Chap. III. SEASONS. 221 



beaches on which they were situated. This is the 

 season, however, in which the Brazil nut and wild 

 cacao ripen, and many persons go out to gather these 

 harvests, remaining absent generally throughout the 

 months of March and April. The rains during this 

 time are not continuous ; they fall very heavily at 

 times, but rarely last so long at a stretch as twenty-four 

 hours, and many days intervene of pleasant, sunny 

 weather. The sky, however, is generally overcast and 

 gloomy, and sometimes a drizzling rain falls. 



About the first week in June the flood is at its 

 highest ; the water being then about forty-five feet 

 above its lowest point ; but it varies in different years 

 to the extent of about fifteen feet. The " enchente," or 

 flow, as it is called by the natives, who believe this 

 great annual movement of the waters to be of the same 

 nature as the tide towards the mouth of the Amazons, 

 is then completed, and all begin to look forward to the 

 "vasante," or ebb. The provision made for the dearth of 

 the wet season is by this time pretty nearly exhausted ; 

 fish is difficult to procure, and many of the less provident 

 inhabitants have become reduced to a diet of fruits and 

 farinha porridge. 



The fine season begins with a few days of brilliant 

 weather — furious, hot sun, with passing clouds. Idle 

 men and women, tired of the dulness and confinement 

 of the flood season, begin to report, on returning from 

 their morning bath, the cessation of the flow : as agoas 

 estao parados, " the waters have stopped." The muddy 

 streets, in a few days, dry up : groups of young fellows 

 are now seen seated on the shady sides of the cottages 



