Chap. III. PEOPLE OF EGA. 179 



salutes, according to custom, in token of our safe arrival, 

 and shortly afterwards went ashore. 



A few days' experience of the people and the forests 

 of the vicinity showed me that I might lay myself 

 out for a long, pleasant, and busy residence at this 

 place. An idea of the kind of people I had fallen 

 amongst may be conveyed by an account of my earliest 

 acquaintances in the place. On landing, the owner of 

 the canoe killed an ox in honour of our arrival, and the 

 next day took me round the town to introduce me to 

 the principal residents. We first went to the Delegado 

 of police, Senhor Antonio Cardozo, of whom I shall have 

 to make frequent mention by-and-by. He was a stout, 

 broad-featured man, ranking as a white, but having a 

 tinge of negro blood ; his complexion, however, was 

 ruddy, and scarcely betrayed the mixture. He received 

 us in a very cordial, winning manner : I had after- 

 wards occasion to be astonished at the boundless good 

 nature of this excellent fellow, whose greatest pleasure 

 seemed to be to make sacrifices for his friends. He 

 was a Paraense, and came to Ega orignally as a 

 trader ; but not succeeding in this, he turned planter 

 on a small scale, and collector of the natural commo- 

 dities of the country, employing half-a-dozen Indians 

 in the business. We then visited the military comman- 

 dant, an officer in the Brazilian army, named Praia. 

 He was breakfasting with the vicar, and we found 

 the two in dishabille (morning -gown loose round the 

 neck, and slippers), seated at a rude wooden table in 

 an open mud -floored verandah, at the back of the 

 house. Commander Praia was a little curly -headed 



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