Char CES NIL 
THE LOWER AMAZONS—OBYDOS TO MANAOS, OR THE BARRA OF 
THE RIO NEGRO. 
Departure from Obydos—River banks and by-channels—Cacao planters—Daily life 
on beard our vessel—Great storm—Sand island and its birds—Hill of Parentins— 
Negro trader and Mauhés Indians—Villa Nova, its inhabitants, climate, forest, 
and animal productions—Cararauci—A rustic festival—Lake of Cararauci— 
Motica flies—Serpa—Christmas holidays—River Madeira—A mameluco farmer 
—Mura Indians—Rio Negro—Description of Barra—Descent to Para—Yellow 
fever. 
A TRADER of Obydos, named Penna, was about proceeding in a 
cuberta laden with merchandise to the Rio Negro, intending to stop 
frequently on the road, so I bargained with him fora passage. He 
gave up a part of the toldo, or fore-cabin as it may be called, and here 
I slung my hammock and arranged my boxes, so as to be able to work 
as we went along. The stoppages, I thought, would be an advantage, as 
I could collect in the woods whilst he traded, and thus acquire a know- 
ledge of the productions of many places on the river which, in a direct 
voyage, it would be impossible to do. I provided a stock of groceries 
for two months’ consumption ; and, after the usual amount of unneces- 
sary fuss and delay on the part of the owner, we started on the 19th of 
November. Penna took his family with him: this comprised a smart, 
lively mameluco woman, named Catarina, whom we called Senhora 
Katita, and two children. The crew consisted of three men, one a 
sturdy Indian, another a Cafuzo, godson of Penna, and the third, our 
best hand, a steady good-natured mulatto, named Joaquim. My boy 
Luco was to assist in rowing and so forth. Penna was a timid middle- 
aged man, a white with a slight cross of Indian; when he was surly and 
obstinate, he used to ask me to excuse him on account of the Tapuyo 
blood in his veins. He tried to make me as comfortable as the 
circumstances admitted, and provided a large stock of eatables and 
drinkables; so that altogether the voyage promised to be a pleasant 
one. 
On leaving the port of Obydos we crossed over to the right bank 
and sailed with a light wind all day, passing numerous houses, each sur- 
rounded by its grove of cacao trees. On the 20th we made slow 
progress. After passing the high land at the mouth of the Trombetas, 
the banks were low, clayey, or earthy on both sides. The breadth of 
the river varies hereabout from two and a half to three miles, but 
neither coast is the true terra firma. On the northern side a by-channel 
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