EXCURSION TO MAUHES AND ITS NEIGHBORHOOD. 315 



that of the old woman we saw yesterday. They speak 

 no Portuguese, and seem rather reluctant to answer the 

 questions of the interpreter. 



Mr. Agassiz has been very fortunate in collecting in this 

 region. Although we are at so short a distance from 

 Manaos, where he already knows the fishes tolerably well, 

 he finds a surprising number of new genera and species 

 about Mauhes and its neighborhood. As usual, wherever 

 we go, everybody turns naturalist in his behalf. Our 

 kind friend, the President, always ready to do everything 

 in his power to facilitate his researches, has several boats 

 out, manned by the best fishermen of the place, fishing for 

 him. The commander, while his ship lies at anchor, has 

 his men employed in the same way ; and Mr. Michelis and 

 his friends are also indefatigable. Occasionally, however, 

 in the midst of his successes, he has to bear disappointments, 

 arising from the ignorance and superstition of the working 

 people. Ever since he came to the Amazons he has been 

 trying to obtain a specimen of a peculiar kind of porpoise, 

 native to these waters. It is, however, very difficult to 

 obtain, because, being useless for food, there is nothing to 

 induce the Indian to overcome the difficulty of catching it. 

 Mr. Michelis has, however, impressed upon the fishermen 

 the value of the prize, and, yesterday evening, just as we 

 were rising from the dinner-table, it was announced that 

 one was actually on its way up from the beach. Followed 

 by the whole party of sympathizing friends, — for all had 

 caught the infection, — Mr. Agassiz hastened out to behold 

 his long-desired treasure ; and there was his Boto, but 

 sadly mutilated, for one Indian had cut off a piece of the 

 fin as a cure for a sick person, another had taken out an 

 eye as a love-charm, which, if it could be placed near the 



