XVIII] THE JOURNEY TO THE AMAZON 281 



On reaching the city of Barra at the mouth of the Rio 

 Negro we found a strange and even now unaccountable 

 poverty both in insects and birds, although there was fine 

 virgin forest within a walk, with roads and paths and fine 

 rocky streams. All seemed barren and lifeless as compared 

 with the wonderful productiveness of Para. It was, therefore, 

 necessary to seek other localities in search of rarities. I 

 accordingly went a three days' journey up the Rio Negro to 

 obtain specimens of the umbrella-bird, one of the most re- 

 markable birds of these regions, my brother going in another 

 direction to see what he could discover. 



After a month I returned to Barra, and after some months 

 of almost constant wet weather went to a plantation in the 

 Amazon above Barra for two months, where I made a tolerable 

 collection, while my brother went to Serpa, lower down on 

 the Amazon ; and on returning I prepared for my long 

 intended voyage to the Upper Rio Negro in hopes of getting 

 into a new and more productive country. As soon as a 

 much overdue vessel had arrived, bringing letters and re- 

 mittances from England, I was ready to start for a journey of 

 unknown duration. After a year's experience it was now 

 clear that my brother was not fitted to become a good 

 natural-history collector, as he took little interest in birds 

 or insects, and without enthusiasm in the pursuit he would 

 not have been likely to succeed. We therefore arranged that 

 he should stay at or near Barra for a few months of the dry 

 season, make what collections he could, then return to Para 

 on his way home. I left him what money I could spare, and 

 as he was now well acquainted with the country, and could, 

 if absolutely necessary, get an advance from our agents at 

 Para, I had little doubt that he would get home without 

 difficulty. But I never saw him again. When he reached 

 Para, towards the end of May, 185 1, he at once took a passage 

 to England in a ship to leave early in June, but before it 

 sailed he was seized with yellow fever, then prevalent in the 

 town, and though at first seeming to get better, died a few 

 days afterwards. Mr. Bates was at Para at the time, pre- 

 paring for his second long journey up the Amazon. He was 



