178 



THE LOWER AMAZONS 



hammock and arranged my boxes, so as to be able to 

 work as we went along. The stoppages I thought would 

 be an advantage, as 1 could collect in the woods whilst 

 he traded, and thus acquire a knowledge of the pro- 

 ductions of many places on the river which in a direct 

 voyage it would be impossible to do. I provided a stock 

 of groceries for two months' consumption ; and, after the 

 usual amount of unnecessary fuss and delay on the part 

 of the owner, we started on the 19th of November. Penna 

 took his family with him ; this comprised a smart, lively 

 mameluco woman, named Catarina, whom we called 

 Senhora Katita, and two children. The crew consisted 

 of three men, one a sturdy Indian, another a Cafuzo, 

 godson of Penna, and the third, our best hand, a steady, 

 good-natured mulatto, named Joaquim. My boy Luco 

 was to assist in rowing and so forth. Penna was a timid 

 middle-aged man, a white with a slight cross of Indian ; 

 when he was surly and obstinate, he used to ask me to 

 excuse him on account of the Tapuyo blood in his veins. 

 He tried to make me as comfortable as the circumstances 

 admitted, and provided a large stock of eatables and 

 drinkables ; so that altogether the voyage promised to 

 be a pleasant one. 



On leaving the port of Obydos we crossed over to the 

 right bank, and sailed with a light wind all day, passing 

 numerous houses, each surrounded by its grove of cacao 

 trees. On the 20th we made slow progress. After 

 passing the high land at the mouth of the Trombetas, 

 the banks were low, clayey, or earthy, on both sides. 

 The breadth of the river varies hereabout from two and 

 a half to three miles, but neither coast is the true terra 

 firma. On the northern side a by-channel runs for a 

 long distance inland, communicating with the extensive 

 lake of Faro ; on the south, three channels lead to the 

 similar fresh-water sea of Villa Franca ; these are in part 

 arms of the river, so that the land they surround con- 

 sists, properly speaking, of islands. When this descrip- 

 tion of land is not formed wholly of river deposit, as 

 sometimes happens, or is raised above the level of the 

 highest floods, it is called Ygapd alto, and is distinguished 

 by the natives from the true islands of mid-river, as well 

 as from the terra firma. We landed at one of the cacao 

 plantations. The house was substantially built ; the 

 walls formed of strong upright posts, lathed across, 



