When we came to patches of
chapada and open country we could breathe a little better. Several were
the tributary streamlets to which we came that afternoon. First we saw
one rivulet, 1 m. wide, on the right bank, then 13 kil. 500 m. farther on
another affluent, 3 m. wide, coming from the north-east, also on the
right bank; then 1,500 m. farther a rivulet 1/2 m. wide, coming from the
south-west (left bank); then 4,500 m. farther a charming stream, 6 m.
wide, coming from the north, and meeting with the Arinos near an
extensive stony place with shallow and troublesome water. Strong eddies
formed at that spot. One more streamlet, 1 m. wide, was reached that day
on the right. It came from the north-east.

The river had that day flowed almost continuously in directions varying
from north-west to north, barring two sections where its course had been
10 deg. east of north.

After passing the last tributary the river described a sweeping curve,
gradually turning so far back as to flow in a south-westerly (240 deg. b.m.)
direction.

There was there shallow water with gravel banks in the centre of the
stream. Curiously enough, we did not notice so much rubber close to the
river in that region, but in an excursion a short distance from the
water we came upon _Siphonia elastica_ trees, not only along the Arinos
but also along the tributaries.

We halted that day at sunset, having gone 73 kil. 400 m.; which, although
much less than the previous days, was still fair going for us.

CHAPTER VII

Ideal Islands--Immense _Figueira_ Trees--The "Spider
Monkey"--Great Variety of Fish in the Arinos--The Rocky Gateway
into Diabolical Waters--Shooting Dangerous Rapids--Cutting a Way
through the Forest--A Nasty Rapid--Plentiful Fish

THE night of July 16th was heavy, the thermometer registering a minimum
temperature of 62 deg.F. We had great fun fishing during the early hours of
the night. In the morning we had hundreds of pounds of fish spread upon
the bank of the river, with many excellent specimens of the _motimchun_
fish--so called, I believe, because of its noisy and rebellious habits.

The sky was overladen with clouds, and the west showed radiations of
light. We had gone 2,500 m. from our camp when we came to a tributary
stream on the left side coming from the south. Four thousand four hundred
metres farther on, a hill-range 120 ft. high, with heavy forest upon it,
encircled a sweeping curve on the lef