with delight that we should find no
rapids of great importance from that point down stream, and that we might
find a few other _seringueiros_ on our way.

I was able to buy from the _seringueiro_ a quantity of food, my men being
overjoyed at the prospect of eating _feijao_ again with their meals.
Naturally the expense of taking food so far up the river was very great,
and I was glad indeed to pay the exorbitant price which the _seringueiro_
asked of L10 sterling for each 50 kilos of _farinha_; _feijao_ at 6_s._ a
pound; sugar at 5_s._ a pound--the prices which the _seringueiros_
themselves had to pay for those commodities from the rare trading boats
which once a year reached that farthermost point.

We started down stream once more, passing a tributary stream, 5 m. wide,
on the left bank. We had only gone 9 kil. when to our great joy we met
two trading-boats owned by a Brazilian Jew, who was on board in a
critical condition from malarial fever. Although in a dying state, he had
not lost his racial commercial ability. It was most interesting to watch
his expiring countenance while trying to strike the best bargain
possible. He sold me sixty candles for 60_s._, eight biscuits for the
equivalent of 7_s._ 6_d._, and a quantity of dried meat at 5_s._ a pound.

He looked askance at us, as he could not make out who we were, what we
were doing up that river, where we could have come from. At last he
signed to me that he had something to whisper in my ear. He asked me if I
was a runaway cashier from a bank! I told him that if I had been a
runaway cashier I would certainly not come and spend my money on the
Arinos-Juruena River.

The sight of human beings again--if that term could be applied
indiscriminately to all we had met so far--had greatly excited my men.

Some 13 kil. farther, the river being smooth but swift, we came to a
basin 700 m. broad, where the river described a turn toward the
north-east. We came upon a large clearing on the hill-side on the left
bank. There we saw the remains of two or three huts which had been
destroyed by fire. We perceived one or two people, and we landed. We
found that it was the shed of an enterprising Peruvian trader who had
established himself there in order to collect rubber. Only a few days
before we arrived a great fire had taken place, which had destroyed
nearly all he possessed; but--fortunately for us--they had saved a few
things, and I was able to purchase a quantity of rice, bi