CHAPTER XV.

Rio Negro at Barra-The town-Old fort-Sr. Henriquez and family-Manner of living-Venezuelans-Piassába rope-Grass hammocks-Feather work-Descent of the Negro-Gallos de Serra-Chili hats-Woods in the vicinity-Trogons-Chatterers— Curassows-Guans-Parrots and Toucans-Humming Birds-Tiger Cats-SquirrelsA Tiger story-The Casuéris-A Yankee saw-mill-Mode of obtaining logs-A Pic-nic-Cross the river to a campo-Cattle and horses-A select ball.

THE Rio Negro, at Barra, is about four miles in width, at high water, but much less during the dry season, when the flood has fallen thirty feet. The channel deepens, at once, from the shore, forming a safe and convenient anchorage. The shore, in some parts, is bold, rising in almost perpendicular bluffs; in others, gently sloping to the water's edge. Upon land thus irregular, the town is built, numbering rather. more than three thousand inhabitants, a large proportion of which are Indians. The houses are generally of one story, but occasionally of two and three, and resemble, in form and structure, those of the better towns below.

There was something very attractive in the appearance of the Barra. The broad, lake-like river in front, smooth as a mirror; the little bay, protected by two out-jutting points; the narrow inlet, that circled around the upper part of the town, and beyond which sloped a lofty hill, green with the freshness of perpetual spring; the finely rolling land upon which the town itself stood; and back of all, and overtopping all, the flat table, where, at one glance, we could take in a combination of beauties, far superior to any thing we had yet seen upon the Amazon. Here the secluded inhabitants live, scarcely knowing of the rest of the world, and as oblivious of outward vanities as our Dutch ancestors, who, in by-gone centuries,

vegetated upon the banks of the Hudson. Here is no rumbling of carts, or trampling of horses. Serenity, as of a Sabbath morning, reigns perpetual; broken only by the rub-a-dub of the evening patrol, or by the sweet, wild strains from some distant cottage, where the Indian girls are dancing to the music of their own voices.

Directly upon the river bank, and frowning over the waters, once stood a fort, known as San José. The Portuguese word for fort, is barra, and this name was applied to the town which sprung up in the vicinity. Therefore it is, that the town is usually spoken of as the Barra de Rio Negro. Whether peace has been unfavorable, or the fortunes of war adverse, we were not informed; but there stands the ruin, with scarcely wall enough left to call it a ruin, white with lichens, and protecting nought but an area of grass. Upon the top of the ancient flag-staff, is perched a Buzzard, who never seems to move, the livelong day, but to turn his wings to the sun-light, or to nod sympathetically to a party of his brethren, who, upon upright poles and crossbeams, that indicate still further ruin, sit drooping in the "luxury of woe."

Near by, an antique church shoots up to the loftiness of some thirty feet, and at its side, is a quaint adjunct of a tower, square, and short, and thick, from whose top sounds the churchgoing bell. Beyond this, is a square or Largo, facing which are the Barracks and the Room of the Assembly, for Barra is the chief town of the district of the Rio Negro.

Upon this Largo, stood also the house of Senhor Henriquez, in which we were half domiciled, for being all bachelors, and weary of bachelor cooking, we accepted with pleasure the invitation of Sr. H. to his table. His house was always open to passing strangers, and others beside ourselves were constantly there, enjoying his hospitality. Both the Senhor and his lady, showed us every attention, and seemed particularly anxious that we should see all that was interesting or curious in the vicinity, while they constantly kept some Indian in the woods for our benefit. The Senhora was an exceedingly pretty woman, about twenty-two, and delighted us by her frank intercourse with strangers; always sitting with them at

the table, and conversing as a lady would do at home. This would not be noticeable, except in Brazil, and, perhaps, not universally there; but we had ever found the ladies shy and reserved, and, although often at the table of married men, the lady of the house had never before sat down with us. The Senhora surprised and gratified us, also, by her knowledge of the United States, which she had obtained from occasional travellers. She had three little girls, Paulina, Pepita, and Lina,with a little boy of four years, Juan. All these children had light hair and fair complexions, and the blue-eyed baby, Lina, especially, was as beautifully fair, as though her home had been under northern skies. - Juan was a brave little fellow, and was a frequent visitor of ours, delighting to be with a Gentio Indian, who was employed in our back yard. This Indian had been out of the woods but a few weeks, and could not speak Portuguese, but Juan could talk with him in the Lingoa Geral, as though it had been his native tongue.

Each of the children had an attendant; the girls, pretty little Indians of nine or ten years, and Juan, a boy, of about the same age. It was the business of these attendants, to obey implicitly the orders of their little mistresses and master, and never to leave them. Juan and his boy spent much of their time in the river, taking as naturally to the water as young ducks.

At six in the morning, coffee was brought into our room, and the day was considered as fairly commenced. We then took our guns, and found amusement in the woods until nearly eleven, which was the hour for breakfast. At this meal we never had coffee or tea; and rarely any vegetable excepting rice. But rich soups and dishes of turtle, meat, fish, and peixe boi, in several forms of preparation, loaded the table. The Brazilian method of cooking becomes very agreeable, when one has conquered his repugnance to a slight flavor of garlic, and the turtle oil, used in every dish. The dessert consisted of oranges, pacovas and preserves. Puddings, unless of tapioca, are seldom seen, and pastry never, out of the city. Water was brought, if we asked for it, but the usual drink was a light Lisbon wine. The first movement upon taking our places at the table, was, for each to make a pile of salt and peppers upon his

plate, which, mashed, and liquified by a little caldo or gravy, was in a condition to receive the meat. A bowl of caldo, in the centre, filled with farinha, whence every one could help himself with his own spoon, was always present.

The remainder of the day we spent in preserving our birds, or if convenient, in again visiting the forest. The dinner hour was between six and seven, and that meal was substantially the same as breakfast.

We found at the house, upon our arrival, two gentlemen who had lately came from Venezuela, forty days' distance up the Rio Negro. One of them was a young German, William Berchenbrinck, who had come down merely as passenger, and who had been in the employment of a Spanish naturalist. The other was a regular trader, Senhor Antonio Dias, from San Carlos, and he had brought down a cargo of rope, made from the fibres of the Piassába palm, and a quantity of grass hammocks. The piassába rope is in great demand throughout the province, and is remarkable for its strength and elasticity, which qualities render it admirable for cables. The only objection to it is its roughness, for the palm fibres are, unavoidably, of large size.

The hammocks were, in general, of cheap manufacture, valued at half a milree each. The grass of which they were made is yellow in color, and of a strength and durability superior to Manilla hemp. It grows in very great abundance throughout the country of the Rio Negro, and could be supplied to an unlimited extent. Senhor Antonio was a genius in his way, and some of his hammocks were exquisitely ornamented, by himself, with feather work. One, in particular, was composed of cord, twisted by hand, scarcely larger than linen thread; and in its manufacture, a family of four persons had been employed more than a year. Its borders, at the sides, were one foot in width, and completely covered with embroidery in the most gaudy feathers. Upon one side were the arms of Brazil, upon the other, those of Portugal, and the remaining space was occupied by flowers, and devices ingenious as ever seen in needle-work. The feathers were attached to the frame of the borders by a resinous gum. Such hammocks

are rather for ornament than use, and they are sought with avidity at Rio Janeiro, by the curiosity collectors of foreign courts. This one was valued at thirty silver dollars, which, in the country of the Rio Negro, is equal to one hundred, in other parts of the empire.

Sr. Antonio was something of a wag as well as a genius; and as the blacks came to him, at sunset, for the customary blessing, making the sign of the cross upon their foreheads, his usual benediction was, "God make you white."

Berchenbrinck could speak English fluently, and was a very agreeable companion to us, besides being enabled, from his own experience, to contribute much to our information regarding the natural curiosities of the country. He had crossed from the Orinoco to the Rio Negro, by the Casiquiari, and in coming down with Sr. Antonio, had been well nigh drowned in descending one of the many rapids that obstruct this latter river. Their cargo had been sent round by land, but through some carelessness, the vessel had been overturned, and both our friends precipitated into the whirling flood, whence they were, some time after, drawn out, almost insensible, by their crew, who from the shore had watched the catastrophe. Mr. B. informed us, that in the highlands between the two rivers, the Gallo de Serra, or Cock of the Rock, was abundant, and frequently seen domesticated. This bird is the size of a large dove, and wholly of a deep orange color. Upon its head, is a vertical crest of the same. The Indians shoot the Cocks of the Rock with poisoned arrows, and stripping off the skins, sell them to travellers, or traders, who purchase them for feather work. We obtained a number of them at Barra, and had we arrived a short time sooner, could have seen a living specimen, which was in the garden of Sr. Henriquez.

The Indians, who accompanied Sr. Antonio, were of a different race from any we had seen, and looked very oddly, from the manner in which they suffered their hair to grow; shaving it close, except just above the forehead, from which, long locks hung about their cheeks.

One day, an old Spaniard arrived, with a cargo of Chili hats. He was from Grenada, and had come down the River