40 



PARA 



festival in honour of our Lady of Nazareth is the greatest 

 of the Para holidays ; many persons come to it from the 

 neighbouring city of Maranham, 300 miles distant. Once 

 the president ordered the mail steamer to be delayed two 

 days at Para for the convenience of these visitors. The 

 popularity of the festa is partly owing to the beautiful 

 weather that prevails when it takes place, namely, in the 

 middle of the fine season on the ten days preceding the 

 full moon in October or November. Para is then seen 

 at its best. The weather is not too dry, for three weeks 

 never follow in succession without a shower ; so that all 

 the glory of verdure and flowers can be enjoyed with 

 clear skies. The moonUt nights are then especially 

 beautiful ; the atmosphere is transparently clear, and 

 the light sea-breeze produces an agreeable coolness. 



We now settled ourselves for a few months* regular 

 work. We had the forest on three sides of us ; it was 

 the end of the wet season ; most species of birds had 

 finished moulting, and every day the insects increased 

 in number and variety. Behind the rocinha, after several 

 days' exploration, I found a series of pathways through 

 the woods, which led to the Una road ; about half way 

 was the house in which the celebrated travellers Spix 

 and Martins resided during their stay at Para, in 18 19. 

 It was now in a neglected condition, and the plantations 

 were overgrown with bushes. The paths hereabout were 

 very productive of insects, and being entirely under shade 

 were very pleasant for strolling. Close to our doors be- 

 gan the main forest road. It was broad enough for two 

 horsemen abreast, and branched off in three directions ; 

 the main line going to the village of Ourem, a distance of 

 50 miles. This road formerly extended to Maranham, 

 but it had been long in disuse and was now grown up, 

 being scarcely passable between Para and Ourem. 



Our researches were made in various directions along 

 these paths, and every day produced us a number of 

 new and interesting species. Collecting, preparing our 

 specimens, and making notes, kept us well occupied. 

 One day was so much like another, that a general de- 

 scription of the diurnal round of incidents, including the 

 sequence of natural phenomena, will be suflicient to give 

 an idea of how days pass to naturalists under the equator. 



We used to rise soon after dawn, when Isidoro would 

 go down to the city, after supplying us with a cup of 



