can cities, there was nothing worth seeing in Manaos. The
shops were almost entirely those of jewellers, gunsmiths, sweet-sellers,
and chemists. It was in this place that the poor _seringueiros_, on their
return from rubber collecting, were in a few hours robbed of all the
money they had made during several months' hard work. There was only one
redeeming feature in Manaos: the British and American business men in the
place were most charming and hospitable in every possible way.

It was on December 3rd, 1911, that everything was ready. The hour of
departure had been fixed for ten o'clock in the evening. I went on board
at the appointed time, but the captain of the launch and the crew refused
to put out of the anchorage, as they said they would not go unless some
extra men were employed. One of the pipes of the engine had been wilfully
damaged, so that delay was caused, and we could not possibly start until
it had been repaired. The captain of the launch had worried me for
several days. He was in a constant state of intoxication.

* * * * *

On December 4th, at 11 p.m., I was actually able to make my departure
from Manaos on the launch _Amazonas_. I took in tow a rowing-boat which
had been lent me by the representative of the Minister of Agriculture in
Manaos.

By 8.30 in the morning of December 5th we entered the mouth of the
Madeira River. I was surprised at the sudden change in the appearance of
the two rivers. We saw in the Madeira high, gently sloping banks, covered
with verdant grass and neat trees and palms along the top of them;
whereas along the Amazon the trees stood almost in the water on the
recently formed islands and banks. The left bank of the Madeira was of
grey and reddish clay (grey below, red above), cut vertically, sometimes
actually in steps. Blocks of a rectangular shape, in getting dried up,
split and fell over, leaving the banks vertical. The right bank, on the
contrary, was gently sloping, descending with a beautiful carpet of green
grass into the stream. The islands were charming, with lovely lawns all
round. Blackish and deep red rock, vertical and fluted, and with
innumerable perforations, could be seen here and there, covered over with
a padding of earth from ten to twenty feet deep.

The journey up the Madeira River had no great interest. By seven o'clock
in the evening we arrived at the mouth of the Canuma River--or rather at
a channel connecting the Madei