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terrible eddy which, for the three days preceding the new or full moon, takes
but two minutes instead of six hours to raise the river from twelve to fifteen
feet above ordinary highwater mark.
This is by far the most formidable of tideraces. Most fortunately the lower
branch, known as the Canal of
Breves, which is the natural area of the Para, is not subject to the
visitations of this terrible phenomenon, and its tides are of a more regular
description. Araujo, the pilot, was quite aware of this. He steered,
therefore, into the midst of magnificent forests, here and there gliding past
island covered with muritis palms; and the weather was so favorable that they
did not experience any of the storms which so frequently rage along this
Breves Canal.
A few days afterward the jangada passed the village of the same name, which,
although built on the ground flooded for many months in the year, has become,
since 1845, an important town of a hundred houses.
Throughout these districts, which are frequented by Tapuyas, the Indians of
the Lower Amazon become more and more commingled with the white population,
and promise to be completely absorbed by them.
And still the jangada continued its journey down the river. Here, at the risk
of entanglement, it grazed the branches of the mangliers, whose roots
stretched down into the waters like the claws of gigantic crustaceans;
then the smooth trunks of the paletuviers, with their palegreen foliage,
served as the restingplaces for the long poles of the crew as they kept the
raft in the strength of the current.
Then came the Tocantins, whose waters, due to the different rivers of the
province of Goyaz, mingle with those of the Amazon by an embouchure of great
size, then the Moju, then the town of Santa Ana.
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
CHAPTER XX. THE LOWER AMAZON
172
Majestically the panorama of both banks moved along without a pause, as though
some ingenious mechanism necessitated its unrolling in the opposite direction
to that of the stream.
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Already numerous vessels descending the river, ubas, egariteas, vigilandas,
pirogues of all builds, and small coasters from the lower districts of the
Amazon and the Atlantic seaboard, formed a procession with the giant raft, and
seemed lke sloops beside some might manofwar.
At length here appeared on the left Santa Maria de Belem do Parathe "town" as
they call it in that countrywith its picturesque lines of white houses at many
different levels, its convents nestled among the palmtrees, the steeples of
its cathedral and of Nostra Senora de Merced, and the flotilla of its
brigantines, brigs, and barks, which form its commercial communications with
the old world.
The hearts of the passengers of the giant raft beat high. At length they were
coming to the end of the voyage which they had thought they would never reach.
While the arrest of Joam detained them at Manaos, halfway on their journey,
could they ever have hoped to see the capital of the province of Para?
It was in the course of this day, the 15th of Octoberfour months and a half
after leaving the fazenda of
Iquitosthat, as they rounded a sharp bend in the river, Belem came into sight.
The arrival of the jangada had been signaled for some days. The whole town
knew the story of Joam Dacosta.
They came forth to welcome him, and to him and his people accorded a most
sympathetic reception.
Hundreds of craft of all sorts conveyed them to the fazender, and soon the
jangada was invaded by all those who wished to welcome the return of their
compatriot after his long exile. Thousands of sightseersor more correctly
speaking, thousands of friends crowded on to the floating village as soon as
it came to its moorings, and it was vast and solid enough to support the
entire population. Among those who hurried on board one of the first pirogues
had brought Madame Valdez. Manoel's mother was at last able to clasp to her
arms the daughter whom her son had chosen. If the good lady had not been able
to come to Iquitos, was it not as though a portion of the fazenda, with her
new family, had come down the Amazon to her?
Before evening the pilot Araujo had securely moored the raft at the entrance
of a creek behind the arsenal.
That was to be its last restingplace, its last halt, after its voyage of eight
hundred leagues on the great
Brazilian artery. There the huts of the Indians, the cottage of the negroes,
the storerooms which held the valuable cargo, would be gradually demolished;
there the principal dwelling, nestled beneath its verdant tapestry of flowers
and foliage, and the little chapel whose humble bell was then replying to the
sounding clangor from the steeples of Belem, would each in its turn disappear.
But, ere this was done, a ceremony had to take place on the jangadathe
marriage of Manoel and Minha, the marriage of Lina and Fragoso. To Father
Passanha fell the duty of celebrating the double union which promised so
happily. In that little chapel the two couples were to receive the nuptial
benediction from his hands.
If it happened to be so small as to be only capable of holding the members of
Dacosta's family, was not the giant raft large enough to receive all those who
wished to assist at the ceremony? and if not, and the crowd became swo great,
did not the ledges of the river banks afford sifficient room for as many
others of the sympathizing crowd as were desirous of welcoming him whom so
signal a reparation had made the hero of the day?
It was on the morrow, the 16th of October, that with great pomp the marriages
were celebrated.
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
CHAPTER XX. THE LOWER AMAZON
173
It was a magnificent day, and from about ten o'clock in the morning the raft
began to receive its crowd of guests. On the bank could be seen almost the
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entire population of Belem in holiday costume. On the river, vessels of all
sorts crammed with visitors gathered round the enormous mass of timber, and
the waters of the
Amazon literally disappeared even up to the left bank beneath the vast
flotilla.
When the chapel bell rang out its opening note it seemed like a signal of joy
to ear and eye. In an instant the churches of Belem replied to the bell of the
jangada. The vessels in the port decked themselves with flags up to their
mastheads, and the Brazilian colors were saluted by the many other national
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