their loud screeches, created such a disturbance that the skipper
sometimes threatened to send them on shore, where they might settle
their disputes by themselves. Sometimes the three parakeets would band
together, and trotting up and down would insult the parrots. When a
flock of their relatives passed over the vessel, the whole feathered
community would set up so terrific a scream, that it might have been
heard by every bird within the circuit of a mile. The curassow was the
best behaved of the party. When her meals were over she would sit for
hours together at Marian's feet, who was diligently endeavouring to
repair some of her worn-out garments, so as to appear respectable on her
arrival. Crass made herself very useful, also, in eating up the flies
and other insects which came on board.

At length we reached the main stream of the Orinoco, down which we
glided rapidly with the current. We were not, however, destined to
perform our voyage without further adventures. The weather, hitherto
fine, suddenly changed, and a strong wind got up, which blew in our
teeth. It increased to a gale, which sorely tried the little craft, and
threatened to tear our sails into ribbons. Happily a deep bay, or the
mouth of a river or igarape, appeared on our starboard hand; and running
into it, we found shelter beneath a lofty bank, where there was deep
water close to the shore. Recollecting our former escape, we could not
help fearing that, should the wind change, we might meet with a similar
accident. We had, I should have said, an anchor made of very heavy,
hard wood, weighted with stones bound on by stout ropes. It was, as may
be supposed, an unwieldy and ugly affair; and, as we could not have
carried another, we had to be very careful not to lose it.

The wind howled and the tall trees waved above our heads, but we lay
secure; the only risk being from some giant of the forest, which,
uprooted, might come crashing down upon our deck, or from some big limb
torn off. But as there was not much probability of such an occurrence,
we remained where we were, hoping that it might not happen. As the gale
gave no signs of abating, our three Indians swam on shore, Kallolo with
his blowpipe, and the other two with their bows, to kill some game.
After safely landing, they were soon lost to sight amid the trees.

The skipper would allow no one else to go. "It will not be wise to be
left shorthanded, in case anything should happen,"