304 



THE UPPER AMAZONS. 



huts, presented a pleasing contrast with the villages we 

 had hitherto passed. Thus we spent several days drop- 

 ping slowly down the river ; and finally, upon the 20th, we 

 cast anchor ofl" the frontier Brazilian town of Tabatinga. 

 This village consists of eight or ten buildings, only a por- 

 tion of which, however, are visible from the river, as they 

 stand a little bach from the edge of a high bluff. Taba- 

 tinga is a military post, and from some rude earthworks 

 sevei-al guns look down upon the river. The commandantc 

 of the post, sharing the enthusiasm springing up through- 

 out this new and undeveloped country for collecting natu- 

 ral-history specimens, had gathered quite a menagerie, 

 Avhich he proposed sending to Rio Janeiro. 



Late in the afternoon of the 20tl), the Brazilian steamer 

 " Icamiaba " arrived from Manaos, and, bidding farewell to 

 the " Morona," we embarked upon this vessel, and the fol- 

 lowing day steam and current were bearing us swiftly down 

 the river. Travelling upon the Amazons is attended with 

 as few discomforts as are experienced upon our own north- 

 ern waters. We lived upon deck. This Avas covered and 

 arranged with a table through the centre, where our meals 

 were taken, so that we might enjoy the grateful breeze 

 created by the movement of the boat. "We found the 

 deck also a delightful place to swing our hammocks at 

 night. 



Late in the evening of the first day from Tabatinga 

 we reached San Paulo, a collection of huts inhabited by 

 Ticuna Indians, where we received a little freight, and 

 again weighed anchor. Xotwithstanding the extreme 

 darkness, we ran all night, and about ten the following 

 morning arrived at Tunantins, a village of a score of 

 houses, located upon a stream of the same name, Avhose 

 waters are black from being steeped in the forest that 

 rises directly oixt of the stream. Early in the morning 

 of the 23d vre anchored in front of Fonte Boa, located 



