RETURN TO MANAOS. 



323 



coarsely painted image of the Virgin, the other a gayly 

 dressed doll, — placed on a small altar, where was also a 

 figure of the infant Jesus, surrounded by flowers. At a 

 later hour the midnight mass was celebrated ; less interest- 

 ing to me than the earlier ceremony, because not so exclu- 

 sively a service of the Indians, though they formed a large 

 part of the congregation ; and the music, as usual, was 

 performed by the band of Indian boys from the Casa dos 

 Educandos. But there is nothing here to make the Catholic 

 service impressive ; the churches on the Amazons generally 

 are of the most ordinary kind, and in a ruinous condition. 

 There is a large unfinished stone church in Manaos, stand- 

 ing on the hill, and occupying a commanding position, 

 which will make it a conspicuous object if it is ever 

 completed ; but it has stood in its present state for years, 

 and seems likely to remain so for an indefinite length of 

 time. It is a pity they have not the custom here of 

 dressing their churches with green at Christmas, because 

 they have so singularly beautiful and appropriate a tree 

 for it in the palms. The Pupunha palm, for instance, so 

 architectural in its symmetry, with its columnar-like stem 

 and its dark-green vault of drooping leaves, would be 

 admirable for this purpose. To-morrow we leave Manaos 

 in the " Ibicuhy," in order to ascend the Rio Negro as 

 far as Pedreira, where the first granitic formation is said to 

 occur. 



December 27th. — On board the " Ibicuhy.'' There was 

 little incident to mark our day yesterday, and yet it was 

 one full of enjoyment. The day itself was such as rarely 

 occurs in these regions ; indeed, I should say it is the only 

 time, during the whole six months we have passed on the 

 Amazons, when we have had cool weather with a clear 



