2IO 
NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
CHAP. 
nearly died of intermittent fever. One of them is 
still unable to leave his hammock. Mr. Wallace, 
however, writes to me from the frontiers of 
Venezuela that he is far above the region of the 
ague (it commences at two days from the Barra), 
and that he is enjoying himself amazingly in a 
romantic and quite unexplored country. Were 
there steamboats on the Rio Negro I would not be 
long ere I joined him, but, alas ! there are no such 
things ; he himself was above two months in 
getting up, and there is nothing for me but betak- 
ing myself to the Brazilians' universal remedy, 
patiencia. 
The second lot I sent from Santarem, containing 
about 200 species, not getting away as I expected, 
I afterwards arranged (everything is aranjado 
here, meaning procured, collected, etc. etc.) about 
100 more. These two collections I presume you 
would distribute together. ... Be the number 
ever so small, to keep them here cased up would 
be to have them devoured. . . . 
April 26. — The vessel which was to have taken 
Mr. King and this letter to Para has been delayed 
by an accident not infrequent in these rivers : an 
igarate (large canoe) sent to procure cargo for her 
in the mouth of the Solimoes was swamped in a 
storm just before reaching her destination ; the 
cabins and masts were destroyed and others had to 
be prepared ere she could return. Meantime has 
arrived Senhor Henrique's large cutter from the 
Solimoes, nearly laden — she has now taken in all 
her cargo, and I profit by the opportunity for send- 
ing off all my collections to England. The dried 
