Dangerous Navigation--Eddies--Whirlpools--An Extraordinary
Creature--The Man X.--Pedro de Toledo Island--An Interesting
Rodent
WE were rather proud of ourselves, as we had gone 69 kils. on July 7th,
paddling away--barring the interval for lunch--from 7.15 in the morning
until 7.30 at night.
The night was fairly cold--minimum 57° Fahr.; the elevation 1,100 ft.
Where I made camp at the elbow of the stream (on the left bank) there
were innumerable rubber trees. A similar wealth of _Siphonia elastica_
appeared to be on the opposite bank, where the forest was luxuriant.
On July 8th we began our journey by going down rapids. Then after some
15,300 m. of fairly smooth navigation we crossed a basin 130 m. wide,
where we encountered strong eddies--most unpleasant, as they swerved the
canoe about in a way that was alarming. Lower down a swift _corrideira_
and more eddies gave us some trouble.
A beautiful _ariranha_ peeped out of the water close to the canoe,
spitting angrily at us. It was attracted by the blood-red of the English
flag, which it evidently wanted to bite. My men fired and wounded it; but
so vicious were those little otters, and so great their craving for
blood, that it still came on to within a foot or two of the canoe, when
my men killed it.
The river was there compressed into a deep channel, 85 m. wide, with a
strong current, after which it split into two arms--one north-west, 25 m.
wide; the other north-east, 30 m. broad. The island thus formed between
the two arms was 2,500 m. long. We called it Ariranha Island.
A streamlet 3 m. wide entered the Arinos on the right bank. Where the
banks were free from vegetation an undulating stratum of red earth was
exposed, directly above which was a stratum from 1 to 2 ft. thick of a
brilliant yellow colour. Above that rested the usual grey alluvial
deposits from 6 to 8 ft. thick.
From a direction due west the stream suddenly turned north, between high
banks. A strong _corrideira_ was found before the stream divided itself
into three arms--two of those arms flowing north-east, the other
north-west. We followed the latter--a channel 20 m. wide, with a high
bank of gravel on its left side. Where those arms met again--some 500 m.
farther--a basin 200 m. in diameter was formed. A hill 150 ft. high,
covered with dense vegetation, faced us to the north. It was quite an
unusual sight in such flat country. The stream took a sharp turn at that
spot--it positively doubled. Strong eddies were encountered. The greatest
care should have been taken in going over places of that kind, but "care"
was a word I had absolutely scratched out of my vocabulary as useless in
my journey across Brazil. How and why we ever got across those places
with the crew I had on board, would indeed be beyond me to
explain--unless, as on preceding occasions, it was due to the unceasing
protection of a guardian angel.
After crossing a circular basin 200 m. in diameter, the river became
suddenly squeezed into a channel 30 m. wide, much strewn with rocks. A
somewhat troublesome rapid had to be negotiated there, rendered more
difficult by the recent fall, across the best part of the stream, of a
giant tree. The branches which stuck out of the water formed a regular
barrier and waved to and fro with the violent pressure of the water.
Before we could realize where we were, Alcides steered us straight into
the branches and foliage of the fallen tree. As we were travelling at an
accelerated speed with the strong current, all our hats were scraped off
our heads, and, what was worse, our scalps, faces, and arms had patches
of skin torn off as we crashed among the branches. It took us some time
before we were able to disentangle ourselves, resume navigation, and
recover as we went along the various headgear floating independently down
the stream.
Another little tributary, 2 m. wide, entered the Arinos on the left side.
No sooner had we freed ourselves from the rapids than we were in a circle
80 m. across, with nasty-looking eddies, which swung the undermanned
canoe now to one side, then violently to the other, in a dangerous way.
We could not have struck a worse time for navigating the river. It was
then the end of the dry season and the water at its lowest, so that every
possible obstacle that could be found in that river stood to impede our
progress. This would not have been the case at high water when navigation
in that portion of the stream would have been comparatively smooth and
easy. We were thanking our stars that we had passed the vicious eddies
safely, when we were confronted by more rapids, with treacherous
submerged rocks. Yet another basin, 150 m. wide, was crossed, with large
blocks of black rock showing through on the left bank. More rapids were
met--quite easy to negotiate. The sky was half covered with feathery
radiations from the south.
To the north another hill, 120 ft. high, eroded by water, stood on the
left bank of the stream, where red volcanic rock was also visible in a
stratum 15 ft. thick, covered by a thick layer of yellow earth. Strong
rapids came next. We had had so much luck in the descent of the
rapids--which, bad as they were, really were so far quite unimportant as
compared to what we were to find later--that my men began to be quite
adventurous. Saving trifling mishaps, we were getting on well. The
tributaries of the Arinos we had seen so far that day were small
streamlets 1 m. wide on the right; another, 2 m. wide--a limpid
stream--coming from the south-west on the left. Several springs of clear
water filtered through the left bank. In the centre of the river was an
extensive bank of gravel held up by blocks of volcanic rock.
[Illustration: Preparing the Canoe to descend a Rapid.]
[Illustration: A Cataract on the Arinos River.]
In a basin 150 m. wide rose a pretty island. Rapids were found in the
channels, of which the western was wider and more free from obstacles.
For one entire kilometre there were strong eddies and rapids in
succession; then came 3,500 m. of fairly easy travelling. The river for
23,500 m. had been flowing almost in a straight line due north, with
slight variations of a few degrees to the north-east and once to the
north-west. Plenty of _tucum_ or _tucuma_ palms adorned the right
bank; whereas on the left bank was fairly open country.
Again, after some more rapids, the river was squeezed into a neck only 25
m. wide, gradually widening to some 150 m., where whirlpools and eddies
of considerable magnitude were formed. On several occasions the canoe was
caught in them and swerved right round, describing one or more circles
upon herself. Two islets were passed, then a tributary 10 m. wide coming
from the east on the right side of us.
A great number of submerged rocks close to the surface formed a ridge 200
m. in length all along the centre of the stream. In a wonderful stretch
4,000 m. long in a perfectly straight line north, the river was from 50
to 100 m. wide. A small tributary rivulet entered it on the west. At the
end of that long stretch a wall, 100 ft. high, of brilliantly yellow rock
in its lower part, with 15 ft. of vivid red rock above, diverted the
stream almost at a right angle toward the west. Rapids and eddies were
encountered after passing an obstruction of accumulated gravel in the
centre of the river, there 50 m. wide.
Giant trees, not unlike weeping willows, bent over the river, their
streamers touching the water. A rocky barrier extended as far as the
centre of the stream, leaving only one safe passage on the left side
close to the bank. The stream was at that point 100 m. broad, and of
great beauty, in a straight line north for 7,400 m.
My men were beginning to paddle a little better, and we were travelling
at a considerable speed with the current. We had glorious weather, and
although the heat was great our travelling was perfectly delightful. In
the daytime we were not worried much by insects. The canoe now and then
stuck fast in shallow places or upon rocks, but we all jumped gaily into
the water and pushed her along until she floated again. Those baths in
the deliciously clear water were quite refreshing. We generally jumped in
clothes and all, and left it to the sun to dry the garments upon our
backs and legs. I usually wore pyjamas while travelling in the canoe, as
they were more comfortable than other clothes and dried quicker when we
came out of the water again.
Many sharp successive turns were met next in the course of the river,
which then showed stunted vegetation on the right bank and thick forest
on the left. A high natural wall, 100 ft. high, of bright cadmium yellow
for 30 ft. in its lower part, of vivid red for 50 ft. above that, and
darker red above, barred our way in front (north). On its summit were
peculiar white-barked slender trees--so white that they looked almost as
if they had been painted, but of course they had not. The entire centre
of the river, forming there an extensive basin, was blocked by a high
bank of gravel, leaving merely narrow channels close to the banks. The
high wall deflected the stream from 290° to bearings magnetic 30°. A
range of hills some 300 ft. high then appeared before us, extending from
N.N.W. to S.S.E.
We went over a stony place which obstructed almost the entire river,
except a narrow channel close to the banks. That was followed by rapids.
Some 2 kil. 300 m. farther, a hill range to the north switched the stream
sharply from north to north-west, which direction it kept with a mere
deviation of 20° for 6,500 m.
The stream was then 100 metres wide nearly all along, and of amazing
beauty. Yet another stony place disturbed the placidity of the
transparent crystal-like water. At the end of that wonderful stretch of
river came another great vertical wall, on the left side--of most
brilliant colouring, a stratum of vivid red 60 ft. deep with thin bright
horizontal yellow streaks, and an upper stratum 18 ft. thick of a similar
dazzling yellow. The northern portion of the cliff differed in colouring,
and had a brown lower stratum 30 ft. thick, followed upwards by a yellow
stratum 2 ft. thick, and a red stratum--a most brilliant vermilion--15
ft. thick. Above was a pink layer 15 ft. thick and a summit deposit of
brown earth 45 ft. deep. There again the river was shifted by that
obstacle from b.m. 290° to due north. A charming island--which I baptized
Bridget Island--700 m. long and 100 m. wide, absolutely smothered in
vegetation, was found there. It had an extensive spur of yellow sand and
gravel. The right bank was sparsely wooded with open country behind. Two
channels were found, one flowing north-west, 40 m. wide, the other
north-east, 30 m. broad. We followed the latter, where the rapids seemed
less fearsome than in the broader channel.
At the end of Bridget Island another island, 500 m. long, was found,
which we called Lucky Island. This second island was 200 m. down stream
from the first, and was situated at the junction of the River dos Patos
("river of ducks") with the River Arinos on the right side of the latter
stream.
We were amazed to see opposite the island on the right bank a fishing
tackle and some clothes. As we had already gone 89 kil. 850 m. that day,
having kept an average speed of 11 kil. 250 m. an hour, and the sun was
about to set, we decided to halt on "Lucky Island" for the night. We were
busy preparing our dinner when a strange figure appeared on the right
bank, rifle in hand. His astonishment at seeing us was no greater than
ours at seeing him.
"Who were we?" "Where did we come from?" "What did we want there?" "Where
were we going?"
All those questions having been duly answered, I sent my canoe over to
ferry the fellow across. He was one of the queerest men I have ever met.
His eyes constantly roamed about like those of a wild feline animal. He
never kept still a moment, springing up unexpectedly to his feet when he
was sitting down, and squatting himself down when he had been standing
up. All the time he was handling his rifle--a very handsome one--and with
rapid movements watched intently now one then another of our party. He
seemed in a state of great nervous strain and excitement. He appeared to
be a first or second cross of Indians and negroes--quite young, some
twenty-four years of age. He had very little clothing upon his person,
which showed limbs of extraordinary muscular strength. Seldom is it given
to one to see so cruel a face, seldom were criminal characteristics so
clearly marked on any one's countenance and in the formation of the
skull. A man with a face like that could be capable of any crime. His
conversation supplied ample further testimony that his physiognomy had
not deceived me. I had so far thought that my men were the coarsest, the
most brutal individuals I had ever met, but they were not in it at all
with the strange figure we had before us. The conversation of my men had
seemed to me disgustingly vulgar, but it now appeared the acme of
refinement when the new man opened his mouth to talk. Good gracious me!
what extraordinary oaths--what perversion of ideas--what foaming hatred
for the Creator, our Saviour, all the saints imaginable, and humanity in
general! Evidently the poor man had a screw loose somewhere within his
brain-case.
I gave him some tobacco, a quantity of which I carried for my men.
Without a word of acknowledgment he seized it, and, with paper my men
gave him, proceeded to make himself a cigarette.
"I am tired of this life," said he, as he rolled the tobacco. "I am a
slave. I owe my master 1 conto 200 milreis (£80). He sold me this rifle,
and some cartridges, and I cannot repay him. I am rotting away with
fever. I am dying of starvation, I am going mad in this place.... I have
no more food, and have been unable for three days to catch fish. Do not
let me die here. Take me with you. I will give you my rifle, this
ring"--a cheap ring which he proceeded to take from his finger--"I shall
work hard and require no pay if you will save me from death."
I told him that he had better consider his position seriously before
doing anything rash. We should not be leaving until the next morning.
The man, whom we shall call X, as I do not wish to divulge his real name,
sat up the entire night talking to my men. His excitement was great--at
least, judging by the loudness of his voice. During those long sleepless
hours--with all of them shouting at the top of their voices it was
impossible to sleep--I overheard the entire history of his life. What a
life! I prayed my stars that X would change his mind and decide to stay
where he was, for though I needed extra men badly I feared that his
company would not be a welcome addition to our party, bad as it was. Like
all men who have lived much in seclusion, he possessed marvellous
vitality and magnetism. My men were simply hypnotised by the remarkable
tales of his deeds, or rather misdeeds.
Long before we were ready to start, X went to seat himself in the canoe
to make sure we should not leave him behind. When I asked him to
reconsider once more what he was doing, which was not fair to his master,
no matter how bad he may have been, X positively refused to remain there.
"If you do not want me to come," he said with determination, "you will
have to fling me into the water and keep my head under until I am
drowned."
That was rather a trying dilemma. Much as I disapprove of slavery, I did
not like the idea of taking matters into my own hands and freeing other
people's slaves; yet it was impossible to refuse assistance to a
suffering man when he asked for it. In any case I had no wish to be
responsible for his death.
"X," I said to him, "you have quite made up your mind to go with us?"
"Yes."
"Will you promise faithfully that you will work and give no trouble?"
"May my old father and mother be struck by lightning this moment if I
shall give you trouble!" was his reply.
"Very good, X. You can keep your rifle and cartridges and your ring"--he
had just deposited them at my feet--"they are your own property. I do not
want them. You shall receive the same salary as the other men from this
day as long as you do your work satisfactorily."
X jumped out of the canoe to embrace me. On his brutal face was for a
moment an expression of gratitude ... he rested his head upon my shoulder
and sobbed for many minutes.
With a crew of six men, things were a little better for us. Four could
paddle while one steered, and the sixth stood on the prow with a long
pole punting, or on the look-out for dangerous obstacles.
X paddled with such vigour that Alcides at the helm had the greatest
difficulty in keeping the canoe straight. It had a good effect on the
other men, who also paddled away with all their might, and we were
speeding along with the strong current almost as fast as a steam launch.
The minimum temperature during the night (July 8th-9th) had been 57°
Fahr. The elevation above the sea level of Lucky Island was 1,100 ft.
The River dos Patos came from the S.S.E., then bent to the east where its
sources were.
Lucky Island was 250 m. in length. The river had an average width of 80
m. As we went along my men sang gaily, particularly X, who seemed like a
bird let out of its cage, so happy did he feel at being a free man again.
His répertoire was not of the choicest kind, but what was lacking in
quality was made up in quantity. For some hours we were treated to a
vocal concert, X's solos sending my men into fits of merriment. His
wit--of the crudest kind--was sometimes funny.
This great gaiety seemed most weird in that region where silence reigned
supreme always. The voices seemed to travel immense distances, echoed
from one side to the other of the river. Words were reproduced with great
clearness by the echo two or three times over. Especially when we had
forest on both sides of the stream was the echo particularly perfect.
Quantities of rubber trees--absolutely going to waste--were to be seen
now on one side, then on the other, of the river where the banks were
wooded.
[Illustration: A Rapid on the Arinos River.]
[Illustration: Taking the Canoe through a Narrow Channel.]
Another most beautiful island, 800 m. long and 80 m. wide--Pedro de
Toledo Island--was passed. It had a channel 10 m. wide in a
north-westerly direction, another, which we followed, 50 m. broad,
north-east. On emerging from this channel at the end of the island we
were in a basin 140 m. in diameter. Some 3 kils. farther, another great
basin was crossed--very shallow, only 2 ft. deep--with a gravel bottom.
The current was swift. Then, 2 kils. beyond, yet another basin, 100
metres wide, 1½ ft. deep, with strong eddies, was crossed. The river,
which had so far kept more or less in a northerly direction, at that
point actually swung round in two consecutive angles from 350° north
to due south, in which direction it flowed for 1,000 m. An immaculately
white beach was on the right of us, on which we duly stranded. It was
quite enough for Alcides to see an obstacle of any kind in the river for
him to send the canoe right over it. I seized that opportunity to land
and commence a most interesting collection of the innumerable minute sand
plants which were to be found on those beaches.
Where the river turned north once more there stood a hill 100 ft. high,
the lower half of which was of red volcanic rock, the upper half of
yellow earth. Along the water's edge a thick and florid growth of bamboo
could be seen in many places, while on the edge of the forest hung
myriads of purple convolvuli. For hundreds of kilometres the Arinos was
indeed one of the most ideally beautiful rivers I have ever seen. Its
banks of alluvial formation, 25 to 30 ft. high, had _chapada_ on their
tops. Farther on the _chapada_ gave way once more to dense forest with
plentiful rubber trees. Another basin, 150 m. in diameter, was met with,
after which we entered a channel from 40 to 50 m. wide, through which the
stream was compressed.
A pretty little islet of gravel, 100 m. long, 20 m. wide, and rising 6
ft. above the water, had a tuft of trees growing on it, and a spur, also
of gravel, extending westward for more than another 100 m. The river in
that section flowed in a W.N.W. direction for 1,400 m.
We soon after came to a shallow basin (1 ft. deep) 100 m. wide, in which
eddies were strong and troublesome. There were many pointed rocks
scattered about in its bed of gravel, as well as three parallel rocky
barriers right across the basin.
A rivulet 2 m. wide at the mouth entered the Arinos on the right side,
while on the left side we had an island 800 m. long, leaving two
channels, one 10 m. wide, the other 40 m. A tiny streamlet flowed into
the main stream on the left. Banks, regular dunes of gravel, were formed
where the river broadened into basins. We came to a basin 400 m. wide and
extremely shallow. Three channels--W.N.W., N.W., and N.N.E.--were formed
in the river by two islands, each 400 m. long--the Two Sisters
Islands--which were in the centre. We found the N.N.E. channel the best.
Where the river narrowed again to a width of 50 m. huge rocks stood in
the centre. From that point for some 300 m. we went over a succession of
gravel banks and nasty rocks forming barriers across the stream.
Small streamlets entered the Arinos, one on the left, the other on the
right. A cluster of high rocks was on the right bank. On both sides were
extensive white sand beaches. The river soon widened to 100 m. in a basin
with an islet 12 ft. high, and a cluster of trees on its north-east side.
Another island 6 ft. high, 80 m. long--Mosquito Island--with a spit of
gravel to the south, was near it.
Rubber trees were most plentiful on the right bank where the forest was
thick, whereas on the left bank was _chapada_. Huge gorgeous butterflies
with black-striped brown wings and velvety bodies flew in great numbers
around the canoe. Some settled on my hat, hands, and on the sleeves of my
white shirt. They were so unaccustomed to see human beings that when
touched they did not attempt to fly away.
The river was getting more and more wonderful every hour as we went
along--in great straight lines of 3,500 m., 3,000 m., 2,200 m., 2,000 m.,
4,000 m., in length.
Some ducks rose from the water only a few yards in front of the canoe.
The man who was behind me fired with his carbine close to my head. The
bullet grazed my right ear. It was a trifle trying to be travelling with
such careless sportsmen, but the best thing was to say nothing and go on.
A big island--Passos Island--300 m. long, preceded by a smaller islet 80
m. long--Passos Junior I.--was subsequently passed, where the river
formed a channel (N.W.) 50 m. wide and a minor one (W.) 30 m.
The river there changed from a westerly course to W.S.W. Once more we had
before us a great wall of red rock which at first seemed to bar our way.
In the lower section of the wall was a cave eroded by water and extending
some way back. It was too low to be entered by the canoe. The lower
stratum of the wall was at an angle--in other words, had a dip of
21°--while the stratum above it, 30 ft. in thickness, intersected by a
yellow band, was perfectly horizontal. On the left side of this high
natural wall was a charming waterfall of limpid water. Farther on a great
land-slip displayed for a length of 40 m. brilliant red earth over a
stratum 60 ft. thick of white chalk. The river, which described a number
of turns, was bordered on the left side by a hill range covered with
handsome trees.
The ardour of my men for rowing had already passed away. They smoked and
sang the whole time, and let the current--fortunately strong--carry us
along. Whenever I remonstrated they scooped the water carelessly with
their paddles for a few minutes. As is the case with individuals mentally
deficient, everything seemed to distract them. One moment it was the
flight of a _jacutinga_--a handsome black gallinaceous bird with a white
crest. Another moment it was the jump of an inquisitive fish. Many
_mergulhão commun_ (_Podiceps Americanus_), wonderfully graceful, velvety
black birds with long beaks, flew about unconcerned from tree to tree.
Whenever anything moved about anywhere, the 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 into the Arinos. The basin formed by the crescent-shaped
wall was perfectly circular. When the river emerged from it, it folded
back from 40° b.m. to 290°.
Owing to the steepness of the banks we experienced difficulty in finding
a suitable camping place for the night. Eventually at sunset we had to
clear with our big knives a patch in the dirty forest on the edge of the
stream. I never liked to camp out of sight of the canoe in case anything
happened during the night--an attack, a flood, a forest fire, or anybody
trying to steal or get away with the canoe; the danger from my own men
being quite as great as from any enemy I could have found. I well knew
that if we lost that canoe we were done for entirely.
There was a great falling off in the distance covered that day owing to
the laziness of my men. We had only gone 67 kil. 600 m.--or 22 kil. 250
m. less than the previous day, when we had travelled less hours and gone
easily over a distance of 89 kil. 850 m.