PORTO DE MATAURA. 



309 



meat keeps well twelve months ; boatmen toast or boil it without smoth- 

 ering it in potatoes ; it has no offensive smell, like boiled dried cod-fish. 

 We are told the fish called " peixe-boi," (bull-fish,) of the Madeira, is the 

 same as the "vaca- marina," (sea-cow,) of the Ucayali, though compar- 

 atively there are few taken. The captain of the " cuberta " was loung- 

 ing about the vessel with his coat off, while one or two men were up 

 the river in a small canoe fishing. The cable, by which the vessel swung 

 to her anchor, was made of a black grass- like stuff, taken from a species 

 of palm-trees found on the Rio Negro, called "piassaba," said to last 

 longer in the water than out of it. Different-sized ropes are made of 

 the piassaba, but the cordage of the vessel was generally of Kentucky 

 hemp. Her measurement was not over sixteen tons, rigged schooner 

 fashion. On deck, between the cabin and the forward house, was a 

 large box filled with earth, on which the crew built a fire and cooked 

 fish and turtle. We handed the captain a Bolivian silver dollar in pay- 

 ment for fish, which he seemed pleased to take, and gave us large cop- 

 per coins in change. Titto, our negro sergeant, had to explain the value 

 of Bolivian silver in Brazil money. 



At Porto de Mataura a guard-house is situated on the east bank. 

 Richards climbed up the steep bank, and presented passports to the com- 

 mander, who was kind enough to send an officer to offer us a house if 

 we would remain. The officer returned again with a present of a couple 

 of watermelons, said to be an uncertain remedy for fever and ague. 

 They were small, only half ripe, but soon devoured, as they were the 

 only refreshing thing we had seen, except a little sugar-cane, since leav- 

 ing the fort. The suffering from fever was increased to agony when 

 the same dose had been imprudently repeated. Drinking water was 87°, 

 and the temperature of the air, in the shade, 89°. Under such circum- 

 stances fruits and melons are luxurious. The temptation is great, but 

 the sick should be particularly guarded against using such injurious 

 articles, however pleasant to the taste. 



As we move on the lands become more elevated, and are better 

 adapted for cultivation than others below Crato. The forest trees are 

 small where the lands are free from inundation, corresponding to obser- 

 vations made as we floated into the middle of Madeira Plate, near Ex- 

 altation. Small streams of water flow in from the east, while, on the 

 west, " madres," or large pools, have an outlet through the bank. The 

 rule is, high banks on the east side of the Madeira, and low to the west, 

 with few exceptions. Springs are scarce. The water trickling down 

 the blue, red, or yellow banks is the coolest, even after being bottled and 



