LIFE AT MANAOS. 



185 



CHAPTER YI. 



LIFE AT MANAOS. — VOYAGE FROM MANAOS TO TABATINGA. 



Arrival at Manaos. — Meeting of the Soltmoens with the Rio Negro. — 

 Domesticated at Manaos. — Return of Party from the Tapajoz. — 

 Generosity of Government. — Walks. — Water - Carriers. — Indian 

 School. — Leave Manaos. — Life on board the Steamer. — Barreira 



DAS CUDAJAS. — COARI. — WOODING. — APPEARANCE OF BaNKS. — GEOLOGI- 

 CAL Constitution. — Forest. — Sumaumeira-Tree. — Arrow-Grass. — Red 

 Drift Cliffs. — Sand-Beaches. — Indian Huts. — Turtle-Hunting. — 

 Drying Fish. — Teffe. — Doubts about the Journey. — Unexpected Ad- 

 viser. — FoNTE Boa. — Geological Character of Banks. — Lakes. ~ 

 Flocks of Water Birds. — Tonantins. — Picturesque Grouping of In- 

 dians. — San Paolo. — Land-Slides. — Character of Scenery. — Scanty 

 Population. — Animal Life. — Tabatinga. — Aspect of the Settle- 

 ment. — Mosquitoes. — Leave one of the Party to make Collections. — 

 On our Way down the River. — Party to the Rivers IgA and Hyutahy. 

 — Aground in the Amazons. — Arrival at Teffe. 



September 5th. — Manaos. Yesterday morning we entered 

 tlie Eio Negro and saw the meeting of its calm, black waters 

 with the rushing yellow current of the Amazons, or the 

 Solimoens, as the Upper Amazon is called. They are well 

 named by the Indians the " living and the dead river," for 

 the Solimoens pours itself down upon the dark stream of 

 the Rio Negro with such a vital, resistless force, that the 

 latter does indeed seem like a lifeless thing by its side. 

 It is true, that at this season, when the water in both 

 the rivers is beginning to siibside, the Rio Negro seems 

 to offer some slight resistance to the stronger river ; it 

 struggles for a moment with the impetuous flood which 

 overmasters it, and, though crowded up against the shore, 

 continues its course for a little distance side by side with 

 the Solimoens. But at the season when the waters are 

 highest, the latter closes the mouth of the Rio Negro so 



