In Search of an Unknown Race — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

VAN. 33 house steps. But we leave Para for up river on the midnight flood.” And crossing the square, the two turned down the street leading to the custom house. ‘‘Come down and have supper aboard my boat,” added Van, cordially, and from the eagerness with which the offer was accepted, he fancied the sailor had not fared very sumptuously through the day. ‘‘Are you—is it a trading boat you speak of?” sud- denly asked the stranger with ill concealed eagerness, as though a sudden thought had occurred to him. _ Why—no,” replied Van, who hardly knew how to explain. ‘‘ Perhaps I might call myself a sort of ex- plorer on a small scale,” he said smiling; ‘‘at least that is part of my errand up the Amazon i ‘‘How far up?” inquired his companion, with the same eagerness. ‘‘Oh, nearly as faras the Madeira, evasively an- swered Van; ‘‘ but of course it all depends how we get along, for it’s a new business to me, and I’ve only got one other with me—a negro who used to be pilot on a river steamer.” The sailor’s eyes lit up with something like hope. ‘*T’ve been ashore here over two months,” he said, speaking very quickly and rather excitedly, ‘‘trying to get a chance up river to—to a certain point, and you're the first man I’ve met whois going above the Tocantins. Will you let me work my passage with you as far as you go?” Van was so taken by surprise at the very unexpected question, that he did not reply at once. In fact he hardly knew what to say. There was plenty of room for a third person, and without doubt he could be of great assistance. But i Eomicboo Ss (E(e) im