casional cluster of white flowers, principally _bocca de carneiro_,
said to have properties refreshing for the blood.

Near a small stream I noticed some lovely, slender, tall _jeguitiba
vermelho_ trees (_Couratari estrellensis_ Raddi), from 75 to 80 ft. high,
with branches and clusters of deep green healthy leaves at the summit
only.

There was a little less monotony in the scenery before us that day, for
to the west stood, over a long, slightly undulating line, one peculiar
conical hill heavily wooded. In pools of stagnant water were lovely
water flowers, and in the neighbourhood of that moisture many handsome
_burity_ palms were prominent in the landscape.

We had been mounting gently all the time from our last camp. Early in the
afternoon we reached that magnificent river, the Araguaya, over 200 yards
wide, although something like between 2,500 and 3,000 kil., or perhaps
more, from its mouth. Its lovely placid waters, reflecting with the
faithfulness of a mirror the vegetation on the high steep banks as well
as the clouds in the sky, made an effective picture. The dead silence,
disturbed only by the shouts of my men urging the mules to the
water-side, was most impressive, the water flowing so slowly that it
almost looked stagnant.

Not a mountain, not a hill could be perceived, except one low humble
range of hills to the south. It was on those hills that the great
Araguaya had its birth.

We crossed the great stream--mules, baggage and all, on three canoes upon
which a platform had been erected. Once landed on its western bank, we
were, notwithstanding local boundary quarrels, in the immense State of
Matto Grosso, the wildest of Brazil.

CHAPTER XI

The _Tucano_--Fish of the Araguaya River--A Bad Shot--A Strange
Sight

I SEEMED to have no luck on that journey. Everything went wrong all the
time. Everything seemed to stand in my way to prevent my progress. My men
were demoralized, my mules and horses in a pitiable condition. I called a
halt of two or three days in order that we might shoe the animals again
and rearrange the pack-saddles. We had, of course, a good supply of new
shoes, but the work of shoeing so many animals was hard, especially as I
had to do most of it myself with Alcides and Filippe, the other men being
absolutely useless. Add to this a stifling temperature of 90 deg. Fahrenheit.

[Illustration: Caraja Indian of the Upper Araguaya River.]

To make things worse there cam