result was that we now had none
left, except a tin of _guyabada_ (sweet cheese). I had become almost as
improvident as the Brazilians when it came to food, as I could not resist
the temptation, and instead of the usual three meals a day we were
munching food all the time.

[Illustration: Itaituba.]

The strong fever was wearing me out. The dissatisfaction of my men
because we had no more food--it was their own fault, for they had
insisted on leaving most of it behind--and their constant grumbling were
tiring me to death. We killed a small bird in the evening. By the time we
had broiled it over a flame it satisfied but little our ravenous
appetites.

On October 3rd we reached quantities of boulders and rocks, which showed
me that we were once more approaching the extensive rocky table-land I
had seen on our outward journey. As we climbed up higher and higher we
came to an elevated streamlet of limpid water running in a channel carved
out of the solid rock. It took us over two hours' steady marching, going
perhaps some 21/2 miles an hour, to cross the summit of that high rocky
tableland. Then we descended through _chapada_ and found ourselves among
a lot of ravines, on the slope of one of which we halted for the night.
There we killed two large monkeys, which we proceeded to broil and eat. I
never liked the idea of eating monkeys, as I could not get over the
feeling that I was eating a child, they looked so human. The hands and
arms particularly, after they had been roasted over the fire, looked too
human for words.

On October 4th we climbed a steep and rocky hill, crossing on its summit
another section of the rocky plateau, a regular dome of grey volcanic
rock. Then, descending from this second tableland on its eastern side, we
had to struggle and stumble through most rugged country, where I found an
extinct circular crater some 50 ft. in diameter and 50 ft. deep, with a
vent at an angle in its bottom going apparently to a great depth. Near
that spot was also a strange giant natural gateway of rock.

The descent was steep, and most trying for us among the great boulders
over which we had to climb on our hands and feet. When we got to the
bottom of this elevated country, the forest we found had quite a
different aspect, which suggested to me the approach of the big river. We
found there plenty of wild fruit, particularly some small black
berries--called in Brazilian _pattaoa_--quite good to eat; also some
most pala