RETURN TO MANAOS. 323 



coarsely painted image of the Virgin, the other a gayly 

 dressed doll, placed on a small altar, where was also a 

 figure of the infant Jesus, surrounded by flowers. At a 

 later hour the midnight mass was celebrated ; less interest- 

 ing to me than the earlier ceremony, because not so exclu- 

 sively a service of the Indians, though they formed a large 

 part of the congregation ; and the music, as usual, was 

 performed by the band of Indian boys from the Casa dos 

 Educandos. But there is nothing here to make the Catholic 

 service impressive ; the churches on the Amazons generally 

 are of the most ordinary kind, and in a ruinous condition. 

 There is a large unfinished stone church in Manaos, stand- 

 ing on the hill, and occupying a commanding position, 

 which will make it a conspicuous object if it is ever 

 completed ; but it has stood in its present state for years, 

 and seems likely to remain so for an indefinite length of 

 time. It is a pity they have not the custom here of 

 dressing their churches with green at Christmas, because 

 they have so singularly beautiful and appropriate a tree 

 for it in the palms. The Pupunha palm, for instance, so 

 architectural in its symmetry, with its columnar-like stem 

 and its dark-green vault of drooping leaves, would be 

 admirable for this purpose. To-morrow we leave Manaos 

 in the " Ibicuhy," in order to ascend the Rio Negro as 

 far as Pedreira, where the first granitic formation is said to 

 occur. 



December 21th. On board the "Ibicuhy." There was 

 little incident to mark our day yesterday, and yet it was 

 one full of enjoyment. The day itself was such as rarely 

 occurs in these regions ; indeed, I should say it is the only 

 time, during the whole six months we have passed on the 

 Amazons, when we have had cool weather with a clear 



