146 



TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO, [November, 



below the village we turned into the river Isanna, a fine 

 stream, about half a mile wide, and in the afternoon reached 

 the mouth of the small river Cobati (fish), on the south side, 

 which we entered. We had hitherto seen the banks clothed 

 with thick virgin forest, and here and there were some low 

 hills covered entirely v/ith lofty trees. Now the country became 

 very bushy and scrubby ; in parts sandy and almost open ; 

 perfectly flat, and apparently inundated at the high floods. 

 The water was of a more inky blackness ; and the little stream, 

 not more than fifty yards wide, flowed with a rapid current, 

 and turned and doubled in a manner that made our progress 

 both difficult and tedious. At night we stopped at a little 

 piece of open sandy ground, where we drove stakes in the 

 earth to hang our hammocks. The next morning at daybreak 

 we continued our journey. The whole day long we wound 

 about, the stream keeping up exactly the same bleak character 

 as before ; — not a tree of any size visible, and the vegetation of 

 a most monotonous and dreary character. At night we stayed 

 near a lake, where the Indians caught some fine fish, and we 

 made a good supper. The next day we wound about more 

 than ever; often, after an hour's hard rowing, returning 

 to within fifty yards of a point we had started from. At 

 length, however, early in the afternoon, the aspect of the 

 country suddenly changed; lofty trees sprang up on the 

 banks, the characteristic creepers hung in festoons over th-em ; 

 moss-covered rocks appeared ; and from the river gradually 

 rose up a slope of luxuriant virgin forest, whose varied shades 

 of green and glistening foliage were most grateful to the eye 

 and the imagination, after the dull, monotonous vegetation of 

 the previous days. 



In half an hour more we were at the village, which consisted 

 of five or six miserable little huts imbedded in the forest. 

 Here I was introduced to my conductor's house. It contained 

 two rooms, with a floor of earth, and smoky thatch overhead. 

 There were three doors, but no windows. Near one of these I 

 placed my bird-box, to serve as a table, and on the other side 

 swung my hammock. We then took a little walk to look 

 about us. Paths led to the different cottages, in which were 

 large families of naked children, and their almost naked 

 parents. Most of the houses had no walls, but were mere 

 thatched sheds supported on posts, and with sometimes asmal' 



