after rounding a point, I saw the great breadth we had to
traverse (seven miles), I thought the attempt to cross in such a
slight vessel foolhardy in the extreme. The waves ran very high,
there was no rudder, Raimundo steered with a paddle, and all we
had to rely upon to save us from falling into the trough of the
sea and being instantly swamped were his nerve and skill. There
was just room in the boat for our three selves, the dogs, and the
game we had killed, and when between the swelling ridges of waves
in so frail a shell, our destruction seemed inevitable; as it
was, we shipped a little water now and then. Joaquim assisted
with his paddle to steady the boat-- my time was fully occupied
in bailing out the water and watching the dogs, which were
crowded together in the prow, yelling with fear-- one or other of
them occasionally falling over the side and causing great
commotion in scrambling in again. Off the point was a ridge of
rocks, over which the surge raged furiously. Raimundo sat at the
stern, rigid and silent, his eye steadily watching the prow of
the boat. It was almost worth the risk and discomfort of the
passage to witness the seamanlike ability displayed by Indians on
the water. The little boat rode beautifully, rising well with
each wave, and in the course of an hour and a half we arrived at
Caripi, thoroughly tired and wet through to the skin.

On the 16th of January, the dry season came abruptly to an end.
The sea-breezes, which had been increasing in force for some
days, suddenly ceased, and the atmosphere became misty; at length
heavy clouds collected where a uniform blue sky had for many
weeks prevailed, and down came a succession of heavy showers, the
first of which lasted a whole day and night. This seemed to give
a new stimulus to animal life. On the first night there was a