e), the largest and
tallest trees I had yet seen in Brazil, and _Garappa_ or _Garabu_ (of the
genus Terebinthaceae) trees--very interesting on account of their peculiar
winged roots. They resembled the _nonoko_, which were characteristic of
the Polynesian Islands and Philippine Archipelago, only the Brazilian
ones never attained proportions so large.

With endless trouble we had gone 20 kil. We had come to streams, where
again, owing to the precipitous descents on the slippery high banks,
several mules fell over and rolled down into the stream. One mule,
particularly, had become very nervous on approaching those places.
Foreseeing the punishment which would be meted out, its knees invariably
began to tremble and give way, and it let itself roll down purposely,
every time we came to those difficult passages. Once down at the bottom,
with baggage often immersed deep in water, we had the greatest difficulty
in making the wretched animal get up again, and we frequently had to drag
it bodily up the opposite slope by means of ropes. I have never seen an
animal stand more beating than that brute did. Although I am most kind to
animals, I must say for my men that this particular mule often drove us
all to absolute despair. Dragging the dead weight of an animal up a steep
slope, 40, 50, or even 70 ft. high--we were only seven men--was no joke
at all. When you had to repeat the operation several times a day, it was
somewhat trying. Once the brute had been dragged up to the top it would
quickly get up on its legs, and marched well while on fairly good ground.
But in moments of danger it was one of the most pusillanimous animals I
have ever possessed.

I had given strict orders that in places of that kind the more timid
animals were to be unloaded, and the loads conveyed across on men's
backs. My orders were always disobeyed. The result generally was that not
only did the men have to carry the loads eventually, but we had to carry
the animals as well. Endless time and energy were thus wasted. That is
what happens to people who try to save themselves trouble.

At sundown, after having witnessed a glorious view of the valley to the
north, we descended rapidly amidst luxuriant vegetation of tall bamboos,
_akuri_ palms, and festooned liane, until we reached the Palmeira River,
flowing from north to south. Having crossed it, we continued for 31/2 kil.
through dense vegetation, and then recrossed it at a spot where it passed
within eno