Page:The naturalist on the River Amazons 1863 v2.djvu/235

 beaches on which they were situated. This is the season, however, in which the Brazil nut and wild cacao ripen, and many persons go out to gather these harvests, remaining absent generally throughout the months of March and April. The rains during this time are not continuous; they fall very heavily at times, but rarely last so long at a stretch as twenty-four hours, and many days intervene of pleasant, sunny weather. The sky, however, is generally overcast and gloomy, and sometimes a drizzling rain falls.

About the first week in June the flood is at its highest; the water being then about forty-five feet above its lowest point; but it varies in different years to the extent of about fifteen feet. The "enchente," or flow, as it is called by the natives, who believe this great annual movement of the waters to be of the same nature as the tide towards the mouth of the Amazons, is then completed, and all begin to look forward to the "vasante," or ebb. The provision made for the dearth of the wet season is by this time pretty nearly exhausted; fish is difficult to procure, and many of the less provident inhabitants have become reduced to a diet of fruits and farinha porridge.

The fine season begins with a few days of brilliant weather—furious, hot sun, with passing clouds. Idle men and women, tired of the dulness and confinement of the flood season, begin to report, on returning from their morning bath, the cessation of the flow: as agoas estaõ parados, "the waters have stopped." The muddy streets, in a few days, dry up: groups of young fellows are now seen seated on the shady sides of the cottages