Cuap. XIII. ST. PAULO. 377 
higher subjects or general ideas,a blank. The dull, mean, practical way 
of thinking of the Amazonian Indians, and the absence of curiosity and 
speculative thought which seems to be organic or confirmed in their 
character, although they are improvable to a certain extent, make 
them, like commonplace people everywhere, most uninteresting com- 
panions. Caracdra-i disembarked at Tunantins with his cargo, which 
consisted of a considerable number of packages of European wares. 
The river scenery about the mouth of the Japura is extremely grand, 
and was the subject of remark amongst the passengers. Lieutenant 
Nunes gave it, as his opinion, that there was no diminution of width or 
grandeur in the mighty stream up to this point, a distance of 1500 
miles from the Atlantic; and yet we did not here see the two shores of 
the river on both sides at once; lines of islands, or tracts of alluvial 
land, having by-channels in their rear, intercepting the view of the 
northern mainland, and sometimes also of the southern. Beyond the 
Issa, however, the river becomes evidently narrower, being reduced to 
an average width of about a mile; there were then no longer those 
magnificent reaches, with blank horizons, which occur lowerdown. We 
had a dark and rainy night after passing Tunantins, and the passengers 
were all very uneasy on account of the speed at which we were travel- 
ling, twelve miles an hour, with every plank vibrating with the force of 
the engines. Many of them could not sleep, myself amongst the 
number. At length, a little after midnight, a sudden shout startled us: 
“Back her!” (English terms being used in matters relating to steam- 
engines). The pilot instantly sprung to the helm, and in a few 
moments we felt our paddle-box brushing against the wall of forest into 
which we had nearly driven headlong. Fortunately the water was deep 
close up to the bank. Early in the morning of the 1oth of September 
we anchored in the port of St. Paulo, after five days’ quick travelling 
from Ega. 
St. Paulo is built on a high hill, on the southern bank of the river. 
The hill is formed of the same Tabatinga clay, which occurs at 
intervals over the whole valley of the Amazons, but nowhere rises to so 
great an elevation as here, the height being about 100 feet above the 
mean level of the river. The ascent from the port is steep and 
slippery ; steps and resting-places have been made to lighten the fatigue 
of mounting, otherwise the village would be almost inaccessible, es- 
pecially to porters of luggage and cargo, for there are no means of 
making a circuitous road of more moderate slope, the hill being steep 
on all sides, and surrounded by dense forests and swamps. The place 
contains about 500 inhabitants, chiefly half-castes and Indians of the 
Tuctina and Collina tribes, who are very little improved from their 
primitive state. The streets are narrow, and in rainy weather inches 
deep in mud; many houses are of substantial structure, but in a 
ruinous condition, and the place altogether presents the appearance, 
like Fonte Boa, of having seen better days. Signs of commerce, such 
as meet the eye at Ega, could scarcely be expected in this remote spot, 
situate 1,800 miles, or seven months’ round voyage by sailing-vessels, 
from Para, the nearest market for produce. A very short experience 
showed that the inhabitants were utterly debased the few Portuguese 
