nts."

We tried to explain our proposal to Duppo, and after some time he
comprehended us. Oria, however, seemed very unwilling to accept the
offer, as she clung to her mother, and turned away her head from us.
Duppo at length came back, and we all got into the canoe. Our friends
insisted on our taking as many articles of food as we could possibly
carry--dried fish and meat, bananas and farinha, as well as fruit and
vegetables. True as usual took his seat in the bows. We were just
shoving off, when Maono and his wife came down to us leading Oria. The
chief addressed us and his son, but what he said we could not of course
understand. However we agreed that it was all right, and Duppo seemed
highly pleased when his sister stepped into the canoe and took her seat
in front of him.

Bidding our friends adieu, we now began carefully to paddle down the
igarape. We were some time in sight of the village, the whole
inhabitants of which we saw moving off, the men stalking first, with
their bows and spears in their hands and their blow-pipes at their
backs, and the women following, bending under the weight of the loads
they carried. Even the children, except the smallest, who sat on their
mother's backs or were led by the hand, carried packages.

"I am very glad we have saved the poor girl a heavy trudge through the
forest," observed Arthur; "but I cannot say much for the chivalry of
these people. I was inclined to think favourably of the warriors when I
saw them going forth so bravely to battle, but the example they have
given us of the way they treat their women lowers them sadly in my
estimation."

"Very true, Arthur," remarked John. "It is a sure sign that a people
have fallen into a degraded and uncivilised condition when women do not
hold an honourable position among them. But there are some savages who
treat their females even worse than these do. From what I have seen,
they appear in many respects kind and gentle to them. The Australian
savage--who is, however, the lowest in the scale of civilisation--when
he wants a wife, watches till he finds a damsel to his taste, and then
knocks her down with his club, a sign to her that she is henceforth to
be a submissive and dutiful wife. I am sure our friends here would not
be guilty of such an act."

"No; I hope not indeed," exclaimed Arthur. "Dreadful to think that Oria
should have to submit to such treatment."

We had, as may be supposed, to paddle carefully