General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1888 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IV. THE VOYAGE TO MANAOS. The Clyde-built, paddle-wheel steamer, Marajo, 1,039 tons register, lies alongside its wharf, hoarsely blowing off some of its pent-up steam, and making a bubbling and roaring noise not unlike that of a gigantic dog worrying a bone. The decks are thronged with passengers, and covered with great piles of blue, green, and crimson tin boxes, painted in the gaudy flower patterns peculiar to the luggage of the Portuguese and Brazilians. The four adventurers are already aboard, and, grouped against the taffrail, they are surveying the mixed crowd of passengers and their friends from four mentally distinct points of view. Matsom, still clad in his old black clothes, and wearing his wonderful hat, sees only the people he has long been accustomed to, and evinces no interest, except when a man passes him with his face bound up, suggesting a possible dental patient on the way. Rollinston’s eyes gleam with an appreciation of humour as he witnesses the fantastic and exaggerated adieus, fervent embraces and tearful faces of partingfriends. There are fat men cuddling slim youths, and shedding crocodile tears; and dames, tall and short, stout and thin, hysterically clasp to their breasts, grubby, squalling, and outrageously overdressed children. Warren looks at the composition of the colours of the women’s dresses, and shudders. Peterson observes that
dere are some beautiful girls and lots of beer a'board. Finally the whistle of the steamer blows a hoarse roar as though the boilers were suffering from an attack of bronchitis, the ship’s bell clangs, and the last tearful shor…
