and treated the whole affair as a humbug; but they were all
civilised Tapuyos.

On the 30th, at 9 p.m., we reached a broad channel called Macaco,
and now left the dark, echoing Jaburu. The Macaco sends off
branches towards the northwest coast of Marajo. It is merely a
passage amongst a cluster of islands, between which a glimpse is
occasionally obtained of the broad waters of the main Amazons. A
brisk wind carried us rapidly past its monotonous scenery, and
early in the morning of the 1st of October we reached the
entrance of the Uituquara, or the Wind-hole, which is fifteen
miles distant from the end of the Jaburu. This is also a winding
channel, thirty-five miles in length, threading a group of
islands, but it is much narrower than the Macaco.

On emerging from the Uituquara on the 2nd, we all went ashore--
the men to fish in a small creek; Joao da Cunha and I to shoot
birds. We saw a flock of scarlet and blue macaws (Macrocercus
Macao) feeding on the fruits of a Bacaba palm, and looking like a
cluster of flaunting banners beneath its dark-green crown. We
landed about fifty yards from the place, and crept cautiously
through the forest, but before we reached them they flew off with
loud harsh screams. At a wild fruit tree we were more successful,
as my companion shot an anaca (Derotypus coronatus), one of the
most beautiful of the parrot family. It is of a green colour, and
has a hood of feathers, red bordered with blue, at the back of
its head, which it can elevate or depress at pleasure. The anaca
is the only new-world parrot which nearly resembles the cockatoo
of Australia. It is found in all the lowlands throughout the
Amazons region, but is not a common bird anywhere. Few persons