The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-11-03
of which passengers can go ashore and see

everything of interest
The best time for an Amazonian Jour
ney is in the dry season-that is, between
the first of June and the middle of Octo-
Der. The wet season continues from jan
uary to May; and of course. as in other
parts OF the world, occasional showers fall
during the rest of the year. In all sea
sons are days of high winds and chilly
weather, akin to Texas Northers,' and
although almost under the equator a
blanket is always needed at night in ones
cabin, often two blankets for sleepers in
the open air. The traveller should 90
with as little luggage as possible, but
among the indispensibes are flannel I'M
derwear OF light texture, broad brimmed
hats, (the best of bananas can be
bought in Para for fifty cents cach}, some
covers him OF her entirely, and rubber
overshoes, or, better still, thick boots
with cork soles. 1t is best to be prepared
for all sorts of weather, SO that one need
not be housed, come rain on shine, and
without the nuisance of being tied to an
umbrella sugar travellers, ii. e. those
that melt in sun OF shower), should 10y all
means stay at home, for none but
toughened globe trotters can get much
pleasure out Of these wild regions. Above
everything else a hammock and a blanket
I.
passing occasional nights on shore, but
for steady use, both day and night on ship
board. This is emphatically the country
OF hammocls and a Brazilian never goes
anywhere without one, whatever else he
may dispense with in the line of those az
ticles which we consider the common
necessaries OF the toilet. AS in many
parts of Peru and Bolivia boiled bananas
universally take the place of bread, So in
the Amazon country beds are entirely
superseded by hammocks. In all hotels
and private houses are stout ring bolts
fastened to the walls, to which you may
suspend your own sleeping paraphernalia,
atllNl III Iilt MOI II NPttl bCNt,
rather unlock it-and "walk'', like the
man spoken of in the Scriptures.
Day after day, as you steam along the
great yellow hued river, you see ham
mocks suspended in every wayside hut;
hammocks swung from trees on the banks;
Indian women patiently weaving ham
nonal la,oDnnclyS ha1,n
fellow voyagers loll all day i'll their ham
mocks, swinging, chatting on dreaming the
happy hours away and most OF them pre-
fer the same airy beds at night. (often
sleeping two in one hammocl1) to retiring
10 the stutfy state rooms. On the lower
decks, where second class passengers
swarm, there are no herths but men. wom-
en- and children besides the crew, herd III
hammocks, hung thiokly together that
it would be impossible to pass between
them-though one might scoot beneath
them in case Of emergency, such As com
ing aboard at midnight from some way.
station. When Professor and AIls. Agas-
Siz made their celebrated Journey up the
Amazon. (in 1861, the latter wrote:
''Tlus far the hardships of this South
American journey seem to retreat at our
approach, and it is impossible to travel
with greater comfort than here surrounds
us. The state rooms are hardly used at
night, for in this climate a hammock on
deck is fan more comfortable. Our deck,
rooted in for its whole length, and with
an awning to let down ON the sides if
needed. looks like a comfortable, uncere-
mOnionS sittingroonl. \ table down the
middle serves as Il dinner table but is at
this moment streWn with maps, journals,
books and papers of all sorts. Two or
three lolnging chairs and half dozen
hammocks furnish our drawing room and
supply all that is needed for work and
rest.
Again She says: lone is quite indepen-
els without his own hammock, and the
net which III many places necessary ac
compartments Oh account of the mosuui-
toes. Beds and bedding are almost UNI
known, but there are none 50 poor as not
to possess two OF three of the strong. neat
Irvine haEmocks made hv the Indians
from the iiberS of the palm. In the up
per Amazon region, the refreshment Of Il
hammock is the first act of hospitality
that is offered to one who has arrived
from a distance, In this latitude one
does not see much of. the world between
one and four o clock in the afternoon
These are the hottest hours of the day
| and there are few who can resist the temp
tation OF the cool. swinging hammock
slung i'll some shady spot, within doors or
without.
1t seems that the omnipresent hammock
has been used in Brazil from earliest
| times tol Columbus, III the narrative of
his first voyage speaks OF the ''hamma-
cas-, OF nets, in which the Indians slept
To-day, besides the palm fiber nets of
| the Alnazonan Indians, others are made
| from hemp OF cotton, hand woven into