Page:A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.djvu/270

 238 TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. [March,

place ; and when I returned, he would pay me what he owed me. So I was forced to make the best of it ; but shortly after I found that his brother would only go to Jacare" caxoeira, and thus I was a second time deceived.

On starting, I missed Joao, and found that he had left us in the village, telling the guardas that he had only agreed with me to come so far, and they had never said a word to me about it till now, that it was too late. Antonio's debt therefore still remained unpaid, and was even increased by a knife which Joao had asked for, and I had given him, in order that he might go on the voyage satisfied.

The river now became full of rocks, to a degree to which even the rockiest part of the Rio Negro was a trifle. All were low, and would be covered at high-water, while numbers more remained below the surface, and we were continually striking against them. That afternoon we passed four more falls, the " Uacu " (a fruit), " Uacara " (Egret), " Muciira " (Opossum), and " Japona " (oven) caxoeiras. At Uacara there was a malocca of the same name ; and at Japona another, where we passed the night. All these rapids we ascended without un- loading; but the Uacara' was very bad, and occasioned us much trouble and delay. The next morning, when about to start, we found that another Indian was missing : he had absconded in the night, and it was useless attempting to seek him, though we knew he had gone to Uacara Malocca, where he wished to stay the day before, but where all knowledge of him would be denied and he well hidden, had we returned to fetch him. He was one who had received full payment, making three who had already gone away in my debt; a not very encouraging beginning for my voyage.

We passed the " Tyeassu " (Pig) caxoeira early, and then had a good stretch of quiet water till midday, when we reached the " Oomarie " (a fruit) caxoeira, where there is a sitio. Here we dined off a fine fresh Tucunardi, which an old man sold me ; and I agreed with his son, by the temptation of an axe, to go with me. We pulled the canoe up this rapid without unloading, which is seldom done, except when the river is low, as it now was. The rest of the day we had quiet water, and stopped at a rock to make our supper and sleep.

March st. — We passed the " Macaco " (monkey) caxoeira early. The rocks here, and particularly about Oomarie