Page:A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.djvu/214

 184 TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. [April,

country it flows through appears to be a flat sandy tract, covered with a low scrubby vegetation, very like that of the river Cobati, up which I ascended to the Serra to obtain the cocks of the rock.

It was night when we reached Maroa, and we were nearly passing the village without seeing it. We went to the " casa de nacao," rather a better kind of shed than usual, and, making a good fire, passed a comfortable night. The next morning I called on Senhor Carlos Bueno (Charles Good), the dandy Indian Commissario, and did a little business with him. I bought a lot of Indian baskets, gravatanas, quivers, and ururf or curari poison, and in return gave him some fish-hooks and calico, and, having breakfasted with him, went on to Tomo.

Senhor Antonio Dias was not there, having gone to Sao Carlos, so I determined to wait a few days for his return, as he had promised to send men with me to Guia. I took up my abode with Senhor Domingos, who was busy superintending the completion of the large vessel before mentioned, in order to get it launched with the high water, which was now within a foot or two of its bottom. I amused myself walking about the campo with my gun, and succeeded in shooting one of the beautiful little black-headed parrots, which have the most brillant green plumage, crimson under-wings, and yellow cheeks ; they are only found in these districts, and are rather difficult to obtain. I also got some curious fish to figure, — in particular two large species of Gymnotus, of the group which are not electric.

The Indians had a festa while I was here. They made abundance of " shirac," and kept up their dancing for thirty hours. The principal peculiarity of it was that they mixed up their civilised dress and their Indian decorations in a most extraordinary manner. They all wore clean trousers and white or striped shirts ; but they had also feather-plumes, bead neck- laces, and painted faces, which made altogether a rather queer mixture. They also carried theirh ammocks like scarfs over their shoulders, and had generally hollow cylinders in their hands, used to beat upon the ground in time to the dancing. Others had lances, bows, and wands, ornamented with feathers, producing as they danced in the moonlight a singular and wild appearance.

Senhor Antonio Dias delayed his return, and rather a scene