[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
difficulty that their joyous detonations could cope with the loud hurrahs from
the assembled thousands.
The Dacosta family came forth from their house and moved through the crowd
toward the little chapel. Joam was received with absolutely frantic applause.
He gave his arm to Madame Valdez; Yaquita was escorted by the governor of
Belem, who, accompanied by the friends of the young army surgeon, had
expressed a wish to honor the ceremony with his presence. Manoel walked by the
side of Minha, who looked most fascinating in her bride's costume, and then
came Fragoso, holding the hand of Lina, who seemed quite radiant with joy.
Then followed Benito, then old Cybele and the servants of the worthy family
between the double ranks of the crew of the jangada.
Padre Passanha awaited the two couples at the entrance of the chapel. The
ceremony was very simple, and the same bands which had formerly blessed Joam
and Yaquita were again stretched forth to give the nuptial benediction to
their child.
So much happiness was not likely to be interrupted by the sorrow of long
separation. In fact, Manoel Valdez almost immediately sent in his resignation,
so as to join the family at Iquitos, where he is still following the
profession of a country doctor.
Naturally the Fragosos did not hesitate to go back with those who were to them
friends rather than masters.
Madame Valdez had no desire to separate so happy a group, but she insisted on
one thing, and that was that they should often come and see her at Belem.
Nothing could be easier. Was not the mighty river a bond of communication
between Belem and Iquitos? In a few days the first mail steamer was to begin a
regular and rapid service, and it would then only take a week to ascend the
Amazon, on which it had taken the giant raft so many months to drift. The
important commercial negotiations, ably managed by Benito, were carried
through under the best of conditions, and soon of what had formed this
jangadathat is to say, the huge raft of timber constructed from an entire
forest at Iquitosthere remained not a trace.
A month afterward the fazender, his wife, his son, Manoel and Minha Valdez,
Lina and Fragoso, departed by one of the Amazon steamers for the immense
establishment at Iquitos of which Benito was to take the management.
Joam Dacosta reentered his home with his head erect, and it was indeed a
family of happy hearts which he brought back with him from beyond the
Brazilian frontier. As for Fragoso, twenty times a day was he heard to repeat,
"What! without the liana?" and he wound up by bestowing the name on the young
mulatto who, by her affection for the gallant fellow, fully justified its
appropriateness. "If it were not for the one letter," he said, "would not Lina
and Liana be the same?"
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
CHAPTER XX. THE LOWER AMAZON
174
Page 158 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl ocenkijessi.opx.pl
difficulty that their joyous detonations could cope with the loud hurrahs from
the assembled thousands.
The Dacosta family came forth from their house and moved through the crowd
toward the little chapel. Joam was received with absolutely frantic applause.
He gave his arm to Madame Valdez; Yaquita was escorted by the governor of
Belem, who, accompanied by the friends of the young army surgeon, had
expressed a wish to honor the ceremony with his presence. Manoel walked by the
side of Minha, who looked most fascinating in her bride's costume, and then
came Fragoso, holding the hand of Lina, who seemed quite radiant with joy.
Then followed Benito, then old Cybele and the servants of the worthy family
between the double ranks of the crew of the jangada.
Padre Passanha awaited the two couples at the entrance of the chapel. The
ceremony was very simple, and the same bands which had formerly blessed Joam
and Yaquita were again stretched forth to give the nuptial benediction to
their child.
So much happiness was not likely to be interrupted by the sorrow of long
separation. In fact, Manoel Valdez almost immediately sent in his resignation,
so as to join the family at Iquitos, where he is still following the
profession of a country doctor.
Naturally the Fragosos did not hesitate to go back with those who were to them
friends rather than masters.
Madame Valdez had no desire to separate so happy a group, but she insisted on
one thing, and that was that they should often come and see her at Belem.
Nothing could be easier. Was not the mighty river a bond of communication
between Belem and Iquitos? In a few days the first mail steamer was to begin a
regular and rapid service, and it would then only take a week to ascend the
Amazon, on which it had taken the giant raft so many months to drift. The
important commercial negotiations, ably managed by Benito, were carried
through under the best of conditions, and soon of what had formed this
jangadathat is to say, the huge raft of timber constructed from an entire
forest at Iquitosthere remained not a trace.
A month afterward the fazender, his wife, his son, Manoel and Minha Valdez,
Lina and Fragoso, departed by one of the Amazon steamers for the immense
establishment at Iquitos of which Benito was to take the management.
Joam Dacosta reentered his home with his head erect, and it was indeed a
family of happy hearts which he brought back with him from beyond the
Brazilian frontier. As for Fragoso, twenty times a day was he heard to repeat,
"What! without the liana?" and he wound up by bestowing the name on the young
mulatto who, by her affection for the gallant fellow, fully justified its
appropriateness. "If it were not for the one letter," he said, "would not Lina
and Liana be the same?"
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
CHAPTER XX. THE LOWER AMAZON
174
Page 158 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]