New-York tribune., 1870-12-06
EXPLORATIONS IN BRAZIL.


MRRS-THE EVENING PRAYER or TIE CANOh-
MEN on THE TOCANTINS.
The first day of a canoe or boat-trlp Is always
a trying one. Men will not work. The pauuers WV,
overcome with the heat and were lazy and Joy 30 "
we did not make very long Journey We s'olp.u ~
Quently after leaving Os Patos to examine ue iOCh ~,
collect specimens Passing along close TO Sah-"h'
~ so, NJ, r,,nerse lizard running along The boatnen
ssaw that a had been making nest so we landed 10 eN
,plore In the upper part OF the bank we louhu so,
nests long. decp, winding excavations IN ue ~ s"nu
the end ~ which the eggs were found We coe''eu -
.ral dozens one OF the men got on the track OF o.'
the Iizarie snd caught it alive in its hole Al nls'
canned on q sandhanK, ate roast lizard ana essS'
slept i'm the sand, rolled in wOolcn blankets,
clear starry sky waking the next mernine bout
soaked with dew with the Thermometer So"" I'D of
yOo aud 2 chilly feeling in the air that Pun u -
morning in the Fall at home. ,.,,, than tbe
In che dry season nothing ia more deisnl'ul M t-
nights on tie sand banks During the u"y ~ ON tbo hot
perature averages about $50, ana IN n - ar,op, the
tost day I could not anywhere nnu' 80" - 80, a.,
black rocks heat OF 1902. AS soon a. 80. - - :,
t,.s.a.te ,dlv falls and just before sunrise IL
.hos .t,o,t ,o5 7 have seen 10 as low as t5~' LUIS
temperature appears very col0' anu VIZ "i ~ , 80 80
would chiII one through II nc "eio no' PtOP4| lV
,.,oo ,r, i've, water does not cool much at night,
,, roorping usually fOund difference OF l5' be
go 4, o5 the AFR IL steamed like hot bath, and felt
ot =, ,,e body 1 found bath most nyigorsting soon
s,,.r snuset when the mir had become cool good rub
bo some vigorous exercise, or cup OF coffee warmed
one up and one slept his sand pillow comfortably
a. possible. Bat before daylight the water was too
warm aud too cool to make bath safe, at least
fnra stranger The evenings and mornings in the river
were most enjoyable The GOODNESS OF the evening after
the heat Of the day very grateful and oil nature
seemed to feel IT, Birds sang. Flocks OF parrots
ssme Gylug twOby-two high overhead, with
Quiycrug wings, chatting costly together. The woods
rsounded with the voices OF various species OF monkeys
The leracura sang his strange song by the river sue
oghthawks and bats began TO appear ana the great
scissor bi with nOiSeess wings, made the circuit OF to
raia again and again, with the long lower mandloIe
Just under ater In search OF fish. As the twilight ded
out cnce and peace settled down on the river ana the
beautiful stars looked down, and with twinkling eyes
Gold stories OF home and dear ones faraway that they kept
watch over - With the first gray OF the dawn
birds begin 70 sing parrots talked at their rOostlnG
places and In y few minutes all was life one of the
Atudents vas ang, hired canoe and sent hm back
50 tho steamer This lghtened very considerably our
little boat nd gave room. The second day the
Tnen pulled quite well, and made good days Noy-
axe, though stopped very frequently TO examine the
rocks which became more and more abundant In the
river many places forming long ledges that stretch
the stream leaving only narrow channels with
Faplds, putting eccual stop TO navigation except
during the rainy Beside these rocks are Immense
Iraias shoals The first Of this series Of rapids Is
that Of TIpanhmaquara Tup the word signfylns the
hole OF the negro Lodges OF schtose rock, inclined at
a high angle down stream form maze Of rock, at low
water, with several channels with rapids passaOe by
ASCENDING THE RAPIDS.
by one OF these channels ascended, partly by hard
0sddilng partly by pulling the boat only by rope the
men going naked into the water. The other rapids We
ascended in the same way Sometimes we were obliged
90 dscmbsrk while the crew by main strength, with
their shoulders against her sides, carried the boat
shrOugh the wbrlng current among the rocks On one
occasion we had just reached rapid when the men tied
sr,T offa tbpr1
into the river right in tho teeth OF the current and
among the rocks had never before seen such feats Of
swimming Thcy dived and swan beneath the surface,
gliding among the rocks against the current ike dol
phins coming to the surface TO breathe only a. TO me-
surprsngiy long intervals Through the clear water
could SEE the dusxy body Of one them darng down
che rapds Uhiring round It, and eddying behind a
submerged rock over which the water was pouring.
Lifting his head for moment above the water and
faking 4 long breath he dved again. caught hold
OF the rocks with his left hand while he ex-
amined the holes beneath for fishes. Every once
I'm willis an Indian head would pop up
and hand would hold M Acari, curious mailed hsh
belonging TO Agassizs group OF the GOnfodonts the rep
resentave OF the sturgeon in Brazil Quite number OF
apeGmeus were captured in this way on this ana other
occasions Our Indian boatnsn were magnificent swim
ners indeed they seemed almost amphiDOus On every
possible occasion they were into the water diving,
wrestling and performing all sorts OF curious ieats.
Once we started pair OF large ducks, that flew out OF
range. One q the young ones wepursued IL dVed ana
supposed We had lost &C. when suddenly an Indian
Shrew down his paddle and hat and disappeared over
BOARD reappesring at considerable distance holding
bis hand. our bOatmen were very expert IN
hunting afr collecting the eggs OF river turtles OF
which there here two largo species, known by the
natives the Tracaja and the Tartaruga. The latter
grows tho size Of the river turtle At about this time
both species repartO the sandbanks 10 lay their
We found many their nests and the eggs both cooked
and raw we're very good eating
After three days and half OF hard work. profitable
DAYS 10 account Of the opportunity given 70 study
Che geology Of tho country, reached the formidable
Espds Of GuaTibas. and camped just below them, in
most picturesque place among the rocks and trees the
right hank Here beds Of rock, dipping steepy down
stream form series Of reefs stretch the river in
such way to compel the water during the dry season
tO ind ~ way through few narrow channels at the
heads Of which dangerous rapids and in some places
an abrupt fan Of fcw inches. In the middle, among
the reefs sa large wooded rock and below it another
tho attcT rising in the center Ike arincd tower Among
these rocks and reefs deep, beautiful coyes and
ohdnuts With clear, green water that put me forcihN
fn mind OF Nahaut Three OF took q boat TO explore
Che rapids found Il exceedingly difficult 10 appreciate
fact Chat IL was not salt water that saw before
FrsshwJttr spOnges and seaweedlike-oOking moses
ewoh the rocks and the shadows were fun Of eaHids
cGot recalled the eereia OF the shore The eastern
cunu avery narrow, and at the time Of my visit did
not dNnt of rae passage Of boat which, the fol-
towing o'y The oOatmcn tried IN vain 20 pass empty
This c-iAl IS called GuaribiphG. Guariba Is the Tup
hame Io' ''e bowling monkey The natives have
@uio'''''' Na' the rapids haunted by two
OF u'tso "iI"'i's Tho middle and wider channel IS
called tho Cuaflso nv a. D. rJo,or ", ,,o,,l,d
close un 20 the foot Il tl. ,,,,1' "a ,as,u o,n,rod
'.," % .aeoe drawn by strong rope might
Nre could sce the vztesrrstt~ - -. 49,, -, ,..,
in the rapids found re- o., -, - - =
thc rocks Just above v,,er - - ,,.sta .as. %
Ampuaria w1s laying its,,,r, s l'y 80 - ,Y1a,ea
ON The larger island aud el..s - :,