38 
THE AMAZON AND MADEIRA RIVERS. 
trunks* swept clown every year by tlie Madeira from the shores of the 
lleni, is so great that, at the beginning of the high tides, it sufficed for a 
few weeks to maintain boats on the river, towing the swimming giants 
asliore, to set the saAv-mill going all the year round. 
Unfortunately this establishment, of which the best hopes were 
i casonably entertained, Avas badly managed, and abandoned after a short 
time ; not without the peaceful inhabitants of Serpa having been kept in 
a constant agitation by the dissolute AAmrkmeu, mostly Portuguese, 
Englishmen, and Germans. But it is to be hoped that this enterprise, 
Avith the ackantages of having largo quantities of the finest Brazilian 
cedar, and a naAdgable river to convej it to the very door, Avill net long 
be suspended. 
Some miles above Seiqia, the Belem entered the black AAmter of the 
Eio Negro, AAdiieh flows on unmixed AA'ith the AA-hitish-yelloAV floods of the 
Amazon, for a considerable distance. Though of crystalline transparency, 
it looks quite dark broum Avhen seen in volume ; the colour, common to 
many other rivers of these regions, being caused by decomposed plants, 
especially a Mud of SAAdmming grass, giwiug in the kgos (lakes) on both 
sides, in incredible masses. 
The steamer uoav shaped its course more and more to the north-west, 
and left the Amazon to run into the Eio Negro. At its loAver com-se 
this is 2,000 metres in breadth, its left margin showing the AvaA'y lines of 
loAV hills, Avhile the aaEoIc of the opposite side, consisting of either ie/ajw 
or vargem,^ is exposed to inundations. 
Noav the first houses of Manaos come insight, and in a fcAV minutes 
* Very similar to bay- wood. 
f There are three marked kinds of alhmum in the A’alley that differ materially 
from each other in their vegetation. 
1. The Igapu, the last deposit, may bo some ten years old, but never rises to more 
than five yards above low water ; and tlie vegetation is in proportion to its date. The 
Embaiiba ( Ceeropia) especially thrives on tho lowest and most recent Iga])!), while the 
tioiinga or Caoutchouc-tree {Siphonia elastied) prefers the older one. The Igapo is 
inundated already by tlie ordinary level of tho water. 
2. The Vargem. As soon as the Igapo has risen by the deposits of the high waters 
above the ordinary level of the river, the character of the vegetation dianges. The 
Cacdo, the thorny Muru-murii palm, tho slender Pao mulatto, so aiipreciatcd as fuel, 
appear with some other larger trees, that never are found on the Igapo. Tliere is a 
sort of Vargem onR inundated by extraordinary higli floods, whose vegetation resem- 
bles more and more that of the next degree. 
3. The Terra Firme, that is nothing else than the former bottom of the sen, into 
which the waters liave torn tlieir AA ay after a general raising of tlie groimd, or the 
