312 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



had been many years resident in the upper Rio Negro, on 

 whose boat I took a passage for my first voyage up the river, 

 and with whom I lived a long time at Guia. I also went 

 with him on my first voyage up the river Uaupes. He was 

 a fairly educated man, and had an inexhaustible fund of 

 anecdotes of his early life in Portugal, and would also relate 

 many " old-time " stories, usually of the grossest kind, some- 

 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, 



^*l 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 performed for man- 

 kind, 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 



