VOYAGE TO THE RIO NEGRO 189 
water of the Ramos before it became mixed with 
that of the Amazon, as I ought to have done. 
On the 2 1 St we reached a group of three houses, 
called As Pedras," on account of several large 
blocks of volcanic rock lying on the river- bank. 
Here we were told that the Amazon had burst into 
the Ramos on the i8th, with a noise which was 
distinctly heard, although at a distance of nearly 
a day's journey ; and that a montaria attempting 
to pass on the 20th had been split by the force of 
the current ; which still ran so strong in the Ramii- 
urumucana that there was no possibility of our get- 
ting into the Amazon, unless we were content to 
wait some days for the Ramos to fill, or could 
procure the assistance of three or four men for the 
dangerous pass. We chose the latter alternative, 
and until the men could be found I occupied myself 
in examining the surrounding vegetation, which I 
found of the same monotonous character as that of 
the rest of the Ramos. 
On the morning of the 23rd we left the Pedras, 
having obtained a promise of assistance on the 
following day to pass the mouth of the Ramos, from 
a brother of the half-drowned man. There was no 
wind to aid us, and our progress was very slow 
against the swift current. It was night when we 
reached a place where the water ran too furiously 
to be stemmed, about a mile distant from the 
mouth, which we could see very plainly. Here we 
anchored on the right bank, adjacent to a broad 
sandy delta that would soon be deep under water. 
After supper I started with Gustavo to explore 
the passage by the dim starlight ; and after round- 
