LONDON, AND VOYAGE TO SINGAPORE 313 



what in the style of Rabelais, or of Chaucer's coarsest Canter- 

 bury tales. Old Jeronymo was a quiet old man, a half-bred 

 Indian, or Mameluco as they were called, who lived with 

 Senhor Lima as a humble dependent, assisting him in his 

 business and making himself generally useful. It was these 

 two who were with me during my terrible fever, and who one 

 night gave me up as certain not to live till morning. Dr. 

 Spruce gave me this letter, and as it mainly refers to me, I 

 will here give a nearly literal translation of it. 



" San Joaquim, June 7, 1853. 

 " Illustrissimo Senhor Ricardo Spruce : 



" I received your greatly esteemed favour dated the 

 26th April last, and was rejoiced to hear of your honour's 

 health and all the news that you give me, and I was much 

 grieved at the misfortunes which befell our good friend 

 Alfredo! My dear Senhor Spruce, what labours he per- 

 formed for mankind, and what trouble to lose all his work 

 of four years; but yet his life is saved, and that is the most 

 precious for a man ! Do me the favour, when you write to 

 Senhor Alfredo, to give my kind remembrances. The mother 

 of my children also begs you to give her remembrances to 

 Senhor Alfredo, also tell him from me that if he ever comes 

 to these parts again he will find that I shall be to him the 

 same Lima as before, and give him more remembrances from 

 the bottom of my heart, and also to yourself, from 



" Yours, with much affection and respect, 



" Joao Antonio de Lima. 



" N.B. — Old Jeronymo also asks you to remember him to 

 Senhor Alfredo, and to tell him that he still has the shirt 

 that Senhor Alfredo gave him, and that he is still living a 

 poor wanderer with his friend Lima." 



On reaching London in the condition described in my letter 

 to Dr. Spruce, and my only clothing a suit of the thinnest 

 calico, I was met by my kind friend and agent, Mr. Samuel 

 Stevens, who took me first to the nearest ready-made clothes 



