LIFE IN TEFFE. 



235 



All these are too clumsy to preserve in alcohol, especially 

 when alcohol is so difficult to obtain and so expensive 

 as it is here ; but Mr. Agassiz has had skeletons made 

 of them, and will preserve the skins of the Peixe-bois 

 for mounting. He obtained at the same time an entirely 

 new genus of the Siluroid family. It is a fish weighing 

 some ten pounds, called here the Pacammn, and of a bright 

 canary color. 



The evening scene at the " Sitio " was always very pretty. 

 After dinner, when the customary " boa noite," the univer- 

 sal greeting at the close of the day, had been exchanged, 

 the palm-mats, spread over the platforms, had each their 

 separate group, Indians or negroes, children, members of 

 the family or guests, the central figure being usually that 

 of Major Coutinho, who was considered to be especially 

 successful in the making of coffee and who generally had 

 a mat to himself, where he looked, as the blue flame of 

 his alcohol lamp flickered in the wind, not unlike a ma- 

 gician of old, brewing some potent spell. Little shallow 

 cups, like open antique lamps, filled with oil and having 

 a bit of wick hanging over the edge, were placed about 

 the floors, and served to light the interior of the porch, 

 though after a glimmering and uncertain fashion. On 

 Monday morning we left the "Sitio" and returned to 

 Teff^, where Mr. Agassiz had the pleasure of receiving 

 all his collections, both those he had sent on before him 

 and those which accompanied us, in good condition. 



October 9th. — Alexandrina turns out to be a valuable 

 addition to the household, not only from a domestic, but 

 also from a scientific point of view. She has learned to 

 prepare and clean skeletons of fish very nicely, and makes 

 herself quite useful in the laboratory. Besides, she knows 



