328 



STAY ON THE EIO GRANDE DE BELMONTE 



distinguish the different strata of sand lying over each other ; and I 

 observed, that about ten feet below the surface, a considerable 

 quantity of water constantly ran out of the strata into the river. 

 This great accumulation of water in the earth affords an easy expla- 

 nation of the rapid rising of the rivers during the rainy seasons in 

 these hot countries : it was now November, the very height of the 

 rainy season in this part of the country, when all the lagoas 

 are full. 



The banks of the river farther up present very picturesque views ; 

 among these is especially, a spot on the south bank, called Oiteiro (the 

 eminence) ; here, upon gentle elevations, and shaded by cocoa palms, 

 are fazendas, in a most delightful situation. As the summer was 

 now at hand, many beautiful trees and shrubs were in flower on the 

 bank : the visnea, with its silky shining leaves, brown on the under 

 side ; rhexias, with large violet flowers ; the melastoma species, with 

 leaves of a beautiful silvery white on the lower side; hignoiiias^ which 

 with their splendid flowers climbed round and adorned the shrubs, 

 above which rose the genipaha tree (genipa Americana) with its 

 large white blossoms. The naturally dark green colour of the Bra- 

 zilian forests was now relieved by the young yellow green, or red 

 shoots; and under all the thickets there was a darker shade, which 

 was very agreeable in the great heat, but was rendered much less 

 pleasant to the wanderer by the moskitoes which it invited. The 

 banks were covered with a beautiful flower, a white amaryUis with 

 purple stamina. 



The surface of the river had now acquired a dark brown colour, 

 from the streams flowing from the forests, marshes, and mountains, 

 and formed a perfect camera obscura, in which the green banks, with 

 their flowers, were reflected in the most beautiful manner. On the 

 surface of the water there were floating islands of pontederia, on 

 which we saw the pretty jassana (parra jacana. Linn.) whose loud 



