before sunset, or whenever there
is any appearance of the approach of a rain-storm.

Our travellers would not have noticed their voices on this occasion, but
that they seemed to be approaching in that direction; and as they were
coming along the bank of the main river, Guapo concluded that on
arriving at the "igaripe" they would turn up it and pass near where the
balza was, and thus he might have them within reach of his gravatana. It
was certain they were coming down the river side--of course upon the
tree-tops, and would, no doubt, turn up as Guapo expected, for the trees
on the opposite side of the igaripe stood too far apart even for monkeys
to spring across.

After waiting for half-an-hour or so, the hideous howling of the monkeys
could be heard at no great distance, and they were taking the desired
route. In fact, in a few minutes after, the troop appeared upon some
tall trees that stood on the edge of the creek, not fifty yards from
where the balza was moored. They were large animals, of that lanky and
slender shape that characterises the prehensile-tailed monkeys; but
these were different from the _ateles_ already mentioned. They were
true howlers, as they had already proved by the cries they had been
uttering for the half-hour past.

There are several species of howling monkeys, as we have already stated.
Those that had arrived on the igaripe Guapo pronounced to be
_araguatoes_. Their bodies are of a reddish-brown colour on the body and
shoulders, lighter underneath, and their naked wrinkled faces are of a
bluish black, and with very much of the expression of an old man. Their
hair is full and bushy, and gives them some resemblance to a bear,
whence their occasional name of "bear-ape," and also their zoological
designation, _Simia ursina_. The araguato is full three feet without the
tail, and that powerful member is much longer.

When the band made its appearance on the igaripe, they were seen to come
to a halt, all of them gathering into a great tree that stood by the
water's edge. This tree rose higher than the rest, and the most of the
monkeys having climbed among the top branches, were visible from the
balza. There were about fifty in the troop, and one that seemed larger
than any of the others appeared to act as leader. Many of them were
females, and there were not a few that had young ones, which they
carried upon their backs just as the Indian mothers and those of other
savage nations carry their ch