312 



DESCEND THE MADEIRA. 



inhabiting the banks of the Madeira, principally found near the stream ; 

 the country in the interior being a wilderness, tangled, matted, and in 

 places swampy, where alligators bask in the sun on the beaten-down 

 grass, and tigers roam freely after tapir tracks. At the small farms, 

 near Borba, sugar-canes are raised and rum is manufactured — a greater 

 quantity of the latter article being consumed in Brazil, the trade in it 

 seems to be the most extensive of all others. A few watermelons, 

 oranges, and limes are raised, but less than are required for home con- 

 sumption. 



There were no men belonging to Borba to take us on. The author 

 ities ordered the soldiers who came with us to go on. I regretted this 

 for two reasons. One, that we were in hopes of getting rid of t^ese 

 impudent, half-savage free negroes, who refused positively to obey the 

 authorities of the town. Another, that the commander of Beira wished 

 me to send them back as soon as possible after we arrived here, as it 

 would take them five months to regain their posts. But I found they 

 were obliged to go as far as Barra do rio Negro, to purchase a little 

 iron, which, with some guarana, they had been ordered to carry to the 

 fort, and to our surprise, the men wanted to go with us in preference to 

 remaining in Borba, or returning to their usual duties. A larger boat 

 was fitted out. Pedro, our pilot, was paid off, as his services were 

 needed as boat-builder by the Capitan, who filled our basket with chick- 

 ens, and gave us a water-cooler. Two large cftes, with a jar of pre- 

 served oranges, were sent to the boat by the wife of our friend Don An- 

 tonio, whose little chilcl came to thank us for bringing letters from the 

 father and husband. The kind old Capitan gave me particular instruc- 

 tions about the fever, which he had partly cured, while he nearly killed 

 the patient. "We pushed off with three Portuguese passengers. 



The river was thirty feet above its present level, in the rainy season, 

 and has now thirty feet depth off Borba. A vessel may lay moored to 

 the bank of the river. There is stone at hand for building wharves if 

 needed. The northeast trade-winds blow fresh, and we find a difficulty 

 in making head-way ; the current of the river has slackened to half a 

 mile per hour. The winds blow directly in opposition to it, which baffles 

 us considerably. In the evening, the wind falls away, and we push off 

 from the bank where the boat is fastened, to hold what we have gained. 



At some small huts we find Muras Indians sleeping, who seem very 

 indifferent about selling a few thick-skinned, insipid oranges. 



Among the heavy night dews are intermingled an equal portion of 

 hungry musquitoes. The nights and mornings are beautifully clear. 



