1 852.] RETURN TO BARRA. 259 



before I could obtain a passage to Para. The next morning I 

 could not disembark my things till the new Custom-house 

 opened, at nine o'clock ; when I had to pay duties on every 

 article, even on my bird-skins, insects, stuffed alligators, etc., 

 and so it was night before I got everything on shore. The 

 next day I paid off my Indians, and settled myself to wait 

 patiently and attend to my menagerie, till I could get a passage 

 to Para. 



For three weeks I had been nearly lame, with a sore and 

 inflamed toe, into which the chegoes had burrowed under the 

 nail, and rendered wearing a shoe, or walking, exceedingly pain- 

 ful ; having been compelled to move about the last few days, 

 it had inflamed and swelled, and I was now therefore glad to 

 remain quietly at home, and by poultices and plaisters endeavour 

 to cure it. During the short time the Indians had remained 

 in charge of my canoe, while I was looking after a house, they 

 had lost three of my birds ; but I soon found I had quite 

 enough left to keep me constantly employed attending to them. 

 My parrots, in particular, of which I had more than twenty, 

 would persist in wandering about into the street, and I lost 

 several of my best, which were, no doubt, safely domiciled in 

 some of the adjoining houses. I was much annoyed, too, by 

 persons constantly coming to me, to sell them parrots or 

 monkeys ; and my repeated assurances, that I myself wanted 

 to buy more, did not in the least check the pertinacity of my 

 would-be customers. 



The city was now full of fashionably-dressed young men, 

 who received the public money for services they did not know 

 how to perform. Many of them could not fill up a few dozen 

 words in a printed form without making blunders, or in a 

 shorter time than two or three hours ; their contemplations seem- 

 ing scarcely to rise beyond their polished-leather boots and 

 gold watch-chains. As it was necessary to get a passport, I 

 presented myself at the office of the " Chef de Policia," for the 

 purpose ; but was told that I must first advertise my intention 

 of leaving in the newspaper. I accordingly did so, and about 

 a week after went again. I was now requested to bring a 

 formal application in writing, to have a passport granted me : 

 I returned, and prepared one, and the next day went with it ; 

 now the Chef was engaged, and he must sign the requisition 

 before anything else could be done. I called again the next 



