The hours of the night passed slowly by. I awoke several times. Few of
the usual noises of the forest were heard. The tempest seemed to have
silenced its wild inhabitants. Now and then the cry of a howling baboon
reached our ears from the depths of the forest. I had a feeling that
something dreadful was about to occur, yet I was sufficiently awake to
know that this might be mere fancy, and I did my best to go to sleep.
The fire was still burning brightly. I looked down from my hammock.
There was True sleeping tranquilly below me, as my companions were,
around. When I looked away from the fire into the forest, I was struck
by the unusual darkness. Not a ray of light appeared to come from the
sky, which was still covered with a thick mantle of clouds. I succeeded
at last in dropping off to sleep. How long my eyes had been closed I
could not tell, when I heard True uttering a low bark. I could just see
him running to the edge of the hut, and looking out towards the river.
I sprang from my hammock, calling to my companions. They were on foot
in a moment; but the darkness, was so great that we could see nothing
beyond a few feet from where we stood. As we sprang up, True rushed
forward. We heard him barking away in front of us. The fire was out,
and with difficulty we found our way back. I called to True, and at
last he returned, but we were still unable to discover any cause for
alarm. After a time we agreed that the wisest thing we could do would
be to turn into our hammocks again. I scolded True for alarming us so
needlessly, and he came back and lay down in his usual place. The night
passed away without any other disturbance.
When we arose in the morning the wind had ceased, the clouds had cleared
away, and the weather was as fine as usual. Getting up, we prepared
breakfast, and agreed to continue our voyage as soon as it was over. As
we had sufficient provisions, there was no necessity to search for any.
We therefore remained at our camp till our meal was over. John was the
first to take up a load and proceed with it down to the canoe. I
followed. When still at a little distance, I heard him utter an
exclamation of dismay. He turned back, and I saw by his countenance
that there was something wrong. Now he looked up the igarape, now down.
"Harry," he exclaimed, "I cannot see the canoe!"
"You must have mistaken the spot where I left it," I answered. "I
secured it well."
I returned with him to the bank. In vain we searched up and down the
banks of the water-path. Not a trace of the canoe did we discover.
"She must have broken adrift, then, during the night," I observed.
"Perhaps she has driven up the igarape."
"I will go one way and you the other, then," said John.
I made my way as well as I could through the tangled wood from the
river, while John went towards it. Wherever I could, I got down to the
edge of the water. Now I climbed along a trunk which overhang it; but
though I thus got a view for a considerable distance, I could see no
canoe. At length I returned, hoping that John might have been more
successful. I met him on the spot where we had parted.
"I cannot see her," he said. "Harry, I am afraid she has been carried
off!"
The same idea had occurred to me. We now carefully examined the spot
where we had left her. I found the very trunk of the tree round which I
had secured the painter. It was scarcely rubbed, which it would have
been, we agreed, had the canoe been torn away by the force of the wind.
We were soon joined by Arthur and Domingos, who had come along with
loads, surprised at our not returning. We communicated to them the
alarming intelligence. Domingos was afraid that we were right in our
conjectures. We returned to the camp to break the unsatisfactory news
to Ellen.
"If our canoe is lost, we must build another," she remarked, in her
usual quiet way, concealing her anxiety; "but it is very trying to be
thus delayed."
Still it would not do to give up without a further search for the canoe.
As the wind had set up the igarape, I knew that, should the canoe have
broken away by herself, she must have driven before it. It was
therefore settled that Arthur and I should go up still further in that
direction, while John would try and make his way down to the main river,
searching along the bank. Ellen and Maria, with Domingos and True to
take care of them, were to remain at the camp. Arthur and I had our
axes, for without them we could make no progress. I had my gun; Arthur
a spear, with bow and arrows, which Naro had presented to him. Thus
armed, we hoped to defend ourselves against any jaguar or boa we might
meet. We had little to fear from any other wild animals. As we had
seen no traces of natives, we did not expect to meet with any. We soon
gained the point I had reached in the morning. After this, we had to
hew a path for ourselves through the forest. Sometimes we got a few
feet without impediment, and then had to cut away the sipos for several
yards. Now and then we were able to crawl under them, and sometimes we
were able to leap over the loops, or make our way along the
wide-spreading roots of the tall trees. Thus we went on, every now and
then getting down to the edge of the igarape, and climbing out on the
trunk of one of the overhanging trees, whence we could obtain a view up
and down for some distance.
We had just reached the bank, and were looking out along it, when I saw
a troop of monkeys coming along through the forest. I kept True by my
side, and whispered to Arthur not to speak. I could scarcely help
laughing aloud at the odd manner in which they made their way among the
branches, now swinging down by their tails, now catching another branch,
and hanging on by their arms. They were extraordinarily thin creatures,
with long arms and legs, and still longer tails--our old friends the
spider monkeys. Those tails of theirs were never quiet, but kept
whisking about in all directions. They caught hold of the branches with
them, and then hung by them with their heads downwards, an instant
afterwards to spring up again. Presently they came close to the water,
when one of them caught hold of a branch with his fore-hands and tail,
another jumped down and curled his tail round the body of the first. A
third descended and slung himself in a similar manner. A fourth and
fifth followed, and so on; and there they hung, a regular monkey chain.
Immediately the lowest, who hung with his head downwards, gave a shove
with his fore-paws, and set the chain swinging, slowly at first but
increasing in rapidity, backwards and forwards over the water. I
thought to myself, if an alligator were making his way up the canal, the
lowest would have a poor chance of his life. The swinging increased in
violence, till the lowest monkey got his paws round the slender trunk of
a tree on the opposite side. Immediately he drew his companion after
him; till the next above him was within reach of it. That one caught
the tree in the same way, and they then dragged up their end of the
chain till it hung almost horizontally across the water. A living
bridge having thus been formed, the remainder of the troop, chiefly
consisting of young monkeys who had been amusing themselves meantime
frisking about in the branches, ran over. Two or three of the
mischievous youngsters took the opportunity of giving a sly pinch to
their elders, utterly unable just then to retaliate; though it was
evident, from the comical glances which the latter cast at them, that
the inflictors of the pinches were not unnoticed. One, who had been
trying to catch some fish apparently during the interval, was nearly too
late to cross. The first two who had got across now climbed still
further up the trunk; and when they had got to some distance, the
much-enduring monkey, who had been holding the weight of all the others,
let go his hold, and now becoming the lowest in the chain, swung towards
the bank. As soon as he and his companions reached it, they caught hold
of the trunk either with their hands or tails. The whole troop thus got
safely across.
The shouts of laughter, to which Arthur and I could no longer resist
giving way, startled the monkeys. They looked about with inquisitive
glances, wondering probably what sort of strange creatures we could be
who had come into their territory. At length, espying us, off they set
at a great rate through the forest.
They had chosen the narrowest part of the igarape to cross. Going on
further, it widened considerably. We still continued making our way
along its margin; but the ground at length became so swampy, that we
were obliged to turn off to the left. After this we came to somewhat
more open ground, which had been cleared either by fire or by the hand
of man. It was, of course, overgrown with vegetation of all sorts; but
not sufficiently so to prevent us making our way through it. Our
intention was to go round the swamp or lake, and again reach the border
of the water-path. We proceeded on for some distance, when we saw
through an opening a high clay bank; it could scarcely be called a hill.
But few trees grew on it. We thought that, by getting to the top, we
could obtain a view of the country around. We accordingly made our way
towards it. It formed apparently the eastern edge of the high country
through which the Napo runs. We found, here and there, veins of that
curiously-coloured clay which we had before seen. Looking eastward, a
vast extent of forest was spread out before us, extending far as the eye
could reach. No opening was visible except the long line of the
Solimoens, at some distance from where we stood. We could look westward
towards its source in the Andes; and eastward as it flowed on towards
the far distant Atlantic, hundreds of miles away. The whole igarape was
entirely shut out from view. We thought, however, that by continuing
towards the north we might possibly again get sight of it, when we
purposed to continue our search for the canoe. We had faint hopes of
finding it, we could not but confess.
We had gone on some way, when, passing round a clump of trees, we saw
before us two natives seated on the top of a hill, looking out, it
seemed, over the country beyond them. Their bodies were tattooed or
painted all over in curious devices, and their heads were decked with
war-plumes, while each of them had a musket resting on his arm, as if
ready for immediate use. Our first impulse was to retreat, hoping that
we had not been seen; but their quick eyes had caught sight of us. They
beckoned to us to approach.
"They must have had intercourse with white men, or they would not have
those muskets," observed Arthur. "Perhaps they may prove to be
friends."
To escape them, I saw, would be impossible. I therefore agreed with
Arthur that the best way was to go forward at once in a frank manner and
try to win their confidence. We climbed the hill, therefore, and as we
get up to where they were waiting for us, put out our hands and shook
theirs. They were accustomed, apparently, to the European style of
greeting. They addressed us, and seemed to be inquiring whence we had
come. We explained as well as we could by signs--pointing in the
direction of the Andes, and then showing how we had glided down in the
canoe. While they were speaking, I thought I detected a few words which
sounded like Spanish; and listening more attentively, I found that the
eldest of the two was speaking the _lingua geral_--a corrupt Portuguese,
mixed with Indian words, generally used throughout the whole length of
the Amazon. It was so like the language Naro and his Indians had
employed when speaking to us, that I could make out, with a little
difficulty, what was said. I understood the elder Indian to say that he
was a friend of the whites; and that, as Arthur had supposed, he had
obtained the muskets from them. Finding the natives so friendly, I
invited them to our camp. They shook their heads, and pointed to the
north-west, letting us understand that they were about to start away on
an expedition against an enemy in that direction; but that, on their
return, they would without fail come to visit us. They signified that
if we would accompany them to their village, we should be hospitably
received. When speaking of the enemy, they uttered the word "Majeronas"
two or three times.
"Those must be the people you think attacked your father," observed
Arthur. "If he and your family are prisoners, they may be the means of
releasing them."
"I am afraid the Majeronas are too fierce and savage to make prisoners,"
I answered. "We might accompany these Indians and avenge their death,
if they have been killed."
"That is not according to the Christian law," observed Arthur mildly.
"I would run any risk, though, to obtain their release, should they have
been made prisoners."
"I feel sure that they have not," I answered. "Had they not escaped in
their canoe we should certainly have found some remains of her on the
shore, or some traces of them. Oh no; I feel sure they got off, and we
shall overtake them before long."
As I ceased speaking, a band of Indians appeared coming through the
woods. They were--like the first two, who were evidently chiefs--decked
in feathers and paint, but otherwise unencumbered by clothing. They
were armed with bows and spears, but not a musket did we see among them.
They were certainly the lightest of light troops. The two chiefs
seemed to look upon their weapons as of immense value, as a general does
his heavy guns. I saw the chief eyeing my rifle; and he then addressed
us, inviting us to accompany the expedition. In spite of what I had
just said, I felt greatly inclined to go, Arthur, however, urged me
strongly not to do so.
"Think of your sister and brother. How anxious our absence would make
them!" he observed. "You do not know what dangers they may be exposed
to; and suppose we were surprised and killed by the enemy, what would
become of them?"
I agreed that he was right, and explained to the chief that we could not
leave our friends. He then asked me to make over my gun to him; but, of
course, I could not deprive myself of our chief means of defence, and
therefore turned a deaf ear to his request. The troops had halted at
the foot of the hill; and we accompanied the two chiefs, who went down
to meet them. The natives looked at us without much surprise, as if
white men were no strangers to them. Arthur now advised that we should
return, as it would be a serious matter should we be benighted in the
forest. Before parting from our friends, we endeavoured to ascertain
whether they had seen our canoe, but we could obtain no information from
them. Still I could not help thinking that she had been carried off by
some of their tribe, who might have found her on their way up the
igarape. When, therefore, the chief again pressed us to pay a visit to
his village, we accepted his invitation.
Several lads had accompanied the army. As they only carried blow-pipes
in their hands, I suspected--as proved to be the case--that they were
not to proceed further. The chief called one of them up to him; and
from the way he spoke, I had little doubt that he was his son. The
chief made signs to us that the lad, whom he called Duppo, would go back
with us to the village, and that we should there obtain any food we
might require. Duppo appeared to be about fourteen years of age, and
more intelligent and better looking than most of the Indians; indeed,
the two chiefs we had first seen were superior to the rest in
appearance, and Duppo was very like them. We came to the conclusion
that they were brothers; and that Duppo, as I have said, was the son of
the eldest. This we found afterwards to be the case.
The chief, having wished us farewell, gave the signal to advance; and
leading the way, the Indians set off in single file along the bottom of
the hill. We, having watched them for some time, accompanied Duppo,
followed by the three other lads who had come with him. We asked him
his father's name, and understood him to say it was Maono, that his
mother's name was Mora, and that his uncle was called Paco. Had we
judged by Duppo's manner, we should not have supposed that his friends
had gone on a dangerous expedition; but yet, knowing the character of
the Majeronas, we could not help feeling some anxiety for the result.
We found that Duppo was leading us towards the further end of the
igarape, in the direction we had ourselves before proposed going. We
had, however, delayed so long, that I feared we should not have time to
return. Arthur suggested that we might possibly find a canoe, in which
we could go back by water, or, if not, we might build a balsa, such as
we had seen used on the Guayas.
"An excellent idea," I replied. "We will put it into execution should
we not find a canoe."
Our young guide led the way with unerring instinct through the forest.
We had gone some distance, when we heard a deep, loud, and
long-sustained flute-like note. It was that of a bird. The young
Indian stopped, and pointing ahead, uttered the word _nira-mimbeu_,
which I afterwards ascertained meant fife-bird, evidently from the
peculiar note we had just heard. The whole party stopped in the
attitude of listening, and looking among the branches, we got a good
view of a bird a short distance beyond us, with glossy black plumage,
perched on a bough. The bird itself was about the size of a common
crow. It had a remarkable ornament on its head, consisting of a crest
formed of long, curved, hairy feathers at the end of bare quills which
were now raised and spread out in the shape of a fringed sunshade.
Round its neck was a tippet formed of glossy steel-blue feathers; and as
we watched it, while it was singing it spread these out, and waved them
in a curious manner, extending at the same time its umbrella-formed
crest, while it bowed its head slightly forward and then raised it
again. I knew at once the curious creature to be the rare umbrella-bird
(_Cephalopterus ornatus_). The bird was continuing its flute-like
performance, when Duppo, advancing slowly and lifting his blow-pipe,
sent forth with unerring aim a tiny dart, which pierced the bird's neck.
Much to my sorrow, the note ceased; but yet the bird stood on its perch
as if scarcely aware of the wound it had received. We all stood
watching it. For nearly a minute it remained as before, till gradually
its head began to drop, and finally it fell to the ground. Duppo ran
forward, and taking a pinch of white substance from a wallet which he
carried at his side, placed it in the bird's mouth, and then carefully
pulling out the arrow, put some into the wound, just as our Napo Indians
had done when they shot our monkey, Nimble. We then went on, he
carrying the apparently lifeless bird carefully in his arms. In a few
minutes it began slowly to lift its head, and then to look about it as a
hen does when carried in the same way. In a short time the bird seemed
to be as well as if it had not received a wound, and began to peck at
the bare arms of our young guide. On this he took from his bag some
small pieces of fibre. On piece he wound round its bill, and another
round its legs, taking great care not to hurt or injure it in any way.
We went on for some distance, our young guide keeping his sharp eyes
roving round in every direction in search of some other bird or animal
on which he might exercise his skill. We were naturally surprised at
the wonderful way in which the bird he had shot had recovered. I could
scarcely believe that the arrow had been tipped with poison, and yet I
could not otherwise account for the manner in which the bird fell to the
ground. I inquired of Duppo, but could not understand his reply. At
last he took out of his bag some of the white stuff we had seen him
apply and put it on his tongue. "Why," exclaimed Arthur, to whom he had
given some to taste, "it is salt!"
Salt it undoubtedly was; and we now first learned that salt is an
antidote to the wourali poison. People, indeed, who eat salt with their
food are but little affected by it; while it quickly kills savages and
animals who do not eat salt.
We had seen as yet no signs of habitations, when Duppo stopped and
pointed through an opening in the trees. We saw, in the shade of the
wide-spreading boughs, a woman kneeling before a bath, in which a little
child was seated, splashing the water about with evident delight. The
woman was almost as primitive a costume as the warriors we had seen.
Her only ornament was a necklace, and her sole clothing consisted of a
somewhat scanty petticoat. She, however, seemed in no way abashed at
our presence. Duppo ran forward and said a few words to her, when,
rising from her knees, and lifting up her dripping child in her arms,
she advanced a few paces towards us. She seemed to be listening with
great interest to what Duppo was saying, and she then signed to us to
follow her. We did so, and soon came in sight of several bamboo huts.
The walls, as also the roofs, were covered with a thatch of palm-leaves.
On examining the thatch, I saw that it consisted of a number of leaves
plaited together, and secured in a row to a long lath of bamboo. One of
these laths, with a row of thatch attached to it, was hung up on pegs to
the lowest part of the wall intended to be covered; another was fastened
over it, the thatch covering the first lath; and so on, row after row,
till the upper part was reached. The roof was formed in the same
manner, secured by rope formed of aloe fibres or some similar material.
Round the village were numerous fruit-trees. The most conspicuous were
bananas, with their long, broad, soft, green leaf-blades; and several
pupunhas, or peach-palms, with their delicious fruit, hanging down in
enormous bunches from their lofty crowns, each a load for a strong man.
The fruit gains its name from its colour. It is dry and mealy, of the
taste of chestnuts and cheese. There were also a number of cotton and
coffee trees on one side, extending down to the water, which showed that
our friends were not ignorant of agriculture. We also saw melons
growing in abundance, as well as mandioca and Indian corn.
The lady conducted us into her house with as much dignity as a duchess
would have done into her palace. The interior of the building, however,
had no great pretensions to architectural grandeur. The roof was
supported by strong upright posts between which hammocks were slung,
leaving space for a passage from one end to the other, as also for fires
in the centre. At the further end was an elevated stage, which might be
looked upon as a first floor, formed of split palm-stems. Along the
walls were arranged clay jars of various sizes, very neatly made. Some,
indeed, were large enough to hold twenty or more gallons; others were
much smaller; and some were evidently used as cooking-pots. They were
ornamented on the outside with crossed diagonal lines of various
colours. There were also blow-pipes hung up, and quivers and bags made
of the bromelia, very elaborately worked. In addition, there were
baskets formed of the same material of a coarser description, and
dressed skins of animals, with mats, and spare hammocks.
Our hostess, whom we discovered to be Duppo's mother, invited us to sit
down on some mats which she spread in a clear space on the floor, a
little removed from the fire. Duppo went out, and in a short time
returned with a young girl, who looked timidly into the opening, and
then ran off. He scampered after her, and brought her back; but it
required some persuasion to induce her to enter the hut. We rose as she
did so, struck by her interesting countenance and elegant form; for,
although her garments were almost as scanty as those of the older woman,
our impulse was to treat her with the respect we should have paid to one
of her more civilised sisters. Having got over her timidity, she set to
work to assist her mother in cooking some food. We asked Duppo his
sister's name. He gave us to understand that it was Oria--at least, it
sounded like it; and, at all events, that was the name by which we
always called her. It was a pretty name, and well suited to such an
interesting young creature.
Several parrots of gorgeous plumage, which had been sitting on the
rafters, clambered down inquisitively to look at us; while two monkeys--
tame little things--ran in and out of the hut. The most interesting
creature we saw was a charming little water-fowl--a species of grebe.
It seemed to be a great pet of the young girl. It was swimming about in
a tub full of water, similar to the one in which we had seen our hostess
bathing her baby. The girl took it out to show it to us, and it lay
perfectly happy and contented in her hands. It was rather smaller than
a pigeon, and had a pointed beak. The feet, unlike those of
water-fowls, were furnished with several folds of skin in lieu of webs,
and resembled much the feet of the gecko lizards. After exhibiting it
to us, she put it back again into its tub, and it went swimming round
and round, very much like those magnetic ducks which are sold in
toyshops. On examining the tub I have spoken of, we found that it was
formed from the spathe of the palm.
In a short time a repast was placed before us in several bowls. In one
was fish, in another was a stew of meat. Arthur, without ceremony, ate
some of the latter, when he came to a bone which I saw him examining
curiously.
"Why, I do believe," he said, in a low voice, "it is a bit of monkey!"
"I have very little doubt about it," I answered; for I had discovered
this some time before. "Try this other dish; it seems very nice."
Having eaten some of it, we bethought ourselves of inquiring of Duppo
what it was; and he gave us to understand that it was a piece of snake
or lizard, for we could not exactly make out which.
"I think I would rather keep to the fish," said Arthur, in a subdued
voice. Indeed, with the fish and some mandioca porridge alone, we could
have managed to make a very ample meal.
We had also several delicious fruits--guavas, bananas, and one, the
interior of which tasted like a rich custard. A jar of a somewhat thick
and violet-coloured liquor was placed before us to drink. It was made,
we found, from the fruit of the assai palm, which our hostess, Illora,
showed us. It was perfectly round and about the size of a cherry,
consisting of a small portion of pulp lying between the skin and the
hard kernel. The fruit pounded, with the addition of water, produces
the beverage I have described. It was very refreshing, but stained our
lips as do blackberries.
Having finished our meal, we thanked Dame Illora for it, and tried to
explain that we were in search of a canoe in which to return down the
igarape. For some time we could not make her comprehend what we wanted.
Suddenly Duppo started up, and leading us to the water, by signs
explained that all their canoes had been taken away. "Then, no doubt,
the same people who took theirs, carried off ours," observed Arthur. I
agreed with him. Still, I hoped that a small canoe might be found. We
searched about, but I could not find one. The channel ran through the
forest till it was lost to sight, and as there was a slight current in
the water, we came to the conclusion that it was connected with some
other river, up which the canoes had been carried.
"Then let us build a raft as we proposed," said Arthur. "If we do not
return to-night, we shall alarm your sister and John. The current is in
our favour, and we shall have no difficulty in descending to our camp."
At once we tried to explain to our friends what we proposed doing.
Several other persons appeared, but they were mostly old men and women.
The rest had evidently gone off to the war. We began by cutting down
some small trees which grew at the edge of the igarape. Then we cut
some sipos, and formed an oblong frame of sufficient size to support
three or four people. After a little time Duppo comprehended our
purpose, and we saw him explaining the matter to his people. Several of
them on this set to work on a clump of bamboos which grew at a little
distance, and brought them to us. Looking about, we also discovered
some long reeds growing on the margin of the swamp at no great distance.
Arthur and I collected as many as we could carry, and the natives,
following our example, soon supplied us with what we required. Having
fastened the bamboos lengthways on the frame, we secured the reeds both
under and above them, till we had completely covered over the framework.
The whole machine we strengthened by passing long sipos round it, and
thus in a short time had a buoyant and sufficiently strong raft to carry
us safely, we hoped, down the igarape. The natives had been watching
our proceedings with looks of surprise, as if they had never seen a
similar construction. We had cut a couple of long poles with which to
push on the raft. "I think we should be the better for paddles,"
observed Arthur. One of the trees, we found, very easily split into
boards. We soon made three paddles, agreeing that a third would be
useful, in case one should break. "But perhaps Duppo would be willing
to accompany us," said Arthur. "He seems a very intelligent fellow.
Shall we ask him?"
We soon made our young friend comprehend our wishes. He was evidently
well pleased with the proposal, though his mother at first seemed to
hesitate about letting him go. We pressed her, explaining that we would
reward him well for his services. Our point gained, Duppo's
preparations were quickly made. He brought with him his zarabatana or
blow-pipe, his bow, and a quiver full of arrows, as also a basket of
farinha, apparently supposing that we might be unable to provide him
with food. Seeing the curious umbrella-bird secured to a perch
projecting from the wall, I asked him to bring it, as I wanted to show
it to Ellen. He quickly understood me, and taking it down, again
fastened up its beak, and brought it along perched on his shoulder. The
whole remaining population of the village came down to the water to see
us embark. We took off our hats to Oria, who scarcely seemed to
understand the compliment.
Our raft was soon launched with their aid, and, greatly to our
satisfaction, floated buoyantly. We got on board, and shoved off into
the middle of the channel. The water was fat too deep to allow our
poles to be of any use. Duppo, however, showed that he well knew the
use of a paddle. Taking one in his hand, he sat down on one side of the
raft, while Arthur sat on the other, and I stood astern to steer. The
current was sluggish, and did not help us much. We therefore had to
exert ourselves vigorously. The igarape soon widened out into a broad
lake-like expanse. We could distinguish the channel, however, from its
being free of reeds, which appeared in all directions in the other
parts, forming thick broad clumps like islands. From amidst them
numerous water-fowl rose up as we passed. Now and then an alligator
poked up his ugly snout. Numerous tortoises and other water-creatures
were seen swimming about. Others which rose near us, alarmed at our
appearance, made off to a distance, and allowed us to proceed unimpeded.
We were delighted with the progress we made, and went paddling on as if
we had been long accustomed to the work. We kept up most of the time a
conversation with Duppo, although it must be owned that we could
understand but little of what he said, while he had equal difficulty in
comprehending us. We asked him several questions about his family. I
told him that he must bring Oria down to see my sister, as I was sure
she would be glad to make her acquaintance. I was, however, not very
certain whether he understood me. He was evidently a quick, sagacious
fellow; though his manners, like most of the Indians we had met, were
subdued and quiet.
As we were paddling on, we were almost startled by hearing a sound like
a bell tolling in the midst of the forest. It ceased, and we paddled
on, when again it struck our ears loud and clear. Again it came within
the space of a minute, and we almost expected to see some church steeple
peeping forth through an opening in the primeval forest. We tried to
ascertain from our young companion what it could mean, but he only
nodded his head, as much as to say, "I know all about it," and then he
gave a glance down at his bow and quiver which lay by his side. We went
on for some minutes more, the sound of the bell reaching our ears as
before, and then Duppo began to look up eagerly into the trees.
Suddenly he ceased paddling, and made signs to Arthur to do the same.
Gliding on a few yards further, we saw, on the topmost bough of a tree
overhanging the water, a beautiful white bird, about the size of a jay.
At the same time there came forth from where it stood a clear bell
sound, and we saw from its head a black tube, rising up several inches
above it. Duppo cautiously put his hand out and seized his bow. In an
instant he had fitted an arrow to the string. Away it flew, and down
fell the bird fluttering in the water. We paddled on, and quickly had
it on board. I could not help feeling sorry that he had killed the
beautiful creature, whose note had so astonished us.
It was, I found, a specimen of that somewhat rare and very wonderful
bell-bird (_Casmarhynchos carunculata_), called _campanero_ by the
Spaniards. From the upper part of the bill grows a fleshy tubercle
about the thickness of a quill, sparingly covered with minute feathers.
It was now hanging down on one side, quite lax. It was evident,
therefore, that the bird, when alive, elevated it when excited by
singing or some other cause; indeed afterwards, on examining it, we
found it connected with the interior of the throat, which further
convinced us of this fact. I was sorry that we could not have it taken
alive to Ellen, and I tried to explain to Duppo that we wished to have
living creatures if possible captured, like the umbrella-bird.
We had been paddling on for some time beneath the thick overhanging
boughs, almost in darkness, when a bright glow attracted our attention.
"We must be near the camp," exclaimed Arthur, and we shouted out. We
were replied to by True's well-known bark, and directly afterwards we
could distinguish through the gloom the figure of Domingos making his
way amid the wood, with True running before him, down to the bank.
There they stood ready to receive us.