succeed in taming it, and I never saw one that had been taught to
speak. The natives are very fond of the bird nevertheless, and
keep it in their houses for the sake of seeing the irascible
creature expand its beautiful frill of feathers, which it readily
does when excited.

The men returned with a large quantity of fish. I was surprised
at the great variety of species; the prevailing kind was a
species of Loricaria, a foot in length, and wholly encased in
bony armour. It abounds at certain seasons in shallow water. The
flesh is dry, but very palatable. They brought also a small
alligator, which they called Jacare curua, and said it was a kind
found only in shallow creeks. It was not more than two feet in
length, although full-grown according to the statement of the
Indians, who said it was a "mai d'ovos," or mother of eggs, as
they had pillaged the nest, which they had found near the edge of
the water. The eggs were rather larger than a hen's, and
regularly oval in shape, presenting a rough hard surface of
shell. Unfortunately, the alligator was cut up ready for cooking
when we returned to the schooner, and I could not therefore make
a note of its peculiarities. The pieces were skewered and roasted
over the fire, each man being his own cook. I never saw this
species of alligator afterwards.

October 3rd--About midnight the wind, for which we had long been
waiting, sprang up; the men weighed anchor, and we were soon
fairly embarked on the Amazons. I rose long before sunrise to see
the great river by moonlight. There was a spanking breeze, and
the vessel was bounding gaily over the waters. The channel along
which we were sailing was only a narrow arm of the river, about