globular formation in the clouds. The clouds of heavy smoke which rose
and rolled about over the landscape helped to render the otherwise
monotonous scene a little more picturesque.

Farther up stream we reached on the right a long island almost absolutely
free from trees, except at its western end, where a miserable growth of
sickly trees covered its point. Beyond was a beautiful spit of red sand
some 2,000 m. long.

On November 15th we reached Itaquatiara, where the banks of the river
were much higher than usual on the right side. I was much struck by the
sight of a lot of fallen timber lying about on the slopes of the high
bank, and by that of innumerable logs of wood floating on the water,
quite an unusual sight in Brazilian waters. Itaquatiara was placed
geographically on a most convenient site, opposite the mouth of the great
Madeira River. Now that the Madeira-Mamore railway is completed, bringing
down the trade of Bolivia and of the Acre territory, there is no doubt
that it will become a most important trading centre. To my mind it is
bound to supplant Manaos, which is very inconveniently situated, not on
the Amazon River itself but on the tributary Rio Negro.

All the rubber which goes down the Madeira River has so far been conveyed
to Manaos by a great detour, involving much expense and time. In the
future, I think, when Itaquatiara has developed into a big city, and
proper arrangements are made for landing and storing cargoes, it is
certain to become a most important centre of commerce. Land is already
going up in value tremendously, although Manaos has waged war against the
growth of a town at that spot, which will be inimical to her own
interests.

[Illustration: The Ucayalli River.]

[Illustration: The Launch on which Author travelled almost to the
Foot of the Andes.]

As is well known, the Madeira-Mamore railway was built from Porto Velho,
on the Madeira River, around and along a series of rapids and
waterfalls which rendered navigation most difficult, as far as Guajara
Merim, on the river Mamore, a mere continuation of the Madeira River. The
construction of the railway had long been contemplated by the Brazilian
and Bolivian Governments, but it was a difficult matter owing to the
dense forest and the unhealthy climate, which equals, if it does not even
surpass, the deadliness of Panama in the time of the French. The works of
the railway were begun as long ago as 1878 by Collings Brothers, who were