VII 
AT MANAOS 
237 
mouths of the Antas and Madeira. From this 
point may be well seen the strife between the 
waters of the Amazon and Rio Negro, the latter 
maintaining its individuality far down the left 
bank. . . . 
The deep narrow forest valley near Lages in the lower part is 
occupied by a grove of Miriti palms, perhaps distinct from the 
Miritis of Para. The trunk is ventricose upwards and never 
reaches 30 feet in height. Mixed with Miriti is a fine grass with 
sub-erect leaves, 6 feet long, but with no flowers (Tripsacum). 
Higher up the valley, in very marshy ground, are great quan- 
tities of tree-ferns (the same Alsophila as from Santarem), some of 
the trunks being 18 feet high. Growing along with the fern is an 
Inga (/. versicolor^ sp. n.), the flowers with long white stamens 
turning vermilion after shedding their pollen, and hence giving 
the tree a very gay appearance. 
One of the finest forest trees is the Caju-agu {Anacardiu?u 
Spruceanum^ Bth.). The leaves, especially when young, are white 
above, greener beneath, and the very youngest are pink. Growing 
on the side of a valley and viewed from the opposite heights, they 
appear most beautiful, a large and densely leafy crown of white 
warmed with the most delicate tints of rose-colour, and spangled 
with scarlet fruits. The latter are exactly the same shape as the 
common Caju, but are slightly smaller and the flavour intensely 
acid. We traced out several trees, and found them so nearly of 
the same size that they might all have been planted by natives' 
hands at the same epoch. Notwithstanding their formidable 
aspect, as I had determined to preserve specimens at any price, 
we set to work to cut one down, and after an hour's labour suc- 
ceeded. This tree I measured after its fall and found it 90 feet 
in height by over 3 feet in diameter near the base, and perfectly 
straight and scarcely diminishing in thickness up to the first 
branch at 50 feet high. A great contrast to the common Caju, 
which rarely exceeds 15 feet. The wood and bark of Cajii-agu 
have a resinous odour. 
[I give here two long letters to Spruce's friend 
and neighbour in Yorkshire, Mr. John Teasdale, 
which serve well to complete the account of his 
long residence in the Barra and his more interesting 
excursions to Lages and Manaquiry. In these 
letters he writes without restraint, and exhibits his 
