236 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
of the wet season (June, July), a montaria is taken 
into the lake, ^nd as it is rowed slowly across, the 
men bend the long stalks on each side of them and 
by a shake cause all the ripe seeds to fall into the 
canoe. Continuing this process, in a few hours a 
considerable load of rice is accumulated in the 
montaria. 
[The following rough notes are descriptive of 
Lages, where Spruce went to obtain the services of 
a good Indian carpenter to ht up his canoe, and 
which afforded him a considerable number of new 
and interesting plants.] 
The junction of the Solimoes and Rio Negro 
is now inundated, especially the angle between 
them ; but the left bank of the Rio Negro at its 
mouth is high land rising far above the river. 
Here the abrupt wooded hills rising above 
Lages are 170 feet high. From their summits 
are obtained fine views. Directly in front is a 
very large island stretching downwards towards 
the mouth of the Madeira ; the channel at the back 
of this is often taken by vessels ascending in order 
to avoid the furious current of Lages. The river 
below Lages takes a wide curve to the right ; the 
left bank is all high land, but within it appear 
considerable depressions constituting lakes, the 
first being the Lago do Alexo, perhaps a mile 
and a half long, and towards its extremity quite 
picturesque, two igarapes entering between high 
wooded banks. A little beyond is the smaller lake 
of Tapara, and again a little farther is the large 
lake of Puraquecoara. Looking down the Amazon, 
towards the right side, are dimly seen a series of 
islands forming the extensive archipelago at the 
