Mr.Leavens was told that there were cedar trees at Trocara, on the opposite side of the river, near some fine rounded hills covered with forest, visible from Patos; so there we went.We found here several families encamped in a delightful spot.The shore sloped gradually down to the water, and was shaded by a few wide-spreading trees.There was no underwood.A great number of hammocks were seen slung between the tree trunks, and the litter of a numerous household lay scattered about.Women, old and young, some of the latter very good-looking, and a large number of children, besides pet animals, enlivened the encampment.They were all half-breeds, simple, well-disposed people, and explained to us that they were inhabitants of Cameta, who had come thus far, eighty miles, to spend the summer months.The only motive they could give for coming was that: "it was so hot in the town in the verao (summer), and they were all so fond of fresh fish."Thus, these simple folks think nothing of leaving home and business to come on a three months' picnic.It is the annual custom of this class of people throughout the province to spend a few months of the fine season in the wilder parts of the country.
They carry with them all the farinha they can scrape together, this being the only article of food necessary to provide.The men hunt and fish for the day's wants, and sometimes collect a little India-rubber, salsaparilla, or copaiba oil, to sell to traders on their return; the women assist in paddling the canoes, do the cooking, and sometimes fish with rod and line.The weather is enjoyable the whole time, and so days and weeks pass happily away.
One of the men volunteered to walk with us into the forest, and show us a few cedar trees.We passed through a mile or two of spiny thickets, and at length came upon the banks of the rivulet Trocara, which flows over a stony bed, and, about a mile above its mouth, falls over a ledge of rocks, thus forming a very pretty cascade.In the neighbourhood, we found a number of specimens of a curious land-shell, a large flat Helix, with a labyrinthine mouth (Anastoma).We learned afterwards that it was a species which had been discovered a few years previously by Dr.
Gardner, the botanist, on the upper part of the Tocantins.
We saw here, for the first time, the splendid Hyacinthine macaw (Macrocercus hyacinthinus, Lath., the Araruna of the natives), one of the finest and rarest species of the Parrot family.It only occurs in the interior of Brazil, from 16' S.lat.to the southern border of the Amazons valley.It is three feet long from the beak to the tip of the tail, and is entirely of a soft hyacinthine blue colour, except round the eyes, where the skin is naked and white.It flies in pairs, and feeds on the hard nuts of several palms, but especially of the Mucuja (Acrocomia lasiospatha).These nuts, which are so hard as to be difficult to break with a heavy hammer, are crushed to a pulp by the powerful beak of this macaw.
Mr.Leavens was thoroughly disgusted with the people of Patos.
Two men had come from below with the intention, I believe, of engaging with us, but they now declined.The inspector, constable, or governor of the place appeared to be a very slippery customer, and I fancy discouraged the men from going, whilst making a great show of forwarding our views.These outlying settlements are the resort of a number of idle, worthless characters.There was a kind of festival going on, and the people fuddled themselves with cashiri, an intoxicating drink invented by the Indians.It is made by soaking mandioca cakes in water until fermentation takes place, and tastes like new beer.
Being unable to obtain men, Mr.Leavens now gave up his project of ascending the river as far as the Araguaya.He assented to our request, however, to ascend to the cataracts near Arroyos.We started, therefore, from Patos with a more definite aim before us than we had hitherto.The river became more picturesque as we advanced.The water was very low, it being now the height of the dry reason; the islands were smaller than those further down, and some of them were high and rocky.Bold wooded bluffs projected into the stream, and all the shores were fringed with beaches of glistening white sand.On one side of the river there was an extensive grassy plain or campo with isolated patches of trees scattered over it.On the 14th and following day we stopped several times to ramble ashore.Our longest excursion was to a large shallow lagoon, choked up with aquatic plants, which lay about two miles across the campo.At a place called Juquerapua, we engaged a pilot to conduct us to Arroyos, and a few miles above the pilot's house, arrived at a point where it was not possible to advance further in our large canoe on account of the rapids.
September 16th.--Embarked at six a.m.in a large montaria which had been lent to us for this part of our voyage by Senor Seixas, leaving the vigilinga anchored close to a rocky islet, named Santa Anna, to await our return.Isidoro was left in charge, and we were sorry to be obliged to leave behind also our mulatto Jose, who had fallen ill since leaving Baiao.We had then remaining only Alexandro, Manoel, and the pilot, a sturdy Tapuyo named Joaquim-- scarcely a sufficient crew to paddle against the strong currents.
