t of us to the west and north-west.
The cliff of this range, eroded by the river, showed rock of a vivid red
right up to its highest point, laminated in perfectly horizontal layers,
each 10 ft. thick. Farther on a great basin 350 m. wide and of great
beauty had formed.

[Illustration: Leading the Canoe down a Rapid by Rope.]

[Illustration: Characteristic Rocky Barrier across the Arinos River.

(Author's sextant in foreground.)]

Some 10 kil. beyond a beautiful beach of white sand was noticeable on the
left bank. We were always glad to see these beaches, as we frequently
found on them quantities of tortoise eggs--most delicious to eat.

An island--Gabriella Island--200 m. long divided the river into two
channels, the larger one of which--200 m. wide--we followed; the other
being but 30 m. broad and much strewn with rocks. The river, from the
point where we met the sand beach, flowed in a S.S.W. direction for 6,500
m., when it gradually resumed its course northward. The island, thickly
wooded, was extremely beautiful, with trees of great size upon it.
Quantities of _ariranhas_ were to be found near this island, and they
came straight for us with their mouths open, shrieking wildly and
snarling and spitting like cats. I was always amazed at their bravery, as
they came right on while being shot at by my men, the reports of the
rifles enraging them to absolute frenzy.

Shortly after we came to another most beautiful, oval-shaped island, 350
m. long--Maude Island--in a basin extending from east to west for a
breadth of not less than 500 m.

Another island--Vera Island--150 m. long and of an elongated shape, was
seen in the same basin. It also had luxuriant vegetation upon it,
whereas, curiously enough, the banks on either side of the great basin
showed _chapada_ with stunted trees. Farther on, where a small tributary
entered the Arinos on the left side, the country seemed quite open beyond
the narrow fringe of trees along the water.

Another streamlet 3 m. wide flowed into the Arinos from the north-east on
the right bank. The main river there was of a width of 400 m.

Another great island--Luiz Schnoor Island--also most beautiful, like the
others, was next seen. We halted on it for our midday meal, and to take
the usual astronomical observations. The sky had, by that time, become
beautifully clear, of a dense cobalt blue, and I was able to take
twenty-three sights of the sun. I generally took a great many sights wit