648 A VACATION TRIP TO BRAZIL. 
has seen a common jelly-fish,and some may know that some 
species have the power of stinging. Talk about nettles 
and stinging ivy! The first specimen of the Physalia I 
ever collected, I found one evening at dusk on the shore 
of Porto Seguro. It was half-buried in the sand, much 
wilted, and I took it to be a shell, Janthina. I picked it 
up, and while examining it, the long tentacles slipped — 
through my fingers, and brought very forcibly to mind 
that they were very plentifully armed with minute cells, 
in each of which was coiled an exceedingly fine thread, 
which, thrown out on the bursting of the cell when it is 
touched, penetrates the hand, and immense numbers thus 
wounding the nerves produce a very intense burning sen- 
sation, which, sometimes extending itself up the arm, as 
it did in this instance, causes acute suffering. He who 
once takes a living Physalia in his hand will not be likely 
to pick up another. 
On the 10th of July we arrived off the mouth of the 
Para river, the southern mouth of the Amazons; but as 
it was impossible to enter the river and pass the shoals in 
the night, we stood across the mouth for the light at 
Salinas, on the southern bank of the river. We were to 
sight the light at eleven o’clock, p.m. At half-past ten 
the engine was slowed, a man was in the fore-top on the 
lookout, and with a friend I remained on the bow peering 
anxiously into the darkness ahead, as the steamer plunged 
cautiously over the big swell. A dim light, like the first 
ray of a rising star, is seen. “Two points on the weather 
_ bow!” cries the man on lookout. A moment after and 
_ the light flashes brightly out and disappears. It is the 
r realization of a saudade,* and the heart is glad! . 
All night we killed time steaming up cod down, wait- 
eh wont dear to the Por as word home, and nearly as untrans- 
Jatable. ‘It has all Gis tcaine o riem beni but it also expresses a deep long- 
ie taken: e nen nm abeent ttiend, or tome loved distant spot. 
