THE TROMBETAS. 



293 



from the surrounding forest. At 8 p. m., February 25, we arrived at 

 Obidos, one hundred and five miles below Villa Nova. Several gentle- 

 men offered to furnish me a vacant house ; but I was surly, and slept in 

 my boat. 



Whilst at Obidos, I took a canoe to visit the cacoaes, or cocoa planta- 

 tions, in the neighborhood ; the fruit is called cacao. We started at 6 

 a. m., accompanied by a gentleman named Miguel Figuero, and stopped 

 at the mouth of the Trombetas, which empties into the Amazon four 

 or five miles above Obidos. It enters the Amazon by two mouths within 

 sight of each other, (the island dividing the mouth being small ;) the 

 lower and smaller mouth is called Sta. Teresa, and is about one hundred 

 and fifty yards wide ; the upper (Boca de Trombetas) is half a mile wide, 

 and enters the Amazon at a very sharp angle ; its waters are clear, and 

 the dividing-line between them and those of the Amazon is preserved 

 distinct for more than a mile. 



The Trombetas is said to be a very large river ; in some places as 

 wide as the Amazon is here — about two miles. It is very productive in 

 fish, castanhas, and sarsaparilla, and runs through a country well adapted 

 to raising cattle. I have heard several people call it a world ; they 

 may call it so on account of its productions, or it may be a " world of 

 waters," for the whole country, according to the description of it, is 

 entirely cut up with lakes and water-communications. The river is only 

 navigable for large vessels five or six days up, and is then obstructed by 

 rocks and rapids, which make it impassable. Little is known of the 

 river above the falls ; it is very sickly below them with tertianas, which 

 take a malignant type. 



Near the mouth of this river we stopped at an establishment for 

 making pots and earthenware generally, belonging to a gentleman 

 named Bentez, who received us with cordiality. This country house 

 was neat, clean, and comfortable. I caught glimpses of some ladies 

 neatly dressed, and with very pretty faces ; and was charmed with the 

 sight of a handsome pair of polished French leather boots sitting against 

 the wall. This was the strongest sign of civilization that I had met 

 with, and showed me that I was beginning to get into communication 

 with the great world without. 



Senhor Bentez gave me some egg's of the "enambu," a bird of the 

 pheasant or partridge species, some of which are as large as a turkey. 

 There are seven varieties of them, and an intelligent young gentleman, 

 named D'Andrade, gave me the names, which were Enambu-assu, (assu 

 is lingoa geral, and means large,) Enambu- toro, Peira, Sororina, Macu- 

 cana, Um, and Jarsana. 



