4 



PARA 



The immense volumes of fresh water which are poured 

 through these broad embouchures, the united contri- 

 butions of innumerable streams, fed by drenching tropical 

 rains, prevent them from becoming salt-water estuaries. 

 The water is only occasionally a little brackish near Para, 

 at high spring tides. Indeed, the fresh water tinges the 

 sea along the shores of Guiana to a distance of nearly 

 200 miles from the mouth of the river. 



On the morning of the 28 th of May we arrived at Para. 

 The appearance of the city at sunrise was pleasing in the 

 highest degree. It is built on a low tract of land, having 

 only one small rocky elevation at its southern extremity ; 

 it therefore affords no amphitheatral view from the 

 river ; but the white buildings roofed with red tiles, the 

 numerous towers and cupolas of churches and convents, 

 the crowns of palm trees reared above the buildings, all 

 sharply defined against the clear blue sky, give an ap- 

 pearance of lightness and cheerfulness which is most ex- 

 hilarating. The perpetual forest hems the city in on all 

 sides landwards ; and towards the suburbs, picturesque 

 country houses are seen scattered about, half buried in 

 luxuriant foliage. The port was full of native canoes and 

 other vessels, large and small ; and the ringing of bells 

 and firing of rockets, announcing the dawn of some 

 Roman Catholic festival day, showed that the population 

 was astir at that early hour. 



We went ashore in due time, and were kindly received 

 by Mr. Miller, the consignee of the vessel, who invited 

 us to make his house our home until we could obtain a 

 suitable residence. On landing, the hot moist mouldy 

 air, which seemed to strike from the ground and walls, 

 reminded me of the atmosphere of tropical stoves at 

 Kew. In the course of the afternoon a heavy shower 

 fell, and in the evening, the atmosphere having been 

 cooled by the rain, we walked about a mile out of town 

 to the residence of an American gentleman to whom our 

 host wished to introduce us. 



The impressions received during this first walk can 

 never wholly fade from my mind. After traversing the 

 few streets of tall, gloomy, convent-looking buildings near 

 the port, inhabited chiefly by merchants and shopkeepers, 

 along with idle soldiers, dressed in shabby uniforms, carry- 

 ing their muskets carelessly over their arms, priests, 

 negresses with red water-jars on their heads, sad-looking 



