me the effects of those forest fires,
with the reflection of the light upon the low clouds and in the water,
were very weird and beautiful.

Greetings were occasionally exchanged upon the river as a big ocean
steamer went by, or an over-enthusiastic captain let off rockets, which
brought all the passengers from the dinner-table to the port-holes.
Farther on we came to a pretty plantation on the left with innumerable
banana palms crowded together, and some cocoa trees. At one time the
exportation of cocoa from that section of the Amazon between Obidos and
Santarem was considerable--some 8,000 kilos yearly. I was told that that
industry has now gone down a great deal, and not more than 4,000 kilos
were exported in 1911.

[Illustration: Campas Woman.]

[Illustration: Campas Man, Woman and Child.]

As we went farther up stream we passed alluvial banks of comparatively
recent formation, in some places only one foot above the water and liable
to constant inundation--in other places 10 or 12 ft. above the stream,
and exposing an abrupt crumbling section of grey clay on a lower
stratum with a narrow band of raw sienna colour. This yellow band rarely
exceeded a thickness of 1 ft. We had an object-lesson here, where the
banks were eroded by water and were gradually crumbling away, of the
reason why the trees were so anaemic and generally died. The roots,
instead of burrowing deep into the ground, spread out laterally in a
horizontal position quite close to the surface of the ground. That night
we had a beautiful effect of rain and smoke and the reflection from the
fires, a wonderful study of reds and yellows and dark blues which would
have fascinated the immortal painter Turner.

Farther on we passed an island 6 ft. above the water with beautiful green
grass upon it, wonderful grazing land, and no trees whatever. On both
sides of the channel we followed, in fact, we had fine open country all
around, which seemed excellent for grazing purposes.

More interesting to me than the river itself were the wonderful effects
of the ever-changing light in the sky. I saw no more the wonderful
radiations which had given me so much pleasure in Matto Grosso, but we
beheld here a great haze of delicate tones up to a great height and a
light blue sky above it. The clouds seemed to possess no well-defined
form, but were more like masses of mist, the edges blending gradually
with the blue of the sky. Only to the west was there an attempt at