28o 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



Some black, some brown, some lighter, 



Some white as you or I. 

 A dozen such in family, 



With bellies all to fill, 

 Would be no joke in England ; 



'Tis nothing in Brazil ! " 



Then follows his farewell verses, well expressing the 

 regret we both felt at leaving it. I may just note here that 

 his reference to "blue pig" is not imagination only. Among 

 the quantities of pigs that roamed about the city and suburbs 

 (really little more than a large straggling village) was one 

 whose nearly black skin was seen in certain lights to be dis- 

 tinctly blue ; and to have found the real " blue pig," which 

 under the name of the " Blue Boar " is a not uncommon inn- 

 sign at home, greatly delighted my brother. 



" Farewell to Santarem. 



" My skiff is waiting on the shore. 

 And on the wave is my canoe ; 

 Ye citizens of Santarem, 



To each and all, adieu ! 

 The hour has come to bid, with grief, 

 Adieu to milk and tender beef. 



" Adieu, the fort upon the hill, 



And yon cathedral's domes. 

 Like guardian giants gazing down 



Upon thy lowly homes ; 

 Ye naked children, all adieu. 

 And thou strange pig with skin of blue ! 



Farewell, the forest's deep recess. 



Where Sol can never come ; 

 Farewell, the campo's sandy plain, 



The lizards in the sun. 

 To water-melons cool, adieu ; 

 And farewell, old black cook, to you. 



" Adieu, thy shores, broad Tapajoz, 



Within thy heaven-dyed wave, 

 At noonday's silent, sultry hour 



I've joy'd to plunge and lave. 

 Adieu ! to-morrow's noonday sun, 

 I'll bathe in yellow Amazon." 



