Chap. III. 
SEASONS. 
221 
beaches on which they were situated. This is the 
season, however, in which the Brazil nut and wild 
cacao ripen, and many persons go out to gather these 
harvests, remaining absent generally throughout the 
months of March and April. The rains during this 
time are not continuous ; they fall very heavily at 
times, but rarely last so long at a stretch as twenty-four 
hours, and many days intervene of pleasant, sunny 
.weather. The sky, however, is generally overcast and 
gloomy, and sometimes a drizzling rain falls. 
About the first week in June the flood is at its 
highest ; the water being then about forty-five feet 
above its lowest point ; but it varies in different years 
to the extent of about fifteen feet. The " enchente," or 
flow, as it is called by the natives, who believe this 
great annual movement of the waters to be of the same 
nature as the tide towards the mouth of the Amazons, 
is then completed, and all begin to look forward to the 
''vasante," or ebb. The provision made for the dearth of 
the wet season is by this time pretty nearly exhausted ; 
fish is difficult to procure, and many of the less provident 
inhabitants have become reduced to a diet of fruits and 
farinha porridge. 
The fine season begins with a few days of brilliant 
weather — furious, hot sun, with passing clouds. Idle 
men and women, tired of the dulness and confinement 
of the flood season, begin to report, on returning from 
their morning bath, the cessation of the flow : as agoas 
estad paradas, " the waters have stopped.'' The muddy 
streets, in a few days, dry up : groups of young fellows 
are now seen seated on the shady sides of the cottages 
