Before we could fire again, he slowly gathered himself up, and flew majestically off. This bird is called the Gavion Real, or Royal Eagle, and is not uncommon throughout the interior. Its favorite food is said to be sloths, and other large sized animals.

After breakfast we sailed by a broad marsh, upon which hundreds of herons were stalking through the tall grass. Upon logs, and stumps projecting from the water, sat great flocks of terns, ducks and cormorants, who, at our approach, left their resting places, some, circling about us with loud cries, others, diving beneath the water, or flying hurriedly to some safer spot.

We proceeded very slowly. The current had a rapidity of about three miles an hour, and it was only by keeping close in shore, that we could make headway. The water of the Amazon is yellowish, and deposits a slight sediment. It is extremely pleasant to the taste, and causes none of that sickness, upon first acquaintance, that river waters often do. For bathing, it is luxurious.

Upon the morning of the 8th, a range of hills, or mountains, as they may properly enough be called, was visible upon the northern shore; and after passing such an extent of low country, the sight was refreshing. They had none of the ruggedness of mountains elsewhere, but rose gently above the surrounding level, like some first attempt of nature at mountain making.

We saw a number of Darters upon the branches over the water, but were unable to shoot them. A pair of red macaws fared differently, and we laid them by for breakfast. During the morning we passed about a dozen sloths. They were favorite food of the Indians, and their eyes were always quick to discover them among the branches, upon the lower side of which they usually hung, looking like so many wasp's nests. We observed a large lily, of deep crimson color, and numerous richly flowered creepers, but without being able to obtain them. It was impossible to effect a landing, and we moored again by the side of a cedar log, eight feet in diameter. Upon this was growing a cactus, which we preserved. Our macaws, fricasseed with rice, made a very respectable meal; somewhat tough; but what then, many a more reputable fowl has that disadvantage. The Indians shot a small monkey, and before life was out of him, threw him upon the fire. Scarcely warmed through, he was torn in pieces, and devoured with a sort of cannibal greediness, that made one shudder.

Palm trees had entirely disappeared, but cotton trees, of prodigious height and spreading tops, were seen every where. So also were mangabeira trees, conspicuous from their leafless limbs, and the large red seed pods which ornamented them. There was another tree, more beautiful than either, called from its yellowish brown bark, the mulatto tree. It was tall and slim, its leaves of a dark green, and its elegantly spreading top was covered with clusters of small white flowers. The yellow limbs, as they threaded among the leaves and flowers, produced a doubly pleasing effect. This tree is common upon the river, but its wood is esteemed of no value.

We made little advance, the wind not favoring, and the current being strong. Late in the evening, we threw a rope over a stump, at some distance from the shore, beyond reach of cárapanás, and spread ourselves upon the cabin top, in the clear moonlight, hoping for a quiet sleep. But the breeze freshened, and off we started again, to our great misfortune; for, the wind soon dying away, we got entangled in the cross currents, and were hurled with violence among bushes and trees. And now a pelting storm came up, and the gaping

seams of the cabin top admitted floods of water. To crown the whole, we were at last obliged to stop in shore, and sunrise found us half devoured.

We were always out as early as possible in the morning, for besides that it was far the pleasantest part of the day, there were always birds enough by the water side to attract one fond of a gun. The morning of the 9th. was ushered in by a brace of discharges at a flock of parrots, and immediately after, down dropped a Darter. We had seen several of these within a few days, and they were always conspicuous from their long, snake-like necks, and outspread tails. They were very tame, and easily shot; but, if not instantly killed, would dive below the surface of the water, with nothing but the tip of their bill protruding. In this manner, they would swim under the grass, and were beyond detection. The Indians called them Cararás. This family is remarkable for the absence of any tongue, save the slightest rudiment, and for having no external nostril. This specimen was a young male of the Plotus Anhinga.

We here saw another Harpy Eagle, and a variety of hawks; and in a large tree, directly over the river, was the nest of the Toco Toucan.

The land was still swampy, but we contrived to find a stopping place, where we were terribly persecuted by cárapanás. The hills, on our right, were increasing in number and size. Several canoes passed on their way down, but as these always keep in the current, one may sail the whole length of the Amazon, without hailing a fellow voyager. We were here annoyed by a large black fly, called mutúca, who seemed determined to suck from us what little blood the cárapanás had left.

The men rowed with a slight increase of unction, attributable to our being out of fish, which they had wasted in the most reckless manner. It was impossible to serve them with daily rations; no independent Indian would submit to that. No matter how large the piece they cut off, if it was more than enough for their present want, over it went into the stream. Of farinha too, they were most enormous gluttons, ready to eat, at any time, a quart, which swelling in water, becomes of three times

that bulk. And they not only ate it, but drank it, mixing it with water, and constantly stirring it as they swallowed. This drink they called shibé.

The morning of the 10th, discovered the northern hills much broken into peaks, resembling a bed of craters. Many of the hills, however, were extremely regular, often shaped like the frustrum of a cone, and apparently crowned with table land.

We coasted, for some hours, along a shoal bank, covered with willows, and other shrubs standing in the water. Such banks are generally lined with a species of coarse grass, which often extends into fields of great size. Large masses of this are constantly breaking off by wind and current, and float down with the appearance of tiny islets. A nice little cove invited us to breakfast, and the open forest allowed a delightful ramble. Soon after leaving this place, the channel was divided by a large island, and taking the narrower passage, all day we sailed southward, in what seemed rather an igaripé than a part of the Amazon. Here were thousands of small green, whitebreasted swallows; and the bushes were alive with the Crotophagas, spoken of before. Here also we saw a pair of Hyacinthine Macaws, entirely blue, the rarest variety upon the river; and numbers of a new Passion flower, of a deep scarlet color. "In the lanceolate leaves of the Passion flower, our catholic ancestors saw the spear that pierced our Saviour's side; in the tendrils, the whip; the five wounds in the five stamens ; and the three nails, in the three clavate styles. There were but ten divisions of the floral covering, and so they limited the number of the apostles; excluding Judas, the betrayer, and Peter, the denier."

Re-entering the main stream, early upon the 11th, we passed the little town of Pryinha, upon the northern shore. The bank was still skirted by willows and grass, and the only landing we could discover, was in a swamp of tall callas. Upon the stems of these plants was a species of shell, the Bulimus picturata (Fer). There was here a large tree bearing pink flowers, of the size and appearance of hollyhocks; and crimson Passion vines were twined about the callas. During the day,

we passed a number of trees formed by clusters of many separate trunks, which all united in one, just below the branches. Upon the 12th, we passed Monte Alégre, a little town, likewise upon the northern shore, and noted above other river towns for its manufacture of cuyas, some of which are of exquisite form and coloring. Just below the town, a fine peak rises, conspicuous for many miles. The shore, near us, was densely overhung with vines of the convolvolus major, or morningglory, plentifully sprinkled with flowers of pink and blue. passed a brood of little ducks, apparently just from the shell. As we came near, the old one uttered a note of warning and scuttled away; and the little tails of her brood twinkled under the water.

We

About noon, discovering a sitio, we turned in, hoping to obtain some fish for our men, who grumbled mightily at their farinha diet. There were a couple of girls and some children in the house; and they seemed somewhat surprised at our errand, for they had not enough to eat for themselves. The poor girls did look miserably, but poverty in such a country was absurd.

Proceeding on, an hour brought us to another sitio, where the confused noises of dogs, and pigs, and hens, seemed indicative of better quarters. Here were three women only, engaged in painting cuyas. At first, they declined parting with any thing in the absence of their men; but a distribution of cashaça and cigars effected a wonderful change, and at last, they sold us a pig for one milree, or fifty cents, and a hen for two patacs, or thirty-two cents. Soon after, an old man from a neighboring sitio brought in a Musk Duck for one patac. We gave the pig to the men, and, in a few moments he was over their fire. Meanwhile, they caught a fish, weighing some dozen pounds, and with customary improvidence, put him also into the kettle. Finally, the half eaten fragments of both were tossed into the river. The old man, of whom we had bought the duck, was very strenuous for cashaça, and brought us a peck of coffee in exchange for a pint. Not content with that, he, at last, pursued us more than a mile, in a montaria, bringing eight coppers for more, and seemed to take it much to heart that we had none to sell.