Natural-History Collectors. 3801 



Proceedings of Natural- History Collectors in Foreign Countries. 



Mr. H. W. Bates.* — " Aveyros, Rio Tapajos, August 1, 1852.— 

 Although there is no conveyance from here safe enough to forward 

 iny collection, I profit by the opportunity of a small boat going to 

 Santarem to write you an account of my proceedings, especially as I 

 am in a rather out-of-the-way country now, and do not know when I 

 shall have another opportunity to send a letter. I left Santarem, as 

 in mine of the 6th of June I informed you I should, on the 8th of that 

 month, and after a few hours' sail with a brisk wind, began to form 

 something like a correct idea of this river. It is the most extensive 

 and magnificent stretch of water I have seen in the whole river sys- 

 tem of the Amazons. Like most of the other affluents, the Tapajos 

 forms a delta of islands, alluvial and marsh lands, on its junction with 

 the main river, by which the main channel flowing by Santarem is 

 much contracted. I suppose there it is not more than 1 or 2 miles 

 wide, but passing upwards, it expands into a breadth of from 8 to 10 

 miles, perhaps more, and continues thus for nearly a hundred miles, 

 clear of islands ; in fact, to a little below Aveyros. Both shores are 

 marked by a line of hills, some isolated, others in long ridges, some 

 conical, others truncated. This high country, generally covered with 

 a uniform sombre forest, forms a picture very different from that of the 

 alluvial flats and vivid green foliage of the banks of the Amazons. 

 The winds here are strong and irregular, and the swell at times fear- 

 ful. Sometimes a narrow margin of alluvial land skirts the banks, 

 with beaches of white sand, forming lovely bays and harbours ; but a 

 <*reat part consists of rock-bound coasts and precipices, at the foot of 

 which the swell breaks with threatening roar. In fact, the voyage, 

 instead of being a quiet slow excursion, like those we generally have 

 on the Amazons, turned out a serious affair, full of peril and anxiety. 

 I started in rather a critical season ; the month of June being a tran- 

 sition season between the wet and the dry periods, the waters had not 

 yet sunk many inches, and squalls, with thunder and lightning, oc- 

 curred daily ; at times, violent gusts came suddenly from the hills 

 before sudden showers. In arranging my voyage, I found the usual 

 difficulty in finding men. Indians only understand the management 

 of canoes ; and these are so few in number in comparison to the de- 

 mand for them, that they are not to be found. The authorities only 



* Communicated by Mr. S. Stevens. 

 XI. M 



