Year: 1878




low, black, dank and unhealthy,
and before the passage was over
young Morris was taken i'll with a
fever. A days journey through the
noisome passage brought them to
the lake. All the enthusiasm of the
young man is aroused as he speaks
Of this sheet of water. II
looked, he says, more like
a river than a lake, and stretched
straight away as clear as crystal be-
tween immense high hills on either
side. Its beaches were of white
sand, and superb trees grew in pro-
fusion upon the faces Of the hills.
" 0, it was naturalist's paradiser
said the enthusiastic lad. Near the
entrance of the channelwhieh they
had passed was, in ruins, the old
missionary village Of Junuty. After
passing this there were no signs of
civilization. For six days, during
most Of which time he was fiat
upon his back in the canoe, the In
dians padded up the lake. Often
he had the canoe beached and with
his men ransacked the forest and
climbed the hills. About 4 o'clock
in the afternoon of the sixth day.
the sun shining brightly at the
time and the air being laden with
a hundred perfumes, there sudden
ly came down the lake an immense
white-capped wave; it was as if a
narrow gust Of wind had caught
up a strip Of the water from bank
to bank, and was carrying it like a
walldown between the hills. Jump.
ing to his feet with the assistance
Of the Indians he kept the canoe
head on, and the wave passed be-.
meath it, lifting them high and let
ting them down with a thump.
But now, with almost miraculous
'quickness, the sky grew black with
clouds, and lightning flashed in
every direction. 81 never knew
what a thunderstorm was before, .
said the young man, rising from his
chair and holding his arms wide
open to express the magnitude of
the storm. at was like looking at
a driving hail-storm upon which
the sun is shining. The Indians
were frightened out of their wits
Voliey after volley of thunder rat
tied among the great trunks of the
trees in the forest. In an instant
the lake was a frothy sea, and the
next moment we were all in the
water Fortunately we were moi
far from the lard, and all being
good swimmers we succeeded in
reaching a rocky point that iutted
out into the lake. On that rock
lay for thirty.six hours, delirious.
In the meantime three of the In
dians had started to make their
way on foot back to the Amazon.
Providentially they stumbled across
palm-tree hut in the very center
of the forest in which an old In
dian was living. Good fellows as
they were, they at once came back
alter me, and was carried a DAVIS
journey to that place for shelter.
1t was six days before / was able to
start for Junuty, where | finally
arrived. | was now powerIess to
continue my exploration. | had
nothing lett but a fine collection of
butterflies. By selling some of
these | was able to get back to
Para, and from there took passage
on the Henry Whitney for New
York. I've had a pretty hard time
getting back, for ten days from
this port We ran short of provisions
and were obliged to live on porpoise
meat"


Here the lad paused and the re-
porter asked him what he intended
to do next. What do intend to
dol" he rejoined, Indignantly.
"Why, to go back, of course, and
to stay until have explored every
inch Of Brazil. / sold collection
Of SAG butterflies to Mr.. Akhurst,
of Nassau street, yesterday, and
although / got much less for them
than ! expected, | hope to be able
soon to raise the balance of the
money necessary to purchase a good
boat and a suitable outfit. If / can
do nothing else / shall take some
situation and work, | don't care at
what, until have got the 5000 or
S700 | need. And then | shall 90
back to South America, and won't
make another failure, you may de-
pend"


Morris is living at No. 10 st.
Johns place, Brooklyn.