40 THE AMAZON AND MADEIKA RIVEES. 
Kegro,* lu-o seen on the left. Ihit tlicy awake much less interest than 
an old Intlian eemetoiy, recently discovered on levelling the gTound in 
tlie neighbourhood of the ramparts. Himdreds of those large urns of red 
eluy [Igayahas\ in which the aborigines used to bury their dead, are seen 
there in long rows, and at no great depth in the earth. In many of them 
the remains of human bones have been found, whose state of decom- 
position shoAved them to be of very ancient date. 
In spite of its 2 Jomj)ous title, Cajhtid of the jirovince of Amazonas, 
Manaos is but an insignificant little town of about 3,000 inhabitants. 
Unpaved and badly-kwellcd streets, Ioav houses, and cottages of most 
primitive construction, without any attempt at architectural beauty, and 
numerous Portuguese Agendas, — ^Avhore 
anything may be had, from Lisbon 
Aviue and English printed cotton, to 
Ilrazilian cheese and dried piranicii ; 
from Paris soaps and jAomatums, to 
caoutchouc and cacao ; from the Pel- 
gian foA\iing-piece to the imported 
arroAV-head — certainly fail to gh'e an 
injposiug ensemble ; Avhile the lAopula- 
tion, .shoAving samples of all j)Ossible 
mixtmes of Avhite, negro, and Indian 
blood, also reminds us forcibly that 
Ave are m the midst of the SoAxth 
American continent, in the verv 
centi-c of the Amazon Valley, opened so recently to civilisation and 
trade. Put the magniticeut blue sky, a most exuberant vegetation, xind 
the fresh air of careless geniality in the peoide, tend to make us forget 
the AA'aut of luxuries, and render our first impression of Mandos a A’ery 
pleasant one, heightened greatly by its igarapes f — kaj'S or channels 
running fax- into the land, aaLosc banks are covered Avith tlie jnost 
luxuruxnt verdure. 
We Avere lucky enough to find immetliately a little house, in AAliich 
we installed oxirselvcs as quickly as j)ossible, but in Avhich, unfortxmately, 
* TJie first establishiuont of the Portuguese on the Eio Negro dates fi'om 1668. ]t 
was situfited at tlie mouth of the little affluent Taruma, and was foimdod by Pedro da 
Costa FiiA'dla. The foi-t of Sao Jose was built a year later by Francisco da Motta 
Falcao. 
f Jgara, canne ; and Pc, road. 
