266 
Journal of an Excursion from SANTAREM, on the AMAZON River, to 
OnrDpos and the Rio Tromperas ; dy RICHARD SPRUCE, Esa. 
(Continued from p. 232.) 
. Our longest ramble whilst at the cachoeiras was undertaken on 
the 28th, in the hope of reaching the summit of the Serra de Carnaá ; 
and as it exhibits the luxury of exploring a Brazilian forest in a 
different light from what we have been accustomed to view it in, 
I may be excused for giving a somewhat detailed account of it. We 
started at six in the morniug, with the pilot and Danielo for our 
guides, each of them armed with a musket and trésado, and with * 
the mulatto to carry provisions for the way. It should be observed, 
that from the foot of the cachoeiras, the Serra de Carnaá was totally 
invisible, from the intervening forest, although we had caught a view 
of it some miles below. My own idea was that our best course 
would be to ascend the river until we came to some igarapé which 
plainly descended from the serra, by which method we should be 
sure of our way; but our guides fancied that the serra lay con- 
siderably to the east of the cachoeiras, and, contrary to my advice, 
after coasting the river for about half an hour, they struck across in 
the supposed direction of the serra, ascending hills and descending 
into valleys choked up with bamboos and the prickly Murumurú. As 
I anticipated, they were soon at a loss which way to go; twice they 
climbed up into trees and traced out (as they thought) a route to 
the serra, but at length we came to a complete stand-still in the midst 
of an Assai-swamp. I sent the pilot up a neighbouring lofty tree; 
but we had got into low ground, and he could make out nothing. 
This was about midday, and whilst we were all deliberating and 
beating about for an opening, the pilot and Danielo, without speaking 
of their intention, started off to retrace their track to the canoe. We 
were thus left alone with the mulatto, in the midst of one of the 
densest and most desolate forests that even South America ean show. 
I immediately determined to seek out an igarapé in some of the valleys, 
. end to follow it until it joined the river, when we, should at least 
. be certain of our direction, if not of our distance from the canoe. 
.. We did not look long ere we found an igarapé, and proceeded to trace 
.. its downward course. But we had scarcely started when we were warned 
