232 THE LOWER AMAZONS. Chap. VL 



patches. Their total length is about 40 miles. In 

 the rear, towards the interior, they are succeeded by 

 other ranges of hills communicating with the central 

 mountain chain of Guiana, which divides Brazil from 

 Cayenne. 



As we sailed along the southern shore, during the 

 6th and two following days, the table-topped hills on 

 the opposite side occupied most of our attention. 

 The river is from four to five miles broad, and in some 

 places long, low wooded islands intervene in mid- 

 stream, whose light-green, vivid verdure formed a 

 strangely beautiful foreground to the glorious land- 

 scape of broad stream and grey mountain. Ninety 

 miles beyond Almeyrim stands the village of Monte 

 Alegre, which is built near the summit of the last 

 hill visible of this chain. At this point the river bends 

 a little towards the south, and the hilly country 

 recedes from its shores to re-appear at Obydos, greatly 

 decreased in height, about a hundred miles further 

 west. Twenty-five miles to the south-west of Monte 

 Alegre, high land again appears, but now on the 

 opposite side of the river. This is the northernmost 

 limit of the table-land of Brazil, as the hills of Monte 

 Alegre are the southernmost of that^ of Guiana. In 

 no other part of the river do the high lands on each 

 side approach each other so closely. Beyond Obydos 

 they gradually recede, and the width of the river 

 valley consequently increases, until in the central parts 

 of the Upper Amazons, near Ega, it is no less than 540 

 miles. At this point, therefore, the valley or river 

 plain of the Amazons is contracted to its narrowest 



