336 THE LOWER AMAZONS. Chap. VII. 



and patches of grass, and forms a striking contrast with 

 its tributary. In crossing, we passed the line, a little 

 more than half-way over, where the waters of the two 

 rivers meet and are sharply demarcated from each other. 

 On reaching the opposite shore, we found a remarkable 

 change. All our insect pests had disappeared, as if by 

 magic, even from the hold of the canoe : the turmoil of 

 an agitated, swiftly flowing river, and its torn, perpen- 

 dicular, earthy banks, had given place to tranquil water 

 and a coast indented with snug little bays, fringed with 

 sloping sandy beaches. The low shore and vivid light 

 green endlessly -varied foliage, which prevailed on the 

 south side of the Amazons, were exchanged for a hilly 

 country, clothed with a sombre, rounded, and monoto- 

 nous forest. Our tedious voyage now approached its 

 termination ; a light wind carried us gently along the 

 coast to the city of Barra, which lies about seven or eight 

 miles within the mouth of the river. We stopped for an 

 hour in a clean little bay, to bathe and dress, before 

 showing ourselves again among civilised people. The 

 bottom was visible at a depth of six feet, the white sand 

 taking a brownish tinge from the stained but clear water. 

 In the evening I went ashore, and was kindly received 

 by Senhor Henriques Antony, a warm-hearted Italian, 

 established here in a high position as merchant, who was 

 the never-failing friend of stray travellers. He placed 

 a couple of rooms at my disposal, and in a few hours I 

 was comfortably settled in my new quarters, sixty-four 

 days after leaving Obydos. 



The town of Barra is built on a tract of elevated, but 



