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Cornugaya Directory 08
Page 02
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.
I also had to employ at my own expense a pilot--no steamboat was allowed
to go without one--whom I had to pay at the rate of L7 15_s._ sterling a
day. A cook had to be employed for the crew, as none of the sailors could
be induced to condescend to be the chef. Two applicants were eventually
found. One who was willing to do the cooking at a salary of L3 10_s._ a
day, his chief ability, said he, consisting in boiling rice and fish.
Another fellow eventually undertook the job at a salary of L1 10_s._ a
day, he being willing to do the cooking at such a small salary as he
said he had never in his life cooked before, and he did not know whether
we should care for his cooking or not. It must not for one moment be
believed that these men were trying to cheat me, and putting on prices,
for indeed these are the current rates for everybody who wishes to travel
in those regions. The cost of commodities of any kind in Manaos was
excessive, and went beyond even the limits of robbery. I went into a
chemist's shop to purchase a small bottle of quinine tablets, worth in
England perhaps eightpence or a shilling. The price charged there was L2
10_s._
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