24 



TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. 



the tree is quite smooth, the roots are thickly covered with 

 large tuberculous prickles. Numbers of small trees of a few 

 feet high grow all around, each standing on spreading legs, a 

 miniature copy of its parent. Isidora cut down an Assai palm, 

 to get some palmeto for our dinner ; it forms an agreeable 

 vegetable of a sweetish flavour. Just as we were returning, we 

 were startled by a quiet remark that the tree close by us was 

 the Seringa, or India-rubber-tree. We rushed to it, axe in 

 hand, cut off a piece of bark, and had the satisfaction to see 

 the extraordinary juice come out. Catching a little in a box 

 I had with me, I next day found it genuine india-rubber, of a 

 yellowish colour, but possessing all its peculiar properties. 



It being some saint's day, in the evening a fire was lit in 

 the road in front of our house, and going out we found Isidora 

 and Vincente keeping it up. Several others were visible in 

 the street, and there appeared to be a line of them reaching to 

 the city. They seemed to be made quite as a matter of 

 business, being a mark of respect to certain of the more 

 illustrious saints, and, with rockets and processions, form the 

 greater part of the religion here. The glorious southern con- 

 stellations, with their crowded nebulae, were shining brilliantly 

 in the heavens as the fire expired, and we turned into our 

 hammocks well satisfied with all that we had seen during the 

 day. 



July ^th, — The vegetation now improved in appearance as 

 the dry season advanced. Plants were successively budding 

 and bursting their blossoms, and bright green leaves displaced 

 the half-withered ones of the past season. The climbers were 

 particularly remarkable, as much for the beauty of their foliage 

 as for their flowers. Often two or three climb over one tree 

 or shrub, minghng in the most perplexing though elegant 

 confusion, so that it is a matter of much difliculty to decide to 

 which plant the different blossoms belong, and should they be 

 high up it is impossible. A delicate white and a fine yellow 

 convolvulus were now plentiful ; the purple and yellow trumpet- 

 flowers were still among the most showy; and some noble 

 thick-leaved climbers mounted to the tops of trees, and sent 

 aloft bright spikes of scarlet flowers. Among the plants not in 

 flower, the twin-leaved Baithinias of various forms were most 

 frequently noticed. The species are very numerous : some are 

 shrubs, others delicate climbers, and one is the most extra- 



