to abandon part of my baggage--all
things, in fact, which were not absolutely necessary, taking only food,
instruments for scientific observations, cameras and photographic plates.

Alcides and Filippe--who by then had become most adventurous--and I were
about to start on July 1st, and were making things ready, when two of my
deserters returned and begged me to take them along again. They had found
living at their own cost rather expensive, and had realized that it would
have been an impossibility for them to get out of that place again with
the funds at their disposal. Each meal had cost them a small fortune.
Animals were extremely expensive, and it was then the wrong season for
launches to come up the river as far as Rosario, the nearest port to the
south.

"We will come with you," said they, in a sudden outburst of devotion. "We
will come. We are brave men. You have always been good and generous to
us. We are sorry for what we have done. Order us and we will kill anybody
you like for you!"

Brazilians of that class have only one idea in their heads--killing,
killing, killing!

That was more devotion than I demanded. In order to spare Alcides and
Filippe, and myself--as the work thrown upon us would have indeed been
beyond our possible strength--I re-employed the two men on the express
condition that they should murder no one while they were with me.

At noon of July 1st, accompanied by a mounted escort of honour of the
leading citizens with the Mayor at their head, I left Diamantino (elev.
1,030 ft.), travelling north-east. We ascended to the summit of a
table-land--the first terrace of which was at an elevation of 1,250 ft.,
the higher at 1,600 ft. The last words I had heard from a venerable old
man as I rode out of Diamantino still rang in my ears.

"You are going to sure death--good-bye!..." On reaching the top of the
plateau the courteous friends who had accompanied me also bade me an
affectionate farewell. I could see by their faces and their manner that
they were saying good-bye to one they believed a doomed man.

"If by chance you come out alive," said the Mayor, in a tentative way,
"we should like to have news of you."

On dismal occasions of that kind the sky is always gloomy and black and
there is always drizzling rain. So that day, too, the weather did not
fail to add to our depressed spirits.

On leaving our friends we started to plunge once more into the unknown.
On reaching the top edge of the