VII 
AT MANAOS 
231 
(son of the Colonel Zanny who was deputed by 
the Brazilian Government to accompany Spix and 
Martius in the province of Para), and passed a 
night with him. He told me that these naturalists 
passed some days at Manaquiry ; it is therefore 
possible I may have got some of the same species 
as Martius gathered there. The whole region 
between the Madeira and the Puriis is a noted 
country for Cacaos. In the woods behind Zanny's 
house I saw two species new to me and got one of 
them in flower. 
My stay at Manaquiry, and the voyage thither 
and back (the latter only eighteen hours !), occupied 
above three weeks, but the weather was dreadful 
(being the fag-end of the wet season), and inter- 
fered much both with collecting and preserving. 
Besides, I was quite too early for the forest 
vegetation, and I saw multitudes of trees whose 
foliage was new to me, but which had not begun 
to show their flowers. 
Although I am now alone, and have to do the 
whole of the drying as well as the collecting, yet 
I think my collection is superior to that of the 
corresponding months of last year, notwithstanding 
all drawbacks. The Indians do well enough in 
the field when one knows how to manage them. 
Humboldt, from some remarks in his Aspects of 
Nature, seemed not to have attained this art. It 
does not do to ask them to do anything as a task, 
however much money, etc., you may offer for the 
performance of it. My usual invitation is Yasso 
yaoata" ('' Let us go for a walk "). We get into our 
montaria (canoe), enter one of the igarapes (small 
