Have there
not been met with in these Amazonian forests reptiles from thirty to
thirty-five feet long? and even, according to M. Carrey, do not some
exist whose length reaches forty-seven feet, and whose girth is that
of a hogshead?
Had one of these sucurijus, indeed, got on to the raft he would have
proved as formidable as an alligator.
Very fortunately the travelers had to contend with neither gymnotus
nor sucuriju, and the passage across the submerged forest, which
lasted about two hours, was effected without accident.
Three days passed. They neared Manaos. Twenty-four hours more and the
raft would be off the mouth of the Rio Negro, before the capital of
the province of Amazones.
In fact, on the 23d of August, at five o'clock in the evening, they
stopped at the southern point of Muras Island, on the right bank of
the stream. They only had to cross obliquely for a few miles to
arrive at the port, but the pilot Araujo very properly would not risk
it on that day, as night was coming on. The three miles which
remained would take three hours to travel, and to keep to the course
of the river it was necessary, above all things, to have a clear
outlook.
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