FORESTS OF THE UAUP^S 319 
exploring the new and very rich locaHty he had 
found to allow time for anything but his regular 
botanical work. He was fortunate in finding at 
Sao Jeronymo three white traders (Brazilians or 
Portuguese), who were very serviceable to him, and 
whose presence alone rendered his stay there for 
four months at all possible, as will be seen by the 
extracts from his correspondence which I now 
proceed to give. 
In a letter to myself (who had just returned 
home, having left Sao Jeronymo six months before 
his arrival) he says : — ] 
Sao Jeronymo is now very lively. There are 
two brancos constructing large canoes — Chagas and 
Amansio. It is pleasant to have their society, 
but they occupy nearly all the male population in 
cutting timber, etc., so that there is no one left to 
fish, and the land is not very farta (well supplied) 
just now. The people complain of having passed a 
dismal winter — ' nao se-achen nada para se comer ' 
(' nothing could be found to eat '). I ought to have 
told you that I am inhabiting a quarto (room) in 
Agostinho's house ; ^ I have, in fact, had the house 
to myself till three days ago, when he returned from 
the Barra. I have three Indians in my service, but 
they are vadios (vagabonds), and I really think I 
should be better off in the way of comeres (eatables) 
if I were alone. ... 
My first excursions round Sao Jeronymo were by 
water to the caxoeiras, all of which I have explored 
for caruriis (Podostemas). The estrada grande is 
^ [Agostinho was a young Brazilian trader who, with his young wife (also 
white), was at Sao Jeronymo when I was there, and with whom I stayed a 
few days. See my Travels on the Amazon. — Ed.] 
