CHAPTER VII 
AT MANAOS : EXPLORATION OF THE VIRGIN FORESTS 
OF THE LOWER RIO NEGRO 
{^December i o, 1850, to November 14, i 8 5 i ) 
Introduction by the Editor 
[For eleven months Spruce made the city of Manaos 
(formerly Barra do Rio Negro or "The Barra ") 
his head-quarters, and rarely has a small tract of 
tropical forest in the very heart of a great continent 
been so well explored botanically, in so limited a 
time, and with the constant drawbacks of an ex- 
cessively wet climate and very restricted means. 
During this period he appears to have kept no 
regular Journal, except a few notes of his more 
important journeys of a few days' to a few weeks' 
duration, with sketches of his more interesting 
botanical observations. He has left also a very 
small notebook entitled : R. Spruce. List of 
Botanical Excursions, June 19, 1841 — May 28, 
1864." This contains a brief abstract of his early 
roamings in Yorkshire and other parts of Great 
Britain, in Ireland, in the Pyrenees, and through- 
out his whole South American travels. The entries 
are often day by day, at other times at longer 
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