142 



THE LOWER AMAZONS 



amongst their species, but none, I think, to the same 

 extent as the Histeridae, considering the narrow Umits of 

 the group. The facts presented by such groups in the 

 animal kingdom must be taken into account in any ex- 

 planation of the way the almost infinite diversity of the 

 forms of life has been brought about on this wonderful 

 earth. 



At length, on the 12th of February, I left Caripi, my 

 Negro and Indian neighbours bidding me a warm * adeos 

 I had passed a delightful time, notwithstanding the many 

 privations undergone in the way of food. The wet 

 season had now set in ; the low lands and islands would 

 soon become flooded daily at high water, and the difficulty 

 of obtaining fresh provisions would increase. I intended, 

 therefore, to spend the next three months at Para, in 

 whose neighbourhood there was still much to be done 

 in the intervals of fine weather, and then start off on 

 another excursion into the interior. 



CHAPTER VI 



THE LOWER AMAZONS PARA TO OBYDOS 



At the time of my first voyage up the Amazons — 

 namely, in 1849 — nearly all communication with the 

 interior was by means of small sailing vessels, owned 

 by traders residing in the remote towns and villages, 

 who seldom came to Para themselves, but entrusted 

 vessels and cargoes to the care of half-breeds or 

 Portuguese cabos. Sometimes, indeed, they risked all 

 in the hands of the Indian crew, making the pilot, who 

 was also steersman, do duty as supercargo. Now and 

 then, Portuguese and Brazilian merchants at Para fur- 

 nished young Portuguese with merchandise, and des- 

 patched them to the interior to exchange the goods for 

 produce amongst the scattered population. The means 

 of communication, in fact, with the upper parts of the 

 Amazons had been on the decrease for some time, on 

 account of the augmented difficulty of obtaining hands 

 to navigate vessels. Formerly, when the Government 

 wished to send any important functionary, such as a 

 judge or a military commandant, into the interior, they 

 equipped a swift-sailing galliota, manned with ten or a 



