Viii CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE AMAZONS, THE GIANT RIVER OP THE TORRID ZONE. 



The Course of the Amazons and its Tributaries— The Strait of Obydos— Tide 

 Waves on the Amazons— The Black- water rivers — The Rio Negro— The Bay of 

 the Thousand Isles— The Pororocea— Rise of the River— The Gapo— Magnificent 

 Scenery — Different Character of the Forests beyond and within the verge of 

 Inundation— General Character of the Banks— A Sail on the Amazons— A 

 Night's Encampment— The 'Mother of the Waters'— The Piranga— Dangers 

 of Navigating on the Amazons— Terrific Storms— Rapids and Whirlpools— The 

 Stream of the Future— Travels of Orellana— Madame Godin . . Page 36 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE PRIMEVAL FORESTS OF TROPICAL AMERICA. 



Their peculiar Charms and Terrors — Disappointments and Difficulties of the 

 Botanist — The Bush-ropes- Variety of Trees and Plants — Trees with But- 

 tresses — Numberless parasites — Character of the Primitive Forest according 

 to its Site — Its Aspect during the Rainy Season — A Hurricane in the 

 Forest — Beauty of the Forest after the Rainy Season — Our Home Scenes 

 equally beautiful — Bird Life on the rivers of Guiana — ^Morning Concert — Repose 

 of Nature at Noon — ^Nocturnal Voices of the Forest .... 63 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE WILD INDIANS OP TROPICAL AMERICA. 



The wild Forest Tribes — Their Physical Conformation and Moral Characteristics 

 — Their Powers of Endurance no.t inferior to those of other Races — Their stoical 

 indifference — Their Means of Subsistence — Fishing — Hunting — The Wourali 

 Poison — Ornaments — Painting — Tattooing — Religion — The Moon, a Land of 

 Abundance — The Botuto— The Piaches — The Savage Hordes of Brazil and 

 Guiana — The Ottomaeas — Dirt-eaters — Their Vindictive Ferocity and War 

 Stratagems— The extinct Tribe of the Atures— -A Parrot the last Speaker of 

 their Language — Their Burial-cavern — The Uaupes Indians — Their large Huts — 

 Horrid Custom of Disinterment— The Macus— The Purupurus— The ' Palheta' — 

 The Mandrucus — ^Singular resemblance of some of the Customs of the American 

 Indians to those of Remote Nations — The Caribs — The Botocudos — Monstrous 

 distension of the Ears and Under-lip— Their Bow and Arrow — Their Migrations 

 — Bush-rope Bridge— Botocudo Funeral—* Tanchon,' the Evil Spirit . 62 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE MEXICAN PLATEAUS, AND THE SLOPES OP SIKKIM. 



Geological Formation of Mexico— The Tierra Caliente — The Tierra Templada — 

 The Tierra Fria. 



The Sylvan Wonders of Sikkim — Changes of the Forest on ascending — The 

 Torrid Zone of Vegetation— The Temperate Zone The Coniferous Belt — 

 Limits of Arboreal Vegetation— Animal Life 79 



