ON THE AMAZON. 929 
make during a stay of five rainy days and nights at the falls of the 
Aripecurü, 
I did not succeed in getting a single satisfactory observation of the 
sun or a star at its meridian passage, in consequence of the unpro- 
pitious sky. To the north and south—that is, up and down the river— 
the sky was constantly obscured by mists and clouds to a considerable 
altitude, and it was only once that I caught a distinct view of Achernar 
near the meridian : his altitude gave for the latitude of our station 
0° 47 S., but as he had certainly passed the meridian by at least five 
minutes, this latitude may be two or three minutes too small. 
The following temperatures were noted, and there was never a dif- 
ference of so much as half a degree at the same hour of any day :— 
Temperature of air near canoe, at midnight, 75°, at five a. M., 159? ; 
of air in the forest at five a. M., 73°; of water of cachoeiras at five 
A. M., 8317. From five in the morning until sunrise, the temperature 
exhibited no variation, and there was not that sudden fall in the thermo- 
meter which we remark a few minutes before sunrise in the temperate 
zone, and especially in mountainous regions. ; 
Between the last tartaruga-bank and the cachoeiras, three igarapés 
enter on the left and three on the right. The highest point which we 
reached above this was about six hours’ journey from our station, and 
the distance may safely be assumed at as many miles, so slow is one’s ` 
progress when a way has first to be cut. This was on the left bank, 
for the right is so steep as to render it impassable. In this space seven 
igarapés enter the river on the east side, some of considerable size, and 
the volume of water ought to diminish as we ascend, yet this is 
scarcely apparent. There are, besides, in the valleys, obvious marks 
of many additional winter-torrents. The breadth of the river varies = 
from two hundred yards to half a mile, expanding between the = 
cachoeiras, of which there are six in the same space, the first over — 
slate rock, the rest over slate and granite. The highest fall may be -— 
fifteen or eighteen feet, but even this was not an uninterrupted cascade 
at this season. In the strength of the rainy season, when it is said 
that there is depth enough for large vessels to ascend to the very foot 
of the cachoeiras, the rush of water must be immense. A little above - 
the first fall, blocks of granite make their appearance, extending from - 
the shore some distance into the forest. In the same place the river 
begins a wide curve to N.W. um 
