322 A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 
CHAPTER XI. 
RETURN TO MANAOS. EXCURSION ON THE RIO NEGRO. iJEAVE 
MANAOS. 
CHRISTMAS EVE AT MANAOS. CEREMONIES OF THE INDIANS. CHURCHES 
ON THE AMAZONS. LEAVE MANAOS FOR THE Rio NEGRO. CURIOUS RIVER 
FORMATION. ASPECT OF THE RIVER. ITS VEGETATION. SCANTY POPU- 
LATION. VILLAGE OF TAUA PEASSU. P^DRE OF THE VILLAGE. PALMS. 
VILLAGE OF PEDREIRA. INDIAN CAMP. MAKING PALM-THATCH. 
SICKNESS AND WANT AT PEDREIRA. Row IN THE FOREST. TROPICAL 
SHOWER. GEOLOGY OF PEDREIRA. INDIAN RECRUITS. COLLECTION OF 
PALMS. EXTRACTS FROM MR. AGASSIZ'S NOTES ON THE VEGETATION OF 
THE AMAZONS AND THE Rio NEGRO. RETURN TO MANAOS. DESOLATION 
OF THE Rio NKGKO. ITS FUTURE PROSPECTS. HUMBOLDT'S ANTICIPA- 
TIONS. - - WILD FLOWERS. DISTRIBUTION OF FISEIES IN THE AMAZONIAN 
WATEHS. How FAR DUE TO MIGRATION. HYDROGRAPHIC SYSTEM. 
ALTERNATION BETWEEN THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SOUTHERN AND NORTH- 
ERN TRIBUTARIES. 
December 25th. Manaos. The Indians have a pretty 
observance here for Christmas eve. At nightfall, from the 
settlements at Hyanuary, two illuminated canoes come 
across the river to Manaos ; one bearing the figure of Our 
Lady, the other of Saint Rosalia. They look very brilliant 
as they come towards the shore, all the light concentrated 
about the figures carried erect in the prows. On landing, 
the Indians, many of whom have come to the city in 
advance, form a procession, the women dressed in white, 
and with flowers in their hair, the men carrying torches 
or candles ; and they follow the sacred images, which are 
borne under a canopy in front of the procession, to the 
church, where they are deposited, and remain during Christ- 
mas week. We entered with them, and saw the kneeling, 
dusky congregation, and the two saints, one a wooden, 
