66 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
in the dry season ; then across the western side of 
the campo to enter the first bay on the right bank 
of the Tapajoz, precisely where the sandy beach of 
Santarem terminates. A narrow belt of lowish 
forest marks the course of this igarape, and it is in 
many places almost impassable from the dense 
growth of a stemless palm, called Pindoba [Attalea 
compta, Mart.), and of a tall Heliconia. 
A similar, but rather larger stream, the Igarape 
de Mahica, has its source near that of the Irura, 
but runs in a contrary direction to join the Amazon 
a league below Santarem. The lower part of its 
course is across an extensive flat of grassy marshy 
land, flooded so deeply in winter that canoes traverse 
it in every direction, and doubtless at no very 
ancient period a permanent lake. 
The vegetation of the upland campos reminded 
me of an English pleasure-ground. It consisted of 
scattered low trees, rarely exceeding 30 feet in 
height, and here and there beds of gaily-flowering 
shrubs, with intervening grassy patches and lawns. 
The grass in the dry season looked rather dreary, 
for it consisted of but one species of Paspalum, 
growing (like many tropical grasses) in scattered 
tufts, whose culms and bristle -like leaves were 
hoary with white hairs ; so that it differed widely 
from the dense green turf of an English meadow. 
Among the trees then in flower, the Cajii or 
Cashew-nut [Anacardmm occidentale, L.) was ex- 
ceedingly abundant ; and an old Caju, with its 
rough bark, its branches touching the ground on 
every side, its young leaves of a delicate red- 
brown, and its numerous pear-like yellow or red 
fruits (more properly enlarged fruit -stalks), each 
