224 Mr. Alexander Siemens [May 15, 



way. As tlie ship was drawing over twenty-four feet, and the bar at 

 the end of the Boiassu had only twenty-three feet of water at high 

 tide, the result was easily foreseen, but the ship remained on the bar 

 for nine days, by which time sufficient cable had been transferred to 

 the barge and to the ss. " Malvern " to enable the ship to continue 

 her journey. During this enforced sojourn in the midst of the most 

 wonderful combination of islands and rivers, the two naturalists 

 whom the British Museum authorities had kindly sent with the 

 expedition, took full advantage of the opportunity to explore the 

 locality in all directions.* 



Unfortunately the time is too short to give many details of the 

 intermediate stations, but their general aspect is very similar, and 

 nothing noteworthy occurred at most of them. Commencing at the 

 mouth of the river, the first station is Chaves and the second Macapa ; 

 to these two places a branch is laid from Gurupa. The ss. " Faraday " 

 had the distinction of being the first European steamer which has 

 navigated the Amazon river below the mouth of the Tajipuru ; in fact 

 neither the pilots nor the inhabitants knew of any foreign ship that 

 had ever touched at these ports. In Gurupa, the second station of 

 the main line, the inhabitants expressed their joy at being put in 

 communication with the rest of the world, by actively helping in the 

 landing of the first shore end. A young lady in white, niece of the 

 mayor, borrowed a handkerchief from one of our engineers, daintily 

 laid hold of the end of the cable and triumphantly carried it into the 

 station. Here a ball was started, and the happy couples waltzed round 

 the cable end to show their appreciation. Meanwhile the tug began 

 pulling on the barge from which the cable was to be paid out, and just 

 as these vessels began to feel the current, which runs rather strong 

 there, something jambed, the cable would not run out, and the tug could 

 not hold the barge against the current. Barge, tug and cable drifted 

 down stream, the end gradually disappearing out of the station. 

 This contretemps luckily did not disturb the dancers, who continued 

 their rejoicings until the end had been brought back. 



Monte Alegre lies on a furo which unfortunately has a shallow 

 bar at its mouth, so that the cable had to be laid in and out by the 

 barge and tug. This furo swarmed with " botes," a species of 

 dolphin much coveted by the naturalists ; but the natives do not try 

 to catch them because they are neither good for food nor useful in 

 other ways, besides they are remarkably shy and strong. From 

 thence the cable is laid to Santarem at the mouth of the Tapajos, 

 which presents a strong contrast to the Amazon on account of its 

 clear waters and tranquil flow. This river is 1200 miles long, and is 

 formed by the union of the Arinos and Juruena, rising in 14° 42' S. 

 lat., and 60° 43' W. long., in the so-called " aguas vertentes " (the 



* 111 th<3 library were exhibited the specimens collected by the naturaHsts 

 and other members of the expedition. 



