, of
course, that the river was so full of fish, and that the fish displayed
such delightful simplicity, was because there were there no human
beings.

Soon after leaving camp--all the happier for an excellent lunch--we came
once more to thick, beautiful, clean forest on both sides. Again rubber
was plentiful, and absolutely untouched by the collector's hand. The
river was getting amazingly beautiful, 200 m. wide all along, the water
like a faultless silver mirror irreproachably reflecting each leaf, each
branch of the motionless trees on both banks. There was not a breath of
wind to disturb the tranquillity of that deliciously restful scene.

Yet one more gorgeous island--Alastor Island--300 m. long and 80 to 100
m. wide, was seen. It was preceded on the south-east side by innumerable
gravel mounds just emerging above the water surface, then by a
magnificent gravel beach with numberless beautiful crystals. On the left
bank a tributary 15 m. wide entered the Arinos from the south-west.

The river was getting more and more entrancing at every turn. Profuse
blossoms of the most gorgeous yellow shone resplendent in all their
beauty against the background of dark green foliage. The entire edge of
the forest was festooned with daintily-leafed creepers and with myriads
of convolvuli of the purest amethyst colour.

There was poetry in the scene--frequently disturbed, perhaps, by the
inconceivable oaths of the man to whom was entrusted the heavy task of
baling out the water from the canoe, which leaked badly. She was fissured
from end to end, and we had no effective means of preventing the water
coming in; in fact, if the baling were not done quickly and continuously
with a bucket, the water soon gained and reached the platform on which
we had placed the baggage. Our feet, of course, were in water all day
long. We did not mind that so much. In fact, our feet got so soaked with
moisture that we could peel off the skin in big patches with the greatest
ease.

After travelling across a basin 250 m. broad, we came to a _corrideira_
with shallow water. We dashed with great speed sideways over a bank of
gravel, and nearly turned turtle. The gravel was banked up against the
lee side of the canoe, and with a strong current pushing her we had the
greatest trouble to pull her off again.

There was a great deal of rubber, particularly on the left bank, while on
the right, _chapada_ was again observed. The river was so wonderfully
ti