222 THE LOWER AMAZOXS. Chap. YI. 



incorrect one, who believe the Para to be one of the 

 mouths of the great river. There is, however, another 

 channel connecting the two rivers, which enters the 

 Para six miles to the south of the Breves. The lower 

 part of its course for eighteen miles is formed by the 

 Uanapu, a large and independent river flowing from 

 the south. The tidal flow is said by the natives to 

 produce little or no current up this river ; a fact which 

 seems to afford a little support to the view just stated. 



We passed the village of Breves at 3 j).m. on the 

 26th. It consists of about forty houses, most of which 

 are occupied by Portuguese shopkeepers. A few Indian 

 families reside here, who occupy themselves with the 

 manufacture of ornamental pottery and painted cuyas, 

 which they sell to traders or passing travellers. The 

 cuyas — drinking-cups made from gourds — are some- 

 times very tastefully painted. The rich black ground- 

 colour is produced by a dye made from the bark of a 

 tree called Comateii, the gummy nature of which imparts 

 a fine polish. The yellow tints are made with the 

 Tabatinga clay ; the red with the seeds of the Urucu, 

 or anatto plant ; and the blue with indigo, which is 

 planted round the huts. The art is indigenous with 

 the Amazonian Indians, but it is only the settled 

 agricultural tribes belonging to the Tupi stock who 

 practise it. 



Se23t. 27th-S0th. — After passing Breves we continued 

 our way slowly along a channel, or series of channels, of 

 variable width. On the morning of the 27th we had a 

 fair wind, the breadth of the stream varying from about 

 150 to 400 yards. The forest was not remarkable in 



