208 A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 



steamer. The mosquitoes by night and the Piums by day 

 are said to render life almost intolerable here. Under these 

 circumstances we could form little idea of the character of 

 the vegetation in our short stay. But we made the ac 

 quaintance of one curious palm, the Tucum, a species of 

 Astrocaryum, the fibre of which makes an excellent material 

 for weaving hammocks, fishing-nets, and the like. It is grad 

 ually becoming an important article of commerce. The 

 approach to Tabatinga, with two or three islands in the 

 neighborhood, numerous igarape*s opening out of the river, 

 and the Hyavary emptying into it, is, however, one of the 

 prettiest parts of the Solimoens. We found here four 

 members of a Spanish scientific commission, who have 

 been travelling several years in South and Central Ameri 

 ca, and whose track we have crossed several times without 

 meeting them. They welcomed the arrival of the steamer 

 with delight, having awaited their release at Tabatinga for 

 two or three weeks. The party consisted of Drs. Alma- 

 gro, Spada, Martinez, and Isern. They had just accom 

 plished an adventurous journey, having descended the 

 Napo on a raft, which their large collection of live ani 

 mals had turned into a sort of Noah s ark. After various 

 risks and exposures they had arrived at Tabatinga, having 

 lost almost all their clothing, except what they wore, by 

 shipwreck. Fortunately, their papers and collections were 

 saved.* We are now on our way down the river again, 

 having left Mr. Bourget at Tabatinga to pass a month in 

 making collections in that region, and dropped Mr. James 



* These gentlemen descended the river with us as far as Teffe , and we 

 afterwards heard of their safe arrival in Madrid. They had, however, 

 suffered much in health, and Mr. Isern died soon after his return to his native 

 land. 



