90 
NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
with a long pole, to guard the galiota from being 
dashed against the rocks at the side or under the 
water, but is not dexterous enough to prevent it 
from receiving some pretty hard thumps. 
It was midday when we moored the galiota in 
front of the first caxoeira, having reached the limit 
of the navigation of the Aripecuru. We landed on 
the left bank, on a small beach skirted by numerous 
myrtle bushes, which, being covered with snowy 
blossoms, resembled so many hawthorns, and 
emitted as delicious a perfume. Here we cooked 
our breakfast, or dinner, and mingled our cachaca 
with the water of the caxoeira to drink a " Merry 
Christmas" to our friends in England, who, whilst 
enjoying their roast turkey and plum pudding over 
a blazing hre, were perhaps pledging the travellers 
in choicer beverages. 
Thus far the weather had favoured us, for we 
had experienced no heavy rains, and I was in hopes 
that it would keep dry long enough to enable me 
to make a large collection of plants. I wished to 
erect a rancho on the beach, but the Indians de- 
clared themselves fatigued, and put off the task 
until the morrow, contenting themselves with 
making a fall- to roof with the yapas. The two 
following days and nights were rainy, with violent 
thunderstorms at brief intervals, making the want 
of a hut severely felt, and yet serving as an excuse 
to the Indians, who could not (they said) cut palm 
leaves in the midst of rain and drag them through 
the wet forest. On the 28th the sky was perfectly 
clear at daybreak, and seemed to promise a fine 
day ; so that I was tempted to try to reach the 
Serra de Carnaii, and even to ascend it if there 
