Chap. II. FESTIVAL OF NAZARETH. 59 



negroes to take us to the city, where we an-ived in the 

 evening after a day rich in new experiences. 



Shortly afterwards we took possession of our new re- 

 sidence. The house was a square building, consisting 

 of four equal-sized rooms ; the tiled roof projected all 

 round, so as to form a broad verandah, cool and pleasant 

 to sit and work in. The cultivated ground, which ap- 

 peared as if newly cleared from the forest, was planted 

 with fruit trees and small plots of coffee and man- 

 dioca. The entrance to the grounds was by an iron-giille 

 gateway from a grassy square, around Avhich were built 

 the few houses and palm-thatched huts which then con- 

 stituted the village. The most important building was 

 the chapel of our Lady of Nazareth, which stood opposite 

 our place. The saint here enshrined was a gi'eat 

 favourite with all orthodox Paraenses, who attributed to 

 her the performance of many miracles. The image was 

 to be seen on the altar, a handsome doll about four feet 

 high, wearing a silver crown and a garment of blue silk, 

 studded with golden stars. In and about the chapel 

 were the offerings that had been made to her, proofs of 

 the miracles which she had performed. There were 

 models of legs, arms, breasts, and so forth, Avhich she 

 had cured. But most curious of all was a ship's boat, 

 deposited here by the crew of a Portuguese vessel which 

 had foundered, a year or two before our arrival, in a 

 squall off Cayenne ; part of them having been saved in 

 the boat, after invoking the protection of the saint here 

 enshrined. The annual festival in honour of our Lady 

 of Nazareth is the greatest of the Para holidays ; many 



