284 



THE RIVER BRANCO. 



are careless and lazy ; most of them go naked. They cultivate a little 

 maize and mandioc for sustenance, and make a little carajuru to paint 

 their bodies and weapons with. Seraphim, however, had no difficulty 

 in getting Indians to collect copaiba and sarsaparilla for him. He was 

 not long from the Purus when I arrived at Barra ; poor fellow ! he was 

 a» martyr to the rheumatism, and his hands and legs were positively 

 black from the marks left by the musquitoes. I sent him, from Para, 

 physic, which is highly esteemed upon the Amazon, called loduret of 

 potassa, and "Le Roi," in return for his information, and some presents 

 of arms &c, from the Purus. 



The Amazon at Barra ordinarily commences to rise about the fifteenth 

 of November, and continues filling till the end of December. It falls 

 through the month of January, when it again rises till June, about the 

 end of which month it begins to fall. 



I found the Rio Negro stationary during the month of January. It 

 commenced rising about the first of February ; it is full in June. I 

 believe it follows the laws of the Amazon, and had risen through the 

 month of December. These laws are subject to considerable fluctua- 

 tions, depending upon the greater or less quantity of rain at the sources 

 of the rivers. 



The Rio Branco, the greatest tributary of the Negro, is low in Janu- 

 ary. This river is navigable for large craft for about three hundred miles 

 from its mouth ; thence it is broken into rapids, only passable for large 

 flat-bottomed boats. It is very thickly wooded below the first rapids ; 

 above these the trees disappear, and the river is bordered by immense 

 plains, which would afford pasturage to large numbers of cattle. Barra 

 is supplied with beef from the Rio Branco, where it must cost very little, 

 as it is sold in Barra at five cents the pound. 



Strong northeasterly winds make the ascent of the river tedious. A 

 boat will come down from San Joachim, near the sources of the river, to 

 Barra, a distance of five hundred miles, and passing many rapids, in 

 twelve days. 



A portage of only two hours divides the head-waters of the Branco 

 from those of the Essequibo. I saw fowling-pieces, of English manufac- 

 ture, in Barra, that had been bought by the traders on the Rio Branco 

 from Indians, who had purchased them from traders on the Essequibo. 

 They were of very good quality, but had generally been damaged, and 

 were repaired by the blacksmiths of Barra. Beautiful specimens of 

 rock crystal are brought from the highlands that divide the Branco and 

 Essequibo. The tertianas are said to be very malignant on the Rio 

 Branco. 



