VOYAGE TO THE RIO NEGRO 187 
Rio Negro or Para. As we ourselves reached the 
goal of our voyage, one such cucha entered the 
port of Barra along with us, containing 1200 
gallons of capivi. A merchant of that town told 
us he had once had a cucha made on the Solimoes, 
about 27 feet long, and so thick that in hollowing 
it out a man could work inside it with an adze or 
a short axe. It held above 300 pots of turtle 
oil, each pot of 12 frascos, or 6 gallons, and 
therefore in all nearly 2000 gallons. He had also 
purchased one ready-made, that had been cut down 
and hollowed out on the banks of the Ucayali, 
and into which he put 375 pots of oil, or 2250 
gallons, without quite filling it. From the gauge 
of these enormous pipes my readers may calculate 
approximately the size and capacity of an entire 
trunk of Samaiima, 100 feet long from the base to 
the insertion of the first branches. 
Above the mouth of the Mauhe there was no 
perceptible current in the Ramos. The water was 
very warm, and so thick with the slime of decomposed 
Confervae as to be very unwholesome. We were 
told by parties of Indians whom we met, that the 
upper mouth was still closed, and that consequently 
we should be unable to get out into the Amazon. 
But on the i8th the water, although still unchanged 
in colour, began to run a little ; and several small 
grass- islands and branches of trees passed us, 
indicating that some force was in action above. 
When day broke on the following morning, the 
water had taken a yellow tinge, and as we pro- 
ceeded on our voyage several masses of scum 
floated by us, and the current began to run 
