hands, and
Americans of the North come to help Americans of the South in developing
its resources,--when it will be navigated from north to south, as well
as from east to west, and small steamers will run up to the head-waters
of all its tributaries,--while we were speculating on these things, we
were approaching the end of our journey; and, as we neared the lake,
there issued from its entrance a small, two-masted canoe, evidently
bound on some official mission, for it carried the Brazilian flag, and
was adorned with many brightly colored streamers. As it drew near we
heard music; and a salvo of rockets, the favorite Brazilian artillery on
all festive occasions, whether by day or night, shot up into the air.
Our arrival had been announced by Dr. Carnavaro of Manaos, who had come
out the day before to make some preparations for our reception, and this
was a welcome to the President on his first visit to the Indian village.
When they came within speaking distance, a succession of hearty cheers
went up for the President; for Tavares Bastos, whose character as the
political advocate of the Amazons makes him especially welcome here; for
Major Coutinho, already well known from his former explorations in this
region; and for the strangers within their gates,--for the Professor and
his party. When the reception was over, they fell into line behind our
boat, and so we came into the little port with something of state and
ceremony.

This pretty Indian village is hardly recognized as a village at once,
for it consists of a number of _sitios_ (palm-thatched houses),
scattered through the forest; and though the inhabitants look on each
other as friends and neighbors, yet from our landing-place only one
_sitio_ was to be seen,--that at which we were to stay. It stood on a
hill which sloped gently up from the lake shore, and consisted of a mud
house,--the rough frame being filled in and plastered with
mud,--containing two rooms, beside several large palm-thatched sheds
outside. The word _shed_, which we connect with a low, narrow out-house,
gives no correct idea, however, of this kind of structure, universal
throughout the Indian settlements, and common also among the whites. The
space enclosed is generally large, the sloping roof of palm-thatch is
lifted very high on poles made of the trunks of trees, thus allowing a
free circulation of air, and there are usually no walls at all. They are
great open porches, or verandas, rather than