he paddles were abandoned, the
rifles were seized, and there was a regular fusillade. The men seldom hit
anything, although on many occasions, with the unsteady canoe, we all of
us had narrow escapes. One day the man in front of me fired a shot at a
bird--but so close to my head, not more than one foot away, that the
concussion blinded me for several seconds. On other occasions the rifles
went off when they were not expected to. I had ceased to give orders of
any kind about the careful use of the weapons. It was time and lung-power
absolutely wasted, and only made things worse.

After floating down a beautiful stretch of 3,000 m., two more islands
were reached within a great circle over 200 m. wide. A small tributary
entered the Arinos on the right bank. Another island, 500 m. long, was
seen farther down, at the end of which, where two channels met again,
violent eddies were produced by the meeting of the two strong currents.

Immense quantities of _Siphonia elastica_ were there to be seen on both
sides of the stream in the forest, which was getting more and more
luxuriant as we proceeded on our journey farther north. Many wild banana
palms (_bananeira do matto_) were to be seen here and there along the
lovely, deliciously clean river, with its extraordinarily tidy banks.

Another great basin, 300 m. in diameter, was met, with three islands and
two gravel beaches in its centre. The two principal islands--Paolo and
Francesca--were each 100 m. long and 50 m. wide.

We now made the acquaintance of the _capivara_ (_Hydrochoerus capibara_),
a rodent which we found common farther down in those waters. It was a
stupid animal. When fired at several times by my men it remained
perfectly still, gazing at its enemies. It was only when a bullet hit the
ground too near that it would move away, surprised more than concerned.

After going down a _corrideira_ (small rapid) we encountered thousands of
white and lemon-yellow butterflies. On islets of red earth swarms of them
were basking in the sun--which was getting hotter and hotter as we got
farther north.

Again we were soon after faced by a high natural wall of brilliant yellow
and red colouring. In its western part it showed a white stratum 3 ft.
thick upon a layer of yellow lava of an equal thickness. A stratum of
lighter yellow was nearest the surface of the water, while above was a
thick layer of grey earth. On the right side, at this point, a tributary
streamlet flowed int