The peixe boi, or cow-fish, is one of the most curious of the inhabitants of the Amazon.  It is about six feet long, and no less than five feet in circumference at its thickest part.  It is a perfectly smooth, and what we may call dumpy fish, of a leaden colour, with a semi-circular flat tail, and a large mouth with thick fleshy lips resembling those of a cow.  There are stiff bristles on the lips, and a few scattered hairs over the body.  It has two fins just behind the head; and below these, in the females, there are two breasts, from which good white milk flows when pressure is applied.  The cow-fish feeds on grass at the borders of rivers and lakes; and when suckling its young it carries it in its fins or flippers, and clasps the little one to its breast, just as a mother clasps her baby!  It is harpooned and taken for the sake of its fat, from which oil is made.  The flesh is also very good, resembling beef in quality, and it was much relished by Martin and Barney, who frequently dined on beef-steaks cut from this remarkable cow-fish.

There was also another fish which surprised our adventurers not a little the first time they met with it.  One evening Senhor Antonio had ordered a net to be thrown into the river, being desirous of procuring a few fresh fish for the use of his establishment.  The Indians and Negroes soon after commenced dragging, and in a few minutes afterwards the sandy bank of the river was strewn with an immense variety of small fish, among which were a few of a larger kind.  Martin and Barney became excited as they saw them leaping and spluttering about, and ran in amongst them to assist in gathering them into baskets.  But scarcely had the latter advanced a few steps when there was a loud report, as if a pistol had gone off under his feet.

“Hallo!” exclaimed the Irishman, leaping two feet into the air.  On his reaching the ground again, a similar explosion occurred, and Barney dashed aside, overturning Martin in his haste.  Martin’s heel caught on a stone, and he fell flat on the ground, when instantly there was a report as if he had fallen upon and burst an inflated paper bag.  The natives laughed loud and long, while the unfortunate couple sprang up the bank, half inclined to think that an earthquake was about to take place.  The cause of their fright was then pointed out.  It was a species of small fish which has the power of inflating the fore part of its body into a complete ball, and which, when stamped upon, explodes with a loud noise.  There were great numbers of these scattered among the other fish, and also large quantities of a little fish armed with long spines, which inflict a serious wound when trodden upon.

At this place adventures on a small scale crowded upon our travellers so thickly that Martin began to look upon sudden surprises as a necessary of life, and Barney said that “if it wint on any longer he feared his eye-brows would get fixed near the top of his head, and niver more come down,”