The alcalde showed some of the venomous snakes that he kept as curiosities, but wisely restrained of their liberty. Among them was a rattlesnake, which appeared to be identical with the rattlesnake of North America; a "parrot-snake" of a dull green color, which makes it difficult to discover among the grass and leaves, and a "surucucu," which does not belong to the valley of the Mamoré, but inhabits the lower Amazon and the Rio Negro. The coral snake, already mentioned, was among them; he was a pretty serpent (if serpents can be called pretty), of a vermilion hue striped with black bands. The youths stood at a respectful distance while surveying the collection, and did not care for a near acquaintance. Manuel said that serious accidents from the bites of snakes were far less frequent than might be supposed. Natives are the principal sufferers, partly for the reason that the number of Europeans is not large, and partly because they go constantly clothed, which is not the case with the natives. It is the same as in India and Ceylon, where thousands of natives die every year from snake-bites, while not half a dozen deaths of Europeans from this cause have occurred during the century. They passed from the Beni into the Madeira, and found the river increased to double its former volume. Frank and Fred looked anxiously up the Madeira, and wished they could explore the stream to its source; but as the wish could not be gratified, they quickly dismissed it from their thoughts. Their pilot said they were in the country of the Caripuna Indians, and it was quite possible that some of these aboriginals would pay them a visit at their next halting-place. "The Caripunas were formerly quite hostile to the white men," said Manuel, "and used to attack the boats that went up or down the river. With boats going down stream they could not do much, as the pilots keep in the middle of the current and float along with it, but in ascending the river it is necessary to keep close to the bank, and this was the opportunity for them to make trouble. They had a spite against the Mojos Indians, and the latter had great fear of the Caripunas, who had the reputation of roasting and eating their victims, whether they did so or not. But since the surveys were made for the railway, and trade on the river has increased, they have made no trouble; they have found that they can do better by being friendly to the white man, and begging what he has to give them." [Illustration: VISITING THE CARIPUNAS.]