Page:A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.djvu/249

 1 85 1.] ANNOYING DELAYS. 217

to prepare the canoe with new toldas — about two days work ; but then, though I was in a hurry, they were not.

Senhor L. had not a single man left with him, and had to take his canoe down himself, and bring back Indians to assist him to remove his goods and his family, when we went all together to Sao Joaquim, where he intended to reside some time. I now thought I should be able to leave immediately, but found it not such an easy matter, for every Indian I applied to had some business of his own to attend to, before he could possibly go with me to Barra. One said, his house was very much out of repair, and he must first mend it ; another had appointed a dance to take place in a week or two, and when that was over, he was at my service ; so I still had to wait a little longer, and try the Brazilian remedy for all such annoy- ances — " pacbncia."