VOYAGE TO THE RIO NEGRO 175 
above the town, by a channel called the Limoes, 
along which there was a scarcely perceptible current 
towards the Amazon. We expected to be detained 
only a few days in the Ramos, whereas, as it hap- 
pened, we spent an entire month there. In that 
time I might have made many interesting observa- 
tions respecting the great country of Guarana and 
Pirarucii, had I not unfortunately been taken ill 
soon after entering it. We passed the night of 
October 29 at a great bend of the river, and 
being wishful to determine its position by an astro- 
nomical observation, I lay all night outside the 
cabin for that purpose — a thing I had done many 
times on the Amazon without taking any harm from 
it ; but the night was very cloudy, and so much 
dew was deposited that in the morning my blanket 
was soaked, which brought on an attack of fever ; 
and although it abated in three or four days, I did 
not fairly recover from it until I got out again into 
the broad Amazon. During our stay in the Ramos, 
we had constantly heavy night -dews, whereas on 
the Amazon the dews were none or scarcely per- 
ceptible. This is doubtless owing to the breezes 
which sweep up the Amazon, but in narrow channels 
like the Ramos are reduced to light puffs blowing 
in no settled direction. I say narrow," compared 
to the breadth of the main river, although I esti- 
mated the breadth of the Ramos at from 400 to 
600 yards. . . . 
As we slowly ascended the Ramos, we came at 
every few miles on a sitio or clearing, consisting of 
one, two, or three houses, tenanted by people of 
mixed race. The adult males were nearly all 
absent, either fishing in the lakes or collecting 
