10 PAEA. Chap. I. 



heard in the same hne, being added to the other noises, 

 created an almost deafening din. This uproar of Hfe, I 

 afterwards found, never wholly ceased, night or day : 

 in course of time I became, like other residents, 

 accustomed to it. It is, however, one of the peculi- 

 arities of a tropical — at least, a Brazilian — climate 

 which is most likely to surprise a stranger. After my 

 return to England the death -like stillness of summer 

 days in the country appeared to me as strange as the 

 ringing uproar did on my first arrival at Para. The 

 object of our visit being accomplished, we returned to 

 the city. The fire flies were then out in great num- 

 bers, flitting about the sombre woods, and even the 

 frequented streets. We turned into our hammocks, 

 well pleased with what we had seen, and full of antici- 

 pation with regard to the wealth of natural objects we 

 had come to explore. 



During the first few days, we were employed in land- 

 ing our baggage and arranging our extensive apparatus. 

 We then accepted the invitation of Mr. Miller to make 

 use of his rocinha, or country-house in the suburbs, 

 until we finally decided on a residence. Upon this we 

 made our first essay in housekeeping. We bought 

 cotton hammocks, the universal substitute for beds in 

 this country, cooking utensils and crockery, and then 

 engaged a free negro, named Isidoro, as cook and 

 servant-of-all-work. Isidoro had served Englishmen in 

 this capacity before, and, although he had not picked 

 up two words of English, he thought he had a great 

 talent for understanding and making himself under- 



