208 A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 
steamer. The mosquitoes by night and the Piums by day 
are said to render life almost intolerable here. Under these 
circumstances we could form little idea of the character of 
the vegetation in our short stay. But we made the ac- 
quaintance of one curious palm, the Tucum, a species of 
Astrocaryum, the fibre of which makes an excellent material 
for weaving hammocks, fishing-nets, and the like. It is grad- 
ually becoming an important article of commerce. The 
approach to Tabatinga, with two or three islands in the 
neighborhood, numerous igarape's opening out of the river, 
and the Hyavary emptying into it, is, however, one of the 
prettiest parts of the Solimoens. We found here four 
members of a Spanish scientific commission, who have 
been travelling several years in South and Central Ameri- 
ca, and whose track we have crossed several times without 
meeting them. They welcomed the arrival of the steamer 
with delight, having awaited their release at Tabatinga for 
two or three weeks. The party consisted of Drs. Alma- 
gro, Spada, Martinez, and Isern. They had just accom- 
plished an adventurous journey, having descended the 
Napo on a raft, which their large collection of live ani- 
mals had turned into a sort of Noah's ark. After various 
risks and exposures they had arrived at Tabatinga, having 
lost almost all their clothing, except what they wore, by 
shipwreck. Fortunately, their papers and collections were 
saved.* We are now on our way down the river again, 
having left Mr. Bourget at Tabatinga to pass a month in 
making collections in that region, and dropped Mr. James 
* These gentlemen descended the river with us as far as Tcffe, and we 
afterwards heard of their safe arrival in Madrid. They had, however, 
suffered much in health, and Mr. Isern died soon after his return to his native 
land. 
