Manaos. 245 



two great navigable rivers, Manaos is destined to become 

 the St. Louis of South America. In commercial advant- 

 ages it is hardly to be surpassed by any other city in the 

 vforld, having water communication with two thirds of the 

 continent, and also with the Atlantic. It is now the prin- 

 cipal station for the Brazilian line of steamers. Here all 

 goods for a higher or lower point are reshipped. The 

 chief articles of export are coffee (of superior quality), sar- 

 saparilla, Brazil nuts, piassaba, and fish. The Negro at 

 this point is really five or six miles wide, but the opposite 

 shore is masked by low islands, so that it appears to be but 

 a mile and a half. 



The country around Manaos is quite romantic for the 

 Amazonian Valley. The land is undulating and furrowed 

 by ravines, and the vegetation covering it is marvelously 

 rich and diversified. In the forest, two miles from the 

 city, there is a natural curiosity celebrated by all travelers 

 from Spix and Martins down. A rivulet coming out of 

 the wilderness falls over a ledge of red sandstone ten feet 

 high and fifty feet broad, forming a beautiful cascade. 

 The water is cool, and of a deep orange color. The 

 foundation of a fine stone cathedral was laid in Manaos 

 fourteen years ago, but this generation is not likely to 

 witness the dedication. Life in this Amazonian city is dull 

 enough : commerce is not brisk, and society is stiff ; balls 

 are about the only amusements. On Sunday (the holiday) 

 evei-y body who can afford it comes out in Paris fashions. 

 There are carts, but no coaches. We called iipon the 

 President at his " Palace" — an odd term for a two-storied, 

 whitewashed edifice. His excellency received us with less 

 formality and more cordiality than we expected to find in 

 the solemn officials of the empire. The first glance at the 



point reached on the Amazon in 1862 (87.3°) was at Manaos, and the ex- 

 traordinaiy heiglit of 95° has been noted there. 



