CHAPTER IV 
RESIDENCE AT SANTAREM : OBSERVATIONS ON THE 
VEGETATION AND ON THE INHABITANTS 
{January 6 to October 8, 1850) 
We now settled down at Santarem for the winter 
or rainy season, which, having set in there about 
Christmas Day (as we have seen that it did also 
on the Trombetas), continued with unrelaxing 
severity throughout the first four months of the 
year, without any of those fits of sunny weather 
in January and February such as the residents 
affirmed to be the rule. Violent thunderstorms 
were frequent, and the heaviest rains were gener- 
ally by night, while from 10 to 3 of the day there 
was often bright sun, and invariably intense and 
oppressive heat ; for the trade -winds, that blew 
daily for many hours together during the dry 
season, were now partially dormant — sometimes 
for several successive days — and when they did 
get up in strength, rarely lasted for more than an 
hour or two. The rivers and the small inland 
streams rose rapidly, gradually narrowing the 
range of our excursions. Ilhas de Caapim, i.e. 
Islands of Grass, floated down the Amazon in vast 
numbers, and sometimes an Ilha would make its 
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