'38 



TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. 



On the 30th, at daylight, we crossed over the river, which is 

 'five or six miles wide, to Cameta, one of the principal towns in 

 !the province. Its trade is in Brazil-nuts, cacao, india-rubber, 

 and cotton, which are produced in abundance by the surround- 

 ing district. It is a small straggling place, and though there are 

 several shops, such a thing as a watch-key, which I required, 

 was not to be obtained. It has a picturesque appearance, 

 being situated on a bank thirty or forty feet high ; and the 

 view from it, of the river studded with island beyond island, as 

 far as the eye can reach, is very fine. We breakfasted here 

 with Senhor Le Roque, a merchant with whom Mr. Leavens is 

 acquainted, and who showed us round the place, and then 

 offered to accompany us in his boat to the sitio of Senhor 

 Gomez, about thirty miles up the river, to whom we had an 

 introduction, and who we hoped would be able to furnish us 

 with some more men. 



On going to our canoe, however, one of our men, Domingo, 

 the pilot, was absent ; but the tide serving, Senhor Le Roque 

 set off, and we promised to follow as soon as we could find our 

 pilot, who was, no doubt, hidden in some taverna^ or liquor-shop, 

 in the town. But after making every inquiry and search for 

 him in vain, waiting till the tide was almost gone, we determined 

 to start without him, and send back word by Senhor Le Roque, 

 that he was to come on in a montaria the next day. If we had 

 had more experience of the Indian character, we should have 

 waited patiently till the following morning, when we should, no 

 doubt, have found him. As it was, we never saw him during 

 the rest of the voyage, though he had left clothes and several 

 other articles in the canoe. 



In consequence of our delay we lost the wind, and our re- 

 maining man and boy had to row almost all the way, which 

 put them rather out of humour ; and before we arrived, we 

 met Senhor Le Roque returning. Senhor Gomez received us 

 kindly, and we stayed with him two days, waiting for men he 

 was trying to procure for us. We amused ourselves very well, 

 shooting and entomologising. Near the house was a large 

 leguminous tree loaded with yellow blossoms, which were fre- 

 quented by paroquets and humming-birds. Up the igaripe 

 were numbers of the curious and handsome birds, called 

 "Ciganos," or Gipsies {Opisthocomus cristatus). They are as 

 large as a fowl, have an elegant movable crest o?i their head, 



