Page:The naturalist on the River Amazons 1863 v2.djvu/289

 Amazons is, that the turtle has very greatly decreased in numbers, and is still annually decreasing.

We left Shimuní on the 20th with quite a flotilla of canoes, and descended the river to Catuá, an eleven hours' journey by paddle and current. Catuá is about six miles long, and almost entirely encircled by its praia. The turtles had selected for their egg-laying a part of the sandbank which was elevated at least twenty feet above the present level of the river; the animals, to reach the place, must have crawled up a slope. As we approached the island, numbers of the animals were seen coming to the surface to breathe, in a small shoaly bay. Those who had light montarias sped forward with bows and arrows to shoot them. Carepíra was foremost: having borrowed a small and very unsteady boat of Cardozo, and embarked in it with his little son. After bagging a couple of turtles, and whilst hauling in a third, he overbalanced himself: the canoe went over, and he with his child had to swim for their lives, in the midst of numerous alligators, about a mile from the land. The old man had to sustain a heavy fire of jokes from his companions for several days after this mishap. Such accidents are only laughed at by this almost amphibious people.

The number of persons congregated on Catuá was much greater than on Shimuní, as the population of the banks of several neighbouring lakes was here added. The line of huts and sheds extended half a mile, and several large sailing vessels were anchored at the place. The commandant was Senhor Macedo, the Indian black-