CHAPTER VI. 
SANTAEEM AND MONTEALEGRE. 
Leave Para — Enter the Amazon — Its peeuliar features — Arrive at 
Santarem — The town and its inhabitants — Voyage to Montealegre 
■ — Mosquito plague and its remedy- — Journey to the Serras — A 
cattle estate — Kocks, picture writings, and cave — The Victoria regia 
= — Mandiocea fields — A festa — ^Return to Santarem — Beautiful in- 
sects — Curious tidal phenomenon — Leave Santarem — Obydos — 
Villa Nova — A kind priest — Serpa — Christmas Day on the Amazon. 
We now prepared for our voyage up the Amazon ; and, 
from information we obtained of the country, determined 
first to go as far as Santarem, a town about five hundred 
miles up the river, and the seat of a considerable trade. > 
We had to wait a long time to procure a passage, but at 
length with some difficulty agreed to go in a small empty - 
canoe returning to Santarem. i 
We were to have the hold to ourselves, and found it |gl 
very redolent of salt-fish, and some hides which still re- ^ i 
mained in it did not improve the odour. But voyagers i| 
on the Amazon must not be fastidious, so we got our 'W 
things on board, and hung up our hammocks as conve-|B | 
niently as we could for the journey. iB 
