1 849-] A KIND PRIEST. 109 



about three days up the Amazon, and had given us a letter to 

 the authorities there, to furnish us with more. Mr. Spruce 

 had set out for Obydos just a week before us, in a large canoe, 

 the owner of which had offered him a passage. On our 

 arrival we found him unpacking his things, and he told us he 

 had only got there the night previous, having been ten days on 

 a journey which is frequently performed in a day and a night : 

 want of wind was the cause, and the owner of the canoe, who 

 was with them, would not move at night. But to such delays 

 the unfortunate traveller who ventures on the Amazon must 

 make up his mind patiently to submit. Captain Hislop had 

 written to a friend of his to lend us an unoccupied house, 

 where we had to remain several days quite alone, for our 

 Indians, after unloading the canoe, went off immediately, and 

 we could not get others till the Commandante had sent to 

 fetch them from a considerable distance. 



We amused ourselves in the forest, where we found insects 

 very abundant, but mostly of species we had before obtained. 

 As our canoe had leaked so much in coming here that we 

 were almost afraid to venture in it, we had it pulled up on the 

 beach, and discovered some of the cracks, which we stopped 

 as well as we could by plugging in cotton dipped in hot pitch. 

 At length we set off again with two Indians, who were to go 

 with us only to Villa Nova, the next town, about four days' 

 voyage from Obydos. As we had only two, we could not do 

 much with the paddles, one being required at the helm ; but 

 luckily the wind was strong and steady, and we went on day 

 and night very briskly. We had to cross the river several 

 times, generally at night. The wind created a great swell, 

 and as we dashed along furiously through it, I was rather 

 doubtful of our rotten boat holding together. In four days, 

 however, we reached Villa Nova in safety, and I was very glad 

 to have got so far on our way. We were kindly received on 

 the beach by the priest of the village, Padre Torquato, who 

 invited us in such a pressing manner to stay in his house till 

 we should get men to go on, that we could not refuse. The 

 Commandante, to whom we brought letters, to give us more 

 men, was out at his sitio ; they therefore had to be sent after 

 him, and it would probably be several days before we had an 

 answer, and perhaps much longer before the men were 

 procured. 



