and shake off a fruit into
the water. Gay flowers, too, were not wanting, of the orchid tribe:
some with white and spotted and purple blossoms; the most magnificent of
a brilliant purple colour, called by the natives Saint Ann's flower,
four inches across. We plucked some, which emitted a most delightful
odour. At last we came out once more into the bright sunshine, at a
small lake, the surface of which was adorned in many parts with
numberless beautiful water-plants--graceful lilies, yellow
bladder-worts, and numbers of a bright blue flower, which contrasted
with the green leaves. The whole track, indeed, consisted, we found, of
igarapes, lakes, and gapo; here and there patches of high and dry land
so mingled together that we could not have told whether we were on the
main shore or on an island.

At length we reached another lake with higher banks, where Pedro told us
we would encamp and commence fishing. The little lake extended over an
area of about ten acres, and was surrounded by the forest. The borders
were somewhat swampy, and covered with a fine grass. On these borders
the hunters erected little stages, consisting of long poles, with
cross-pieces secured by lianas. The pool abounded with turtle. Our
hunters mounted the stages, armed with bow and arrow. The arrow was so
formed that the head when it struck the animal remained in its body,
while the shaft floated to the surface, though remaining attached to it
by a long line. We remained in a larger canoe to watch proceedings,
while Pedro and two Indians entered a smaller one. The Indians did not
even wait for the turtles to come to the surface; but the moment they
saw a ripple in the water, the man nearest shot his arrow with unerring
aim, and it never failed to pierce the shell. As soon as one was shot,
Pedro paddled towards it, and, taking the shaft and line in his hand,
humoured the creature as a fisherman does a salmon, till, exhausted, it
rose to the surface, when it was further secured by another arrow shot