sea-coast.

The ants' nests have a singular appearance on this plain. They are in
vast abundance on those parts of it free from water, and are formed of an
exceeding hard yellow clay. They rise eight or ten feet from the ground
in a spiral form, impenetrable to the rain, and strong enough to defy the
severest tornado.

The wourali-poison, procured in these last-mentioned huts, seemed very
good, and proved afterwards to be very strong.

There are now no more Indian settlements betwixt you and the Portuguese
frontiers. If you wish to visit their fort, it would be advisable to
send an Indian with a letter from hence, and wait his return. On the
present occasion a very fortunate circumstance occurred. The Portuguese
commander had sent some Indians and soldiers to build a canoe, not far
from this settlement; they had just finished it, and those who did not
stay with it had stopped here on their return.

The soldier who commanded the rest, said he durst not, upon any account,
convoy a stranger to the fort; but he added, as there were two canoes,
one of them might be despatched with a letter, and then we could proceed
slowly on in the other.

About three hours from this settlement there is a river called Pirarara;
and here the soldiers had left their canoes while they were making the
new one. From the Pirarara you get into the river Maou, and then into
the Tacatou; and just where the Tacatou falls into the Rio Branco, there
stands the Portuguese frontier fort, called Fort St. Joachim. From the
time of embarking in the river Pirarara, it takes you four days before
you reach this fort.

There was nothing very remarkable in passing down these rivers. It is an
open country, producing a coarse grass, and interspersed with clumps of
trees. The banks have some wood on them, but it appears stunted and
crooked, like that on the bleak hills in England.

The tapir frequently plunged into the river; he was by no means shy, and
it was easy to get a shot at him on land. The kessi-kessi paroquets were
in great abundance; and the fine scarlet ara innumerable in the
coucourito trees at a distance from the river's bank. In the Tacatou was
seen the troupiale. It was charming to hear the sweet and plaintive
notes of this pretty songster of the wilds. The Portuguese call it the
nightingale of Guiana.

Towards the close of the fourth evening, the canoe, which had been sent
on with a letter, met us with the commander's answer.