CEDAR-WOOD 



57 



reports were true, that cedar grew abundantly between 

 the lowermost cataract and the mouth of the Araguaya, 

 and we agreed to accompany him. Whilst we were at 

 the mills, a Portuguese trader arrived with a quantity 

 of worm-eaten logs of this cedar, which he had gathered 

 from the floating timber in the current of the main 

 Amazons. The tree producing this wood, which is named 

 cedar on account of the similarity of its aroma to that 

 of the true cedars, is not, of course, a coniferous tree, as 

 no member of that class is found in equatorial America, 

 at least in the Amazons region. It is, according to Von 

 Martins, the Cedrela odorata, an exogen belonging to the 

 same order as the mahogany tree. The wood is light, and 

 the tree is therefore, on falling into the water, floated 

 down with the river currents. It must grow in great 

 quantities somxcwhere in the interior, to judge from the 

 number of uprooted trees annually carried to the sea, 

 and as the wood is much esteemed for cabinet work and 

 canoe building, it is of some importance to learn where 

 a regular supply can be obtained. We were glad, of 

 course, to arrange with Mr. Leavens, who was familiar 

 with the language, and an adept in river-navigation ; so 

 we returned to Para to ship our collections for England, 

 and prepare for the journey to a new region. 



CHAPTER III 



PARA — concluded 



Before leaving the subject of Para, where I resided, 

 as already stated, in all eighteen months, it will be neces- 

 sary to give a more detailed account of several matters 

 connected with the customs of the people and the Natural 

 History of the neighbourhood, which have hitherto been 

 only briefly mentioned. I reserve an account of the 

 trade and improved condition of Para in 1859 for the end 

 of this narrative. 



During the first few weeks of our stay many of those 

 religious festivals took place, which occupied so large a 

 share of the time and thoughts of the people. These 

 were splendid affairs, wherein artistically-planned pro- 

 cessions through the streets, accompanied by thousands 

 of people ; military displays ; the clatter of fireworks, 

 and the clang of military music, were superadded to 



