Page:A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.djvu/292

 26o TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. [May,

day, and now that the requisition was signed, I had a blank form given me to go and get stamped in another office, in a distant part of the city. Off I had to go, — get the stamp, which took two clerks to sign, and paid my eight vintems for it ; armed with this,. I returned to the police-office, and now, to my surprise, the passport was actually made out and given me ; and on paying another twelve vintems (sixpence), I was at liberty to leave Barra whenever I could ; for as to leaving it whenever I pleased, that was out of the question.

The city of Barra, the capital of the Province and the residence of the President, was now in a very miserable con- dition. No vessel had arrived from Para for five months, and all supplies were exhausted. Flour had been long since finished, consequently there was no bread ; neither was there biscuit, butter, sugar, cheese, wine, nor vinegar; molasses even, to sweeten our coffee, was very scarce ; and the spirit of the country (caxaga) was so nearly exhausted, that it could only be obtained retail, and in the smallest quantities : everybody was reduced to farinha and fish, with beef twice a week, and turtle about as often. This state of destitution was owing to there having been a vessel lost a month before, near Barra, which was coming from Para ; and at this time of the year, when the river is full, and the winds adverse, the passage frequently takes from seventy days to three months, — having to be per- formed almost entirely by warping with a rope sent ahead in a canoe, against the powerful current of the Amazon. It may therefore be well imagined that Barra was not the most agree- able place in the world to reside in, when, joined to the total absence of amusement and society which universally prevails there, the want of the common necessaries of life had also to be endured.

Several vessels were leaving for Para, but all were so com- pletely filled as not to have room for me or my baggage ; and I had to wait in patience for the arrival of a small canoe from the Solimoes, in which Senhor Henrique guaranteed me a passage to Para.

Before proceeding with my journey, I will note the few observations that occur to me on the character and customs of the inhabitants of this fine country. I of course speak solely of the province of Pard, and it is probable that to the rest of Brazil my remarks may not in the least apply ; so different in