360 A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 



with large pink blossoms rising on either side, and com- 

 pletely hiding the water below. This marshy, overflowed 

 ground, above which the water had a depth of from four to 

 six feet, was full of life. As the rowers pushed our canoe 

 through the mass of grass and flowers ? Mr. Agassiz gathered 

 from the blades and stalks all sorts of creatures ; small 

 bright-colored toads of several kinds, grasshoppers, beetles, 

 dragon-flies, aquatic snails, bunches of eggs, in short, an 

 endless variety of living things, most interesting to the 

 naturalist. The harvest was so plentiful that we had only 

 to put out our hands and gather it; the oarsmen, when they 

 saw Mr. Agassiz's enthusiasm, became almost as interested 

 as he was ; and he had soon a large jar filled with objects 

 quite new to him. After navigating these meadows for 

 some time, we came upon open water-spaces where the Vic- 

 toria regia was growing in great perfection. The speci- 

 mens were much finer than those we had seen before in the 

 Lago Maximo. One leaf measured five feet and a half in 

 diameter, and another five feet, the erect edge being three 

 inches and a half in height. A number of leaves grew from 

 the same stalk ; and seen thus together they are very beauti- 

 ful, the bright rose-color of the outer edge contrasting with 

 the vivid green of the inner surface of the leaf. As before, 

 there were no open flowers to be seen ; Senhor Rodriguez 

 told us that they are cut by the fishermen almost as soon as 

 they open. When Mr. Agassiz expressed a wish to get the 

 roots, two of our boatmen plunged into the water with an 

 alacrity which surprised me, as we had just been told that 

 these marshes are the haunts of Jacares. They took turns 

 in diving to dig up the plants, and succeeded in bringing to 

 the surface three large stalks, one with a flower-bud. We 

 returned well pleased with our row overland. 



