FROM RIO RE JANEIRO TO THE RAIRDS OF THE JIADEIRA. 
37 
inhaliug tlie exquisite fragrance of some melous uoar liiin, wliile lie ' 
indulged in that broad stare wliich probably all new ari i\ als are subjected j 
to at Saiitarem : “ Quautas almas tom aqui ? ” (How many souls do you i 
count here‘f) Hiieducated Uraziliaus never being sure of their L’s and 
It’s. “Quautas annas f” (How many arms?) replied he, raising a pair 
of Avonderiug eyes. “ Well, almost each of ns has a gun in the house, 
and sometimes two.” “ Mas nao, senhor, queriamos saber quantos i 
hoiuens morao ueste lugar ?” (Xo, sir, we wish to know how many men I 
(people) are living here.) “ Oh ! how many men ? ( )h, about as many I 
think as there are women, ’ he said smiling, the while archly giving a 
customer the required brandy, and pocketing the dirty large coins. 
“ Mas nao d isso, meu senhor, quantos hahilantes dcsqjavamos saber ! ” i 
(How many inhabitants? we inquire.) “Oh, oh, — isto C oiitra cousa, 
quantos habitantes ? ” (Oh, that is a different tiling ! How many inhabi- 
tants ?) Great pause. “ Pois, habitantes tem muitos ! ” (M’^ell, inhabi- 
tants, there are many here !) Just then the bell of the steamer 
began to ring. In despair ive hastily purchased some melous, and 
humed on board. How much water will have rolled down the broad 
xVmazon before one can get informed at Sautarem of the number of its 
inhabitants ? 
The next station is Oinnos, i\here the breadth of the river is 
considerably reduced, while the declivity increases, so as to form a 
sort of current. A little fort on the right is scarcely of any 
consequence, especially as men-of-war can easily evade it, at least 
at high water, by passing through a lake on the right bank, which 
connects itself to the main stream by deep channels below and above 
Obidos. 
Tlie effects of high and low tide are felt here, though 400 miles from 
the sea ; and it is only the increase of elevation that prevents it being 
felt higher up. 
Hefore passing the mouth of the Madeha, which is not visible on 
account of the isles, we reached Seki>a, a village of a dozen or so of huts 
and cottages on a high shore, but which may expect a pi’osperous future 
from its favourable position near the Madeira. 
Here, as well as at the other stations, we took in some fuel, kept 
ready on shore in long, well-arranged piles. 
Formerly the Amazon Company kept at Serpa a steam saw-mill, which 
they Avorked wdth a colony of Portuguese. The number of fine cedar- 
