EXCLUSION TO MAUHES AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD. 315 
that of the old woman we saw yesterday. They speak 
no Portuguese, and seem rather reluctant to answer the 
questions of the interpreter. 
Mr. Agassiz lias been very fortunate in collecting in this 
region. Although we are at so short a distance from 
Manaos, where he already knows the fishes tolerably well, 
he finds a surprising number of new genera and species 
about Mauhes and its neighborhood. As usual, wherever 
we go, everybody turns naturalist in his behalf. Our 
kind friend, the President, always ready to do everything 
in his power to facilitate his researches, has several boats 
out, manned by the best fishermen of the place, fishing for 
him. The commander, while his ship lies at anchor, has 
his men employed in the same way ; and Mr. Michelis and 
his friends are also indefatigable. Occasionally, however, 
in the midst of his successes, he has to bear disappointments, 
arising from the ignorance and superstition of the working 
people. Ever since he came to the Amazons he has been 
trying to obtain a specimen of a peculiar kind of porpoise, 
native to these waters. It is, however, very difficult to 
obtain, because, being useless for food, there is nothing to 
induce the Indian to overcome the difficulty of catching it. 
Mr. Michelis has, however, impressed upon the fishermen 
the value of the prize, and, yesterday evening, just as wo 
were rising from the dinner-table, it was announced that 
one was actually on its way up from the beach. Followed 
by the whole party of sympathizing friends, for all had 
caught the infection, Mr. Agassiz hastened out to behold 
his long-desired treasure ; and there was his Boto, but 
sadly mutilated, for one Indian had cut off a piece of the 
fin as a cure for a sick person, another had taken out an 
eye as a love-charm, which, if it could be placed near the 
