DOWN THE AMAZONS. 



351 



CHAPTER XII. 



DESCENDING THE RIVER TO PARA. — EXCURSIONS ON THE COAST. 



Farewell Visit to the Great Cascade at Manaos. — Change in its Aspect. 



— Arrival at Villa Bella. — Return to the House of the Fisherman 

 Maia. — Excursion to the Lago Maximo. — Quantity of Game and 

 Waterfowl. — Victoria regia. — Leave Villa Bella. — Arrive at Oby- 

 Dos. — Its Situation and Geology. — Santarem. — Visit to the Church. 



— Anecdote op Martius. — A Row overland. — Monte Alegre. — Pic- 

 turesque Scenery. — " Banheiras." — Excursion into the Country. — 

 Leave Monte Alegre. — Anecdote of Indians. — Almeyrim. — New 

 Geological Facts. — Porto do Moz. — Collections. — Gurupa. — Taja- 

 puRiJ. — Arrive at Para. — Religious Procession. — Excursion to Ma- 

 RAJO. — Sour6s. — Jesuit Missions. — Geology of Marajo. — Buried For- 

 est. — Vigia. — Igarape. — Vegetation and Animal Life. — Geology. — 

 Return to ParX. — Photographing Plants. — Extract from Mr. Agas- 

 siz's Notes on the Vegetation op the Amazons. — Prevalence of 

 Leprosy. 



January 15th. — To-daj finds us on our way down the 

 Amazons in the " Ibicuhy." The day before leaving Manaos 

 we paid a last visit to the great cascade, bathed once more 

 in its cool, delicious waters, and breakfasted by the side 

 of the fall. Before many weeks are over, the cascade will 

 have disappeared ; it will be drowned out, as it were, for 

 the igarap^ is filling rapidly with the rise of the river, 

 and will soon reach the level of the sandstone shelf over 

 which the water is precipitated. Already the appearance 

 of the spot is greatly changed since we were there before. 

 The banks are overflowed ; the rocks and logs which stood 

 out from the water are wholly covered ; and where there 

 was only a brawling stream, so shallow that it hardly 

 afforded depth for the smallest canoe, there is now a not 

 insignificant river. Indeed, everywhere we see signs of 



