200° MR. SPRUCE’S BOTANICAL EXCURSION 
Lisbon, which I borrowed of a Portuguese baker at Obidos ; and a 
watch, which I had purchased before leaving England, in the expecta- 
tion of its being well-adapted for astronomical purposes, but which 
has proved to be nearly worthless. I robbed myself of many hours 
of sleep to make observations for determining the time ; but the watch, 
which was losing about a minute per day when I left Obidos, increased 
its rate before my return to 1’ 51” per day, and since my arrival at 
Santarem, I have found it to be losing above three minutes per day. 
I cannot, consequently, depend on the longitude of a single point, 
deduced from this source. The mode of our travelling precluded any 
accurate computation by course and distance, as we made frequent 
diversions from one shore to the other, when I saw ground that seemed 
promising, and we often halted without landing to gather flowers that 
overhung the river. 
On the 16th of December three Tapuyas arrived from the Rio 
Trombétas, to man our canoe: one, an experienced man of middle 
age, named Raimundo, who had previously ascended the river to the 
cachoeiras, was to be our pilot; the other two, named Danielo and Diogo, 
were stalwart fellows of thirty years or more, but withal not over apt 
for exertion. We had an order to add two men to our crew, if 
necessary, at two days’ journey up the river, for the canoe was large 
and heavy, and, though she made excellent way under sail, was not 
adapted for a couple of oars. I proceed now to quote from my 
journal :— 
December 17. Monday.—Embarked at 10 a. M. for the Rio Trom- 
bétas. Reached the mouth of the river at 34 r. m., the wind having 
been favourable, though with the current against us. Observations of 
the sun gave for latitude of entrance 1° 541’ south, coinciding very 
nearly with its position on the French chart; the longitude, reduced 
from the latter to the meridian of Greenwich, is 3h. 42m. 24s. west. 
Obidos bore from the mouth E.S.E.* The first reach of the river 
diverges little from the course of the Amazon at this part ; it is actually 
nearly south-west, instead of nearly north, as given in most maps. 
Before reaching the real embouchure of the Trombétas, there is a narrow 
furo, called Maria Therésa, which makes a considerable curve, and 
joins the main stream at about half-an-hour's distance. The low island 
between the two branches is clad with vegetation, very similar to that 
of the shores of the Amazon, including a large proportion of Jmbaiiba- 
* These bearings are all by compass, uncorrected for variation, which is 2° 40’ east. 
