34S THE LOWEE AMAZONS. Chap. VII. 



here introduced. I descended the river from Ega to 

 the capital, a distance of 1400 miles, in a heavily-laden 

 schooner belonging to a trader of the former place. 

 The voyage occupied no less than twenty-nine days, 

 although we were favoured by the powerful currents of 

 the rainy season. The hold of the vessel was filled with 

 turtle oil contained in large jars, the cabin was crammed 

 with Brazil nuts, and a great pile of salsaparilla, covered 

 with a thatch of palm leaves, occupied the middle of 

 the deck. We had, therefore (the master and two pas- 

 sengers), but rough accommodation, having to sleep on 

 deck exposed to the wet and stormy weather under 

 little toldos or arched shelters, arranged with mats of 

 woven lianas and maranta leaves. I awoke many a 

 morning, with clothes and bedding soaked through with 

 the rain. With the exception, however, of a slight cold 

 at the commencement I never enjoyed better health 

 than during this journey. When the wind blew from 

 up river or off the land, we sped away at a great rate ; 

 but it was often squally from those quarters, and then 

 it was not safe to hoist the sails. The weather was ge- 

 nerally calm, a motionless mass of leaden clouds cover- 

 ing the sky and the broad expanse of waters flowing 

 smoothly down with no other motion than the ripple of 

 the current. When the wind came from below, we tacked 

 down the stream ; sometimes it blew very strong, and 

 then the schooner, having the wind abeam, laboured 

 through the waves, shipping often heavy seas which 

 washed everything that was loose from one side of the 

 deck to the other. 



On arriving at Para, I found the once cheerful and 



