"Yes; after standing a short time it becomes yellow and forms a sort of cream on the surface; this cream will gradually thicken into a semblance of cheese before it begins to putrefy. And the tree further resembles the cow in having its best milking-time in the morning; it yields more juice at sunrise than at any other time, and before daylight the natives gather at the trees to fill their bowls with the milk. The negroes and Indians drink freely of this milk, but the white inhabitants generally care little for it." Frank fell to meditating upon the feasibility of introducing the cow-tree into his father's orchard, and having a supply of milk where it did not need to be driven up at night. His calculations were suddenly interrupted by the announcement that dinner was ready, and his practical nature, backed by a good appetite, put an immediate end to his enterprise. CHAPTER XVIII. SLOW TRANSIT.--PASSING AROUND THE FALLS.--ANCIENT INSCRIPTIONS.--THE MADEIRA TO THE AMAZON.--THE JANUARY RIVER.--THE AMAZON FOREST. [Illustration: DRAGGING A BOAT AROUND TEOTONIO.] The garitea was placed on rollers, and dragged along the ground, over a road that was by no means smooth. It was hard work for the Indians, particularly as the day was warm, but they toiled steadily, and did not once pause till they had launched the boat into the river below Guajara-Merim. Then they returned for the baggage, which was distributed among them, under the watchful eyes of Dr. Bronson and Frank. Fred and Manuel had preceded the baggage, and were ready to superintend its reception and stowage in the boat. In spite of the difficulties of this rude mode of transportation there is a considerable traffic between Bolivia and the lower Amazon, around the falls of the Madeira. Colonel Church says it amounts to more than a thousand tons a year, and many bulky and heavy articles are carried through safely. Pianos have even been sent from Brazil to the interior of Bolivia by this route, and, what is strangest of all, they have arrived in perfect order, and were ready for use after a little attention from the tuner. The same gentleman, in speaking of the Mojos Indians of the department of the Beni, says their imitative powers are wonderful. The law requires that all voters shall be able to write. On the day of election an Indian comes to the polls to vote for a president or a deputy to congress; without knowing a letter of the alphabet he copies in a clear and legible hand the name of the one for whom he votes. He will also copy an entire manuscript in any language, without knowing a word of it.