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 
N 2 
