118 LOWER AMAZONS—PARA TO OBYDOS.  Cuap. VI. 
failed us, when we were close to a large shoal called the Baixo Grande. 
We lay here becalmed in the sickening heat for two days, and when the 
trade-wind recommenced with the rising moon at 10 p.m. on the 6th, 
we found ourselves on a lee-shore. Notwithstanding all the efforts of 
our pilot to avoid it, we ranaground. Fortunately the bottom consisted 
only of soft mud, so that by casting anchor to windward, and hauling in 
with the whole strength of crew and passengers, we got off after 
spending an uncomfortable night. We rounded the point of the shoal 
in two fathoms’ water; the head of the vessel was then put westward, 
and by sunrise we were bounding forward before a steady breeze, all 
sail set and everybody in good humour. 
The weather was now delightful for several days in succession, the 
air transparently clear, and the breeze cool and invigorating. At day- 
light, on the 6th, a chain of blue hills, the Serra de Almeyrim, appeared 
in the distance, on the north bank of the river. The sight was most 
exhilarating after so long a sojourn in a flat country. We kept to the 
southern shore, passing in the course of the day the mouths of the Uru- 
curicaya and the Aquiqul, two channels which communicate with the 
Xingt. The whole of this southern coast hence to near Santarem, a 
distance of 130 miles, is lowland and quite uninhabited. It-is inter- 
sected by short arms or back waters of the Amazons, which are called in 
the Tupi language Parandmirims, or little rivers. By keeping to these, 
small canoes can travel great part of the distance without being much 
exposed to the heavy seas ofthe mainriver. The coast throughout hasa 
most desolate aspect: the forest is not so varied as on the higher land; 
and the water-frontage, which is destitute of the green mantle of climbing 
plants that form so rich a decoration in other parts, is encumbered at 
every step with piles of fallen trees, peopled by white egrets, ghostly 
storks, and solitary herons. In the evening we passed Almeyrim. ‘The 
hills, according to Von Martius, who landed here, are about 800 feet 
above the level of the river, and are thickly wooded to the summit. 
They commence on the east by a few low, isolated, and rounded 
elevations ; but towards the west of the village they assume the 
appearance of elongated ridges, which seem to have been planed down 
to a uniform height by some external force. The next day we passed 
in succession a series of similar flat-topped hills, some isolated and of a 
truncated-pyramidal shape, others prolonged toa length of several miles. 
There is an interval of low country between these and the Almeyrim 
range, which has a total length of about 25 miles: then commences 
abruptly the Serra de Marauqua, which is succeeded in a similar way by 
the Velha Pobre range, the Serras de Tapaiuna-quara, and Paraud-quara. 
All these form a striking contrast to the Serra de Almeyrim in being 
quite destitute of trees. They have steep rugged sides, apparently 
clothed with short herbage, but here and there exposing bare white 
patches. ‘Their total lengthis about 40 miles. In the rear, towards the 
interior, they are succeeded by other ranges of hills, communicating 
with the central mountain chain of Guiana, which divides Brazil from 
Cayenne. 
As we sailed along the southern shore, during the 6th and two 
following days, the table-topped hills on the opposite side occupied 
