_Oleo Pardo_ Trees--Beautiful Palms--The River Bottom--Swarms of
Butterflies--Millions of Bees--A Continuous Torture
THE night of July 10th was cool--minimum temperature 58° F. When we
departed at 7.10 in the morning the river was extremely tortuous at
first--in one place actually veering from north to due south. On the
right side of us was a lake divided by a low bank, 3 to 5 ft. high, from
the river by which it was fed. The entrance into the lake was narrow. We
had hardly gone 1 kil. when we found ourselves in a great basin 300 m.
long, 200 m. wide, with one large island--Nellie Island--150 m. in
length, and several other small islets in its centre.
Another lagoon was shortly after reached on the right bank, its inlet
being 10 m. wide.
The waters of the Arinos were, at this point, of a leaden placidity. We
seemed to travel slowly now that the current did not help us. The river
was again compressed into a deep channel 50 m. wide. Before us loomed a
cliff 100 ft. high, reflected with irreproachable faithfulness in the
almost still waters of the stream. There was not a breath of wind to
disturb the mirror-like surface, nor to cool our sweating brows in the
stifling heat of the broiling sun. The lower 40 to 60 ft. of the cliff
was red, the upper light yellow--almost white. Where we reached this
rocky wall there was a circle 150 m. in diameter, with a low,
thickly-wooded triangular island, 80 m. long, 100 m. wide--Eleonora
Island.
The north-eastern passage was shallow, with a stony bottom. We followed
the northern channel along the vertical wall. On leaving the island we
came to a stretch 2,500 m. long of beautiful water flowing due north,
with ideally fascinating banks embellished by dense vegetation--neat,
clean, and healthy--of the richest green.
After crossing a bay, 100 m. wide, with volcanic rocks showing through on
both banks and in the river bed, the stream was squeezed through a rocky
neck 25 m. wide, and spread again immediately afterwards to its normal
width of 50 m. We were beginning to find big rocks more frequently, many
in the river channel--a bad sign for us, for I feared we might soon
encounter rapids.
Wonderful _oleo pardo_ trees (_Myrocarpus frondosus_ Fr. All.), with
their octopus-like branches hanging down to the water, were fairly common
in that region. There were two kinds of _oleo_ trees in Brazil--the brown
or _oleo pardo_ and the red or _oleo vermelho_, the latter technically
known as _Myrospermum erytroxylon_ Fr. All.
We subsequently entered a basin 150 m. wide which contained a circular
island 100 m. in diameter--Horus Island.
Eight hundred metres farther we came to another large circular bay with a
large globular mass of lava on its left side. The current was very swift
over a nasty rocky bottom. The canoe was suddenly flung by the current
between an accumulation of rocks and an island, and, as we found it
impossible to turn, floated down at an uncomfortable speed through a
narrow channel, dodging as best we could the many ugly rocks just below
the surface of the water. At the end of this channel we encountered
violent eddies forming wide circles of most treacherous water--although
on the surface it looked placid enough.
The tributary Sumidoro, 30 m. wide at its mouth, entered the Arinos from
the west-south-west at this point. Its water was deliciously clear. A
little way off to the left we could hear the noise of a waterfall on the
Sumidoro, before it joined the Arinos.
The river, after the meeting of this important tributary, became even
more exquisitely beautiful than before. Rocks strewn about added to the
picturesqueness of the landscape as well as to the dangers of navigation,
while springs of crystalline water, cool and quite delicious to drink,
descended here and there from the banks.
The river had an average width of 60 m. in this part, and was much strewn
with broken-up volcanic boulders, especially on the left bank. On the
right bank was a beach of immaculate white sand. For 300 m. we went over
a great stony place with shallow water. We had to be careful, but all the
same many times did we bump with great force and get stuck upon submerged
rocks--which we could not see owing to the blinding, glittering
refraction of the sun upon the troubled waters.
A tributary 4 m. wide, coming from the north-east, entered the Arinos on
the right bank. A great number of rubber trees were to be seen on the
right bank, where the forest was luxuriant; but not on the left bank,
where the growth of trees was scanty. _Carandá_ or _burity_ or _tucuman_
palms were plentiful along the water's edge near the spot where a small
rivulet entered the Arinos on the left bank. Two thousand metres farther
down we came upon denuded country, low, and liable to inundation when the
river rose. Farther on were campos and open country, with the exception
of a thin row of trees immediately along the river. On the left we had
luxuriant forest, wonderfully healthy, neat and clean. The stream was
there beautiful--60 to 70 m. wide.
When we had gone 10 kils. 800 m. more the entire channel became strewn
with rocks and mounds only 1 ft. below the surface of the water, and not
unlike parallel small dunes of sand with a deposit of gravel upon them.
For 700 m. the river was obstructed and navigation rendered somewhat
troublesome.
Where the river turned from bearings magnetic 310° to 360° (due N.) we
went over a nasty stony place with a strong _corrideira_ above it, and we
were confronted with a rocky barrier almost the entire width across the
stream. We kept on the west side, the only way where it was possible to
get the canoe through. A little farther another _corrideira_, stronger
than the first, obliged us to find a passage on the east side of the
river--which bore upon its bank _campos_ and _chapada_. Curious mounds of
white sand and gravel were visible in the centre of the river, and also
near the left bank below the second _corrideira_; then we came to
parallel ridges of white sand and gravel right across the river bottom at
an angle of 45° in relation to the general direction of the stream.
Two tributaries, one 3 m. wide on the left bank, the other 4 m. wide on
the right side (the latter coming from the north-east), swelled the
Arinos from that point. The width of the stream was now increased to 80
m., the water being shallow. The bed of the river was ever changing, and
supplied me with constant interest. It was adorned with strangely precise
triangles of beautiful white sand exposed through a layer of gravel which
covered most of the river bottom.
A thickly-wooded hill range, 150 ft. high and extending from W.S.W. to
E.N.E., stood to the north of us. Its slopes, eroded by the water, had
caused a landslip, leaving bare vertical red rock for half the height of
the hill-range and two much eroded spurs of bright yellow and white earth
extending into the stream.
The river at that point turned from north to east. Open country was again
on our right after leaving the hill range, and lowlands liable to
inundation. Soon afterwards, however, higher land appeared with banks 35
ft. high.
Swarms of small white butterflies played upon the banks on the edge of
the water.
Sand and gravel mounds were numerous in the centre of the channel, with
occasional basins of shallow water with _corrideiras_ upon them. For
instance, in one of those places for 150 m. the river was only from 1 to
3 ft. deep, and we had to drag the long heavy canoe, which drew 2 ft. of
water, along the undulating gravel bed. In fact, we spent a good deal of
our time every day in the water, pushing or pulling along the canoe over
innumerable obstacles, her great length making it difficult to navigate
her properly through the many shallow and tortuous passages.
In a circular basin, 120 m. in diameter, beyond that point we encountered
strong eddies near the left bank. On the north side big rocks emerged
from the water and a _corrideira_ was formed.
An island 50 m. long and two other islets were separated from the
mainland by two channels, one 20 m. wide and only 3 in. deep--the other
60 m. wide and 3 ft. deep. The right bank was there 45 ft. high.
Fifteen hundred metres farther down we entered another basin 200 m. in
diameter, with an island 80 m. long and eight dry beaches of gravel.
My men were greatly excited in trying to capture a _capivara_ they had
wounded. We actually got the animal on board, but my men were so timid in
going near it that it jumped overboard again and made its escape.
The right bank, which had been high, was now reduced to only 4 ft. above
the water; whereas the left bank rose to a height of 46 ft. A rivulet 3
m. wide coming from the west had cut its way through the latter bank.
The main river was getting more and more magnificent at every turn. I
should have enjoyed the journey very much had it not been for the
constant attention I had to pay to my men, who left their paddles and
steering gear at every moment in order to fire recklessly at birds or
_ariranhas_ or _capivaras_, much to the danger of everybody on board.
They would blaze away with their repeating rifles--and bullet cartridges,
of course--at parrots and even _colibri_ birds 100 or 200 metres off.
They said the rifles were bad because they could never hit anything! I
had ceased scolding them. They made me positively ill with pity, I was
only praying for our supply of cartridges to come to an end soon, so that
if we were to die at all it might not be through being pierced by one of
our own bullets.
The river had been flowing, with slight deviations, northwards.
We came to an enchanting island 70 m. wide, with thick vegetation upon it
and fine rocks.
The river in that portion flowed practically north in great stretches of
6,000 and 4,000 m. Another large and beautiful island, 250 m. long and 70
wide--Ghislaine Island--was passed, and we admired the gorgeous
vegetation upon it.
Below the island the river was 100 m. wide and very shallow--not more
than from 1 to 4 ft. in depth. We halted at sunset, having gone that day
92 kil. 300 m.
During the night of July 11th my men suffered a great deal from cold, the
thermometer being as low as 45° Fahrenheit. In the morning there was a
thick fog over the river--so thick that we had to delay our departure
until eight o'clock, as we could not see more than two or three metres
ahead.
Two kilometres beyond we came to a rivulet, 2 m. wide, on the left bank,
and soon after to a small _corrideira_ with a navigable channel in the
centre. Three hundred metres farther down we passed another tributary on
the right bank. There was open country with sparse stunted trees on the
left of us, thick forest with plenty of rubber trees on the right. I
noticed several good specimens of the _pao dolce_--a tree with a curious
cluster of yellow flowers not unlike the flower of wistaria upside down.
Not only was the _pao dolce_ pretty to look at, but a most refreshing
beverage could be made from a decoction of its leaves.
The course of the river was winding, with basins and rapids of no great
importance. Another tributary 2 m. wide was reached on the left bank, and
soon after another tiny streamlet entered the Arinos from the same side.
I had a narrow escape. One of the men, who was sitting behind me in the
canoe, saw an _ariranha_ (_Lutra Brasiliensis_) put its head out of the
water only ten metres in front of the canoe. In his great hurry to kill
the beautiful animal he seized his rifle and emptied the eight shots out
of his magazine, firing the first three shots close to my head on the
left side, the other five just as close on the other side. The muzzle of
his rifle was so near my ear that the noise deafened me for several
minutes and my hair was almost singed off. The _ariranha_, needless to
say, escaped unhurt, and luckily so did I.
We went over a long strip of shallow water from 1 to 3 ft. deep. We now
had open country on the right bank, with a small streamlet finding its
way into the Arinos on that side. The river was flowing again in long
straight stretches--3,000 m., 2,000 m., 2,500 m. in length. In the
portions where the banks were thickly wooded innumerable rubber trees
were to be seen.
In the centre of a basin 150 m. wide we found another island, 100 m. long
and 50 m. wide, absolutely smothered in vegetation and with a handsome
gravel spit at its southern end. Two kilometres farther another basin,
300 m. broad, appeared. An amazing quantity of rubber trees was to be
seen round that basin. Near the water we also found fine specimens of the
_mate_ (_Ilex Paraguayensis_ St. Hil.), with its wax-like leaves, much
used in certain parts of South America for making a kind of tea.
For close upon 13 kils. the river flowed--with slight deviations--almost
always due north, and with its limpid waters was of extraordinary beauty.
The country was open on the right side of us. We saw that day two white
_urubú_ (_Cathartes_). The Brazilians have a curious superstition about
them. They say that if you write with a quill taken from the wing of one
of these birds any business which you may be transacting will go well; in
fact, anything you may wish to do and which you set down on paper with
one of these quills and ink is sure to turn out successfully.
That day I again suffered much, while taking astronomical observations,
from the millions of bees and other insects which settled in swarms upon
my hands and face and stung me all over. We were then in lat. 12° 26'·5
S., long. 56° 37' W. The temperature in the sun was not
unbearable--merely 85° Fahr.
In the afternoon, after we had enjoyed an excellent lunch of fish, tinned
provisions, and rice--my men also enjoying their _feijao_ (boiled
beans)--we continued our journey. The river for 9,000 m. displayed first
clean _campos_ and _chapada_ on the left bank and dense forest on the
right, then _campos_ on the right bank and a belt of forest along the
river on the left.
The _campos_ were particularly neat in that region--merely a few _burity_
and _tucum_ palms flourishing on the edge of the water. In other
localities a thick growth of beautiful bamboos interspersed with gigantic
palms lined the banks.
Where the river turned due east we came to fairly strong rapids. The
water was shallow with mounds of gravel, and we bumped about a great
deal. Eventually we all had to get into the water and push the canoe
along for greater comfort.
The river next formed a huge basin, 900 m. long and 200 m. wide. A small
tributary flowed into the Arinos in the crescent-shaped bank on the
right. That bank had a height of 80 ft. On its summit quantities of
_Siphonia elastica_ were to be admired. Farther down it was on the left
side that the river had high banks, some 60 ft. high.
We went over a charming little _corrideira_. Strong eddies were
encountered on emerging from the rapids. Where the right bank became
lower--only 40 ft.--_chapada_ replaced the forest. The left bank was but
1 ft. above the level of the river, and the low country beyond (south)
was naturally liable to inundation. For 4,000 m. the left bank was never
higher than 4 ft. The right bank also suddenly became very low in that
region.
Where the river turned from 290° b.m. to 320° b.m., there was a basin
700 m. broad with low banks. An island--Lydia Island--200 m. in
circumference, rose within this basin on the north side and was
luxuriantly wooded.
We found that day beautiful beaches of gravel, mostly on the right side.
Then strong rapids and _corrideiras_; below these more clean-looking
gravel beaches--this time on the left--were visible, and an extensive
island of gravel close to the right bank.
For 8,000 m. the gorgeous stream flowed almost in a direct line
northward, with dense forest and a wealthy growth of rubber trees on both
sides. Wonderful _figueira_ trees with their spotless white branches
embellished the landscape.
On the left a tributary of some size entered the Arinos from the
south-east in two arms with an island between; the largest arm was 40 m.
wide, the smaller 10 m. Then another stream entered the Arinos on the
right side.
We were again confronted by a large basin enclosed on the north by a
crescent-shaped wall 100 ft. high, at the foot of which at the level of
the river was a quantity of débris of yellow rock. The river at that spot
turned sharply from 20° b.m. (N.N.E.) to 290° b.m.--that is to say,
almost north-west. The width of the Arinos at this point was from 80 to
100 m.
Towards sunset we came to a beautiful island 200 m. long. We cleared a
sufficiently large space in the dense and gorgeous vegetation to make our
camp for the night.