Page:A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.djvu/289

 1852.J DESCENDING THE RIVER. 257

ensured my passage to Barra without further delays, a point on which I had been rather uneasy. Leaving Sao Gabriel I stayed for the night at the house of Senhor Victorino, of whom I bought several green parrots, and a beautiful " anaca," or purple and red-necked crested parrot, in place of the one which had gone overboard while passing the falls at Sao Gabriel. The following day I reached the house of Senhor Palheta, and thought myself fortunate to purchase of him another anaca for seven shillings ; but the very next morning it died from cold, having flown into the river, and become completely chilled before it could be rescued.

On the 2nd of May I arrived at the sitio of my old friend Senhor Chagas, who made me breakfast with him, and sold me some farinha, coffee, and a lot of guinea-fowls' eggs ; and embraced me with great affection at parting, wishing me every happiness. The same night I reached Castanheiro, where I particularly wished to get a pilot, to take me down the east bank of the river, for the purpose of making a sketch-survey of that side, and ascertaining the width of this extraordinary stream. Senhor Ricardo, who is the Capitao dos Trabalha- dores, immediately gave me an order to embark a man, whose house I should pass the next day, and who, he said, was per fectly acquainted with that side of the river. After breakfast- ing with him the next morning, I left, well satisfied to have a prospect of accomplishing this long-cherished scheme. On arriving at the house, however, it was empty, and there was no sign of it having been inhabited for some weeks, so that I had to give up all hopes of completing my project.

I applied again to the Subdelegarde, Joao Cordeiro, whose house I reached the next day, and also to the lieutenant of Senhor Ricardo, but without effect ; all making the usual reply, " Nao ha gente nenhum aqui " (there is not a single person about there) ; so I was reluctantly compelled to proceed down the river by the same course which I had already traversed three times, as, by attempting to go on the other route without a pilot, I might lose my way, and not get to Barra for a month.

The fever and ague now attacked me again, and I passed several days very uncomfortably. We had almost constant rains ; and to attend to my numerous birds and animals was a great annoyance, owing to the crowded state of the canoe, and the impossibility of properly cleaning them during the rain.

17