CHRISTMAS EVE AT MANAOS.—CEREMONIES OF THE INDIANS.—CHURCHES ON THE AMAZONS.—LEAVE MANAOS FOR THE RIO NEGRO.—CURIOUS RIVER FORMATION.—ASPECT OF THE RIVER.—ITS VEGETATION.—SCANTY POPULATION.—VILLAGE OF TAUA PÉASSU.—PADRE OF THE VILLAGE.—PALMS.—VILLAGE OF PEDREIRA.—INDIAN CAMP.—MAKING PALM-THATCH.—SICKNESS AND WANT AT PEDREIRA.—ROW IN THE FOREST.—TROPICAL SHOWER.—GEOLOGY OF PEDREIRA.—INDIAN RECRUITS.—COLLECTION OF PALMS.—EXTRACTS FROM MR. AGASSIZ’S NOTES ON THE VEGETATION OF THE AMAZONS AND THE RIO NEGRO.—RETURN TO MANAOS.—DESOLATION OF THE RIO NEGRO.—ITS FUTURE PROSPECTS.—HUMBOLDT’S ANTICIPATIONS.—WILD FLOWERS.—DISTRIBUTION OF FISHES IN THE AMAZONIAN WATERS.—HOW FAR DUE TO MIGRATION.—HYDROGRAPHIC SYSTEM.—ALTERNATION BETWEEN THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN TRIBUTARIES. _December 25th._—Manaos. The Indians have a pretty observance here for Christmas eve. At nightfall, from the settlements at Hyanuary, two illuminated canoes come across the river to Manaos; one bearing the figure of Our Lady, the other of Saint Rosalia. They look very brilliant as they come towards the shore, all the light concentrated about the figures carried erect in the prows. On landing, the Indians, many of whom have come to the city in advance, form a procession,—the women dressed in white, and with flowers in their hair, the men carrying torches or candles; and they follow the sacred images, which are borne under a canopy in front of the procession, to the church, where they are deposited, and remain during Christmas week. We entered with them, and saw the kneeling, dusky congregation, and the two saints,—one a wooden, coarsely painted image of the Virgin, the other a gayly dressed doll,—placed on a small altar, where was also a figure of the infant Jesus, surrounded by flowers. At a later hour the midnight mass was celebrated; less interesting to me than the earlier ceremony, because not so exclusively a service of the Indians, though they formed a large part of the congregation; and the music, as usual, was performed by the band of Indian boys from the Casa dos Educandos. But there is nothing here to make the Catholic service impressive; the churches on the Amazons generally are of the most ordinary kind, and in a ruinous condition. There is a large unfinished stone church in Manaos, standing on the hill, and occupying a commanding position, which will make it a conspicuous object if it is ever completed; but it has stood in its present state for years, and seems likely to remain so for an indefinite length of time. It is a pity they have not the custom here of dressing their churches with green at Christmas, because they have so singularly beautiful and appropriate a tree for it in the palms. The Pupunha palm, for instance, so architectural in its symmetry, with its columnar-like stem and its dark-green vault of drooping leaves, would be admirable for this purpose.