31G THE LOWEE AMAZONS. 



guai:i, in Colombia, are much less extensive than once sup- 

 posed. These last hardly interrupt the forest, for we may- 

 consider them as lying between the two great valleys of 

 the Amazons and Orinoco. What a grand, unbroken sweep 

 of forest in this vast Amazonian plain ! 



It requires a little over seven hours to run from Santa- 

 rem to Monte Alegre, which is situated upon the north 

 bank, a little back from the shore, and partly raised upon 

 a hill, backed by a low, marshy forest, beyond which rises 

 a low range of flat-topped hills. The name of the town 

 means gay mountain, and Mrs. Agassiz's first impression 

 was, that it scarcely deserved its title. Prof. Agassiz's 

 party ascended the river; one must float down the long 

 stretch of the monotonous Amazons, to appreciate the hill- 

 scenery of Slonte Alegre. After passing Mo)ite Alegre 

 the Amazons assumes a grand width, its shores separating 

 ten miles, and appearing as indistinctly-traced lines resting 

 upon the water. Xothing impresses one so deeply with 

 the magnitude of this mighty river as to allow the eye to 

 vrander over these ocean-like expanses, and watch the 

 white caps as they break along with almost the violence 

 of an open sea. While upon this portion of the river wo 

 encountered severe storms travelling up the stream, that 

 often raised so heavy a swell that the movement of our 

 steamer brought on feelings painfully suggestive of ocean 

 experiences. As vre neared either shore, occasionally a 

 native's hut or a charming villa would look down from 

 the bluus, or appear half-buried in the dense vegetation 

 of the river-bank. Along the northern shore extended 

 the table-topped hills of Almeyrim, varying from a few 

 hundred to nearly a thousand feet in height. These were 

 the last hills seen upon the Amazons. Upon the south 

 the grass plains v/ere burning, and by night the reflection 

 of the flames lighted large tracts of the horizon. 



The 30th of December we passed the little village 3 



