322 



A JOURNEY IN BRAZIL. 



CHAPTER XI. 



RETURN TO MANAOS. — EXCURSION ON THE RIO NEGRO. — LEAVE 



MANAOS. 



Christmas Eve at Manaos. — Ceremonies of the Indians. — Churches 

 ON THE Amazons. — Leave Manaos for the Rio Negro. — Curious River 

 Formation. — Aspect of the River. — Its Vegetation. — Scanty Popu- 

 lation. — Village of Taua Peassu. — Padre of the Village. — Palms. 

 — Village of Pedreira. — Indian Camp. — Making Palm-thatch. — 

 Sickness and Want at Pedreira. — Row in the Forest. — Tropical 

 Shower. — Geology of Pedreira. — Indian Recruits. — Collection of 

 Palms. — Extracts from Mr. Agassiz's Notes on the Vegetation of 

 the Amazons and the Rio Negro. — Return to Manaos. — Desolation 

 of the Rio Negro. — Its future Prospects. — Humboldt's Anticipa- 

 tions. — Wild Flowers. — Distribution of Fishes in the Amazonian 

 Waters. — How far due to Migration. — Hydrographic System. — 

 Alternation between the Rise and Fall of the Southern and North- 

 ern Tributaries. 



December 25th. — Manaos. The Indians have a pretty 

 observance here for Christmas eve. At nightfall, from the 

 settlemeiits at Hyanuary, two illuminated canoes come 

 across the river to Manaos ; one bearing the figure of Our 

 Lady, the other of Saint Rosalia. They look very brilliant 

 as they come towards the shore, all the light concentrated 

 about the figures carried erect in the prows. On landing, 

 the Indians, many of whom have come to the city in 

 advance, form a procession, — the women dressed in white, 

 and with flowers in their hair, the men carrying torches 

 or candles ; and they follow the sacred images, which are 

 borne under a canopy in front of the procession, to the 

 church, where they are deposited, and remain during Christ- 

 mas week. We entered with them, and saw the kneeling, 

 dusky congregation, and the two saints, — one a wooden, 



