The most striking objects of vegetation which I observed on the banks of the river, were many trees of considerable size, belonging to the natural order _Leguminosæ_, bearing large spikes of light-purple flowers; abundance of a curious kind of _Cactus_, reaching to the height of from twenty to thirty feet, the great fleshy and naked arms of which, stand out like the branches of an enormous chandelier. A most striking difference was to be observed between the verdure of that part of the country which, for upwards of four months, had been under water, and the more elevated parts, on which no rain had fallen for nearly six months. The latter had more the appearance of the deciduous woods of Europe in winter, than such as grow within the tropics are generally supposed to present. It was only here and there, that a tree was to be seen covered with leaves, all the others having lost their foliage, owing to the excessive and long continued drought. In sailing up the river, the prospect would have been dreary, had it not been for the broad belt of arboreous vegetation that clothed its margins. The country between Penêdo and Propiá is of a low hilly character, but about two leagues above the former place, a rather high ridge of mountains is seen on the north side, about eight leagues from the river, called Serra de Priáca; and about four leagues further up, a high conical mountain called the Serra de Maraba is seen, rising from the surrounding flat country like a pyramid, in a N.N.W. direction, about six leagues distant. A market, or fair, is held at this village every Saturday, and as the owner of the canoe wished to make some purchases for his return cargo, I was detained here two days. On the morning after our arrival, I walked a little way into the country behind the town, but found the vegetation so completely scorched up, that not a green thing was to be seen. I then directed my steps to the bank of the river, and collected specimens of two species of _Cæsalpinia_, which were beautifully in flower, as well as a low shrubby species of _Croton_, which is very common, its wood, when broken, having a fragrant smell not unlike that of a _Calycanthus_.