| By Author | [ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Other Symbols ] |
| By Title | [ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Other Symbols ] |
| By Language |
|
Download this book: [ ASCII ] Look for this book on Amazon Tweet |
Title: Travels in the Interior of Brazil - Principally through the northern provinces, and the gold - and diamond districts, during the years 1836-1841
Author: Gardner, George
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.
*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Travels in the Interior of Brazil - Principally through the northern provinces, and the gold - and diamond districts, during the years 1836-1841" ***
TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF BRAZIL.
[Illustration: THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
_E Fry del._ _Reeve Lith._]
TRAVELS
IN THE
INTERIOR OF BRAZIL,
PRINCIPALLY
THROUGH THE NORTHERN PROVINCES,
AND
THE GOLD AND DIAMOND DISTRICTS,
DURING THE YEARS 1836-1841.
BY
GEORGE GARDNER, M.D., F.L.S.,
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS OF CEYLON.
“A populous solitude of bees and birds,
And fairy-formed and many-colour’d things,
… the gush of springs,
And fall of lofty fountains, and the bend
Of stirring branches, and the bud which brings
The swiftest thought of beauty, here extend,
Mingling, and made by Love unto one mighty end.”
CHILDE HAROLD.
SECOND EDITION.
LONDON:
REEVE, BENHAM, AND REEVE,
KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND.
1849.
[Illustration]
REEVE, BENHAM, AND REEVE,
PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS OF SCIENTIFIC WORKS,
KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND.
TO
SIR WILLIAM JACKSON HOOKER,
K.H., D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S.A., AND L.S.,
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE LINNÆAN SOCIETY, HONORARY MEMBER OF THE
ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY, MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL ACADEMY CÆSAR.
LEOPOLD. NATURAL. CURIOSORUM, ETC., ETC.,
AND
Director of the Royal Gardens of Kew,
TO WHOM THE SCIENCE OF BOTANY IS SO MUCH INDEBTED, ALIKE FOR
HIS LIBERAL PATRONAGE, AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO IT IN THE
NUMEROUS AND VALUABLE WORKS WHICH HAVE ISSUED FROM HIS PEN,
THE FOLLOWING WORK,
CONTAINING THE NARRATIVE OF TRAVELS,
WHICH, BUT FOR HIS KINDNESS AND ENCOURAGEMENT,
COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN,
IS INSCRIBED
WITH FEELINGS OF PROFOUND RESPECT AND ESTEEM,
BY HIS GRATEFUL FRIEND AND PUPIL,
GEORGE GARDNER.
PREFACE.
The present volume is not given to the public, because the Author
supposes it presents a better account of certain parts of the immense
Empire of Brazil, than is to be found in the works of other travellers,
but because it contains a description of a large portion of that
interesting country, of which no account has yet been presented to the
world. It has been his object to give as faithful a picture as possible
of the physical aspect and natural productions of the country, together
with cursory remarks on the character, habits, and condition of the
different races, whether indigenous or otherwise, of which the population
of those parts he visited is now composed. It is seldom that he has
trusted to information received from others on those points; and he
hopes that this fact will be considered a sufficient reason for his not
entering into desultory details more frequently than he has done.
Ample opportunities were offered for studying the objects he had in view,
of which he never ceased to avail himself. Besides visiting many places
along the coast his journeys in the interior were numerous; and, although
he never ventured, like Waterton—whose veracity is not to be doubted—to
ride on the bare back of an alligator, or engage in single combat with
a boa constrictor, yet he had his full share of adventure, particularly
during his last journey, which extended, north to south, from near the
equator to the twenty-third degree of south latitude; and east to west,
from the coast to the tributaries of the Amazon. The privations which the
traveller experiences in these uninhabited, and often desert countries,
can scarcely be appreciated by those who have never ventured into them,
where he is exposed at times to a burning sun, at others to torrents of
rain, such as are only to be witnessed within the tropics, separated
for years from all civilized society, sleeping for months together in
the open air, in all seasons, surrounded by beasts of prey and hordes
of more savage Indians, often obliged to carry a supply of water on
horseback over the desert tracks, and not unfrequently passing two or
three days without tasting solid food, not even a monkey coming in the
way to satisfy the cravings of hunger. Notwithstanding these, however,
and one serious attack of illness, his enthusiasm carried him through all
difficulties, and they have in some measure been repaid by the pleasure
which such wanderings always afford to the lover of nature, and by the
number of new species which he has been enabled to add to the already
long list of organized beings.
The Author has only further to add, that the notes from which the
Narrative has been drawn up, were, for the most part, written during
those hours, which, under other circumstances, should have been devoted
to sleep; and that the Narrative itself was principally compiled from
them, during a voyage from England to the Island of Ceylon.
Kandy, Ceylon, January 1st, 1846.
The manuscript of Mr. Gardner’s ‘Travels in Brazil’ having been
transmitted from Ceylon, and printed during his official residence
in that island, the Publishers feel desirous of expressing the great
obligation they are under to John Miers, Esq., in the absence of the
Author, for his valuable assistance in correcting the technical,
botanical, and Brazilian proper names, whilst passing through the press;
they also desire to record their sense of the kind services rendered by
Robert Heward, Esq., co-operating with Mr. Miers in reading the proofs.
London, October 1st, 1846.
CONTENTS
Page.
CHAPTER I.
RIO DE JANEIRO.
Motives for visiting Brazil—Voyage from England—Arrival at Rio
de Janeiro—Description of the City—Its Environs—Geological
Character of its Neighbourhood—Its Climate—Its
Inhabitants—State of Slavery in Brazil—General good treatment
of Slaves—Different Mixed Races—Excursion to the Mountains
surrounding the Capital—Its Botanical Garden—Museum of Natural
History 1
CHAPTER II.
JOURNEY TO AND RESIDENCE IN THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
Principal Summer Resort of the English Residents—Journey from
Piedade to Magé and Frechal—Ascent of the Mountains—Description
of Virgin Forests—Mr. March’s Plantation in the Serra—Treatment
of his Slaves—Case of One bitten by a venomous Snake—Limb
amputated by the Author—Mode of Treatment in such cases among
the Natives—Charms—Tapir-Hunting in the Mountains—Beasts,
Birds, and Reptiles found there—Visit to a Brazilian
Fazendeiro—To Constantia—Ascent of the loftiest Peaks—Vegetable
Productions in those elevated regions—Pleasant Sojourn on the
Estate 28
CHAPTER III.
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO.
Departure from Rio de Janeiro—Arrival at Bahia—Description of
that City—Voyage to Pernambuco—Jangadas—Description of the City
and Environs of Pernambuco—The Jesuits—The Peasantry—Town
of Olinda—Its Colleges and Botanic Garden—Visit to the
Village of Monteiro—The German Colony of Catucá—The Island of
Itamaricá—Pilar—Salt Works of Jaguaripe—Prevalent Diseases in
the Island—Its Fisheries—Peculiar Mode of Capture 55
CHAPTER IV.
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO.
The Author’s Motive for this Excursion—Voyage to the
Southward—Description of the Coast and Observations on the
great Restinga—Reaches Barra de S. Antonio Grande—Arrives at
Maceio—Description of the Town and surrounding Country—Resolves
to visit the Rio San Francisco—Embarks in a Jangada and
coasts to the Southward—Batel—Lands at Peba—Journey thence
to Piassabassú on the Rio San Francisco—Ascends the River to
Penêdo—The Town described—Productions of the District—Its
Population—Voyage up the River—Mode of Navigation—Arrives at
Propihà—Vegetation of the Country—Description of a Market
Fair—Dress of the People—Voyage continued to Traipú—Passes the
Ilha dos Prazeres—Barra de Panêma—Abundance of Fish of the
Salmon Tribe—Village of Lagoa Funda—Island of S. Pedro—Its
Indian Population described—Continues the Voyage—Fearful
Storm—Return to S. Pedro, serious Illness and detention
there—Scarcity of Food—Renounces in consequence all intention
of proceeding further—Returns to Penêdo—Scheme for Navigating
the Rio San Francisco—Reason why it will never succeed—Arrives
again at Maceio—Visits Alagoas—That City described—Leaves
Maceio—Coasting Voyage—Singular Mode of catching Fish—Return to
Pernambuco 76
CHAPTER V.
CEARA.
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO.
The Author leaves Pernambuco in a Coasting Vessel—Description
of the Voyage—Touches at Cape San Roque—Arrives at
Aracaty—Seaport of Province of Ceará—Town described—Its
Trade—Whole Province subject to great droughts—Commencement of
Journey into the Interior—Passes Villa de San Bernardo—Arid
nature of the Country—Catingas—Arrives at Icó—Town
described—Journey continued—Villa da Lavra de Mangabeira—Gold
Washings abandoned—Country begins to Improve—Reaches the
Villa do Crato—Town described—Low state of morals among the
Inhabitants—Sugar Plantations—Mode of Manufacture—Coarse
kind of Sugar formed into Cakes, called Rapadura, in which
state it is used throughout the Province—State of Cultivation
in the Neighbourhood—Productions of the Country—Serra de
Araripe—Different kinds of Timber—Wild Fruits—Wandering tribes
of Gypsies frequent—Great religious Festival—Climate—Diseases 113
CHAPTER VI.
CEARA CONTINUED.
Reasons for delaying journey into the Interior—Visits,
meanwhile, different places in the vicinity of Crato—Crosses
the Serra de Araripe—Reaches Cajazeira—Arrives at Barra do
Jardim—Description of that Town and Neighbourhood—Meets with
an interesting deposit of Fossil fishes—Geological character
of the Country—Detects a very extensive range of Chalk
formation—First discovery of such beds in South America—The
accompanying formation described—This range of Mountains
encircles the vast Plain comprising the Provinces of Piauhy
and Maranham—Arrives at Maçapé—Great Religious Festival
on Christmas Day—Meets with an accident—Visits also Novo
Mundo—Discovers other deposits of Fossil Fishes near these
places—Vegetable productions along the Taboleira—Different
Tribes of uncivilized Indians in that Neighbourhood—Curious
account of the fanatical sect of the Sebastianistas—Their
extravagant belief—Commit human sacrifices—Their destruction
and dispersion—Returns to Crato 150
CHAPTER VII.
CRATO TO PIAUHY.
Preparations for the Journey—Leaves Crato—Passes
Guaribas—Reaches Brejo grande—Discovers more Fossil
Fishes—Passes Olho d’Agoa do Inferno—Arrives at Poço
de Cavallo—Crauatá—Cachoeira—Marmeleira—Rosario—Os
defuntos—Lagoa—Varzea da Vaca—Angicas—Crosses the
boundary line of the Province of Piauhy—Arrives at San
Gonsalvo—Campos—Lagoa Comprida—Difficulties of the
road—Reaches Corumatá—Canabrava—Arrives at Boa Esperança, a
large Estate owned by an excellent Clergyman—Is now in the
midst of the great Cattle Districts—Nature of the Country
described—Marked into two kinds, Mimoso and Agreste—Passes
Santa Anna das Mercês—San Antonio—Cachimbinho—Vegetation of the
surrounding Country—Reaches Retiro—Buquerão—Canavieira—Crosses
the River Canindé, arrives at Oeiras, the Capital of the
Province of Piauhy 169
CHAPTER VIII.
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUÁ.
The Author’s reception by the President of Piauhy—City
of Oeiras described—Its Population—Its Trade with the
Coast—Great want of River Navigation—Its chief exports
are hides and cattle—Its Climate—Diseases—Character
of the Barão de Parnahiba—His great power in the
Province—History of this remarkable Man—And of the Civil War
on declaration of the Independence of Brazil—Resources of
the Province—National Cattle Farms—Course of the Author’s
journey quite changed by an alarming Revolt—This insurrection
described—He determines on travelling southwards through
Goyaz and Minas Geräes—Leaves Oeiras—Description of the
Country—Chapadas—Passes through many Cattle Farms—Curious
mode of catching Cattle—Passes Pombas—Algodoes—Golfes—Retiro
Alegre—Genipapo—Canavieira—Urusuhy—Prazeres—Description
of a Piauhy Family—Reaches Flores—Rapoza—Arrives at
Parnaguá—Universal Hospitality of the Natives—Salt found in
the Neighbourhood 193
CHAPTER IX.
PARNAGUÁ TO NATIVIDADE.
Leaves Parnaguá—Arrives at Saco do Tanque—Carrapatos a great
pest to Travellers and Cattle—Vegetation of the Country—Crosses
the Serras da Batalha and de Mato Grosso, the boundary of
the Province of Piauhy—Descends into the District of Rio
Preto—Account of the Cherente Indians—Arrives at Santa
Rosa—Crosses the River Preto—Reaches the desolate region of
Os Geräes—Passes over the elevated table-land Chapada da
Mangabeira—Arrives at the Indian Mission of Duro—Description
of these Indians—Reaches Cachoeira—Crosses the Serra do
Duro—Fords the River Manoel Alves—Arrives at Almas—Galheiro
Morto—Morhinos—Abundance of Wild Honey—Description of several
kinds of Bees—Reaches Nossa Senhora d’Amparo—Mato Virgem—Goître
not uncommon—Passes Sociedade—Arraial da Chapada—And arrives at
Natividade 223
CHAPTER X.
NATIVIDADE TO ARRAYAS.
The Town of Natividade described—Its Population—Dress and
Manners of the People—Its Climate—Diseases—Goître extremely
prevalent—Excursion to the neighbouring lofty Mountain
Range—Its Geology and Vegetation—Visits the Arraial da
Chapada—Leaves Natividade—Passes San Bento, and arrives at
the Arraial de Conceição—Its Population—Very subject to
Goître—Probable cause of this Complaint—Reaches Barra and
crosses the Rio de Palma—Arrives at Santa Brida—Stays at
Sapê—Account of the Animal and Vegetable Productions of
the Neighbourhood—Reaches the Villa de Arrayas—The Town
described—Geological Features of the surrounding Country—Its
Climate and Productions—Alarm of the Inhabitants—Muster of the
National Guard—Preparations for departure 256
CHAPTER XI.
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMÃO.
Departure from Arrayas—Reasons for preferring the route
along the Serra Geral—Passes Gamelleira—Bonita—Reaches San
Domingo—San João—San Bernardo—Curious Fact respecting the
Rio San Bernardo—Passes Boa Vista—Country consists of very
elevated table-lands—Its Natural Productions—Arrives at Capella
da Posse—San Pedro—San Antonio—Dôres—Riachão—Animals greatly
tormented by large Bats—Habits of these Vampires—Reaches
San Vidal—Flight of Locusts—Passes Nossa Senhora
d’Abbadia—Campinhas—Pasquada—San Francisco—Crosses River
Carynhenha and enters the province of Minas Geräes—Country
described—Habits of the great Ant-eater—Passes Capão de
Casca—Descent of the Serra das Araras—Reaches San Josè—Rio
Claro—Boquerão—Santa Maria—Espigão—Taboca—San Miguel—Crosses
River Urucuya—Passes Riachão—Arrives at San Romão—Town
described—Its Population—Habits of the People—Rio de San
Francisco—Description of the different varieties of the Salmon
tribe found in it 286
CHAPTER XII.
SAN ROMÃO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT.
Leaves San Romão—Passes Guaribas—Passagem—Geräes
Velhas—Espigão—Caisára—Cabeceira—Arrives at the Villa
de Formigas—Town described—Account of the impostor
Douville—Country around rich in Botanical products—Passes
Viados—Arrives at the Arraial de Bomfim—Reaches San
Elo—Sitio—Comes to a Gold Working called Lavrinha—Crosses
the River Inhacica—Reaches As Vargems—Registo do Rio
Inhahy—Bassoras on the River Jiquitinhonha—Examines a Diamond
Mine—Formation in which the Diamond is found—Mode of working
it—Arrives at the Arraial de Mendanha—Town described—Ascends
the Serra de Mendanha—Reaches Duas Pontes—Arrives at the
Cidade Diamantina, formerly the Arraial de Tijuco, the
Capital of the Diamond District—Town situated on side of
hill—Description of its Population—Their mode of Dress—Its
cold Temperature—Productions of its Neighbourhood—Mining
for Diamonds, formerly a privileged Monopoly, now open to
all—Character of Miners—Extent of Diamond Mines—Privilege
of Slaves there employed—Climate very healthy—Women very
handsome—Complaints incident to its Climate—Loyalty shown by
its Inhabitants—Fatality among Horses 320
CHAPTER XIII.
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO.
Leaves the Cidade Diamantina—Reaches As Borbas—Passes
the Arraial do Milho—Tres Barras—Arrives at the
Cidade do Serro, formerly Villa do Principe—The Town
described—Passes Tapanhuacanga—Retiro de Padre Bento—N.S. de
Conceição—Description of an Iron Smelting Work at Girão—Vast
abundance of Iron Ores in this District—Reaches Escadinha—Morro
de Gaspar Soares and two other Iron Smelting Works and
Forges—Ponte Alta—Itambé—Passes Onça—Ponte de Machado, where
frost was seen—And arrives at Cocaes—Visits the large
Establishment of the Cocaes English Mining Company—The Author’s
unkind reception by the Director of that Establishment—Reaches
S. João do Morro Grande, part of the Mining Establishment
of the English Gongo Soco Company—Hospitable reception—And
visit to the Gold Mines—Its Workings described—Geological
structure of the Mines and the surrounding country—Leaves
Gongo Soco and passes Morro Velho—Rapoza—And reaches the
Establishment of another English Mining Company at Morro
Velho—The Author’s delight on receiving letters after two
years’ absence—His kind reception and abode there—Village
of Congonhas de Sabará described—Attached to the Gold Mines
of Morro Velho—Account of those Mines—Mode of working and
extracting Gold from the Ore—Visits the City of Sabará—Mining
Establishment of Cuiabá—Serra de Piedade—And Serra del
Curral del Rey—Leaves Morro Velho—Reaches the Villa de
Caëté—Passes S. José de Morro Grande—Barra—Brumado—Serra de
Caraça—Catas altas—Inficionado—Bento Rodriguez—Camargos—And
reaches San Caetano—Visits the City of Mariano—Passes the
Serra de Itacolumi—Arraial de Passagem—And arrives at the
City of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Rica—City described—Its
Population—College and Botanic Garden 360
CHAPTER XIV.
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO, AND SECOND VISIT TO
THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
Leaves Ouro Preto—Arrives at San Caetano—Passes Arraial de
Pinheiro—Piranga—Filippe Alvez—San Caetano—Pozo Alegre—Sadly
incommoded by a thunder-storm—Reaches Arraial das Mercês
Chapeo d’Uva—Entre os Morros—Crosses Rio Parahybuna—And
enters the Province of Rio de Janeiro—Passes Paiol—Reaches
Villa de Parahyba—Crosses the River Parahyba—Mode of Ferrying
described—Passes Padre Correa—Corrego Seco—Reaches summit Pass
of the Serra d’Estrella—Magnificent view of the Metropolitan
City, its Harbour, and surrounding Scenery—Arrives at Porto
d’Estrella—Embarks for the City and finally arrives at Rio
de Janeiro—All the Collections brought from the Interior are
arranged and shipped to England—The Author resolves again to
visit the Organ Mountains—His departure for the Serra—Adds
largely to his Collections—Ascends the loftiest peaks of
the Mountains—Their elevation above the sea about 7,500
feet—Departs on an excursion to the Interior—Passes the Serra
do Capim—Monte Caffé—Santa Eliza—Sapucaya—Porto d’Anta—Crosses
Rio Parahyba—Passes Barro do Louriçal—San José—Porto da
Cunha—Recrosses the Rio Parahyba—Reaches Cantagallo—Visits
Novo Friburgo—Description of these two Swiss Colonies—Pleasant
sojourn in the Organ Mountains 391
CHAPTER XV.
MARANHAM, VOYAGE TO ENGLAND, CONCLUSION.
Leaves the Organ Mountains and returns to Rio de
Janeiro—Embarks for England with large collections of living
and dried Plants—Touches at Maranham—City described—Its
Population—Public Buildings and Trade—Geology of its
Neighbourhood—Visits Alcantarà—Sails for England—Gulf Weed—Its
great extent and origin—Flying Fishes—Observations on their
mode of flight—Remarkable Phosphorescence at Sea—Description
of the singular Animal that causes this Phenomenon—Its curious
nests—Scintillations at Sea caused by a very minute kind of
Shrimp—Arrives in England—Concluding Remarks 418
[Illustration: MAP OF BRAZIL
Reeve, Benham & Reeve, lith.]
TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF BRAZIL.
CHAPTER I.
RIO DE JANEIRO.
Motives for visiting Brazil—Voyage from England—Arrival at Rio
de Janeiro—Description of the City—Its Environs—Geological
Character of its Neighbourhood—Its Climate—Its
Inhabitants—State of Slavery in Brazil—General good treatment
of Slaves—Different Mixed Races—Excursion to the Mountains
surrounding the Capital—Its Botanical Garden—Museum of Natural
History.
Having devoted much of my leisure time, during the course of a
medical education, to the study of Natural History generally, but
more particularly to Botany; and my mind being excited by the glowing
descriptions which Humboldt and other travellers have given of the
beauty and variety of the natural productions of tropical countries, the
magnificence of their mountain scenery, and the splendour of their skies,
an ardent desire seized me to travel in such regions.
My early patron and teacher in Botany, Sir William J. Hooker, then
professor of that science in the University of Glasgow, aware of my
wishes, strongly recommended a voyage to some part of South America; and
Brazil was fixed on as the best field for my researches, as the vegetable
productions of that immense empire were then less known to the English
botanist than those perhaps of any other country of equal size in the
world. It was true that it had been visited both by German and French
naturalists, but no Englishmen, with the exception of Cunningham and
Bowie, and the intrepid Burchell, had penetrated into the interior; whole
provinces, particularly in the north, still lay open as virgin fields for
the investigations of some future traveller; and these I was desirous to
explore.
The preparations necessary for such an undertaking having been completed,
I left Glasgow on the 14th of May, 1836, and on the 20th of the same
month embarked at Liverpool, on board the barque Memnon, bound for Rio de
Janeiro, the capital of Brazil. The voyage across the Atlantic to South
America has been too often described for me to say more than that we had
a fair share of calms and squalls, of bright skies and brilliant sunsets,
of sharks and whales, flying fishes, and phosphorescent waves. A tedious,
but not unpleasant voyage, brought us in sight of land on the 22nd of
July. When day broke, Cape Frio, as had been predicted by the captain,
was seen, bearing N.N.E., about twenty-five miles distant. This Cape is
about seventy miles to the eastward of Rio de Janeiro, and a range of
high undulating hills stretches between them, covered to their topmost
ridge with trees. On their summits, numerous Palms, with their slender
shafts surmounted by a ball-like mass of leaves, rising far above the
other denizens of the forest, and standing boldly out in relief against
a beautiful blue sky, give a marked character to the scene, and silently
proclaim to the European his approach to a world the vegetation of which
is very different from that of the one he has so recently left. The winds
were light all day, and as we sailed close along the coast, my eye,
through the medium of the ship’s telescope, was constantly surveying the
wild but beautiful scene, and in imagination I was already revelling amid
its multiform natural productions.
It was long past noon before we reached the entrance to the Bay of Rio,
which is very remarkable for the number of conical hills and islands
which are to be seen on both sides of it. One of these hills is the
well-known Pão d’Açucar, so called from its resemblance to a sugar-loaf.
It is a solid mass of granite, rising to the height of about one thousand
feet, and destitute of vegetation, with the exception of a few stunted
shrubs on its eastern declivity. Seen from a great distance at sea, it
is an admirable land-mark for ships making the port. Passing through the
magnificent portal, we came to an anchor a few miles below the city, not
being allowed to proceed further till we were visited by the authorities.
It is quite impossible to express the feelings which arise in the mind
while the eye surveys the beautifully varied scenery which is disclosed
on entering the harbour—scenery which is perhaps unequalled on the face
of the earth, and on the production of which nature seems to have exerted
all her energies. Since then I have visited many places celebrated for
their beauty and their grandeur, but none of them have left a like
impression upon my mind. As far up the Bay as the eye could reach, lovely
little verdant and palm-clad islands were to be seen rising out of its
dark bosom, while the hills and lofty mountains which surround it on all
sides, gilded by the rays of the setting sun, formed a befitting frame
for such a picture. At night the lights of the city had a fine effect;
and when the land-breeze began to blow, the rich odour of the orange
and other perfumed flowers was borne seaward along with it, and, by me,
at least, enjoyed the more from having been so long shut out from the
companionship of flowers. Ceylon has been celebrated by voyagers for
its spicy odours, but I have twice made its shores with a land breeze
blowing, without experiencing anything half so sweet as those which
greeted my arrival at Rio.
On the following morning, the 23rd of July, I first put foot on the
shores of the great continent of the new world. If the aspect of the
country, and the nature of the vegetation were so different from those of
the old country, how much more strange were the human beings which first
met my sight on landing. The numerous small boats and canoes which ply
about in the harbour, are all manned with African blacks; the long narrow
streets through which we passed were crowded with the same race, nearly
naked, many of them sweating under their loads, and smelling so strongly
as to be almost intolerable. Scarcely a white face was to be seen. The
shops, in the most of which both the doors and windows are thrown open
during the day, seemed to be attended to by mulattos, or by Portuguese
of nearly as dark a hue. Seen from the ship in the morning, the city had
a most imposing appearance, from its position, and the number of its
white-washed churches and houses; but nearer contact with it dispelled
the illusion. The streets are narrow and dirty, and what with the stench
from the thousands of negroes which throng them, and the effluvia from
the numerous provision shops, the first impressions are anything but
agreeable. I could not help recalling to mind the lines in ‘Childe
Harold,’ which Byron has applied to the capital of the mother country:—
“But whoso entereth within this town,
That, sheening far, celestial seems to be,
Disconsolate will wander up and down,
’Mid many things unsightly to strange ee;
For hut and palace show like filthily:
The dingy citizens are reared in dirt.—”
The city of Rio occupies part of an irregular triangular tongue of
land, which is situated on the west side of the Bay, about three miles
northward from the entrance. The ground on which it stands is, for the
most part, level, but towards the north, the west, and the south-east,
it is bounded by a series of hills. The long narrow streets run at
right angles to each other, by which the houses are thrown into great
square masses. The new town stretches out in a north-west direction,
and is separated from the old one by a large square called the Campo de
Santa Anna. Beyond it a narrow branch of the Bay runs inland, to the
left of which is the extensive suburb of Catumbi, and farther on those
of Mataporco and Engenho Velho. Besides the Campo de Santa Anna there
are two other large squares, one before the theatre, and another at the
landing-place, in which is situated the palace formerly occupied by the
Viceroys. The Royal Palace of S. Cristovão, the residence of the Emperor,
is a great and irregular mass of building, situated a little way beyond
the new town.
Not only are the streets narrow and dirty, but they are also badly
lighted and worse paved, notwithstanding the city is immediately
surrounded by mountains of the most beautiful granite. The houses are
very substantially built, for the most part of granite, consisting
principally of only two or three stories. It contains several fine
churches, but few of them are so situated as to be seen to advantage.
That of Nossa Senhora da Gloria is one of the most conspicuous, being
placed on a rounded hill of the same name, that juts into the sea between
the city and the Praia de Flamengo. Besides the churches there are many
other public buildings, among which may be mentioned the Monastery of
San Bento, near the harbour, the Convent of Santa Thereza on the brow
of a hill, beside the noble aqueduct by which the water for the supply
of the city is conveyed from the mountains, a Mint, an Opera House, a
Theatre, a public Library, which is said to contain about one hundred
thousand volumes, a Museum of Natural History, a Medical School, two
Hospitals, and, what the inhabitants boast very much of, the Camara
dos Senadores, which is equivalent to our House of Lords. It is a very
handsome building, which was erected a few years ago on the north side
of the Campo de Santa Anna. Scattered through the city there are some
fine fountains, to which water is conveyed by an aqueduct. One of them
is in the palace square, for the supply of the ships in the harbour. The
aqueduct itself is upwards of six miles in length, and is terminated
city-wards by a magnificent row of double arches.
From an eminence within the city, called the Castle Hill, a fine view
both of the city and bay is obtained. It also commands a delightful
prospect of the country on the opposite side of the bay, with the city
of Nitherohy, or Praia Grande, in the foreground, and the lofty Organ
mountains towering in the distance to the left. There are many parts
of the country in the immediate neighbourhood of Rio, which remind a
Scotchman of some of the highland scenery of his native country, but
with this difference, that, whilst there the mountains are bleak and
barren, here they are covered to their summits with a luxuriant tropical
vegetation.
The great desire of the inhabitants seems to be to give a European air
to the city. This has already been accomplished to a great extent,
partly from the influx of Europeans themselves, and partly by those
Brazilians who have visited Europe, either for their education or
otherwise. It is but seldom now that those extraordinary dresses, both
of ladies and gentlemen, which we see represented in the publications
of those travellers who visited Rio, even in the early part of the
present century, are to be seen in the streets. A few old women only,
and those mostly coloured, are observed wearing the comb and mantilla;
and the cocked hat and gold buckles are also all but extinct. Now, both
ladies and gentlemen dress in the height of Parisian fashion, and both
are exceedingly fond of wearing jewellery. One of the finest streets in
the city is the Rua d’Ouvidor, not because it is broader, cleaner, or
better paved than the others, but because the shops in it are principally
occupied by French milliners, jewellers, tailors, booksellers,
confectioners, shoe-makers, and barbers. These shops are fitted up with
an elegance which the stranger is quite unprepared to meet. Many of them
are furnished with windows formed of large panes of plate glass, similar
to those which are now so common in every large town in Great Britain.
Indeed, it is the Regent Street of Rio, and in it almost any European
luxury can be obtained.
A few years ago omnibusses were started to run from the city to the
different suburbs. Small steamers ply regularly between Rio and the city
of Nitherohy on the opposite side of the bay, and one runs daily to
Piedade at the head of it. There is a yearly exhibition of the fine arts,
in which are exposed many tolerable pictures, both by native and foreign
artists. Music is very much cultivated, and the piano, which at the time
when Spix and Martius visited Rio, in 1817, was only to be met with in
the richest houses, has now become almost universal. The guitar was
formerly the favourite instrument, as it still is all over the interior.
There are excellent schools for the education of boys; and boarding
schools have been established for young ladies, which are conducted on
the same principles as those of a similar nature in England. Being the
capital of the empire, and there being residents at the court from most
of the European nations, Rio is the scene of much greater gaiety than
is generally supposed by those who have never visited it. But as all
these matters have been more learnedly “discoursed of” than I profess to
be able to do, I shall pass over in silence the levees, the opera, the
theatres, whether French or Portuguese, and the balls, public as well as
private, which engross quite as much of the attention of the fashionable
world here as elsewhere.
Of the many European merchants established here, who for the most part
are English, few reside in the city, most of them having country houses
in the suburbs. One of the most fashionable resorts is a lovely spot
about two miles out, called Botafogo. There the houses are built along
the semicircular shore of a quiet bay, which is nearly surrounded by
high hills. Immediately behind the houses, and almost overhanging them,
stands a very remarkable mountain called the Corcovado, which rises to
upwards of two thousand feet above the level of the sea, about two-thirds
of its eastern face being a perpendicular precipice. Many other European
residences are situated in Catete and on the Praia de Flamengo, between
Botafogo and the city; and in the Larenjeiras valley, which stretches up
from Catete towards the mountains; others exist at the opposite extremity
of the city, in the district of Engenho Velho.
There is one thing wanting in the neighbourhood of Rio which no large
city should be without—a public drive. This, I find in India, is a point
particularly attended to, whenever, even a few, Europeans are located
together. At Rio, those who wish to take a morning or an evening drive,
can only do so on the public roads, which are only fit for carriages to
run on for a few miles out of the city. There is, indeed, quite close
to it what is called the Passeio Publico, a large garden with shady
walks, but it is only intended for those who walk. Of an evening, when
the weather is fine, it is much frequented by the citizens. The Botanic
Garden, which is about eight miles distant from the city, is a place of
great resort.
On landing, I took up my residence at an Italian hotel, in one of the
principal streets, but as this was not a place fitted to my pursuits, as
soon as all my luggage was landed, I removed to the boarding-house of an
old English lady, who had then been about thirty years in the country.
It was about three or four miles from the city, situated in a beautiful
valley which stretches from the suburb of Engenho Velho towards the
Corcovado mountain, and called Rio Comprido, from a small stream so named
which runs through it. Here I had my head-quarters for about five months,
and during that period my excursions extended in all directions round the
city. Frequent visits were made to the mountains, which are all covered
with dense virgin forests—to the humid valleys—to the swampy tracts which
lie to the north of the city—to the sea-shores—and to the islands in the
bay. From these rambles there resulted a rich botanical harvest, besides
numerous specimens belonging to other branches of natural history. But as
an eternal spring and summer reign in this happy climate, and as almost
every plant has its own season for the production of its flowers, every
month is characterized by a different flora. It is, then, scarcely to be
expected that a residence of but a few months can afford more than a very
partial knowledge of its vegetable riches.
The whole of the country around Rio is essentially granitic, all the
rocks being of that nature to which the name of Gneiss-granite has been
applied, from their possessing decided marks of stratification. The
mountains generally run in chains having no particular direction, and are
of all sizes, from slight eminences to mountains which rise from 2,000 to
3,000 feet above the level of the sea. The loftier of these mountains,
such as the Peak of Tejuca, the Corcovado, and the Gavea, have their
south-east sides bare and precipitous, while those to the northward have
a gradual ascent, and are wooded to their summit. Notwithstanding the
enormous length of time which the sides of these mountains have been
covered with their mighty forests, the alluvial layer of soil which rests
on them is very thin. This, however, may be accounted for by the heavy
rains washing it, as well as the materials from which it is formed, down
into the valleys, where the alluvium is often found to be many feet
deep. Hence it is that the deep valleys which intersect the mountain
ranges are the principal seats of agricultural industry; and some of
them, particularly in the vicinity of the city, are thickly studded with
habitations, surrounded with plantations of Coffee, Oranges, Bananas,
and Mandioca. Many of the lower hills near the city are now also cleared
and planted with Coffee, but the plantations were too young when I
left to form any idea of their success at so low a level. Beneath the
alluvium there is a bed of reddish-coloured clay, which is very tenacious
when wet. It is often from thirty to forty feet in thickness, and is
not peculiar to the province, as I have met with it in every part of
Brazil where I have travelled. It frequently contains numerous boulders,
consisting of rounded, as well as angular, fragments of Gneiss, Granite,
and Quartz, and is often inter-stratified with various beds of sand
and gravel. It is obvious then from these observations, that the soil
around Rio itself is not generally rich. Indeed, the first thing which
strikes a stranger on his arrival, is the apparent poverty of the soil
contrasted with the richness of the vegetation. But for the humidity of
the atmosphere, the heavy dews of the dry season, and the rains of the
wet, combined with the heat of a tropical sun, the greater part of the
country immediately surrounding Rio would not be worthy of cultivation.
The very small quantity of soil which suffices for some plants is
quite astonishing to a European. Rocks, on which scarcely a trace of
earth is to be observed, are covered with _Vellozias_, _Tillandsias_,
_Melastomaceæ_, _Cacti_, _Orchideæ_, and _Ferns_, and all in the vigour
of life.
The climate of Rio has been very much modified by the clearing away of
the forests in the neighbourhood. Previous to this, the seasons could
scarcely be divided into wet and dry as they are at present. Then rains
fell nearly all the year round, and thunder-storms were not only more
frequent, but more violent. So much has the moisture been reduced, that
the supply of water for the city has been considerably diminished, and
the government has, in consequence, forbidden the further destruction of
the forests on the Corcovado range, towards the sources of the aqueduct.
During the months of May, June, July, August, and September, the climate
is usually delightful, being the dry as well as the cool season. The mean
temperature of the year is 72°. Although frequent showers fall during the
dry season, yet they are not to be compared with the continued rains of
the other, which generally commence in October. The rainy season sets in
with heavy thunder-storms, which are of most frequent occurrence in the
afternoon.
The population of Rio consists principally of Portuguese and their
descendants, both white and coloured; those only born in the country are
styled Brazilians; and ever since its independence as an empire in 1820,
a very bad feeling has existed between them and those who are natives of
Portugal. But this feeling is less common among the higher than the lower
orders, and is, perhaps, more strongly marked in the inner provinces than
on the coast. Wherever any riot, or any attempt to revolt takes place
in the interior—and such occurrences are now, unfortunately, but too
common—the poor Portuguese are the first to fall victims, being butchered
without mercy, and robbed of all they possess. Notwithstanding the ill
usage they receive, hundreds of them arrive yearly to push their fortune
in the country, which, at one time, formed the richest gem in the crown
of Portugal. Many of those who call themselves white in Brazil, scarcely
deserve the title, as few of those families who have been long in the
country, have preserved the purity of the original stock. The inhabitants
of Rio are in general short and slightly made, and form a great contrast
to the tall and handsome inhabitants of the Provinces of San Paulo and
Minas Geräes, and even those of several of the northern provinces. The
Brazilian wherever he is met with is always polite, and but very seldom
inhospitable, especially in the less frequented parts of the country. He
is much more temperate in his drinking than in his eating, and much more
addicted to snuff-taking as well as to smoking: hence the prevalence of
dyspeptic and nervous complaints among them. Marriage is less common in
Brazil than in Europe, a fact which accounts for the greater laxity of
morals which exists here among both sexes. The women are generally short,
and when young are pretty agreeable, but as they increase in years
they mostly get very corpulent, from their living well and taking but
little exercise. In Rio and the other large towns, they always make their
appearance when strangers call, but such is not the case in most parts
of the interior; there they still remain shy, but with an abundance of
curiosity. I have lived for a week at a time in houses where I was well
aware there were ladies, without ever seeing more of them than their dark
eyes peering through the chinks about the doors of the inner apartments.
In the distant province of Goyaz, Matto-Grosso, and Piauhy, nearly all
classes of them are as much addicted to the use of the pipe as the men.
It is but very seldom that native Indians are to be seen in Rio; I was
several months in the country before I saw one. The brown boatmen, in the
harbour, who have been taken for Indians, are, as Spix and Martius have
already observed, mulattoes of various shades of colour.
Much has been written on slavery as it exists in Brazil. It is a subject
of great importance, and demands a much greater amount of observation
than has generally occurred to those who have written on it at greatest
length. Those have mostly been voyagers, _en passant_, who have derived
their knowledge from others, and not from personal observation. The most
ridiculous stories are told by the European residents to strangers on
their arrival, as I well know from personal experience. One of the more
recent works on Brazil, which on its appearance was the most accredited
in Europe, is, perhaps, the least to be depended on. I have good
authority for stating that the author noted down every statement that was
made to him, however extraordinary, without the slightest examination as
to its truth. More than one individual has informed me, that at dinner
parties, they have heard persons present, who were more famed for their
wit than their veracity, cramming him with information about Brazil,
which, in truth, was worse than no information at all; but everything
seemed to be acceptable, and was immediately entered in his note-book.
In the year 1825, Humboldt estimated the entire population of Brazil at
about 4,000,000; of this number he calculated that 920,000 were whites,
1,960,000 negroes, and 1,120,000 mixed races and native Indians. Here
the proportion of the coloured races to the white is about three to
one. Later estimates give an entire population of 5,000,000; and the
proportion of the coloured race to the whites stands as four to one. It
was supposed at the time when the law was passed to render illegal the
introduction of new slaves, that the proportional number would speedily
decline. Had this law been strictly observed, such would, no doubt,
have been the case, as it is well known that the number of births falls
far short of the deaths among the slave population in Brazil. This does
not arise from their ill usage, as some writers have supposed, but from
the well-known fact that a greater proportion of males than of females
has at all times been introduced to the country. On some estates in the
interior the proportion of females to males is often as low as one to
ten. In the Diamond District, in particular, females are very scarce.
The law, however, has not been attended to, and the consequence of
incessant introduction is, that the number of slaves in the country has
not declined. During the five years which I spent in Brazil, I have good
reason for believing that the supply was always nearly equal to the
demand, even in the most distant parts of the empire.
Notwithstanding the vigilance of the cruisers both on the coast of Brazil
and that of Africa, it was well known to every one in Rio, that cargoes
of slaves were regularly landed even within a few miles of the city;
and during several voyages which I have made in canoes and other small
craft along the shores of the northern provinces, I have repeatedly
seen cargoes of from one to three hundred slaves landed, and have heard
of others. There are many favourite landing-places between Bahia and
Pernambuco, particularly near the mouth of the Rio San Francisco. Again
and again, while travelling in the interior, I have seen troops of new
slaves of both sexes, who could not speak a single word of Portuguese,
varying from twenty to one hundred individuals, marched inland for sale,
or already belonging to proprietors of plantations. These bands are
always under the escort of armed men, and those who have already been
bought, are not unfrequently made to carry a small load, usually of
agricultural implements. There is no secrecy made of their movements,
nay, magistrates themselves are very often the purchasers of them. It is
likewise well known that the magistrates of those districts where slaves
are landed, receive a certain per-centage on them as a bribe to secrecy.
The high price which they bring in the market, is a very great temptation
to incur the risk of importing them. It is said that if only one cargo be
saved out of three, that one will cover the whole expenses, and leave a
handsome profit besides.
Previous to my arrival in Brazil, I had been led to believe, from the
reports that have been published in England, that the condition of the
slave in that country was the most wretched that could be conceived; and
the accounts which I heard when I landed—from individuals whom I now find
to have been little informed on the point—tended to confirm that belief.
A few years’ residence in the country, during which I saw more than has
fallen to the lot of most Europeans, has led me to alter very materially
those early impressions. I am no advocate for the continuance of slavery;
on the contrary, I should rejoice to see it swept from off the face of
the earth—but I will never listen to those who represent the Brazilian
slave-holder to be a cruel monster. My experience among them has been
very great, and but very few wanton acts of cruelty have come under my
own observation. The very temperament of the Brazilian is adverse to its
general occurrence. They are of a slow and indolent habit, which causes
much to be overlooked in a slave, that by people of a more active and
ardent disposition, would be severely punished. Europeans, who have this
latter peculiarity more strongly inherent in them, are known to be not
only the hardest of task-masters, but the most severe punishers of the
faults of their slaves.
In Brazil, as in all other countries, there is more crime in large
towns than in the agricultural districts. This arises from the greater
facilities which exist in the former for obtaining ardent spirits; yet,
among the black population, intoxication is not often observed, even
dense as it is in Rio de Janeiro. It was on a Sunday morning that I
arrived in Liverpool from Brazil, and during the course of that day I
saw in the streets a greater number of cases of intoxication, than, I
believe, I observed altogether among Brazilians, whether black or white,
during the whole period of my residence in the country. In the large
towns the necessity for punishment is of frequent occurrence. The master
has it in his own power to chastise his slaves at his own discretion.
Some, however, prefer sending the culprit to the Calabouça, where, on
the payment of a small sum, punishment is given by the police. Many
of the crimes for which only a few lashes are awarded, are of such a
nature that in England would bring upon the perpetrator either death or
transportation. It is only for very serious crimes that a slave is given
up entirely to the public tribunals, as then his services are lost to the
owner, either altogether, or at least for a long period.
On most of the plantations the slaves are well attended to, and appear to
be very happy. Indeed, it is a characteristic of the negro, resulting no
doubt from his careless disposition, that he very soon gets reconciled to
his condition. I have conversed with slaves in all parts of the country,
and have met with but very few who expressed any regret at having been
taken from their own country, or a desire to return to it. On some of the
large estates at which I have resided for short periods, the number of
slaves often amounted to three or four hundred, and but for my previous
knowledge of their being such, I could never have found out from my
own observations that they were slaves. I saw a set of contented and
well-conditioned labourers turning out from their little huts, often
surrounded by a small garden, and proceeding to their respective daily
occupations, from which they returned in the evening, but not broken and
bent down with the severity of their tasks. The condition of the domestic
slave is, perhaps, even better than that of the others; his labour is
but light, and he is certainly better fed and clothed. I have almost
universally found the Brazilian ladies kind both to their male and female
domestic slaves; this is particularly the case when the latter have acted
as nurses. On estates, where there has been no medical attendant, I have
often found the lady of the proprietor attending to the sick in the
hospital herself.
Slaves, however, are variously inclined; from the very nature of a
negro—his well-ascertained deficient intellectual capacity—the want of
all education—the knowledge of his position in society, and the almost
certainty of his never being able to raise himself above it—we need not
wonder that there should be among them some who are restless, impatient
of all control, and addicted to every vice. It is the frequent necessity
which arises for the punishment of the evil-disposed, that has led to
the supposition of the indiscriminate and universal use of the lash. If
the intellectual capacity of the negro be contrasted with the native
Indian, it will not be difficult, on most points, to decide in favour of
the latter. It is no small proof of the deficient mental endowment of
the negro, that even in remote parts of the empire, three or four white
men can keep as many as two or three hundred of them in the most perfect
state of submission. With the Indian this could never be accomplished,
for they too once were allowed to be held as slaves, and even still are,
on the northern and western frontier, although contrary to law. The
Indian has the animal propensities less fully developed than the negro;
hence he is more gentle in his disposition, but at the same time, is much
more impatient of restraint.
The character and capacity of the negro vary very much in the different
nations. Those from the northern parts of Africa are by far the finest
races. The slaves of Bahia are more difficult to manage than those of any
other part of Brazil, and more frequent attempts at revolt have taken
place there than elsewhere. The cause of this is obvious. Nearly the
whole of the slave population of that place is from the Gold Coast. Both
the men and the women are not only taller and more handsomely formed than
those from Mozambique, Benguela, and the other parts of Africa, but have
a much greater share of mental energy, arising, perhaps, from their near
relationship to the Moor and the Arab. Among them there are many who both
read and write Arabic. They are more united among themselves than the
other nations, and hence are less liable to have their secrets divulged
when they aim at a revolt.
To sum up these observations, I have had ample opportunity, since I
left South America, for contrasting the condition of the slave of that
country with that of the coolie in the Mauritius and in India, but more
particularly in Ceylon; and were I asked to which I would give the
preference, I should certainly decide in favour of the former, although,
at the same time I could not but exclaim with Sterne, “still, Slavery!
still thou art a bitter draught!”
A general rise of the black population is much dreaded in Brazil, which
is not unreasonable, when the great proportion it bears to the white is
taken into consideration. Were they all united by one common sympathy,
this would have happened long ago, but the hostile prejudices existing
among the different races of Africans, have hitherto prevented it. In
the northern and interior provinces, considerable encouragement to their
insubordination has been offered, by the general feeling that animates
a large proportion of the free class, who are mostly of mixed blood,
and who desire to throw off the yoke of monarchy and replace it by a
republican form of government, a feeling which I know to be general, not
only among the lower orders, but among the magistrates, priests, officers
in the army, and owners of landed property, and hence I believe the time
is not far distant, when Brazil will share the fate of the other South
American states. In such an event the white population will be sure to
suffer from the savage rapacity of the mixed races, especially those who
have African blood in them: for it is to be remarked, that the worst
of criminals spring from this class, who inherit in some degree the
superior intellect of the white, while they retain much of the cunning
and ferocity of the black; they are mostly free, and bear no good will
towards the whites, who form the smaller part of the entire population.
It should be observed, however, that in the class of wealthier landed
proprietors and commercial men, who have received the benefits of
a more liberal education, especially those nearer the capital, and
those belonging to the provinces along the coast, this tide of public
opinion, that at one time nearly threatened the ruin of the empire,
has been in a great measure arrested, and many of those who formerly
advocated republican principles, are now the staunchest supporters of the
constitutional monarchy, convinced of its being the strongest guarantee
they can have for the security of their lives and property, and the
developement of the industry and resources of the empire.
In Brazil the mixed races receive different names from those in the
Spanish territories. The offspring of Europeans and negroes are called
_Mulattos_; those of Europeans and native Indians, _Mamelucos_; those
of the negro and Indian, _Caboclos_; while those which spring from the
mulatto and negro are called _Cabras_; the term _Creole_ is applied to
the offspring of the negroes.
I considered myself fortunate, shortly after my arrival at Rio, to make
the acquaintance, and gain the friendship, of a family that had already
travelled in distant parts of South America. It is only he who, day after
day, is pursuing his solitary rambles through the dark forests, in the
shady glens, on the mountain summits, or by the surf-beaten shores of
such a country as Brazil, where all is new, and all is strange, who can
fully estimate the privilege of being received with welcome into a family
whose leisure hours are devoted to pursuits similar to his own. Many of
my excursions in the vicinity of Rio, were undertaken in company with
these friends, and to their local knowledge of the country I owe some
of my finest botanical acquisitions. To them, as well as to most of the
English residents at Rio, I am indebted for many attentions during the
different periods of my residence in that neighbourhood.
In order to present some general idea of the splendid scenery of the
country, and the leading features of this part of Brazil, I will give an
account of some of these excursions. There is a path by the side of the
great aqueduct which has always been the favourite resort of naturalists
who have visited Rio; and there is certainly no walk near the city so
fruitful either in insects or plants. The following notes were made on
the return from my first visit along the whole length of the aqueduct.
After reaching the head of the Laranjeiras valley, which is about two
miles in extent, the ascent becomes rather steep. At this time it was
about nine A.M., and the rays of the sun, proceeding from a cloudless
sky, were very powerful; but a short distance brought us within the
cool shade of the dense forest which skirts the sides of the Corcovado,
and through which our path lay. In the valley we saw some very large
trees of a thorny-stemmed _Bombax_, but they were then destitute both of
leaves and flowers, nearly all the trees of this tribe being deciduous.
There we also passed under the shade of a very large solitary tree which
overhangs the road, and is well known by the name of the Pao Grande. It
is the _Jequetibá_ of the Brazilians, and the _Couratari legalis_ of
Martius. Considerably further up, and on the banks of a small stream that
descends from the mountain, we found several curious _Dorstenias_, and
many delicate species of Ferns. We also added here to our collections
fine specimens of the Tree-fern (_Trichopteris excelsa_), which was the
first of the kind I had yet seen. The forests here exhibited all the
characteristics of tropical vegetation. The rich black soil, which has
been forming for centuries in the broad ravines from the decay of leaves,
&c., is covered with herbaceous ferns, _Dorstenias_, _Heliconias_,
_Begonias_, and other plants which love shade and humidity; while above
these rise the tall and graceful Tree-ferns, and the noble Palms, the
large leaves of which tremble in the slightest breeze. But it is the
gigantic forest trees themselves which produce the strongest impression
on the mind of a stranger. How I felt the truth of the observation of
Humboldt, that, when a traveller newly arrived from Europe penetrates for
the first time into the forests of South America, nature presents itself
to him under such an unexpected aspect, that he can scarcely distinguish
what most excites his admiration, the deep silence of those solitudes,
the individual beauty and contrast of forms, or that vigour and freshness
of vegetable life which characterize the climate of the tropics.[1] What
first claims attention is the great size of the trees, their thickness,
and the height to which they rear their unbranched stems. Then, in place
of the few mosses and lichens which cover the trunks and boughs of the
forest trees of temperate climes, here they are bearded from the roots to
the very extremities of the smallest branches, with Ferns, _Aroideæ_,
_Tillandsias_, _Cacti_, _Orchideæ_, _Gesnereæ_, and other epiphytous
plants. Besides these, many of the larger trunks are encircled with the
twining stems of _Bignonias_, and shrubs of similar habit, the branches
of which frequently become thick, and compress the tree so much, that it
perishes in the too close embrace. Those climbers, again, which merely
ascend the trunk, supporting themselves by their numerous small roots,
often become detached after reaching the boughs, and, where many of them
exist, the stem presents the aspect of a large mast supported by its
stays. These rope-like twiners and creeping plants, passing from tree to
tree, descending from the branches to the ground, and ascending again to
other boughs, intermingle themselves in a thousand ways, and render a
passage through such parts of the forest both difficult and annoying.
Having reached, by mid-day, the level on which the water of the aqueduct
is brought from its source, we continued our walk along it for upwards
of two miles. Our progress, however, was slow, from the number of new
objects continually claiming our attention. In damp shady spots by
the side of the aqueduct we found the common water-cress (_Nasturtium
officinale_) of Europe, which is one of the few plants that are truly
cosmopolite; and on the rocks grew some little European mosses, which,
being old acquaintances, recalled pleasing thoughts of home. Numerous
ferns, and many strange-leaved _Begonias_ grew along the side of the
little stream. While collecting specimens of a moss, I had a providential
escape from a poisonous snake: I caught it in my hand along with a
handful of the moss, which was soon dropped when I perceived what
accompanied it. Venomous snakes are not uncommon in the province of Rio
de Janeiro; but accidents do not so often result from them as might be
supposed.
About seven o’clock P.M., we regained the spot where we had left the
servants, the horses, and the materials for our dinner; and by the time
we had partaken of this repast, darkness had already set in. As the road
is by no means of easy descent, even by day, we should not have thought
of remaining so long, had we not been certain of moonlight. During the
half hour we delayed for the rising of the moon, we listened to the
sounds produced by the various animals which are in a state of activity
at this hour of the evening. Pre-eminent above all the others, is that
emitted by the blacksmith frog; every sound which he produces ringing in
the ear like the clang of a hammer upon an anvil, while the tones uttered
by his congeners strikingly resemble the lowing of cattle at a distance.
Besides these, the hooting of an owl, the shrill song of the cicada, and
the chirping of grasshoppers, formed a continued concert of inharmonious
tones; while the air was lighted up by the fitful flashes of numerous
fire-flies.
When the moon rose we continued our journey, but the lowering clouds,
together with the dark shade of the overhanging trees, prevented our
deriving much advantage from its light. When we emerged from the forest
and gained a glimpse of the horizon, everything betokened an approaching
storm. Towards the north lay a mass of the darkest clouds, whence
streamed, from time to time, sheets of the most brilliant lightning. This
continued till we reached home, shortly after ten o’clock, and we were
scarcely seated when the storm broke forth in all its fury, accompanied
with a deluge of rain.
From various parts of the watercourse fine views of the low country
are obtained. The finest, perhaps, is that which discloses the Lake of
Rodrigo Freitas. We looked, as it were, through a large portal; on the
left is the Corcovado, covered with a dense forest of various tinted
foliage, and on the right, the nearly perpendicular face of another
mountain, covered with a few _Cacti_ and other succulent plants, but
richly wooded towards the summit. From this point there runs a large wide
valley, at the bottom of which lies the Botanic Garden, and still further
on, the lake. On the flat grounds by the shores of the lake are a number
of cottages, surrounded by cultivated fields. Immediately beyond these is
the sea-shore, with its broad belt of white sand on which a heavy surf
is always breaking. All beyond, with the exception of a small island or
two to the left is the great Southern Atlantic Ocean, bounded by the blue
sky. In the course of our walk we often sat down to rest ourselves, and
to enjoy, in the silence and repose which surrounded us, the romantic
prospects which were constantly presenting themselves.
The Corcovado mountain offers a rich field to the botanist. I frequently
visited the lower portions, but only once ascended to the summit.
The ascent is from the N.W. side, and although rather steep in some
places, may be ridden on horseback all the way up. Some of the trees
on the lower parts of it are very large. The thick underwood consists
of _Palms_, _Melastomaceæ_, _Myrtaceæ_, _Tree-ferns_, _Crotons_, &c.;
and beneath these are many delicate herbaceous ferns, _Dorstenias_,
_Heliconias_, and, in the more open places, a few large grasses. Towards
the summit the trees are of much smaller growth, and shrubs belonging
to the genus _Croton_ are abundant, as well as a small kind of bamboo.
The summit itself is a large mass of very coarse-grained granite. In
the clefts of the rocks grow a few small kinds of Orchideous plants,
and a beautiful tuberous-rooted scarlet-flowered _Gesneria_. From
this point a magnificent panoramic view of the bay, the city, and the
surrounding country is obtained. The temperature at this elevation is
so much reduced, that it is not difficult to fancy one’s self suddenly
transported to a higher latitude. A strong breeze was blowing, and just
before leaving, the top of the mountain became enveloped in one of those
dark clouds which so frequently hang over it towards the beginning of the
rainy season.
Another interesting journey made during my stay at Rio, was to the
Tijuca mountains, whither I was accompanied by a friend, and where we
remained ten days. Instead of the direct road from Rio, we preferred
the worst and more circuitous one which leads along the shore. Near the
sea, and about fifteen miles distant from the city, rises the Gavea, or
Topsail Mountain, so called from its square shape, and well known to
English sailors by the name, of Lord Hood’s Nose. It has a flat top, and
rises about two thousand feet above the level of the sea, to which it
presents a nearly perpendicular precipitous face. We remained a night
at the house of a Frenchman, who possessed a small coffee estate. The
coffee is planted on the rocky sloping ground which lies between the
base of the mountain and the sea. The situation is cool, and possesses
a moist climate. Among the loose rocks at the foot of the mountain we
made a fine collection of beautiful land-shells, and on the rocks by the
sea-shore, we found the beautiful _Gloxinia speciosa_, which is now so
common in the hot-houses of England, growing in the greatest profusion,
and covered with flowers. Along with it grows a kind of wild Parsley,
and twining among the bushes, a new kind of Indian cress (_Tropæolum
orthoceras_, Gardn.). On the face of the mountain, at an elevation of
several hundred feet, we observed some large patches of one of those
beautiful large-flowered Orchideous plants which are so common in Brazil.
Its large rose-coloured flowers were very conspicuous, but we could not
reach them. A few days afterwards we found it on a neighbouring mountain,
and ascertained it to be _Cattleya labiata_. Those on the Gavea will long
continue to vegetate, far from the reach of the greedy collector.
The road, after winding round the Gavea, terminates at a small salt water
lake, which passengers, who follow this route, are obliged to cross, or
rather to pass from one end to the other, in consequence of the flank
of a high hill which runs into it, and prevents a passage along its
margin. We passed the lake in a rotten leaky canoe, and saw on the face
of the steep rocks many curious plants which we could not reach. The
path which led to the house where we were to take up our quarters, lay
for about two miles through a flat meadow-land, partly in its original
state, and partly planted with Indian corn, Mandiocca, and Bananas. We
passed many small habitations belonging to poor people of colour, mostly
fishermen. Before reaching the foot of the mountain over which the road
leads to Tijuca, we passed a migrating body of small black ants. The
immense number of individuals comprising it may be imagined from the
fact, that the column was more than six feet broad, and extended in
length to upwards of thirty yards. The ground was completely covered
with the little creatures, so closely were they packed together. The
natural history of ants has as yet been but little studied, particularly
with regard to the enumeration of species. They are more numerous than
naturalists are aware of. In those parts within the tropics where
humidity prevails, they are neither so varied in species, nor so abundant
in individuals, as in drier districts. While residing at Pernambuco, I
remember taking notice of all the species I met with in the course of a
single day, and they amounted to about twenty-five.
Before ascending the hill we visited the falls of Tijuca, which are only
at a short distance from the road. The crystal water of a large rivulet
falls over two successive gently inclined masses of rock, upwards of one
hundred feet high. It rather glides in a broad broken sheet than falls,
and is received in a large pool below. This cascade reminded me of those
which are so often to be met with in the wooded glens of Scotland. By
dusk, after gradually ascending the mountains, we reached the house;
it is situated in an old coffee plantation, belonging to a Brazilian
nobleman, but it was then rented by a party of young English merchants
in Rio, who used it as a holiday resort, and, by the kindness of one of
them, we were allowed to remain at it for a few days.
Early on the following morning we made an excursion to a mountain called
the Pedra Bonita, immediately opposite the Gavea. In our way thither we
visited the coffee plantations of Mrs. Moke, and Mr. Lescene. They adjoin
each other, and were then considered the best managed near Rio. The great
coffee country is much farther inland, on the banks of the Rio Parahiba.
The trees are planted from six to eight feet apart. Those plants which
have been taken from the nursery with balls of mould round their root are
found to bear fruit in about two years, whereas those which have been
detached from the earth do not produce till the third year, and a greater
proportion of the plants die. They are planted when about a foot high,
on the slopes of the hills, in the alluvial soil from whence the virgin
forest has been cleared. They are only allowed to grow to the height of
from ten to twelve feet, so that the crop may lie within reach. Till the
trees are in full bearing, one negro can take charge of, and keep clean,
two thousand plants: but afterwards only half that number is allotted
him. Large healthy coffee trees have been found to produce as much as
from eight to twelve pounds of coffee; the average produce, however,
varies from a pound and a half to three pounds. When the berry is ripe,
it is about the size and colour of a cherry; and of these berries a
negro can collect about thirty-two pounds daily. In the course of the
year there are three gatherings, but the greater part of the crop ripens
during the dry season. The berries are spread out to dry in the sun,
on large slightly convex floors; the dry shell is afterwards removed,
either by mills, or by a series of large wooden mortars. It is only in
some few estates in Brazil that the pulper is seen, which is so commonly
used in the West Indies and Ceylon, for taking off the pulp from the
fresh berries. Nothing is more beautiful than a coffee plantation in full
bloom; the trees come into flower at the same time, but the blossoms do
not last more than twenty-four hours. Seen from a distance the plantation
seems covered with snow; and the flowers have a most delightful fragrance.
By the side of a stream which flows through the valley where these
plantations are, we noticed a nettle-like tree, with a stem eight inches
in diameter, and nearly twenty feet high, which proved to be a new
species of _Bæhmeria_ (_B. arborescens_, Gardn.). For a considerable
way our ascending path was bordered with bitter orange trees, the shade
afforded by which was no less acceptable than their fruit was grateful;
for the juice though a little bitter is not disagreeably so. Both here,
and in many other parts about Rio, this bitter kind of orange grows
apparently wild; it is called the wild orange by the Brazilians (_Laranja
da Terra_), but it is certainly not indigenous. Thence, we came to a
tract where the original forest having been felled, was replaced by a
thick wood of young trees, consisting chiefly of arborescent _Solanums_,
_Crotons_, _Vernonias_, &c., while great numbers of _Cecropia peltata_
and _palmata_ reared their heads above the rest, conspicuous at a great
distance from their white bark, their large lobed leaves, the snowy
under-surface of which, when agitated by the wind, gives the tree the
appearance of being covered with large white blossoms.
Near the summit of the Pedra Bonita, there is a small Fazenda, or farm,
the proprietor of which was then clearing away the forest which covers
it, converting the larger trees into charcoal. From the massive trunks
of some of them which had just been felled, we obtained some very pretty
Orchideous plants, and several of the larger denizens of the forest,
found to belong to the natural orders _Melastomaceæ_, _Myrtaceæ_,
_Compositæ_, and _Leguminosæ_. The ascent of the Pedra Bonita is made
from the north side. Immediately on emerging from the forest, and
attaining the summit, a most magnificent view of the surrounding country
presented itself. It was then nearly sunset, so we had but little time
for botanizing. We only saw enough to convince us that the vegetation
of the top of this mountain had a very different character from those
of any others we had visited near Rio: resembling more, as I have since
ascertained, that of the mountains of the interior. A few days afterwards
we made another journey to it, but on this occasion the whole mountain
was enveloped in clouds, the minute globules of which they were composed
being distinctly visible, as they swept past under the influence of a
strong breeze which was blowing from the north. A great part of the top
we found to be covered with the beautiful lily-like _Vellozia candida_,
on the branches of which grew a pretty _Epidendrum_, with rose-coloured
flowers. Along with the _Vellozia_ grew two beautiful subscandent
species of _Echites_,[2] one with large dark violet-coloured flowers,
the other with white ones of a similar size. They both exhale an odour
not unlike that of the common primrose, but more powerful. On the edge
of a precipice on the eastern side, we found, covered with its large
rose-coloured flowers, the splendid _Cattleya labiata_, which a few days
before we had seen on the Gavea.
The following year, on my return from the Organ Mountains, I again
visited this spot, and found that a great change had taken place. The
forest, which formerly covered a considerable portion of the summit,
was now cut down and converted into charcoal; and the small shrubs and
_Vellozias_ which grew in the exposed portion, had been destroyed by
fire. The progress of cultivation is proceeding so rapidly for twenty
miles around Rio, that many of the species which still exist, will in
the course of a few years, be completely annihilated, and the botanists
of future times who visit the country, will look in vain for the plants
collected by their predecessors.
Other excursions to the islands in the bay, and to Jurujuba, on the
opposite side of it, were also productive of many interesting species
of plants. It was at the latter place, on dry bushy hills, that I first
saw the really beautiful _Buginvillea spectabilis_ growing wild. It
climbs up into the tops of the bushes and trees near which it grows, and
the brilliant colour of the flowers, which it produces in the greatest
profusion, renders it conspicuous in the woods at a great distance. This,
as well as the equally beautiful _Bignonia venusta_, are much cultivated
as ornamental climbers in the suburbs.
Before leaving Rio, I visited the Botanic Garden, and the Museum of
Natural History. The former, as has already been observed, is situated at
the foot of a valley near the sea, about eight miles to the south-west of
the city. It is more a public promenade than a Botanic Garden, for, with
the exception of a few East Indian trees and shrubs, and a few herbaceous
European plants, there is but little to entitle it to that name. Of the
immense number of beautiful plants indigenous to the country, I saw but
few. The European botanist is, however, well recompensed for his visit,
by the sight of some large Bread-fruit trees and the Jack, with its
much smaller entire leaves, and monstrous fruit pendent from the stem
and large branches. There are also some fine Cinnamon and Clove trees.
Near the centre of the garden several clusters of Bamboos, with stems
upwards of fifty feet in height, give it a marked tropical character. The
avenue which leads up from the entrance, is planted on each side with
the pine-like _Casuarina_. It is on a piece of ground, about an acre in
extent, on the left hand side of this avenue, that the Tea plants grow
which were imported from China by the grandfather of the present Emperor.
It was thought that the climate and soil of Brazil would be suitable for
its cultivation, but the success of the experiment has not equalled the
expectations which were formed of it, notwithstanding that the growth of
the plants, and the preparation of the leaves, were managed by natives
of China accustomed to such occupations. In the province of San Paulo a
few large plantations of Tea have been established; that belonging to the
ex-regent Feijó, containing upwards of 20,000 trees. The produce is sold
in the shops at Rio, and in appearance is scarcely to be distinguished
from that of Chinese manufacture, but the flavour is inferior, having
more of an herby taste. It is sold at about the same price, but it is
now ascertained that it cannot be produced, so as to give a sufficient
recompense to the grower, the price of labour being greater in Brazil
than in China. To remunerate, it is said that Brazil Tea ought to bring
five shillings per pound.
The National Museum of Natural History was founded by Don John the Sixth.
It gives but a poor idea of the vast stores of animated nature which
exist in the country. Like many other Museums, more attention has been
given to the cases than to their contents. The collection is contained
in a building of moderate size, in the Campo de Santa Anna. There are
some eight apartments which visitors are allowed to enter: one of these
is devoted to the dresses, ornaments, arms, &c., of the aborigines of
Brazil; another contains a number of cases of stuffed birds, foreign as
well as indigenous, badly prepared, and but few of them named; another
has a few mummy cases ranged along one side of it, from one of which
the body has been taken and placed in a glass case; the bindings have
been unrolled from the head and feet, and both these parts are fully
exposed. There are also in this room a very limited collection of coins
and medals, and a few paintings, one of which is a full-length portrait
of the founder. Another apartment contains a few cases of quadrupeds,
chiefly monkeys. Two rooms are allotted to a collection of minerals,
which is the most extensive as well as the most interesting portion of
the contents of the institution; the specimens are mostly European. The
Museum is thrown open to the public every Thursday, from ten till four
o’clock, and appears to be well frequented.
CHAPTER II.
JOURNEY TO AND RESIDENCE IN THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
Principal Summer Resort of the English Residents—Journey from
Piedade to Magé and Frechal—Ascent of the Mountains—Description
of Virgin Forests—Mr. March’s Plantation in the Serra—Treatment
of his Slaves—Case of One bitten by a venomous Snake—Limb
amputated by the Author—Mode of Treatment in such Cases among
the Natives—Charms—Tapir-Hunting in the Mountains—Beasts,
Birds, and Reptiles found there—Visit to a Brazilian
Fazendeiro—To Constantia—Ascent of the loftiest Peaks—Vegetable
Productions in those elevated regions—Pleasant Sojourn on the
Estate.
The collections which had accumulated during the period of my residence
in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro, having been put into a proper
state and sent to England, I made arrangements for visiting the Organ
Mountains. The peaks which receive this appellation form part of a
mountain range, situated about sixty miles to the north of Rio, which,
branching out in various directions, stretches from about Bahia, in lat.
12° S., to S. Catharina, in lat. 29° S. The name (Serra dos Orgãos)
bestowed on them by the Portuguese, originated in a fancied resemblance
which the peaks, rising gradually one above the other, bear to the pipes
of an organ. About ten years before my visit a Sanatorium, or health
station, had been established on this range, at about 3,000 feet above
the level of the sea, in a beautiful valley behind the higher peaks. A
large tract of country there belongs to Mr. March, an English gentleman,
on which he has a farm for the breeding of horses and mules, and a large
garden, from which the Rio market is regularly supplied with European
vegetables. On this property a number of cottages have been erected,
which are resorted to by the families of the English residents at Rio
during the hot months. He also receives boarders into his own house, and
it rarely happens that the place is without visitors. About one-third of
the journey has to be performed by water, the other is accomplished on
mules, which are sent down from Mr. March’s farm (Fazenda).
As Mr. March happened to be in Rio at the time I purposed visiting the
mountains, we started together, on the 24th of Dec., along with two
or three English merchants, who were going up to spend the Christmas
holidays with their families. It was mid-day before we could leave
the city, and, under the influence of a strong sea-breeze, we reached
Piedade, the landing-place, at half-past three o’clock, the distance
being about twenty miles. The boat in which we embarked belongs to a
class which is very common in the harbour, and much employed in conveying
goods to the head of the bay, and produce from the interior, from thence
to Rio. They are also much made use of by pleasure parties frequenting
the islands and opposite shores of the bay. They are called Faluas, and
are manned by six rowers, and a steersman who is called the Patrão. The
latter is very frequently the owner, and most of them are natives of
Portugal. They have two masts, each of which carries a large sail; the
stern part is covered over and enclosed with curtains. The negroes who
man these boats are generally strong muscular men. Seated on one thwart,
they place their feet against another, and rise up at each stroke of the
oar, keeping time to a melancholy chant all the while they are pulling.
These boats can be hired for an entire day at about eighteen shillings.
The day was a most delightful one, the sun shining out brightly from a
clear sky, and the air cooled by the fresh sea-breeze. We passed close
to the Ilha do Governador, which is the largest island in the bay. It
is about eight miles in length, but narrow in proportion, and thinly
inhabited. Shortly before my arrival in the country, an Englishman
commenced a soap and candle manufactory on it, both of which articles
bring the same price in Rio as those imported from Europe. The muddy
shores of this island, as well as those of the whole bay, abound with
crabs of all sizes, and every variety of colour, from nearly black to a
bright scarlet. On one occasion when I visited the island, I observed
within a very short space about eight species. They are gregarious, and
each kind inhabits a distinct colony; they burrow in the mud, under the
shade and among the roots of the mangrove and other shore-loving trees.
It was here that I first saw the apparent anomaly of trees bearing crops
of oysters. These animals, when young, attach themselves to the lower
part of the trunks, and long pendulous roots, of the mangrove and other
trees, which grow in the sea even to low-water mark. The oysters are
small and not well-flavoured. Others are found in the bay of enormous
size, some of their shells, which I collected as specimens, measuring
upwards of a foot in length. Near the head of the bay there are many
little islands, some of which are inhabited, and present the agreeable
prospect of cultivation, while others are little more than masses of
rock, among the clefts of which grow a few stunted shrubs, and grotesque
prickly pears.
At Piedade, mules from Mr. March’s Fazenda were waiting for us and our
luggage, and, after a short stay for the arrangement of the latter, we
began the land part of our journey. At Piedade, which only consists of a
few scattered houses, a large hotel was being erected by Col. Leite, a
Brazilian gentleman, who, at his own expense, was then making a new road
across the Organ Mountains, to join the one which leads to the mining
districts from Porto de Estrella, another landing place at the head of
the bay. The latter place has hitherto been the common harbour between
Rio and the interior. The Colonel, however, expects that his new road
will ultimately be preferred, as it is much shorter. Four years after
when I again visited this part of the country, I found that this road
was still in an unfinished state. To save the expense of an engineer he
had traced the road himself, and the consequence was, that it afterwards
required many alterations. The road from Piedade to Magé, a small town
about four miles distant, leads through a flat, sandy, and, in several
places, marshy plain, abounding with low trees and beautiful flowering
shrubs. The hedges were covered with numerous climbers, one of them a
small sweet-flowered kind of Jasmine, the only one which has hitherto
been found in a wild state on the continent of America. In moist places,
_Dichorizandra thyrsiflora_, with its spikes of azure blossoms, was
not uncommon, while the sandy fields were covered with a large kind of
_Cactus_, among which many plants of the aloe-like _Fourcroya gigantea_
were to be seen throwing up their flowering stems to a height of thirty
and forty feet.
The town of Magé is rather prettily situated on the banks of the
Magé-assú, one of the many small rivers which take their rise in the
Organ Mountains, and fall into the head of the bay. It contains a neat
church, and a number of well-furnished shops. The river is navigable, for
craft of a small size, about eight miles from its mouth. A considerable
quantity of Farinha de Mandiocca (Cassava) is exported from this place to
Rio. Its low situation, and the surrounding swamps, render it unhealthy
at particular seasons; intermittent fevers are here common, and they
frequently terminate in others of a more malignant nature. From Magé to
Frechal, the place where we slept for the night, the distance is about
fourteen miles. The road still continued flat, but wound round many low
hills, the sides of which are covered with plantations of Mandiocca. We
met several troops of mules coming down from the interior, loaded with
produce. Unaccustomed to such a mode of transport, the European looks
with astonishment at the great number of animals which are here required
to carry what, in his own country, would scarcely form a load for one.
Loaded mules start daily from Rio, Piedade, and Porto d’Estrella, to
make journeys into the interior of from five hundred to two thousand
miles and upwards. They seldom travel above twelve or sixteen miles a
day, and the load allowed to each varies from six to eight arrobas of
thirty-two pounds each. The loads are protected from the weather by
dried ox-hides, which are strapped lightly over them. Frechal is a small
village, consisting of a few scattered houses, and situated about two
miles from the foot of the mountains. The place at which we put up for
the night is a large kind of public house (Venda), where there is an open
room for the accommodation of travellers; around this room a number of
beds are arranged, which gives it very much the appearance of a hospital
ward. Here, unlike most other places of the same kind between Rio and the
mining districts, a very comfortable meal may always be obtained.
Next morning by break of day we again continued our journey. At about
two miles from Frechal the ascent of the mountains begins. From thence
to Mr. March’s Fazenda, which stands at an elevation of upwards of 3,000
feet above the level of the sea, is twelve miles. During the whole way
the road is very bad, and in many places so steep, that it is with
considerable difficulty the mules make their way up it. Indeed, to one
unused to travel on such paths, which have more the appearance of the
bed of a mountain torrent than a road for beasts of burden, many parts
of it appear impassable; but he is soon undeceived by the slow yet sure
manner in which the mules pass along the worst portion of it, especially
if left entirely to themselves. The whole length of the road is through
one dense forest, the magnificence of which cannot be imagined by those
who have never seen it, or penetrated into its recesses. Those remnants
of the virgin forest which still stand in the vicinity of the capital,
although they appear grand to the eye of a newly-arrived European,
become insignificant when compared with the mass of giant vegetation
which clothes the sides of the Organ Mountains. So far as I have been
able to determine, the large forest trees consist of various species of
_Palms_, _Laurus_, _Ficus_, _Cassia_, _Bignonia_, _Solanum_, _Myrtaceæ_,
and _Melastomaceæ_. In temperate climates natural forests are mostly
composed of trees which grow gregariously. In those of tropical countries
it is seldom that two trees of a kind are to be seen growing together,
the variety of different species is so great. Many of the trees are of
immense size, and have their trunks and branches covered with myriads
of those plants which are usually called parasites, but are not so in
reality, consisting of _Orchideæ_, _Bromeliaceæ_, _Ferns_, _Peperomiæ_,
&c., which derive their nourishment from the moisture of their bark, and
the earthy matter which has been formed from the decay of mosses, &c.
Many of the trees have their trunks encircled by twiners, the stems of
which are often thicker than those they surround. This is particularly
the case with a kind of wild fig, called by the Brazilians, Cipo
Matador. It runs up the tree to which it has attached itself, and at
the distance of about every ten feet throws out from each side a thick
clasper, which curves round, and closely entwines the other stem. As both
the trees increase in size, the pressure ultimately becomes so great,
that the supporting one dies from the embrace of the parasite.
There is another kind of wild fig-tree, with an enormous height and
thickness of stem, to which the English residents give the name of
Buttress-tree, from several large thin plates which stand out from the
bottom of the trunk. They begin to jut out from the stem at the height
of ten or twelve feet from the bottom, and gradually increase in breadth
till they reach the ground, where they are connected with the large roots
of the tree. At the surface of the ground these plates are often five
feet broad, and throughout not more than a few inches thick. The various
species of _Laurus_ form fine trees; they flower in the months of April
and May, at which season the atmosphere is loaded with the rich perfume
of their small white blossoms. When their fruit is ripe, it forms the
principal food of the Jacutinga (_Penelope Jacutinga_, Spix), a fine
large game bird. The large _Cassiæ_ have a striking appearance when in
flower; and, as an almost equal number of large trees of _Lasiandra
Fontanesiana_, and others of the _Melastoma_ tribe, are in bloom at the
same time, the forests are then almost one mass of yellow and purple from
the abundance of these flowers. Rising amid these, the pink-coloured
flowers of the _Chorisia speciosa_—a kind of silk cotton-tree—can be
easily distinguished. It is also a large tree, with a stem, covered with
strong prickles, from five to eight feet in circumference unbranched
to the height of thirty or forty feet. The branches then form a nearly
hemispherical top, which, when covered with its thousands of beautiful
large rose-coloured blossoms, has a striking effect when contrasted with
the masses of green, yellow, and purple of the surrounding trees.
Many of these large trunks afford support to various species of climbing
and twining shrubs, belonging to the natural orders _Bignoniaceæ_,
_Compositæ_, _Apocyneæ_, and _Leguminosæ_, the stems of which frequently
assume a very remarkable appearance. Several of them are often twisted
together and dangle from the branches of the trees, like large ropes,
while others are flat and compressed, like belts: of the latter
description I have met with some six inches broad, and not more than
an inch thick. Two of the finest climbers are the beautiful large
trumpet-flowered _Solandra grandiflora_, which, diffusing itself among
the largest trees of the forest, gives them a magnificence not their own;
and a showy species of Fuchsia (_F. integrifolia_, Cambess.),[3] which is
very common, attaching itself to all kinds of trees, often reaching to
the height of from sixty to one hundred feet, and then falling down in
the most beautiful festoons.
At the foot of the mountains the underwood principally consists of shrubs
belonging to the natural orders _Melastomaceæ_, _Myrtaceæ_, _Compositæ_,
_Solanaceæ_, and _Rubiaceæ_, among which are many large species of
herbaceous ferns, and a few palms. About the middle, palms and tree ferns
abound, some of the latter reaching to the height of not less than forty
feet. These trees are so unlike every other denizen of the forest, so
strange in appearance, yet so graceful, that they have always attracted
my attention more than any other, not even excepting the palms. At an
elevation of about 2,000 feet, a large species of bamboo (_Bambusa
Togoara_, Mart.) makes its appearance. The stems of this gigantic grass
are often eighteen inches in circumference, and attain a height of
from fifty to one hundred feet. They do not, however, grow perfectly
upright, their tops forming a graceful curve downwards. Throughout the
whole distance, the path was lined on each side with the most beautiful
herbaceous plants and delicate ferns.
We reached Mr. March’s Fazenda early in the forenoon. His estate embraces
an extent of country containing sixty-four square miles. The greater
part of it is still covered by virgin forests; that which is cleared,
consists of pasture land, and several small farms for the cultivation of
Indian corn, French beans, and potatoes. Plentiful crops are yielded of
the two former, but the produce of the latter is neither so abundant nor
so good as in England. He has also near his house a large garden, under
the management of a French gardener, in which nearly all the European
fruits and vegetables grow tolerably well. The peach, the olive, the
fig, the vine, the apple, the quince, the loquat, the pear, the orange,
and the banana, may be seen growing side by side, and all, with the
exception of the two latter, bearing abundance of fruit. The orange and
the banana also bear, but the cold seldom allows the fruit to come to
perfection. The strawberry yields but little fruit, and the gooseberry
none at all. The apples are quite equal to any I have tasted in England,
but the peaches are very inferior; bushels of them are given to feed the
pigs. The figs are delicious, especially a variety which produces small
green-coloured fruit. Excellent crops of cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus,
artichokes, turnips, carrots, peas, onions, &c., are freely produced, and
sent weekly to the city. The most fertile part of the estate is a large
valley, situated between the higher chain of the Organ Mountains and a
smaller range which runs nearly parallel with it, and many of the smaller
valleys, which run up to the peaks themselves, are cultivated; these are
all well watered with small streams of cool and limpid water.
At this elevation the climate is very much cooler than it is at Rio,
the thermometer in the months of May and June sometimes falling as low
as 32° just before daybreak. The lowest at which I observed it myself,
was on the 26th of May, when, at 8 o’clock A.M., the mercury indicated
39°. The highest to which it rose during the six months I resided on the
mountains, was on the 23rd of February, when the mercury stood at 84° at
noon. The hot season is also the season of the rains, and violent thunder
storms occur almost daily, during the months of January and February.
They come on with great regularity about four o’clock in the afternoon,
and when they pass over, leave a delightfully cool evening. Like the
mountains near Rio, the whole of the Organ range consists of granite. The
alluvial soil is very deep and rich in the valleys, and underneath it
there exists the same red-coloured argillaceo-ferrugineous clay which is
so common at Rio.
It being Christmas-day on which we arrived, and a great holiday, we found
the whole of the slaves belonging to the estate, amounting to about one
hundred, dancing in the yard before the house, and all attired in new
suits of clothes, which had been sent out to them the day before. In
the evening, a party of the best conducted, principally creoles, were
admitted into the verandah of the house, where I had a good opportunity
of witnessing their dances—some of them not being very delicate. One
of the best was a kind of dramatic dance, of which the following is
a programme. Near the door of a house belonging to a Padre (priest),
a young fellow commences dancing and playing on the viola, a kind of
guitar. The Padre hears the noise, and sends out one of his servants to
ascertain the cause. He finds the musician dancing to his own strains,
and tells him that he is sent by his master to enquire why he is thus
disturbed. The musician tells him that he is making no disturbance at
all, but only trying a new dance from Bahia, which he saw the other day
at Diario. The servant asks if it is a good one: “Oh, very good,” replies
the other, “will you not try it?” The servant claps his hands, cries
“Let the Padre go sleep!” and immediately joins in the dance. The same
thing is repeated till the Padre’s servants, men, women, and children,
amounting to about twenty, are dancing in a circle before the house. Last
of all the supposed Padre himself makes his appearance in a great rage,
dressed in a large Poncho for a gown, a broad-brimmed black straw hat,
and a mask with a long beard to it. He demands the cause of the noise,
which, he says, prevents him from enjoying his dinner. The musician
tells him the same story that was told to his servants, and after much
persuasion, gets him to join in the dance also. He dances with as much
zeal as any of them, but, watching his opportunity, he takes out a whip
which he has concealed under his gown, and, lashing the whole of them
out of the apartment, finishes the performance. A stricter discipline is
kept up among the slaves on this estate, than on any of the same size I
have been on in Brazil, but, at the same time, they are carefully and
kindly attended to. There is a hospital for the sick, and Mr. Heath, the
manager of the estate, has had great experience in the treatment of those
diseases to which negroes are liable.
Although there are not so many kinds of venomous snakes in Brazil as is
supposed even by the inhabitants, yet accidents frequently occur from
their bites to those slaves who are engaged in the plantations. In the
whole course of my travels in Brazil, I did not meet with more than half
a dozen kinds, which, from examination, were found to have poison fangs.
Some of these are, however, very numerous in individuals. In the province
of Rio, and in the southern provinces generally, the Jararáca, (_Bothrops
Neuwiedii_, Spix.) a genus nearly allied to that which the Rattle Snake
belongs to, is perhaps the most common. When full grown it is usually
about six feet long. It is frequently met with in plantations, and in
bushy and grassy places by the sides of woods, but is scarcely ever found
in dense forests. That which is most abundant in the central and northern
provinces, is a true Rattle Snake (_Cascavel_), but most probably a
distinct species from that of North America. On the day previous to my
arrival at Mr. March’s, one of his female slaves, about thirty-two years
of age, and the mother of four children, whilst weeding Indian corn on
a plantation about eight miles distant from the house, was bitten on
the right hand, between the bones of the fore-finger and thumb, by a
Jararáca. The accident took place about eight o’clock in the morning, and
immediately after she left to return home, but only reached half way,
when she was obliged to lie down from excessive pain and exhaustion. At
this time she said the feeling of thirst was very great. Some slaves
belonging to the estate happening to be near, one of them rode off to
inform Mr. Heath. When he arrived, he found the arm much swollen up to
the shoulder, beneath which he applied a ligature. From a cottage in the
neighbourhood he got a little hartshorn, some of which he applied to the
bite, and caused her to swallow about a tea-spoonful in water. Being in a
state of high fever, he took about a pound of blood from her, after which
she became faintish. She was then removed to the Fazenda, and had two
grains of calomel administered to her, and about an hour after a large
dose of castor oil.
When I saw her on the following day, she still complained of excruciating
pain in the hand and arm, to relieve which a linseed-meal poultice was
applied. The pulse being 130, and full, about another pound of blood
was taken from the other arm. Next day a number of little vesicles
made their appearance on the back of the hand and a little above the
wrist, which, when opened, discharged a watery fluid. For the next two
days she continued to suffer much pain, to relieve which poultices
were constantly applied. More vesicles formed, and the cuticle began
to peel off in the vicinity of the bite. On the morning of the 29th,
that is, on the fourth day after the accident, when the poultice was
removed, she complained of no pain at all in her hand, and on careful
examination I found that gangrene had taken place, all below the wrist
being dead. From the state of the arm, there was every appearance of the
mortification extending. On making an incision into the living portion
above the wrist, a considerable quantity of a very fœtid whitish watery
fluid discharged itself; and, on pressing the arm between the finger and
thumb, a crepitation was felt from the air which had generated beneath
the integuments. She was now very weak, the pulse 136, small and feeble,
and she appeared to be fast sinking. Amputation being the only means that
seemed to offer her a chance of recovery, I decided at once to take off
the arm. As the crepitation extended to a few inches above the elbow, and
the swelling itself to the shoulder, I determined to take it off as close
to the latter as possible. As there was no room for the application of
the tourniquet, I got Mr. Heath to apply pressure with a padded key over
the artery where it passes under the clavicle, and Mr. March held the arm
while I performed the operation. A good deal of blood was lost before I
could secure the artery, which had to be done before the bone was sawn
through. In a fortnight after, the stump had nearly healed up, and she
was walking about the room. Four years afterwards I again saw her, and
her general health had not suffered in the least, but she had become
extremely irritable and ill-tempered.
Neither the natives nor the inhabitants have any remedy for snake
bites, in which they put implicit faith. This I found out from their
frequently applying to me for medicine, after their own resources had
been completely exhausted. When an accident of this nature happens, the
patient, in the interior particularly, is generally put under the charge
of a class of people called Curadores, who apply their remedies with many
mysterious ceremonies. The first operation of the Curador is to suck the
wound, which, if immediately had recourse to, I believe to be the next
best thing to excision or cauterization. The patient is then put into a
dark room, and care is taken that he is not exposed to currents of air.
One of the remedies which they believe to be the most efficacious, is
that which is well known in Minas and the other inland provinces, by the
name of Black Root (_Raiz Preto_), and Snake Root (_Raiz de Cobra_). It
is the root of a common shrub, now well known to botanists by the name of
_Chiococca anguifuga_. It has a pungent disagreeable smell, not unlike
that of the common Valerian. Decoctions of this are given to drink, and
poultices of it are applied to the wound. The _Raiz Preto_ acts as a
violent emetic and purgative, and also induces copious perspiration. If
it operates freely in this manner, they augur favourably of the patient’s
recovery. Besides this plant they use many others. Snakes have generally
a disagreeable musky smell, and it is a common opinion among the people,
that any plant possessing one similar is sure to be valuable in the cure
of their bites.
In the province of Pernambuco, I found that a common method of cure
was to give the patient rum to drink, till he was in a perfect state
of intoxication; and this they affirm is very frequently a successful
remedy. But the most extraordinary method of cure which I have ever heard
of, is one which was communicated to me by a farmer (Fazendeiro), who
accompanied me to Rio on my return from the mountains. Only three days,
he said, before he left his estate, one of his oxen was bitten on the leg
by a Jararáca, but having immediately applied his remedy, it became as
well as any of the others before he quitted home. This remedy consists
of the following well-known Latin acrostic, or, as he termed them,
magical words:—
S. A. T. O. R.
A. R. E. P. O.
T. E. N. E. T.
O. P. E. R. A.
R. O. T. A. S.
Each line is to be written separately on a slip of paper, and then
rolled into the form of a pill, the whole five to be given as soon as
possible after the person or animal has been bitten. He also gave me
quite as ridiculous a remedy for the cure of drunkenness. This was to
place a piece of bread in the arm-pits of a dying man, and allow it to
remain there till he was perfectly dead. The smallest portion of this
bread, he affirmed, given, without their knowledge, to those addicted to
intemperance, would produce a perfect cure.
Catesby mentions that in North America he has seen death result from
the bite of a Rattle Snake in less than two minutes; I have also heard
of death taking place very shortly after the bite in Brazil, but I have
never actually seen it in less than ten or twelve hours. In those cases
where the poison acts so quickly, it must be so strong as to destroy
the nervous energy at once. In those in which the patient lingers
for one or more days, death generally takes place from inflammation
and mortification of the subcutaneous cellular substance. During the
course of my journeys in the interior, I met frequently with persons
who had recovered from severe snake bites, but almost all of them had
broken constitutions, and suffered from ulcerated limbs. From all that
I have seen, I candidly confess, that I have no faith in any medicine
intended to act as a specific for a snake bite, whether used internally
or externally. I do not of course allude to those which are usually
applied for the reduction of inflammation and fever, as under any mode of
treatment they cannot be withheld. A ligature attached above the wound,
and instant incisions into the wound itself, and the application of a
cupping-glass, which, in the shape of a wine glass, is always at hand,
are more to be depended on than any other external remedial agency.
My first journey of any length into the virgin forest here, was made in
company with M. Lomonosof, the Russian minister at the court of Brazil,
and Mr. Heath. M. Lomonosof was desirous to witness a Tapir (_Anta_)
hunt, that animal being very common on this range. It is the largest
South American quadruped, but is not of greater size in the body than a
calf about six months old, and it stands upon much shorter legs. We left
the Fazenda about half-past six o’clock in the morning, and entered the
forest at about three miles to the north of it. We were accompanied by
four negroes, and took provisions with us for two days. We had also our
guns and six good dogs. For the first mile and a half we had a tolerable
path, leading through a forest of fine trees, with very little underwood
except young palms, hundreds of which were cut down by the blacks who
were clearing the way for us. In going up the valley we crossed and
recrossed a small river, called the Imbuhy, several times, on the banks
of which I added largely to my botanical collections. The most difficult
part of our path was about half a mile which had to be cut through a
thick forest of bamboos. Having accomplished this, we came upon an old
track of a tapir. It was about two feet broad, well beaten, and had foot
marks of the animal on it, but they were several days old. This path led
us through a densely wooded part of the forest, to one which was less so,
the larger trees being fewer, but instead, an abundance of shrubs and
large herbaceous plants. We here came upon several paths, which we found
led to a deep pool in the river, and evidently a place which the tapir
repairs to for the purpose of drinking and bathing. While Mr. Heath was
endeavouring to get the dogs upon a recent track, I occupied myself in
collecting a number of curious plants, which grew on a sloping bank by
the side of the stream. It now began to rain, and the dogs not having
gone out, we again crossed the river, and proceeded up the valley about
a mile further. From thence one of the dogs set off, but returned in
about a quarter of an hour without having turned up anything. It was now
nearly four o’clock in the afternoon, and the rain was beginning to fall
heavily; we therefore sought for a place where we might encamp for the
night, as we were ten miles distant from the Fazenda, and M. Lomonosof
was too much fatigued to be able to return. The place we selected was
under the shade of some large trees, near which grew abundance of the
small cabbage palm (_Euterpe edulis_, Mart.), the terminal bud of which
is so much made use of as a vegetable by the Brazilians. A hut was soon
erected, and thickly thatched over with the leaves of this palm. At first
we were dreadfully annoyed by mosquitoes and a little sand-fly, but the
kindling of a large fire in front of our hut soon dispersed them. Palm
leaves were spread upon the floor for our bed, and we had a small log of
wood for a pillow. It rained heavily all night, but we did not suffer
from it. We got up next morning by break of day, and prepared to return
home, as it still continued to rain. I was somewhat amused at the vessel
in which the blacks cooked their breakfast. It was a pot made from a part
of the thick stem of a bamboo, the bottom being formed by the division
which occurs at each joint. It is placed upright on the fire, and so long
as it contains water will not burn through. Among the many uses to which
the bamboo may be put, that is one which I never heard of before nor have
seen since. After a slight breakfast we commenced our journey homewards;
but before getting out of the forest, M. Lomonosof, little accustomed
to a hunter’s life, became so exhausted from fatigue, that it was with
difficulty he reached the place where horses had been ordered to be sent
to await our return.
The animals which inhabit the vast forests of the Organ mountains are,
perhaps, no less various than the forms of the vegetable creation.
Formerly the Ounce, or Jaguar (_Felis Onca_), used to be common, but
now it is only occasionally that its roar is heard at night, or that
cattle or sheep suffer from its depredations. The black variety, to
which the Brazilians give the name of Tiger, is still more rare. The
woods, however, abound with a very pretty species of wild cat (_Felis
pardalis_). Monkeys are very numerous. In the morning the forests resound
with the unearthly howling of the Barbado (_Mycetes barbatus_), which
is as large as an ordinary dog; they live in bands of many together.
There are several others quite as large, but they are seldom to be seen.
The grey Marmoset, which is so common in the forests of the northern
provinces, is not to be met with here, but another, and perhaps a still
more beautiful species is occasionally found. It is the _Jaccus auritus_.
It is easily distinguished from all the other species by its nearly
uniform dark colour, and the pencils of long white hairs which come out
from its ears. The Sloth (_Acheus Ai_) is also occasionally found feeding
on the leaves of the _Cecropia peltata_, which form his favourite food.
One which I had for some time in captivity, was of a timid and fretful
disposition. Like most other animals in which the brain is small in
proportion to the development of the nervous system, it is very tenacious
of life. Although more tardy in its movements than most quadrupeds of
its size, it passes with considerable rapidity from branch to branch,
from which in its progress it always hangs by the legs and feet. It owes
much to Waterton, for being the first to remove the stigma which Buffon
and others put upon its character. In the river which flows through the
valley, the Brazilian Otter (_Lutra Brasiliensis_), and the Capybara
(_Hydrochærus capybara_), are still occasionally to be met with. A pretty
little deer (_Cervus nemorivagus_) frequently attracts the sportsman to
the woods, as do also the two species of Pecari (_Dicotyles labiatus_
and _torquatus_), which are so common all over the intertropical parts
of South America. A kind of Opossum (_Didelphis Azaræ_) is as much the
pest of the fowl-house as the fox is in Europe. It is very tenacious of
life, getting up and running away when every bone in its body appears to
be broken by the blows which have been inflicted on it. In the woods an
Armadillo (_Tatusia peba_) is not uncommon, the stewed flesh of which
makes excellent food; and in the forests a prehensile-tailed kind of
Porcupine (_Sphigurus spinosus_) is also often met with; they both burrow
in the ground. The great Ant-bear (_Myrmecophaga tamandua_) is rarely,
though occasionally, to be met with. Along with the monkeys, a little
brown squirrel is often to be seen sporting among the branches of the
trees.
Besides the numerous fly-catchers and other small birds, the wild
pigeons, the flocks of parroquets and parrots, the hawks, owls, and the
various species of Toucans, remarkable for their brilliant colours,
and the great size of their bills, there are several large birds which
are much sought after by the sportsman. These are the Jacú, Jacutinga,
Jacubemba, Jacuassú, all gallinaceous birds, belonging to the genus
_Penelope_; two species of Quail, the Macúcu (_Tinamus macaco_), and the
Nhambú (_Pezus niamba_); and, lastly, a Partridge (_Perdix Guianensis_),
the Capoeira of the Brazilians. Of reptiles there are numerous snakes,
many of which are beautifully coloured, a vast variety of lizards, and
innumerable hordes of frogs and toads of all sizes, from the small tree
kind not more than an inch long, to those marsh ones which are nearly
large enough to fill a hat. Till one gets accustomed to the sounds which
they produce, particularly previous to rain, they are almost deafening.
During the day the air is full of beautiful butterflies of all colours,
now flying from flower to flower, and now alighting on the moist sandy
banks of pools and small streams in countless numbers. The large nests
of wasps hang from the boughs of the trees, and smaller ones are often
hidden among the leaves and small branches of shrubs, the inhabitants of
which, when disturbed, rush out and inflict summary punishment on the
unhappy transgressors. In open places the leaves and flowers of bushes
and other plants, abound with Diamond and other beetles; while at night
the air is lighted up with fire-flies of various sizes, which, from their
brilliancy, give the idea that part of the stars have fallen from the
firmament, and are floating about without a resting place.
While I resided at Mr. March’s I frequently paid a visit to a Brazilian,
Joaquim Paulo by name, who has a small estate about ten miles distant.
My first visit was made along with Mr. Heath, and as we arrived shortly
before dinner, we were invited to partake of that meal. This I was not
displeased at, as it gave me an opportunity of witnessing the internal
economy of a Brazilian country-house, never having been in one before.
The dinner was substantial and clean, but every dish was, according to
the custom of the country, highly seasoned with garlic. The table was
covered with a clean cloth, on one end of which was laid a heap of ground
cassava root (_Farinha de Mandiocca_), and on the other a heap of ground
Indian corn (_Farinha de Milho_). On one of these heaps was placed a
large dish of boiled black French beans (_Feijoens_), with a large piece
of fat pork (_Toucinho_) in the midst of them; while on the other was
laid a dish of stewed fowl. We had also roast pork and blood sausages.
From these dishes and heaps every one helped himself. As a vegetable
we had a dish of cabbage-palm (_Euterpe edulis_), which is very tender
and delicious, tasting not unlike asparagus. During dinner we were each
furnished with a cup of Lisbon wine; and after it we had various kinds
of sweet-meats. Besides ourselves, there were only our host and two of
his sons. Indeed, his wife and daughters I did not see till I had been
several times at the house. The two girls were rather pretty, but they
could neither read nor write. The father would not allow them to learn
either, from fear that they would take to the reading of novels, and the
writing of love-letters. He was himself a most inveterate huntsman, being
almost always in the woods in pursuit of game. He was a capital shot, and
had killed more tapirs with his own hand than any one in the vicinity.
I also visited occasionally a coffee plantation called Constantia, about
fifteen miles distant from Mr. March’s, belonging to M. De Luze, a
Swiss, who had been many years in the country. It is situated in a flat
valley surrounded by sloping hills, and is one of the most lovely spots
I have ever seen. In the neighbourhood of it there are two other coffee
plantations belonging to Germans, but they have all ascertained that the
elevation is too great for the successful cultivation of coffee. Since
then M. De Luze has sold his estate to Mr. March, and bought a larger
one, in a fine coffee country on the banks of the Rio Parahiba. In the
latitude of Rio, coffee does not succeed at a much greater elevation than
2,000 feet. At Mr. March’s the bush grows well, but it never ripens its
fruit properly.
The most distant journey I made, was to an estate about twenty miles
north of Mr. March’s Fazenda. About the middle of April, Mr. Heath
received a note from the lady to whom it belongs, Dona Rita Thereza da
Roza, asking him as a great favour to ride over and take me along with
him to see her little daughter, who a few days before had been attacked
with apoplexy and paralysis. On the following day it was our intention
to have gone, but heavy rains, which came on and flooded the rivers,
prevented us from starting till the succeeding day. Mr. March’s house
being at the south end of his estate, we had to pass along the whole
length of it, a distance of about eight miles. After leaving it our road
led over a very high hill; it was steep, and the soil being a kind of red
clay, was so slippery in consequence of the heavy rains which had lately
fallen, that our mules had considerable difficulty in getting up. The
declivity on the other side was nearly as bad. From this place the road
passed for the most part through large fields of Indian corn, which was
then nearly ripe for collecting, and several small patches of rice in the
moist flat places. When we arrived at the house of the lady, we learned
that the daughter had died the evening before. We were shown the body,
which had been put into a coffin, and placed in a neat little chapel
belonging to the estate, and in which it was to be buried. The interment
was to take place on the arrival of the Padre, who had to be brought from
a distance of forty-eight miles, and was hourly expected. The child was
only eight years of age, but had been long unwell. We had to remain to
dinner, and, as many relations and neighbours were present, the party
was a large one. Until dinner was ready, the eldest daughter, a rather
plain girl, was amusing herself by swinging to and fro in a hammock,
which was slung in one corner of the dining-room. As an instance of the
early age at which women marry in Brazil, I may mention that we were
informed by the lady herself, that she was married at ten years of age,
and was a mother before she had completed her eleventh year. She was then
forty-five years old, and had had no less than twenty-five births, ten
of which were miscarriages. We were received with much kindness, and she
expressed herself very grateful for my visit.
As the Organ Mountains rise to an elevation of about four thousand feet
above Mr. March’s house, I had long been desirous to spend a few days
among the high peaks, for the purpose of making collections of their
vegetable productions. The only botanists who had visited Mr. March’s
estate before me were Langsdorff, the celebrated voyager, and at
that time Consul-General for Russia in Brazil, Burchell, the African
traveller, and a German of the name of Lhotsky. The former explored the
vegetation in the neighbourhood of the Fazenda, during a stay of a few
weeks, about twelve or thirteen years before my visit; Mr. Burchell
remained six weeks, nine or ten years before; and Lhotsky, two or three
weeks only, about five years later. None of them botanized higher than
the level of Mr. March’s house, and the knowledge of this fact made me
the more anxious to explore a field which promised so much novelty. I
had fixed on the early part of April for going up, but the whole of that
month was so wet, that I was prevented at that time from putting my
design into execution. May, however, having set in fine, I started on
the morning of the 6th, accompanied by four negroes. One of them, “Pai
Felipe,” a creole upwards of sixty years of age, was to act as guide.
This old fellow was one of the most active, not only of blacks, but of
any individual of his years I have ever seen. From his infancy he had
been accustomed to the woods, and was one of the best hunters on the
estate. The other three were to carry provisions, and to assist in taking
home my collections. We entered the forest at about a mile to the north
of Mr. March’s house, and our road for that day was nearly due west. Two
years before, an English merchant from Rio ascended, from mere curiosity,
to within a few hundred feet of the summit, guided by the same old black
who accompanied me. For the first few miles we were able to keep the road
which he had made, but from the rapid growth of the bamboos and underwood
through which it had been cut, it was as difficult to force our way as if
no path had ever been made. Our progress was but slow, it being necessary
for one of the blacks to go on before in order to cut a pass. Some of
the bamboos were of immense size; I measured several about six inches in
diameter, and their height could not be less than eighty or a hundred
feet. The internodes are generally filled with water, obviously secreted
by the plant itself. Prince Maximilian, in his travels, speaks of this
fluid as forming a most delicious beverage to hunters and others in the
woods. I have frequently tasted it, but always found it so nauseous that
the most urgent thirst alone would compel me to drink it.
Near the entrance of the wood we passed a large species of _Copaifera_,
the lower part of the stem of which had been pierced for the purpose
of obtaining the balsam which those trees exude. For miles our route
lay nearly parallel with a small river, along the banks of which grew
some very large trees; among them I observed a species of _Laurus_,
and another of _Pleroma_, both in flower. The underwood consisted of a
great variety of shrubby _Melastomaceæ_, _Myrtaceæ_, _Rubiaceæ_, and
suffruticose species of _Begonia_. In other places elegant tree-ferns
abounded, their stems often covered with little delicate species of the
same tribe, or air-plants bearing beautiful flowers. Pretty herbaceous
ferns and handsome-flowered _Begonias_ were trodden down at every
footstep. The stems of the large trees were covered with _Bromelias_,
_Tillandsias_, _Orchideæ_, ferns, and a climbing species of _Begonia_.
Occasionally a large plant of _Cactus truncatus_ was to be seen hanging
from rocks or from the stem of some large tree, covered with hundreds of
beautiful pink blossoms. In crossing over a hill about five hundred feet
high, which stands in the valley we were now passing through, I found the
top of it literally covered with various kinds of Orchidaceous plants,
but with the exception of the beautiful little _Sophronites grandiflora_,
which was then in flower, all had been previously met with at a lower
elevation. It was here, likewise, that I first met with _Luxemburgia
ciliosa_, a fine shrub producing large corymbs of lemon-coloured flowers,
and belonging to the violet tribe. On this hill I likewise observed two
kinds of bamboo, different from the large kinds in the woods below. One
of them had the internodes considerably shorter in proportion to the size
of the plant, and was altogether much smaller. The other species was
still less, its stem not being more than half an inch in diameter, but
continuing of that thickness to a height of fifteen or twenty feet. The
getting through these was the most difficult part of our day’s journey.
At 4 o’clock P.M., we reached a place by the side of a small stream,
where I determined to remain for the night; and, while the blacks were
occupied in cutting wood for a fire and in preparing dinner, I took a
walk up the course of the little stream. As I estimated this spot to be
at an elevation of about 4,500 feet, I naturally expected a vegetation
different from that in the valley below. The first plant that attracted
my attention was what I imagined to be a fine individual of _Cereus
truncatus_, in full flower, hanging from the under side of the trunk of
a large tree that was bent over the stream, but on getting possession of
it, it proved to be a new, and, perhaps, a still more beautiful species.
I have named it _Cereus Russellianus_, in honour of His Grace the late
Duke of Bedford, one of the most liberal supporters of my mission to
Brazil: it has since been introduced to the hot-houses of England. A
little way further up the stream, by the side of a small waterfall,
and on a slanting bank near it, grew great abundance of a fine dark
red-flowered _Amaryllis_. This spot is one of the most charming I have
ever seen. The bed of the stream is about ten feet broad, but it is
only during heavy rains that the water covers this space; at this time
the stream was little more than perceptible. The water falls over three
successive shelves of granite, each about eight feet high, the faces of
which are covered with mosses. Along the stream at the bottom of the
fall there are several middle-sized trees, the branches of which are
festooned with the long branches of a _Fuchsia_, loaded with splendid
crimson flowers. By the side of the fall there are several bushes of a
large-flowered _Pleroma_, and, along with them, a few of a red-blossomed
_Esterhazya_, and a broad thick-leaved species of _Clusia_ (_C.
fragrans_, Gard.), loading the atmosphere with a delightful odour arising
from its large white blossoms; beneath these grow the _Amaryllis_, an
_Eryngium_, several _Tillandsias_, and many _Ferns_. Having gained the
upper part of the fall, I found a space, extending to a considerable
distance on each side and for some way up the mountain, destitute of
trees—nothing but bare portions of rock, with occasional masses of
low shrubs and herbaceous plants. Among the _Orchideæ_, the beautiful
_Zygopetalon Mackaii_ and the odoriferous _Maxillaria picta_ were not
the least common. Darkness now beginning to set in, I returned to the
encampment, where I found a large fire lighted; the evening was so fine
that I considered the erection of a hut unnecessary, and lay down about
eight P.M., on a few palm leaves by the fire, with my Poncho round me, to
pass the night.
When I arose next morning at daybreak, I found the thermometer at 46°.
While breakfast was preparing I again went out to botanize, but added
little more than a few Ferns to my collection of the previous evening.
Our journey to the place where we slept was of very gradual ascent; we
had now to commence the _ascent proper_ of the peaks. Leaving behind all
that was not actually necessary to be taken along with us, we began our
journey by passing the waterfall, and walking up the bed of the stream,
along the gently sloping face of a granite rock; the ascent of several
parts of this was rather difficult, having to crawl up on our hands
and knees; after half an hour’s hard work we reached a comparatively
flat wooded spot. On the steep part I collected, in moist places, an
_Eriocaulon_, a small _Sun-Dew_, and a new genus belonging to the
_Gentian_ tribe; among these grew also the curious _Burmannia bicolor_.
In passing through the wood above mentioned, I saw plenty of my new
_Cactus_ growing on the stems of the larger trees, whilst the rocks were
covered with _Gesnerias_, and different kinds of _Orchidaceous_ plants.
Emerging from the wood we encountered another steep rocky place, almost
entirely covered with a large pine-apple-like _Tillandsia_, above which
rose a few plants of a fine large scarlet-flowered shrubby _Salvia_ (_S.
Benthamiana_, Gardn.), and a pale-blossomed _Virgularia_. On a nearly
bare portion of the rock, grew several patches of a large herbaceous
plant, belonging to the tribe of the _Gentians_; it grows from a foot
to two feet high, with thick succulent glaucous leaves, the upper ones
connate, and from out of which proceed about half a dozen pedicels,
each bearing a single large flower, the calyx of which is much inflated
and tinged with purple; it is the _Prepusa connata_, Gardn. The only
previously known species was found by Martius, on a large mountain range
between the Diamond country and Bahia; a third was afterwards discovered
on the very summit of the Organ Mountains. Passing this place, we again
entered a wooded tract, where we found many Tapir paths, as we had
also done the day previous in the woods through which we passed, which
rendered our progress much quicker than it otherwise would have been,
as the branches above only require to be cut away to make a good road.
Judging from the abundance of the tracts which we here met with, the
Tapir must be a very common animal in this remote and solitary part of
the mountains; here they are as yet out of the reach of the hunter, who
commits great havock among those which inhabit the lower woods, and there
is also abundance of herbage to supply them with food. In passing through
this wood, one of the blacks shot a _Jacutinga_ (_Penelope Jacutinga_,
Spix), and I collected specimens of a few Orchidaceous plants, and a
large yellow-flowered _Senecio_.
Leaving the wood we came upon a slanting _Sphagnum_ bog, in which
grew some very alpine-looking shrubs; these consisted chiefly of a
Proteaceous-like _Baccharis_, a _Vaccinium_, an _Andromeda_, the
_Lavoisiera imbricata_, remarkable for its large flowers and small
leaves, and a _Pleroma_; among the moss, an _Eriocaulon_, and a handsome
_Utricularia_ with large cordate leaves and purple flowers, grew in
great profusion. Judging from the top of the mountain, we were now at
an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet. Leaving it, we commenced a very
steep ascent covered principally with low shrubs; we continued our way
for about an hour through this stunted vegetation, making but slow
progress, although we were much facilitated by having the path of the
Tapir to crawl up. By following this track we reached a point from which
a beautiful prospect of the low country was obtained, particularly to
the eastward, where, as far as the eye could reach, it was one mass of
conical-shaped hills, only one ridge rising to any considerable height
above the rest; the point we had attained was the summit of one of the
many peaks which form the upper range of the Organ Mountains. At about a
quarter of a mile distant stood what I then believed to be the highest
peak, and certainly not more than three or four hundred feet above us;
but between the two peaks lay a deep densely-wooded ravine. It being now
past two o’clock in the afternoon, it was too late to think of ascending
that day, so I determined to remain where we were for the night, and
attempt it next day, but the blacks refused to do so, on account of no
water being nearer than a little above where we had slept the previous
night. As I could not force them to remain, I was, much against my will,
obliged to abandon all idea of reaching the summit at this time. Not
having a barometer with me, I endeavoured to ascertain the boiling point
of water, but in doing so, broke the tube of the thermometer. Four years
later, during a visit of six days to the peaks, I was more fortunate;
of that excursion an account will be found in a subsequent part of the
present work. The summit of the peak on which we now were, was quite a
little flower-garden; a pretty _Fuchsia_, in full flower, was trailing
over the bare rocks; in their clefts grew a handsome _Amaryllis_, and
on all sides numerous flowering shrubs. The coolness of the air and the
stillness were quite refreshing; not a sound was to be heard; and the
only animals to be seen were a few small birds, so tame that they allowed
us to come quite close to them. After partaking of a slight repast we
commenced our downward journey, and reached our encampment just as night
was setting in. Next day, following the route by which we had come, we
arrived at the Fazenda about four o’clock in the afternoon, groaning
under our loads.
About a week after our return, I made another visit to the place where
we had formerly encamped; my object was to obtain additional specimens
of the many new plants which I had found in the neighbourhood. On this
occasion I was again accompanied by “Pai Felipe” and the other three
blacks; we left the Fazenda at eight o’clock in the morning, and reached
our sleeping place about three in the afternoon. On the following day
I occupied myself with making excursions in various directions; during
these walks I collected great plenty of _Cereus Russellianus_. This plant
offers a good example of nearly allied species representing each other
in different regions of the same mountain; during the many times that I
passed through the woods, on my journey to and from the peaks, I always
found _Cereus truncatus_ confined to the dense virgin forests below the
elevation of 4,500 feet, while from this point to nearly the summit of
the mountains, _Cereus Russellianus_ alone was seen, enjoying a more
open and a cooler region. The day was one of the most delightful that I
ever remember to have witnessed, quite like one of the finest days of
an English summer; the sky was clear and unclouded, and the atmosphere
being free from that haze which often, in the finest weather, renders the
view of distant objects indistinct, allowed us to obtain a perfect and
well-defined prospect of the high mountains far to the eastward. Having
got all my specimens put into paper, I lay down to sleep shortly after
seven o’clock, little dreaming what a miserable night I was to spend. I
had just fallen asleep by the fire, on my bed of palm leaves, when I was
suddenly aroused from my slumber by a deluge of rain pouring down; one
of those sudden and heavy thunder-storms, which are never witnessed in
temperate climes, was passing over us. Had we been in an open place, we
might have seen it approaching and been able to form some kind of shelter
before it came on, but the tops of the trees by which we were covered
prevented this. I never was out in such weather; the flashing of the
lightning, the rolling of the thunder, which was breaking immediately
over us, the roaring of the wind among the trees, and the falling of
rotten branches, all combined to render the scene terrific. In a few
minutes our large fire was extinguished, and the place swimming with
water; although I was covered with a thick Poncho, it was but a poor
protection for such a night. In half an hour the small stream beside us,
which during the day had only a few inches of water, came roaring down
like a cataract. To add to our misery, the night was pitch dark, so that
we could not see to remedy our situation. What a night I spent may be
imagined, when I mention that I sat from half-past seven in the evening
till nearly three o’clock in the morning, under an incessant deluge of
rain; a more perfect picture of patience, I flatter myself, could not
be witnessed. About three it began to abate, and being in a shivering
condition from the cold and wet, we made several attempts to kindle a
fire, but without success: everything was too wet to burn, and we were
therefore obliged to content ourselves without one. By seating myself
at the root of a tree, and leaning my back against it, I managed, at
four different times, to obtain about an hour’s sleep, but constantly
awoke cold and shivering. Never was I so glad as when the first rays of
daylight were seen streaming through the trees; and, as soon as we could
see, we lost no time in preparing to return home. Shortly after we did
start, it began to rain, and continued till we reached the Fazenda, at
two o’clock in the afternoon.
During the whole of my six month’s residence on the Mountains, the
cottages were generally crowded with visitors. There was, consequently,
much gaiety, it being seldom that an evening party was not held at one
or the other of them, where nearly the whole of the residents assembled.
Then there were frequent Pic-nic parties to different distant parts of
the estate, and, when the weather permitted, delightful evening rides. In
this manner many of my leisure hours, which otherwise must have passed
away very dully, were most agreeably spent. Indeed, I still look back
upon these few months as one of the most happy periods of my life, for
independently of those pleasant pastimes, I was daily occupied with a
favourite pursuit, and that, too, in a field which was all but new.
CHAPTER III.
BAHIA AND PERNAMBUCO.
Departure from Rio de Janeiro—Arrival at Bahia—Description of
this City—Voyage to Pernambuco—Jangadas—Description of the
City and Environs of Pernambuco—The Jesuits—The Peasantry—Town
of Olinda—Its Colleges and Botanic Garden—Visit to the
Village of Monteiro—The German Colony of Catucá—The Island of
Itamaricá—Pilar—Salt-works of Jaguaripe—Prevalent Diseases in
the Island—Its Fisheries—Peculiar Mode of Capture.
On the tenth of June, 1837, I arrived in Rio from the Organ Mountains,
and during the remainder of that month, July, August, and the early
part of September, occupied myself in arranging and packing the
collections brought down with me, and in making a few excursions in the
neighbourhood. Having at length despatched everything for England, I took
a passage for Pernambuco in H.M. Packet Opossum, being now desirous to
explore the northern provinces. We sailed from Rio on the fifteenth of
September and after a passage of thirteen days, during which we had much
bad weather and contrary winds, reached Bahia. At three o’clock P.M., on
the twenty-eighth, we came to an anchor in the bay opposite the city, and
about a mile distant from it. As the land along this part of the coast
rises only a few hundred feet above the level of the sea, it is not seen
at so great a distance as the high lands are at Rio. In sailing up the
bay, we kept pretty close to the shore, and I could not help remarking
the great luxuriance of the vegetation. Cocoa-nut trees and other large
palms are very abundant, and the mango trees are both larger and more
numerous than those about Rio. The city of Bahia, when first seen, has a
very imposing appearance, the greater part of it being built on the face
of a hill, which rises about 500 feet above the sea, and the houses,
most of which are of several stories, are all white-washed externally.
The effect is much heightened by the great number of banana, orange, and
cocoa-nut trees which are intermingled with the houses, the dark green
leaves contrasting well with the white, and affording a pleasant relief
to the eye. The Packet being allowed to remain here forty-eight hours,
for the preparation of the mails for Pernambuco and England, I went on
shore shortly after our arrival, with some of the other passengers.
The city of Bahia, sometimes called San Salvador, is situated in the
bay which is known by the name of “Todos os Santos.” It is divided
into an upper and a lower town; the lower is built on the narrow slip
of land that lies between the sea and the rising ground on which the
upper town stands. It consists chiefly of one long street, which is
both narrow, badly paved, and dirty. The houses are mostly high, and
those adjoining the shore project considerably into the sea. After
viewing this commercial portion of the city, we proceeded to the upper
town. As the streets which form the communication between them are too
perpendicular to allow the use of carriages, those who do not choose to
walk are carried in a kind of covered chair slung on a pole, which is
borne on the shoulders of two negroes. These “Cadeiras” are commonly used
both by ladies and gentlemen, and can always be hired in the streets.
We, however, preferred walking, and after passing through some of the
principal streets, and visiting the inside of one of the large churches
we strayed out a little way into the country, delighted with the rich and
pleasing aspect which it afforded. In the evening we visited the reading
room of the Literary Society, where we found a few of the newspapers,
and many of the literary and scientific journals of France, England, and
the United States. After a short stay, we went to a large hotel opposite
the theatre, where we took up our quarters for the night; but, what with
the uncomfortable beds, the rattling of dice, and the still louder clink
of dollars, in an apartment immediately below us, which continued till
nearly four o’clock in the morning, our night’s rest was not of the most
refreshing nature.
On the forenoon of the following day, we visited a convent towards the
west end of the city, where the nuns make artificial flowers for sale,
from the feathers of birds. We were shown into a small room, separated
from the body of the building by a thick wall, through which the traffic
takes place by means of a large grated window. We were soon surrounded
by wreaths of all kinds and colours suited for head dresses, either
sent round to us in baskets, or pushed, one by one, through the grating
on a stick. It is the duty of each nun in her turn to officiate as
sales-woman, whenever purchasers visit the convent, the flowers being
brought to her by the servants of the establishment, who are either black
or brown girls; the one upon whom this duty fell at the period of our
visit was neither young nor beautiful, and destroyed all my romantic
notions regarding nuns and nunneries. Several purchases were made by my
companions with a view of taking them as presents to England.
After leaving the convent, I hired a boat in order to proceed a few miles
further up the bay, and landed on a peninsula called Bomfim, across which
I walked, accompanied by one of the two blacks belonging to the boat,
the distance being rather less than two miles. After leaving the shore,
on which grew _Sophora tomentosa_ and _Eugenia Michelii_, two shrubs
common all along the coast of Brazil, I passed through a marsh containing
several species of plants that were new to me. Beyond this, the road
passed through a dry sandy hollow, in which not a breath of air was to
be felt, and the rays of the mid-day sun, reflected from the white sand,
had so heated the atmosphere, that I was almost suffocated before I could
reach a little eminence at the other end of it. Here, also, I enriched my
collections, and still further on I found the thistle-like _Ampherephis
aristata_ growing commonly by the road-sides; and some large pools in a
marsh, under the shade of a thicket of giant palms, were quite covered
over with _Pistia stratiotes_, a plant nearly related to the Duck-weeds
of England, but of a much larger size; other pools were gay with the
yellow flowers of _Limnanthemum Humboldtianum_. After reaching the shore
I walked along it a little way, and then returned to the boat by a
different route. In passing through a swampy place at the foot of a hill,
on which a large church stands, I found a few specimens of the beautiful
_Angelonia hirsuta_, with its long spikes of large blue flowers. I
afterwards met with several new species of this fine genus, some of
which, raised from seeds sent home by me, are now common in hot-houses.
During this walk I observed some very large mango trees, many of them
twice the size of those growing about Rio. These trees have a handsome
appearance when seen at a distance, surrounding the numerous white-washed
country houses; the trunk, which is often of great thickness, seldom
rises above eight or ten feet above the ground, when it branches into
many widely-spreading ramifications, which rise to a great height, and
are so densely covered with leaves as to be impenetrable to the burning
rays of the sun, thus forming a most agreeable and luxuriant shade. At
three o’clock we returned to the boat, well loaded with my day’s spoil.
In the evening I dined with a gentleman to whom I brought letters from
Rio, and there met a young Scotchman, who invited me to sleep at his
house. Next morning he accompanied me a short way into the country; we
started a little before six o’clock, walked to the distance of about
six miles, and reached the city again by a different route before ten.
The country inland, so far as I could observe, forms a sort of elevated
table-land of a gently undulating nature, and the appearance of the
vegetation bespeaks great richness of soil. Besides great plenty of large
mango trees, I observed many jacks (_Artocarpus integrifolius_) of almost
equal size, the trunks and large branches of which were loaded with
their large yellow-coloured fruit. This tree is very much cultivated in
this part of Brazil, and, I was told, that a few years before my visit,
during a scarcity of provisions in the province, its fruit, which is
yielded in the greatest abundance, was the means of preventing a famine
among the black population. On our return to the city, we passed a small
village close by the sea, the inhabitants of which, principally blacks,
are mostly occupied in whale fishing, the sperm whale being rather
plentiful on this part of the coast. On entering the bay, we observed a
number of whale boats going out, manned by negroes. On visiting Bahia,
one circumstance which forcibly strikes the attention of a stranger,
even coming from the other provinces of Brazil, is the appearance of the
blacks met with in the streets; they are the finest to be seen in the
country, both men and women being tall and well-formed, and generally
intelligent, some of them even, as I have elsewhere observed, being
tolerable Arabic scholars. They have nearly all been imported from the
Gold Coast, and, not only from their greater physical strength and
intelligence, but from being united among themselves, they are more
inclined to insurrectionary movements than the mixed races in the other
provinces. Only a fortnight after I left Bahia a serious insurrection
took place, headed, indeed, by white Brazilians, but supported by most of
the black population; they kept possession of the city for many months,
nor were they fully dispossessed of it till after the destruction of much
life and property.
On the 31st, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, we set sail for Pernambuco.
On the second night after we left, while I was walking the quarter-deck
with the captain, the watch forward reported a sail close on the
weather-bow; the crew were immediately piped to quarters, and in less
than five minutes were all on deck ready for action. Shortly afterwards
we saw the vessel pass us at some distance and disappear. As these
packets generally carry home a large amount of specie to England, it
was not without reason that the captain prepared himself for what might
happen, especially on a coast where suspicious craft are not unfrequently
hovering about. There was something exciting in this little incident, and
it afforded matter for conversation on the following day.
After a passage of nine days, land was descried early in the morning from
the mast-head, and in the course of a few hours we could see it from
the deck, rising above the horizon like a long black cloud. On nearing
the coast, it presented a very flat and barren-like aspect, forming a
great and unpromising contrast to the magnificent entry to the bay of
Rio de Janeiro. The town being built nearly on a level with the sea, we
could only obtain a view of that portion of it which immediately skirts
the shore, the houses and the cocoa-nut trees appearing above the
horizon. No part of the coast within many leagues of Pernambuco rises
to any height, except that whereon the old town, called Olinda, stands,
and which is situated about three miles north of Recife, the name of
the seaport. While standing in for the harbour, we passed a number of
fishing-boats, of a very peculiar construction; they are called Jangadas,
and formed of four, or more, logs of wood lashed together, having a mast
and a very large sail, a fixed stool-like seat, but no bulwarks, so that
the waves constantly break over them; they sail with remarkable speed,
and often venture to a great distance from land. A few of the same craft
may be seen at Bahia, but none at Rio. The light wood of which they are
formed is obtained from a species of _Apeiba_, a genus allied to our own
Linden-tree. We anchored in the outer roads about 12 o’clock, and after
the lapse of an hour and a half, a pilot came on board, and conducted
us into the harbour, which is quite a natural one, being formed by a
reef that runs along the coast, at a little distance from the shore;
the entrance is through a breach, upon the south side of which is a
light-house and a small fort. A very heavy swell runs outside the reef
and breaks over it, but there is always calm water within; and at full
tide it is sufficiently deep to float the largest merchant vessels that
visit the port.
The town of Pernambuco has few recommendations to those who are not
engaged in business. The houses are higher than those at Rio, the
streets for the most part still more narrow, and certainly quite as
dirty. In nearly all the towns and cities of Brazil, rain is the only
scavenger, and by it the streets are kept tolerably clean in such of
them as are built on declivities, but this, unfortunately, is not the
case with Pernambuco; in the wet season, the streets are full of mud
and water, and in the dry, the mud is converted into clouds of dust. It
has always appeared extraordinary to me that epidemic diseases do not
prevail to a much greater extent than they do under such circumstances.
The town consists of three great divisions: that in which the principal
trade is carried on, is situated on a narrow neck of land, which runs
down between the sea and a river from Olinda, and is called Recife;
another principally occupied with shops, and containing the palace of
the President, is built on an island, and is known by the name of St.
Antonio; the third, called Boa Vista, consisting principally of one long
street, is constructed on the mainland, and is by far the finest part of
the whole. These are all connected by means of two wooden bridges.
As Pernambuco is situated on the most eastern part of the American
continent, it is fully exposed to the influence of the trade winds
all the year round, and hence enjoys a cool climate; it is considered
more healthy than either Rio or Bahia. Except two or three churches it
contains but few public buildings, and, at the period of my visit, it had
not a single hotel of any description. The Palace in which the affairs
of the provincial government are now carried on, was in former times the
Jesuits’ College, and stands on the banks of the river; it is a large
building of gloomy appearance, with walls of enormous thickness. When it
was erected by these enterprising and charitable men, they little dreamed
that their career was to terminate at so early a period as it did. It
is handed down from father to son, particularly among the middle and
lower classes of Brazil, that the destruction of Jesuitical power was a
severe loss to the well-being of the country. There are of course but
few alive now who formed the Company of Jesus, but the memory of them
will long remain; I have always heard them spoken of with respect and
with regret. What different men they must have been from the degraded
race who now undertake the spiritual welfare of this nation! It is a hard
thing to say, but I do it not without well considering the nature of the
assertion, that the present clergy of Brazil are more debased and immoral
than any other class of men. However much the Jesuits were slandered and
persecuted from the jealousy of those who envied the respect in which
they were held by their flocks, and the confidence which they reposed in
them, enough of the good still remains to shame those who have succeeded
them. More than one nation of Indians in Brazil, which, in the time of
the Jesuits, had renounced their savage life and become Christians, have,
since their suppression, returned to the condition from which, at so
much risk and with so much labour, they had been redeemed. Whatever were
the motives of the Jesuits, they are judged of in Brazil, not by them,
but by their good works.
The inhabitants of the town of Pernambuco resemble very much those
of Rio, but there is a great difference in the appearance of the
country people, which here, as elsewhere, are easily distinguished
from the citizens. Those seen in the streets of Rio de Janeiro are
a tall handsome race of men, mostly from the mining districts, or
the more southerly province of San Paulo; their dress consists of a
linen jacket and trowsers, generally of a blue colour, brown leather
boots, which are firmly tied round the leg a little above the knee,
and a very high crowned broad-brimmed white straw hat. Those, on the
contrary, who frequent the city of Pernambuco, are a more swarthy and
more diminutive race, but still far superior in appearance to the puny
citizens. There are two classes of them, the Matúto and the Sertanejo:
the Matútos inhabit the low flat country, which extends from the coast
up to the high land of the interior, called the Sertão, or desert,
which gives name to, and is inhabited by, the Sertanejos. The dress of
both for the most part, but of the latter in particular, consists of a
low round-crowned broad-brimmed hat, jacket, and trowsers, made of a
yellowish brown-coloured leather, that manufactured from the skin of the
different kinds of deer being preferred; in place of a waistcoat they
very frequently wear a triangular piece of the same kind of leather,
fastened round the neck and middle by cords of the same material. The
boots in use in the province of Rio are unknown here, and either shoes or
slippers, also of brown leather, are worn instead. The Matúto generally
dispenses with the leather trowsers and shoes, using in place of them a
pair of wide cotton drawers, which reach only a little below the knee,
the legs remaining bare. Cotton and hides are the principal articles
brought from the interior, and horses are the only beasts of burden,
mules being as rarely used for that purpose here, as horses are in the
southern provinces. Each horse carries two large bales of cotton as well
as the driver, who places himself between them, stretching his legs
forward on a level with his seat.
Upon landing in Pernambuco, I found Dr. Loudon, a Scotch physician
resident in that city, awaiting my arrival, who kindly invited me
to remain with him during my stay; and as he had then been sixteen
years in the place, and was acquainted with most of the influential
people, both foreign and Brazilian, I derived much advantage from his
friendship, more particularly so, as he was very partial to the pursuit
of natural history. Shortly after my arrival I delivered the letters
of recommendation given me by Mr. Hamilton, the British Minister at
the court of Rio, to Mr. Watts, the Consul, who obligingly offered to
introduce me to the President of the province, Senhor Vicente Thomaz
Pires de Figueredo Comargo. The permission to wait upon his Excellency
having been given a few days afterwards, I accompanied Mr. Watts to
the palace, together with Dr. Loudon, who was a personal friend of the
President. He received me with great kindness, and when the object of
my visit to the country was explained to him, he promised to afford all
the assistance in his power, and, in the meantime, gave me a letter to
Dr. Serpa, the Professor of Botany and Curator of the Botanic Garden at
Olinda.
I was accompanied in my visit to Olinda by Mr. Nash, a young Englishman,
to whom I was indebted for many acts of kindness during my visit at
Pernambuco. There are three routes to Olinda from Recife; one along
the shore, which is seldom taken on account of the loose sandy nature
of the soil, and the complete exposure of the traveller to the sun.
Another is by canoes, up the stream before mentioned by which the surplus
water from a large lake behind Olinda is discharged into the sea; this
stream runs parallel with the shore, from which it is separated by a
high sand-bank, and is fringed on each side by a strip of mangroves,
the mud in which they grow emitting at low tide a very disagreeable
effluvium, and abounding in crabs of various sizes and colours, while
clouds of mosquitos always hover around and harbour among the branches.
The third route, which we pursued, runs parallel with the river, at a
considerable distance inland. This road is quite level, and at both ends
are seen several fine country houses, though much of it passes through
uncultivated, and often marshy land. Occasionally it is enclosed by
Mimosa hedges, in which is seen a slender kind of Jasmine (_Jasminum
Bahiense_, DC.), whose white flowers at the early hour we passed were
perfuming the air with their delightful fragrance. The road-side was gay
with the large pale yellow flowers of _Turnera trioniflora_, and the
delicate pink heads of a sensitive plant. Several different kinds of this
latter plant grow very abundantly all over the northern parts of Brazil.
Shelley has truly said, that
“The sensitive plant has no bright flower,
Radiance and odour are not its dower,”—
yet there are few in the whole range of the vegetable kingdom, which are
so much an object of curiosity to all observers, or of so much interest
to the physiologist. On approaching Olinda, I was delighted to find the
surface of the lake—which abounds in alligators—covered with thousands
of the splendid large white blossoms and broad floating leaves of a
water-lily (_Nymphæa ampla_, DC.), and intermingled with them, the yellow
flowers of _Limnocharis Commersonii_, and a large _Utricularia_.
The Botanic Garden is situated in a hollow, behind the town of Olinda,
and, though of considerable size, has only a portion of it under
cultivation; the residence of the Professor stands nearly in the centre.
We found Dr. Serpa in his study, a rather large apartment, which he uses
also as a lecture-room; he appeared to be about sixty years of age, and
we were impressed with his agreeable manners and intelligence. Besides
his other duties, he had the principal medical practice in Olinda. A
few French works on Botany, Natural History, Agriculture, and Medicine,
composed the chief part of his limited library. It was here that I first
saw the ‘Flora Fluminensis,’ a work published at the expense of the
Brazilian government. The drawings from which the plates were executed,
were prepared at Rio de Janeiro about the end of the last century, under
the direction of a Jesuit of the name of Vellozo. It cost £70,000, and,
to use the words of Dr. Von Martius, is “a strange publication, which
may be held up as an example of an ill-advised literary undertaking,
and on so great a scale that it ought never to have been commenced.
Eleven huge volumes, with about fifteen hundred plates, constitute
this bulky work, whose usefulness is, alas! not in proportion to the
expense it occasioned.”[4] The Doctor accompanied us in a walk round the
Garden, which I found to contain little worthy of notice; a few European
medicinal plants, struggling for existence, and some large Indian trees,
being its principal productions; among the latter, however, were fine
specimens of the Mango, Tamarind, Cinnamon, and the Date-Palm. He had
lately received from the interior, plants of a species of Ipecacuanha,
the roots of which form an article of export from Pernambuco, and the
living specimens which I obtained from him are now growing freely in the
stoves of the Glasgow Botanic Garden. They appear different from the
one figured and described by St. Hilaire, from the south of Brazil, and
will, I suspect, prove to be a distinct, though nearly related species.
Leaving the garden, we walked a little way into the country, where I
hoped to meet with something more interesting; and in this expectation I
was not disappointed, as many new plants were added to my collections. On
the dry bushy hills in this neighbourhood a wild fruit-tree grows very
plentifully; it is the Mangába of the Brazilians, and the _Hancornia
speciosa_ of botanists; it is a small tree belonging to the Natural
Order _Apocyneæ_, the small leaves and drooping branches of which give
it somewhat the resemblance of the weeping birch. The fruit is about the
size of a large plum, of a yellow colour, but streaked a little with red
on one side, and the flavour is most delicious.
In the afternoon we returned to Olinda, to dine with another gentleman
to whom I also carried letters, Senhor da Cunha. He had been educated
in England, and was an intelligent man. After dinner we walked out to
see the town, which is very pleasantly situated on an eminence not far
from the sea. It is a place of considerable size, and in the olden time
must have been a stirring one, particularly as regards the clergy,
judging from the number of churches, convents, monasteries, &c. It has
now, however, a deserted and desolate appearance, many fine houses being
untenanted and falling to decay, and the streets are grown over with
grass and weeds. On the outskirts of the seaward side of the town, there
are the ruins of a large monastery, which we went to see on account of
a hermit who had lived there upwards of seventeen years. We found it to
be a very large building, consisting of a church in the centre, still
in use, and two wings, containing the apartments formerly inhabited
by the friars, which are fast running into decay, particularly those
in the south wing. The north wing is in much better repair, having a
few good rooms, which are inhabited by some of the students attending
a theological and medical school, established in Olinda. Along the
corridors, and in some of the larger rooms, are still a few paintings,
but in a state of much decay. While surveying this great fabric, we could
not help thinking of the contrast it now offers to the times, not long
gone by, when its walls re-echoed to the footsteps and prayers of the
devotees of a religion, which was then in a much more flourishing state
than it now is, over nearly the whole of the empire of Brazil.
It was among the ruins of the south wing that the hermit lived. We
visited the room in which he was said to be generally found, but he
was not there. We then passed through a small court nearly choked with
rubbish, and entered a large dark room, partly filled with old bricks
and lime. Upon the floor of this wretched apartment we found him lying,
presenting a most miserable appearance. His only covering consisted of a
piece of thin black cloth wrapped round his body, his head, arms, legs,
and feet being bare. He appeared to be about sixty years of age, but his
long grey hair and beard made him look older, perhaps, than he really
was. He was moaning and otherwise seemed to be in great agony, and it
was with some difficulty he told us that two days before, while walking
across the floor of the room above, it gave way, and he was precipitated
to the place where we found him extended, and from which he was unable
to move. We tried to raise him, but the slightest movement gave him
excruciating pain. As some of his bones seemed to be broken, a young
man who had accompanied us, went off immediately to procure assistance,
and have him taken to the hospital. All the information I could obtain
relating to this unfortunate being, was that at one time, he had been
an officer in the army, and was now doing penance for a murder he had
committed in his youth. We also visited a convent, the nuns belonging
to which prepare preserved fruits for sale. Unlike the one I visited at
Bahia, we could only speak to, not see, those who were within. The fruit
was put upon a shelf of a revolving kind of cupboard, and in this manner
sent out to us; the money and empty plates were returned in the same way.
Like all the preserves I have met with in the country, those we had here
were spoiled with too much sugar.
For the first few days, my walks did not extend much beyond the suburbs
of the town. The country being quite flat, the soil sandy, and the dry
season having commenced, the herbaceous vegetation in the more exposed
situations was beginning to suffer for want of rain. For many miles
round the town, the Cocoa-nut and other large Palms grow in the greatest
profusion, mixed with fine trees of the Cashew-nut, then loaded with
their curious and refreshing fruit of a yellow or reddish colour, and the
Jack, the Bread-fruit, and the Orange. Much attention, I observed, is
paid to the gardens attached to the houses near the town, many of them
being tastefully laid out, and adorned with beautiful shrubs, partly
Brazilian and partly of Indian origin. The Mimosa and other hedges, as
about Rio, are festooned with climbers, among which the Cow-itch plant
(_Stizolobium urens_) is the most abundant. There is also in many places
a large species of Dodder (_Cuscuta_), which climbs over the hedges
with its long yellow cord-like branches, and gives them a most singular
appearance. The sea-coast yielded me many curious plants, particularly
one part of it about eight miles to the southward of the town, where the
soil for some distance inland is very sandy and covered with shrubs.
There I found in great plenty a new kind of those curious mossy Cacti
(_Melocactus depressus_, Hook.); it was but a small one, being only
about four inches high, and eighteen in circumference.
About a fortnight after my arrival at Pernambuco, Dr. Loudon removed to
his country house, situated on the banks of the Rio Capibaribe, about
four miles west from Recife; and, as the country round it was chiefly
uncultivated, this afforded more ample scope for my researches. The Rio
Capibaribe, which empties itself into the harbour at the Recife, is of
small size, and is navigable only for canoes to a distance of about ten
miles from the town. The navigation for six miles, as far as Monteiro,
is very pleasant, and the scenery is rendered more agreeable by the
number of villas, surrounded by gardens, which are scattered along its
banks. Many of these houses are inhabited during the fine or dry season
only, when most of the wealthy citizens resort to them for the benefit
of bathing in the river; for, in hot climates, fresh water is preferred,
as bathing in salt water generally produces great irritation on the
surface of the body, from the salt crystallizing there, unless washed
off with fresh water. For the purpose of bathing, each house has a large
shed projecting into the river, the tops and sides of which are covered
with cocoa-nut leaves. They are mostly rebuilt every year, as they are
generally carried away by the floods in the rainy season.
About twenty miles to the westward of Pernambuco, there is a small German
Colony called Catucá; it was established about eighteen years before, at
a period when a German regiment, which had been in the service of the
Brazilian government, was here disbanded, but it is now fast dwindling
into decay. The few families residing there gained a livelihood by the
manufacture of charcoal, which they carried to town for sale. Being
desirous of spending a day or two at this place, I started early one
morning in the beginning of November, accompanied by Mr. White, a young
gentleman whom I had previously met on the Organ mountains. We were
guided by two Germans who were returning from Pernambuco, and their
horses carried our luggage. Our route for about two hours was through
a flat country, principally planted with mandiocca, although a great
part of it was still uncleared, only the large trees having been cut
down: a few of those remaining rose high above their fellows of the
wood, and agreeably diversified the landscape. After passing through
this cultivated country, and ascending a slight eminence, we entered
the virgin forest. Previously the road had been of a sandy nature, but
now we found it to consist of hard red clay. Many of the trees were
very lofty, although they do not commonly attain the stature of those
in the Province of Rio, nor have their trunks the same circumference.
Among the shrubs that grew below them, I observed a few _Melastomaceæ_,
_Myrtaceæ_, and _Rubiaceæ_. Here everything betokened a drier atmosphere,
and a more arid soil than at Rio. There were no _Ferns_, _Begonias_,
_Pipers_, or _Orchidaceous_ plants. On the stems and branches of the
larger trees a few _Bromeliaceæ_ and _Aroideæ_ were alone to be seen.
After riding for about an hour through this forest, we reached the
cleared valley containing the cottages of the colonists, several of which
we passed before reaching the one in which we remained. These cottages
are generally of small size, although much superior in cleanliness
and neatness of arrangement to those belonging to the same class of
Brazilians. At night we slung our hammocks in a small apartment, and
enjoyed a sound sleep till morning.
My friend being desirous of having a few days’ shooting in the woods with
one of the Germans, I determined to accompany them, in the hope of making
some additions to my botanical stores. We set off early, entering the
wood about a mile from the cottage. Here, as in similar situations near
the town, I observed a great deficiency of herbaceous vegetation, and in
a walk of about two hours collected only a few Ferns. In passing through
this wood, we saw an enormously large tree, a species of _Lecythis_; the
ground beneath it was covered with its curious pot-like capsules nearly
as large as a man’s head, their resemblance to a pot being much increased
by the large lid which falls off from the top of each when the seeds
within are ripe. Most of those we saw were empty, the nuts having been
taken out by the monkeys, who are very fond of them. Leaving this wood,
we suddenly came upon another cleared valley, containing the ruins of
several cottages; this, we were told, had been the first site of the
settlement, but as the colonists were forbidden to cut any more wood in
that direction, they moved their quarters to the place before mentioned.
Near these dismantled dwellings we found abundance of pine-apples, and
refreshed ourselves with some which were ripe, sheltering ourselves from
the sun under the shade of an out-house which had formerly served as a
place for the preparation of farinha from the Mandiocca root. Near this
place I found two beautiful trees, one of them a species of _Vochysia_,
covered with long spikes of bright yellow flowers, and the other the
splendid _Moronobea coccinea_, literally covered with its globular
crimson blossoms. In returning I collected specimens of a yellow-flowered
_Palicourea_, called Mata Rato, not, however, the same plant which is
known at Rio by the name of Erva do Rato. It proves, notwithstanding,
that poisonous qualities are attributed to different plants of the same
genus in different parts of the country.
Close to the main land, and about thirty miles north from Pernambuco,
there is a small island called Itamaricá, which on account of its fine
climate and soil, and the abundance and superiority of the fruit produced
there, is designated the garden of Pernambuco. I was desirous of visiting
this place before leaving the province, and with this intention I started
about the middle of December, and considered myself fortunate in having
as a companion Mr. Adamson, a young gentleman who had been some years in
the country, and was fond of botanical pursuits. To make the voyage, we
had to hire a Jangada, one of the raft boats so common on this part of
the coast; it was manned by a crew of three men. To a stranger it appears
a very singular kind of craft, and had I not been well assured that,
primitive as their construction seems, they are perfectly safe, I should
have felt some hesitation in embarking on one of them.
Having got our luggage properly placed on its elevated platform, so
as to be out of the reach of the water, which continually washes over
these rafts, we commenced our voyage. The wind almost constantly blows
at that season from the north-east, and consequently was nearly right
against us, rendering it necessary to beat up between the reef and
the shore; the intermediate distance varying from a quarter of a mile
to two miles, all the way from Recife to the island. By four o’clock
in the afternoon, finding that the unfavourable wind prevented our
performing more than half the voyage, we determined to land at a small
fishing village called Pao Amarello, and there pass the night. It was
not without some difficulty that we obtained a shelter wherein we could
sling our hammocks; after meeting with several refusals, the owner of a
small public-house (Venda) pointed out an empty hut made of cocoa-nut
leaves, and permitted us to take possession of it for the night. Hither,
therefore, we moved our luggage, and after a supper of stewed fish and
farinha, slept soundly till daybreak. After getting up, we took a walk
a little way into the country; the soil we found to be sandy, and the
herbaceous vegetation completely scorched up by the drought. At this
place the reef is about a mile distant from the shore, and is distinctly
perceptible along its whole line, both at high and low water, for
although the ebb tide leaves the rocks quite bare, the surf marks its
position even at the highest flow. The wind having now shifted more to
the eastward, we were enabled after breakfast to proceed on our voyage,
and as we made much more rapid progress than on the preceding day, we
reached the island at noon, and landed on the eastern side of it at
Pilar, the principal town.
We carried with us two or three letters of introduction, and the first
we delivered obtained us quarters. The name of our host was Alexander
Alcantará, the proprietor of a large salt-work, of which there are
several on the island. His house, like nearly all the others we saw,
was of one story, the walls consisting of a frame-work of wood, the
interstices of which were filled up with a kind of clay, and the roof
was covered with tiles; there were four good rooms in it, all floored
with boards; it was delightfully situated near the sea, and surrounded
by cocoa-nut trees. In the afternoon we were taken by our host to see
his salt-works, which were established in a valley into which the tide
flows at high water. The water from which the salt is made, is kept
in large reservoirs, whence it is from time to time made to flow into
pits, where it is allowed to evaporate. At this place, which is called
Jaguaribe, there are twenty-four distinct manufactories, belonging to as
many individuals. The place where the water is evaporated is divided into
small compartments, measuring sixteen feet by twelve. In that belonging
to Senhor Alcantará, there are one hundred and twenty such compartments;
into each of these, two inches of water is allowed to flow from the large
reservoir, and in eight days this is completely evaporated. It yields
him, altogether, annually, about four hundred alqueires of salt, each
alqueire weighing eight arrobas, and each arroba thirty-two pounds. Three
qualities are produced, the best being used for domestic purposes, a
middle sort for curing fish and an inferior kind used principally to salt
hides. On an average it brings about 2_s._ 6_d._ an alqueire, so that his
whole income from this source is only about 50_l._ a year. Besides the
manufactories at this place, there are others in different parts of the
island.
The island, which is separated from the main land by a strait about half
a league broad, is nearly three leagues in length, and from one and
a half to two in breadth. It contains only two small villages, viz.,
Itamaricá, situated on a height near the sea, on the south-east side,
containing only about twenty houses; and Pilar, the place at which we
landed, formed of a few irregular streets, and containing about eighty
habitations. The whole number of houses in the island, we were told,
amounted to three hundred, and the entire population to about two
thousand. Although there are many very comfortable looking dwellings, yet
the mass of the houses have a poor appearance, being either formed of
wicker-work and mud, or of cocoa-nut leaves. As fishing is the principal
occupation of the inhabitants, their houses are generally near the
shore. The fish are mostly taken in pens (currals) that are constructed
of stakes a little beyond low-water mark. Another source of income to
the inhabitants, is the cocoa-nut trees, which form a dense deep belt
round the upper part of the island; both the fish and nuts are taken
to Pernambuco for sale. In the interior of the island there are three
sugar plantations; and several of the more wealthy of the inhabitants
cultivate grapes and mangoes to a considerable extent, both of which
sell well in Pernambuco, bringing a better price than those cultivated
elsewhere in the province. Good grapes I bought at tenpence a pound,
but they give the cultivator a great deal of trouble, as the vines are
sure to be attacked by a large brown ant, and stripped of their leaves
in a single night, unless care be taken to have the lower part of the
stem isolated by water. The whole of the province of Pernambuco is much
overrun by these insects. During the time of our visit the mangoes were
just getting into season, and I found them to be very much superior in
flavour to any I had previously tasted; they are much smaller than those
cultivated near Pernambuco, and very much resemble peaches in colour.
During the few days we remained on the island we made many excursions
through it in all directions; instead of the almost uniformly level
character of the country in the vicinity of Pernambuco, here there is
a gentle undulation of hill and dale. There is not much large timber,
the wooded portions generally consist of small trees and shrubs, which
give to many parts of the island an aspect more like that of an English
orchard, than an uncultivated equatorial region; some of the views we
obtained from the hills, if not grand, were at least pleasing. Though
there are both a priest and a lawyer on the island, there is no medical
man; and as soon as I was known to be one, my assistance was solicited
from all quarters. The first individual I was requested to visit, was a
man with a large abscess in the neck, from the suppuration of the right
submaxillary gland; he could neither speak nor swallow, and his relatives
thought him on the point of death. I opened the abscess, which gave him
instant relief, and next day when I called, he was sitting up, and able
to overwhelm me with thanks for what he conceived to be a miraculous
cure. This case so established my reputation, that I had more medical
practice than I desired. Two of my patients were in the last stage of
consumption, but by far the greater proportion of the cases resulted from
intermittent fever, chiefly arising from derangement of the digestive
organs, accompanied with enlargement of the spleen. Consumption is rare
in Brazil: during the whole of my travels I did not meet with more than
half a dozen cases. As I would receive no fees, many presents of fish,
fowls, and fruit were sent me.
I have said that the chief occupation of the inhabitants is fishing, and
that the fish are nearly all taken in pens (currals). These enclosures
are very common all along the coast of Pernambuco, and of the following
shape.
[Illustration]
They are made of strong stakes, driven firmly into the ground at the
distance of a few feet from each other, the interstices between them
being afterwards filled up by small straight rods closely tied together.
The straight line of rods is sometimes nearly a quarter of a mile in
length, and runs out away from the shore; it answers the purpose of
guiding the fish into the enclosures at the farthest end of it.
The day before we left the island, we accompanied our host to visit the
curral belonging to him, in order to witness the method of taking fish;
they are only visited at low water. We went in a canoe to the entrance
of the innermost enclosure; our host then stripped himself, as did also
another person who accompanied us, and entered the inner enclosure,
taking with them a small net a little deeper than the water, with a short
pole fixed to each end of it. One of the men then fixed one of the poles
perpendicularly close to one side of the entrance to the enclosure, while
the other began to unfold the net, closing with it the entrance so as to
prevent the escape of the fish; he then walked round by the side of the
enclosure till he reached the other person, when the net was rolled up,
thus enclosing in it all the fish contained in the curral, which amounted
to about a dozen very fine ones. We were informed that at this season
very few are taken; so few, indeed, that they are scarcely sufficient
for the consumption of the families to whom the currals belong; in the
rainy season, however, they are taken so abundantly, that boat-loads of
them are sent to the Pernambuco market. We returned to Recife in a large
canoe.
CHAPTER IV.
ALAGOAS AND THE RIO SAN FRANCISCO.
The Author’s Motive for this Excursion—Voyage to the
Southward—Description of the Coast and Observations on the
great Restinga—Reaches Barra de S. Antonio Grande—Arrives at
Maceio—Description of the Town and surrounding Country—Resolves
to visit the Rio S. Francisco—Embarks in a Jangada and
coasts to the Southward—Batel—Lands at Peba—Journey thence
to Piassabassú on the Rio San Francisco—Ascends the River to
Penêdo—The Town Described—Productions of the District—Its
Population—Voyage up the River—Mode of Navigation—Arrives at
Propihà—Vegetation of the Country—Description of a Market
Fair—Dress of the People—Voyage continued to Traipú—Passes the
Ilha dos Prazeres—Barra de Panêma—Abundance of Fish of the
Salmon Tribe—Village of Lagoa Funda—Island of S. Pedro—Its
Indian Population described—Continues the Voyage—Fearful
Storm—Return to S. Pedro—Serious Illness and Detention
there—Scarcity of Food—Renounces in consequence all intention
of proceeding further—Returns to Penêdo—Scheme for Navigating
the Rio San Francisco—Reason why it never will succeed—Arrives
again at Maceio—Visits Alagoas—That City Described—Leaves
Maceio—Coasting Voyage—Singular Mode of catching Fish—Return to
Pernambuco.
The great object of my visit to the north of Brazil was to make a journey
from the coast to the high lands which lie on the eastern side of the Rio
Tocantins. This part of the country, which I was strongly recommended
to visit by Von Martius and others, on account of its botanical riches,
is distant from Pernambuco about 1,200 miles, and nearly directly west
from it. Although I was desirous to begin this journey I was advised by
persons well acquainted with the interior of the country not to undertake
it towards the end of the rainy season, on account of the difficulty
of finding grass and water for the horses after the period when every
thing has been scorched up by the burning sun of the dry season. Nor
is the period of the rains less exceptionable for the undertaking of a
long journey, since, during the four months which it generally lasts,
there are scarcely two consecutive dry days. It was now about the end of
January, and as the period of my entering upon my proposed expedition
would not be sooner than the end of June or beginning of July, to pass
the intervening time I determined to visit Maceio, a small seaport town
in the province of Alagoas, about half-way between Pernambuco and Bahia;
and from thence to make an excursion to the Rio San Francisco, and, if
possible, up that river to the great falls of Paulo Affonço. As no other
conveyance was to be had for Maceio, I was obliged to take a passage in a
canoe which was going down laden with goods.
It was about three o’clock in the afternoon of the 30th of January, 1838,
before I could obtain my passport, upon which I immediately embarked,
and after undergoing the necessary examination at a custom-house boat,
we got outside the reef, and ran down before the north-east trade-wind
till seven o’clock P.M., when we came to an anchor for the night, in a
small sandy bay about four leagues to the south of Pernambuco. During
the passage, we several times ran foul of the stakes of fishing pens,
which are common along the coast. I may here describe the nature and
appearance of the craft in which I was embarked; it was about forty feet
long and three feet broad, being the trunk of a large tree hollowed out;
a few feet at each end of it were decked over, and the little cabins so
formed were filled with parcels and provisions; when empty they served
as sleeping berths for the crew, which consisted of the master and two
men. It had a single, long, slender mast, to which a triangular sail was
fixed, the lower part of which was stretched out by a long boom; a little
below the gunwale on each side were lashed two logs of light buoyant
wood, nearly as long as the canoe, of the same kind of which jangadas
are made; while these enable her to carry more cargo, they serve also to
prevent her from upsetting, and give a place to walk upon, as the cargo,
in our vessel, rose two feet above the body of the canoe. It may well
be imagined that there was but little comfort in such a conveyance, as
I was obliged to sit constantly upon one of my trunks, with no other
shelter from the sun and rain than that afforded by an umbrella. On the
shore, close to where we anchored, two large fires were burning, by
the light of which we saw several people and three or four huts. I was
anxious to land here, to obtain, if possible, a place to sleep on, but
the master said he would not go on shore, as he was not on good terms
with some of the inhabitants, and did not choose to risk himself among
them. After supping, therefore, with the crew on oranges, farinha,
and boiled salt-fish, I wrapped myself in my poncho, and lay down on
my trunks, and slept, but certainly not comfortably, till morning. At
dawn of day we again got under way, and about eight A.M., passed Cape
St. Augustino, a rocky point, behind which the land rises from one to
two hundred feet above the level of the sea; this is eight leagues to
the south of Pernambuco, the intervening country being one continued
flat. During the whole of the day we ran down very close to the shore,
always keeping between it and the reef. The country is of an undulating
hilly nature, wooded with small verdant trees and shrubs, many of the
latter covered with flowers. The beauty of the coast, although a little
monotonous, was, notwithstanding, some recompense for a day of continued
exposure to the sun. At eight o’clock in the evening we again came to an
anchor, at a place where the master was well known; here we landed, and
I found that my quarters for the night were to be a smith’s work-shop;
next day, however, I ascertained that it was the best house in the place,
being formed of wicker-work and mud, while the others were composed of
stakes and cocoa-nut leaves. The following morning the master of the
canoe took me to the house of a relation, about two miles further along
the shore, where we met with a kind reception. As some of the cargo of
the canoe had to be landed here, and more taken in, we remained here
all day, which I did not regret, as it rained heavily till night; on
this account I was prevented from making an excursion into the country,
although I did not perhaps lose much, as, in one short walk, I found
nearly the whole herbaceous vegetation burnt up. The land here rises
higher than at any other place between Pernambuco and Maceio, the faces
of several low hills, exhibiting a kind of coarse grained sandstone rock,
exactly of the same nature as the reef which runs for several hundred
miles along the coast both to the north and south of Pernambuco. This
reef, which is covered with small shells and coralloid substances, Mr.
Darwin supposes either to have been formed by a bar of sand and pebbles
formerly existing below the water, which was first consolidated, and
then elevated; or by a long spit of sand, running parallel to the coast,
having had its central part consolidated, and afterwards, by a slight
change in the set of currents, having the loose matter removed, so as
only to leave the hard nucleus. Neither of these suppositions, I feel
fully satisfied, accounts for the origin of the reef, because, at the
place where we now were, I could trace, at low water, a rocky connection
between the reef and the rocks of which the hills were composed. It is
more probable that the reef owes its origin to the decay of the rock
between it and the shore, but in what manner I will not attempt to
explain. This sandstone, as I will hereafter show, belongs to the lower
series of the chalk formation.
We slept at the house of the relation of the master of the canoe, who was
a tailor by trade, and an acknowledged poet and wit: in the society of
whom and his family, consisting of several sons and daughters, the time
passed away most agreeably. Early in the morning of the following day we
again pursued our voyage, keeping, as before, close along the shore, and
at about two o’clock P.M., we arrived at Barra de S. Antonio Grande, a
small village about nine leagues to the north of Maceio, consisting of
about one hundred houses, the greater part of which are made of cocoa-nut
leaves, and are mostly situated on a projecting point of flat land,
bounded on one side by the sea, and on the other by a small river of the
same name as the village, both deriving their appellation from a large
bar of white sand which stretches across the mouth of the river at some
distance from the shore. The inhabitants live principally by fishing, but
I was informed on my arrival at Maceio, that it is a place much resorted
to by slave vessels for the delivery of their cargoes, and it certainly
appears to be well suited for such a purpose.
In the afternoon I took a walk a little way along the banks of the river,
but did not find much to interest me; like all other sandy parts along
the coast, the vegetation here consists of low shrubs mixed with a few
small trees; _Schinus terebinthifolius_ being by far the most common. One
of the most striking vegetable productions near the village is a large
wild fig-tree growing close to the river, beneath the shade of which
four large canoes, larger than the one in which I arrived, were being
constructed; this also forms a rendezvous for the gossips of the village,
who assemble there in the afternoon, beneath its wide-spreading branches
which reach nearly to the ground, thus shading them from the sun. The
leaves of the tree are about six inches long and three broad, with fruit
about the size of a large gooseberry. In the evening I strolled through
the village, and found that nearly all the inhabitants had turned out of
their houses to enjoy the beautiful moonlight and the delightfully cool
evening breeze; many of them were squatted on the bare ground, some were
lounging on mats, while others were stretched out on cocoa-nut leaves.
In most of these groups, one or more of the individuals, generally young
men, were amusing the others by playing lively airs on the guitar. As the
master of the canoe belonged to the village, I was invited to sleep at
his house, but as he could not afford me a bed, I was obliged to repose
on a hide in the corner of a small room; scarcely, however, had I fallen
asleep when I was awakened by legions of hungry bugs, that came pouring
out from the cracks in the mud walls; unable to endure this torment I
got up, and taking-the materials which formed my bed outside the house,
I shook them well, and spreading them in the open air, I slept there
comfortably till morning. This was the only time during the whole of my
travels that I was annoyed to any extent by this insect, which is not
nearly so common, or so abundant as the flea.
Next day, Feb. 4th, we left Barra de San Antonio Grande about mid-day,
and reached Maceio at five o’clock in the evening. Shortly afterwards
I delivered the letters of introduction I had brought with me from
Pernambuco to Mr. Burnet, the only British merchant in the place, who
kindly invited me to remain with him during my stay. The town of Maceio
is of considerable size, containing about 5,000 inhabitants; previous
to the independence of Brazil, when the Portuguese were expelled by the
Brazilians, the population amounted to upwards of 7,000, and as these
were the principal capitalists, the trade of the place has declined
considerably ever since. The town itself stands on a platform about
fifty or sixty feet above the level of the sea, and distant from it
about a quarter of a mile; but at a little more than a mile to the
north-east, there is a small village called Jaragua, close to the sea,
where there are two wharfs for the loading and unloading of goods, and
a custom-house. The bay of Maceio is of considerable size, forming a
kind of semicircle, and offering good anchorage for shipping. Formerly
much cotton and sugar were shipped from this port in British bottoms,
but now scarcely more than two or three English vessels visit it in the
course of the year, the greater part of this produce being sent either
to Bahia or Pernambuco. The country round Maceio is not so monotonous
and flat as that around Pernambuco; low undulating ridges of hills
reaching close to the sea, covered with a vegetation of low trees and
shrubs. During several walks which I took in the vicinity, in company
with a young Scotchman who had been sometime resident there as a medical
practitioner, I made many additions to my botanical collections,
particularly on a flat sandy tract to the north-east of the town. Among
these I may mention a fine _Diospyros_, a curious _Eriocaulon_, _Marcetia
taxifolia_, an _Eschweilera_ different from that found at Pernambuco,
and a _Melocactus_. Maceio is considered more unhealthy than Pernambuco
or Bahia, ague being of very frequent occurrence, particularly at the
beginning of the rainy season.
The Rio San Francisco being only thirty-two leagues to the southward
of Maceio, and learning that it was navigable, without interruption,
for upwards of a hundred miles, I resolved to visit it. A Portuguese
gentleman, however, to whom I was directed for information on the
subject, having, a few years before, made the voyage up to the great
falls (Cachoeira de Paulo Affonço), informed me that as it was then the
season at which the river rises to its greatest height, the head waters
being far to the south, he would not advise me to undertake the voyage,
in consequence of the dangerous navigation at the period of the floods,
as well as from the little chance there would be of my adding much
to my collection, from the dried up state in which I should find the
vegetation, owing to the long continued drought. Still I determined to
go, as nothing better presented itself to pass the time, and hitherto,
moreover, I had always found the difficulties of travelling much less
than they were represented to be. I considered myself fortunate in being
able to hire, as a servant, the black who accompanied the gentleman above
alluded to.
Having made the necessary preparations for the voyage, I engaged a
jangada to take me along the coast to the mouth of the river, and left
Maceio at five o’clock A.M., on the morning of the 15th of February. I
intended to leave at eleven o’clock the night before, at the rising of
the moon, but when I reached the beach with my luggage, the owner of the
jangada was nowhere to be found, although he had faithfully promised to
be waiting for me. I immediately sent Pedro, my black servant, in search
of him, who soon afterwards returned unsuccessful; and I had no resource
but to walk backwards and forwards on the beach till shortly before five
o’clock in the morning, when he made his appearance. On questioning
him about his absence, he told me with the greatest coolness, that as
I did not arrive exactly when the moon rose, he thought I should not
come till morning, and that, in order to pass the time, he had gone out
to fish. Having at length embarked, we soon lost sight of Maceio under
the influence of a strong north-east wind, and, coasting along a flat
shrubby shore, we arrived at night at the mouth of a small river, on the
south bank of which, about a mile up, there is a little village called
Batel. At this place, which is twenty leagues distant from Maceio, we
remained for the night. I preferred sleeping in the jangada to one of the
small cocoa-nut-leaf cottages that was offered to me, but I had reason
to repent of having done so. It was full tide when we arrived at the
village, and the jangada was brought close to the shore, so that when
the tide ebbed it was left dry. I did not then recollect that all muddy
shores covered with mangroves, particularly at the mouths of rivers,
abound with mosquitos, but I was soon reminded of the fact by being awoke
about midnight with my face and hands smarting and swollen from the bites
of those annoying insects. As I slept in my clothes without any covering,
I was obliged to shield my face with my pocket-handkerchief, and thrust
my hands into my pockets. Although I was thus in some measure protected
from their bites, it was long before I could again fall asleep, from the
continued humming noise, almost as loud as that of bees, which they were
making around me. When I got up at daybreak, after a restless night, I
found that besides the mosquitos, I was surrounded by thousands of a
small black sand-fly (_Merohy_), not much larger than a grain of fine
gunpowder, but whose bites are no less irritating than those of their
larger congeners. The morning tide, we found, did not rise so high as it
did on the previous evening, and it was with some difficulty that the
jangada was floated into deep water, which was not effected till nearly
nine o’clock, A.M. In crossing the bar at the mouth of the river, we had
to pass through a line of small breakers, three of which swept over the
elevated platform on which I was sitting, and drenched me to the skin,
thereby rendering the remainder of the voyage very uncomfortable. It was
one o’clock, P.M., when we reached a little village called Peba, which
is situated on the coast, about five leagues to the north of the mouth
of the Rio San Francisco: this was the termination of my sea-voyage, as
the heavy surf which breaks over the shallow bar of that river will not
allow jangadas to enter it. The village is situated a little way inland,
and is hidden from the sea by a high embankment of sand, which at this
place is very much drifted by the wind; it is, however, recognised at
a considerable distance, from the number of tall cocoa-nut trees which
grow near the shore. I was here particularly struck with a fact which
goes a great way to explain the phenomenon of the stem of a fossil tree
being found passing through several strata of sandstone rock. Many of the
cocoa-nut trees have their stems embedded to the depth of fifty feet and
upwards in the embankment of sand which stretches along the shore, and
in many places is several hundred feet broad; some of them, indeed, are
so deeply embedded, that the nuts can be gathered without climbing the
tree. Now as this sand has accumulated at different periods, particularly
during the prevalence of the north-east trade-wind, it must present, if
ever it becomes hardened, a vast number of irregularly horizontal beds,
through which the stems of the palms will be found to pass.
From a fisherman, whom I met on the shore, I obtained permission to
occupy an empty hut till the next day. While seated on the trunk of
a tree, which was lying on the beach at high-water mark, I observed
that on the shore here, as well as along the coast, crabs of various
sizes abounded; and, as I had to wait until my luggage was landed and
carried to the hut, I amused myself by watching the operations of a
small species, belonging to the genus _Gelasimus_ that was either making
or enlarging its burrow in the sand. About once in every two minutes
it came up to the surface with a quantity of sand enclosed in its left
claw, which, by a sudden jerk, it ejected to the distance of about six
inches, always taking care to vary the direction in which it was thrown,
so as to prevent its accumulation in one place. Having a few small
shells belonging to a species of _Turbo_ in one of my jacket pockets, I
endeavoured to throw one of these into its hole, in order to see whether
it would bring it up again or not; of the four that were thus thrown, one
only entered the hole, the others remaining within a few inches of it.
It was about five minutes before the animal again made its appearance,
bringing with it the shell which had gone down, and carrying it to the
distance of about a foot from its burrow, it there deposited it. Seeing
the others lying near the mouth of the hole, it immediately carried them,
one by one, to the place where the first had been laid down, and then
returned to its former labour of carrying up sand. It was impossible not
to conclude that the actions of this little creature, which holds so low
a station in the chain of beings, were the result of reason, rather
than of blind instinct by which the actions of the inferior animals
are generally thought to be guided, for man himself, under the same
circumstances, could not have acted with more judgment.
On the day following our arrival at Peba, I made arrangements with the
owner of an ox-cart to take me with my luggage to Piassabassú, a little
village situated on the north bank of the Rio San Francisco, and about
two leagues distant from its mouth. He promised to come early in the
forenoon, but, much to my annoyance, did not make his appearance till
five o’clock in the afternoon, shortly after which we started. We kept
along the sandy shore for about two miles, then went a little inland
and continued our route in a direction nearly parallel to the shore
through a flat, sandy, bushy country, in which _Mouriria Guianensis_,
Aubl., and several species of _Lauraceæ_, were very abundant. It was
indeed dark during the greater part of the journey, but on my return
I had ample opportunity of observing the nature of the vegetation. I
was not at all sorry, after we had once started, that we had been thus
delayed, as travelling in this country is far more pleasant in the
evening than during the heat of the day. Our cart was of a very primitive
construction, similar to that seen everywhere in the interior of Brazil,
and little different from that used by the Romans. It consisted of a rude
frame, supported on two wheels about five feet in diameter, constructed
of solid plank; and was drawn by six oxen, yoked in pairs, goaded on by
two drivers, each carrying a slender pole about ten feet long. One of
the drivers goes before to lead the way, while the other urges on the
oxen with his long pole. The axles are never greased, and the creaking
noise they continually make, which we heard at a great distance, is most
disagreeable; the reason given for not greasing them is, that the cattle
are so accustomed to the noise that they would not go on without it. It
was ten o’clock at night when we arrived at the end of our journey, and
as there was no place where a stranger could put up, and being without
introduction to any resident in the village, I was taken by our conductor
to the house of one of his acquaintances, where the only accommodation
to be obtained was in a small and very dirty apartment in the hut, which
did not much signify, as I slept in my own hammock.
Piassabassú is a small village, where the greater part of the houses
surround a large square with a church in its centre; these are nearly
all of one story, and, being white-washed on the outside, they present
a cleanly appearance. Many of those situated nearest to the river, were
abandoned on account of its flooded state, being then higher than it had
been since the year 1793, when the inundation reached to a still greater
height. On the morning after our arrival at this place I hired a canoe
to convey me to the Villa do Penêdo, seven leagues further up the river.
We started at eleven o’clock, A.M., but the current was so strong that
the canoe was obliged to keep close along shore to be able to make way
against it; a small sail, by which we were propelled, was often barely
sufficient to keep us from being carried downwards; at such times our
two men were forced to use their paddles. At Piassabassú the river is
about two leagues broad, but the opposite side cannot be seen on account
of a large island which stands in the middle of the stream; it was only
after we had proceeded upwards about half a league, that I first saw the
whole breadth of this magnificent river. The country, for about three
leagues, is flat on both sides, which the present flood had inundated
to a considerable extent. We passed large fields of sugar-cane, where
nothing was to be seen but the tops of the leaves, which, waving in the
stream, gave them the appearance of verdant meadows; where trees existed,
nothing but their upper branches were visible, and almost every house
that we passed had only its roof appearing above the water. The river
begins to rise in the month of October, which is the commencement of the
rainy season in the southern provinces, the sources of its origin, and
continues to do so until the end of March. At about five leagues from the
coast, the country, on the south side of the river, slightly rises, and
from thence to Penêdo it is of an undulating character, but the opposite
side still continues flat. After pursuing our course upwards about two
leagues on the north, we crossed over to the southern bank, in order to
obtain advantage of the breeze. A few sugar plantations exist on both
sides, but the vacancies in the forests made by the cultivated spots are
scarcely apparent. By the force of the stream, particularly in certain
turns of the river, the banks were greatly encroached upon by a continual
process of undermining, and we saw great masses of earth falling in, the
trees which grew thereon being floated down by the current. We did not
come in sight of Penêdo till within a league of it, when, turning round
a high rocky wooded point on the south side, the white houses were seen
brightly lighted up by the rays of the sun, which was then just setting
nearly opposite to the town. Shortly afterwards we distinguished Villa
Nova, a small town situated about half a league below Penêdo, but on the
south side of the river. As the Rio San Francisco divides the province of
Alagoas from that of Sergipe, it will be seen that the Villa do Penêdo is
in the former, while Villa Nova is in the latter.
It was too late when we landed, to deliver the letters of introduction
which I brought from Maceio, and, as the boatmen would not remain till
morning, I sent my man Pedro to look out for a house in which I might
lodge for the night. After being away for more than an hour he returned,
and told me that he had much difficulty in finding one, owing to almost
every house being crowded by the many families driven out of their homes
by the flooded state of the river. I should have preferred an empty
house, but as this was not attainable, I caused my luggage to be taken
up to the only one Pedro could procure, which I found belonged to a
young girl, who lived alone in it, following a profession which is not
considered so disreputable in Brazil as in most other countries. In
a small apartment of this house we therefore passed the night in our
hammocks, which were slung from one side of the room to the other. During
the voyage up the river I saw several large reeds in flower, and great
plenty of a large yellow-flowered _Jussiæa_. A little way below Penêdo,
_Machaonia spinosa_ grew abundantly, forming a good sized spiny shrub,
having large panicles of small white flowers, called by the Brazilians,
Espinha branea: of this I collected specimens, as well as of a species
of _Oxypetalum_, bearing large umbels of sweet smelling flowers, not
unlike those of _Hoya carnosa_.
On the following morning I delivered the letters of recommendation I
had with me from Maceio. One of these was to the chief magistrate of
the district (the Juiz de Direito), Dr. Manoel Bernardino de Souza
de Figueiredo, by whom I was most cordially received, and invited to
reside with him till an opportunity occurred for proceeding further up
the river. I returned immediately to my lodging in quest of my luggage,
but before this could be dispatched the Juiz returned my visit, and,
on discovering my poor quarters, he expressed much regret that I had
not proceeded directly to his house on my arrival. One of the greatest
inconveniences that a traveller meets with in Brazil, is the difficulty
of finding accommodation, for in none of the towns or villages throughout
this vast empire, does there exist an inn of any kind except in the
principalities of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and one or two others in the
mining districts, and even these are kept by foreigners. It will be long
before such conveniences come into general use, for the Brazilians when
they travel, always carry with them their own servants, provisions,
cooking apparatus, and beds; and it seldom happens that an empty house of
some description or other is not to be had in any village during their
journey: should they fail to do so, during the dry season they content
themselves by encamping under some large trees, slinging their hammocks
from one branch to another. It was in this manner that I afterwards
was forced to travel, often being for months together without sleeping
under a roof. The Brazilians are particularly attentive to any stranger
recommended to them, and, during the whole of my wanderings, I seldom
went from one place to another without letters, nor do I remember a
single instance in which I was not courteously received by those to whom
they were addressed.
The Villa do Penêdo, so called because it is situated upon an
elevated rocky point, on the north bank of the river, is about thirty
miles from its mouth. The rock on which it stands is a fine-grained
yellowish-coloured sandstone, the strata of which incline from east to
west. The streets are irregular but the houses are very substantial,
the principal ones being of two stories, and are for the most part
built of the same stone as that on which the town stands. It contains
about 4,000 inhabitants, the greater part of whom are very poor. There
are no less than six large and substantially built churches, to one of
which is attached a convent of Franciscan Friars, called Nossa Senhora
da Corrente, but it contains only three brethren. In the Comarco,
or district of Penêdo, sugar and cotton are the principal articles
cultivated, the greater part of the plantations being situated on the
margin of the river, below the town. Mandiocca, french-beans, and rice
are raised in sufficient quantities but only for consumption. Formerly
cattle were reared to some extent in the more inland parts of the
district, but this source of production has failed in consequence of the
occasionally excessive drought, and also because of the abundance of
a tick (_Carrapato_), which sometimes proves so great a plague that a
farmer loses his whole stock in a single season. During the Portuguese
dynasty, Penêdo was a flourishing place, but is now rapidly falling into
decay. The following census of the whole Comarco, which was taken in the
year 1837, I owe to the kindness of the Juiz de Direito, and I consider
is worthy of being quoted, to show the proportion which the different
races bear to each other in this part of the country.
Whites 22,045.
Free Mulattos 32,694.
Mulatto Slaves 4,531.
Free Blacks 10,113.
Black Slaves 10,876.
Native Indians 2,331.
------
In all 82,590.
Three days after my arrival at Penêdo, we heard that an empty canoe was
going up as far as the river was navigable, and accordingly I engaged a
passage for a small sum. Having made all the requisite preparations for
my voyage, I left Penêdo at one o’clock, P.M., on the 22nd of February,
carrying with me letters to some of the principal inhabitants of the
different places at which we were likely to stop. The canoe in which
we embarked was a very large one, being about forty feet long and four
broad. It is seldom that a single tree is of sufficient dimensions to
form a canoe of this size, but when such is not the case, they hollow out
the largest they can find, sawing it in two through the middle from stem
to stern, and then give it the requisite breadth by the addition of one
or more widths of planks between the two halves: in this same manner our
canoe was constructed. One end of the bow, for the length of ten feet,
was thatched over with cocoa-nut leaves like the roof of a house, which
thus served both as a place of shelter from the sun during the day, and
as a sleeping berth by night. It had only one mast, which carried two
large triangular sails of a very coarse cotton cloth, manufactured in
the country, and these were stretched out on each side by a long boom.
The sea-breeze generally reaches Penêdo about mid-day, blowing right up
the river, and, with the sails spread out in this wing-like fashion,
we went up the stream with great rapidity, notwithstanding that the
current against us was very strong. As it is dangerous for small canoes
to navigate the river when it is flooded, two of them are lashed side by
side, and thus united, they form what is called an Ajojo. At six o’clock
in the evening we reached the village of Propiá, situated on the south
side of the river, and seven leagues distant from Penêdo. It contains
about 250 houses, mostly small, and built of wicker work and mud; many of
those in the street parallel with the river were half full of water, and
consequently abandoned; such, also, we observed to be the case with many
houses which we passed during our voyage.
The most striking objects of vegetation which I observed on the banks
of the river, were many trees of considerable size, belonging to the
natural order _Leguminosæ_, bearing large spikes of light-purple flowers;
abundance of a curious kind of _Cactus_, reaching to the height of
from twenty to thirty feet, the great fleshy and naked arms of which,
stand out like the branches of an enormous chandelier. A most striking
difference was to be observed between the verdure of that part of the
country which, for upwards of four months, had been under water, and
the more elevated parts, on which no rain had fallen for nearly six
months. The latter had more the appearance of the deciduous woods of
Europe in winter, than such as grow within the tropics are generally
supposed to present. It was only here and there, that a tree was to be
seen covered with leaves, all the others having lost their foliage, owing
to the excessive and long continued drought. In sailing up the river,
the prospect would have been dreary, had it not been for the broad belt
of arboreous vegetation that clothed its margins. The country between
Penêdo and Propiá is of a low hilly character, but about two leagues
above the former place, a rather high ridge of mountains is seen on the
north side, about eight leagues from the river, called Serra de Priáca;
and about four leagues further up, a high conical mountain called the
Serra de Maraba is seen, rising from the surrounding flat country like
a pyramid, in a N.N.W. direction, about six leagues distant. A market,
or fair, is held at this village every Saturday, and as the owner of the
canoe wished to make some purchases for his return cargo, I was detained
here two days. On the morning after our arrival, I walked a little way
into the country behind the town, but found the vegetation so completely
scorched up, that not a green thing was to be seen. I then directed my
steps to the bank of the river, and collected specimens of two species of
_Cæsalpinia_, which were beautifully in flower, as well as a low shrubby
species of _Croton_, which is very common, its wood, when broken, having
a fragrant smell not unlike that of a _Calycanthus_.
The preparations for the fair created some bustle, as during the whole
of the previous day, particularly towards evening, canoes continued to
arrive from all quarters with articles for sale; and from the inland
part of the country numbers of horses came into the village laden with
merchandize. As I slept in the canoe, which was moored amidst a number
of others, I was awoke early on the morning of the fair, by the noise of
a motley multitude of men, women, and children of all colours, from the
deep black African, to the scarcely white inhabitants of Brazil. The
place where the market is usually held being then under water, the crowd
had assembled on an elevated part of the river bank towards the west end
of the town, opposite to which all the canoes were made fast alongside
each other. As soon as I was dressed, I took a walk through the crowd
to observe the kind of goods exposed for sale, and as might be expected
I found them extremely various, consisting, principally, of articles of
food and dress. Among others of inferior note may be particularized the
following as being the most abundant:—Farinha de Mandiocca, dried beef,
large fish, mostly sturgeon, from the river, dried in the sun, sugar
in large loaves shaped like cheeses, or in smaller ones in the form of
bricks, molasses in large leathern bottles, fresh beef, bananas, soap,
shoes, English cotton, cloth and prints, ropes made from the fibre of
native plants, tobacco, planks and posts for house building, earthen-ware
cooking utensils, and water pitchers, brought by the Indians, leather,
hides, rum, &c.
The great variety in the style of dress adopted by these people, is the
first thing to strike the eye of a stranger. The better classes wear
either light jackets and trowsers, or shirt and trowsers only, over
which they put a long dressing-gown of printed cotton, to which is added
during the cool of the morning and evening, a cloak of Scotch tartan.
They seldom wear stockings, but have their bare feet thrust into a pair
of brown leather slippers. The country people generally wear a broad
brimmed hat made of leather, and sometimes a leathern jacket; but most
commonly their only covering consists of a pair of thin cotton drawers,
which reach a little below the knee, and a shirt of the same stuff
hanging loose outside of them. The negroes usually dress in the same
manner as the whites, but the women have much more taste than the men,
many of whom appear literally in rags, though apparently as happy in this
attire, as if they were of the best description. I observed here more of
the aboriginal inhabitants of Brazil, than I had seen at one time before;
many of them bore evident signs of having a mixture of white, and others
of black blood in their veins, but not in sufficient quantity to destroy
the peculiar obliquity of the eyes, and the lank black hair of the
American race.
It was about three o’clock in the afternoon before we could leave Propiá,
and at eight we arrived at Traipú, another small village situated on
the north bank of the river, about seven leagues further up. At half
a league from Propiá we passed a small village called Collegio, and
at a further distance of two leagues and a half a still smaller one,
called San Bras, both situated on the north side of the stream. As far
as the latter village, the appearance of the country on both sides of
the river bears much the same appearance as that above Penêdo, but at
a distance of a about a league above San Bras, it becomes much higher,
the undulating ridges of hills reaching close to the water in many
places, thus diminishing the breadth of the stream, and, consequently,
increasing the rapidity of the current. The highest part of the country
is a hill opposite Traipú, the termination of a range called the Serra de
Tabangá. The effects of the drought on the vegetation were still greater
here than further down; as far as the eye could reach, nothing like a
forest was to be seen, both the hills and valleys being thinly covered
with small trees and shrubs, and all, with a few solitary exceptions,
denuded of their foliage. On the surface of the ground itself there was
no herbaceous vegetation, the red coloured soil alone being seen through
the withered bushes. Here and there along the banks a few houses exist,
but none were to be observed inland. The only objects that relieved the
eye in this desert-like region, were the green bushes which grew along
the inundated banks, and the grotesque _Cacti_ abounding in dry rocky
places. The latter are the most conspicuous objects that meet the eye
of a voyager; some of their trunks are of immense thickness, and their
branching tops reach to a great height above the surrounding vegetation.
These are certainly the most remarkable looking plants of the many which
clothe the surface of our globe, their huge fleshy branches seeming more
the work of art than of nature. It is only plants such as these, that
are able to retain their verdure during the long droughts to which the
country here is subjected. On the rocky places where these grow, there
are also many _Bromeliaceous_ plants, which in spite of the want of rain,
not only grow luxuriantly but produce their large red clusters of flowers
in the greatest perfection. The rocks on which these plants vegetate
are of gneiss, in thin layers of a dark colour, full of small garnets,
and cropping out at a very obtuse angle towards the south. We remained
for the night at Traipú, and at nine o’clock next morning resumed our
voyage, but as the wind was very high, we could make no way against the
current; at about half a league from the place of our departure we were
obliged to halt for some hours on the north bank of the river. This
afforded me an opportunity of landing, when I made a few additions to
my collections. Among these was a species of _Azolla_, which existed in
the greatest abundance, in a flat muddy place that was slightly flooded.
Here also I met with some of the largest _Cacti_ I have ever seen; one
in particular was of enormous size, the stem measuring upwards of three
feet in circumference, and unbranched to the height of about ten feet;
its entire height could not be less than between thirty and forty feet.
This and other large kinds of _Cactus_ are called by the inhabitants
of this part of the country Sheeke-sheeke, and their fleshy stems and
branches, after being stripped of their back and spines, are roasted
and eaten in times of scarcity; under similar circumstances they are
given raw to cattle. A little below this place on the south side of the
river, we passed an old gold-working, situated on the side of a low hill
through which a small ravine passes. It seemed to have been a long time
since it had been worked, as the heaps of soil which had been thrown out,
were covered with the low shrubby vegetation peculiar to the district.
Continuing our voyage, towards sunset we came in sight of a small island,
called Ilha dos Prazeres, on the top of which there is a church of the
same name. Opposite this island, on the north side, we passed the mouth
of a small river, called the Rio de Panêma, which takes its rise in the
Sertão of the province of Alagoas. On the upper side of the mouth of
this river there is a little hamlet, consisting only of a few houses,
called Barra de Panêma. A little further up we crossed over to the
south side, to land an old negro who had accompanied us from Propiá,
and it was with much regret that we were obliged to come to an anchor
for the night a little way above this place, for the river here takes a
turn to the northward, and although there was a strong breeze, we could
not succeed in getting our canoe into a position to enable us to avail
ourselves of the favourable wind, notwithstanding the best efforts of our
crew, which consisted of three men, assisted by myself and servant; an
exposure of our vessel to a side wind would have upset her, and she was
too unmanageable to attempt rowing.
On the following morning, before breakfast, I took a walk to a high
ridge of gneiss rocks, which is at a little distance from the river, and
found a variety of different kinds of _Cacti_. One of these was a great
_Melocactus_ much larger than the one which is so common near Pernambuco;
it grows in fissures of the rock where scarcely any soil exists, and its
tough roots penetrate to such a depth, that they can with difficulty be
withdrawn; living specimens of this (_Melocactus Hookerianus_, Gardn.)
which I sent home, now exist in the collections at Kew and Glasgow. While
lying in the canoe, waiting for the breeze, I heard a splashing noise in
the water as of heavy rain, but on looking over the side, I found it to
be produced by hundreds of small fish; so abundant were they, that having
no hook, I had recourse to a bent pin fixed to the end of a thread, and
thus in a few minutes I caught above thirty of them. I found them to
belong to the tribe _Salmonidæ_, of which they form a very diminutive
species, measuring from two to three inches in length, and from an inch
to an inch and a half in depth; they are called by the Indians Piába;
the two lower thirds of their depth is of a silvery-white, while the
upper third is of a pale lead colour, being in general appearance not
unlike a herring in miniature; they are extremely voracious and abundant,
especially in shallow water, where they are caught in numbers by
children; they make an excellent dish when stewed. From a young man who
was fishing in a shallow part of the river with a hand-net, I obtained a
few other kinds of fish, and among them one which is very much dreaded
by the inhabitants of the banks of nearly all the lakes and rivers in
the northern provinces; it is called Piranha by the Brazilians, and is
also one of the _Salmonidæ_, belonging to the genus _Serasalmo_. It is
commonly about a foot in length, but sometimes is as much as two feet
long, being very much compressed laterally, and very deep; the back is of
a dark brownish colour, and the belly yellowish white, both being thinly
marked with reddish spots; the lower jaw projects a little beyond the
upper, and both are armed with about fourteen flattish triangular-shaped
teeth, upwards of a quarter of an inch in length, and very short. It is
most voracious, and is consequently caught with difficulty. Many people
are often severely injured by them whilst bathing, and I have repeatedly
been shown the scars left by their bites. It is said that ducks
frequently lose their legs, in consequence of their voracity, and it is
even asserted that where they abound, cattle have been known to perish
from their attacks, when going into the water to cool themselves, or to
drink.
We resumed our voyage again about eleven o’clock in the morning, and at
once reached Lagoa Funda, a small village on the north side of the river,
the distance being about two leagues. It contains but very few houses,
and takes its name from a large deep lake which runs westward from it, in
a direction parallel with the river. During this voyage we came in sight
of a range of mountains called the Serra Pão de Assucar, bearing N.N.W.
of us; it terminates abruptly towards the W.S.W., and slopes gradually
thence to the E.N.E. and is by far the highest range in the district.
The country around us was now beginning to assume a verdant appearance,
several showers of rain having lately fallen. Shortly after our arrival
at this place, owing to the loss of the wind, we were obliged to remain
till five o’clock in the afternoon; when the sea breeze reached us, we
again started, and were enabled by half past six o’clock to reach another
small village called San Pedro. This is situated on an island of the same
name, which is about half a league long by a quarter of a league broad,
being flat, with a sandy soil; the upper end where the village stands,
is open, while the opposite extremity is densely wooded with bushes and
small trees.
I passed the night in the canoe, but could get little sleep owing to the
mosquitos which were very abundant. Early in the morning, I took a walk
over the island, and gathered a few plants; during the day the heat was
most intolerable, the thermometer in the shade about noon, indicating
99½°, and as there was not the slightest breath of wind, the oppressive
sensation amounted almost to suffocation, the air feeling as if it came
from the mouth of an oven. Not a soul was to be seen out of doors, and
the few goats and pigs on the island, as well as the dogs, sought the
shade of a few trees of _Zizyphus_ which grow by the side of the river
near the village. Everything was as still as midnight, the songs of the
small birds which I had listened to with delight during my morning’s
walk, and the loud shrill cry of the Gavata, a large water bird, as
well as the monotonous one of the Bem-te-ve, were now no longer heard,
even the trees were motionless, and the mighty mass of yellow water in
the river rolled slowly down unruffled by a breeze; all was indeed so
still, that one could scarcely help thinking that life had ceased to
exist. Having slung my hammock under a _Zizyphus_ tree, I remained in
it till the rays of the sun became less powerful. It was six o’clock
in the evening before the sea breeze reached the island, and it being
then too late to proceed on our voyage, we remained where we were for
the night. The sun had no sooner set, and the breeze become more fresh,
than the greater number of the inhabitants left their houses, and seated
themselves either at their doors or by the side of the river, to enjoy
the delicious coolness of the evening air; of course I followed their
example, and it was near midnight before I retired to rest.
The number of families on the island amounts to about forty, and they
are for the most part civilized Indians. On the evening of our arrival I
was presented to their captain, an old man dressed in a leather hat, a
pair of coarse cotton drawers, a shirt of the same material, and a pair
of leather sandals on his feet, who was sitting under a _Zizyphus_ tree
repairing a fishing net. From him I learned that the Indians on the
island are decreasing gradually in number, and he sighed when he told
me that the day was not far distant when his race would become extinct,
or at least be amalgamated with the other inhabitants. Those who still
remain unmixed, are short in stature and of a stout make; in disposition
they appeared gentle and obliging. I observed a church in the village,
but during my visit the priest was absent on the main land.
On the morning of the 28th, the second since our arrival, I again took a
walk over the island, and in the centre found a large tract covered with
a very prickly species of _Opuntia_, covered with the Cochineal insect.
I also collected several species of _Viscum_ and _Loranthus_, growing on
the branches of _Mimosa_ and _Zizyphus_ trees; while the sandy shores
of the south side of the island yielded me abundance of _Ehrenbergia
tribuloides_, Mart., and a Lupin-like kind of _Zornia_. The morning was
comparatively cool, but the day was calm and sultry, the thermometer
standing at 96° in the shade. As it was again six o’clock in the evening
before the breeze set in, we were once more detained. The setting in of
the breeze was accompanied with a curious appearance in the atmosphere;
the sun was setting in the west with a fiery redness, surrounded by a
mass of red coloured clouds, while from the eastward was seen approaching
an immense body of vapour; this, from the distance at which it was seen,
had more the appearance of smoke issuing from some great conflagration.
This body came slowly on before the wind till at last it reached us, and
we could see the small vesicles of which it was composed rolling past.
The wind for about five minutes was so hot that every one was glad to
take shelter from it, but it soon acquired its usual refreshing coolness.
On inquiring of the old captain whether such a phenomenon was often
observed, he told me that it was of frequent occurrence at the beginning
of the rainy season, and added, that long experience had taught him it
was always the forerunner of a great storm (_hum temporal_.)
On the following day, the first of March, we left the island, about
half-past five o’clock in the evening, and had not been gone an hour
before the sky towards the N.E. became darkened with a mass of black
clouds, the sure harbinger of a coming storm. We were then nearly in the
middle of the river, which was about a league broad; and as the storm was
approaching with great rapidity, the master of the canoe gave instant
orders to run her in to the north shore, but before we had reached the
distance, we were overtaken by a gust of wind which laid her nearly on
her broadside. A considerable quantity of water was shipped, and the crew
lost all command of themselves, one crying to do this, and another that,
without anything being done. The lower part of the sail on the lee side
was in the water keeping the edge of the canoe down, and had it not been
for my exertions and my man Pedro’s assistance, in seizing hold of the
rope by which the extreme point of the long boom is drawn up to the mast
head, and thus raising it out of the water, the canoe, to a certainty,
would have filled, and we should all have been inevitably drowned. Still
we were at some distance from the river bank, and the storm was setting
in with all its fury, the waves were dashing over the weather gunnel,
while the lee side was taking in great quantities of water. In the
meantime the sails had been stowed away, and seeing the danger of keeping
her broadside any longer to the wind, the master gave orders to run her
over to the other side of the river before the wind. We thus steered
in an oblique direction nearly three miles before we reached the south
side, and during this fearful interval the wind, the rain, thunder and
lightning were such as I had never before been exposed to. It was now
quite dark, but the vivid flashes both of forked and sheet lightning gave
a light, from time to time, as brilliant nearly as noon-day. The canoe
ran aground among some small trees to two of which she was made fast; the
rain continued to fall in torrents for nearly two hours, and from our
unavoidable exposure to its influence we were all drenched to the skin.
When the storm had entirely exhausted itself, we found that the wind had
died away also, and as we could not resume our voyage, we determined to
return with the current to the island of San Pedro. This we accordingly
did, and had to remain in our wet clothes during the greater part of the
night. In going down I observed a number of large meteors passing from
the N.E. to the S.W. following the course of the storm.
The two following days were again calm, with heavy thunder-storms in
the evening, so that we were compelled to remain all this time on the
island. A more serious event, however, now occurred to detain me among
the Indians. The day after the storm before mentioned, I found myself
feverish and unwell, and two days after this I was severely attacked
with dysentery, which is of frequent occurrence at this season, caused
no doubt by the sudden transitions of temperature. In the meantime a
favourable breeze had sprung up, and as I was far too ill to proceed,
the canoe was obliged to sail without me; I was thus left behind in
an old hut, the floor of which was still wet from having been a short
time before overflowed by the river. In this place I was confined to
my hammock for five days, during which time I was so ill that I never
expected to recover; from being in robust health, I was in the course
of a few days reduced to a mere shadow, with scarcely the power, when
I did get out of my hammock, to drag one leg after the other. I felt
severely the want of my medicine-chest, which I had left behind at
Maceio, not wishing in this excursion to encumber myself with luggage; my
only resource, therefore, was to trust to the remedial agents employed
by the people themselves. This I found to consist in the use of castor
oil, which is commonly made on the island, and afterwards a drink, _ad
libitum_, of strong lemonades of vinegar and white sugar. There was
only one venda in the village, in which the latter materials were to
be obtained, but where, strange to say, the only other purchaseable
article was rum. Nothing in the shape of provisions was to be had for any
consideration, and as our long stay here had completely exhausted our
stock, both Pedro and I were almost reduced to a state of starvation. Not
even a particle of farinha was to be had, and had we not been supplied
with a fowl or two by an old Indian woman, who attended very kindly upon
me during my illness, we should have been miserably destitute. While
still confined to my bed, I sent Pedro to another small village a few
leagues further up the river, to purchase, if possible, some provisions,
but he returned altogether unsuccessful. My chief regret was for this
poor fellow, for he was well and felt the pangs of hunger far more keenly
than I did. In the meantime a canoe fortunately arrived at the island
with a little farinha for sale, of which I bought as much, at four times
the usual price, as would suffice to take us back again to Penêdo,
for I had now renounced all idea of going further up the river. The
poor inhabitants of the island were themselves literally in a state of
starvation, their principal food being the fruit of _Geoffroya superba_,
the produce of a small tree growing rather abundantly on the south side
of the island. It reaches to the height of nearly twenty feet, and
produces a fleshy drupe about the size of a walnut; it is called _umarí_
by the Indians. In almost every house, whether Indian or Brazilian, I
observed a large pot of this fruit preparing, either indoors over a fire
made on the floor, or on the ground under a tree in the neighbourhood
of the house. As soon as they are nearly ready, groups of children in a
state of nudity, and half naked men and women seat themselves around the
pot, each furnished with two stones, a larger and a smaller one, for the
purpose of breaking the nut after they have devoured the outward fleshy
part; the taste of the kernel is not unlike that of boiled beans. Fish
is in general the staple food of these people, but it is difficult to
procure when the river is much flooded.
At the west end of the village there is a large wide-spreading _Zizyphus_
tree standing alone, and as these trees retain their dense covering of
leaves all the year round, their shade is sought after both by men and
animals during the excessive heat of the day. Under that of which I now
speak were to be seen a number of villagers of both sexes, the women
squatting on mats spread on the ground, and occupied in spinning with
a distaff a coarse kind of cotton yarn used principally as wicks for
tapers, which they make of a brown coloured native wax. The men are much
less industrious than the women, being generally to be seen standing
about in a state of idleness, or swinging in their hammocks either in
their houses or beneath the shade of a tree. Under the large _Zizyphus_
tree several hammocks are hung up every morning, and they are seldom
unoccupied. On Sundays the women lay aside their spinning apparatus,
but immediately after mass, groups of them may be seen playing cards,
at which they continue during the whole day; as they do not play for
money, they use only french beans as counters. Until I gained sufficient
strength to leave the island, I also spent much of my time under the
shade of this tree, either listening to the conversation of these people,
or answering the thousand and one questions put by them respecting my
own and other distant countries. These questions were often sufficiently
ridiculous, and I could often perceive that my answers were considered
stretches of the long bow, although they were too polite to say so;
nor was it only among the poor islanders of San Pedro, that I observed
this to be the case, for the same often occurred among those who were
considered well educated people. I remember once to have been conversing
with the President of one of the inland provinces about Steam Navigation,
and on telling him that many of the English Steam-boats were now entirely
constructed of iron, he did not say he did not believe me, but simply
remarked “that in Brazil, when iron was put into the water it always
sank.”
On the twelfth of March I took leave of my Indian friends, and embarked
in a canoe which I hired to take me down to Penêdo, having been exactly
a fortnight on the island. We reached that place on the morning of the
fourteenth, when I received a kind welcome from my friend the Juiz de
Direito. I landed several times during the passage, for the purpose of
making collections of living plants of the different kinds of _Cacti_,
which grow in great abundance on the banks of the river, wherever they
are rocky. At one of the places where we stopped, I observed several
fine trees of _Peltophorum Vogelianum_, Benth. This tree, which belongs
to the natural order _Leguminosæ_, reaches to the height of about forty
feet, and has a great branching top: the leaves are large but very much
subdivided, and very graceful, having more the appearance of the frond
of a fern, than the leaf of a tree. The racemes of flowers which grow
at the ends of the branches, are often more than a foot long, and the
flowers are of a beautiful golden colour; at a distance it presents a
more magnificent appearance, than almost any other tree I have seen. The
canoe was carried down the stream by the force of the current, but in
the afternoon, and during the greater part of the night, the sea breeze
blew so strong as to impede our progress. The boatmen, however, adopted
a plan to overcome this, which I have never seen elsewhere, nor even
heard of, and I will therefore explain it in a few words. Landing at a
place where the trees grew in abundance, the men set to work, and cut
off a considerable number of branches, which were tied tightly together
with cords, one end of a long rope was made fast round its middle, while
the other end was secured to the canoe. They then steered for a part of
the river where the current was strong, and threw the bundle overboard,
which being heavy from its green state, floated just below the surface
of the water, and in this manner being entirely out of the influence of
the wind, it received the whole force of the current, by which means the
canoe was dragged down at a rate little inferior to that by which we
descended during the calm of the day.
I remained at Penêdo eight days, and, thanks to the very great kindness
I received from the Juiz de Direito, my health rapidly improved, and
I was enabled to make several little excursions in the neighbourhood.
The Juiz is one of the few Brazilians I came in contact with, for whom
I entertain feelings of esteem and respect. I found him to be a man of
great intelligence, and well educated, having studied at the University
of Coimbra. Even among the litigious Brazilians he was respected as a
judge; and, indeed, both his opinions and actions were those of a mind
deeply imbued with benevolence. At Coimbra he had paid some attention
to the study of Botany, to which he was still partial, but more to
the theoretical that to the practical department. He had made the
acquaintance of M. Reidel and Dr. Natterer, both of whom had lived with
him some years before, when he was residing in Pará. In the society of
this excellent man, as well as in that of his brother, a priest who was
then on a visit to him from Bahia, in the perusal of his books, and in
visiting some families in the town, my time passed away very agreeably.
One day I went to Villa Nova, to visit a Colonel Bento Mello Pereira,
the owner of a large sugar plantation. After receiving an invitation to
return to dinner, I walked over to view his plantation, which was about
two miles distant, but did not meet with much to reward my toil, for the
sun was hot, and the country dry and sandy. I reached his house again
a little before two o’clock, that being the dinner hour, where I found
that two other persons, both belonging to the place, had been invited
also. The dinner was both substantial and excellent, being served up
with some degree of ostentation. We had a slave to wait upon each of us,
and before beginning, a little black fellow supplied us with water from
a large silver ewer in a silver basin to wash our hands, bearing round
his shoulders a long towel with which to dry them. After dinner he took
me to see a vessel he was building a little above the town; it was about
one hundred and fifty tons burden, and nearly ready for launching. He
intended her to trade along the coast, but principally to convey sugar
to Bahia; the planking consisted of _Pao Amarello_ and _Oiti_, said to
be the two best woods for ship-building in the north of Brazil. I do not
know to what genus the _Pao Amarello_ belongs, but the _Oiti_ is the
_Moquilea tomentosa_ of Bentham, first described from specimens which I
forwarded to him from Pernambuco.
A proposal has recently been made to establish a communication by steam
navigation, between the coast and the interior central provinces of
Brazil, by means of the Rio de San Francisco. Upon a mere inspection of
the map of this portion of the Empire, it would seem that every facility
for this specious proposition has been offered by nature; an easy, cheap,
although somewhat circuitous water conveyance leads directly from the
sea on the confines of the province of Pernambuco into the heart of
the inland, rich, and comparatively well-populated mining and diamond
districts, which are separated from the great markets of Rio de Janeiro
and Bahia by lofty mountain barriers, always difficult of access, and
where the means of transport are tedious and costly. I have great doubts
whether this plan will ever be carried into effect, in support of which
opinion I will adduce three very substantial reasons.
In the first place, the bar at the mouth of the river is about two
leagues broad, is always covered with a heavy surf, and has seldom more
than four feet of water on it. In the second place, at the falls of
Paulo Affonço there is a series of rapids and falls about sixty miles in
length, forming a serious obstacle to the progress of any navigation.
In the third place, there is a very limited population throughout the
intervening country, which is not likely to increase, owing to the desert
nature of the greater portion of the interior; from these causes the
amount of produce likely to be taken to the coast must, consequently, be
very small indeed, so that the enterprize would not be likely to succeed
in a pecuniary point of view, even were it otherwise practicable. Were
the interior of the middle portion of Brazil as fertile as is generally
supposed to be by those who have never visited it, hopes might be
entertained of its becoming hereafter a rich agricultural district, such
as the belt of country along the coast is found to be; in that case some
great national undertaking for rendering communication more easy, might
be looked for; but while it exists as a dry arid tract scarcely fit
for the rearing of cattle, it is not at all likely that any Brazilian
at least will sink his money in attempting to render the San Francisco
navigable. A company of Englishmen may probably be induced in periods of
infectious speculation to venture upon this attempt, for some of the late
ill-concerted schemes in Brazil have been far more absurd; in testimony
of which we may instance that monument of folly, the Rio Doce Company.
The North Americans, particularly those of the back settlements, are
celebrated for their inquisitiveness; but this seems to be a very general
failing with all those who are shut out from frequent intercourse with
strangers. A curious instance of this feeling occurred a few days after I
returned to Penêdo. I had brought letters from Maceio to a gentleman who
lived here with a married brother, they were among the most respectable
people in the place. Although not yet eleven o’clock, I found the lady,
a remarkably fine and good-looking woman, with her husband busily engaged
at cards, she lying in a hammock, while he was seated on a chair beside
her; she had recently been smoking, an almost universal accomplishment
among the ladies of the interior, as a long pipe was lying near her, and
the floor beneath bore strong indications of excessive expectoration. I
was desired to be seated, and was immediately inundated with a flood of
questions from the good lady who possessed great volubility of tongue.
Among a host of others I may enumerate the following. What countryman are
you? What is your name? How old are you? Are you a medical man? Are you
married? Are your father and mother alive? What are their names? Have you
any sisters? What are their names? Have you any brothers? What are their
names? Have all your countrymen blue eyes? Have you churches and priests
in your country? Do oranges and bananas grow there? &c., &c. If, however,
she was inquisitive about my concerns, she was not less disposed to
tell me much that related to herself. Thus she informed me that she was
married when she was nineteen years of age, that she was now five years
married, and in that time had presented her husband with a yearly gift,
all of whom were alive with the exception of one. Her husband, she said,
was thirty-six years of age, and she desired me to feel his pulse, as he
was always complaining of bad health. I soon discovered his complaint
to be indigestion, one of the most frequent ills that Brazilians are
subject to, arising, no doubt, from the enormous quantities which they
eat, and that generally not of the most digestive materials, as well as
from the heavy late suppers which they indulge in. I had then to feel
her pulse in turn, and she seemed much pleased when I told her it was an
excellent one. I afterwards became very intimate with them, and spent
many agreeable hours in their society; their brother to whom I brought
the letters was a lawyer, and a well-educated and intelligent man.
On the afternoon of the 21st I bade adieu to the Juiz, and my other
friends in Penêdo, and between eight and nine o’clock in the evening
embarked in a canoe which I had hired to take me down to Piassabassú,
which we reached after a sail of little more than four hours. As I knew
of no house to go to, I was obliged to pass the remainder of the night
in the canoe, tormented by mosquitos, which were in such abundance that
long ere morning I was forced to go on shore, and walk up and down till
daylight. The house in which I slept when I passed through the village
before, was now empty, but I was allowed to occupy it, and as I could not
get a cart to convey me to Peba before the following evening, I had to
remain here a longer time than I intended. This interval I devoted to a
few botanical excursions in the neighbourhood, and thereby added several
new plants to my collections. On reaching Peba, I again had the use of
the little hut which I formerly occupied, and was obliged to remain
there two days before I could hire a jangada to take me to Maceio; that
which I engaged was a fine large one that had never been to sea; and on
the morning of the 26th, having got all my collections and luggage put
on board, we began our voyage. Peba I found to be nearly, if not quite,
as poor a place as the Ilha de San Pedro, and not a single article of
provision could be purchased there. Its inhabitants are principally
fishermen, and their chief food is fish and farinha; a want of success
in the fishery and a bad crop of mandiocca had thrown them quite into a
state of starvation. On the evening before we started, Pedro contrived
somewhere to purchase a chicken; and when we embarked, our whole stock
of provisions consisted of one of its wings, and a few green cocoa-nuts.
Before we left, the owner of the canoe sent to Piassabassú to purchase
farinha or French beans, as sea stock for his men, but neither were
to be procured; the crew, therefore, consisting of three men, had to
content themselves with only a few green cocoa-nuts. It rained the whole
of the first day, but the elevated part of the jangada on which I lay,
being well roofed over with cocoa-nut leaves, I suffered but little
inconvenience in consequence. At night we did not put in to shore, as
is usual with these crafts, the men being as anxious as myself to reach
Maceio, but the wind being light, we could not make much progress. During
the succeeding day the winds were again light, but having freshened
towards evening we reached Maceio about 8 o’clock P.M.; the surf,
however, running so high along the beach that I would not allow the
jangada to run ashore, as by doing so my collections would have been
completely spoiled. The crew wished me to remain on board till the tide
went out, but I had suffered too much from hunger during the voyage,
to think of staying any longer; so leaping into the water with Pedro,
immediately after a large wave had passed us, we followed it, and reached
the shore before another had time to overtake us, but not without being
completely drenched. Leaving everything on board to be landed next day, I
immediately set off for the house of Mr. Burnett, about a mile distant,
and arrived just in time for tea, when, after changing my clothes I made
a most comfortable meal, being the first I had enjoyed for two days.
Wishing to see the city of Alagoas, the capital of the province, I
made arrangements for visiting it, and started from Maceio on the
31st of March. This city is situated on the south side of a large
lake, which runs inland about forty miles, and is about twenty miles
distant from Maceio. There is a narrow entrance to the lake from the
sea, about two leagues to the south of the latter place; but still
further to the southward, there is another inlet from the sea, which
runs northward to within a mile of the town, and by means of a small
canal which has been cut, canoes can now approach within a very short
distance of the houses. Accompanied by a young countryman, I embarked
in a light canoe about midnight, with the view of reaching Alagoas
early in the morning, and thus escape exposure on the water during the
heat of the day. My man Pedro was our only navigator, who used a long
pole, the mode usually adopted for propelling canoes, as the lake is
extremely shallow. As soon as we were fairly afloat on the canal, we
laid down in the bottom of the canoe to sleep, but failed to do so,
in consequence of the myriads of mosquitos and sand-flies that almost
fill the atmosphere among the mangroves which abound along the muddy
shores. At eight o’clock in the morning we came in sight of the city,
which is built upon a somewhat elevated situation, and as the houses
are rather large, and intermingled with numerous churches, and lofty
mango trees, it has really an enchanting appearance when seen in the
distance. In about an hour afterwards we landed, and as I had brought no
letters of recommendation, I despatched Pedro to look out for a house
where we could remain till morning, but he returned after being an hour
absent, with the intelligence that none was to be obtained. This did
not annoy me much, as we found an old house close to where we landed,
where I proposed to remain, especially as the weather was fine, the only
shelter we required being shade. Just, however, as we were about to
remove our luggage thither, the owner of an adjoining house perceiving
that we were strangers, invited us to take up our quarters with him,
an invitation which we readily accepted, as it would be not only more
comfortable, but would allow us greater freedom to walk about. Like most
other Brazilian cities in which I have been, Alagoas looks better from
a distance than on close inspection; and as in the instance of Penêdo,
it has all the appearance of having once been a much more flourishing
place than it now is, the expulsion of the Portuguese having given its
industry a death blow, from which it is not soon likely to recover. The
houses are for the most part built of stone, and many of them are what
are called _Sobrados_, that is, consist of more stories than one, but
many of them are falling into decay; even the principal streets are
overgrown with grass and other weeds, and have a deserted appearance.
The finest buildings are the churches and convents; of the former there
are eight, and of the latter two in number. It being the seat of the
provincial government, the President resides there, but as Maceio is the
chief place of trade, there is also a government house in that town for
his accommodation, when he visits it, as he frequently does, for the
transaction of business. The population of Alagoas amounts to about 6000.
On one or two occasions that I walked through the principal streets I
saw very few people, and they for the most part were bare-footed, ragged
mulatto and Indian soldiers, two of whom were keeping guard at the house
of the President.
The chief productions of the country around Alagoas are sugar, cotton,
and a little mandiocca. At the time of my visit great complaints were
made of the scarcity of provisions, but it is impossible to feel much
commiseration for the starving condition of the poor people, when it
is known that it is entirely owing to their own want of industry that
sufficient crops of mandiocca are not raised, not only for their own
consumption, but for exportation to other parts of the country. There is
abundance of ground around the city lying waste, which is well adapted
for the growth of this plant, and but little labour suffices for its
cultivation, but the indolent disposition of the people is such, that,
with all the advantages which the country offers, they are contented to
obtain just sufficient for immediate use and seldom look forward to the
future. Towards the head of the lake, the country is said to be much
richer than it is near the city, and it is in that direction that the
largest and most productive sugar and cotton plantations are seen. The
lake is not of sufficient depth to admit of vessels of any size, all
traffic between the sea and the city is carried on in large canoes, and
a small class of flat-bottomed sailing vessels called Lanchas. Opposite
the city the lake is about a league broad, the water is quite fresh, and
yields abundance of fine fish, which forms the chief part of the animal
food of the inhabitants, to whom it is sold at a very cheap rate. Much
fine timber is floated down the lake from the upper parts of the country
for exportation along the coast; the two wooden bridges at Pernambuco are
for the most part constructed of it.
During my rambles in this neighbourhood, I found several species of
plants which I had not previously met with. In a small stream of
beautifully clear water the curious _Cabomba aquatica_, Aubl., grows
abundantly, which to the Botanist is a most interesting plant, as,
both in habit and structure, it forms a transition link between the
_Ranunculus_ family and that of the water lilies. In the same stream
I likewise collected specimens of a _Marsilæa_, a pale blue flowered
_Pontederia_, and a large white flowered _Nymphæa_ different from that
which grows in the lake at Olinda. In brackish water a little above
Maceio, a _Potamogeton_ grows in vast quantities, which on comparison,
does not seem to differ from the British _P. pectinatus_. We returned
to Maceio by daylight, and I observed that the shores abound with
Mangroves, principally _Rhizophora Mangle_, which reaches here to a much
greater size than I have elsewhere seen it, some of the trees being, at
least, thirty feet high, with stems proportionally thick; it presents a
curious appearance, the large roots supporting the stems at the height
of several feet above the water, and curving outwards and downwards; if
the real top were not seen, we could almost fancy that the tree had been
reversed; the long pendent radicles of the seeds are also remarkable, as
they are thrown down to the ground while the fruit is yet attached to the
parent plant. The wood of this tree is very much used as fuel, it burns
extremely well in the green state; at Maranham little else is used for
this purpose.
On the morning of the 20th of April I left Maceio, in a little vessel
loaded with cotton, and arrived at Pernambuco on the evening of the 24th,
taking Pedro with me, he having agreed to accompany me on my projected
journey into the interior. The only thing which I observed worthy notice
on the passage, was a mode of fishing that was new to me. Towards the
evening of the third day, while running along between the reef and the
shore, the vessel grounded on a sand bank, the tide being then about
half ebb. Having laid down to sleep on the deck, I awoke about nine
o’clock, and was surprised to see a great number of lights moving quickly
between the shore and the reef, and extending as far as I could see. Our
boatmen were at this time sound asleep, but as the tide was now out,
and the ground around us dry, I made for the nearest lights, and found
them to belong to a man and boy, both of whom were naked, each having a
lighted torch in his left hand, a long sword-knife in the right, with a
small basket suspended round the neck by a thick piece of cord. I soon
discovered they were engaged in killing the small fish which the tide
had left in the shallow pools of water inside the reef. They walked
somewhat quickly along, holding the flaming torch pretty close to the
water, by which means the fish, not above three inches long, were very
distinctly perceived, and when seen, immediately struck with the sword,
quickly picked up, and put into the basket. This man told me that all
he expected to get, would scarcely suffice for the supper of the four
individuals comprising his family. As the tide came in, the lights were
seen receding towards the shore, and gradually becoming extinct. The
material of which the torches are made, is the wood of a fine large
arborescent species of _Bignonia_, to which the Brazilians give the name
of _Pao d’Arco_, from the circumstance of its being used by the Indians
to make their bows. They split this wood into thin splinters, a number
of which are tied together, and when lighted, it burns with a very clear
flame. Before castor oil was so much cultivated as it now is, this kind
of light was extensively used by the country people, even in their
sugar-houses and other works.
CHAPTER V.
CEARA.
PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO.
The Author leaves Pernambuco in a Coasting Vessel—Description
of the Voyage—Touches at Cape San Roque—Arrives at
Aracaty—Seaport of Province of Ceará—Town described—its
Trade—Whole Province subject to great droughts—Commencement of
Journey into the Interior—Passes Villa de San Bernardo—Arid
nature of the Country—Catingas—Arrives at Icó—Town
described—Journey continued—Villa da Lavra de Mangabeira—Gold
washings abandoned—Country begins to improve—Reaches the
Villa do Crato—Town described—Low state of morals among the
Inhabitants—Sugar Plantations—Mode of Manufacture—Coarse
kind of Sugar formed into Cakes called Rapadura, in which
state it is used throughout the Province—State of Cultivation
in the Neighbourhood—Productions of the Country—Serra de
Araripe—Different kinds of timber—Wild fruits—Wandering Tribes
of Gypsies frequent—Great religious Festival—Climate—Diseases.
On my return to Pernambuco from Maceio, Dr. Loudon kindly afforded me
the use of his country residence, he having removed into the town, and
I remained here from the end of April to the beginning of July. At the
time of going there, the rainy season had just set in, when I observed
the very striking effect which a few showers had already produced on the
vegetation. Three months before, I had left the whole herbage scorched
and withered while the trees had a brown and sickly appearance; now all
was fresh and verdant; grass and other herbaceous plants were covering
the face of the earth, and bursting into bloom; and the shrubs and trees
had assumed their summer dress, the deep green of the leaves harmonizing
well with their various coloured flowers. The rainy season is here
generally expected to commence about the middle or end of April, and
continues till about the middle of August. At first, the rains fall in
heavy showers, accompanied with thunder and lightning, but ultimately
they become more frequent, lasting for half or an entire day, or even
several successive days, with but very short intermissions; the longest
period I knew it to rain without cessation, being thirty-six hours. At
this season from the flatness of the country, the roads are so completely
flooded, that it is impossible to move out on foot; and the atmosphere is
so thoroughly saturated with moisture, that everything acquires a coating
of blue mould; even books get so damp, that, unless exposed to the first
sun-shine, they become musty and are spoiled.
As it was impossible to stir much abroad, I occupied myself with
arranging and packing my collections from Alagoas, in making preparations
for my inland journey, and in dissecting and examining the structure of
numerous animals found in the neighbourhood. I also made it my endeavour
to ascertain which was the best route for the journey I had in view.
Those who had visited the interior strongly recommended me to proceed by
sea to Aracaty, a town in the province of Ceará, about two and a half
degrees to the North of Pernambuco, and to start inland from that port,
the roads being rather better than those leading from other parts of the
coast, and horses cheaper. I therefore determined to adopt this plan,
and in the end found no cause to repent having done so. I received the
best information from two Portuguese merchants, named Pinto, who resided
at Icó, a large town in the interior of the province of Ceará, and who
had come to Pernambuco to purchase goods, which they are in the habit of
doing once in every two or three years: they were the most influential
people in that quarter, and I considered myself fortunate in making their
acquaintance. In order to convey their goods to Aracaty, they had hired
a small schooner, and accordingly I engaged a passage for myself and
servant in the same vessel. A few days before we sailed, I called with
Mr. Goring, H.B.M. Vice Consul, upon the Vice-President of the province,
Senhor Francisco de Paulo Cavalcante d’Albuquerque, (the President
being then absent at Rio,) with the view of obtaining my passport; we
were kindly received, but with less frankness than when I visited the
late President Camargo; Senhor Albuquerque is a man of considerable
property, and belongs to one of the first and oldest families in the
north of Brazil. Besides the passport, he sent me the next day letters of
recommendation to the Presidents of Ceará and Piauhy.
After a delay of several days, I embarked at noon on the 19th of July,
in the Maria Luiza, a schooner of about one hundred tons burden; she
was deeply laden, the cabin and deck, as well as the entire hold, being
crammed with goods. We had, altogether, seventeen passengers on board,
besides an equal number of negro servants or slaves; all brought much
luggage with them, so that the whole of the after-deck was completely
covered with trunks and packages heaped on each other, the only clear
space left being that requisite for the steersman; on each side were two
kennel-like boxes, which served as the sleeping berths of the two Pintos,
all the other passengers being obliged to make the best provision for
themselves upon deck in the open air, for there was no accommodation
whatever below, even for taking meals, every one, therefore, looked
out for the most convenient corner to sit or lie down in. I could find
no better quarters than those upon my own trunks, one of which being
much higher than the other, offered a miserably hard couch, on which
I was obliged to sleep at night. This was rendered still worse by the
bad weather, for no sooner had we quitted the harbour than it began
to rain heavily, from which no shelter could be obtained, except that
afforded by my poncho and umbrella, which did not long prevent me from
being completely drenched. The misery of my situation may therefore be
well imagined, and if some of my previous voyages were disagreeable,
this was wretched in the extreme. My suffering was much aggravated by
sea-sickness, from which I had always been quite free, but I experienced
much inconvenience from this cause during the first two days, arising
principally from too close contiguity to my fellow-passengers; under
any circumstances there is no malady that so entirely prostrates both
mind and body, but in my present position, sometimes exposed to the
burning rays of the sun, at others to heavy rains without the power
or means of sheltering myself from their influence, this feeling was
greatly aggravated. By the evening of the second day, I found myself so
much recovered as to be able to sit up, and on the following morning to
eat a little, my only food having been hitherto a few oranges, the most
grateful of all things to a sick person. Many of my companions did not
fare so well, as they continued to suffer till the end of the voyage.
For my passage and that of my black servant I paid twenty-six mil-reis,
about three pounds five shillings sterling, which included provisions.
These were regularly served out three times a day by the captain from
the top of the companion, and on these occasions, I was always greatly
amused at the scenes which took place; every one rushed forward for his
portion, and sometimes groups of twos, threes, and fours were to be seen
eating with their fingers out of the same dish. There were only a few
knives and forks, not nearly sufficient for the number of passengers, and
these fell always to the share of those first served. Our food consisted
for the most part of minced dried beef boiled with rice, to which was
added morning and evening a cup of tea, and at dinner a bottle or two of
miserable red wine.
One of my fellow-passengers was too remarkable a person not to be made
mention of; he was an active, slender little fellow, about thirty years
of age, rather well dressed, his physiognomy denoting a remarkable
development of the organ of language, a qualification which I found fully
confirmed in him; he seemed to be well known to the other passengers,
beguiled much of the tedium of the voyage by his amusing and extravagant
stories, for which he possessed great talent, and seldom have I listened
to one whose powers were greater in this respect. He was often called
upon for a song, on which occasion he was accompanied by a young man who
played well on the guitar. He told me that he was a native of Pernambuco
and had visited Lisbon, and all the sea-ports between Buenos Ayres and
Parà, and he described many of the adventures that befell him on several
of these occasions. In recounting these tales he generally seated himself
cross-legged on the companion, and as he proceeded, his listeners were
kept in one continued roar of laughter. The adventures of Gil Blas
were nothing compared with his, and it is not improbable that many were
manufactured for the occasion.
About noon of the second day we passed Cape St. Roque, and in the evening
came to anchor in a small bay inside the reef, within a short distance
of a suspicious-looking schooner, which I have no doubt came in here
to land a cargo of slaves, as there was no likelihood of her being in
this solitary place for any other purpose. Early next morning we again
got outside the reef, and continued our voyage, running before the S.E.
trades which were blowing very freshly at the time. The weather now
became much finer, and I could enjoy the cool fresh breeze, and observe
the nature of the coast, to which we often approached so closely as to be
within little more than gunshot of it; with the exception of a few white
sand hills, destitute nearly of vegetation, it appeared extremely flat.
About noon of the third day we made the bar of Aracaty, but as it was
then low water, and too shallow to allow us to enter, we had to stand off
till four P.M., when a pilot came on board who steered us into the smooth
deep water in the mouth of the river inside the bar, where we came to
anchor for the night, and were visited by a custom-house officer, who was
more particular in examining my luggage than that of any other passenger.
When this was finished, and I had exhibited my passport, I was allowed to
hire a boat to convey me to the town, situated twelve miles farther up
the river, as the vessel could not get up till the following day.
The river on which the town of Aracaty stands is called the Rio
Jaguaribe, and a little above the bar it is about a mile broad. For a
considerable distance the western bank is comparatively high, but the
eastern side is flat all the way up to the town. The lower part of the
western bank is rather thickly wooded with small trees, but on both sides
the shores are covered with mangroves. About a league and a half below
the town, great numbers of the Carnahuba palm (_Corypha cerifera_, Mart.)
makes its appearance. This palm, of which I afterwards passed through
immense forests, reaches to the height of from twenty to forty feet, and
besides being the most abundant, is one of the most beautiful of its
size. The stems of the younger plants are generally covered all over
with leaves, but as they get older the lower ones drop off, leaving only
a tuft at the top, which is so arranged as to form a perfect ball. The
leaves are fan-shaped, and not at all unlike those of the fan palm of the
south of Europe.
The town of Aracaty stands on the east side of the river, and consists
principally of one long broad street. It contains four fine churches,
and the houses are generally of two stories. The population amounts to
about 5000, the mass of whom are very poor. A considerable quantity of
dried beef was formerly prepared here for exportation to other parts of
Brazil, but this trade has fallen off very much, cotton and hides being
now the principal articles of export. Of the former about 5000 bags, or
25,000 arrobas of thirty-two pounds each, are exported annually, and of
the latter about 2000. But little cotton is cultivated near the coast,
the greater part of it, as well as the hides, being brought from the
interior; the transport of these is effected at the end of the rainy
season in large waggons, which are generally drawn by twelve oxen. During
the time of the rains, the roads are impassable, and in the dry season,
neither water nor grass can be procured for the cattle. The river runs
close to the town, and at the end of the rainy season, when I was there,
was somewhat less than a quarter of a mile broad; but during the height
of the rains, it often rises twelve feet above its ordinary level, and
then overflows the town. With the exception of a hill situated two and
a half leagues to the S.W. of the town, and which rises six or eight
hundred feet, and a few sand hills near the coast, the country all round
is so flat, that the horizon is about as level as that of the sea. The
houses are built of a frame-work made of the stems of the Carnahuba
palm filled up with brick. The stem of this useful tree is used by the
inhabitants for almost every purpose to which wood can be applied; it is
so durable that the lower part, particularly of the full grown stems,
lasts for many years, even when exposed to the weather; hence all the
enclosures for cattle are made of them, for which purpose they are
longitudinally split. The leaves are used for a variety of purposes,
such as thatch, pack-saddles, hats, &c.; they also yield a kind of wax,
obtained from the young leaves, which are covered with a glaucous bloom,
by shaking them after they have been detached from the tree. Each yields
about fifty grains of a whitish powder, and when a considerable quantity
of it has been obtained, it is put into a pot and melted over the fire.
Some years ago, a large quantity of this was sent to Lisbon, but was not
found to answer any useful purpose; by the Brazilians it is sometimes
used to adulterate common wax. In times of scarcity the young leaves are
chopped up, and given to horses and cattle to eat, and the people prepare
for themselves a kind of farinha from the inside of the young stems.
The rains generally begin here in February, and end about the beginning
of June. The whole province is sometimes liable to great droughts
(_seccas_), the last of which occurred in the year 1825, during which
no rain fell at all. The distress resulting from this calamity was very
great, and the people still speak of it with the utmost horror; nearly
all the horses and cattle were exterminated, and the loss of human life
was very great, it being estimated that 30,000 of the inhabitants of the
province perished. Great numbers of these died while attempting to reach
the coast; wild as well as domestic animals fell victims to the want of
water and food: these droughts have been observed to occur periodically.
Aracaty was, during my visit, supplied with water of tolerable quality
from a well near the town, but it was expected shortly to have an
excellent supply from a spring about a league distant; the individual who
undertook to procure this was Senhor Maya, a native of Gibraltar, who has
been settled for many years at Aracaty; having received a privilege from
government, he laid a brick channel for the water to run in, and as the
spring is considerably lower than the town, he was erecting a force-pump
for the purpose of raising it; the water from the well near the town, was
sold through the streets in small barrels carried on low carts, which
were often drawn by sheep. Senhor Maya expects to remunerate himself by
the sale of the produce of his labour, which will certainly, from its
superior quality, obtain preference.
As at Maceio, there is only one British merchant resident at Aracaty,
Mr. Miller, to whom I had letters from Pernambuco, and in whose house I
was hospitably entertained during the fortnight I remained here. I had
also letters to several respectable Brazilians, from whom I likewise
received many kind attentions, not the least of which were letters to
their friends in the interior. Besides making the necessary preparations
for my journey, I made a few excursions in the neighbourhood, and thereby
obtained specimens of most of the plants which were then in flower, among
these was a very pretty species of _Angelonia_ (_A. arguta_, Benth.).
As the Senhores Pinto were sending their goods to Icó in waggons, they
obligingly allowed me to despatch, by this opportunity, all the heaviest
portions of my luggage. I thus only required to purchase two horses at
Aracaty, and these, two of the best travelling ones that were to be had,
cost only four guineas each. Having agreed to accompany the Pintos to
Icó, we started on horseback from Aracaty, on the morning of the 3rd of
August, in the midst of a heavy shower of rain, which, however, soon
ceased. After riding through a dense forest of Carnahuba palms on a
perfectly level sandy road, we crossed the river at the distance of about
two leagues and a half from the town. The ford is called the Passagem
das Pedras, from the rocky nature of the bed of the river. These rocks
I found belonged to the gneiss series, with the strata nearly vertical,
the little inclination which they had, being towards the west in the
direction of the hill already alluded to, called the Serra d’Areré,
about half a mile distant. At nine o’clock we halted to breakfast in a
large shed (_rancho_) by the road-side, and there we remained till the
afternoon, for in travelling in the north of Brazil, where the heat is
very great, the animals are always allowed to rest during the middle
of the day, which is not the case in the south, where the whole day’s
journey is made at one stretch. The country during our morning’s ride
still continued flat, but in many places instead of being sandy, is
covered with gravel and boulders of various sizes, the largest of the
latter being about four feet in diameter, all more or less rounded,
and consisting of granite, gneiss, and quartz. The great mass of the
vegetation consisted of Carnahuba palms and a few small trees which
grew among them, the most common of which is a species of _Patagonula_,
called by the Brazilians _Pao branco_, from the white nature of its
wood, which is chiefly employed as fuel. As we passed along, we raised
numerous flocks of pigeons, some of which were not larger than sparrows,
while others were the size of our domestic ones; and sporting among the
leaves of the palms we observed several species of parrots and paroquets,
besides a variety of beautiful small birds, one species being very
numerous much resembling the common canary. The notes of these birds
were of course as varied as their kinds, that of the parrot tribe being
particularly disagreeable, not unlike that of the English rook, but the
sound which most particularly caught my ear, was the monotonous and
distinct cry of the Bem-te-ve, a bird about the size, shape, and colour
of the thrush. This name has been given to it from the resemblance of its
note to the Portuguese signifying “I see you well,” which it repeats in
quick succession. Resuming our journey at three o’clock in the afternoon,
and travelling through the same sort of country, we passed a small town
towards dusk, called Villa de San Bernardo, which is ten leagues from
Aracaty. It is built in the form of a square, the west side of which is
principally occupied with a handsome church; and as it stands in the
open plain (_vargem_) which is studded with occasional wide-spreading
_Zizyphus_ trees and Carnahuba palms, and as all the houses are
white-washed, it offers an imposing appearance when seen at a distance.
About half a league beyond this town, we stopped for the night at a small
house by the road-side; all the houses in this part of the country, which
are not actually in towns, have a large veranda (_copial_) in front, and
it is under this that travellers generally ask leave to rest for the
night, there being hooks fixed from which hammocks can be suspended. As
soon as the loads were taken off the cargo horses, and the saddles from
those we had ridden, they were sent to graze in the neighbourhood, where
they were left with their fore-feet strapped pretty closely together, in
order to prevent them from straying.
Early next morning by the light of a beautiful and clear moon we resumed
our journey, but had not gone more than two leagues when I was prevented
from accompanying my companions further by an awkward mistake made by my
servant. In the hurry of departure, in the place of one of my horses, he
had caught another of the same size and colour, belonging to some one
else, and it was not till daylight had fairly set in that the mistake
was discovered. I had now to call a halt, and getting my trunks, &c. put
under the veranda of an old house, I despatched Pedro in search of my
own animal. About two o’clock he returned bringing it with him, but as I
found myself somewhat indisposed I determined not to proceed further that
night. As there was no inhabited house near, we remained at the ruined
dwelling, which my health did not allow us to leave for two days. As the
road on which we proceeded is the highway to the interior of the province
of Ceará, as also to the middle parts of the province of Piauhy, many
travellers passed our encampment. Waggons loaded with cotton and hides
were going downwards, while others, as well as troops of horses, were
passing upwards loaded with European goods and salt, the latter being
a scarce and dear article in the interior. When afterwards I travelled
through some of the most desert and least inhabited parts of the inland
provinces, there were two articles which were always asked for on my
arrival at any habitation, first, gunpowder, and then salt; some of the
poor beings scarcely taste the latter from one year’s end to the other,
their animal food being preserved by simply drying it in the sun, after
it has been cut into thin slices. I had always to carry a stock of salt
with me, and not unfrequently it has cost me as much as three shillings a
pound, at the same time that I could purchase an entire fat ox for about
ten shillings. To the European who is accustomed to travel without need
of arms, and in comparative security, the appearance of the swarthy and
brigand-like travellers here met with, each armed with horse pistols,
sword, dagger, knife, and gun, afford no favourable idea of the morals
of these people. Murders and robberies are frequent among them, it being
seldom that the one is committed without the other, when they always
occur by treachery. From all I have seen and heard, I do not believe that
one instance can be recorded of a Brazilian boldly facing another and
asking him for his purse; one reason for this may be that each is aware
that the other is armed with a knife, and hence he avoids coming within
reach of it. Most of the very many murders which are committed in Brazil,
are the result either of jealousy or of political hatred.
It was not till the afternoon of the 6th that I found myself sufficiently
recovered to leave our solitary encampment, when we resumed our journey
at a slow pace till after eleven at night. The moon had risen about
six, and shone with a brilliancy such as I have seldom witnessed; this
together with the coolness of the evening, renders travelling after
sunset very agreeable, although to the naturalist it is not the most
profitable. During the whole of my extensive journies I made it a rule
never to travel at night, unless through a decidedly desert country, in
order that nothing of interest should be overlooked. The seven leagues
which we accomplished this evening was through a country of much the
same barren nature as that we had already gone over, with the exception
of one low range of hills covered with small trees and shrubs; on the
level portion scarcely anything was to be seen but Carnahuba palms, Pao
Branco, a _Zizyphus_, and a species of _Aspidospermum_, a small tree that
grows gregariously and to which the inhabitants give the name of Pereira;
the bark of it is very bitter, and its infusion is used to destroy
lice, and other vermin infecting cattle. We passed through several
large open gravelly spaces (_vargems_), nearly destitute of trees, and
the herbaceous vegetation that had sprung up during the rains was now
nearly parched up. The stillness of the night was only broken by the
cries of a small species of goatsucker (_Caprimulgus_), that was flying
about in great numbers. We rested for the night under the veranda of a
house close to the road-side, in approaching which we passed through a
flock of several hundred sheep, being the greatest number I have seen
collected together in any part of the country, but the excessive heat of
the climate had wrought a remarkable change in their appearance, their
skin being wholly destitute of wool and replaced by a short hair, not
unlike that of a cow. In the same manner goats lose the long hair natural
to them in cold countries, which proves how much the economy of animals
can suit itself to change of circumstances. On the following morning we
traversed a country still abounding with the elegant Carnahuba palm, and
numerous small fresh-water lakes, teeming with wild ducks and other kinds
of water-fowl, and arrived at a place where there are several houses near
to the Rio Jaguaribe, in the neighbourhood of which some small trees of
_Cochlospermum serratifolium_, DC., were beautifully in flower, their
large golden blossoms gleaming in the sun like oranges; here I found that
in consequence of the pack-saddles being too narrow, the back of the
cargo horse was so much galled, that it could no longer carry its load,
in consequence I was obliged to hire another from a person whom I met
going up to Icó with loads of salt, and who had some spare animals with
him. The weather being fine, I preferred taking up my quarters under the
shade of a broad-spreading wild fig tree standing some distance from any
habitation, although I was invited by the owner of one of the houses to
accept the accommodation it afforded.
As the person whose horse I had hired could not leave till the following
day, I was obliged, against my will, to await his convenience. Soon
after my arrival I sent Pedro to purchase some milk for breakfast, and
he returned with a large basinful, for which he said the people would
not take money; and in the course of the forenoon I had similar presents
sent to me from two other persons. During the season of the rains, and
for a few months afterwards, milk is very abundant, and of excellent
quality, but it is nowhere to be procured except in large towns, during
the last four or five months of the dry season. The inhabitants prepare
a little cheese, but have no idea of making butter; the milk remaining
after breakfast, for they milk their cows only in the morning, is allowed
to stand till night, when from the heat of the day it becomes curdled;
this dish, of which they are very fond, is generally sweetened with a
kind of unclarified sugar, to which they give the name of _Rapadura_,
and which is brought from the country above Icó; it is formed into cakes
about six inches long, three broad, and two thick; during a long time
I was obliged to use this as a substitute for sugar, but although at
first not very agreeable, I at length became so fond of it as to prefer
it to sugar itself, and such I found to be the case with the people in
this part of the country; I have repeatedly seen them make a meal of a
lump of this with a little farinha. The greater part of the inhabitants
of the district through which we were journeying, are rearers of cattle
(_criadores de gado_), but none of them possess such immense herds
as I afterwards found to exist in the provinces of Piauhy and Goyaz.
Provisions were here very cheap, in consequence of the small demand for
them; an ox could be purchased for about twenty-five shillings, and a
sheep or a goat for four or five; Pedro bought a fowl in fine condition
for about twopence halfpenny, and eight eggs for a penny. I observed
very few cotton plantations, as these people grow it only for their own
use; they also cultivate a little mandiocca, the root of which produces
a kind of cassava, well-known all over Brazil under the name of farinha;
this, together with dried beef (carne secca), forms their chief food;
the farinha is either used in its dry state, when it is much of the
consistence of saw dust, or is made up into a kind of pudding called
Pirão, by mixing it with boiling water, or with milk when that article is
abundant.
On the first day’s journey with our new companion we travelled about
seven leagues, five of which were accomplished in the morning, and two
in the evening. The Villa de Icó is in a southerly direction, bearing a
little to the west of Aracaty, the distance between them being about two
hundred and forty miles. The Senhors Pinto accomplished the journey in
five days and a half, but it took me three days longer; which delay I
did not regret, as I travelled more at my ease, and was enabled to make
collections by the way, that I could not have done had I accompanied
them. On this day’s journey I observed that the country was gradually
rising; where visible, the soil consisted of a reddish coloured clay,
but many large tracts were covered with gravel which gave them the
appearance of having been at one time the bed of an immense river. In
other places beds of gneiss, forming elevated ridges were seen cropping
out, the strata being nearly vertical. About half an hour after we began
our journey, we passed a large lake on the left side of the road, called
Lagoa grande; it is about a league long, and nearly as much broad, and
abounds in fish and wild duck. Carnahuba palms were now becoming less
frequent, but they were succeeded by a vegetation of a very opposite
character; in situations somewhat sandy, a dwarf kind of _Cassia_ often
occurs, as well as two or three species of _Croton_, but these, in common
with the herbaceous vegetation, were already much scorched up; in the
gravelly places the principal production is a beautiful erect species
of _Evolvulus_ about a foot high, with small leaves and numerous blue
flowers, giving it much the appearance of the common flax. On the more
elevated tracts, woods are seen consisting of low trees and shrubs,
principally a subarboreous species of _Mimosa_, and a _Combretum_; these
woods are nearly all deciduous, the heat and drought producing the same
effect on their foliage, as the cold in northern regions, these are
called by the inhabitants _Catingas_; no large trees are to be seen, but
in the more open parts of the country, a low wide-spreading species of
the _Chrysobalanaceous_ tribe is not uncommon, affording shade not only
to travellers, but to the cattle which pasture in those districts; it was
under one of these trees that we halted during the heat of the day, and
dined on part of a large green lizard that I shot the evening before.
The remainder of our journey was through a country very similar to that
just described; but a low evergreen _Zizyphus_ tree, and a few large
species of _Cactus_ now gave a different character to the landscape.
On the afternoon of the 12th the appearance of the country was still
further diversified by our approach to a mountain range about sixteen
leagues in length, running in a direction from S.W. to N.E.; this is
called the Serra de Pereira, a name derived from the number of trees
of that name said to grow on it. The appearance of this high land was
a great relief to the eye, after having been so long accustomed to a
nearly level country. On the same evening I saw for the first time a
troop of oxen with loads on their backs; there were about a dozen of
them, all large and well fed animals, going down to Aracaty with dried
hides; such a sight was afterwards not uncommon. The further we proceeded
inland, the greater appeared to be the effect of the drought; and in
consequence of this I added but little to my botanical collections; but
among the few plants that were in flower I observed a very fine species
of _Angelonia_ (_A. biflora_, Benth.) bearing long spikes of large bluish
coloured flowers, and which is now common in English gardens, raised
from seeds which I sent home. So little are the birds here annoyed by
man, that flocks of pigeons of various sorts, parrots, paroquets, &c.,
remained without stirring on the branches of the small trees under which
we passed; and cranes of different species as well as many other water
birds, did not move from the margins of the small lakes till the horses
nearly approached them; the same was nearly the case with two kinds of
ravens, called by the inhabitants Gavião and Gavião vermelho; these
latter exist in great numbers living upon what carrion they may pick up.
While we were resting during the heat of the day, I frequently took my
gun to shoot parrots and pigeons, which we stewed for dinner, and were
more relished than our usual fare of dried beef, although the flesh of
parrots is both brown, dry, and tough. Some of the pigeons, as before
observed, are not larger than sparrows, and one of these which frequently
alights on the roofs of houses, may be heard, particularly during the
morning, calling out most distinctly “Fogo pegou, Fogo pegou” for hours
together; in Portuguese this means “the gun missed fire,” an apparently
teazing exclamation of the bird, not unaptly applied to the guns of the
country people which seldom take effect. This I suspect is the same bird
that Waterton speaks of under the name of “Will-come-go.” Shortly before
we reached the Villa de Icó, we met a party of ladies and gentlemen, on
horseback, and I was not a little surprised to see the manner in which
the former were mounted, _en cavalier_, which, in nine cases out of ten,
is the way in which females travel in the interior.
On my arrival at Icó my friends the Pintos had kindly procured an
uninhabited house for my reception; in consequence of the breaking
down of the waggon which was bringing up my trunks, &c., and other
unforeseen causes, I was detained at this place three weeks, which I
the more regretted, as my time could be turned to no useful account,
in consequence of the drought that prevailed in the neighbourhood. The
town of Icó, one of the most important in the interior of the province
of Ceará, is situated in a plain on the east of the Rio Jaguaribe, which
here, however, takes the name of Rio Salgado; it is said to contain about
6000 inhabitants; the plain is one of considerable size, being bounded on
the east by the Serra de Pereira, and on the west by a much lower range
of hills. The town consists of three principal streets, running nearly
north and south, intersected by a number of smaller ones. The houses
are all built of brick, no timber of sufficient size being found in the
neighbourhood; with the exception of about half a dozen, they are all
of one story, and white-washed with a kind of chalk found abundantly in
the hilly country thirty leagues to the westward. The principal street
is broad, and contains some well-furnished shops; it presents four
handsome churches, a substantial jail, and a market-place, in which
fresh beef, dried beef, farinha, salt, rapadura, gourds, pine-apples,
melons, water-melons, oranges, and limes, are every day exhibited
for sale; the whole of these fruits are brought from a distance, the
immediate neighbourhood of the town producing nothing whatever, the whole
country being dry and arid, except during the wet season, which only
lasts about four months. At a short distance are seen a number of those
low deciduous woods called _Catingas_, but even these were destitute
of leaves, and there was nothing within sight deserving the name of a
tree; the river also, which during the rains is of considerable size,
judging from the appearance of its bed, was now dry in many places, deep
pools only being left here and there, abounding with several sorts of
fish, which, however, are soon exhausted. Notwithstanding the number
of inhabitants which this place contains, it cannot boast of a single
medical practitioner, but there are two apothecaries, whose shops
are well stocked with medicines. The greater part of the inhabitants
are shopkeepers, who supply the interior with articles of European
manufacture, receiving produce in return, which they send down to the
coast.
A few days after I arrived here I was visited by most of the respectable
inhabitants of the place, and as their calls were shortly returned, I
soon gained an extensive acquaintance. One of my most frequent visitors
was an old priest, who was very inquisitive regarding all that related to
England; one of his first questions was whether I was baptized or not,
and in what faith? and when I told him I was a Protestant, he replied,
“Ah! then you are a Pagan.” Such was his ignorance! and this I found to
prevail with nearly all the inferior priests I met in the interior of the
northern provinces, and I had great difficulty in convincing him that
the fundamental principles of our respective religions were alike; after
this, whenever I was interrogated as to my religious faith, I answered
by simply saying I was a Christian, which entitled me to respect. When
it became known that I was a medical man I had numerous applications
for advice. The most common complaints here, as elsewhere in Brazil,
are chronic disorders of the digestive organs, which often terminate in
dropsy and paralysis; dysentery, pleurisy, and ophthalmia are likewise
not unfrequent, particularly during the dry season, produced, no doubt,
by the great difference of temperature between night and day, which more
readily takes effect on these people owing to the very thin dresses which
they wear; in no case did I see flannel worn next the skin, which is the
best preventive against sudden change of temperature. One of my patients
was the wife of one of my Portuguese friends, who was attended by her
mother, and although her complaint was a dangerous malady of which she
afterwards died, the greatest source of regret her parent expressed was
the state of leanness to which her daughter was reduced, plumpness being
considered the chief point of beauty in the Brazilian fair. One of the
greatest compliments that can be paid a lady, is to tell her that she is
becoming daily fatter and more beautiful (_mais gorda e mais bonita_),
indeed the greater portion of them soon acquire a tendency to become so,
from the sedentary life they all lead.
After remaining about a fortnight I made preparations to leave Icó, as
I wished as soon as possible to get up to Crato, another town about
one hundred and twenty miles to the S.W., situated at the foot of the
mountains which divide the provinces of Ceará and Piauhy, where I was
assured I should meet with abundance to reward my researches, as the
general temperature was much cooler, and the country well watered with
small streams from the mountains. I purchased two additional horses,
engaged an experienced guide, and procured whatever was necessary
for the journey, when the following incident occurred to prevent my
departure. The day before that fixed for our journey, one of my new
horses disappeared from the pasture in which it was feeding, if, indeed,
a little dried up grass could be so called; as horse-stealing is a
very frequent crime in Brazil, I strongly suspected that some one had
made free with my animal, but I was assured it had only strayed into a
neighbouring _Catinga_ and would soon be found. I immediately despatched
Pedro and another man well acquainted with the country, in quest of it,
but after two days’ search they could bring me no satisfactory tidings.
Having lost all hopes of regaining it, I was about to purchase another,
when a man, who had been searching for two of his own stray animals,
told Pedro he had seen one answering the description of mine on the
Serra de Pereira, about three leagues distant; upon this Pedro and his
companion were again despatched in that direction, when they returned in
the evening bringing it with them; they found it on an elevated table
land feeding along with an immense number of the American Ostrich (_Rhea
Americana_). This was the first of a series of annoyances I met with
during my future travels, from my horses either straying or having been
stolen; an animal is frequently taken away by some one who wishes to
make a short journey, so that after a day or two it will be found in the
place whence it was taken; at other times they are removed and hidden
for a few days, for the purpose of claiming a reward; and though I was
frequently well assured of this imposition, I never refused to pay the
money, knowing I should otherwise be worse off. All being now again ready
for leaving Icó, I took leave of all my friends, who gave me their hearty
wishes for a prosperous journey. The evening before my departure many
little presents were sent for my use during the journey, such as little
jars of sweet-meats, biscuits of various sorts, prepared from ground
rice and Indian corn, roasted fowls, &c.; a custom I found to be almost
universal in the north of Brazil.
On the evening of the second day after leaving Icó, we arrived at the
Villa de Lavra de Mangabeira, which is about ten leagues distant. A
little beyond Icó the road becomes very rough, frequently ascending and
again descending over rocky paths, on which account it is no longer
serviceable for the transit of waggons, all further traffic into the
interior being now effected either on horseback or, strange as it may
appear, upon oxen. The diversity of hill and dale renders this part of
the journey less monotonous, and although the herbaceous vegetation was
much destroyed by the heat, the greater part of the trees, which are both
large and more numerous, still retained their leaves; the most abundant
tree that I observed was called by the inhabitants Aroeira; it is a
species of _Schinus_, perhaps _S. Aroeira_, St. Hil., and reaches to the
height of thirty or forty feet; as the stem grows very straight, it is
much used in house-building; at this time it was destitute of leaves, but
from the ends of its branches were suspended clusters of small fruit of
a dark colour, giving it very much the appearance of the European alder
when covered with its dark-brown catlins. The other trees consist chiefly
of large _Acacias_ and _Mimosas_, _Bignonias_ of considerable size
covered with yellow and rose coloured flowers, a _Triplaris_, and, the
most beautiful of all, a large _Jacaranda_, the wide-spreading branches
of which were densely covered with great panicles of beautiful large blue
flowers, not unlike those of the no less splendid _Gloxinia speciosa_;
among these sometimes appear a few solitary Carnahuba palms, but in
hollow sheltered places they often occur in groups; large _Cacti_ are not
uncommon, and we passed over some elevated open shrubby tracts abounding
in a species of _Krameria_.
The Villa de Lavra de Mangabeira is situated on the banks of the Rio
Salgado, and contains about eighty or a hundred houses, all small, and
many of them falling to decay. Gold is found in the neighbourhood, in a
dark coloured alluvial soil a little below the surface; from time to time
washings have been established, which have never yielded satisfactory
results; the most extensive of these was undertaken about two years
before my arrival. The president of the province and some others having
formed themselves into a company, sent for two English miners to conduct
the operations; they continued their labours to within two months
previously, when the work was abandoned. About a year afterwards I met
with one of these miners in a far distant part of the country, and from
him I learned that the gold exists in too small quantities to repay the
cost of its extraction; scarcity of water at times was also another
drawback. Here I found, growing in vast quantities on the sandy margins
of the river, a species of _Grangea_, which is a powerful bitter, used
by the natives as an infusion in dyspeptic cases in the same manner as
camomile, which, indeed, it much resembles, and to which they give the
same name (_macella_).
We left Lavra on the afternoon of the same day on which we arrived, and
halted for the night at a small house near the river. On the following
morning as we were advancing quietly, one of the horses struck its load
against a tree, by which means it was thrown off; thus disencumbered it
ran away at full speed among the trees, and was soon followed by the
remainder, who in like manner quickly rid themselves of their cargoes;
an hour was thus lost in recapturing and replacing the loads, and even
while this was doing, one of the animals laid down and began to roll,
first breaking the cords by which his burden was held on, and thus a
second time freeing himself. I mention this, as an instance of one of
the many annoyances to which a traveller in such countries is liable; in
these respects horses are more unmanageable than mules. In the northern
provinces of Brazil, however, the latter animals are very seldom seen,
notwithstanding they have been frequently tried, large troops of them
having been brought from the south. All being finally arranged, we
continued our journey, and about mid-day arrived at a house on the bank
of the river, near the road-side, where I asked permission as usual to
pass the middle of the day, but we were told we should meet with better
accommodation half a league further on; this was the first time I met
with a refusal, and I can only recollect one similar instance during all
my travels. After proceeding about a league without the appearance of
any house, we halted under some large trees close to the river, where I
determined to remain for the night, as the horses had undergone a long
morning’s journey. In the evening I took a walk in the neighbourhood,
but met with nothing new except a species of _Mikania_ clinging among
the branches of a _Mimosa_; and a few shells in the bed of the river.
Between this place and Lavra, the course of the river is very tortuous,
and being now very nearly dried up, I observed that the inhabitants
had planted melons, water-melons, gourds, &c. in it; bananas were now
beginning to be cultivated, and almost every house had its own little
cotton and tobacco plantation. Every where _Argemone Mexicana_, the
Cardo Santo of the Brazilians, grows in great plenty, the large yellow
poppy-like flowers being very beautiful; a handful of the leaves of
this plant, together with about a quarter of an ounce of the ripe seeds
infused, is used as a draught in jaundice. It was a beautiful evening
when I retired to my hammock, which was suspended between two trees,
but I had not been long asleep when I was awoke by a strange rattling
noise among the leaves, that I soon found to be caused by a heavy shower
approaching from the south, which shortly fell upon our encampment in
torrents; we were unprepared for such an occurrence, it being then the
height of the dry season, and were quickly drenched; my hammock soon
became too uncomfortable to lie in, so I got up, wrapt myself in my
poncho, and sat down on one of the pack-saddles by the extinguished fire;
unfortunately I had no umbrella to afford any shelter, having lost it two
days before, at a place where I had dismounted to collect some beetles.
The rain continued for about two hours, and not being able to go to bed
again, every thing being soaked, I was obliged to remain seated in this
position till daybreak, when, after arranging all our humid articles in
the best manner, we proceeded on our journey. The morning though cloudy
was dry, and there was a feeling of freshness in the atmosphere such
as I had not felt since we left the coast; we travelled for nearly a
league before we came to a house, so that instead of being only half a
league distant from where we were refused accommodation on the previous
day, I found it was nearly two; we went on two leagues further, without
meeting another habitation, so we halted during the middle of the day
beneath some large Jatobá (_Hymenæa_) trees. This part of the country
is very thinly populated; the greater part of the soil being of a
gravelly nature, is neither adapted for cultivation, even were water
abundant, nor for feeding cattle. It is besides very hilly, some of the
ranges being the highest we had yet passed over; from the top of one of
the elevations I obtained a fine view of the undulating thinly-wooded
country below; scattered here and there were to be seen large pink
or yellow _Bignonias_, or the azure-blossomed _Jacaranda_, raising
their magnificent diadems above the other denizens of the wood; and an
occasional plant of _Cochlospermum serratifolium_, loaded with its large
and beautiful yellow flowers, attracts the attention of the traveller.
The rocks which I observed during this ride were of a grey coloured
clay-slate.
We had not travelled more than half a league in the afternoon, when
we were again overtaken by rain, and although the shower lasted but
half an hour, it was so heavy, that in a short time water was rushing
over the roads, running like streams, and where they were of a clayey
nature, especially on the declivity of the hills, they became very
slippery. Having carried my poncho beneath my saddle, I put it on, when
my appearance caused no little astonishment to some countrymen who
passed us, that article of dress being quite unknown among them. It is,
however, far superior to their leathern jackets, which are not only
uncomfortably warm, by confining the natural exhalations from the body,
but soon become soaked in case of rain, and are long drying, whilst with
the poncho and my long boots I was nearly dry when the rain ceased.
The rocks seen in the latter part of this day’s journey were a rather
coarse-grained white sandstone, similar to those I met with on the coast
between the Rio de San Francisco and Pernambuco. In many places this
rock was exposed to a considerable extent, its only vegetation being
a few species of _Cactus_ and _Bromelia_. In the wooded portions, the
atmosphere was loaded with the rich perfume of the flowers of the Cashew
tree (_Anacardium occidentale_), which grew in great profusion. This
was the first time I met with this tree at any distance from the coast,
but I afterwards found it was not uncommon in the interior. The fruit,
however, or rather the thickened peduncle which forms the esculent part,
is small, not being much larger than a cherry. Towards dusk we halted at
a place where there were two houses, but we could not be accommodated in
consequence of two large troops having taken up their quarters before our
arrival. As the next habitation was nearly two leagues further, and as
the roads were said to be bad, I decided on remaining here and encamping
under a wide-spreading _Cæsalpinia_ which grew close by the road-side.
Shortly after I had arranged everything for the night, a permission
came from one of the houses to sling my hammock there, but I declined
this invitation, not considering it prudent to separate myself from my
luggage; this step was rendered the more necessary in consequence of a
quarrel between Pedro and the guide; the latter was recommended to me
as a very useful person for the journey, but he turned out to be a lazy
talkative fellow, quite the reverse of Pedro, who was both active and
intelligent. The quarrel originated from the guide’s refusing to attend
to some duty while the horses were unloading, and, notwithstanding my
interference, it ran so high that they threatened to stab each other,
the usual way of settling disputes in this lawless country; on taking
the horses to pasture they were still talking furiously, and I felt not
a little uneasy till they returned. The evening was dark and had all the
appearance of rain, but when the moon rose, it cleared up, and became a
beautiful night. My hammock and poncho were both too wet to sleep in, so
I had to lie down on the top of two trunks for my bed, with my saddle for
a pillow, near a large fire we had previously kindled.
On the following morning, the eighth of September, we continued our
journey, and at eleven o’clock halted under some trees by the river
side. Our route was through a richer country than any I had yet seen in
the province, it being well wooded with large trees, the greater part
of which were in leaf; near the houses, which appeared more numerous
than hitherto, grew large plantations of cotton, tobacco, sugar-cane,
and mandiocca. On the branches of a large tree by the road-side I
collected the first Orchideous plant I had seen during the journey; a
long round-leaved kind of _Oncidium_. The tree on which it grew was the
Umari (_Geoffroya superba_), but only on the under side of the branches,
the long leaves hanging down like so many whips, intermingled with its
large panicles of yellow flowers. It is called by the natives of the
Sertão “Rabo de Tatú,” from the resemblance of the leaves to the tail
of the armadillo. Shortly after we halted, I went out with my gun in
search of something for my dinner, but could find only parroquets, which
were very numerous, flying from tree to tree, and keeping up an almost
continual cry of Parroquet—Parroquet. I fired at some which were seated
on a tall tree, and one of those which fell being only wounded, kept up
a continued scream whenever I attempted to approach it; this being heard
by its companions, several hundreds of them again returned to the tree,
and having once more fired among them, they were again brought back by
the screams of the dying, nor did they cease to re-appear in the same
manner till I had killed more than was sufficient for us all to eat. On
the afternoon of this day we travelled about two leagues, and rested at
a small sugar plantation (Engenho de Rapadura). It being the day of San
Gonzalvo, the people were dancing and making merry before the house; I
obtained leave from the owner to let me pass the night in the mill, two
sides of which were open. On alighting from my horse I laid down my straw
hat, containing a silk pocket-handkerchief, on an old log of wood, close
to the owner of the mill, but in less than half an hour afterwards, when
all my things had been moved inside the boiling-house, the handkerchief
had disappeared: no one except my own men and the proprietor had been
near us, so that I had every reason to believe the latter had pilfered
it, but I did not think proper to take notice of it. This was not the
only theft committed here before the morning, for when the horses were
being loaded, Pedro discovered that a sack containing my large botanical
tin box, and a sheep-skin bag, containing all belonging to him, were not
to be found; it had been taken away from my luggage close to my hammock,
while we were asleep. The poor fellow, as might be expected, was greatly
annoyed at his loss, and it was fortunate, that previously to leaving
Icó I had removed a number of my most useful articles from the box to
one of my trunks; I had just discovered my loss, when the owner came
down to consult me concerning a complaint under which he laboured, but
I was too much exasperated to accede to his wishes; he expressed much
regret for our loss, and said it was the first time any traveller had
been pilfered who had put up at his house. We had not proceeded on our
journey more than a quarter of a league, when Pedro told me he would
return to the mill and endeavour to recover his clothes, from which I
could not dissuade him; the guide and I, therefore, went on alone, and at
a distance of three leagues, halted under the shade of a large tree near
some small houses. Pedro returned at two in the afternoon bringing his
bag with him, and my botanical box, but not the handkerchief; upon his
arrival, he took me aside, and told me that just before returning in the
morning, a thought struck him that our guide might have been the thief,
and if so, that the things would be hidden somewhere near the sugar-mill;
it was this conviction that induced him to return, and the result proved
that he was right, for, after an hour’s search, in which he was assisted
by the people of the place, he discovered my box hidden among some
bushes, and his bag buried under the earth at a little distance. I have
no doubt that the guide was the thief of all the articles, and had hidden
them until his return to Icó. He looked rather confused when Pedro
returned, and my first thought was to give him an immediate dismissal
without payment, but upon reflection I resolved to take no notice of
the matter, knowing the revengeful nature of these people; I was sorry,
however, for the incautious manner in which I had treated the proprietor
of the mill. The large tree under which we had rested was the first I had
seen of a kind that is very common about Crato; it is called Visgeira
by the inhabitants, and is the _Parkia platycephala_ of Bentham; it has
a very thick stem, and wide-spreading branches, which in some instances
nearly reach the ground; the wood is soft and brittle, and consequently
not of much value.
On the same evening, after a journey of two leagues and a half we reached
Villa de Crato; the road all the way was level and sandy, the country
on the south side was well wooded with large trees, while the north,
which is much flatter, was principally planted with sugar-cane, and
several houses were seen at very short intervals, each with a mill and a
boiling-house attached to it, for the purpose of converting the juice of
the cane into Rapadura. The Carnahuba is here replaced by another kind
of palm called Macahuba (_Acrocomia sclerocarpa_, Mart.), which rises
to about the same height, but has pinnated leaves, and a stem which,
instead of being the same thickness throughout, swells out considerably
above the middle, and is exactly the same species as one very common
about Pernambuco; along with this grows another species much resembling
the cocoa-nut in its height and foliage, but with a much thicker stem;
the nuts which are about the size of apples, are produced in large
clusters; it is a species of _Attalea_, and is here called Palmeira.
It is impossible to express the delight I experienced on entering this
comparatively rich and smiling district, after a ride of more than three
hundred miles through a country which at that season was little better
than a desert; the evening was one of the most beautiful I ever remember
to have seen, the sun was setting in great splendour behind the Serra
de Araripe, a long range of hills about a league to the westward of the
Villa, but the freshness of this region seemed to deprive its rays of
that burning heat which shortly before sunset is so oppressive to the
traveller in the lower country. The beauty of the night, the cool and
reviving feeling of the atmosphere, and the richness of the landscape, so
different from what I had lately seen, all tended to produce a buoyancy
of spirit such as only the lover of nature can experience, and which
I vainly wished might prove enduring, as I felt not only at ease with
myself, but “at peace with all below.”
It was dark before we entered the Villa, but I soon found the house of a
respectable shopkeeper, Senhor Francisco Dios Azede e Mello, to whom I
brought letters of recommendation. I was requested to enter the sitting
room, where I found myself in the midst of more than a dozen ladies,
all squatting on the floor on mats, and among them was the lady of the
house, who, as usual, put many questions to me respecting myself and
my country; I discovered that these visitors had come to condole the
lady on the loss of her husband’s father, who had died on the previous
day. Although within the more respectable houses in the Sertão, as the
interior is called, chairs are to be seen in their principal room, they
are seldom made use of, as the hammock (rede) is the favourite seat of
the women, who are seldom out of it except at meal-time; in it, as upon
the mat, they sit upright with their legs folded beneath them, and their
principal occupation during the day is smoking, eating sweet-meats, and
drinking cold water; it is generally slung so as to reach within about
a foot and a half of the ground, when it answers all the purposes of a
sofa, and often more than one person may be observed seated on the same
hammock; at night it is commonly preferred to a bed, for which purpose,
on account of its being much cooler, it is very generally used, and for
which I can vouch from my own experience, as for three years I seldom
slept out of one. They are generally made of a sort of strong cotton
cloth manufactured by the inhabitants, and are either white, or white and
blue, this colour being given by a dye which they prepare from a kind
of wild indigo plant that grows abundantly in the neighbourhood; they
are always made broader than long, which allows a person to lie in them
diagonally, and hence more horizontally than if they were narrower; they
have the advantage, however, of requiring no bedding, further than a thin
blanket for a covering in the cool season, or a sheet in hot weather.
Before I left Icó, one of the Pintos wrote to Senhor Mello asking him to
procure a house for me on my arrival in Crato, but the only one he could
obtain was a little dwelling attached to a shop, neither being in very
good condition: however, it answered my purpose very well for the time,
but I was obliged to look out for another residence in about six weeks,
when it was required to be pulled down, in order that a new one might be
erected in its stead; with some trouble I found two rooms which I hired
at the rate of about five shillings a month, and where I remained till I
left the place. My only furniture consisted of two chairs which Senhor
Mello had the kindness to send me, an old packing-box that served as a
table, and of course my hammock was my bed. The day after my arrival
at Crato a report was spread through the town that I was a travelling
merchant who had arrived there with goods for sale, and in the course
of the day I had numerous visits from ladies who wished to look over my
merchandize, and who were not a little astonished when I told them I had
none; this was not the only time I was mistaken for a merchant, indeed
after leaving Crato the same mistake occurred at almost every house and
village I arrived at, which is not surprising, as the number of people
who travel in the interior from house to house, and from town to town,
either selling European goods, or exchanging them for horses or cattle,
is very great.
The Villa de Crato is situated thirty-two leagues to the S.W. of
Icó, and nearly in the same parallel as Pernambuco, from which it is
distant in a direct line about three hundred miles; it is a small and
sufficiently miserable town, being one third the size of Icó. It is
very irregularly built, and the houses, with only one exception, are
of a single story; it contains two churches and a jail, but one of the
former has never been finished, and has remained so long in this state,
that it has all the appearance of one that has fallen into decay. The
jail is likewise in so ruined a state as scarcely to deserve the name
of a prison, although there are generally a few criminals confined in
it; it was guarded by two soldiers who performed their duty so easily,
that in passing I seldom saw them otherwise occupied than either in
playing cards or sleeping in the shade of the building; a serjeant
who was confined during my stay in this place for disobedience to his
officer, was known almost every night to get out by one of the windows,
which have only wooden bars, when after sleeping in his own house,
he returned to spend the day in prison. The whole population amounts
probably to about two thousand, the greater part of whom are either
Indians or their mixed descendants; the more respectable portion of the
inhabitants are Brazilians, who for the most part are shopkeepers; but
how the poorer races gain a livelihood I am at a loss to determine. The
inhabitants of this part of the province, who are generally known by
the Indian appellation of Caryrís, are celebrated throughout Brazil for
their lawless character; it formerly used to be, and still is, though
not to the same extent, a place of refuge to murderers and vagabonds of
all sorts from other parts of the country, and although it contains a
justice of the peace, a Juiz de Direito, and other officials of the law,
they possess but little power, and even if that little be exercised,
they run great risk of falling under the knife of the assassin; several
murderers were pointed out to me, who walked about quite openly. The
principal danger to which they are exposed, is from the friends of the
person they have murdered, who follow them to a great distance, and lose
no opportunity of seeking their revenge. The state of morality generally
among the inhabitants of Crato is at a very low ebb, card playing is
the principal occupation during the day, when in fine weather groups of
all classes, from those called the great people (gente grande) to the
lowest, may be observed seated on the pavement on the shaded side of the
street deeply employed in gambling; the more respectable generally play
for dollars, the poorer either for copper money, or more commonly make
use of spotted beans in lieu of counters; quarrels on these occasions
are of course very common, which are not unfrequently settled with the
knife. Scarcely any of the better class live with their wives: a few
years after their marriage, they generally turn them out of the house
to live separately, and replace them by young women who are willing to
supply their place without being bound by the ties of matrimony. In this
manner these people have two houses to keep up: among others who are
living in this condition I may mention the Juiz de Direito, the Juiz dos
Orfãos, and most of the larger shopkeepers; such a state of immorality
is not to be wondered at, when the conduct of the clergy is taken into
consideration, the vicar (vigario), who was then an old man between
seventy and eighty years of age, is the father of six natural children,
one of whom was educated as a priest, afterwards became president of the
province, and was then a senator of the Empire, although still retaining
his clerical title. During my stay in Crato he arrived there on a visit
to his father, bringing with him his mistress, who was his own cousin,
and eight children out of ten he had by her, having at the same time five
other children by another woman, who died in child-bed of the sixth.
Besides the vigario there were three other priests in the town, all of
whom have families by women with whom they live openly, one of them being
the wife of another person.
I lived about five months among these people, but in no other part of
Brazil, even during a much shorter residence, did I live on less terms
of intimacy with them or make fewer friends; besides Senhor Mello,
the only individual whose house I visited frequently, was another son
of the old vicar, Capitão João Gonzalvez, who was the proprietor of a
sugar (Rapadura) plantation, about two leagues below the town. I first
made his acquaintance from his having consulted me about his wife, who
was labouring under chronic ophthalmia; he was a man of an amiable
and excellent disposition, and I still look back with pleasure on the
hours spent in his house. The eyes of the lady improved much under my
treatment, and as she was very communicative and good-natured, we had
many long conversations about the manners and customs of our respective
countries. The family consisted of two daughters, one of whom was
married, and lived at a place I afterwards visited about sixteen leagues
distant, the younger one, a fine girl about sixteen years of age, was
very shy in making her appearance, so that I did not see her during my
first two or three visits; but as her mother afterwards told me, her
curiosity to see and speak with an Englishman, at length completely got
the better of her reserve, so that afterwards she always appeared when
I was there. She was then about to be married to a younger brother of
her sister’s husband, having been betrothed to him for many years: it is
indeed seldom that the daughters of respectable families are allowed the
power of choosing a husband for themselves, the parents always taking
care to make the arrangements in such cases.
At this plantation I had often an opportunity of seeing the manner in
which Rapadura is made; the expression and boiling of the juice are
performed at the same time; the mill is of very clumsy construction,
consisting of a frame-work containing three vertical wooden rollers
through which the cane is passed to express the juice, which is collected
in a receiver below, where it runs into a trough that had been hollowed
out of a large tree. The cane requires to be passed three times through
the mill before the whole of the juice is expressed: from this trough
a portion of the juice is conveyed from time to time into small brass
boiling pans, of which there were nine, all placed close beside each
other over small openings in the top of an arched furnace, and during the
different stages of the operation, as the evaporation proceeds, the juice
is poured from one pan into the other, till in the last it acquires the
desired consistency; it is then transferred into a large tub, hollowed
out of solid wood, called a Gamella, and allowed to cool for some time,
when it is finally run out into wooden moulds about the size and shape
of our common bricks, although some are made about half this size; after
being removed from the moulds, they are allowed to harden for some days,
when they are fit for the market; the larger size sell at Crato for about
a penny each, in Icó for three halfpence, and in Aracaty for twopence
each.
Sugar cane, mandiocca, rice and tobacco are the principal articles
cultivated in Crato. The ordinary tropical fruit trees grow in and around
the town, such as the orange, the lime, the lemon, the banana, the
mango, the papáw, the jack, the bread-fruit, and the cashew; grapes,
pine-apples, melons and water-melons are also commonly cultivated; these
fruits are sold very cheap, thus, oranges a penny per dozen, pine-apples,
large and of a fine flavour, twopence each, and large melons may be had
at the same price. The country gradually rises from Crato towards the
S.W. till it reaches the base of the Serra de Araripe, an elevated
table-land forming a semicircle round the undulatory plain in which
the town is situated; this Serra is from one and a half to two leagues
distant from Crato, and from the numerous springs that rise from its
base, may be attributed the great fertility of this part of the Sertão,
the small streams from which are diverted in a thousand directions
for the purpose of irrigation. At present but a small portion of this
fertile district is cultivated, although it would amply repay such
labour; the vicinity being but thinly peopled, and the habits of the
natives extremely indolent; with very little trouble they can raise all
that is necessary to support life, and seem to care for nothing beyond
this. Their dress is of the most simple description, and consequently
not expensive; when, however, the population becomes more numerous,
and civilization shall have multiplied their wants, this district will
assuredly prove a rich and valuable part of the province; the greatest
drawback to it is the want of any other than land communication with
the coast. The union of the little streams which flow from the Serra
de Araripe forms a rivulet that passes close to the town of Crato, and
affords an abundant supply of excellent clear water to the inhabitants at
all seasons; it offers also some deep pools that serve as bathing places,
a luxury in which they are very fond of indulging, especially during the
hot season.
During my residence at this place I made many excursions in the
neighbourhood, but the Serra de Araripe proved the best field for my
researches, I spent several days at different times, in exploring its
ravines, sides, and summit, every trip yielding me large supplies of
new and rare plants. The greater portion of the wooded districts around
Crato consists of deciduous trees and shrubs, forming what are called
Catingas, but in low moist localities, and along the base of the Serra, a
great many of the trees are evergreen; one of the most common denizens
of the Catingas is the _Magonia glabrata_, St. Hil., which is here truly
gregarious, covering large tracts for miles to the exclusion of almost
everything else; in general it is a tree from thirty to forty feet high,
but at full growth it often attains a much greater stature. Like many
of the other inhabitants of the Catingas, its flowers appear before the
leaves, they are in large panicles, of a greenish yellow colour, and of
very sweet scent. It is called Tingi by the natives, who apply it to
many useful purposes; an infusion of the bark of the root is employed
to poison fish, and that of the stem to cure old ulcers. The fruit is
a large dry triangular capsule filled with broad flat seeds, from the
kernels of which a kind of soap is manufactured; the manner in which they
make it is this. After having taken off the brown membrane which covers
the seeds, they are put into a tub of water to steep for some time, when
the cotyledons begin to swell and soften, the thin skin which still
covers them is easily taken off, and they are then put into a pot along
with a small portion of tallow; by boiling and stirring them they soon
form a homogeneous mass, which, when cool, is said to answer very well
for washing clothes. Another tree which grows in similar situations, is
a species of _Caryocar_, that presents a fine appearance when covered
with its large corymbs of yellow flowers; the fruit, which was not ripe
during my stay, is said to be excellent when cooked, and its hard wood
is of great use as timber in the construction of mills. The Visgeira,
already mentioned, and the Timbahuba, are also two large trees of the
neighbourhood; the latter belongs to the _Mimosa_ tribe, producing large
round heads of yellowish flowers, and a broad legume curved round so as
to resemble a horse-shoe. A kind of small deer that much frequents the
woods is very fond of this fruit, and is often watched for at night at
the season when the fruit falls, being discovered by the rattling noise
which the seeds make within the pod when trodden upon. The Jatobá, a
species of _Hymenæa_, is another large tree of common occurrence, as
also the Augelim, a large and beautiful species of the genus _Andira_;
two _Bignonias_ of considerable size are also common in the distant
woods, one with purple, the other with yellowish flowers, but owing to
the durability and hardness of their timber, which is much sought after
by the natives for the construction of mills and carts, they are not
allowed to attain any great size near the town of Crato. Besides these
there are many other trees of smaller size, among which may be mentioned
the Pao de Jangada (_Apeiba Tibourbou_), and one of frequent occurrence,
and conspicuous from its large prickly capsules; on the coast its wood
affords the material for the raft-boats before described, so commonly in
use there. A species of _Byrsonema_, a _Callisthene_, a _Gomphia_, and a
_Vitex_, are all remarkably beautiful when in blossom. When planks are
required in most, indeed I may say in all parts of the Sertão, there is a
sad waste of timber, for to obtain one an entire tree is chopped on both
sides until it is reduced to the exact size required.
A number of wild fruits are found in the Catingas, among these are the
Mangába, already spoken of as very common about Pernambuco, the Guava,
the Araça, and also, but only on the top of the Serra, a nearly allied
species called Marangaba; it is the _Psidium pigmeum_ of Arrudo, a shrub
from one to two feet high, the fruit of which is about the size of a
gooseberry, and is greatly sought after on account of its delicious
flavour, which resembles that of the strawberry. The woods in the
immediate neighbourhood of the town produce a fruit called Pusá, which
belongs to a new species of _Mouriria_ (_M. Pusá_, Gardn.); it is about
the size of a small plum, of a black colour, and resembles very much in
taste the fruit of the Jaboticaba (_Eugenia cauliflora_, DC.) of the
south of Brazil; when in season it is brought to the town and carried
through the streets for sale by the Indians. The Cashew is also very
common, but the eatable portion of the fruit is smaller and not so well
tasted as that which grows along the coast.
One day, near the Serra de Araripe, I passed an encampment of Gipsies
consisting of about a dozen men, women, and children; these people are
not uncommon in the interior of Brazil, for I either met with them,
or heard of them in almost every town I visited; they are generally
disliked by the common people, but are encouraged by the more wealthy,
as was the case on the present occasion, for they were encamped beneath
some large trees near the house of a major in the National Guards, who
is the proprietor of a large cane plantation at the foot of the Serra;
although of a darker colour, they have quite the same features as the
Gipsies of Great Britain, many both of the young men and women being very
handsome; they seldom come near the large towns of the coast, preferring
more thinly inhabited, and consequently more lawless districts; they
wander from farm to farm, and from village to village, buying, selling,
and exchanging horses and various articles of jewellery; like those of
Europe they are often accused of stealing horses, fowls, or whatever
they can lay their hands upon; the old women tell fortunes, in which
they are much encouraged by the young ladies of the places they visit.
Although they speak Portuguese like the other inhabitants of the country,
among themselves they always make use of their own language, always
intermarry, are said to pay no attention to the religious observances
of the country, nor to use any form of worship of their own; they are
called Ciganos by the Brazilians. Just about the time that the Gipsies
made their appearance near Crato, one of my horses was missed from its
pasturage, and it was strongly suspected they had carried it off, but in
this instance at least they were wrongly accused, for I have good reason
to believe that the person who made free with it, was a Fazendeiro who
was very anxious to purchase it from me only a day or two before it was
stolen, just as he was on the eve of returning from Crato to his Engenho
many leagues to the westward. As it had my own brand upon one of its
hind legs, and as it was well known about the neighbourhood that it had
disappeared, I was assured by the justice of the peace that it would
ultimately be found, and he was right, for about six weeks afterwards,
it was found in a wood about three leagues from the town, but instead of
being an animal in fine condition, it was now little better than skin
and bone. The person who took it was one Josè Pereira de Hollanda, a man
whose character was not held in much estimation, and by whom it had been
used to hunt down cattle on his estate.
During my stay in Crato the festival of our Lady of Conception was
celebrated; great rejoicings were kept up for nine days previously, the
expenses of which were defrayed by the different individuals appointed to
conduct it; during the whole period of the Novena, as it is called, the
few soldiers stationed in the town kept up an almost continued fire, both
day and night; so that with this, and the processions, illuminations, and
discharges of fireworks, and of small cannon in front of the church, the
Villa was one continued scene of uproar. As the last night was said to
be the finest of all, I went about seven o’clock to the church, before
which a number of flags were flying on poles, and two large bonfires
blazing; on the terrace before the sacred edifice, an immense crowd
had assembled, and about half a dozen soldiers were from time to time
discharging their muskets; at a little distance, a band of musicians
were playing, consisting of two fifers and two drummers, but the music
they produced was of the most wretched description; there was also a
display of fireworks quite in keeping with the music. The church inside
was brilliantly illuminated and almost full, but I was surprised to see
that nearly the whole of the congregation consisted of females; they were
all dressed in white, or at least with a white kind of mantilla over
the head and shoulders. On the following day a little before dusk, a
large procession, consisting entirely of men, passed through the various
streets, figures of the Virgin and her Son being carried in great pomp;
the three priests of the Villa, together with the Visitador, or deputy of
the Bishop, who was then on his usual triennial tour through the villages
and towns of the province, walked under a scarlet canopy. The whole
affair was wound up on the succeeding afternoon (Sunday) by exhibitions
on the tight-rope, and a dance of masqueraders, in front of the church.
The mean temperature of Crato is much lower than that of Icó; it is not
considered so healthy as the latter place, for the heat of the day is
nearly as great, although the nights are much colder. Ophthalmia is truly
endemic, and, during some part of the year, few escape its effects: I had
an attack which confined me to the house for several days. Many persons
suffering from the disease in its chronic state, consulted me, and I
gained no little reputation from having either cured or much alleviated
the symptoms in most of the cases that presented themselves, even when
the complaint had been of long standing; blindness is a very common
result, and nowhere have I seen a greater number of blind people than
in this district. Secondary syphilitic complaints are also very common,
and many are the miserable wretches which they have here produced; in
such cases, mercury is very seldom employed for the primary symptoms,
these being generally cured by a species of _Croton_, commonly known by
the name of Velame; it is used both externally and internally with some
effect, but under this treatment sooner or later the secondary symptoms
make their appearance, under some one or other of their protean forms.
A residence of but a short time in the interior of Brazil, would soon
convince those medical men who would cure these complaints without
mercury, of the danger of such treatment.
CHAPTER VI.
CEARA CONTINUED.
Reasons for delaying journey into the Interior—Visits,
meanwhile, different places in the Vicinity of Crato—Crosses
the Serra de Araripe—Reaches Cajazeira—Arrives at Barra do
Jardim—Description of that Town and Neighbourhood—Meets with
an interesting deposit of Fossil Fishes—Geological character
of the Country—Detects a very extensive range of Chalk
formation—First discovery of such Beds in South America—The
accompanying formation described—This range of Mountains
encircles the vast Plain comprising the Provinces of Piauhy
and Maranham—Arrives at Maçapé—Great Religious Festival
on Christmas Day—Meets with an Accident—Visits also Novo
Mundo—Discovers other deposits of Fossil Fishes near these
places—Vegetable productions along the Taboleira—Different
Tribes of uncivilised Indians in that Neighbourhood—Curious
account of the Fanatical Sect of the Sebastianistas—Their
extravagant belief—Commit human sacrifices—Their destruction
and dispersion—Returns to Crato.
I found on my arrival at Crato that it would be necessary to remain there
longer than I had previously anticipated, owing to the desert state of
the country, in the dry season, between it and Oeiras, the capital of the
province of Piauhy, at which time water and grass are so scarce, that
only those well acquainted with the country would undertake this journey:
I was, therefore, strongly recommended to defer leaving Crato till the
rains should set in, to which advice I was the more willing to listen,
finding that district a very good field for my botanical researches,
and knowing well, moreover, that a journey to Oeiras at that time would
yield very little. It was now the beginning of December, and the rains
were not expected to set in till the beginning of February. Having pretty
well exhausted the neighbourhood of Crato, I determined to visit in the
interim a small town about sixteen leagues distant, called Villa da
Barra do Jardim, being the more desirous to spend some time at that place
in order to search for a deposit of fossil fishes which were reported
to exist in the neighbourhood. My friend Capitão João Gonsalvez gave me
letters to his relation Capitão Antonio da Cruz, the principal person in
the place, and on the afternoon of the eleventh of December I left Crato.
The road for the first five leagues runs nearly eastward along the Serra
de Araripe, and after having accomplished four of them we halted for the
night, about eight o’clock, at a little village called Cajazeira; on
enquiring for a place where we might pass the night, it being then quite
dark, we were directed to a shed used for the preparation of farinha,
which, besides being open all round, was but indifferently roofed; this,
however, proved a better shelter than a large tree under which we first
thought of encamping, for about midnight we were awakened by a tremendous
peal of thunder that broke right over us. The storm continued with more
or less violence for nearly half an hour, and was followed by a very
heavy shower of rain, which caused me no inconvenience as my hammock
was slung under a comparatively well-roofed part, although Pedro and
the guide were soon obliged to change their quarters. On our arrival
we found the village illuminated with several bonfires, and there was
also much firing and other rejoicings, occasioned by the presence of the
Visitador who reached this place during the day, intending to proceed to
Barra do Jardim on the following morning. It was seven o’clock before
we could resume our journey, and in an hour’s time we reached the foot
of the Serra with the view of crossing it, but we first halted for a
short time in order to take some breakfast, being informed that neither
houses nor water were to be met with during the next eight leagues of
the journey. At a distance of half an hour’s ride from Cajazeira we met
a number of well-dressed horsemen, one of whom, finding on enquiry that
I was the English Botanist about to visit Jardim, told me that his name
was Gouvea; that he had heard of my intended visit from his friends in
Crato, to which place he was then going, intending to return in the
course of a few days. From him I also learned that his companions had
come to meet the Visitador, and escort him to Jardim; in half an hour’s
time they all passed us on their return, in company with the prelate, and
soon afterwards the Visitador’s troop overtook us, consisting of eight or
nine horses, one of which was loaded with water for the journey across
the Taboleira, as all elevated flat tracts are called in the interior.
The water was carried in large leathern bags, and as I had not as yet
provided myself with such an apparatus, I was contented with purchasing
a number of oranges, and a few pieces of sugar cane, as very palatable
substitutes, and on a short journey easily carried. The Serra is scarcely
so high here as it is at Crato, but the ascent is very rugged, and in
several places very steep. About half an hour after we descended the
Serra we passed the Visitador and his party, all lying under the shade
of a large tree, eating the fruit of the Mangába which grew abundantly
around them: he kindly invited me to remain and partake of his breakfast,
for which he was awaiting the arrival of his troop, but I declined his
kind offer as I was anxious to cross the Serra without halting. It
occupied a ride of nearly six hours to traverse this table land, which
is perfectly level all the way; it is thinly studded with small trees,
which give it very much the appearance of an English orchard; the soil
was thickly covered with long grass, which was now dried up like hay;
in many places it had been set fire to, and large tracts burned, which
I afterwards found to be a very common practice in the open campos of
Brazil towards the end of the dry season, in order that after the first
rains a good crop of new grass may thus be obtained; it is, indeed,
astonishing to witness the rapidity with which it then springs up. The
vegetation on this Taboleira I found to be so very similar to that on
the top of the Serra at Crato, that with the exception of a single
specimen of a shrubby species of _Cassia_, I did not meet with anything
I had not before collected; on the ascent of the Serra, however, I found
a new species of _Rollinia_ in flower. It was not till we had reached
nearly the extremity of the Taboleira, that I came in sight of the valley
in which the Villa da Barra do Jardim is situated, from the rich and
verdant appearance of which it takes the name of Jardim, or Garden. The
Serra being lower on the south than on the north side, the descent is
much easier, and the road is also better.
On reaching the Villa, which is nearly a league from the foot of the
Serra, I found that we had passed the house of Captain Antonio da Cruz,
so that we were obliged to turn back half a league, and I felt annoyed
for not having sooner made enquiries, as our horses were greatly fatigued
after so long a journey, performed during the whole time under a burning
sun. On arriving at the house, which is attached to his Engenho, I met
with a kind reception from the Captain, as well as from his son, and the
lady of the latter, who was the daughter of my Crato friend, Captain
Gonsalvez, with both of whom I had been previously acquainted during
their visit to the latter place. My horses were immediately sent to
pasture, and dinner prepared, for which I felt an excellent appetite
after this long day’s ride. Aware of my intended visit, they had kindly
prepared an uninhabited house in the town for my reception, to which they
would not allow me to go till the following morning after breakfast.
The Villa da Barra do Jardim lies south from Crato, bearing a little
to the eastward, the valley in which it is situated being about a
league in length, and in its widest part about half a league broad;
the town is small, in the form of a large square, three sides of which
only are completed, and nearly in the centre of this square stands its
only church, also in an unfinished state. At the time of my visit the
surrounding country was very much burnt up, particularly towards the
south; but on the north side of the town, towards the bottom of the
Serra, there were many small plantations of cane, watered by small
streams which take their rise in the Serra; without these the valley
would then have been quite at variance with its name. Here, as around
Crato, cane is the principal article cultivated, but in the neighbourhood
of the Villa there are two or three very small plantations of coffee,
for which the place seems well adapted, judging from their vigorous
appearance, and the large crops they were said to yield; the quantity
raised in this neighbourhood is not, however, sufficient for its own
consumption, what more is required, and indeed the whole that is consumed
in other parts of the province, being imported from Rio de Janeiro.
Upon asking several of the proprietors of cane plantations why they did
not plant coffee in preference, seeing the much greater profit it would
bring them, they all replied that, being accustomed to the making of
Rapadura, they did not like to risk it for a system of cultivation with
which they were but imperfectly acquainted; but the principal cause, in
my own opinion, is their lazy and indolent habits, and the great horror
they entertain of anything like innovation on the customs of their
forefathers; were the country in the possession of an industrious people,
this would no doubt become one of the richest districts in the north of
Brazil.
Two days after my arrival I paid a visit to Captain Antonio da Cruz,
where I learned that on a rising ground between his house and the Serra,
there were often found rounded limestones, which when split exhibited
the remains of fishes; two of his sons accompanied me to the spot, where
I made a collection of several species more or less perfect. The place
where these were found was on the slope of a low hill about a mile from
the Serra,—the stone in which they occur being an impure dark-coloured
limestone: I found them of all sizes, but none larger than I could lift,
all were more or less rounded, having evidently undergone attrition.
The place which they occupy is not above a hundred yards square, and in
this extent scarcely any other kind of stone is found, but beyond it the
ground is covered in a similar manner with rounded blocks of sandstone
of the same nature as that which forms the mass of the Serra. Similar
deposits exist along the base of the range, but all in isolated patches,
as in the present instance. I have purposely deferred till now making any
remarks on the geology of the district around Crato, but I must premise
that the substance of what is here stated is taken from a paper read by
me before the Glasgow Philosophical Society, in April 1843, and which has
since appeared in the Proceedings of that Society.
Nothing like chalk, with its accompanying flints, has yet been found
on the continent of North America; but in New Jersey Dr. Morton has
described a deposit which he considers to be equivalent to the lower or
green sand beds of that formation, and to which he has given the name of
“The ferruginous sand formation of the United States.” The fossil remains
which it contains prove the correctness of his opinion. As regards the
South American continent, it is asserted by Humboldt, that it contains
neither oolite nor chalk, from the fact that no traveller who has
hitherto written on the geology of that immense continent, has ever met
with either; it was therefore a source of no little satisfaction to me to
find that I had been the first to discover, in the new world, the entire
series of rocks which constitute the chalk formation, specimens of all of
which I did not fail to collect.
The Serra de Araripe, or that which runs between Crato and Barra do
Jardim, is only an eastern branch of an elevated table-land which
stretches continuously from the sea-coast, southward, and forms a
natural boundary between the two great provinces of Ceará and Piauhy.
It is generally elevated from 500 to 1,000 feet above the level of the
country to the east of it, but not so much above that to the west; to
this range the name of Serra Vermelha is given by the Portuguese, and
Ibiapaba by the Indians. Between the 10th and 11th degrees of latitude
it takes a westerly direction, and in about 47° of longitude takes a
northerly sweep, finally terminating at the mouth of the River Amazon,
under the equator, the country which it surrounds forming a valley of
great extent, including the entire provinces of Piauhy and Maranham. This
elevated range varies much in breadth, as many branches run off from it,
both to the east and to the west; the top is nearly perfectly level,
forming, as before mentioned, what the Brazilians call Taboleiras. The
great mass of the Serra consists of a very soft, whitish, yellowish, or
reddish-coloured sandstone, which in many places must be more than six
hundred feet thick; and in this rock exist the nodules which contain
the fossil fishes. The circumstance that first led me to suspect this
rock belonged to the chalk formation, was an immense accumulation of
flints and septaria similar to those of the chalk of England, which I
found on the acclivity of the range during a journey made along its
base to the north of Crato. I now began to inquire if anything like
chalk was found in the neighbourhood, when I learned there were several
pits in the Serra, whence the inhabitants obtained it for the purpose of
white-washing their houses; these pits I afterwards found to be situated
in a deep layer of red-coloured diluvial clay, which lies immediately
over the sandstone of the Serra. In a ravine near Crato I endeavoured to
ascertain the formation on which the sandstone rested, when I found it to
consist of several layers of more or less compact limestones and marls,
with a bed of lignite about two feet thick; upon what these rested I
could not at that time ascertain, but some time afterwards when I crossed
to the west side of the range, I found these limestones existing upon a
deposit of very dark-red coarse-grained sandstone, abounding in small
nodules of iron-stone. Thus we find that the structure of the rocks in
this locality is very similar to that of the chalk formation in England;
there is
1st. A ferruginous sandstone deposit, equivalent to the lower
green sand or Shanklin sand.
2nd. A deposit of marls, soft and compact limestones, and
lignite, equivalent to the English gault.
3rd. A very thick deposit of fine-grained, soft, variously
coloured sandstone, containing Ichthyolites, equivalent to the
upper green sand of England.
4th. The white chalk itself, and flints occurring in pits
partially covered by red diluvial clay.
Flints are very common along the foot of the Serra, to the N.W. of Crato,
but none were found in any of the chalk-pits that I examined: I learned,
however, that at a considerable distance to the north of Crato, at a
portion of this mountain range, called the Serra de Botarité, both chalk
and flints are far more abundant than they are near the former place,
where they seem to have been almost entirely washed away, previous to the
deposition of the red clay in which they are now found.
Since the time when these rocks were first deposited at the bottom of
the sea to the present period, both they and the surrounding country must
have undergone various changes with respect to elevation; but before
making any observations on this subject, I will point out the various
places where I have met with traces of the chalk formation, besides that
just described. In 1838, during my voyage up the Rio de San Francisco,
which empties itself into the Atlantic between the 10th and 11th degrees
of south latitude, I obtained specimens of the rock on which the Villa
do Penêdo is built, and on comparison these proved to be identical
with those from the upper sandstone of Crato. In 1839, I found the
ferruginous sandstone of Crato extending westward thence about 500 miles,
and in the year 1841 I observed at Maranham, in 2° of south latitude,
and 44° of west longitude, a formation very similar to that at Crato.
The whole island on which the city of Maranham is built, consists of a
very dark-red ferruginous sandstone; on the main land to the westward,
the same rock was observed rising a little above the sea level, but
immediately upon it there exists a deposit, in some places more than 50
feet thick, of a yellowish and greenish coloured sandstone, very soft,
and of a marly nature.
From these data, then, I think there can be little doubt that the
whole of that immense shoulder which forms the more easterly point of
the American continent, has at one time been a great depository for
the chalk formation. The only other rocks that I observed in places
denuded of the deposits belonging to the chalk are, 1st, gneiss and
mica-slate, the layers of which crop out in nearly a vertical direction,
as was frequently observed on my journey from the coast, and during my
voyage up the Rio de San Francisco; and, 2nd, beds of grey-coloured
clay-slate, which I passed over about 18 leagues below Crato. The whitish
coarse-grained sandstone that I met with immediately afterwards, is
probably equivalent to the ferruginous sandstone found on the west side
of the range; from this it would appear, that between the cretaceous
series and the primary stratified rocks, there are no traces either of
the carboniferous or the oolite formations, nor in any part of Brazil
through which I afterwards travelled did I meet with any signs of them.[5]
We have already seen that the country, from the coast to Crato, is for
the most part level, large portions being covered with coarse white sand
or gravel of various sizes, which give it the appearance of the dried
up bed of an immense river; much of this gravel consists of flints, and
intermingled with them are numerous boulders of various sizes, more
or less rounded, consisting of granite, gneiss, and quartz. Whenever
these gravelly tracts cease to appear, the surface of the country is
covered with a deposit of the same kind of red clay which lies over the
upper sandstone of the table-land. To the westward of this table-land,
considerable portions are covered with the variously shaped iron-stone
nodules, found in the ferruginous sandstone, and which have accumulated
from the decay of that rock.
I have now to offer a few remarks on the changes of elevation which this
part of the continent has undergone since the chalk rocks were first
deposited; it is manifest that that deposition took place at the bottom
of a shallow ocean, and it admits of no doubt that at some subsequent
period it has been gradually elevated above the level of the sea; it
is evident that this elevation has been gradual, from the horizontal
position of the strata of which the deposit is formed; for had the
elevating cause been sudden and violent, their original position would
not have been so perfectly maintained. The first portion that emerged
from the sea was probably the long elevated table-land, which for a
period must have formed a neck of land separating the Atlantic Ocean on
the east, from the great bay which the immense valley to the westward
must then have formed.
From some of the foregoing observations it is obvious that the chalk
formation at one time must have covered a very great tract of the
surrounding country, and we may very reasonably conclude that it was
during the gradual elevation of the land, that the action of the waves
of the ocean as gradually destroyed the soft materials of which it had
been fabricated. But long after this had been accomplished, and at a
comparatively recent geological period, the whole country seems again to
have been covered with water,—not only the nearly level country between
the shores of the present sea and the elevated table-land, but even the
highest parts of the table-land itself. This is proved by the thick
stratum which exists on both, of a deep red-coloured diluvial clay,
similar to that which I have observed to cover nearly the whole surface
of Brazil, from the sea-shore to the summits nearly of the highest
mountains, and which is often more than forty feet in thickness. When
this is cut through it is found to consist of various layers of clay
and sandy gravel, in which are imbedded rounded stones of different
sizes. These have evidently been deposited from water; and in that part
of the country in which we are now speaking, this deposition of clay
must have taken place at a period subsequent to the inundation of the
country to the east and west of the table-land. This could only have been
accomplished by the sinking of the land again beneath the level of the
sea, which will account for the nearly total destruction of the white
chalk, as well as for those small cones of it which remain imbedded in
the red clay,—that deposit having been laid down before the whole of the
chalk could be washed away; since then this part of the continent must
have gradually emerged a second time from the bosom of the ocean.
Part of my collection of fossil fishes were sent to the care of my much
lamented friend the late J. E. Bowman, Esq., of Manchester, shortly
after I found them; these were exhibited by him at the Meeting of the
British Association at Glasgow, where they were seen by M. Agassiz, and
although no specimens of the rocks accompanied them, he immediately,
from their zoological characters alone, pronounced them to belong to the
chalk series. It is well known that this learned naturalist divides all
fishes into four great classes, from the nature of their scales; two of
these, the _Ctenoid_ and _Cycloid_, never make their appearance in any
of the rocks beneath the chalk, and it was from his knowledge of this
fact that he decided my specimens to be from that formation, as they
consisted chiefly of individuals of the _Ctenoid_ and _Cycloid_ groups.
The fishes are in a most perfect state of preservation, and, as I have
already stated, are included in an impure fawn-coloured limestone; the
blocks, however, in which they are preserved, are only nodules contained
in the yellowish coloured sandstone. They have in general somewhat the
form of the imbedded fish, and the carbonaceous matter was apparently
aggregated round them by chemical attraction from the sandstone while in
a soft state; these nodules being harder than the sandstone, have, by its
gradual decay, accumulated at various places along the acclivity of the
range, and I possess specimens both from the east and west side of it.[6]
On the evening of the 23rd of December I had an invitation from Lieut.
Col. João José de Gouvea, a gentleman to whom I brought letters, to
accompany him and the Visitador to a place called Maçapé five leagues
to the east of the Villa da Barra do Jardim, whither they were going to
pass Christmas Day. This I gladly accepted, having been already informed
that a large deposit of fossil fishes existed there. We started at eight
o’clock on the morning of the 24th, and as the Visitador was not to
return, he was accompanied for nearly a league from the Villa, by about
half a dozen of the most respectable persons in the neighbourhood, Senhor
Gouvea, his lady, and Senhor Machado, and I went on to Maçapé. At about
half a league from the Villa we entered a narrow ravine, wooded on each
side with large trees, the branches of which were bearded with the long
_Tillandsia usneoides_, and another large species of the same genus, but
I did not observe a single Orchideous plant. This ravine is nearly half
a league in length, and about the middle of it arises a spring yielding
an abundant supply of cool and limpid water, which lower down is applied
for the purpose of irrigation. As the ravine rises gradually, the ascent
of the Serra here is less steep than by the one we passed on the road
from Crato. Immediately on entering the Taboleira the vegetation changes,
none of the trees seen there being found below, but I did not perceive
any difference from those already observed on other parts of it. After
a very pleasant ride of four hours, we reached the opposite side of the
Serra, where a vast difference appeared in the vegetation, compared with
that of the vicinity of Jardim; here all was green and verdant, owing to
several heavy showers that had fallen a few weeks before; the trees on
the Taboleira are also larger than those nearer to Jardim, and everything
denotes it to be a more fertile country. From the top of the descent we
obtained a fine view of the undulating but uninhabited country to the
east and south. The Serra here is much higher than on the western side,
and the descent is far from being an easy one; at less than a quarter of
a league from it stands the Fazenda of Maçapé, which is the principal
house in that place. On our arrival we found two large flags waving
in the court before the house, and the Visitador was welcomed by the
discharge of about a dozen guns; shortly after our arrival numbers of
people, with children of all ages, began to assemble, and immediately
after dinner the Visitador commenced his duties of baptism, &c. Having
made enquiries for the place where the fossil fishes were to be found,
I went there accompanied by Senhor Machado; after walking about half a
league, we reached the spot which much resembled that near Jardim, the
stones occupying a limited space on the slope of the rising ground that
runs along the foot of the Serra. This site having lately been cleared
and planted with cane, we had little difficulty in procuring abundance
of stones, though few good ones, for after nearly two hours’ work, I
could obtain no more than three or four tolerable specimens, most of the
remains being very much broken. On our return we found an immense crowd
of people assembled, while more were arriving, chiefly for the purpose
of hearing the three masses that are always performed immediately on
the entrance of Christmas Day. At nine o’clock in the evening mass was
said under the veranda, at one end of which a small altar was erected,
brilliantly illuminated with wax candles, and surmounted by a figure
of the Virgin, about a foot and a half high, elegantly dressed, with
a gold chain round her neck, to which was attached a small toy watch.
The more respectable portion of the audience seated themselves on the
ground within the veranda, while the remaining men, women, and children
were squatted in a similar manner on the area of the court in front
of the house; altogether not less than a thousand persons were here
assembled. After the conclusion of the ceremony we partook of a supper
of fresh fish, and at ten o’clock the Visitador retired to his hammock
to enjoy a little sleep, prior to the commencement of his midnight
labours; I followed his example, but slept so soundly that I did not
awake till after the conclusion of the mass, notwithstanding that my
hammock was slung in the same confined room as that of the prelate,
and the upper half of the door, which opened into the veranda, was
open. No observations were made upon my apparent neglect, but I have
no doubt that I was set down as a perfect heathen. In the morning mass
was again celebrated, and when breakfast was over the Visitador resumed
his labours. During the day the place had all the appearance of a fair;
European goods, jewellery, provisions, rum, &c., were on all sides
exposed for sale, and in the evening, dancing was carried on in the open
air until a very late hour.
The following day I returned with my friends to Jardim, the Visitador
going in another direction about two leagues distant. When about half way
across the Serra, we alighted at a spot where Mangába trees abound, in
order to collect some of the fruit, which is not considered good to eat
until after it has fallen to the ground; on this occasion Senhor Gouvea
let go his horse’s bridle, when the animal, finding itself at liberty,
set off at a round pace on the road towards Jardim. I therefore instantly
mounted with the intention of intercepting it, and in the act of turning
round, struck my head with considerable violence against the branch of a
large tree, which in an instant felled me to the ground. I could remember
nothing that subsequently occurred till we were within half a league of
Jardim, when I awoke as from a sound sleep, and found myself on horseback
proceeding along at a pretty quick rate behind my companions. I felt much
sickness, and a considerable pain in the lower part of my forehead, but
worse than all I found my memory almost gone, for after many attempts I
could not recollect in the smallest degree where I had been, or where I
was going. I recognised my companions perfectly, but could not remember
their names, and though often spoken to felt no inclination to answer. In
this state of darkness and confusion I rode on in silence, unconscious of
where I was going, and under the impression that I was just roused from
a long sleep. It was dusk when we reached the town, and though aware of
having been there before, I could not remember its name, nor did it occur
to me that it was then my place of residence. On parting with my friends
I should not have known where to go had not Pedro been waiting for me at
the end of the street, for all my recollection of places was completely
obliterated. Immediately on reaching home, feeling myself very unwell, I
lay down and soon fell fast asleep, and on awaking late on the following
morning, found myself still labouring under a severe headache; a confused
recollection of where I had been now came over me, but I could not yet
remember the name of the place, and had only a faint reminiscence of
having fallen from my horse. I learned, however, from Senhor Machado, who
called to enquire after me, that upon falling to the ground I remained
there some time in a state of insensibility, but that after a while I
arose, and without speaking to any one mounted my horse, riding behind
my companions all the way to the town, and answering nobody when spoken
to; many days elapsed before I felt myself perfectly recovered from this
accident.
Understanding that a very large deposit of fossil fishes existed at a
place called Mundo Novo, about three leagues to the west of Barra do
Jardim, I determined on making an excursion there prior to my departure.
To effect this object it was necessary to cross a branch of the Serra
de Araripe, at a point where as on the road to Maçapé, the ridge tends
north and south; it is here, however, only about two leagues and a half
broad. On my way I found two or three trees quite new to me, one being of
large size, the _Copaifera nitida_, Mart., then covered with a profusion
of small white flowers; its trunk yields an abundance of oil, which is
employed in the cure of ulcers, and for frictions in cases of rheumatism.
After crossing the Serra, I found the country still more dried up than
at Jardim, the sides of the mountain exhibiting only a few green trees;
along the foot of the Serra some fine large trees were seen, but as they
were then destitute of both leaves and flowers I could not ascertain
to what tribe they belonged; they are called Braúna by the natives,
and afford an excellent timber, which is both hard and durable, being
employed in the construction of sugar-mills, particularly for rollers. I
also now saw for the first time, the remarkable _Chorisia ventricosa_,
Nees et Mart., called Barriguda by the inhabitants, from the shape of
its stem, which swells in the middle to five times the diameter of its
upper and lower portions. About half a league to the N.W. from the foot
of the Serra, we reached the first habitation on the way, which belonged
to the person to whom I was recommended; he received me very kindly, and
invited me into the house, which was little better than a mere hut; upon
learning the object of my visit, he kindly offered to accompany me to
the spot. After partaking of breakfast we started, and in about half an
hour reached the place; as in all the instances I had before met with,
it occupied an isolated spot of considerable extent on the gentle slope
of a low ridge, which runs along the base of the Serra: here also, as
in other places, almost every stone contains the remains of a fish in a
more or less perfect condition; most of the smaller ones, that were only
four or five inches long, were perfectly entire, but the larger ones,
some of which measured fully six feet,[7] were always in fragments.
After three hours labour, I collected many tolerably perfect specimens,
but no species different from those already obtained in other places.
On returning with my companion to his house, an excellent dinner was
prepared, for which he refused any recompense. The kindness I received on
this occasion was indeed greater than could be expected from a person in
his poor circumstances; I was glad, however, to have an opportunity of
returning his civilities in town on New Year’s Day, and in presenting him
with several useful articles: assuredly I shall never forget the kindness
of Antonio Martins of Mundo Novo.
There are two small tribes of uncivilized Indians living within the
district of Barra do Jardim, but their numbers are fast diminishing: the
one consisting of eighty individuals called Huamaës, generally reside
seven leagues to the south west of that town: the other, called Xocos,
amounting to about seventy persons, have their usual place of abode
thirteen leagues to the southward. Though generally inoffensive in their
disposition, they had a short time previous to my visit been detected in
robbing cattle from the neighbouring farms; they have occasionally made
their appearance in the Villa, and are said to be dirty in their habits,
and that when in want of better food, they will devour the rattle-snake
and other serpents.
In various parts of Brazil, I met with many individuals belonging to that
remarkable sect called Sebastianistas; they take this appellation from
their belief in the return to earth of King Don Sebastian, who fell in
the celebrated battle of Alcazarquebir, while leading on his army against
the Moors. Those who profess this belief, are said to be more numerous in
Brazil than in Portugal: on his return, they say, that Brazil will enjoy
the most perfect state of happiness, and all that our own millenarians
anticipate will be fully realized.
During my stay in Pernambuco, there occurred in connexion with this
belief, one of the most extraordinary scenes of fanaticism which modern
times have given birth to, and were it not well authenticated, would be
almost incredible. Although much the subject of conversation in Brazil
at that time, I am not aware that any public account of it has reached
Europe. The following letter which is translated from the “Diario de
Pernambuco” of Monday the 16th of June, 1838, was officially addressed to
Senhor Francisco Rego Barros, then President of the Province:—
“Comarco de Flores, 25th May, 1838.
“Most Illustrious and most Excellent Sir,
“In this first letter that I have the honour to address to
your Excellency on the state of this Comarco, which is at
present tranquil, I have to lay before your Excellency the most
extraordinary, terrible, and cruel circumstance ever heard
of, and one which is almost past belief. It is now more than
two years since a man, called Joäo Antonio, an inhabitant of
Sitio de Pedra Bonita, a place about twenty leagues from this
town, surrounded by woods, and near which are two large rocks,
called together the people, and told them, that within those
rocks there was an enchanted kingdom which he was about to
disenchant, and that immediately afterwards King Don Sebastian
would make his appearance at the head of a great army, richly
adorned, and that all who followed him would be happy. He went
on beautifying this place till the month of November of last
year, when at the recommendation of the Missionary Francisco
José Correa de Albuquerque, he made a journey to the desert
(Sertäo) of Inhamon, whence he sent back one Joäo Pereira, a
man of the worst passions, who on his arrival at Pedra Bonita
proclaimed himself King, and began to instil superstitious
notions into the minds of the people, telling them that for
the restoration of the enchanted kingdom it would be necessary
to immolate a number of men, women, and children; that in a
few days they would all rise again, and remain immortal; that
riches would abound among all classes, and that all those who
were either black or of a dark colour, would become as white as
the moon herself. In this manner he brought over many of the
ignorant people to believe in his false assertions and evil
doctrine, so much so that some fathers delivered over their
children to the knife of the sanguinary tiger.
“On the fourth of the present month, he began his present
sacrifices, and, in the course of two or three days, not
less than forty-two human beings gave up their lives under
his hands, twenty-one being adults, and twenty-one children;
he also married every man to two or three women, with
superstitious rites in accordance with his otherwise immoral
conduct, this also being part of his idolatry; the result,
however, was lo him melancholy, for Pedro Antonio, brother
to Joäo Antonio, the promulgator of these ideas, becoming
impatient of this madness, or perhaps ambitious of becoming
King himself, determined on assassinating him, which he carried
into effect on Friday the seventeenth. It was on this day that
the inhabitants, flying from place to place, gave notice of
the proceedings to the Commandant Manoel Pereira da Silva, who
immediately collected a small force of twenty-six national
guards and countrymen, and setting out the following day, they
met near the place, Pedro Antonio crowned with a wreath of
flowering creepers, taken from his predecessor, and accompanied
by a group of men and women, who cried aloud—‘Come on, we
do not fear you, we shall be assisted by the troops of our
kingdom.’
“They then advanced upon them with the bludgeons and swords
they carried, killed five soldiers, and wounded five more;
but being briskly attacked, twenty-six men and three women
were instantly killed; and three men, nine women, and twelve
children were made prisoners. The remainder, many of whom were
wounded, fled to the woods. It was only on the evening of the
eighteenth, that I just had notice of these disturbances,
when I immediately got together forty men, and marched off at
the head of them, but on my arrival, I found every thing had
been quelled in the manner above related. The prisoners were
conducted by my troops to this town, and the twelve children
will be taken care off till the orders of your Excellency
arrive respecting them.
“God protect your Excellency.
“Francisco Barbosa Nogueira Paz.”
The district of Flores lies considerably to the south of the Villa do
Crato, near the Rio de San Francisco, and in the province of Pernambuco.
The occurrence was much spoken of during my stay in the neighbourhood of
Crato, and I have conversed with the relatives of some of those who fell
victims.
On the 31st of December, a very heavy thunder-storm occurred at Barra do
Jardim, followed by about two hour’s rain, the first that had fallen that
season, and the same again happened on the 2nd of January, indicating
that the period of the rains was on the point of setting in; I observed
that in the confidence of this, the inhabitants had commenced their
plantations of rice, and therefore lost no time in making my arrangements
for returning to Crato in order to prepare for my journey into Piauhy. My
departure from Jardim was fixed for the 3rd, for which purpose my horses
were brought the night before from the pasturage and tied securely to
some orange trees, with abundance of fresh grass, on which they could
feed till morning, but at daybreak two of the animals had disappeared; at
first, I was apprehensive they had been stolen, but I despatched Pedro
in search of them, and was glad to see him return, bringing the missing
horses which had escaped to their old pasturage. Without any further
delay I therefore started about noon, after taking leave of my friends,
and reached Crato the following day.
CHAPTER VII.
CRATO TO PIAUHY.
Preparations for the journey—Leaves Crato—Passes
Guaribas—Reaches Brejo grande—Discovers more fossil
fishes—Passes Olho d’Agoa do Inferno—Arrives at Poço
de Cavallo—Crauatá—Cachoeira—Marmeleira—Rosario—Os
defuntos—Lagoa—Varzea da Vaca—Angicas—Crosses the
boundary line of the province of Piauhy—Arrives at San
Gonsalvo—Campos—Lagoa Comprida—Difficulties of the Road—Reaches
Corumatá—Conabrava—Arrives at Boa Esperança, a large estate
owned by an excellent clergyman—Is now in the midst of the
great Cattle Districts—Nature of the Country described—Marked
into two Kinds, Mimoso and Agreste—Passes Santa Anna das
Mercês—San Antonio—Cachimbinho—Vegetation of the surrounding
Country—Reaches Retiro—Buquerão—Canavieira—Crosses the River
Canindé and arrives at Oeiras, the Capital of the Province of
Piauhy.
After my return to Crato, all my collections were despatched for the
coast by the 10th of January in order to be shipped for England, and I
prepared every thing in readiness for our journey, which I was assured
might now be undertaken with safety, as it had rained nearly every day
since the beginning of the month. I was, however, prevented from leaving
so soon as I had anticipated, owing to the necessity of dismissing my
servant Pedro. He had now been about a year in my service, and as he
was intelligent and useful, and we had travelled together more like
companions than master and man, and as he had moreover acted with great
kindness and attention to me during several slight illnesses, I always
treated him with much indulgence, and certainly would not have parted
with him, had he not returned that indulgence with ingratitude. For some
time before this, he had conducted himself as if he imagined I could not
do without him. It was on a Saturday that I intended to leave Crato, and
on the morning of that day, I sent him to purchase several articles for
our journey, but he did not return till two o’clock in the afternoon.
Being still desirous of starting, I told him to fetch the other men who
were to accompany us, and to bring the horses from the pasture; in reply,
he said that he would go for them, but that I might start with them
myself, as he did not intend to leave Crato till Monday; this being more
than I could reasonably bear, I instantly discharged him. Fortunately
at this very moment, I had a visit from a young Englishman, Mr. Edward
Walker, who had come up to Crato while I was at Barra do Jardim, to take
charge of a Rapadura Engenho in the absence of the owner, who, although
a man upwards of forty years of age, was about to proceed to the College
of Olinda, in order to study for the church. During two years before
this, Mr. Walker had been travelling over the interior of Ceará, and in
the north of Piauhy, selling European goods, but about two months before
he came to Crato, he had been robbed of all he possessed, and had no
other resource left than to accept of the situation he then held, so
that he might earn the means of enabling him to reach the coast. That
occupation not being to his taste, he at once offered to accompany me
as my assistant; I had therefore to purchase two additional horses for
him and his trunks, and as there was some difficulty in procuring such
as would answer our purpose, it was not until the fifteenth of the month
that we could leave Crato. The day previous to my departure was occupied
in taking leave of my good friend Capt. João Gonsalvez, his wife, and
daughter, and of my other friends.
It was four o’clock in the afternoon before we could start, and we passed
the night at an Engenho, called Guaribas, at the foot of the Serra de
Araripe, its distance being about a league and a half westward of Crato.
On the following morning we resumed our journey soon after daybreak, and
shortly afterwards ascended the Serra during a heavy shower of rain, over
a part considerably lower than that a few leagues to the eastward. The
breadth of the Serra here is about thirty miles, the first half was very
similar to other parts of it which I had previously visited, being quite
level and open, the vegetation consisting of rather large and thinly
scattered trees, and in many parts covered with an abundance of low
shrubs. The most common tree here was a fine species of _Vochysia_, which
I had only met with sparingly before, and which has a fine appearance,
from its dark green, shining leaves, and spikes of bright yellow flowers,
which terminate the branchlets. The more westerly portion is very thickly
wooded with small trees, large tracts of which are burned down every
year, to allow of a more abundant supply of herbage for the cattle and
horses which are sent here to pasture during the dry season. When about
half way across, we halted under a tree to breakfast, having brought a
large calabash full of water for the purpose of making tea, but we might
have saved this trouble as we found an abundant supply in the hollowed
stump of a tree; it was found to be of good quality notwithstanding
that one or two frogs were swimming about in it. The western descent is
very gradual, and ends in a long narrow ravine, which leads into Brejo
Grande, a large valley surrounded on all sides, except to the westward,
by branches of the Serra. Towards the western extremity of this valley,
we arrived at the house of Colonel Manoel do Barros de Cavalcante; I had
been requested by his son who lives in Crato, to visit him, as he had
been very ill for several days. He is the chief person in this district,
which is not very thickly populated, where he officiates as justice of
the peace (Juiz de Paz); on visiting him I soon found that he suffered
from a severe attack of acute rheumatism, for which I bled him freely,
and administered the usual remedies. In a marshy place near the head of
the valley of Brejo Grande, we passed a large group of beautiful palm,
which I had met with in only a few instances below Crato, but which I
afterwards saw in the greatest abundance in the swamps of Piauhy and
Goyaz; it is called Buriti by the inhabitants, and is the _Mauritia
vinifera_ of Martius. This palm is not only the most beautiful, but one
of the loftiest in the country; the leaves are fan-shaped, and form
a large round ball at the top of the stem, after the manner of the
Carnahuba. It produces a great number of nuts about the size of a small
egg, covered with rhomboidal scales arranged in a spiral manner; between
these scales and the albuminous substance of the nut, there exists an
oily pulp of a reddish colour, which the inhabitants of Crato boil with
sugar and make into a sweet-meat. In Piauhy they prepare from this pulp
an emulsion, which, when sweetened with sugar, forms a very palatable
beverage, but if much used, it is said to tinge the skin of a yellowish
colour. The juice of the stem also forms a very agreeable drink, but to
obtain it, the tree must be cut down, when several holes about six inches
square, three deep, and about six feet apart, are cut in the trunk with
a small axe, which in a short time become filled with a reddish coloured
liquid, having much the flavour of sweet wine. During my travels in
Piauhy, we used occasionally to cut down these palms in order to obtain
the juice.
During the night it rained very heavily, and in the morning it was still
so wet that we could not resume our journey; indeed, Colonel Barros
strongly recommended us to delay our departure till the following day,
as the river to the west of his plantation would be much swollen by the
rains; besides, the state of the road would not allow us to reach the
place where we proposed to remain for the night. In the afternoon I
visited another deposit of fossil fishes, about a mile distant from the
house, being conducted by one of the colonel’s sons, a very intelligent
youth, and found it to be exactly similar to the others already
described; the few specimens here obtained did not differ from those
found on the eastern side. During this walk I met with a large species of
_Jatropha_, which is frequent in the dry woods, and is known by the name
of Manacóba; it forms a small tree from ten to twenty feet in height,
and the roots, which are far more woody than those of the mandiocca, are
in times of scarcity converted into farinha. The valley of Brejo Grande
is chiefly planted with sugar cane, rice, and mandiocca, but only a very
small part is yet under cultivation.
The weather having continued fine, I took my leave on the following
morning of Colonel Barros, whom I found considerably better. After
expressing himself deeply obliged to me for the relief I had given him,
he wished to make me some compensation, but as I would not accept money,
he insisted on my taking about half a bushel of rice, and a number of
rapaduras, as an addition to our stock of provisions. About a league from
his house we passed through a small hamlet (povoacão) called Santa Anna,
consisting of about half a dozen houses and a small church. The road was
very good all the way, presenting, for the most part, a natural pavement
in the shape of a horizontal bed of limestone in thin layers. After
travelling about four leagues, we reached a place called Olho d’Agoa
do Inferno, situated on a slightly elevated part of a narrow valley,
and consisting of three or four houses. At this place we halted to take
breakfast under the shade of a huge Cassia tree, which was literally
covered with large panicles of golden blossoms. Like the first league of
this journey, the last was found to be very good, but the intermediate
distance passes through a flat country, where for nearly the whole way
the horses sank to their knees in water and mud. We crossed the river
mentioned by Colonel Barros several times, and it was manifest by marks
left by the water on the banks, that it had been greatly flooded the
day before; it was now not more than two feet deep. The lower portion
of the country through which we passed is well wooded, the large trees
consisting chiefly of _Mimosas_ and _Erythrina_ covered with numerous
brilliant scarlet flowers, and the thick-stemmed Barriguda; some of
the latter are of great size, the singularly swollen portion of their
stems measuring about twenty-four feet in circumference, while the
upper and lower parts were not more than eight. The additions made to
my herbarium this day were numerous; one of the most beautiful being a
shrubby species of _Allamanda_, about six feet high, bearing abundance of
large violet-coloured flowers, not unlike those of _Gloxinia speciosa_,
and which I have called _Allamanda violacea_, from the colour of its
flowers, those of all other species being yellow; an infusion of the root
of this shrub is a powerful purgative, and is chiefly used in malignant
fevers. About Olho d’Agoa do Inferno grows in great plenty a new species
of _Coutarea_, which bears large white flowers, and called by the
inhabitants Quina Quina branca, from its bark having been found to be an
excellent remedy in cases of intermittent fevers, which greatly prevail
in the marshy plains of the province of Piauhy. Almost every traveller
who goes into that province carries away a quantity of this bark, and I
remarked that nearly all the trees by the road-side had large portions of
their stems stripped in consequence.
We left Olho d’Agoa in the afternoon, and shortly afterwards entered
a country very similar to that between Icó and Crato, but as the rain
had been falling for nearly a month, everything was quite green. The
rapidity with which vegetation advances in these deserts, after the first
few showers, is quite astonishing; the annual grasses spring up through
the white sand, the trees burst into leaf and bloom, and the perennial
herbaceous plants, which during the drought were apparently destroyed,
throw up their flowering stems in an incredibly short period. In crossing
a small stream on this journey I observed the rock, forming its bed,
to consist of gneiss, cropping out towards the west; beyond this place
sandstone again made its appearance, but scattered over it are an immense
number of large angular blocks of gneiss. After travelling three leagues,
we reached a place called Poço do Cavallo, and put up for the night at
an unfinished house, which, though roofed over, was open at the sides.
Besides ourselves two other travelling parties had also taken up their
quarters here. In a marsh near us a whole legion of frogs were holding
their nightly concert, and so loud was their noise, that I found some
difficulty in going to sleep. Shortly before reaching this place, I
collected specimens of a fine large tree which I afterwards found to be
very common in the district; it belongs to the natural order _Meliaceæ_,
and is called by the Brazilians Cedro, from the wood resembling both in
colour and smell that of the true Cedar; the wood is very much used for
making doors, tables, and various articles of furniture. The leaves and
flowers possessed so strongly the odour of garlick, that the atmosphere
was rendered disagreeable to breathe. The pastures for our horses were
now excellent, the new grass being from four to six inches high, and very
abundant. To the botanist it was quite delightful to travel through
such a country, for nearly at every footstep something new and beautiful
was added to my collections; the only drawback was the difficulty of
preserving the specimens, owing to the great humidity of the atmosphere,
and the want of proper means of drying the paper, as the sun now seldom
shone out brightly.
The following morning set in with rain, but we resumed our journey
about seven o’clock, when it cleared up; we had not, however, gone far
when the rain began again to fall heavily, which, notwithstanding the
protection from my umbrella, soon drenched me to the skin; we were
obliged to travel two leagues before reaching any house, so thinly is
this country inhabited. The place we arrived at was called Crauatá,
consisting of only three very small houses, and as the rain continued
without intermission, we determined to stay, if possible, in one of them
during the remainder of the day; but we found only one room could be
spared, which was so very small, that it would not contain more than my
luggage, much less our party, which now consisted of four persons; our
only remedy, therefore, was to go on in the midst of the rain to a place
called Cachoeira, about a league distant. On our arrival here we found
it consisting of four houses, all, with the exception of one where we
obtained leave to put up, similar to those at Crauatá. This belonged to a
person who had resided four or five years in Philadelphia, about eighteen
years previously, and who still spoke a little English; on finding we
were Englishmen, he gave us a hearty welcome, and all the accommodation
his house afforded, doing all in his power to render us as comfortable as
possible; shortly after our arrival the rain fell in torrents, so much
so, that a small rivulet which we crossed immediately before reaching the
house, soon became impassable for horses, and had we been detained one
hour later, we should have been obliged to remain on the opposite side
without shelter. The rain ceased at four o’clock in the afternoon, but
the very loud thunder which accompanied it continued nearly the whole
day. The road from Poço do Cavallo to Cachoeira passes through an almost
level country; many parts of which are well wooded with large trees,
the most common being a species of _Cæsalpinia_, some large _Mimosas_,
the Cedro, the Barriguda, and another kind which is very common, though
not so large, called by the inhabitants Imbúzeiro; it is the _Spondius
tuberosa_, Arrud., producing abundantly a fruit about twice the size of
a large gooseberry, of an oblong shape, and of a yellowish colour when
ripe; beneath its coriaceous skin there is a juicy pulp, of a pleasant
sweetish acid taste. Like the Mangába this fruit is only fit to eat when
it is so ripe as to fall to the ground, when a large quantity may be
eaten without inconvenience; during our journey to the Campo country of
Piauhy, where it ceases to grow, we were seldom without a daily supply of
it; a dish much esteemed in the Sertão, called Imbuzada, is prepared with
milk, curds, sugar, and the pulpy part of this fruit. The tree throws
out long horizontal roots, which do not penetrate very deeply into the
earth, and upon these are found, at short distances, round black-coloured
tubers about eight inches in diameter, consisting entirely of a white
cellular substance which is full of water; these, which are evidently
intended by nature to supply the vegetation of the tree during the dry
season, are often dug out by travellers for the sake of the water they
contain, each tuber yielding about a pint of excellent quality. Another
wild fruit common here, as it is also about Crato and Pernambuco, is
produced by a tree growing to the height of from thirty to forty feet,
called Pitombeira; it is the _Sapindus esculentus_, St. Hil.; the fruit
is produced in large bunches, resembling in size the common grape; the
outer covering is hard, but the embryo, or kernel, is covered with a
thin transparent, sweetish, acid pulp, which alone is eaten; the kernels
are said to poison turkeys if eaten by them. Next day, the twentieth of
January, we left Cachoeira, early in the morning, and after travelling
about five leagues we arrived at a Fazenda, called Marmeleira, where we
rested during the middle of the day. Shortly after leaving Cachoeira we
began to ascend a small Serra, by a very gradual inclination, but owing
to its rocky nature the road was very bad in many places. This range
consists of gneiss, the stratification of which is nearly vertical; large
blocks of the same kind of rock were very commonly seen along the road,
but on the ascent of a small hill I observed many round blocks of a
coarse whitish-sandstone. On the journey we crossed several rivers, which
although very small, or wholly dried up in the arid season, were now so
much swollen by the recent rains, that we could with difficulty pass some
of them. After crossing the Serra we entered a fine valley about a league
in length, well wooded with large trees, and having a small river running
through the centre of it; the end to the westward was pretty well cleared
of trees, and there is a little hamlet called Rosario, beyond which we
had nearly half a league to travel before reaching our resting-place.
On this journey were found several new species of the beautiful genus
_Angelonia_, one of the most remarkable being a fine climbing shrubby
species (_A. bracteata_, Benth.); on dry rocky places I observed several
kinds of _Cactus_, which are not so common on the western side as they
are on the east of the Serra de Ibiapaba. The genus _Loasa_, so very
common in Chili and Peru, has only few representatives in Brazil; one
which I have called _Loasa rupestris_, was found here in rocky places by
the side of a stream just before we reached our resting-place; like other
species of this genus, the whole plant stings very powerfully, and hence,
in common with other stinging plants, it is called by the inhabitants
Cançançao. As the sun shone out brightly during our stay at Marmeleira,
we were enabled to dry all our clothes and other things that had been
soaked by the rains. Here I prescribed for the mistress of the house,
who was in a very delicate state of health; in return for this we were
abundantly supplied with milk, which at this season is plentiful. In the
afternoon we travelled three leagues further, and towards dusk arrived at
a place consisting of a few small houses called Os Defuntos, near which
is a marsh abounding with frogs; the loud and disagreeable sounds they
produced could only be compared to the half-howling, half-barking noise
of a large kennel of hungry dogs. On some trees near the marsh several
large owls were seen, attracted no doubt by the frogs, which they are
said to destroy in great numbers for food.
On the following morning after travelling about five leagues through
a level and rather open country, we arrived at a place called Varzea
da vaca; when about a league beyond Os Defuntos, we passed a fazenda
called Lagoa, belonging to Senhor José Pereira de Hollanda, the person
who without leave took the loan of my horse during my stay in Crato. His
place derives its name from a lake in the vicinity of the house, which
is much frequented by wild duck and other water-fowl. Before reaching
Varzea da vaca, we passed several other fazendas, where large herds of
cattle were seen grazing in the open Campos. Varzea da vaca is a hamlet
consisting of about eight houses, but within the district that bears
that name, they reckon about sixty; the residents are almost all cattle
farmers, some of the poorer families only possessing half a dozen head,
whilst others own upwards of a hundred; they also have small plantations
of Indian corn, rice, mandiocca, and french beans. The inhabitants of the
house in which I was to put up, appeared to be very poor; the building
was small and very ill-constructed, having only a large opening in one
side, that served for entrance, without any door to keep out either
wind or rain; it consisted of only two apartments, the inner one being
occupied by the family, the other one by my party and that of another
traveller who also remained here for the night, which proved to be
stormy; in order to shelter ourselves from the wind which blew in at the
door, I was obliged to hang before it one of the large skins used to
cover the loads on the horses. In the afternoon I shot several birds, and
also met with some curious annual plants which had sprung up in the sandy
Campos.
Leaving Varzea de vaca about seven o’clock on the following morning, and
travelling about two leagues, we halted at a fazenda called Angicas;
I intended to proceed further without stopping, but as it was raining
very heavily I remained here till the afternoon, when the weather having
cleared up, we went on two leagues further to San Gonsalvo, which we
reached about sunset. The country between Varzea da vaca and Angicas is
flat and sandy, being one of those tracts called Taboleiras; in some
places it is covered with a low shrubby vegetation, while in others are
seen numerous large kinds of _Cactus_. Among the many beautiful plants
met with on this journey, was one particularly worthy of notice: it is a
species of _Echites_,[8] growing abundantly on the open sandy places; it
is not more than six inches high, with subulate leaves and pink-coloured
blossoms not unlike those of _Phlox subulata_; it is called by the
inhabitants of the Sertão, Cauhy, and the tuberous root, which is the
size and colour of a large black turnip-radish, is eaten by them when
cooked, and is said to be very palatable; in the raw state it tastes
not unlike a turnip. This root is also a favourite food of the peccary
(_Dycoteles torquatus_, Cuv.), which is very expert at digging them up
with its snout, the sand being in many places full of the holes they had
made for that purpose. About half a league beyond Angicas, a small lake
is seen, which forms the boundary between the provinces of Ceará and
Piauhy. There are two houses at San Gonsalvo both belonging to cattle
farmers, father and son; at the end of the last rains they possessed
conjointly about three hundred head of cattle, but the severe drought
that occurred previous to the setting in of the present rainy season, had
left them only about forty, all the remainder having perished from the
want of water and grass.
Next morning after travelling three leagues and a half through a rather
level and tolerably well-wooded country, we arrived towards mid-day at a
place consisting of three houses called Campos; the tree most abundant on
the road was the Imbuzeira, the fruit of which, called Imbú, was observed
in such great plenty that the ground beneath them was completely yellow;
we ate abundantly of it, and found it very grateful. About a league from
Campos the country abounds with an arboreous species of _Jatropha_, with
small white flowers, and sinuate leaves not unlike those of the holly,
only larger; the footstalks of the leaves are furnished with a few long
pointed prickles, and without being aware of their nature, I laid hold
of a branch to collect a few specimens, but had no sooner done so than
my whole hand felt as if it had been dipped into boiling oil, caused by
the venom of the prickles which in many places had punctured the skin,
and it was intolerably painful for several hours; on my next attempt I
was more cautious, and succeeded in obtaining a few specimens. This plant
is called by the inhabitants Favella, and in the dry season they scrape
down the bark and the wood, which they put into the pools where the large
pigeons and other birds resort; after having drunk of this poisoned
water they either die or become very much stupified, and in this state
are taken and eaten by the people. On this journey we saw a great many
Maccaws (_Araras_) but they would not allow me to come within shot of
them.
In the afternoon we made another journey of about a league and a half,
through a flat sandy country, which yielded me several novelties, and
remained for the night at a large cattle fazenda, called Lagoa Comprida.
This house was one of the largest we had seen since leaving Brejo Grande;
it is situated on the margin of a lake about four hundred yards long,
from which it takes its name; no rivulet empties itself into the lake,
which becomes filled during the rainy season, and if the rains have been
heavy, it does not dry up before the next wet season. By the proprietor I
was informed, that on the previous year very little rain fell, and that
in consequence of this, and of the very great drought afterwards, the
lake dried up before the setting in of the present rains, the result of
which was the death of nearly all the cattle belonging to the fazenda.
The people were still in an almost starving state, and although both
at Campos and here I endeavoured to purchase some provisions for our
own use, nothing was to be had, neither fowls, sheep, goats, pigs, nor
beef; money I found to be of no use. Our next stage was one of three
leagues, and brought us to another fazenda, called Corumatá. The country
was undulating but not hilly, and in many places it was covered with
immense blocks of granite; so large and square are some of these blocks,
that at a distance we mistook a cluster of them for a large village.
Two circumstances occurred to detain us a long time on the road. Having
dismounted to collect some specimens, my horse ran off into the woods,
and it was nearly an hour before he could be taken; and a little further
on, in passing over a sandy piece of ground abounding in ant-hills, the
road gave way while a loaded horse was passing over one of their large
excavations, and as he was more than half-buried in the sand, it was a
long time before we could extricate him. Shortly afterwards, we descended
by an exceedingly bad road, consisting of large blocks of granite, into
a valley through which a small river runs, immediately after crossing
which we arrived at Corumatá. The owner of this farm does not reside on
it, the charge of it being given to a cowherd (vaqueiro). Here again we
could obtain nothing to purchase, but the vaqueiro presented me with a
small piece of dried beef, and abundance of excellent milk; the fazenda,
he told me, produces yearly about two hundred calves; the cattle go at
large in the woods and fields, but at this season, which is the one in
which the calves are produced, the vaqueiro and his assistants, who
are generally slaves, are constantly on the look out for such as may
have calved. The calves are then brought to the house, and put into a
large enclosure called a curral, and as a matter of course the mother
follows. In this enclosure the cows and the calves are shut up together
at night, but during the day, the cows are turned out to feed; this
is a very necessary precaution in such a wild country, to prevent the
mothers straying into the woods; a little milk is taken from each cow
in the morning before being turned out, at night they are not milked at
all; of part of the milk they make a soft kind of cheese, which is much
relished by all classes of society. They had not commenced making it here
generally, but in the evening, one of the herds came to offer a large one
for sale, which I was glad to purchase for the sake of my men. Shortly
after we arrived at this place, a tremendous thunder-storm passed over
us from the westward, followed by torrents of rain, and in a short time
the small river became so much swollen as to be impassable; as the road
to Canabrava, our next stage, passed over this stream, we were obliged to
remain here till the following afternoon, when, on attempting to cross
it, we found it still so deep, that all the loads had to be taken off
the horses, and carried over on the heads of the men. Here a curious
natural object presents itself: on a bare conical-shaped hill about 800
feet high, being the termination of a ridge, called Serra Grande, there
is a stone of immense size placed on the top of another much smaller,
and the point on which it rests appears to be so small, that one is led
to think that a very slight breeze would upset it. Keeping along the
margin of the river, we arrived towards sunset at a place where the road
crosses it twice, occasioned by a sudden bend, but we were informed at
Corumatá, that there was a bye-path in the woods, which would render this
unnecessary. It was now night, and although the moon shone very brightly,
we had some difficulty in finding this path; when we did, it was so much
overgrown with bushes, from being little frequented, that we had much
labour in driving the horses along it with the loads. After toiling about
an hour in this labyrinth, much to our joy we reached the road leading
from the river to the fazenda of Canabrava, where we arrived in about a
quarter of an hour. This is a very large fazenda, and when we asked for
accommodation to pass the night, we were shown to an old shed, the roof
of which, in many places, was much decayed; as soon, however, as the
proprietor learned from my men who I was, he invited me into the house,
and prepared an excellent supper, of which we partook with much relish.
As we left Canabrava early next morning, we expected to reach our next
stage, Boa Esperança, about eleven o’clock in the forenoon, but in this
anticipation we were sadly disappointed. The river runs in a zigzag
direction along a valley which stretches between these two places, and
as the road passes through the centre, we had to cross the stream no
less than eight times in this short distance, although a road might
be made with very little labour, to avoid the river altogether. It is
seldom, however, that travellers are annoyed so much as we were, for
during the arid season the bed of the river is altogether dry. In four
of the passages it was necessary to take all the loads off the horses,
and carry them across on the heads of the men, but in the others, we
managed to avoid this trouble, with the exception of the bundles of
paper containing specimens, which I always caused to be carried over by
one of the men. As we were all obliged to assist in this work, we were
exposed during the greater part of the day to the burning rays of the
sun, nearly in a state of nudity. My legs were very much burned, as were
those of Mr. Walker, so much so, that on the following day they were
completely blistered, and so greatly swollen that I was laid up for
nearly two days. This taught me a lesson to be more cautious in future;
but on this occasion, I thought that as the blacks did not hesitate to
expose themselves to the sun, I might do so also; their skin, however,
I found to my cost, was made of tougher material than mine. By the time
we had crossed the river, for the eighth and last time, it was about
five o’clock in the afternoon, and in ten minutes after, we arrived at
the fazenda of Boa Esperança, in an almost exhausted state, from the
excessive fatigues of the day. We were cheered, however, by the kind
reception we received from its excellent and learned proprietor, the
Reverend Padre Marcos de Araujo Costa, and his adopted son Dr. Marcos de
Macedo, who had only a short time before returned from a visit to France
and England, whither he had been sent at the expense of the Government
to study the manufacture of porcelain, and whose acquaintance I had made
a few weeks before at Crato, his native place. On this journey I added
but little to my botanical collections, but in a moist meadow by the side
of the river, I killed a beautiful boa constrictor, about seven feet
long. Although these reptiles are frequently met with in the dry country,
called the Sertão, they are neither so numerous nor so large as those
found in the swampy plains of Piauhy and Goyaz.
The fazenda of Boa Esperança is one of the largest I had yet visited in
Brazil, giving pasture to upwards of 5,000 head of cattle, and several
hundred sheep. Although like all others in the Sertão, it is occasionally
exposed to long droughts, yet there is an abundant supply of water all
the year round, even should no rain fall for more than twelve months.
The river passes at a little distance from the house, and although it
only contains water in the wet season, an abundant supply is obtained at
all times, by means of a high and very strong dam thrown across it at a
place where its banks are somewhat high, and rocky on each side. This
dam, notwithstanding that it has been built more than fifty years, is
still as effective as when first constructed, a circumstance not a little
astonishing in a country like Brazil, where works of this nature are
in general so badly executed. The house is built on a slight eminence,
and as there are about thirty smaller houses behind it belonging to the
slaves, the place has all the appearance of a small village; near the
house the Padre has erected a neat chapel, in which he says mass every
morning to his people.
The country in which this fazenda is situated, (as indeed, the whole
of the eastern portion of Piauhy, and nearly the whole of the province
of Ceará) is called by the inhabitants of the Sertão, Mimoso, in
contradistinction to the central and western portions of Piauhy, to which
the term Agreste is applied. The vegetation of the Campos Mimosos is
characterized in the first place, by the forests being of that nature
called Catinga; these are the forests which I have already spoken of as
losing their leaves in the dry season; it is remarkable that they form
buds like other deciduous trees, but should no rain fall they can remain
for several years without producing foliage. In the second place, as has
been very correctly remarked by Von Martius, the general vegetation of
the Campos Mimosos is distinguished by the tenderness of fibre, rigidity
of leaves, the presence of hairs, stings, or prickles, small flowers,
and thick and frequent milky juice. The grasses of the pastures are for
the most part annual, and generally of a brighter green colour, and have
more tender and pliant leaves than those of the Campos Agrestes, of which
I shall hereafter speak. The cattle reared in the Mimoso country very
soon get fat after the rains have set in, and their flesh is much more
esteemed than that of those which have been fed on the coarse pastures of
the Agreste districts.
Padre Marcos de Araujo Costa is well known throughout the north of
Brazil, not only for his intelligence and learning, but for his excellent
moral character and benevolent disposition; and during the eight days
that I lived in his house I had ample opportunities of verifying the
truth of these accounts. If all the priests in the country were only
half as active, well-informed, and as anxious for the diffusion of
education as he is, the condition of Brazil would soon become very
different from what it now is, and what I fear it will long continue to
be, in the present state of things: the activity of this old man, for he
was then upwards of sixty years of age, was quite surprising, and his
philanthropy was not less so. As the means of education in this large and
thinly-populated country come only within the reach of a very few, he has
regularly for many years past been in the habit of boarding and educating
in his house, free of expense, twenty boys, till they have acquired a
tolerable knowledge of the Latin language, and the elements of philosophy
and mathematics; he is himself an excellent scholar, and possesses a
pretty extensive library of classical and philosophical books; of botany
and natural history he knew enough to render these subjects an amusement
to him; in his library I found nearly all the works of Linnæus, those
of Brotero, and the rare one of Vandelli on the plants of Portugal and
Brazil, which latter he kindly presented to me. He holds no living in the
church, contenting himself with the quiet and retired life of a cattle
farmer, and devoting his leisure hours to the education of his pupils.
During my stay at Boa Esperança I made several short excursions in the
neighbourhood, accompanied by the old Padre and Dr. Marcos de Macedo, and
added many novelties to my collections.
Two days before we left, Senhor Francisco de Souza Martins, one of the
deputies from the province of Piauhy, and nephew to the President of
the province, arrived on his way to Rio de Janeiro, accompanied by his
brother Major Clementino Martins. They came by way of San Bento, which is
the first stage from this place on the road to Oeiras, the capital of the
province. This was our proposed route, but they gave us so bad an account
of the roads, in consequence of the swelling of the rivulets, that I
determined by their advice, to take a different road, which though more
circuitous was said to be much better. The Major and one of the blacks
who accompanied him, were laid up with the ague from continued exposure
to the rains.
On the third of March we made preparations for leaving the residence
of the good old Padre. During our stay we fared most sumptuously, as
every day in the year a fat ox is killed for his use and that of his
establishment; a day or two before our departure one was killed, and
the flesh dried for our use on the journey, so that with other presents
I received from him, our provision boxes were so well filled that we
required little in addition till we reached the city of Oeiras.
After an early breakfast I parted with my kind host, who on account of
his other visitors did not accompany me far, but Dr. Marcos rode with me
for upwards of a league and a half, when we parted with mutual regret,
it being so seldom that one who has a taste for the study of nature,
meets with a kindred spirit in those distant regions; since my return to
England we have kept up a correspondence, and he has sent me specimens of
objects in natural history, many of which are different from those which
my limited stay enabled me to obtain. At the very outset of our journey,
we met with an accident that did not give us a very favourable idea of
the state of the road. At about two leagues from Boa Esperança, three of
the cargo horses plunged up to the middle in a swamp; the surface was
covered with grass, and appeared perfectly solid, but the soil beneath
had become so saturated with water, that it was quite a mass of tenacious
mud. It was with no small difficulty that the animals were extricated;
in leading them across they often sank again; all the loads had to be
carried over, and as we had to lend a hand at this work, we shared the
same fate as the horses, being frequently up to the middle in the mud.
These spots are called Atoleiras by the Brazilians, and are very much
dreaded, as horses are occasionally lost in them; during the day we had
to pass three more quagmires, but none so bad as the first.
Our first stage from Boa Esperança was the Villa de Santa Anna das
Mercês, and when about two leagues from it, we halted under the shade of
an Imbuzeira to dine and to give the horses a rest. The dry rocky places
in this neighbourhood were covered with a little gregarious _Melocactus_,
bearing very long recurved spines, and in a moist sandy place I found
many pretty annual plants. About sunset we came in sight of the Villa,
which is situated on a slight eminence; on entering it, we put up for
the night in a large unfinished house belonging to the Padre Marcos
of Boa Esperança, but we were glad to retreat from it as quickly as
possible, for it was so full of fleas that we were completely covered
with them, nor was it till a large fire had been kindled in the middle
of the floor, that the place became at all bearable. As both Mr. Walker
and I had on very long boots, we suffered much less than the blacks whose
legs, from the knees downwards, were bare: I observed that when they were
kindling the fire they would hold first one leg and then the other over
the flame, and with their two hands stroke them downwards to get rid of
these annoying creatures. In other places in Brazil I have met with these
insects in abundance in houses which have been shut up for some time,
but never did I see them so numerous as they were here; to escape their
attacks during the night, we were obliged to sling our hammocks very
high, and to undress on the top of a table.
The Villa de Santa Anna das Mercês, or as it is more commonly called
Jaicóz, is situated about five leagues to the west of Boa Esperança, and
contains about seventy or eighty houses built in the form of a large
square, but only three sides of it were then completed; in the centre
of this square there is a very handsome small church. The outskirts of
the town contain many huts belonging to the poorer classes, chiefly
constructed of the stems and leaves of the Carnahuba palm, which grows
abundantly in the neighbourhood; a few shopkeepers and tradesmen, such
as tailors, shoe-makers, &c., reside constantly in the town, but the
greater number of the houses belong to the neighbouring fazendeiros,
who only occupy them during the Christmas and other festivals. Shortly
after leaving the Villa, on the following morning, we ascended a low
Serra which runs past the northern end of it; like almost all the other
Serras which exist in the north of Brazil it is quite level on the top;
it consists entirely of a coarse white sandstone very full of rounded
quartz pebbles; the latter are also very abundant to a great distance
round the Villa, and in many places the roads have the appearance of
having been gravelled with them. The breadth of this Serra at the place
where we crossed it, is about a league and a half; and it is principally
covered with low _Mimosas_ and _Croton_, which in many places grow so
thickly together as to be almost impenetrable. The few open tracts which
exist on it afford good pasture during the rains. After descending from
this Taboleira, we entered a flat well-wooded country, and having twice
crossed a small river which was considerably swollen, we arrived at the
fazenda of St. Antonio early in the afternoon; the distance we travelled
was only three leagues, but as the next stage was said to be long, and as
the accounts we received of the state of the roads were bad, we remained
at this place till the following morning. The fazenda of St. Antonio is
small, its stock of cattle yielding only about one hundred and fifty
calves per annum; many of them, as well as of the full grown cattle, the
owner informed me, fell victims to the Ounces which are not uncommon in
the neighbourhood. About three months previously he killed a large black
one, and the skin and head which he had preserved, showed it to have been
an animal of great size and power. This head, as well as those of several
others, which from time he had destroyed, were stuck up on the tops of
tall posts near the entrance to his curral.
At daybreak on the following morning we left St. Antonio, and after a
journey of six long leagues reached a little hamlet called Cachimbinho;
the country between the two places is nearly level, and the road one
of the worst on which we had yet travelled. The river we forded on the
previous day runs to the westward in a zigzag direction, and the road
crosses it no less than twenty-seven times, on which occasions, owing to
the depth of the water, the loads had to be taken off the horses, and
carried over on the heads of the men; we had also to cross several small
lakes through which the road passes, and having the mortification to lose
our way, it cost us much additional trouble to regain the right track.
Shortly after leaving San Antonio we passed through a forest of Carnahuba
palms, in which were several large lakes, which contain water only in the
dry season. On the margin of one of these we saw a number of water-fowl,
called by the inhabitants Jabirú (_Mycteria Americana_, Linn.); these
birds, which are nearly related to the adjutants of India, are of
immense size; they are of a white colour, with the exception of the head,
neck, beak, and feet, which are black; the black skin investing the head
and neck is destitute of feathers. We afterwards met with them in much
greater abundance by the margins of streams and lakes, where they feed
upon small reptiles, fishes, &c. The vegetation of the other parts of
the country through which we passed was principally virgin forest, with
an underwood of _Croton Bauhinia_ and trailing _Mimosa_. Near a fazenda
called Ambrosia, the road led under some large trees, on one of which
I observed some hundreds of Marmoset monkeys. One of these I shot for
a specimen; it fell before it was quite dead, and its pitiable screams
brought back all its companions to the tree from which they had fled
when I fired; here they remained for about ten minutes, when the cries
of the wounded one having ceased, they left, and soon disappeared among
the branches of the other trees of the forest; it was impossible not to
admire the graceful activity they displayed in passing from tree to tree,
and from bough to bough.
On the following day we travelled about five leagues, and shortly after
mid-day arrived at a fazenda called Retiro. The two first leagues led
through a virgin forest, consisting almost entirely of a kind of _Mimosa_
called Angica, (the bark of which is used all over the Sertão for tanning
leather, and a gum which it exudes is said to form the principal food of
the Marmoset monkey,) a _Zizyphus_ (Joazeira), and a few large species
of _Bignonia_, with an underwood of _Croton_, _Bauhinia_, _Lautana_,
_Myrtles_, &c. The road continued quite level, and we frequently passed
the same stream we crossed the day before, without the necessity of
removing the loads. Leaving this forest tract we entered one more open,
and abounding in Carnahubas; in many places the soil was very sandy, and
scant of herbaceous vegetation. At about three leagues from Cachimbinho
we passed through a small hamlet called Samambaia, consisting of about
twenty scattered houses. The principal occupation of the inhabitants is
the manufacture of hammocks, which are sold chiefly to travellers who
pass this way. They are made of cotton, which grows very well in the
neighbourhood. From Samambaia the country still continues very flat
till within a short distance of Retiro, when it becomes more undulating,
exhibiting several ridges of limestone, nearly bare of vegetation, or of
a fine red sandstone, which lies beneath the limestone, full of nodules
of iron-stone, which from the wearing away of the rock are thickly strewn
over the surface; they are of all sizes, from very minute particles to
rounded blocks as large as two fists; they are of a black, or very dark
brown colour, assume a variety of shapes, and, judging from their weight,
are rich in iron.
The fazenda of Retiro stands on a rising ground on the banks of the Rio
das Guaribas, which was one of the largest we had yet encountered, but
from the recent dry weather, the water was so low, that on the following
morning we crossed it without difficulty; its banks exhibited signs of
having but a short time before been very much flooded. A journey of two
leagues brought us to a fazenda called Buquerão, where in consequence of
rain we remained till the following morning, when continuing our route
through a generally flat country, but full of isolated rocky hills,
containing few trees, and a very scanty herbaceous vegetation, we arrived
at the fazenda of Canabrava, after travelling about four leagues. This
estate belongs to Colonel Martins, the father of the two gentlemen whom
we met at Boa Esperança, and brother to the Barão de Parnahiba, the
President of the Province of Piauhy. As I carried letters of introduction
to him from Padre Marcos, I was received with the greatest politeness and
hospitality; here we remained for the night, and the following morning
were not allowed to leave till we had partaken of a breakfast of coffee,
which the Colonel told us was an excellent preventive for ague, which is
very common at this season, in the country we were now about to enter.
The old man was in deep grief at the loss of one of his sons, who but a
short time before had died suddenly at his fazenda, about twenty-four
leagues distant. As several roads led off in various directions a little
beyond the house, he kindly sent a black boy to put us in the right path.
A journey of about five leagues and a half, through a beautiful grassy
country abounding in herds of fine cattle, brought us to a plantation
called Canavieira, belonging to a Major Clementino Martins, whom we met
at Boa Esperança; we saw here a large field of sugar-cane, being the
first we had met with since we left Brejo Grande. As the Major never
resides at this place, the house is a very poor one, and in a very ruined
condition; we were obliged to take up our quarters in a sort of shed,
which formed a great contrast to the comfortable lodgings we had enjoyed
the night before. A day or two afterwards, we found in consequence of
sleeping in this hut, that a number of those little insects called
chigoes (_Pulex penetrans_, Linn.) had got into our feet: they are only
found near dwellings, and are met with in all parts of the country
I visited, from the sea-coast to the high mountains in the Diamond
district. They burrow under the skin to produce their young, the insect
itself dying; they are at first easily detected, by the not unpleasant
tickling sensation they produce in entering the skin, and of course are
easily removed by a pin or the point of a pen-knife. When they have
reached maturity, the abdomen becomes a bag about the size of a small
pea, full of eggs, of a yellow colour, and the spot looks like a fester.
Unless this bag and its contents are carefully removed, a bad sore may be
produced; the feet of careless blacks not unfrequently get into so bad
a state from neglecting to remove these insects, that amputation of the
part becomes necessary.
On this journey I made numerous new and beautiful additions to my
botanical collections; when passing over a low flat hill, the top of
which was rather rocky and bare, I found large patches covered with a
dwarf fruticose _Cuphea_ with small leaves, bearing numerous purple
flowers, and so much did this plant at first sight resemble the heather
of my native hills, that I imagined I had found a species of that genus;
although disappointed, this little incident recalled many pleasant
recollections of home. It is a remarkable fact in the geographical
distribution of plants, and not generally known to those who have not
made that subject their study, that though heaths are very common in
Europe and Africa, not a single species has hitherto been detected on the
American continent, either South or North. This is the more remarkable,
as the great mass of vegetation at the Cape of Good Hope is made up of
these plants, nearly four hundred different kinds having already been
found there. From Canavieira, a journey of six leagues brought us to the
banks of the Rio Canindé, at a place called Passagem de Dona Antonia, and
distant only a league and a half from the city of Oeiras. Our route was
through an almost continued forest of Carnahuba palms, and as the Rio
das Guaribas ran nearly parallel with it, and had recently overflowed
the flat country on each side to a great distance, we found the roads
very bad from the great deposit of mud, which had been left often more
than a foot deep. In many places the palm stems shewed by their muddy
appearance, that the water had covered them to the depth of upwards of
twelve feet. At this season, intermittent and malignant fevers are very
prevalent, from the malaria arising from the vast tracts of country left
dry by the fall of the rivers. It being too late when we arrived to cross
the river and reach the city before dark, we remained with some other
travellers at the ferry-house for the night.
Next morning, the 12th of March, all our luggage was taken over to the
opposite side of the river, in a small canoe, which had to return several
times, and afterwards the horses were swum over one by one. Passing
through the flat sandy country covered with small trees and beautiful
flowering shrubs, we reached the city of Oeiras about eleven o’clock in
the forenoon.
CHAPTER VIII.
OEIRAS TO PARNAGUÁ.
The Author’s reception by the President of Piauhy—City
of Oeiras described—Its Population—Its Trade with the
Coast—Great want of River Navigation—Its chief exports
are hides and cattle—Its Climate—Diseases—Character
of the Barão de Parnahiba—His great power in the
Province—History of this Remarkable Man—And of the Civil War
on declaration of the Independence of Brazil—Resources of
the Province—National Cattle Farms—Course of the Author’s
Journey quite changed by an alarming Revolt—This Insurrection
described—He determines on travelling southwards through
Goyaz and Minas Geräes—Leaves Oeiras—Description of the
Country—Chapadas—Passes through many Cattle Farms—Curious
mode of catching Cattle—Passes Pombas—Algodoes—Golfes—Retiro
Alegre—Genipapo—Canavieira—Urusuhy—Prazeres—Description
of a Piauhy Family—Reaches Flores—Rapoza—Arrives at
Parnaguá—Universal Hospitality of the Natives—Salt found in the
Neighbourhood.
As I brought several letters of recommendation with me to the Barão de
Parnahiba, the President of the Province, I made enquiries for his house
on entering the city, and was directed to it by a soldier. The Palacio,
as it is called, is situated on the most elevated part of the town, is of
one story, and has a very ordinary appearance. On arriving at the door
I found it guarded by a sentinel, one of the most abject-looking beings
that can be imagined. He was a young mulatto, dressed in the uniform of
the troops of the line, which seemed as if it had not been off his back
for the last six years; his cloth cap was old and greasy, his blue jacket
one half patches and the other half holes, was open in front, displaying
his naked breast, for he could not boast the possession of a shirt; his
trowsers were little better than his jacket, and his bare feet were
thrust into a pair of old shoes, down at the heels, and open at the
toes. Had it not been for his musket, and his upright position, I should
certainly have taken him for a beggar. There was a pavement a few feet
in breadth in front of the house, upon which, when I stopped, my horse’s
fore-feet rested, and, before I had time to speak, the sentinel started
forward, seized the bridle, and turned him off into the street. I then
dismounted and was about to proceed to the door, but no sooner had I put
foot upon the pavement, than I was served in the same way as my horse had
been, and told that no one was allowed to enter the palace with spurs
on. These I instantly took off, and having asked if anything else was
necessary to be done, I was at last allowed to enter.
On reaching the lobby I was met by a sergeant, who asked me if I wished
to speak with his Excellency, and who, on being told that I had letters
for him, said that it was his duty to deliver them. After waiting about a
quarter of an hour in the lobby, I was shewn into a large room containing
two small tables, a sofa, and a few chairs. Here I had not been more than
five minutes, when his Excellency made his appearance with my letters in
his hand. He told me to excuse him while he read them, as also to pardon
his undress, which he wore, he said, on account of the great heat of the
day. The dress he had on was certainly one of a very light nature, but
was that generally worn in the house by the inhabitants of this province;
it consisted of a thin white cotton shirt hanging loose over a pair of
drawers of the same material, which reached but a short way below his
knees; his legs and feet were bare, the latter being thrust into a pair
of old slippers; around his neck were several rosaries, with crucifixes
and other appendages of gold attached to them.
While he was looking over my letters I could not help scrutinizing the
appearance of an individual whose name is more celebrated than that of
any other in the north of Brazil, and whose despotic government of the
province of which he is President, has gained for him the appellation
of ‘The Francia of Piauhy.’ He was low in stature and strongly built,
though not corpulent, and his looks bespoke considerably more activity,
both of body and mind, than is generally met with in persons of his
age in Brazil, for he was then about seventy years old; his head was
remarkably large, and, according to the principles of phrenology was
pretty well balanced before and behind, but deficient in the region of
the moral sentiments, and was of considerable breadth between the ears.
In conversation his countenance had a sinister unpleasant expression,
notwithstanding that it was generally covered with a half-formed smile.
After finishing the letters, all of which he read over very carefully,
we entered into a conversation respecting my visit to the province, but
I could not make him understand that my collections were for any other
purpose than that of being converted into medicine or dye stuffs. That
the productions of nature were studied for any other purpose than as
regards their mere utility to man, he could not form the slightest idea.
As soon as he learned that it was my intention to remain for some time in
the city, he sent a person to procure an empty house for my use; and, as
it was not furnished, he was kind enough to send me two chairs, a table,
and a large earthen pot to hold water.
The city of Oeiras, the capital of the Province of Piauhy, is situated
in a large circular valley, about a league in breadth, nearly surrounded
by a broken range of low hills composed of a soft whitish-coloured
sandstone. Until the year 1724, when it was raised to the dignity of a
city, it was known by the name of Villa da Mocha, from a little stream
which passes close to it and all the year round yields an abundant supply
of water, which, however, in the dry season is very much impregnated
with saltpetre. It is very irregularly built, consisting principally of
a large square, and a few streets which proceed from the south and west
sides of it. The population does not exceed three thousand souls; the
most respectable part of which, not including those in the employ of
the government, are shopkeepers who retail European goods. The greater
part of the merchandize comes from Maranham, being carried in large
canoes up the Rio Itapicuru to Cachias, from whence they are brought to
Oeiras on the backs of horses. A portion is also brought by the same
means from Bahia, but the distance is much too great to render such
expeditions profitable; this is brought by drovers who go there yearly
with cattle for sale. Sometimes a solitary launch of twenty tons burden,
laden with salt, arrives in the Rio Canindé, opposite Oeiras, from
the Villa da Parnahiba, a flourishing town near the coast on the east
bank of a large river of the same name, which divides the Provinces of
Maranham and Piauhy, and up which the navigation takes place. One such
arrived during my visit, but it took nearly three months to perform the
distance, which is about one hundred leagues. It is only during the rainy
season, when the river is flooded, that this voyage can be undertaken,
and the current is then so strong that the vessel has to be pushed up by
poles all they way. Owing to the length of time, and the number of men
required, it is seldom that such a speculation terminates profitably. It
has been recently proposed by Mr. Sturz, the Consul-General for Brazil,
in Prussia, to navigate this stream by a small steam-boat, but there are
many reasons for concluding that this will never be successfully put into
execution. It is not probable that the middle and southern portions of
the Province will ever be much more populous than they are at present, as
from the great yearly droughts to which they are liable, the cultivation
of cotton or sugar can never be carried on. The only articles of export
are cattle and hides, and the latter is all that a steamer would get
as cargo downwards. As regards the import of European goods, it is not
likely that the traffic would soon be changed from Maranham to Parnahiba.
The river, moreover, would only be navigable during the rainy season,
at which period the force of the current, and the numerous shifting
sandbanks which its bed is said to contain, would render the transit both
slow and difficult.
The city contains three churches, two of which though now of considerable
age are unfinished. There are also several other public buildings,
such as a jail, military barracks, the provincial house of assembly,
the Camara Municipal, and hospital, but none of these are deserving of
notice excepting the jail, which was then just completed; it was erected
under the superintendence of a German engineer, who has resided in the
province several years in the employ of the government; it consists of
two stories, in which respect only two other buildings like it are to be
found in the city; the lower part and wings serve as prisons and a house
of correction, the upper story being used as a court of justice. At the
north end of the city there is a fine large building, now falling into
ruins, which was the college of the Jesuits previous to their expulsion
from Brazil.
The seasons are very regular in this district, and although very few old
persons are seen, it is not considered unhealthy. A few showers generally
take place in the month of October, but the regular rains do not set in
till about the beginning of January, when they continue till the end of
May; during this period thunder storms are very common, fearfully loud,
and of long duration, and accidents, it is said, do not unfrequently
occur from them. Between Crato and Oeiras we saw several large trees
which had been shivered in pieces by lightning; and while in Oeiras I was
informed that a fazendeiro who was returning to his country house, after
one of the church festivals, sent his family, consisting of his wife and
several children, with their attendant slaves, a short distance before
him; on overtaking them he was shocked to find them all dead, having been
struck by lightning from a thunder storm which was then passing over. The
months of May, June, and July, are the most pleasant of the season, for
then the rains have ceased, and everything continues fresh and green,
and the atmosphere is comparatively cool, from a strong S.E. wind which
prevails during this period. After the month of July a great change takes
place, the whole country begins to wear a dry and arid appearance, the
grass and other herbaceous vegetation wither up, and the trees and shrubs
throw off their leaves. At this period too the cooling S.E. winds cease,
and are followed by light and variable ones or by calms, from which cause
the air becomes so much heated, that no one stirs abroad, excepting those
who are under the necessity of doing so.
The principal diseases in and around the city are agues and malignant
fevers, particularly at the beginning and end of the rainy season; after
the rains have ceased, and during the prevalence of the south-east wind,
pectoral complaints are not uncommon, and many cases of ophthalmia occur;
in the latter, either because of improper treatment, or from neglect,
many persons lose their sight. But the complaint for which I was most
frequently called upon to prescribe, was dyspepsia, which under its
various forms, these people are most subject to; asthma and paralysis
are also prevalent. At the time I visited Oeiras it could boast of
two resident medical men and an apothecary’s shop; the latter was but
poorly furnished with medicines, and those neither new nor of the best
quality. The senior of the two medical men, Senhor Josè Luiz da Silva,
an intelligent and amiable person, from whom I received much kindness,
holds the office of Cirurgião môr, and has charge of a small hospital,
which is almost entirely devoted to the service of the military. He is
a Portuguese by birth, and in his youth had acted as surgeon in the
navy of that country. He had now resided thirty-six years in Oeiras,
and was the father of a large and respectable family. The other, a
young Brazilian, educated at Bahia, ill instructed, and of an unamiable
disposition, was assassinated in the street a few months after I left.
Although they both of them were accustomed to treat diseases generally,
neither of them had the skill, and consequently the courage to undertake
any serious operation, notwithstanding that many cases had long called
for professional assistance. An opportunity was thus afforded me of
undertaking several operations which few young surgeons in England have
it in their power to attempt. The most serious of these were depression
of Cataract and Lithotomy; the former I performed three times, but with
success only in one case, when such was the astonishment produced in the
minds of these simple people, by the blind regaining his sight, that it
was spoken of through the country as a result little short of a miracle.
The operation for stone in the bladder was likewise performed by me three
times, in all cases with the greatest success; and it is deserving of
remark that these were the only instances of this complaint that I met
with during my whole travels. There can be no doubt, therefore, that
this complaint is of very rare occurrence in the country, but it is not
easy to say from what cause this originates. My first patient was an
otherwise healthy free black man, about thirty years of age; and it was
astonishing to see the rapidity with which the wound healed; but this
has been found to occur universally in people of his colour. The second
was a poor mulatto, who lived in a little palm hut in the outskirts of
the city: both these poor fellows did all in their power to show their
gratitude, and would willingly have parted with all they possessed to
repay me, but of course I would take nothing from them. The third case
was the most remarkable of all: the patient was a man about forty-five
years of age, and one of the most respectable shopkeepers in the city.
About nine years before my arrival he had been treated by the surgeon
in chief for stricture of the urethra, when by improper treatment a
portion of a small leaden bougie passed into the bladder; this formed the
nucleus for the stone, from which cause he suffered the most excruciating
agonies that mortal could endure. I was consulted by him on my arrival,
when I assured him that nothing but an operation would relieve him from
his sufferings; being, however, of a very timid disposition, he would
not consent to its performance, till after he heard of the success of
the other two cases; assisted by my friend the Cirurgião môr, I happily
succeeded in extricating the stone, which was about two inches in length.
This occurred about a month before I left the place, by which time he was
so far recovered as to be able to walk about his room. After a period of
eighteen months I received a letter which he sent to meet me at Rio de
Janeiro, in which he informed me that he had perfectly recovered, and
offered me a thousand thanks (mil graças) for the good service rendered
to him. Before I left, he gave me a very handsome gratuity of three
hundred spanish dollars, two fine horses, and many little necessaries
suited for the journey I was then about to undertake.
The province of Piauhy sends two members to the national chamber of
Deputies in Rio, but in all that relates to its internal government, the
Barão de Parnahiba rules with despotic sway. He has been its president
ever since the establishment of the independence of the empire, with the
exception of one short period, when another person was sent to supersede
him; but he did not hold his appointment long, dying suddenly, and under
suspicious circumstances. Since that period, although the presidents of
all the other provinces are changed every two or three years, he has
remained constantly in office. He is more feared than respected by the
mass of the population, and on an emergency can command, among his own
friends and dependents, more than 2,000 staunch supporters: he has always
at his call those who are both ready and willing to execute his orders of
whatever nature these may be. By the firmness of his government he has
acquired many enemies, especially by the enactment of some provincial
laws, respecting which it must be confessed in their favour, that their
tendency is always to benefit the poorer classes of the inhabitants:
among others, he has forbidden that beef and farinha, the two principle
articles of food, be sold in the city above a certain fixed price, and
that a very low one; however, he has always taken care that his own
cattle be sent to Bahia and other distant and more profitable markets,
having abundant facilities for such arrangements. Although generally
ill-informed, he possesses a great share of shrewdness and cunning,
qualifications highly requisite for the maintenance of the despotism with
which he has hitherto governed the province, under which it can certainly
boast of a greater amount of peace and quietness than almost any other
province in the empire. It is not a little strange that, notwithstanding
his many enemies, only one attempt has hitherto been made to assassinate
him, and that so late as the year before I arrived there.
On the 17th of January, 1838, on returning from one of his fazendas, and
when about half a league from the city he was fired at from behind some
bushes; the shot only wounded him in the right shoulder. The assassins,
for there were two, fled immediately, and one of them appeared among the
first to congratulate the Barão on his arrival after so fortunate an
escape. Parties were instantly despatched to scour the woods in pursuit
of the delinquents, and a black man who was found hidden among some
bushes, and who could not give a good account of himself, was taken to
the city, and on being interrogated, confessed that although he was one
of the parties, he did not fire the shot, the person who did so being one
Joaquim Seleiro, a mulatto saddler, who lived in the house of the Barão.
This man was said to be of a very vicious disposition, and of strong
passions; and it was well known that a few days before the occurrence,
he had been ill used in some manner by the Barão, without just cause. At
the time he was denounced, he was leading a party in the woods in search
of the assassins; and was not a little astonished on his return to find
himself a prisoner. He strongly denied the crime of which few deemed
him to be innocent; the laws of the country do not inflict the penalty
of death for a mere attempt at murder: he was, therefore, committed to
prison, where he died twenty-six days after the perpetration of that
crime, under circumstances that have given rise to suspicious reports.
To those who are interested in the history of Brazil, a slight sketch
of the life of so extraordinary a man as the Barão de Parnahiba, may
not be uninteresting, as his name is intimately connected with the
establishment of the independence of the northern provinces. His father
was a native of the Azores, and was very poor when he arrived in Brazil,
but he soon married a lady possessed of a small property; of the family
resulting from this union, the subject of this notice was the eldest,
being born in the year 1776. His only education consisted in learning
to read and write, and in acquiring a slight knowledge of arithmetic.
His first occupation was that of a cowherd (vaqueiro) to his father,
who died when he was only twenty years of age, leaving him a fazenda
worth about 1,500 cruzados (£200 sterling); during his childhood he was
brought up by a godmother, who at her death left him another fazenda
of nearly equal value. After his father’s death, not content with the
occupation of vaqueiro, he began to purchase cattle with the view of
taking them to Bahia for sale, to which place he continued to go every
year, till about twenty-five years ago, although from that period up to
the present, he has never failed to send annually a drove of cattle to
the same market. Shortly after his father’s death he was enlisted, as was
then the custom, into the cavalry militia; here he was soon advanced to
the post of corporal which he held for a long time; he was next elevated
to the rank of ensign, and about the same time was appointed treasurer
of the national rents. Occupied in this manner, he continued till the
period of the declaration of independence, when his name had acquired
but little weight in the province, being better known for his cunning
disposition and uncouth manners, than for any more eminent qualities. It
was his custom to bestow gifts and attentions, and be very obsequious to
all persons high in authority, such as governors, judges, &c., always
providing men, horses, and provisions to bring them up from the coast.
In this manner he ingratiated himself in their favour, and after their
arrival was always their obedient servant; and without regard to their
line of politics was ever a staunch supporter of their measures. He
made it his endeavour on all occasions to gain the good opinions of the
religious part of the community, by showing himself to be a great friend
to all that belonged to the church, on which account he was anxious to
be appointed director of its festivals, on which he did not hesitate to
spend large sums, in this manner obtaining the good will and friendship
of the priesthood.
At the time when Dom João the sixth gave the Constitution to Portugal,
the larger provinces of Brazil were ruled by Governors General
(Governadores Geräes), and the smaller by Governors only, the power of
all being to a certain extent despotic. At this time the province of
Piauhy was committed to the charge of Elias José Ribeiro de Carvalho,
a native of Portugal, but immediately on the proclamation of the
constitution in the mother country he was recalled, when the province
fell to the care of a provisional government, consisting of six members,
one of whom was the present president. It was during this time that a
Major Fedié arrived at Oeiras from Rio de Janeiro, as commander in chief
of the military force in the province, and who soon afterwards became
notorious for his opposition to the cause of independence. It was also
during the reign of this Governo Provisorio, as it was called, that Dom
Pedro Primeiro proclaimed the independence of Brazil. It was of course a
long time before the news of this great event, that had taken place in
Rio, reached this far distant province, and when the accounts arrived
Fedié, true to the fealty he owed João, who had sent him thither, and
supposing it to be only a disturbance of short duration, firmly opposed
its proclamation in the city of Oeiras; and as soon as he learned it had
been supported in the Villa da Parnahiba, he collected all the troops
and militia he could raise, and marched against the inhabitants of that
place, notwithstanding that he received previously official notice from
the newly declared central government in Rio, ordering him to proclaim
the independence of the country in the city. At this time also, advices
arrived from the provinces of Bahia and Ceará, both of which had followed
the example of the capital, strongly urging the most influential persons
in the province to adopt the same course in Piauhy, but all refused to do
so, declaring themselves to be firm supporters of the constitution of Dom
João.
At this time the influence of the Barão was so small that none of the
letters were addressed to him, but the opportunity did not escape him,
for by the same posts that carried the above answers, he sent notice
to both places that he was willing, in conjunction with several of
his friends, to give his warmest support, and proclaim the cause of
independence. Shortly after the departure of Fedié for Parnahiba, the
Barão received answers to his letters, and was urged to lose no time
in carrying his proposal into effect, to which end he immediately
apprehended the members of the provisional government, who were in
Oeiras, and confined them in prison, together with others who were either
known or suspected to belong to the opposite party. The inhabitants of
Parnahiba learning that Fedié was on the march for that place, united
themselves and advanced on the road to meet him; the encounter took place
at Campo Maior, about half way between Oeiras and Parnahiba, where in a
very short time Fedié completely defeated the other party and put them
to rout. In the meantime the Barão was using every exertion to raise men
to march against Fedié who was the most powerful opponent he had to
dread. In order to give more weight to his authority, he first proclaimed
himself president of the province; and under the pretence that Fedié was
about to return to Oeiras, and that it was necessary to place them in
security, he seized on the funds of the provincial treasury, which was
said to be very rich at that time; but it is generally reported that the
greater part of this treasure was never sufficiently accounted for: it
is certain that at this time he laid the foundation of the great wealth
which he at present possesses. He immediately sent advices to Rio de
Janeiro stating what he had done, and in return Dom Pedro confirmed him
in the presidentship, advanced him to the rank of colonel in the militia,
and created his brother commander-in-chief in lieu of Fedié. The latter
not wishing to return to Oeiras, where every one was now in arms against
him, marched immediately to the Villa de Cachias, the most flourishing
town in the interior of the province of Maranham, and which still
remained loyal to the Portuguese cause. The imperial troops from Oeiras,
having now united with those defeated at Campo Maior, together with about
2,500 more from the province of Ceará, headed by the president of Piauhy
and his brother, marched to Cachias against Fedié, who with no more
than 250 men maintained his position in that town for the long period
of eleven months, and it was only when famine reduced them to the last
necessity, that he capitulated, and was led back to Oeiras a prisoner.
Thence he was conveyed to Rio, when he was liberated and sent to Portugal.
The march to Cachias was another fortunate circumstance, which it
is said the president turned to good account, for as nearly all the
inhabitants of that place were natives of Portugal, and consequently
favourable to the union of the two countries, they were naturally
considered by the Brazilians as enemies, and consequently treated as
such in the worst possible manner, for they were murdered and robbed
without mercy. To save their lives and property, many of them are said to
have paid the president very handsomely for his protection, and in this
manner he is believed to have amassed an immense sum of money. After his
return from Cachias, the emperor raised him to the rank of a brigadier,
and created him Barão de Parnahiba. The entire management of the affairs
of the province was left in his hands, as it still is, and consequently
all situations were filled up either by his own relations, or by persons
belonging to his party. On the occasion of the coronation of the present
emperor, he was created a viscount.
One of the great sources from which the provincial treasury above alluded
to derives its income, is the profit resulting from the sale of cattle
which are reared on thirty-three fazendas belonging to the crown. About
the end of the seventeenth century, one Domingo Alfonso established a
number of cattle-farms in different parts of the province, and at his
death thirty of these were put into the hands of the Jesuits, on the
condition that the profits should be applied to charitable purposes; when
the Jesuits were expelled from the country, these fazendas, together
with others they had purchased, became the property of the state. On an
average about 3,000 head of cattle are sold annually; they are disposed
of to the highest bidder, and although the price varies in different
years, 6,000 reis (about fifteen shillings) may be taken as their mean
value; were these properties well managed a much larger profit might
be derived from them. Besides the salaries paid to three inspectors,
amounting to 300,000 reis each, every fazenda is managed by a vaqueiro,
whose income is derived from the fourth part of the cattle and horses
annually reared. These situations are much sought after, as in the course
of a few years, the persons who hold them save large sums of money,
having no house-rent to pay, and being allowed to have all the profits
resulting from the other produce of the farm, such as sheep, goats,
pigs, cheese, &c.; to assist in looking after the cattle, the government
provides them with slaves whom they are obliged to supply with food and
clothing, the former being all produced on the farm, and the latter,
which is both scanty and coarse, costing but a mere trifle.
Shortly after my arrival in Oeiras, some very serious disturbances
took place in the neighbouring province of Maranham, which prevented
me from following out my original plan of proceeding westward to the
Rio Tocantins: I shall briefly notice the origin and progress of these
disorders. In November 1838, the Prefect of Cachias sent four soldiers
to apprehend a criminal in the Arraial da Chapada, about forty leagues
distant. The brother of this individual, one Raimundo Gomez, a mestico,
better known by the name of Cara preta (black face), and a party of nine
other men whom he had engaged to assist him, disarmed the soldiers and
sent them back; a greater number of soldiers was then despatched by the
prefect to accomplish the same object, but by this time Raimundo had
increased his band by a number of vagabonds who are never wanting in
the interior, and who are always more ready to join in a disturbance,
than to follow any regular employment; on this occasion the soldiers
were again beaten back. In a short time, this band was greatly augmented
by the desertion of slaves, by Indians and others, who now commenced
a regular system of pillage, attacking the fazendas, and taking away
whatever they pleased. As soon as the president of the province was
informed of these circumstances, he despatched a troop of about three
hundred soldiers to disperse these robbers, but by some mismanagement,
after having encountered them at Chapada, their ammunition failed, and
they were obliged to surrender themselves into the hands of Raimundo.
The lieutenant-colonel who commanded them, and a captain were put to the
sword, but the rest of the officers and soldiers had their lives spared,
on condition that they consented to join the insurgents; and it is said
that the greater part did so with good will. Raimundo thus strengthened,
now regularly organized his party, appointing the officers he had
captured his secretaries, as neither he nor any of his own partizans
could read or write. It is pretty certain that about this time he entered
into correspondence with a party in the city of Maranham, which being
opposed to the monarchical form of government wished its overthrow;
from this source it is said that both arms and ammunition were secretly
supplied to Raimund’s troops.
They now took up their quarters at a place called Brejo, rapidly
increasing in numbers, principally by runaway slaves from the large
cotton plantations in the neighbourhood. In the month of April 1839,
this united force amounted to about 5,000 men, the principal officer,
besides Raimundo, being an old Indian, known by the name of O Balaio
(the basket), from his having formerly gained a livelihood by making
baskets, and selling them in the streets of Cachias. Being well armed,
the rebel army, as it was called, marched to Cachias with the intention
of taking it; at this time there were only about twenty soldiers in the
town commanded by a lieutenant, but all the inhabitants rose in arms to
defend it. The rebels besieged the place for about six weeks, allowing
no provisions to enter, at the end of which time, the inhabitants being
in a state of starvation, and unable to hold out longer, were obliged
to capitulate on the 30th of June. The terms of this capitulation were,
that all the military stores in the place, amounting to 5,000 stand
of arms, and 800 barrels of gunpowder, should be delivered up, and a
sum equivalent to seventy per cent. on the goods of each merchant and
shopkeeper be paid immediately. The prefect and several other leading men
in the town also, in terms of the capitulation, were declared prisoners,
and kept in close confinement for several months.
As these disturbances took place principally to the north of Oeiras, I
had still hopes of being able to proceed to the westward, but just as I
was making preparations to leave, several persons arrived in Oeiras from
Pastos Boms, a small town a little to the west of the Rio Parnahiba,
exactly on the route I had intended to follow. I learned from them that
a party of the rebels had been sent from Cachias to take that place,
where five Portuguese and one Brazilian, who were known to be opposed
to them, had been massacred, and their families robbed of all their
property. News now reached Oeiras that Raimundo and his army, flushed
with their success, were about to march from Cachias to take that city.
The Barão de Parnahiba, who previously had been raising troops to send
to the succour of Cachias, now redoubled his exertions, and the city
became filled with rustic troops, undergoing the necessary process of
drilling; these formed a very motley group, being of all sizes, of all
colours, and variously dressed, most of them appearing in their leathern
hats, jackets, and trowsers. As there were no symptoms that the rebels
would soon make their threatened attack on Oeiras, about 600 of these
troops were despatched early in the month of July, under the command of
Major Clementino Martins, the baron’s nephew, to join others, ordered
to march from Ceará and Pernambuco, to the succour of Cachias. As soon
as the rebels received notice of this movement, a general sack of the
town took place, by about a thousand men, who still remained there, on
which occasion many of the inhabitants for the most part Portuguese were
murdered. It was not till the month of January 1840, that Cachias was
finally restored to order, and still later before peace was established
in Pastos Boms and Brejo. In passing through a ravine near Cachias,
that had been fortified by the rebels, Major Clementino and nearly all
his troops were cut off. It was calculated that from the beginning to
the end of this insurrection, more than 5,000 fell victims; this may
be considered as an example of the outbreaks perpetually occurring in
Brazil, which keep it in an almost continual state of disorder, and
paralyse the energies of those who really wish well to their country.
Prevented in this manner from travelling westward, and unwilling to
retrace my steps, I determined to proceed southward to Rio de Janeiro,
through the great inland provinces of Goyaz and Minas Geräes, though but
ill provided for such an undertaking, particularly in pecuniary matters,
the state of the country rendering it impossible to receive money from
the coast. I had, however, my profession to depend upon, and I knew
that if much money could not be gained by it, a great deal of expense
might be saved, for I had already experienced that, as a medical man, I
was well received wherever I went. The country to the south-west being
also in rather an unsettled state, I was strongly advised by the Barão
de Parnahiba, as well as by other influential persons in Oeiras, not to
pursue this proposed journey, as I should run a risk of losing my life
by so doing; but my strong desire to pass through a hitherto unexplored
country, determined me not to listen to their advice, and I immediately
set about making arrangements for undertaking it.
The large collections which I made between Crato and Oeiras, and in the
neighbourhood of the latter place, I had intended to send to Maranham
to be shipped for England, but this was now impossible, on account of
the great distance between Oeiras and Pernambuco or Bahia. There is but
little traffic between these places, and had it not been for a fortunate
occurrence, there would have been no resource left but to take them with
me to Rio. From Pernambuco I brought letters with me to Dr. Casimiro
José de Moraes Sarmento, a young advocate, who held a small government
appointment in Oeiras, his native place; with this gentleman I formed
a very intimate friendship; besides being well educated, I found him
possessed of a very superior intelligence, of much moral worth, and
of great goodness of heart. He had brought with him from Pernambuco,
where he studied, a fine library of Portuguese, French, and English
works, of all which he generously allowed me the freest use. The moment
I was preparing to leave Oeiras, he suddenly determined to return to
Pernambuco, and kindly consented to take my collections with him, which
being packed in such a manner as only to form a single load, I despatched
on one of my own horses.
As far as I could learn, only one Englishman had visited this part of
the country; several of the inhabitants still remembered Drs. Spix and
Martius, and the house in which they resided was pointed out to me by
the old Barão, who was then, however, a person of but small note in the
place. During the four months I passed in this city, I met with the
greatest civility and hospitality from all classes of society, much more,
indeed, than in any other place in the empire in which I resided for
any period. The Barão was particularly obliging, for besides providing
a house for me, he sent my horses to one of his fazendas to graze, and
I was a frequent guest at his table: he dines quite in the old baronial
fashion, his table, which is very long, extending from one end to the
other of a large room. He himself sits in a chair at the head of it,
and his guests are seated on long forms placed on each side, the lowest
places being often filled by his commonest shepherds. Captain Antonio de
Moraes, the father of my young friend, and Captain Faria, I particularise
among a host of others to whom I am indebted for innumerable services;
indeed, I shall ever look back on my stay at Oeiras, as one of the most
pleasant portions of my pilgrimage in Brazil.
On the afternoon of the 22nd of July, we bade adieu to the city of
Oeiras, and commenced our overland journey to Rio,—a journey which,
though both tedious and painful, yielded me a far more abundant harvest
of novelties than I anticipated. It was my intention to leave in the
morning, but while preparing to do so, one of the men I had engaged to
go as far as the southern extremity of the province of Piauhy, came to
inform me that he had changed his mind: I instantly applied to the Barão
for his assistance in procuring another, and as soon as he learned what
had occurred, he sent for the man, who, still refusing to go, was sent
to prison. He then kindly informed me, that he would allow me the use
of a soldier, and having sent for one, told him that if he served me
faithfully, he would give him his discharge on his return. I did not much
like the look of this man, his face having one of the most cut-throat
expressions I ever saw: I had no help but to accept his services, though
in the end I was glad to get rid of him, as he proved to be one of the
most insolent, lazy, and sulky fellows I ever had in my service. Captain
Moraes and several other of my friends accompanied me for about a league
from the city, when, with their hearty wishes for a safe return to my
native country, we parted. About a league further we encamped for the
night, under some large trees by the side of a small stream.
Our route was now nearly in a southerly direction, and lay through a
beautiful country, consisting of diversified and park-like scenery. Many
large flat tracts occur, to which the name of Chapada is given; these
are but thinly wooded, the trees consisting of the Cashew (_Anacardium
occidentale_), Jatobá (_Hymenæa_), Parahiba (_Simaruba versicolor_), and
the Folha largo (_Salvertia convallariodora_),—a beautiful tree with
large leaves, and spikes of sweet-smelling flowers, not unlike those of
the horse-chesnut. As the weather was now quite settled, we generally
slept in the open air at night, slinging our hammocks between trees. At
a short distance from Oeiras, we passed through some of the national
fazendas, and on one of them had an opportunity of seeing the method
adopted by the vaqueiros for catching the cattle, which roam about in
large herds nearly in a wild state. In the southern provinces, it is
well known that the cattle are caught by the lasso and bolas, the open
country of those districts allowing their free use, which is not the
case in the north. The instrument used here is a slender pole about
nine feet long, a little thicker at one end than at the other; into the
thicker end, a quadrangular pointed piece of iron is fixed, projecting
only about half an inch; mounted on horseback, with this pole in his
hand, the vaqueiro selects with his eye the animal he wishes to take,
and pursuing it at full gallop, he soon overtakes it, and striking it
on the hip with the armed end of the pole, while it is going at full
speed, he easily upsets it, and before it can rise again, the vaqueiro
has dismounted, and secured it; in this manner nearly all the cattle
are taken in this province. There are no fences between the different
properties, but every fazendeiro has a brand, with which all his horses
and cattle are marked before they are allowed to roam at liberty, and by
which they are, of course, easily recognised. The cattle of Piauhy supply
for the most part the markets of Maranham, Bahia, and Pernambuco; droves
are also occasionally sent into the province of Minas Geräes; they are
generally of a large size, and vary very much in colour, though brown is
the prevailing one; their horns are long, pointed, and wide-spreading.
We stopped a night at one of these national fazendas, which was entirely
devoted to the rearing of horses, and the principal vaqueiro informed
me that it produced annually about 400 foals. The horses of Piauhy are
in general small, and not long-lived, seldom exceeding ten or twelve
years; those used on the cattle farms, owing to the violent exercise of
hunting the cattle, do not last so long. The riding horses are broken in
with great care, and some of the paces which they are taught are very
pleasant; they are never shod, and this is less necessary here than in
many of the other provinces, for the roads are generally level and soft.
The price of a good working horse, that is, one fit for carrying a load
on a journey, is seldom more than three pounds.
We were now in the country to which the name of Campos Agrestes is
given in Piauhy. These Campos are partly open, and partly wooded; the
open tracts are covered with coarse perennial grasses, and are not
entirely destitute of trees, but all are more or less deciduous, with
the exception of one which is truly evergreen; this is a species of
_Zizyphus_, known by the name of Joazeira; it is not a large tree, but
has wide-spreading branches that give an excellent shade, of which we
often took advantage during the heat of the day. The cattle also are
very fond of the shade of this tree, as well as of the sweet fleshy
fruit, about the size of a small cherry, which it produces in great
abundance, and which when ripe falls to the ground; this fruit, called
Joá, is also eaten by the inhabitants. Many of the trees of these tracts
have a stunted appearance, their branches being gnarled and tortuous.
Sometimes large swampy tracts exist in the Campos Agrestes, and in these
grow clusters of Buriti palms, the soft fruit of which is the principal
food of three beautiful species of Maccaw which frequent them in great
numbers. These birds generally fly in pairs, and rend the air with their
loud cries of ará, ará, ará, and hence the Indian name of Arára. One of
the most common of these is entirely blue (_Psittacus hyacinthinus_,
Lath.); the others are blue also, with the exception of their breasts,
which in one of them is orange, while the other has it of a crimson
colour. Many of the level Chapadas, where the soil is of red clayey
character, are covered with numerous ant-hills, often six or eight feet
high, which have the appearance of clay huts when seen at a distance;
these are formed by the white ant, and as these insects constitute the
principal food of the Ostrich of the country (_Rhea Americana_), and the
great ant-bear, the Tamandúa of the natives (_Myrmecophaga jubata_),
we saw many of them in the neighbourhood of the ant-hills. In the more
closely wooded districts, the trees very much resemble the Catingas of
the Campos Mimosos, and like them are deciduous in the dry season.
On the afternoon of the 29th of July, we reached a little hamlet called
Algodoes, distant thirty-four leagues from Oeiras, where we remained for
a day. We halted in the morning, and breakfasted at a fazenda called
Pombas, about three leagues from Algodoes; and when we left, a fine large
mastiff dog that accompanied us, and which had been presented to me by
Captain Moraes, was not to be found: this appeared the more remarkable,
as he had become very much attached to us all. I thought he might have
gone into the woods after some animal, and would soon follow us, but as
he did not appear on the following morning, I sent Mr. Walker back to
make enquiries about him, when the vaqueiro told him he had not been
seen since we left. I strongly suspected at the time that this man, who
was the only person on the farm, had stolen him; nor was I mistaken, as
several days afterwards I heard from a person who passed a night there,
that he saw the dog tied up, and was told by the vaqueiro that he had
been presented to him by an Englishman who was going up to Minas.
At about a league beyond Pombas, we arrived at a large fresh-water lake
extending two leagues in length, but not more than a quarter of a league
in breadth; it terminates at Algodoes; and nearly all along its whole
length, it is bounded by a belt of Carnahuba palms; the road led by the
side of it, and we frequently came suddenly upon some large alligators
(Jacaré), which were basking in the shallow water by the margin. We
also saw many Capibaras (_Hydrochærus Capybara_), one troop of which,
consisting of upwards of fifty individuals, crossed the path about a
hundred yards before us, and entered the water; they crossed the lake
by swimming, and we saw them land on the opposite side. Many parts of
the lake were covered with the large floating leaves of a water lily
(_Nymphæa_), which unfortunately was not in flower. During the night we
heard the Capibaras plunging in the lake quite near to the house in which
we slept; and I was told they are seldom molested, as their flesh is
not good to eat; they are, therefore, very tame in this neighbourhood.
Wishing to procure a specimen for the sake of its cranium, I went out
early in the morning with my gun, but after walking nearly half a league
along the side of the lake, not one was to be seen: we saw, however,
plenty of alligators, and a very large one, which was floating like an
old log on the surface of the water, at but a little distance from the
shore, was too tempting a shot to be passed by: I fired at his head,
my gun being loaded with large shot, when making a spring for the deep
water, it turned upon its back and floated, apparently dead. Believing it
to be so, I sent in Manoel, my Indian servant to bring it out: he waded
up to his chin in the water, and attempted to seize the animal by the
tail, when it turned suddenly round and disappeared. I know not which
of the two was most frightened, for Manoel gave a loud roar, and lost
no time in getting to terra firma: the animal had evidently only been
stunned by the shot.
In this lake I found some curious aquatic plants, such as a new species
of _Cabomba_ (_C. Piauhyensis_, Gardn.), a fine yellow-flowered _Jussiæa_
(_J. sedoides_, Humb.), first found by Humboldt in lakes in New Granada;
it floats on the water, and the leaves which are small, all reach the
surface, and form round the axis of the plant a dense circle, which at
a distance appears like a large entire floating leaf. Specimens of a
_Chara_ and a _Potamogeton_ were also collected; both interesting, from
belonging to genera common to South America and Great Britain.
On the 31st, we left Algodoes early in the morning, and after a ride
of about three leagues, over a dry flat Chapada, we arrived at Golfes,
a single house situated on a hill near a small marsh, in which grows a
great number of Buriti palms; we halted by the side of this marsh, under
a large Cashew tree. In the afternoon, another journey of two leagues
and a half, brought us to a small uninhabited house, at a place called
Retiro Alegre, situated in a beautiful valley, skirted by high hills,
and abounding in Buriti palms, the leaves of which afforded shelter to
vast numbers of the orange-breasted Maccaw (_Canindé_). At this place I
found a little black fellow, waiting my arrival to act as guide to the
next fazenda (Genipapo), which was five leagues and a half distant. He
was sent by Captain Valentim Pereira da Silva, whom I met at Algodoes,
on his way to visit his son, to whom the country through which we were
then passing, belonged. When this old man knew that I was the person
who had performed several cures in Oeiras, he was very desirous that I
should visit his son, who was in a bad state of health; and as his house
was only a few leagues out of our direct course, I consented to do so.
About half a league from the fazenda the son himself met us. The estate
of Genipapo belongs to him, and we remained there for the night; but he
went to another, two leagues further on, called Canavieira, at which he
himself resides.
On the following morning we arrived at Canavieira in time for breakfast,
and had a very hospitable reception from the captain and his son; upon
examination, I found the latter labouring under the incipient symptoms
of consumption, and prescribed for him accordingly. It being seldom
that a medical man is seen in this part of the country, I had many
other patients to prescribe for, some of whom came from a considerable
distance. At about a quarter of a mile beyond Genipapo, we arrived
at the banks of the Rio Gurgea, which takes its rise in the southern
extremity of the province, and falls into the Parnahiba, a little below
the parallel of Oeiras. As is generally the case with the rivers in the
northern provinces, the banks of this are more densely wooded, and more
verdant in appearance, than the rest of the country. I remained with my
hospitable friends all that day, and received an invitation to accompany
them on the following morning to a fazenda eight leagues distant,
belonging to the son’s father-in-law, whither all the family were going,
as the Visitador was on his triennial tour, and was expected there about
this time. This place also being but little out of our route, I accepted
the invitation.
On the morning of the 3rd of August we left Canavieira, and, after a
ride of about three leagues, crossed the Rio Gurgea, and entered the
district of Urusuhy. The river here was about the breadth of the Clyde
at Glasgow, but so shallow, that it did not reach much above the horse’s
middle. After riding another league, we arrived at a house belonging to
a vaqueiro, where we halted to take breakfast, and to remain during the
heat of the day. The house was situated in a hollow, and being shut out
from the breeze, the heat was quite intolerable. The thermometer in the
shade rose to 98°, and I suffered dreadfully from headache. We did not
leave this place till four o’clock in the afternoon, and having still
four leagues to travel, we reached the Fazenda dos Prazeres a little
after sunset. With the exception of the banks of the river, the whole
country through which we passed, was very much dried up for want of rain.
Our party was rather a large one. Besides ourselves, there were the
captain, his son and lady, and a mulatto girl carrying their child, which
they were taking to get baptized, three of the captain’s nephews, and a
black schoolmaster, all from top to toe in leather dresses; and, besides
the blacks on foot who were bringing on the loaded horses, there were
three on horseback acting as attendants. The lady and her girl were both
mounted on men’s saddles, according to the common custom of the country
in the interior. The black schoolmaster was decidedly far superior to any
of his race that I ever met with. He was a Creole, with a fine expansion
of forehead, and had received a good education; he was a freeman, and his
colour did not prevent him from mixing in the best society in the part of
the country to which he belonged; indeed, the Brazilians are perhaps more
free from those prejudices than any other nation. He was possessed of
an immense fund of wit and humour, the continual flow of which kept the
whole party in good spirits during the journey, notwithstanding the great
heat of the day.
The Fazenda dos Prazeres stands on a rather elevated knoll in a large
valley, which, at its upper extremity, is marshy and full of Buriti
palms. On the dry sides of the low hills which surround the valley,
there are large forests of that palm called Palmeira, already spoken of
as being common about Crato; and in the Catinga forest, which we rode
through, one or two smaller kinds of palm were common. One of these had
its stem forked at the summit, being the only instance of the kind I
ever met with; the central bud had been destroyed by some means, and two
more arms generated in its stead. The house is large, well constructed,
and by far the best we had seen since leaving Oeiras. The owner of it,
who died suddenly about a year before, seems to have been not only more
industrious, but a person of much greater taste than the generality of
the Piauhy fazendeiros. Around the house, and also to a considerable
distance from it, there were many fine orange trees loaded with fruit,
which being very rare in this province, were highly prized by us. There
were also near the house large plantations of plantains and bananas, as
also several fine cocoa-nut trees, which were beginning to bear fruit.
These trees were the most distant from the coast I had met with in the
country; and indeed it is but very seldom they are seen in cultivation
inland, the tree being essentially of a sea-side growth. The estate is
principally a cattle farm, but in the valley below the house there was a
large patch of cane growing, from which they manufacture rapadura; and
the soil being favourable for the cultivation of mandiocca, a good deal
of it is also grown. The widow, who with her sons now manages the farm,
is both active and intelligent, and very hospitable. We remained here
two days, during which time many people arrived from various quarters in
the neighbourhood, to avail themselves of the services of the Visitador.
Before we left, our provision boxes were well filled; and a large supply
of oranges which we took with us, lasted for many days, and formed a
grateful refreshment on our journey.
Recrossing the Rio Gurgea at a place called Flores, about sixteen
leagues above the fazenda Dos Prazeres, and travelling for ten days in a
southerly direction, more or less parallel with that river, we arrived at
a small hamlet called Rapoza. The country we found to be very level, and
generally of an arid nature, particularly when we were obliged to travel
at some distance from the river, for its banks are for the most part
well wooded, the trees consisting of the Jatobá Piki, several species
of _Laurus_, large _Bignonias_, which at this season were covered with
their bright yellow blossoms. Among these grew many climbing shrubs,
such as _Bauhinias_, _Combretums_, _Bignonias_, _Malpighias_, &c., whose
branches, covered with their many-coloured flowers, gaily adorned the
wide-spreading tops of the trees. Numerous large wild fig-trees also grow
along the side of the stream, which often afforded us shelter both by
day and by night. It was quite refreshing to travel under this shade,
and we found it the more so, as the country around produced only a few
leafless trees, and the soil, which was of a brick-red colour, had its
herbaceous vegetation quite destroyed. During this season, the cattle
frequent the margins of the river, both on account of the water, and the
grass and other herbage which grow there; but this year, the latter had
been nearly destroyed by the great rise of the waters during the previous
rains, which were said to have been heavier than any that had occurred
since the year 1820. We could see by the marks on the stems of the trees,
left by the muddy water, that it had risen ten feet above the level of
the road.
At Rapoza I met with Major José Martins de Sousa, to whom I carried
letters from his uncle the Barão de Parnahiba. His house was about thirty
leagues distant, but having been ordered to raise troops to send to the
city, he had made this place the general rendezvous. About four years
before this period, he bought a tract of ground, in the district of
Parnaguá, amounting to about ninety-six square leagues, for five contos
de reis, which he divided into six cattle farms, all of which were now
in a flourishing condition. He told me that in the district, of which he
was Prefect, there were 1,700 men capable of bearing arms, but all he had
been able to raise in the course of a week, were twenty-two. The whole
population, he added, were worse than savages, and that no eloquence
could prevail on them to rise in defence of their country. He was even
afraid that disorders, similar to those which were disturbing the
province of Maranham, would not be long ere they reached this district;
and he said it was his intention as soon as possible, to take his wife
and children down to the city. This, I believe, he shortly afterwards
did, and it was well for them that he had this foresight, as about a
month after I met him, the district of Parnaguá rose to join the rebels,
and the major, who remained behind, had a very narrow escape from falling
a victim to the fury of the inhabitants, and the cattle on his estates
were nearly all destroyed. During his journey to the city, all his
recruits deserted, with the exception of two or three.
A journey of fourteen leagues brought us to the Villa de Parnaguá,
the most southern town in the province, the country still continuing
flat, and very similar to that through which we had already passed. The
whole journey from Oeiras, presented little that was interesting in a
geological point of view, the only rocks which occurred being of the
same character as those existing in the vicinity of the city itself. The
peculiar construction of the houses on the road, so very different from
those met with in any other part of Brazil, or even in Piauhy itself,
attracted my attention: they are built for the most part with one of
their ends to the road, and in this end there is a large apartment with a
table and a form, evidently intended for the accommodation of travellers,
as it has no direct communication with the rest of the house. The door
of the part inhabited by the family, is in the other end, and on this
account it is very seldom that any of the females of the family are seen,
they being kept strictly secluded. Should the house stand parallel to the
road, then the door to the travellers’ apartment opens in front, while
the door and windows of the other apartments are all in the back part.
A stranger may thus live at one of these houses for many days, without
the slightest knowledge of what is going on within. The ladies are not,
however, destitute of curiosity, as I have frequently detected a pair of
black eyes peering through some slit in the fragile partitions to get a
peep at the strangers. Yet, as a professional man, it was seldom I was
not admitted, being called in to prescribe for some one or other of the
females of the family; the sedentary life which they lead rendering them
very subject to dyspeptic and such like complaints. Ague is also very
common indeed, and nearly all the inhabitants suffer from the effects of
it. Mr. Darwin, in his Journal, mentions that there are few houses in
Chili where a traveller will not be received for the night, but a trifle
is expected to be given in the morning, and that even a rich man will
accept two or three shillings. In Brazil this is very different; on the
road from Rio de Janeiro to the Mining Districts, which is now very much
frequented, there are always houses to be found which serve as apologies
for inns, and in which the traveller is expected to pay; but should he
put up at any of the large fazendas he is allowed to sit free at the
table, paying only for such provender as his animals may require. In the
more distant parts of the country, I always met with the most unbounded
hospitality, even from the poorer classes, and often the only recompense
which these poor beings would accept was a little gunpowder or salt,
articles which very often are not to be procured at any price.
When I left Rapoza, Major Martins gave me a letter to the Juiz de Paz of
Parnaguá, and a note to receive the keys of an empty house in which he
puts up when he visits the Villa. On our arrival, I found that the Juiz
had gone to visit his fazenda, at a distance of six or seven leagues.
The vicar and the other padre of the place were also absent, visiting
their district. An old lawyer, the schoolmaster, and a shopkeeper were
the only persons of consequence we found in the place. The Villa, which
is situated on the east side of a large lake, contains in all about a
hundred houses, but not more than one half of them are inhabited, as many
belong to fazendeiros who only occupy them during the festival times.
Owing to the recruiting which was then going on throughout the province,
the greater part of the male population had left the Villa and gone to
distant places, few being inclined to join the army; women and children
only were to be seen, with the exception of a few slaves. The houses are
generally built of a coarse wicker-work, and plastered, both inside and
out, with a red-coloured clay, which, not being white-washed, gives the
town a very strange appearance. The best days of the place seem to have
gone by, as many of the houses are falling into ruins; and the church,
which stands in a large square and has once been a neat building, is
also going to decay, one half of the roof has fallen in, and it seemed
to have been in that state for some years. There is not a single regular
shopkeeper in the place, the only one that we found there, had arrived
some time before from Bahia, and proposed to return as soon as he had
sold his goods. Having no competitor, he took advantage of this, and was
selling everything at a very exorbitant price. The people, both in the
Villa and in the neighbouring fazendas, complained that the revolution
in Maranham had prevented the merchants, who yearly visit them, from
coming to Parnaguá. These were in the habit of bringing up European
goods, salt, gunpowder, &c., which they generally exchanged for horses,
cattle, and hides.
Salt is an article for which there is a great demand, and the people
in the Villa have found out a substitute for that which comes from the
coast. Along the banks of the lake, the soil in many places is highly
impregnated with saline matter, which, although mixed with saltpetre,
is yet very acceptable where no other can be procured; during our visit
many people from distant parts were occupied in collecting this salt.
The manner in which they obtain it is as follows; the soil is cleaned of
grass and other herbaceous vegetation, and on being moistened with water,
the part richest in salt soon shows itself by the appearance of small
crystals. This earth is then scraped up with the scapular bone of an ox,
and put into a trough made of a cow-hide, supported upon four short posts
fixed in the ground. Water is then poured on the earth, which, during the
space of a day, is allowed to filter slowly through small holes in the
bottom of the trough, when it is received into a large basin placed below
it: the process is continued till the salt is all extracted. The water
thus extracted is either put into smaller hide-troughs and evaporated in
the sun, or boiled down in an iron pot, but as these are rather scarce
articles in Parnaguá, few only can have recourse to this mode. The salt
is not very clean, but a quantity which I bought was found to preserve
meat very well.
The lake, near which the village is situated, is about two leagues long,
and one broad, but it is said not to be deep; it is always of a red
colour, caused no doubt by the soil of the surrounding country, which is
everywhere of a deep red-coloured clay. It is said to abound in fish, but
during our stay I could not obtain any. Great numbers of large alligators
exist in it, as also boa constrictors, capivaras, and tapirs; I saw,
besides, some large otters, but could not come within shot of them. After
we arrived I went to bathe in the lake, and swam out a long way, but did
not do so again, on being told that several accidents had taken place,
not only from the attacks of alligators, but also from piranias.
With the exception of a small Serra to the south-east, the country
around the Villa is flat, and but for the lake, it would have a very
unpicturesque appearance. I took several walks in the neighbourhood, but
in consequence of the long-continued drought, I did not meet with much
to reward my labour. In a marsh, which in the rainy season forms part
of the lake, I found two species of water-lily (_Nymphæa_), both small
and bearing white flowers, one of them smelling very sweetly, while the
other had exactly the fœtid smell of coal-tar. On the Serra I found a
small-leaved _Gomphia_, a _Triads_, and a tree-lily (_Vellozia_); the
latter was not in flower, as was the case with one I found at Oeiras.
These are the two most northerly stations in which I have met with
species of this genus, whose great focus lies in the mountains of the
Diamond District.
CHAPTER IX.
PARNAGUÁ TO NATIVIDADE.
Leaves Parnaguá—Arrives at Saco do Tanque—Carrapatos a great
pest to Travellers and Cattle—Vegetation of the Country—Crosses
the Serras da Batalha and de Mato Grosso, the boundary of
the Province of Piauhy—Descends into the district of Rio
Preto—Account of the Cherente Indians—Arrives at Santa
Rosa—Crosses the River Preto—Reaches the desolate Region of
Os Geräes—Passes over the elevated table-land Chapada da
Mangabeira—Arrives at the Indian Mission of Duro—Description
of these Indians—Reaches Cachoeira—Crosses the Serra do
Duro—Fords the River Manoel Alves—Arrives at Almas—Galheiro
Morto—Morhinos—Abundance of Wild Honey—Description of several
kinds of Bees—Reaches Nossa Senhora d’Amparo—Mato Virgem—Goître
not uncommon—Passes Sociedade—Arraial da Chapada—And arrives at
Natividade.
It was with much difficulty that I procured in Parnaguá a person to
replace the soldier who accompanied us from Oeiras; chance threw in my
way a mulatto, who having come with a large drove of cattle from the
province of Goyaz, was therefore acquainted with the tracks through the
unfrequented country into which we were now about to enter. We left
Parnaguá on the 29th of September, and continuing our journey nearly
in a southerly direction, we arrived at a little fazenda, called Saco
do Tanque, on the 7th of October, the distance being about twenty-six
leagues. It was late in the afternoon when we left Parnaguá, and being
nearly dark by the time we reached the head of the lake, we halted there
for the night under some trees. Towards morning we felt so chilly in our
hammocks, that we were glad to get up and warm ourselves at a large fire,
which the men kept burning all night. As we rode along the side of the
lake, we saw several capivaras and alligators, which upon our coming
near them made for the water.
Shortly after leaving Oeiras, we began to be much tormented by a species
of tick, to which the Brazilians give the name of carrapato. These
insects abound in dry bushy places, where they attach themselves to the
slender twigs; at first they are very small (carrapatos miudos), and may
be seen in clusters consisting of many hundreds; these as soon as any
animal passes by and touches them, instantly adhere to it, burying their
suckers so deeply into its skin, that it is only by using considerable
force they can be withdrawn. If not taken off they go on increasing
in bulk till they become as large, and even larger, than a common
horse-bean; they even increase in size on the grass and bushes, but then
have a lean flat appearance; it is to this form that the name carrapato
grande is given. Spix and Martius believe the large and small kinds to
be distinct species, but I think there can be no doubt that they are the
same insects in different stages; St. Hilare is of this opinion, and
so are the inhabitants themselves. It is only in the beginning of the
dry season that the small carrapato is to be found in those districts
which are infested by them, but as the season advances, they gradually
disappear, to be replaced by the larger ones. They attach themselves
indiscriminately to all kinds of quadrupeds, but the horse and the ox
suffer most from their attacks, and in very dry seasons they exist in
such numbers, that whole herds of cattle perish from the exhaustion which
they produce. If, however, the animal on which they live can hold out
till the rains set in, it soon regains its strength, as wet is very fatal
to the carrapato; I have frequently seen some of my horses that were
infested by these creatures, get nearly free from them after swimming
across a broad river. Some horses I found were much more subject to them
than others. We found the dry bushy country above Parnaguá swarming with
these pests, and almost every night, we had to pick hundreds of them off
our bodies before we could turn into our hammocks. The men suffered more
than either Mr. Walker or myself, as they were on foot, and their legs
were bare from the knees downwards. When I walked out to botanize in the
neighbourhood of the places where we encamped, I used generally to get
completely covered with them, and had to change my dress, but by laying
the infested articles in the bright sun-shine for a quarter of an hour
they became fit to put on again. A favourite little ring-tailed monkey,
which I obtained from an old Indian some days after we left Oeiras, also
used to suffer very much from these insects. When full grown, a large
carrapato very much resembles the ripe seed of the castor oil tree. In
dragging off very large ones, the wound which is left often becomes a
very bad sore. The carrapato belongs to the genus _Ixodes_, of Latreille.
Although the country between Parnaguá and Saco do Tanque is comparatively
level, yet there is a very perceptible rise; and although the general
vegetation has very much the same character as that of other Catinga
districts, many of the shrubs and trees were quite new to me. At this
season very few were in flower; of these, the most remarkable was a very
large tree to which the name of Sicupíra is given by the inhabitants,
and which I afterwards found extending far into the province of Goyaz;
it belongs to the natural order _Leguminosæ_, and has only very
recently been described by Mr. Bentham, under the name of _Commilobium
polygalæflorum_: it is easily recognised at a great distance by its
numerous large panicles of lilac flowers. An essential oil, which is
contained in the fruit, is much used by the inhabitants to alleviate
the pain of the tooth-ache. A very large silk-cotton tree (_Bombax_),
entirely destitute of leaves, was also common, but on one of them I
found a few blossoms, which were of enormous size, measuring when fully
expanded about a foot and a half across; the petals were of a dark brown
colour without, but white within. Near a fazenda called Riacho d’Area,
where we stopped a day, grew a number of large palm trees, on the stems
of which I found a large fleshy-stemmed orchideous plant, a species of
_Cyrtopodium_, which produced flowering stems about four feet high,
terminating in a large panicle of flowers, with brown blotches on an
orange ground, and smelling sweetly like wall-flower.
In marshy bushy places on this journey I saw many plants of the _Vanilla
planifolia_, seldom bearing flowers, and more rarely producing fruit.
It has now been satisfactorily determined, that this is the species
from which the true Vanilla of commerce is procured. In Mexico it is
extensively cultivated for the sake of its fruit, which it yields
abundantly; while the plants which have been introduced into the East
Indies, and the hot-houses of Europe, though they have frequently
produced flowers, have very seldom perfected their fruit. Dr. Morren
of Liège was the first to study attentively the natural history of
this plant, and to prove experimentally that the fruit of the Vanilla
may be as freely produced in our hot-houses as it is in Mexico. He has
discovered that from some peculiarities in the reproductive organs of
this plant, artificial fecundation is required. In the year 1836, a
plant in one of the hot-houses in the botanic garden at Liège produced
fifty-four flowers, which having been artificially fecundated, exhibited
the same number of pods, quite equal to those imported from Mexico; and
in 1837, a fresh crop of about a hundred pods was obtained upon another
plant by the same method. He attributes the fecundation of the plant
in Mexico to the action of some insect which frequents the flower; and
hence accounts for the non-production of fruit in those plants, which
have been removed to other countries. There can be no doubt that this
plant is as perfectly indigenous to Brazil, as it is to Mexico; but it
is no less certain that its fruit is there seldom matured. Is this also
to be attributed to the absence of the means by which nature is supposed
to effect fecundation in Mexico? This is a subject which, as Professor
Morren justly observes, well deserves attention in a commercial point
of view, since his experiments go to prove, that in all intertropical
countries, vanilla might be cultivated, and a great abundance of fruit
obtained.[9]
The country in which we were travelling, is much infested by the Onça
of the inhabitants, the _Felis onca_ of Linnæus, which is also known
by the name of Jaguar. In our encampments, we used to hear them night
after night roaring at some distance, but they never came near enough
to be seen. The night we remained at Riacho d’Area, we were prevented
from sleeping during the early part of it, by the loud roaring of one of
these animals, which was so distinct and audible that it appeared to be
within a short distance; but the fazendeiro, who was more accustomed to
the sound, assured me it was at least half a league distant, and from its
noise he supposed it to be a very large male; its roar was more like the
growl of an angry dog, which generally continued for a quarter of an hour
at a time, when it terminated by a sound, two or three times repeated,
not unlike the smothered bark of a large mastiff. The dogs belonging to
the fazenda were on the alert and barking, but none of them offered to
leave the house. My horses which were feeding at a little distance, came
closer to us, when they heard the almost unearthly sounds produced by
the fierce inhabitant of the forests; even those I had brought from the
coast, and which I am certain had never been exposed to the attacks of
these animals, followed the example of the others.
The Fazenda de Saco do Tanque is situated immediately on the boundary
line between the province of Piauhy, and the south-west portion of that
of Pernambuco, which is known by the name of the district of the Rio
Preto. Shortly after entering this district, we reached an elevated
table-land called the Serra da Batalha, which it was necessary to cross;
it is about the height of the Serra de Araripe at Crato, and like it,
is covered with an ever-verdant vegetation. The ascent is a very rugged
one, consisting of large blocks of coarse white sandstone, of which the
Serra appeared to be composed. At the foot of this Serra, and on the
ascent itself, I made one of the finest collections of plants I had met
with since leaving Oeiras. In moist sandy places at its foot grow some
of those beautiful large-flowered small-leaved _Melastomaceæ_ which
are so abundant in the gold and diamond districts; while on the more
elevated sandy tracts I found immense quantities of a kind of nutmeg
(_Myristica_), which does not grow more than three feet high. The trees
on the Chapada itself consisted chiefly of the Cashew, Piki, Jatobá,
Mangába, Sicupíra, _Gomphia hexasperma_, and an arboreous _Bignonia_;
but intermingled with these, there were many beautiful trees and shrubs,
which I had not before met with.
After crossing the Chapada which is three leagues in breadth, the descent
is very gradual, and ultimately merges into a marshy plain abounding in
Buriti palms. The whole country here bore a very different aspect from
that which we had left behind us, the vegetation being fresh and verdant,
which was a great relief to the eye, after having been so long accustomed
to leafless trees, and a bare soil of red clay. The woods were all
evergreen, and between the clusters of noble Buriti palms and the wooded
parts of the country, there were large open marshy Campos covered with
grass, and other herbaceous vegetation common to marshy tracts.
We were now in a country much infested by the incursions of wild Indians,
and many of the more solitary habitations had, some time before our
arrival, been abandoned by their possessors on that account. After riding
about half a mile along the side of the first open tract we came to,
we reached one of these deserted dwellings, and a little beyond it, we
put up in another also uninhabited. At Saco do Tanque, we were informed
that these houses had been abandoned in consequence of an attack which
the Indians had made on another, a few months before, a league or two
to the westward, when all the inhabitants were put to death. As I had
many of my recent collections to put in order, and as this appeared a
favourable spot for botanizing, I remained here a day. There was also
good pasture for the horses, and they, as well as ourselves, had need of
rest. I was not disappointed in the few short rambles which I took in the
neighbourhood, as I met with several remarkable plants, quite different
from any I had before seen; among these were an _Eryngium_, a _Jussiæa_,
which formed a small tree about twenty feet high, a tree-fern, the only
one I had seen since I left Crato, and a few curious _Eriocaulons_ from
the marshes. In the deserted house in which we took up our quarters, we
were dreadfully annoyed both by musquitos and chigoes (_Bich de Pé_).
Leaving Batalha, the name of the place at which we were encamped, a
journey of three long leagues brought us to the fazenda of Santa Rosa.
We had not gone far when we had to ascend another Serra, but lower than
that of Batalha, the top of which forms a Chapada about a league broad.
Having crossed this, a very slight ascent brought us to the top of a
third elevated plane, called the Serra do Mato Grosso, from the dense
forest with which it is covered. These three Serras may more correctly
be considered as one great one, than as distinct ranges, since we found
the descent from the last about equal in height to the ascent of the
first, and both much greater than the intermediate ones; the south side
also, like the north, was covered with large blocks of sandstone. We
now entered the valley of Santa Rosa, which tends southward for about
a league and a half; in the middle of this runs a small stream of the
most limpid water I have ever seen, and on each side of it grows a strip
of tall and beautiful Buriti palms, affording food and shelter to vast
numbers of the three kinds of Maccaw already described. Near the top of
the valley there is a large lake, and another about the middle of it,
fed by the small stream, partly surrounded by the Buriti, and partly
by a much smaller palm, which very much resembles it, but its stem is
thickly covered by long sharp spines; this, which I afterwards found to
be very common in the marshy Campos of the province of Goyaz, is called
Buritizana. This beautiful valley is about a league broad at its widest
part, where the fazenda of the same name is situated, and is bounded on
the north-west side by the Serra do Livramento, about equal in height
with the Serra do Mato Grosso, which bounds it on the north-east side.
Shortly before we reached the descent of the Serra, the great variety of
new plants which I found growing there, caused me to linger far behind
the troop, but as this was very frequently the case, the men took no
notice of it. I did not often keep one of them with me, as my eye, from
long practice, had become well acquainted with the track of the troop,
from the appearance of the horses’ and the men’s foot-marks; and here,
moreover, the road had been so long free from travellers, that there
seemed no chance of any mistake occurring. In this, however, I was
deceived, for although I traced them to the lower part of the upper
lake, where the ground was very soft, and much trodden by the cattle and
horses that came there to drink; beyond this muddy tract, which was of
considerable size, I could not trace the foot-marks of my troop, although
I spent a long time in trying to do so. It is well understood among
travellers in these desert parts of Brazil, that if one of the party
should by any chance remain behind, and be unable to find the track of
his companions, he is to remain in the neighbourhood of the spot where
he first lost it, so that he may the more readily be found by those who
return to look for him. Acting upon this, and feeling certain that before
night some one of my party would be sent in search of me, I returned to
the foot of the Serra, and, under some shady trees by the road-side,
dismounted, and tying the fore-legs of my horse with the bridle, so that
he might feed, and not stray, I sat down under one of the trees to study
attentively the plants which I had collected during my morning’s ride. My
only fear was lest any of the wandering tribes of Indians, who were known
to be in the neighbouring woods, should happen to come across me, for in
consequence of the persecution they have received from the Brazilians,
they consider every white man they encounter lawful game to shoot at and
destroy. It was not till late in the afternoon that Mr. Walker, finding I
did not make my appearance, sent one of the men to look for me; and when
we returned to the place where I had been unable to follow the track, I
found they had passed over to the other side of the lake by a very narrow
path, which was completely covered over with long grass.
Finding the proprietor of the fazenda of Santa Rosa, Senhor Antonio Jozé
de Guimerãens, very civil and obliging, I determined to remain there
for some days, to make the necessary arrangements for entering upon a
journey of upwards of forty leagues through an entirely uninhabited
country. My collections made between Parnaguá and Santa Rosa, were to be
arranged and packed up, and it was with considerable difficulty that I
could find an additional horse to purchase. Our host had not one to part
with that would answer my purpose, but he kindly accompanied Mr. Walker
to a fazenda about five leagues distant, and assisted him in procuring
one. Our provision boxes also required to be replenished, and for this
purpose an ox was purchased, and its flesh prepared by drying in the
sun. No farinha was to be had at Santa Rosa, but our host went himself
to another fazenda about four leagues to the eastward, and bought me a
load. We could not, however, purchase the hide boxes which were necessary
for carrying my collections; these we were obliged to make ourselves,
under the superintendence of Mr. Walker, who was very expert in all
that related to the equipment of the troop. During the twelve days that
we found it necessary to remain at this place, I lost no opportunity
of adding to my collections, by excursions in the neighbourhood, but
particularly to the Serras which form the boundaries of the valley. One
of the finest trees I ever remember to have seen standing alone, grew by
the side of, a small brook which flowed at a little distance from the
house; it was a species of _Qualea_, with a clean straight stem about one
hundred feet in height, on which it supported a wide-spreading top of
branches; as it came into flower shortly after our arrival, and as there
was no other way of obtaining specimens than by cutting the tree down,
Senhor Guimerãens himself proposed to do so, as soon as he knew I wished
to possess a few specimens. After about two hours’ labour on the part
of himself and two of my men, this fine tree, which I was sorry to see
destroyed, came to the ground with a tremendous crash.
It was on the morning of the 21st of September that we left Santa Rosa,
and a journey of nearly three leagues brought us to the north bank of the
Rio Preto, a stream which gives origin to the name of the district, and
which takes its rise on the eastern side of the Serra do Duro, and falls
into the Rio de San Francisco, a little above Villa da Barra. Following
the course of this river downwards for about a quarter of a mile, we
arrived at the ferry which leads to the fazenda of Santa Maria, which
stands on the opposite side. At this place the river is about thirty
yards broad, is very deep and the current is very rapid; at a distance,
the water appears black as ink, and from this circumstance it takes its
name, but when close to it the water is so clear, that the bottom can be
seen at a great depth; we could also see that it was inhabited by numbers
of fine fish. Our luggage was taken over by an old Indian in a canoe,
which was so small that only one horse-load could be transported at a
time. We took up our mid-day quarters under the wide-spreading branches
of a large Cashew tree, but the shade which this kind of tree yields,
does not shelter well from the rays of the sun, as it is never very
thickly covered with leaves. We all bathed in the waters of the beautiful
stream, and rejoiced that for several days to come, we should still have
this enjoyment, as our route to the westward lay along its margin. There
is nothing so refreshing to the traveller in a tropical climate, as
frequent ablution in cold water. We were not far from the house on which
the outrage I have before mentioned was committed by the Indians; the
attack was made during the day, while the men were absent in the fields,
and after burning the house, and killing three women, they carried
off two children. The people at Santa Maria informed me they lived in
constant dread of the Indians, and that they had serious intentions of
removing to a more populous district. These Indians live generally at a
considerable distance to the north-west, only extending their excursions
into this neighbourhood when in pursuit of game, and are known by the
name of Cherentes. It is supposed this attack originated in consequence
of one of the Indians having been fired at, and wounded by mistake, who
in revenge had, with the assistance of some of his countrymen, committed
the outrage above mentioned.
The desolate tract of country, upwards of forty leagues in breadth,
which we were now about to cross, in order to reach the province of
Goyaz, is called by the people of the country Os Geräes. It is seldom
traversed except by drovers, who take cattle from the north of Goyaz to
Bahia. There is, however, a path through it, and the mulatto I engaged at
Parnaguá, having once traversed it, was to act as our guide. From him I
learned that there was only one habitation to be met with, a small hut,
occasionally occupied by an old man, half Indian, half Portuguese; but
this was of no importance to me, as I had laid in a sufficient stock of
provisions for our journey. The stories he told of the Indians, alarmed
my party very much; and I was in consequence obliged to get all my arms
put in order, so as to make as formidable an appearance as possible. I
carried a small brace of pocket pistols besides those in my holsters,
and had a large sword-knife in my belt. Mr. Walker, besides the usual
dagger-knife of the Brazilians, carried a small sword; and the men were
each armed with a gun; happily we had no occasion to make use of our
weapons. The country people have all a great dread of this wild and
uninhabited tract, and before entering it I was often asked if I was not
afraid to do so with so few attendants. Their own fear is, I believe,
greatly owing to their cowardice, a very common feeling in all parts
of the country I have visited. My mind was too much occupied with the
anticipations of the rich harvest of novelties I expected to meet with,
to think much of these dangers; the whole country I had gone over since I
had left the coast at Aracaty was virgin ground to the naturalist, with
the exception of Oeiras, which was passed through by Spix and Martius on
their journey from Bahia to Maranham.
We entered the Geräes on the afternoon of the same day we arrived at
Santa Maria, but the first part of our journey was far from auspicious.
Our route was westward along the banks of the Rio Preto, which was lined
with Buriti and Buritizana palms, and numerous flowering shrubs. After
we had gone about two leagues, the sky to the westward became very
black, and shortly afterwards distant thunder was heard. We halted by
the side of the river under some large trees, but before we could get
a shelter arranged the storm reached us. The lightning was very vivid,
the thunder loud, and the rain came pouring down in torrents; by fixing
up two large hides to the branches above us, they afforded a tolerable
shelter. As soon as the storm passed over we enlarged our house, so as
to have a place of refuge in case it should return, and it was well we
did so, for having slung our hammocks as usual between the trees, we
were aroused about midnight by a loud peal of thunder which broke right
over our heads, and as the rain fell heavily we were obliged to take
refuge in our house of hides. I thought there was something more awful
in this storm than in any I had ever experienced, but this feeling was
perhaps augmented by the solitude in which we found ourselves. It may be
asked why I did not take a tent with me? I might have done so, but in
travelling, I made it a rule to conform to the habits of the country,
and in the north of Brazil no one ever thinks of carrying a tent. Long
journeys are always avoided in the rainy season, and as the dry season
generally lasts more than seven months, that period is always selected
for this purpose. These thunder storms are invariably the precursors to
the setting in of the heavy continual rains, but we hoped before that
time to reach some town in the north of the province of Goyaz, where we
might halt till the proper season for travelling would again come round.
On the second day we made a journey of about six leagues; sometimes our
route led through dense forests by the side of the river, at other times
through open grassy meadows in which grew clusters of the Buriti palms,
and at intervals over slightly elevated flat tracts, covered with low
bushes, and abundance of a large grotesque-looking tree Lily (_Vellozia_)
on which I vainly looked for flowers, as they are only produced in the
dry season. We halted during the middle of the day, but only for a short
time, at a rude hut of palm leaves, which had been erected by some
previous traveller, by the wooded margin of a beautiful grassy meadow
about a quarter of a mile square. Late in the afternoon the sky to the
westward began to assume a lowering aspect, and shortly presented all
the appearance of an approaching thunder storm. We pushed on as quickly
as the nature of the road would allow, as our guide assured us we were
not far distant from the habitation of an old Indian. The lightning
soon commenced, and the rolling of thunder was heard in the distance;
gradually it came nearer to us, and the western sky from the horizon to
the zenith was from time to time filled with one sheet of bluish flame,
which, while it lasted, rendered the close of the twilight almost as
bright as day. Thanks to our good fortune, the storm did not then reach
us, having been diverted to the northward: passing over a high Serra
which lay in that direction, it again altered its course, and followed
fast upon our heels. It was quite dark when we arrived at the solitary
dwelling, and when I rode to the little gate in front of it, the owner
came out with a gun in his hand. He immediately granted us permission to
take shelter for the night in an open shed, and as soon as the luggage
had been arranged in it, and a few large skins had been hung up on the
weather side, the storm broke over the hut in all its fury, accompanied
by a gale of wind which quickly extinguished our lights, and we had
reason to be thankful that the whole building was not carried away before
it: uncomfortable as the place was, we rejoiced in having even such
shelter as it afforded.
The old man informed me that he lived in constant fear of an attack from
the Cherentes. He had been in this solitary place for three years, but
had now made up his mind to leave it in the course of a few months. His
wife had been dead about a year, and he and three little children were
the only inhabitants of the place. He had two houses, the best of which
was at one end of the shed in which we were stowed, but he had never
lived in it; the reason he assigned was, that the Indians when they
attack a house, immediately set fire to it, and surround it, so that no
one may escape. The hut in which he resided was at some distance from
the other, and in appearance was but little better than a pig-sty, but
he said that in case of an attack, he could very easily make his escape
from it to the woods. He had a very small piece of ground cleared by the
side of the river, in which grew some mandiocca, Indian corn, cotton,
and bananas. He possessed no cattle of his own, but I was afterwards
informed that he was very expert in stealing oxen, from the droves which
occasionally pass on their way to the coast.
Three days after we left this habitation, we arrived at a place where
the Rio Preto divides the Province of Pernambuco from that of Goyaz.
The country we passed through was very similar to the first part of the
Geräes, with the exception of the last four leagues of our journey
which lay through an undulating elevated region destitute of arboreous
vegetation; the soil was of a white sandy nature, thinly covered with
dwarf shrubs, and small dry tufts of grass: it was only here and there
that a small stunted tree made its appearance among the bushes: as we
approached the river, however, the country became more flat and better
wooded. Notwithstanding the arid nature of this tract, its scanty
vegetation was, with few exceptions, quite new to me. The moister sandy
places afforded me several of those curious _Eriocaulons_, of which so
many exist in my collections, one of these, which I found shortly before
we reached the river, was a large branched species about five feet in
height; these remarkable forms I afterwards met with in great abundance
in the Diamond District, which is the great centre of the _Eriocaulons_,
as it is of the _Vellozias_, or tree-lily tribe. The river we here found
to be about forty feet broad, and not less than from sixteen to twenty
feet in depth; the current was still rapid, and the water so limpid,
that the bottom could be seen quite distinctly. Several large Buriti
palms grow on its banks, and the bridge by which we crossed, was one of
these trees cut down, so as to fall across the stream. It was not without
considerable trouble, that we got all our luggage taken to the other
side, which when accomplished, the horses were swum over a little further
up the river. At about two hundred yards from its banks we encamped under
a large Myrtle tree (_Myrica_), where we remained a day, for I found it
to be an excellent place for my researches. In a marsh by the side of
the river, I collected specimens of an _Isoetes_, which does not appear
to differ from the one (_Isoetes lacustris_, Linn.) which grows in Great
Britain. The sight of this plant recalled pleasing recollections of long
past times, and I could not refrain from indulging in a lengthened train
of reflections, which ended by comparing it with myself—a stranger in a
strange land, and associated with still stranger companions.
Our next journey, which was one of four long leagues, through an arid,
undulating, sandy, thinly-wooded country, brought us to the foot of
the Chapada da Mangabeira, an elevated level table-land, nearly forty
miles broad. On this journey we were dreadfully scorched by a burning
sun; not a breath of wind was to be felt, and we all suffered very much
from thirst, as not a drop of water was to be met with, and the men had
neglected to fill the large leathern bag (boracho) before we started.
Shortly after leaving Oeiras, I was obliged to provide myself with
one of these necessary articles; it held about two gallons, and when
full, was carried between the two side loads of one of the horses. We
encamped beneath a large Piki tree, not far from a spring of cool clear
water which emptied itself into a large morass. As this is the last
watering-place to be met with till the Chapada is crossed, the usual way
of proceeding is to leave it about mid-day, and push on without stopping
till half of the distance has been performed; and by leaving again early
on the following morning, the next watering-place may be gained in the
forenoon.
On the day succeeding that on which we arrived at the foot of the
Chapada, we started to cross it about one o’clock in the afternoon. The
horses were previously allowed to drink freely, and I took care that the
leathern bag was not neglected this time. After travelling about half
a league, we entered by a gradual ascent upon the Chapada, and at the
same time were overtaken by a thunder storm, which, however, passed over
without wetting us much. After a journey of five leagues, we arrived at
a place where there are a few small trees, and under them we halted for
the night. Tor the first league and a half, the Chapada was thinly-wooded
with small trees, which became gradually smaller and thinner, till at
last not one was to be seen; only a few stunted shrubs, from a foot to
a foot and a half high, exist on this barren spot; and the only living
thing we saw, was a kind of locust, about two inches long, which rose in
clouds before the horses. Many skeletons of horses and oxen lay on both
sides of the path no doubt the remains of animals which on crossing this
desert tract, had become exhausted, and died from want of water. After
the thunder storm passed over, the sky became clear and unclouded and the
sunset was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, its splendour, and
the ocean-like plain over which we were travelling, reminded me of those
I have so often seen at sea, between the tropics. The atmosphere, too,
was delightfully cool, and heavily laden with the rich perfume of one of
the small shrubs then in flower, which grew in the greatest profusion;
this shrub, which I afterwards found to be the _Spiranthera odoratissima_
of St. Hilaire, grows in small clusters, and bears large corymbs of
pure white flowers larger than those of the honeysuckle, but not unlike
them in shape, although their odour more resembles that of the Jasmine.
Shortly after we reached our resting-place, the sky again became clouded
towards the west, and there was much lightning, which made us fear
another storm. As usual, we slung our hammocks between the trees, and,
contrary to our expectations, passed the night without rain.
We resumed our journey again as early as possible after daybreak, and
having accomplished five leagues more, the greater part of which was
along one of the worst roads we had yet encountered, we halted under some
large trees close to a marsh, on the south-west side of the Chapada.
At about half a league from where we slept, the descent of the Chapada
begins, and from thence a fine view of a large plain below is obtained,
which is almost entirely surrounded by a chain of low hills, several of
which to the south are of a conical form; the descent is very rocky,
and on both sides of the road stand a great many isolated columnar and
wall-like portions, which give the traveller the idea that he is passing
through the ruins of a large city, destroyed by some great catastrophe.
The rock is a conglomerate, and as many of the rounded stones of which
it is composed are of considerable size, this resemblance becomes the
more striking. This side of the Chapada is entirely composed of a coarse
sandstone, which in some places is much softer than in others, and the
ruin-like portions have, no doubt, been formed by the disintegration of
those of a softer texture. On the descent, we had often to dismount and
lead our horses; one of the pack-horses fell, and rolled over several
times before he could regain a footing. As soon as we reached the marsh,
the horses rushed into the water to quench their thirst, before they
could be unloaded, and although it was still early in the day when we
arrived, I determined to remain here till the following morning, so that
they might rest. The evening was again cloudy, with thunder and lightning
in the distance, which induced us to construct our huts of skins, that we
might be sheltered in case of rain; but none, however, fell.
Early on the following morning, we started with the intention of going
direct to Duro, an Indian mission about four leagues distant, but when
we were within about a league of it, we entered upon a wrong road, and
had gone nearly two leagues, before the man who acted as our guide,
discovered his mistake; it being then about the middle of the day, we
halted to take breakfast under the shade of a large _Vochysia_, which
overhung a spring of limpid water; but we had no sooner taken possession
of this spot, than our right to it was called in question by some
thousands of a small bee, not so large as a common house-fly; they came
buzzing about in all directions, from the hollow stem of the large tree
in which they had their habitation; they had no sting, but they annoyed
us very much, by flying about the face, and getting entangled in the
hair. After kindling a large fire, they soon became less troublesome;
the only one of our party who seemed to be much alarmed at them, was my
little monkey, who when they came swarming about his head, covered it
with his hands, and screaming fearfully, leaped upon me, and hid himself
under my jacket.
The country over which we passed before reaching this place, is of an
undulating character, consisting generally of large open campos, the soil
of which is principally a white sand, and being but scantily covered
with herbaceous vegetation, the glare caused by the bright sun-shine was
very fatiguing to the eyes. On these campos, as well as on the Chapada
da Mangabeira, a dwarf cashew is very abundant, growing gregariously,
and not more than a foot high; I found it both in flower and in fruit,
but the latter is not much larger than a gooseberry. It seems to be
distinct from the arboreous species, and is called by the Brazilians
Cajú rasteiro. Although the hilly parts of the country are dry, and have
an arid look, the little hollows or valleys which intersect them, have
always a small stream of clear and cool water flowing through them, and
are generally well wooded. About half a mile from the Aldea of Duro, we
overtook an Indian who was returning from the woods, and who conducted
us to the house of one of their two captains, of whom we made enquiries
about a house to put up in, but he knew of none. After some time, we
were permitted to occupy one not yet finished, being open all round, but
well roofed; by means of some hides, we, however, contrived to render it
somewhat comfortable. As I found it necessary to remain here for several
days, I was well pleased to have the use of this habitation, as it was
not safe to trust ourselves in the open air, now that the rains were
setting in.
The mission of Duro is situated on the Serra of the same name, upon a low
flat hill, round the western base of which, flows a small stream, called
the Riacho de Sucuriú, which at all seasons, supplies the inhabitants
with abundance of excellent water. The Aldea itself contains about twenty
houses, all of which are of the most miserable description; the greater
part of them are entirely made of a frame-work of poles covered over with
palm-leaves, and many of them are so much decayed from the united effects
of time and weather, that they no longer form a barrier against wind or
rain; others, which are built of wicker-work and clay, are scarcely in a
better condition. They are so arranged as to form an irregular square,
but two of the sides still remain nearly open; on the west side, there
is a small church almost in ruins, with a beautiful large Genipapo tree
in front. The mission contains in all twelve square leagues of country,
being the grant made to it at its original formation by the Jesuits,
and over this space, there are scattered twenty or thirty other houses.
The entire population, at the time of my visit, amounted to about 250
souls; although the greater part of them are of pure Indian breed, some
of them have mixed with the blacks, who from time to time, have taken
up their residence among them, many of these have been runaway slaves.
It is very easy, however, to recognise the pure Indian, by his reddish
colour, long straight hair, high cheek bones, and the peculiar obliquity
of his eyes. Notwithstanding that the present race has been brought up
in a comparative state of civilization, they still retain many of the
characteristics of the savage state. A few of the more respectable of
them dress in the same manner as the Brazilians of the Sertão, viz., in
a short pair of cotton drawers, with a shirt of the same stuff hanging
loose over them; others make use of the drawers only, which are generally
far from being clean, and are made of a very coarse kind of stuff wrought
by the women. The dress of the latter is also very simple; a few wear a
chemise, and petticoat made of printed calico, but by far the greater
number have only a petticoat of the same coarse material that the men
wear, tied round their middle, all above which is bare. The girls run
about quite naked till they are nine or ten years of age, and the boys
till they are from twelve to fourteen. Some of the young girls have very
pleasing countenances, which, however, they do not long retain, judging
from the looks of the older women.
Although both the soil and climate of the mission are well adapted
for the cultivation of the various productions of the tropics, the
inhabitants are so indolent, that they are generally in a state of
starvation; I could procure neither farinha de mandiocca, rice, yams,
sweet potatoes, plantains, nor bananas, and when we arrived, our stock
of beef being quite exhausted, it was with the greatest difficulty I
succeeded in purchasing a cow. All the cattle which exist in the mission
amount only to about forty, and these belong to two individuals. They
possess altogether only seventeen horses. The principal part of the food
of these people is of a vegetable nature, consisting of wild fruits which
they obtain from the woods, such as the nuts of different kinds of palms,
the fruit of the Pika, Pusá, Mangába, Jatobá, Pitomba, Guava, Araçá,
&c. At the season we were among them, the principal fruit they made use
of, was a kind of palm nut, about an inch and a half long, which they
called Shódó. They first cut the fleshy substance, which corresponds
with the fibrous portion of the cocoa-nut, and a large stone which is
generally placed at the door, is used for breaking the nut upon, in
order to procure the substance within. Numbers of these Indians used to
start early in the morning, being roused by a kind of drum, and go to
the woods to the westward to collect these nuts, and during the day
nothing was to be heard in the Aldea, but the breaking of them between
the two stones. The little animal food they do eat, is procured by
hunting, and this is an occupation which the young men are much fonder
of, than working in a plantation. A few days after we arrived, thirteen
or fourteen of them set off on a hunting excursion to the other side
of the Chapada da Mangabeira, and after an absence of eight days, they
returned well loaded with the flesh of deer, and of the large kind of
Peccary (Queixado), in a half-roasted state, this being the plan they
make use of, for preserving it for a few days, having no salt for curing
it. On their return to the Aldea, this spoil was divided among their
friends; it was all immediately devoured without salt or any kind of
vegetable, except a few small capsicums. On the following day, scarcely
an Indian was to be seen stirring abroad; like the boa constrictor, they
were sleeping away the effects of their over-dose of food. When our cow
was killed, I was fearful we should not be allowed to keep any of it
to ourselves; for one came begging the head, another the feet, a third
the liver, and so on, with all the internal parts; and when these were
exhausted, they even began to ask for pieces of the beef itself.
Till within the last ten years, they had a resident priest among them,
but since that period, they have been without any; once a year, they
have a few days’ visit from one residing in the Villa de Natividade,
thirty leagues distant, where their marriages are celebrated, and their
children baptized. There is no school in the Aldea, and the only persons
who can read and write are the two captains, one of whom is a man about
forty years of age; the other, who is called Luiz Francisco Pinto, was
then in his seventy-fourth year, and from him I obtained nearly all my
information regarding the mission. His wife, who was nearly as old as
himself, was confined to bed from dropsy; I visited her frequently during
our stay, prescribing such medicines as I thought would be of service to
her; but what she most enjoyed, was a small basin of tea which I sent
her morning and evening. Part of the wall of the apartment in which she
was lying had fallen in, but an attempt had been made to keep out the
wind and rain, by placing a few palm leaves in the aperture. All the
inhabitants speak Portuguese, but many of them still keep up the language
of their forefathers.
By the old captain I was informed that the mission was established in
the year 1730, by a Lieut. Colonel Wencisläo Gomez, who came up with
troops from Pernambuco, and conquered the Coroá nation of Indians, being
that from which the present race is descended; at that time they formed
three Aldeas, and amounted in all to about 1,000 individuals. These three
Aldeas were united to form the present one, Duro, which place is called
in their own language Ropechedy, signifying beautiful situation, a title
which it well merits. Here also I found that the inhabitants lived in
constant fear of the Cherente Indians, who inhabit the woods on the banks
of the Rio Tocantins to the north-west of Duro. These Indians have made
several attacks on the mission, but the occasion on which they committed
the greatest havock, was in the year 1789, when a body of them amounting
to upwards of two hundred, surrounded the Aldea one morning about ten
o’clock, and before evening had burned all the houses in the outskirts
of the Aldea, and killed about forty persons, including men, women, and
children. They also carried away four children, two of whom were nephews
of the old captain. The inhabitants of the Aldea kept up a constant fire
upon the Cherentes, but they could not tell how many of them were killed,
as they took all their dead with them when they left.
On several nights, during our stay at the Mission, fires were seen on
the Serras at no great distance, and one day, as one of the inhabitants
was returning from the woods, he saw an Indian, armed with his bow
and arrows, cross the path before him. These circumstances caused the
inhabitants to dread another attack, and they were but poorly prepared to
meet it. Formerly they used to have a supply of arms and ammunition sent
to them every year by the government, but for many years past, these had
not been furnished to them, and the old ones were nearly worn out. In
cases of necessity, the government can call upon the captains to take
the field with their men, and each can raise about forty, able to carry
arms. A few of these Indians have guns of their own, which they use in
hunting, and their powder is a coarse kind, manufactured by themselves.
Some of the shopkeepers in the towns to the south-west, every year go
down by the Rio Tocantins to Pará to sell hides and purchase European
goods; very frequently some of the young men belonging to Duro hire
themselves to work the canoes, and with the money which they receive for
their services, purchase at Pará axes and other iron tools; a party of
them returned from one of these trips during our visit.
During the fortnight we remained in the Aldea do Duro, I was principally
occupied in drying the immense collection of specimens obtained in
the latter part of the journey across the Geräes and the Chapada da
Mangabeira, and in packing up all those which had been procured between
Santa Rosa and Duro. I also made many excursions in the neighbourhood of
the Aldea, and notwithstanding it was then the end of the dry season, I
found it an excellent field for my researches. The sandy marshes yielded
me many curious _Eriocaulons_, and beautiful _Melastomaceæ_; while the
upland campos produced several species of _Diplusodon_, many _Compositæ_,
_Labiatæ_, &c.; but the most common, as well as the most beautiful
of the productions of the campos, were a small _Bignonia_ growing in
tufts, and scarcely a foot high, bearing numerous large lemon-coloured
trumpet-shaped flowers, an _Ipomæa_, similar in habit and about the same
size, producing large violet-coloured blossoms (_Ipomæa hirsutissima_,
Gardn.) and two erect kinds of _Echites_:[10] in dry rocky places
_Amaryllis Solandræflora_, Lindl., was very common, producing abundantly
its large yellow flowers.
We left Duro on the thirteenth of October, and slept at the house of
one of the Indians, about two leagues distant from the Aldea: the owner
of it, hearing on what day I was to leave, arrived the night before,
and begged of me to call at his house, which was but a little way off
the road, to see his wife who had been blind for some years, and was
then suffering from ophthalmia. I, of course, could not refuse his
request, and the poor fellow tried to make us as comfortable as his
miserable residence would allow. This place was called Cachoeira, from a
small waterfall near it; the high undulating hills which surrounded the
valley in which the house stood, gave it a very picturesque appearance.
There were two other houses at a short distance from that in which we
slept, and although they are surrounded by the finest possible grounds
for plantations, the three families have but one small spot planted
with mandiocca, which seemed to be the only article they cultivate.
Although there were abundant pastures in the neighbourhood, not one of
them possessed a single cow, and their excuse for not having one, was
the trouble it would give them to make a fence round their plantation;
rather than do any manual labour of that kind, they prefer lounging
about the house in a state of idleness, or going out in the woods with
their gun and axe, in search of game and wild honey. Our farinha being
nearly exhausted, I enquired whether any was to be had at this place,
but they had none, nor would they have a supply for a month to come, as
the mandiocca was not yet ripe; fortunately a young man passed in the
evening with a very small quantity which he at first refused to sell, as
he was taking it to a neighbour in return for some he had borrowed; he
consented, however, to let me have half of it, on condition of receiving
dried beef in exchange, which, as we had then plenty, I agreed to.
On the journey from Duro to this place, we traversed a beautiful country
of hill and dale, much of it being thinly wooded; some of the more open
upland fields, owing to the recent rains, were covered with new grass
about a foot high, on which no animals fed, excepting a few wild deer. It
is a general custom among the cattle farmers, to burn the pastures at the
end of the dry season, in order that the new grass may spring up rapidly
on the setting in of the rains; this is also done by the inhabitants of
the mission, but with the view to keep their hunting grounds more open,
and encourage the visits of deer. It seems probable, that at no very
distant period the whole of this district, and much of the country that
lies to the east and north-west, will be converted into large cattle
farms, as it is well calculated for the rearing of cattle, owing to the
mildness of the climate, and the abundance of grass and water which
exists here all the year round.
The rain prevented our leaving Cachoeira on the following day till two
o’clock in the afternoon, when after a journey of two leagues, we arrived
at the house of the Juiz de Paz of Duro; on account of the bad state of
the roads it was dusk before we accomplished this distance. The first
league and a half of our journey was over a hilly rocky country, when we
began to descend the Serra do Duro, and shortly afterwards entered upon
a flat rather thickly-wooded tract. It is at the foot of the Serra that
the mission of Duro terminates, and about half a mile from it stands
the house in which the Juiz de Paz resided; it was exceedingly small,
and as the outer room, that generally given to travellers, would not
conveniently hold us, he told me we should find much better accommodation
at the house of a relation of his, who lived about a gunshot distant, and
he kindly accompanied us thither. On reaching it, we found half a dozen
Indians, sitting round a fire under a verandah in front of the house, and
superintending the cooking of their supper in a large pot. While we were
arranging our trunks against the wall, the master of the house begged
of us to wait till the men had taken out their beds, when each came and
carried his away, which however consisted of nothing more than half a
cow’s hide; they sleep here as in the Aldea, stretching the hide in a
corner, on which they lie without taking off their clothes; I saw no one
make use of a hammock.
A journey of three leagues from the residence of the Juiz de Paz, through
a flat thinly-wooded country, almost destitute of herbaceous vegetation,
(no rains having as yet fallen in this quarter,) brought us to a fazenda,
situated on the banks of the Rio de Manoel Alvez, a large stream which
takes its rise in the Serra do Duro, to the north of the Aldea, and falls
into the Rio Tocantins. At this fazenda we were informed, that as the
river had risen considerably, it would be impossible for our horses to
cross with their loads; and the canoe used for ferrying over passengers
and luggage, had been carried away by the floods of the previous season,
circumstances which rendered it necessary to have everything transported
across the river on men’s heads. At the fazenda I engaged a negro and
a mulatto, to assist my own men in this operation; the ferry was about
a mile further down; here the river is about forty yards broad and the
current very strong, in consequence of a rapid which exists a little
further below. When the two men, who both were tall and strong, entered
with the first loads, it was with difficulty they could keep their feet,
as the water, during the greater part of the way, took them up to the
shoulders; the recompense they asked, half a dollar each, was, however,
very dearly earned, as they had each to cross the river backwards and
forwards about twelve times, which occupied more than two hours. Mr.
Walker and I attempted to cross a little above the ferry by swimming,
but the force of the current swept us both over the rapids; Mr. Walker
being carried with great force against some rocks, and it was with no
small difficulty, that he reached the opposite side below the rapid in a
state of great exhaustion. I was more fortunate, being carried down at a
place clear of rocks, where I soon regained the same bank of the river I
had just left. I returned to the ferry, where I succeeded in crossing,
being assisted by one of the men, for I was too low in stature to be
able to bear up against the current alone. After this delay we resumed
our journey, with the intention of halting during the night at a fazenda
about a league further, but finding we had still ample time, we pushed
on to a village called Almas, about two leagues to the westward, which
we reached about sunset. The country we passed after crossing the river
was nearly flat and thinly wooded, but not so much scorched up as that we
traversed in the morning.
The village of Almas is situated in a hollow, and consists of a few
irregular streets, the houses of which are low and of mean appearance,
being built of large unburned bricks, made of clay mixed with chopped
grass and dried in the sun. The number of its inhabitants amounts to
about 800, by far the greater part of whom are blacks and mulattos, and
intermixtures between these and Indians. The Juiz de Paz was a creole
negro, who could neither read nor write; he was the principal shopkeeper
in the village, and annually made a journey to Bahia to purchase goods.
The village contains a church, which is in about as ruined a condition as
that of Duro, and, in like manner, has no resident priest. Although the
neighbourhood presents abundance of excellent ground for plantations, not
one was here to be seen. Upon our arrival I fully expected to be able to
purchase some farinha, but none was to be had; it was indeed only as a
great favour that a person who came to consult me professionally, sold me
a little rice. Every one was complaining of the scarcity of provisions,
and the want of money, but not a word was said about the indolence and
idleness, which no doubt was the cause of the famine that now existed
among them. In consequence of almost incessant rains, we were obliged to
remain in the village four days.
Our first stage from Almas was to a fazenda, called Galheiro Morto, said
to be only two leagues farther, but I have no doubt its real distance
was nearly four, judging from the time we took to perform the journey.
The leagues in this part of the country have never been measured, and
as the land was originally bought by the league, it was the interest
of the purchaser to take as large a portion as he could obtain; in the
province of Piauhy, we found the leagues much longer than those of Ceará
but those of Goyaz even exceeded them. This difference is so manifest,
that they are designated as the short one (legoa pequena), and the long
one (legoa grande); the shorter league I always found to be quite long
enough, and whenever the long one was to be travelled over, I usually
calculated the time necessary for accomplishing two short ones, and,
indeed, I seldom found it required less. We halted at this place till the
afternoon, when another journey of three leagues brought us to a little
hamlet, consisting of about half a dozen houses, called Morhinos. The
owner of the house where we put up for the night, returned from the woods
shortly after our arrival, with a considerable quantity of wild honey,
some of which he kindly gave us, and we found it to be excellent; it was
the product of one of the smaller bees which are so numerous in this
part of Brazil. This was the season in which the people go to the woods
in search of honey; it is so generally used, that after leaving Duro, a
portion was presented to us at almost every house where we stopped. These
bees mostly belong to the genus _Melipona_, Illig., and I collected a
great many, which with some other zoological specimens were afterwards
lost in crossing a river. A list of them with their native names and a
few observations may not be uninteresting.
1. _Jatahy._—This is a very minute yellowish-coloured species,
being scarcely two lines long. The honey, which is excellent,
very much resembles that of the common hive-bee of Europe.
2. _Mulher branco._—About the same size as the _Jatahy_, but of
a whitish colour; the honey is likewise good, but a little acid.
3. _Tubí._—A little black bee, smaller than a common house-fly;
the honey is good, but has a peculiar and bitter flavour.
4. _Manoel d’abreu._—About the size of the _Tubí_, but of a
yellowish colour; its honey is good.
5. _Atakira._—Black, and nearly of the same size as the _Tubí_,
the principal distinction between them consisting in the kind
of entrance to their hives; the _Tubí_ makes it of wax, the
_Atakira_ of clay; its honey is very good.
6. _Oarití._—Of a blackish colour, and about the same size as
the _Tubí_; its honey is rather sour, and not good.
7. _Tataíra._—About the size of the _Tubí_, but with a yellow
body, and a black head; its honey is excellent.
8. _Mumbúco._—Black, and larger than the _Tubí_; the honey
after being kept about an hour becomes as sour as lemon juice.
9. _Bejuí._—Very like the _Tubí_, but smaller; its honey is
excellent.
10. _Tiubá._—Of the size of a large house-fly, and of a greyish
black colour; its honey is excellent.
11. _Borá._—About the size of a house-fly, and of a yellowish
colour; its honey is acid.
12. _Urussú._—About the size of a large bumble bee; the head is
black and the body yellowish; it produces good honey.
13. _Urussú preto._—Entirely black, and upwards of one inch in
length; it likewise produces good honey.
14. _Caniára._—Black, and about the same size as the _Urussú
preto_; its honey is too bitter to be eatable; it is said to be
a great thief of the honey of other bees.
15. _Chupê._—About the size of the _Tiubá_, and of a black
colour; it makes its hive of clay on the branches of trees, and
is often of a very large size; its honey is good.
16. _Urapuá._—Very like the _Chupê_, but it always builds its
hive rounder, flatter, and smaller.
17. _Enchí._—This is a kind of wasp, about the size of a
house-fly; its head is black, and the body yellow; it builds
its hive in the branches of trees; this is of a papery tissue,
about three feet in circumference; its honey is good.
18. _Enchú pequeno._—Very similar to the last, but it always
makes a smaller hive; it also produces good honey.
The first eleven of these honey-bees construct their cells in the hollow
trunks of trees, and the others, either in similar situations or beneath
the ground; it is only the last three kinds that sting, all the others
being harmless. The only attempt I ever saw to domesticate any of these
bees, was by a Cornish miner, in the Gold District, who cut off those
portions of the trunks of the trees which contained the nests, and hung
them up under the eaves of his house; they seemed to thrive very well,
but whenever the honey was wanted, it was necessary to destroy the bees.
Both the Indians and the other inhabitants of the country, are very
expert in tracing these insects to the trees in which they hive: they
generally mix the honey, which is very fluid, with farinha before they
eat it, and of the wax they make a coarse kind of taper about a yard
long, which serves in lieu of candles, and which the country people bring
to the villages for sale. We found these very convenient, and always
carried a sufficient stock with us; not unfrequently we were obliged to
manufacture them ourselves, from the wax obtained by my own men; a coarse
soft kind of cotton yam for wicks was always to be purchased at the
different fazendas and villages through which we passed.
From Morhinos we went on to the fazenda of Nossa Senhora d’Amparo, the
distance being about three leagues. It was my intention to proceed two
leagues farther, to a fazenda called Santa Cruz, on the banks of the Rio
do Peixe, there being a canoe there for crossing it; but having enquired
about the state of the river, we were informed that it was then low, and
might be forded at a place farther up, without taking off the loads,
and, moreover, save a circuit of nearly two leagues. We had yet about
a league to go before we reached this ferry, where I found the river
much smaller than that of Manoel Alvez, and shallow enough to be passed
without difficulty; but, notwithstanding this, one of the loads of dried
plants met with a sad misfortune, the horse that bore it slipped, and
fell down, just as he was emerging from the bank, when one of the boxes
dropped into the river, and before it could be extracted was filled
with water; it is only a botanist who can imagine my feelings on this
occasion, when I saw upwards of 2,000 specimens, that had cost me so
much labour to procure, completely drenched, and apparently ruined for
ever. My first care was to unpack them, and put them into dry paper, but
so many specimens were laid on every sheet, that this process had but
little effect in dissipating the moisture; I contented myself, however,
with the hope of being able next day to unpack them, and spread them out
in the sun. After the box was dried, and the plants again deposited in
it, the package was, for greater security, placed upon a stronger horse;
we had not, however, proceeded above half a league, when in crossing a
small rivulet, I had again the mortification to see the same box, as
well as another that had previously escaped this disaster, both plunged
below the water. The unlucky animal that carried them was leading the
way, when instead of entering at the right fording-place, he stumbled
into a deep hole, with a muddy bottom, and in struggling to extricate
himself, flung off both the packages. If I felt much chagrined on the
former occasion, it may be imagined what my distress was, when I saw the
hard labour of many weeks, the produce of a district hitherto unexplored
by any botanist, thus apparently consigned to ruin; all that then could
be done, was to drain the water out of the boxes, and resume our journey.
It happened most fortunately that towards evening we reached a fazenda,
where the principal article manufactured was farinha de mandiocca; and as
it rained heavily all the next day, I was glad to obtain permission to
make use of two large stoves, on which we dried, sheet by sheet, all the
specimens that had been soaked; it was, however, the most fatiguing day’s
work I ever encountered, for both Mr. Walker and myself were incessantly
occupied over the heated stoves, from six o’clock in the morning till
after midnight. In consequence of this prompt attention, the plants did
not suffer so much as I anticipated.
We remained two days at this fazenda, called Mato Virgem, having to wait
one day longer that I intended, owing to our want of farinha; the day
after our arrival they commenced the manufacture of a quantity, which
could not be got ready until the evening before we left. The place in
which it was prepared, was the apartment where we were allowed to put
up, the persons engaged in it being the mistress of the house, who
was a young mulatta, and eight slaves, four men and four women; I was
astonished to find all of them, except one man and one woman, affected
with goître; the swelling on the neck of one of the women was much larger
than her head. They assured me it was a very general complaint in this
part of the province of Goyaz, particularly in the Villas of Natividade
and Arrayas; in the Aldea of Duro, I saw only one woman affected by
it, and another in the Arraial of Almas. One of the slaves was an old
man upwards of one hundred years of age, and quite blind, but he was,
notwithstanding, occupied all day in sifting farinha; his only dress
consisted of a small dirty rag rolled round his middle; that of the
others was but little better, indeed, in no part of Brazil did I meet
with slaves so wretchedly attired as at this place. It was surprising to
me that the mistress was not ashamed to see them in such a state; but I
have no doubt, the fault was with the owner of the fazenda, who, judging
from his appearance, seemed to be an old miser.
When we left Mato Virgem it was our intention to reach a little hamlet,
called João Lopez, said to be three long leagues distant. We were told
that we should have no difficulty in getting there, as there was a
straight road to it; but we had scarcely travelled a league and a half
when we came to a place where there were two equally beaten paths, and
not knowing which to take, we chose that leading to the right, and
continuing onwards all day, through a flat thinly-wooded country, without
seeing either man or house, we arrived at a fazenda, a little before sun
down, where we were told, what I already suspected, that we had taken
the wrong road; but it was of little consequence, as it led also to
the Villa de Natividade, the place we finally intended to reach. This
fazenda, called Sociedade, belongs to Senhor Manoel José Alves Leite, a
young Portuguese, who was then Juiz de Paz of the Arraial da Chapada,
a village about a league distant. On our arrival, we were very kindly
treated by him; a fowl was immediately killed, and an excellent supper
prepared, to which we did ample justice, after our long day’s journey.
The Portuguese who settle in the country, are said by the Brazilians to
be of a mean and grasping disposition, and deficient in the sentiment of
benevolence; this may be the case with many among the great number of
the uneducated, who emigrate from Portugal to Brazil, where there is not
much inducement to the improvement of their character, but among them
there are many young men, who have received some education, and who by
their good behaviour, and closer attention to business than the proud and
indolent Brazilians, sooner acquire means of independence, which causes
them to become the objects both of their envy and dislike. I had little
opportunity of associating with the Portuguese on the coast, but in the
interior, I have met with many worthy men of that nation, who have shown
me the greatest kindness, when this has been refused by a Brazilian.
Ever since the independence of Brazil, they have been very greatly
persecuted, and whenever any political disturbance takes place, as a
necessary consequence, numbers of Portuguese are murdered, and robbed of
all they possess: there exists no fellow-feeling between the two nations.
As soon as our host became aware of my intention to remain a month or two
at Natividade, in order to give rest to my horses, he most kindly urged
me to send them to his fazenda, where he would take charge of them till
our departure; such, indeed, was the civility we experienced, that I had
no reason to regret having taken the wrong road.
Early on the following morning, the 25th of October, we left Sociedade,
and after a journey of two long leagues, reached the Villa de Natividade.
The country between these two places is flat and thinly-wooded, but on
the east side of the road, near the Villa, there is an extensive Serra,
about 2,000 feet high, which stretches from north to south. The road
passes near the base of this Serra for about half a league, and I was
astonished to see the soil, which is of a gravelly nature, dug up into
deep trenches, and at intervals the ruins of what appeared once to have
been houses. These trenches, I was informed, were old gold workings,
which had been abandoned for a long time, on account of the gold being
exhausted. The gold-workings seem to have been carried to a considerable
extent, for the entire soil, for about half a league in length, and more
than a quarter of a mile in breadth, had evidently been completely turned
over, to some depth, and the whole appeared to have undergone the process
of washing; I afterwards found that most of the country in the vicinity
of the Villa had been explored in the same manner. On our arrival, we
had no difficulty in finding an empty house for our accommodation, and
shortly afterwards; the rains set in very heavily, on which account we
were detained here upwards of three months. This, however, I did not
regret, after our long journey of considerably more than a thousand
miles, reckoned from the time we left Oeiras, from the effects of which
the horses had become much exhausted.
I must not omit to mention, that on our journey from Duro to Natividade,
we met with great abundance of a delicious wild fruit, a kind of Mangába
(_Hancornia pubescens var. Gardneri_, Alph. DC.) different from the one
that grows so abundantly in the province of Ceará and Pernambuco; the
fruit is nearly twice its size, and even more delicious. We first met
with it on the Serra do Duro, where it is called Mangába do morro, but it
is also abundant on the Chapadas, on the plain below, and like that of
the other species, this is only good to eat when ripe enough to fall from
the tree.
CHAPTER X.
NATIVIDADE TO ARRAYAS.
The Town of Natividade described—Its Population—Dress and
Manners of the People—Its Climate—Diseases—Goître extremely
prevalent—Excursion to the neighbouring lofty Mountain
Range—Its Geology and Vegetation—Visits the Arraial da
Chapada—Leaves Natividade—Passes San Bento, and arrives
at the Arraial de Conceição—Its Population—Very subject
to Goître—Probable cause of this Complaint—Reaches Barra,
and crosses the Rio de Palma—Arrives at Santa Brida—Stays
at Sapê—Account of the Animal and Vegetable Productions of
the Neighbourhood—Reaches the Villa de Arrayas—The Town
described—Geological Features of the surrounding Country—Its
Climate and Productions—Alarm of the Inhabitants—Muster of the
National Guards—Preparation for Departure.
The Villa de Natividade is situated near the western base of the southern
extremity of the Serra already mentioned, which bears the same name, and
like most of the towns in the interior is very irregularly built. The
population amounts to about 2,000 souls consisting of the same mixed
races we had so frequently met with before. It contains four churches,
which although now very old, are not yet quite finished, nor is it at
all likely that they ever will be completed. There is also a jail, but
it is built of unburned bricks, through which the prisoners generally
contrive to escape, so that it can scarcely be called a prison. Most of
the houses are constructed of this material. The inhabitants are lazy
and indolent in the extreme, and consequently there is always a great
scarcity of the common necessaries of life among them; notwithstanding
that much of the country in the neighbourhood of the Villa is well suited
for plantations of mandiocca, &c., still very few are to be seen;
and although there are many large cattle farms at only a few leagues
distance, it is not above once a month, that fresh beef can be purchased;
but this is not much to be wondered at, as the mass of the inhabitants,
from their indolent habits, have not the means of buying it, or any
other useful article. On enquiry of one of the most respectable persons
in the place, how these persons contrived to live, he told me that the
few who were industrious had to support the others, for they generally
stole from their plantations as much as served to sustain their miserable
existence. During our stay, we were obliged to live almost entirely on
farinha and dried salt beef, neither rice, plantains, nor yams being
obtainable. Occasionally I was able to purchase a kind of coarse biscuit,
made of Indian corn flour, and once or twice I had a present sent me of a
few small loaves, made from wheat grown on high lands, near the town of
Cavalcante, a long way to the south. I never saw wheat cultivated in any
of those places I visited, and this was the only time I ever tasted bread
made from that grain grown within the tropics.
Although the dress of the men is here much the same as in other northern
parts of Brazil, that of the women differs greatly, for when dressed
either for attending church, joining in processions, or visiting their
friends, in place of the large white cotton shawl, which the women of
Ceará throw over their heads, or the small white handkerchief used in
Piauhy for the same purpose, I was rather surprised to find that here,
they all wore cloaks made either of Scotch tartan or blue cloth, very
similar to those worn by the factory girls of Glasgow in the winter
season. Here it is a universal custom for the women to smoke; and the
pipe, which has a wooden tube about three feet long, is seldom out of
their mouths from morning till night. They work little, but eat and sleep
a great deal; the lower classes of females are also much addicted to
drinking the rum of the country (cachaça). The only prisoner confined
in the jail while I was there, was a woman, who a few years before was
condemned to twenty years’ imprisonment, for causing her own son to kill
his father. The son, who was condemned to perpetual imprisonment and
hard labour, broke through the walls of the prison shortly after his
sentence, and effected his escape.
When we arrived, there were three priests in the Villa, one of whom died
during our stay. These, like most others I met with, instead of being
examples of morality to the people, were immoral to an extent almost past
belief. The one who died was an old man upwards of seventy-four years
of age: he was a native of Santos in the province of San Paulo, and a
cousin of the celebrated José Bonifacio de Andrade. Although a man of a
very humane and benevolent disposition, and well educated, he left behind
him a family of half a dozen children by his own slaves, most of whom,
with their mothers, were left in bondage, and were afterwards sold with
his other effects for the payment of his debts. The Vigario General was
a half-caste, upwards of forty years of age, who had only been ordained
a few years before; up to that time he was, and still continues to be,
the largest cattle farmer in the district. Having acquired as much Latin
from the old priest, as would enable him to mumble over the service of
the church, but without the least knowledge of theology, he went to the
city of Goyaz, to purchase his ordination from the bishop; a short time
afterwards he obtained, by another purchase, the vicar generalship of the
district. About a month after my arrival in the Villa, I was sent for to
attend a young slave belonging to him, a fine girl about sixteen years
of age, who died of puerperal fever, a few days after giving birth to a
child, of which he was the father. By the inhabitants, this man was as
much detested, as the old priest had been loved and esteemed.
Both the soil and the climate of this neighbourhood are far superior to
those of Piauhy and Ceará; the rains generally set in about the beginning
of October, and continue more or less till April. During the whole of
the month of December, and part of January, it rained almost incessantly
every day, rendering it quite impossible to stir out; but in the latter
part of January and the beginning of February the weather was very fine,
with the exception of the afternoons, when there was usually a heavy
thunder-storm. The thunder-storms and the rain generally came from the
north, north-east, and east, originating probably on the Serras which
exist at a considerable distance in those directions. Indian corn and
mandiocca are the principal articles cultivated here; but many of the
fazendeiros also find it profitable to plant cane, not so much for the
manufacture of sugar as of rum, which meets a ready sale. The only fruit
trees that are cultivated are orange and lime, and in a few instances the
jaca and tamarind.
The principal diseases of this district are intermittent and malignant
fevers, especially at the beginning and towards the end of the rainy
season. Ophthalmia and its consequences, as well as syphilis and its
effects, are also very common, and yearly produce many miserable objects.
Nearly the whole of the inhabitants are affected with goître, and
children are frequently born with it, even strangers who come to reside
in the Villa and neighbourhood, are sure to become affected with it in
the course of a few years. Some ascribe it to the use of the sea salt
brought from Pará, the people having previously been accustomed to the
use of that they obtain from the soil in the neighbourhood, which is
impregnated with salt; others say that it is caused by the waters from
the Serra, which in the dry season particularly are a little saline.
Whatever the cause may be, all seemed to agree both here, and at Almas,
that it is only within the last twenty years that it has become so
prevalent among them: I found it quite as frequent at Conceição and
Arrayas, two towns further to the south, at which places the waters are
also saline, especially those flowing from the limestone mountains. All
the places where I have seen it prevail, lie along the eastern base of
the Serra Geral, a broad mountain chain, which divides the province of
Goyaz from those of Pernambuco and Minas Geräes; burnt sponge is the
only remedy they employ against it. They have, however, recourse to
another method, in which they put great faith; this is a small piece
of cord taken to a church, and cut exactly the length of the image of
the crucifixion which they wear round their necks. I made enquiries of
several who wore this kind of charm, whether they imagined it produced
any effect on the swelling, but, as was to be expected, they all
confessed that it not only failed in curing it, but in no way prevented
it from increasing in size.
I had now reached the most northerly point of the Brazilian empire, that
had previously been visited by any naturalist, for neither Pohl nor
Burchell had extended their excursions beyond Natividade. It is true that
Spix and Martius also travelled in the north of Brazil, but their route
was in a very different direction. As I was here informed that these
travellers had not ascended the neighbouring lofty Serra, I was resolved
to do so, for the double purpose of making botanical collections, and of
examining its geological structure. On this journey I was accompanied by
Mr. Walker, a black shoe-maker, who acted as a guide, and one of my own
men. Following the banks of a small stream which comes from the Serra,
and which passing near the north end of the Villa, yields it a constant
supply of clear and cool water, we reached the foot of the Serra, and
shortly afterwards, by a gradual ascent, arrived on the top of a low
branch, where we found a broad shallow valley, the soil of which had been
completely turned over in search of gold; and near the centre of it, we
came upon the ruins of what we were told had been the original site of
the Villa. It was founded by those who first ventured into this distant
region in search of gold, and was abandoned about sixty or seventy years
ago, when this metal became scarce, and when cattle farms were found to
be more productive than mines. Near the top of this valley there is a
small artificial lake, which must have been formed at a great expense,
and from it the water was led in small streams to the places where the
washings were going on. The soil in which the gold was found, is a
ferruginous gravel, formed from the disintegration of the primitive rocks
of which the Serra is composed.
Leaving the valley of the gold mines, which is above a mile in length,
and beginning to ascend the higher part of the Serra, which is very
thinly wooded with small trees, and covered with abundance of tree-lilies
(_Vellozia_), as well as several kinds of coarse grass, we arrived at a
place near the summit, which was rocky, steep, and of difficult ascent.
It was some time before we could find a proper path, and in doing so,
Mr. Walker, who was the first to climb up, met with an accident which
nearly proved fatal to him; when near the top, part of a rock by which
he laid hold gave way, and he was precipitated from a height of about
sixteen or eighteen feet with great violence, and rolled over some large
stones to within a few feet of a deep precipice; it was a most fortunate
circumstance for him that he did not go over it, or he would have been
dashed to pieces. Although considerably bruised, he was again the first
to lead the way, reaching the top with safety, where with more or less
difficulty we followed him. On attaining this point, we thought we had
gained the highest part of the Serra, but about half a mile to the
north we saw another point considerably higher to which we now directed
our steps. During the ascent the sun was very powerful, but at this
elevation, we found a deliciously cool breeze blowing from the east,
which was very refreshing. We all suffered from thirst, and fortunately
found, at the base of the highest peak, a little pool of clear cool
water, by the side of which we took some refreshment that we had brought
with us. From the summit we had a beautiful prospect in all directions;
to the eastward and north, the view was bounded by several chains of low
Serras, but to the westward and south, the country appeared one vast
plain, which was lost in the horizon. The top was covered with large
blocks of granite, among which grew a few stunted trees and shrubs.
I found the western side of the Serra to be bounded by a thick bed of
very compact greyish-coloured limestone, which beyond the northern point
of the Serra, for some leagues, forms large isolated hills, covered
with wood. The central part of the chain is granite, between which and
the limestone formation the rocks are schistose. My botanical harvest
was a very rich one, so much so that I was induced, on two subsequent
occasions, to ascend the mountain again. I collected, in particular,
many curious and beautiful little ferns, all new species, and several
beautiful _Vellozias_; these plants are peculiar to Brazil, and as I
have so often spoken of them, I shall here describe their appearance:
they belong to the _Endogenous_ or _Monocotyledonous_ division of the
vegetable kingdom, and were named in honour of Dr. Joaquim Vellozo de
Miranda, a Jesuit, who was a native of the province of Minas Geräes, and
who devoted much of his leisure time to the study of the botany of his
country. They are most commonly found on the mountains of the interior,
but principally in the gold and diamond districts, growing in open grassy
places, and often covering large tracts; they vary in height from a few
inches to twelve feet; their stems are very dry and fibrous, and seem to
be made up of a great mass of long slender roots loosely hung together;
and not unfrequently they contain a resinous matter, which causes them to
be sought after in the woodless regions of the diamond district for fuel.
Sometimes these stems are not less than a foot in diameter; they are very
much branched, and are entirely leafless, except the last divisions of
the branches, which are clothed with long, narrow, aloe-like leaves, not,
however, fleshy; from the centre of these spring the flowers, which are
generally solitary, although some of the smaller species have as many as
six arising from the end of each branch. In the large kinds, the flowers
are about six inches long, either of a pure white, or more frequently of
a beautiful purple colour; in shape, they are not unlike the large white
lily of our gardens, and hence their name of tree-lilies. These plants
are called by the Brazilians, Canela d’Emú (literally Emu shanks), from
their bare stems resembling the legs of that bird. These beautiful plants
were first introduced into the hot-houses of England, from seeds sent
home by me; and as they are of very slow growth, and apparently difficult
of cultivation, it may reasonably be expected they will be a long time
before they can exhibit the beauty of their wild progenitors.
Besides many shorter excursions which I made in the neighbourhood of
Natividade, I went several times to the Arraial da Chapada, a village
about two leagues to the N.W.; it is about half the size of Natividade,
and is situated on one of those low, flat table-lands called Chapadas,
and hence its name. The country round it, as about Natividade, has all
been turned over in search of gold; but those who formerly employed
their slaves on this labour, now find it more to their profit to employ
them on plantations. There are still a few old free blacks who get a
scanty livelihood by washing the soil. On my visits to this place I
was always very hospitably entertained by Captain Baptista, an old
Portuguese, who has been settled there for many years, and who is
father-in-law to the proprietor of Sociedade. He spoke much of Pohl
and Burchell, both of whom remained some time in the Arraial, and with
whom he seemed to have been intimate. My visits to this place afforded
large additions to my collections, the limestone hills near Sociedade
in particular being very rich in plants. During my stay in the Villa
de Natividade, I received much kindness from Senhor Zacaria Antonio do
Santo, the Juiz dos Orfãos. I had many visits also from a person who
lived at a little distance from the Villa, and who at one time had been
Juiz de Paz: he was a very good-natured and simple-minded man, as the
following anecdote will show. The first time he called on me, he said
he wished to speak with me in private: he began by telling me that he
had heard the English had the power of divining where hidden gold was to
be discovered, and that as much gold was to be found in the Serra, if I
would point out where a rich mine existed, he would undertake to work
it, and share the profits with me. In almost the same breath he informed
me, that a few years ago a Portuguese died in the neighbourhood, who was
always considered to be very rich, but that on his decease no money was
to be found; now, he said, he fully believed that it was all buried,
somewhere near his house, which was now in ruins, and that if I would
accompany him there, and discover it, we could without any one knowing
it, share it between us. The poor old fellow seemed sadly disappointed
when I told him that I had never made such a branch of knowledge my study.
One dark night, about the beginning of December, while passing along
the streets of the Villa de Natividade, I observed some boys amusing
themselves with some’ luminous object, which I at first supposed to be
a kind of large fire-fly; but on making enquiry I found it to be a
beautiful phosphorescent fungus, belonging to the genus _Agaricus_, and
was told that it grew abundantly in the neighbourhood, on the decaying
leaves of a dwarf palm. Next day I obtained a great many specimens,
and found them to vary from one to two inches and a half across. The
whole plant gives out at night a bright phosphorescent light, of a pale
greenish hue, similar to that emitted by the larger fire-flies, or by
those curious soft-bodied marine animals, the _Pyrosomæ_; from which
circumstance, and from growing on a palm, it is called by the inhabitants
“Flor do Coco;” the light given out by a few of these fungi, in a dark
room, was sufficient to read by. It proved to be quite a new species, and
since my return from Brazil, has been described by the Rev. Mr. Berkeley
under the name of _Agaricus Gardneri_, from preserved specimens which
I brought home. I had already named it _A. phosphorescens_, not being
aware at the time I discovered it, that any other species of the same
genus exhibited a similar phenomenon; such, however, is the case in the
_Agaricus olearius_ of De Candolle; and Mr. Drummond, of the Swan River
Colony in Australia, has given an account of a very large phosphorescent
species occasionally found there.[11]
On the 10th of February, 1840, we left Natividade, with the intention of
proceeding to the Villa de Arrayas, a small town about thirty leagues to
the S.E. We had made all our preparations to leave on the second, but
had the mortification to find one of our horses missing, which detained
us eight days. It proved, in the end, that some one had taken the loan
of it, for four days after our departure, it was found near the place
whence it had been taken, and was sent after me by my friend the Juiz
dos Orfãos. Leaving Natividade, and skirting the base of the Serra in
a southerly direction, we arrived at the banks of a small river called
the Riacho Salobro, which flows towards the west, and falls into the
Manoel Alvez: its waters are very brackish during the dry season. The
loads had all to be passed over a rude kind of bridge (pingella) formed
of the trunks of two trees, and as both the river and its banks were
deep, we had no little difficulty in getting the horses across, which
was done by swimming them. We remained for the night at the fazenda Das
tres legoas, nearly three leagues from the Villa, as its name implies.
On the following morning, after a journey of one long league and a half,
we again reached the banks of the Rio de Manoel Alvez, at a place where
it was both much broader and deeper than where we previously crossed it;
here, however, we were fortunate enough to find a canoe. My first care
was to have the horses passed to the other side, which was done by two
men entering the canoe, and each taking hold of a halter they were swum
over, two at a time. Before all our luggage was conveyed to the opposite
bank, a heavy thunder-storm passed over us from the N.E., which drenched
us completely; in consequence of this I thought it best to proceed at
once to the first house, which was only a league and a half distant,
where we remained for the night. The country between the Villa and the
river is nearly a flat plain, consisting of large open campos, marshes,
and tracts, but thinly wooded with small trees. Several beautiful
flowering shrubs, and a few terrestrial _Orchideæ_ were collected on this
journey.
From this place, a journey of about ten leagues brought us to the Arraial
de Conceição, a distance that occupied us two days and a half. On the
night of the 12th, we slept at a large cattle fazenda, called San Bento,
and a very stormy afternoon prevented us from leaving it. Till within
about a league of the Arraial, the country continues flat and open, but
afterwards it became hilly, the hills being low and often rocky. So
thinly is the country populated in these districts, that between San
Bento and the Arraial, a distance of at least twenty miles, we passed
only one house. The greater part of this district is only adapted for
the rearing of cattle, but there is much also admirably suited for
plantations of different kinds.
The Arraial de Conceição contains a population of about one hundred
persons; but there are many houses in the village, belonging to
fazendeiros, who only occupy them at the time of the principal church
festivals; blacks and mulattos form the greater portion of the
residents, and during the four days we remained here, we saw very few
white people. This village is situated in a hollow between two small
hills, but the country around in general is level; the houses stand
principally in two long streets, and one of the two churches it contains
is now in ruins. The water with which the Arraial is supplied, is
obtained from a small rivulet; it is very bad and of a brackish taste; it
seems to have some connection with the production of goître, so prevalent
along the western side of the Serra Geral, which, as far as I have traced
it, is bounded by limestone similar to that which exists at Natividade.
The streams which flow over these rocks are all more or less saline,
and wherever these waters are drunk by the inhabitants, there goître is
found to exist. Along the eastern side of the Serra, on the contrary,
this disease is scarcely to be met with, and there, at least in those
parts which I visited, no limestone was to be seen, nor were any of the
rivulets impregnated with saline matter.
The soil for nearly a league round the village, has evidently been well
turned over in search of gold, and from all accounts a considerable
quantity was found in former times; the little met with at present
scarcely repays the labour of searching for it. The soil in which it is
found is of a clayey, gravelly nature, being evidently the débris of
primitive rocks, the gold appearing either in very minute particles, or
in grains of all sizes, some of which are said to weigh several ounces.
Rich veins are also supposed to exist in the solid rock, which consists
mostly of quartz, but these they cannot explore to any depth, as they
do not possess the means of getting rid of the water which accumulates.
I was informed by the Vigario, who perhaps exaggerated the fact, that
at a short distance from the village there exists a mine so rich, that
a small bucket of soil yields nearly a quarter of an ounce of gold:
he said it was not above, twenty feet deep, but in consequence of the
influx of a spring, it had been abandoned for a long time. The only
method they employed to get rid of the water, was by a number of men
stationed at different heights, who handed it to one another in buckets;
when I enquired why they did not make use of pumps, he said they had
only heard of such things, but had never seen them, the mechanics of
the place being so ignorant that they did not know how to construct
so simple an instrument! From the Vigario I received a great deal of
kindness during my stay: he was a man of very benevolent disposition,
and much respected by the people; although advanced in years, he was of
a very active temperament, far more so indeed than the generality, not
only of his class, but of his countrymen. He was the only person in those
parts who was a subscriber for a newspaper from Rio de Janeiro, but from
the irregularity of the posts, long intervals often elapsed in their
delivery. He kindly gave me a letter of introduction to one of the most
influential persons in the neighbourhood of the Villa de Arrayas, who was
his intimate friend.
Within the last twenty years, two slight earthquakes have been felt both
at Natividade and Conceição; the first occurred in the year 1826, and
the other in 1834; the movement of the earth was very perceptibly felt
in both places, although they were each of short duration. These were
the only places in Brazil where I could learn such phenomena had been
observed.
We left Conceição on the morning of the 17th of Feb., when a journey of
four long leagues brought us, late in the afternoon, to the banks of
the Rio da Palma. About half a league from the Arraial, the road winds
round the end of a somewhat lofty ridge of rocky hills, not far from
the foot of which we passed some gold workings. The slaves employed in
this occupation do not give all they find to their masters, for they are
obliged to maintain and clothe themselves, and pay to their employers
a certain fixed sum of money, somewhere about six shillings per week.
Many of them have been fortunate enough to purchase their freedom, but
the greater number of them become indolent and dissipated. A short time
before our arrival, a slave found a piece of pure gold weighing upwards
of ten ounces, which was more than sufficient to procure him his freedom.
The fields about here were gay with a fine terrestrial Orchideous
plant, an _Epistephium_, about two feet high, bearing a spike of large
rose-coloured flowers. We halted during the middle of the day at the
only house on the road, the fazenda de Pindobal, and started early again,
so as to reach the Rio da Palma in good time to cross it. The country
we found to be nearly flat, consisting of large open campos, which were
better stocked with cattle than any we had hitherto passed through
in this province. When about half way to the river, we unfortunately
went off the proper path, and got upon a cattle track, which in those
thinly-inhabited countries often lead the traveller astray, the highway
having quite the same appearance; it was some time before we discovered
our error, but knowing the direction in which the river ran, we made
direct for it, and in less than half an hour were so fortunate as to
come upon the right road again, which now lay through a thin forest,
consisting principally of _Qualea parviflora_, Mart. In consequence of
the delay thus occasioned, it was nearly sunset before we arrived at the
ferry.
We found the river much swollen, although it had not rained here for more
than a week, but we concluded that much rain had fallen recently further
up the country. Owing to this circumstance, and to the lateness of the
hour, we had some difficulty in prevailing on the ferryman to carry us
over to the other side. The Rio da Palma is considerably broader than
that of Manoel Alvez, and flows with much greater force. In this, as in
the former river, the canoe is maintained at the expence of government,
but it was here on so small a scale that only one horse could be taken
over at a time; in this tedious manner the transit was repeated no less
than twelve times before all could be passed over, which occupied more
than three hours. This place is called Fazenda da Barra, and contains
several houses on both sides of the river; that to which we were directed
to find accommodation was so small, that as the night promised to be
fine, we preferred taking up our quarters under some trees that grew in
front of it.
On the following morning, after we had travelled about two leagues and
a half, we were obliged to stop in consequence of two of the horses
becoming very much fatigued, caused most probably by the great-exertion
of crossing the river the night before. We halted at a place near the
foot of the Serra da Santa Brida, where only a few small trees grew,
which were barely sufficient to shelter us from a powerful sun. This
Serra is a branch of the same range as that on which the Villa de
Arrayas is situated, and runs in a north-west direction to within about
two leagues of the Rio da Palma; at its highest part it is not more
than a thousand feet above the level of the surrounding country. In the
afternoon we again made a short stage of about a league and a half, and
encamped for the night under some small trees, by the side of a clear
rivulet that flows from the Serra. On this journey we met with some
showers of rain, and when we arrived at the place of our encampment, a
heavy thunder-storm came rolling along the Serra towards us from the
south-east, which made us regret that we were under the necessity of
sleeping in the woods; fortunately, however, as it approached near to
us, it turned off suddenly towards the north, after which we had the
advantage of a beautiful night. Our route on this journey was through
a large flat open valley, bounded on the north and east by the Serra
de Santa Brida, and on the south and east by another range called the
Serra de Buriti. This valley consists of large open campos abounding in
tree-lilies, and is but thinly wooded except on the margins of small
streams that flow from the mountains. Next morning we made a journey of
two leagues through a similar country, and arrived early in the forenoon
at the fazenda de Santa Brida, which belongs to a person for whom I
brought letters from the Vigario of the Arraial de Conceição. He does
not, however, reside here, and the only house we found was one belonging
to the vaqueiro who has charge of the cattle. As the pasture was good,
we remained here till the following day, in order to give the horses a
little rest.
We left early in the morning, and at a short distance from the fazenda,
crossed a small river which was well wooded along its banks with large
trees, particularly the Jatobá (_Hymenæa_). In this river, as in all
those within this province, the electric eel (_Gymnolus electricus_) is
very common; they are of all sizes, from a foot to six feet in length,
and are frequently caught on the lines which are set for other fishes;
they are sometimes eaten, but not generally, although their flesh is
said to be very good. Horses as well as men, by coming in contact with
them in the water, are not unfrequently thrown down by the shock which
they impart; they are called by the inhabitants Treme-treme. In rainy
weather, those who fish in these rivers often receive a shock, which is
communicated along the moisture upon the rod and line, when one of them
happens to seize the hook. I saw one in a state of captivity, about six
feet long, which was so tame that it would allow any one to put his hand
upon it, and even slide for its whole length through the fingers, but
if irritated in the smallest degree, by pinching it a little, however
slightly, it instantly communicated a smart shock. A fatiguing journey of
upwards of four leagues, under a burning sun, and through a rather open
country, brought us to the fazenda of Sapê, the residence of the owner of
the fazenda of Santa Brida, Lieut. João Gomez Lagoeira. On our arrival I
was informed that he had gone to visit a plantation a little way off, but
was expected home immediately. In an hour’s time he made his appearance,
and on reading the letter I brought from his friend the Vigario, he
gave me a most hearty welcome. It was my intention to have proceeded to
the Villa de Arrayas, which is four leagues distant, on the following
morning, but this our kind host would not listen to, and it was only
after the expiration of five days, that he consented to our departure. In
order that we might not reach the Villa short of provisions, he sent to
one of his cattle farms for a fat ox, which was killed and dried for our
use, and he also obliged me to accept a load of farinha.
The fazenda of Sapê is situated at the foot of the Serra de Santa Brida,
near the entrance of a small valley, which is enclosed on both sides by
the surrounding hills; the grounds belonging to it being well watered,
and the soil rich, they are well adapted for the cultivation of the
sugar cane, of which there are several large plantations. The greater
part of the cane is converted into rum, for which there exists a greater
demand than for sugar; rice and mandiocca also yield abundant crops. The
whole of the property which Lieut. Lagoeira possesses, covers an area
of about sixty-four square miles: it is divided into several fazendas
for the rearing of cattle, which amount to about fourteen thousand
head, the produce of which are principally sold to drovers, who take
them down to Bahia. He was originally a drover, but becoming a great
favourite of the former owner of the estate, he obtained his daughter
in marriage; and the father dying soon after, the entire management of
the fazenda fell into his hands. Being a man of a mild and benevolent
disposition, and having received a good education, he is looked up to
and respected by the inhabitants of all the surrounding country. During
our residence at this fazenda, and the several times I visited it during
my residence at Arrayas, I made several excursions in its neighbourhood.
On these occasions I was always accompanied by Senhor Lagoeira, who was
a keen sportsman; sometimes we went to an upland grassy plain, thinly
covered with _Vellozia_ and _Diplusodon_, the latter, a beautiful little
shrub, bearing a profusion of small rose-coloured flowers. On these dry
plains are found plenty of a kind of quail, called Perdiz, which is a
species of the genus _Tinamus_, very little smaller than the partridge
of Europe. Senhor Lagoeira possessed several pointers, one of which
always accompanied us, but not being well trained, many of the birds
escaped. Sometimes we visited the valley behind the house, which in
several places is swampy, and abounds in a large species of palm, called
Cabeçudo,[12] the fruit of which forms the principal food of the large
blue Maccaw, which is very common in this district. In the marshes of
this valley the Boa Constrictor is often met with of considerable size;
it is not uncommon throughout the whole province, particularly by the
wooded margins of lakes, marshes, and streams. Sometimes they attain
the enormous length of forty feet: the largest I ever saw was at this
place, but it was not alive. Some weeks before our arrival at Sapê,
the favourite riding horse of Senhor Lagoeira, which had been put out
to pasture not far from the house, could not be found, although strict
search was made for it all over the fazenda. Shortly after this, one of
his vaqueiros, in going through the wood by the side of a small river,
saw an enormous boa, suspended in the fork of a tree which hung over the
water; it was dead, but had evidently been floated down alive by a recent
flood, and being in an inert state, it had not been able to extricate
itself from the fork before the waters fell. It was dragged out to the
open country by two horses, and was found to measure thirty-seven feet
in length; on opening it, the bones of a horse, in a somewhat broken
condition, and the flesh in a half digested state, were found within
it, the bones of the head were uninjured; from these circumstances we
concluded that the boa had devoured the horse entire. In all kinds of
snakes, the capacity for swallowing is prodigious. I have often seen one
not thicker than my thumb, swallow a frog nearly as large as my fist;
and I once killed a rattle-snake, about four feet long, and of no great
thickness, which had swallowed not less than three large frogs, one of
which swelled out its sides to nearly twice the thickness of the other
parts; it was still alive, and hopped away after it was liberated. I
have also seen a very slender snake that frequents the roofs of houses,
swallow an entire bat three times its own thickness. If such be the
case with these smaller kinds, it is not to be wondered at that one
thirty-seven feet long should be able to swallow a horse, particularly
when it is known that, previously to doing so, it breaks the bones of the
animal by coiling itself round it, and afterwards lubricates it with a
slimy matter which it has the power of secreting in its mouth.
At other times we went into the forest that skirts the base of the Serra,
in which the larger trees consist of a kind of _Mimosa_ called Angica.
On their branches were to be seen numbers of a beautiful little Marmoset
monkey, attracted thither by a gum which this tree secretes, and of which
they are very fond. Among the trees of these forests were also seen some
of the large howling monkeys (_Mycetes barbatus_, Spix), which are known
in Brazil by the names of Barbudo and Guariba; they possess immense
muscular power in their long prehensile tails, and even after being
shot, and quite dead, they hang suspended by them from the branches.
They generally appear in bands, making a disagreeable howling noise,
particularly at an early hour in the morning. A little ring-tailed monkey
(_Ateles paniscus_) is still more abundant, and is more persecuted by the
fazendeiro, on account of the depredations it commits in his plantations.
The cane and Indian corn-fields are those which they most frequently
visit, whence they always carry off their plunder to the woods. An old
negro assured me he had often seen one of these animals carry with it
not less than three spikes of Indian corn, one in its mouth, another
secured by one of its arms, and a third held by its prehensile tail;
I confess, however, that before placing implicit faith in this tale,
I must be a witness to the fact. The moist and marshy campos produce
various kinds of palm trees, which bear large clusters of small nuts,
greatly resembling miniature cocoa-nuts. When ripe, these are covered
externally with a fibrous oily substance, which has a sweetish taste, and
constitutes the favourite food of these little monkeys, who are no less
fond of the internal part of the nut, which contains a substance similar
to that found in cocoa-nuts. In several parts of the interior I had been
told, that to get at the kernel, the shell being too hard to break with
their teeth, the monkeys carry the nuts to a rocky place, and then break
them with a stone, and I even met with persons who assured me that they
had watched them in such places through the bushes, and actually seen
them engaged in this operation. This account, like that of the carrying
away of Indian corn, I always considered to be fabulous till I arrived
at Sapê. In an excursion we made over the Serra, immediately behind the
fazenda, where it is composed of nearly bare, rugged limestone peaks,
in several almost inaccessible places we came upon large heaps of the
broken shells of nuts, generally on a bare open part of the rock, and
along with them a number of roundish pieces of stone, larger than the
fist, which had evidently been employed in breaking the shells. These
Senhor Lagoeira told me were the places resorted to by the monkeys for
the purpose of breaking the nuts collected in the low grounds; and that
in his shooting excursions over the mountains, he has frequently seen
them take flight on his approach. That they both can, and really do make
use of a stone in order to break that which is too hard for their teeth,
I have frequently witnessed in a little pet monkey that accompanied me
on my journey: I obtained it in Piauhy, and it was the only one of the
many tame animals I carried with me, that reached Rio de Janeiro alive;
it was a female of the species we are now speaking of, and ultimately
became very gentle. Jerry was the favourite with all, and indeed in
all respects fared like ourselves; it became so fond of tea, which it
drank every morning and evening, that it would not go to sleep without
its usual allowance. Its favourite food was farinha, boiled rice, and
bananas, but scarcely anything came amiss to it; a raw egg was a choice
morsel, and on being given to it, it broke one end by gently knocking
it on the floor, and completed the hole by picking off the broken bits
of shell, and putting in the point of its long slender finger; throwing
back its head, and holding the egg erect between its two hands, it soon
contrived to suck out the whole contents. Whenever anything was given to
it that was too hard to break with its teeth, it always looked about for
a stone, and lifting it with one hand, by repeated blows would attempt to
crack it; if unsuccessful by these means, it would try to find a larger
stone, which it would hold in both its hands, and, rising erect on its
legs, would let it fall, leaping backwards at the same time to avoid any
injury to its toes. I have often watched the means it employed to obtain
any small object that happened to be a little beyond its reach; if it
could lay its hands upon a little switch, or slender twig of any sort,
it would stretch itself out as far as its cord would allow, and continue
working at the object till it got it within its reach. These operations
were certainly often very awkwardly performed, but they were always
interesting from the amount of reasoning power which the little animal
exhibited, and the perseverance with which its object was attained. Jerry
almost always rode on the back of a large mastiff dog that accompanied
us, and in this manner performed a journey of several thousand miles.
These two animals were greatly attached to each other, and it was often
an amusing sight to see them gamboling together. Before starting, the
dog used to go every morning to the place where the little monkey was
tied, and wait till it was put upon its back, and its cord made fast to
his collar. In travelling it was not at all particular as to whether
its face was towards the head or tail of the charger, except in going
down hill, when its face was turned forwards, and to prevent itself from
slipping over the dog’s head, it made use of its long prehensile tail as
a crupper, by coiling the extremity round the root of that of the dog. I
had determined to bring Jerry with me to England, but in taking it with
me to the Organ Mountains, after my arrival at Rio de Janeiro, much to my
grief, it disappeared one night, and was never afterwards heard of; it
was stolen, I have no doubt, by one of the slaves, and sold somewhere for
a mere trifle.
A few days before we arrived at Sapê, one of the slaves caught a young
male monkey of this species. A number of these little animals had come to
pay a visit to a plantation of Indian corn, several of them were females
that carried their young on their backs, which they seldom quit till they
are able to provide for themselves; being pursued by some slaves, in the
heat of the retreat, this one was thrown from its mother’s back, and
made prisoner, and was presented to me by Senhor Lagoeira as a companion
for Jerry. I little expected it would pay any attention to the young
one, but no sooner were they put beside each other than the little one,
fancying no doubt it had found its mother, crept up and secured itself on
Jerry’s back, and apparently seemed quite happy. Jerry instead of being
ill pleased with this intrusion, became so much attached to it, that she
would not allow any one to touch the young one; and seemed to have all
the affection for it as if it had been her own. Several times I observed
that when it came off her back to amuse itself on the ground, and was
about to get out of her reach, she would catch it by the tail and draw it
back. During the first few days they were together, her breasts became
inflamed by the attempt the young one made to obtain milk from them; it
seldom left her back, remaining there both day and night. It was amusing
to see her cleaning it of fleas by laying it down on the ground, turning
over its long hair, layer by layer, and catching between her fore-finger
and thumb the insects as they made their appearance and then eating them;
when they were difficult to take in this manner, she would catch them
between her teeth at once. During this operation the little one would lie
as quiet as if it had been sleeping. It only lived a few weeks after we
reached Arrayas, and I was surprised that although so much attachment was
shown to it by the old one while it was alive, not the least symptom of
grief was exhibited at its death.
In the densest parts of the forests near Sapê, the _Jacutinga_ (_Penelope
Jacutinga_, Spix), the fine large game bird so common in the forests
of the Organ Mountains, was not unfrequently encountered in our walks,
and brought home as trophies. The mountains here, as already mentioned,
are composed entirely of a compact primitive limestone, similar to
that existing at Natividade, and which I afterwards found extending
many leagues to the southwards. The lower parts of these mountains are
tolerably well wooded, but the upper parts consisting of sharp rugged
peaks, surrounded by broken masses at their bases, are nearly destitute
of vegetation, the only plants found here being a small wild Fig tree,
a large prickly _Cactus_, a shrubby _Trixis_, a small _Begonia_, and
a stinging _Loasa_. The heaps of broken rocks which exist around the
bases of the peaks, are frequented by vast numbers of a small animal,
greatly resembling a rabbit, and about the same size; it is allied to the
Guinea-pig, and its flesh, which is white, is very good to eat. It is the
_Kerodon moco_ of naturalists, and is well known to the inhabitants by
the name of Mocó.
It was in the afternoon of the twenty-sixth of February that we left
Sapê for Arrayas, and after travelling two rather long leagues, we
reached the foot of the Serra, at the point of ascent to the upland
plain in which the Villa is situated. Here we bivouacked for the night,
slinging our hammocks among some trees, by the side of a little stream
which came from the mountains. On this journey, after leaving the more
densely wooded tract which surrounded Sapê, we entered a wide open
valley, situated between the Serra de Santa Brida and that of Buriti,
which gradually became narrower until the two Serras united at the place
of our encampment. This valley is very thinly-wooded, except along the
margins of the many small streams which intersect it, and which join to
form a small river that flows through its centre. I found this locality
particularly rich in botanical productions, as it abounded with elegant
flowering shrubs and trees, such as _Pleroma_, _Crotalaria_, _Bauhinia_,
_Diplusodon_, _Vochysia_, _Kielmeyera_, _&c._ The ascent of the Serra,
which was accomplished on the following morning, we found both long
and tiresome, and very rocky. From the top of the Serra to the Villa,
which is a league and a half distant, the road is of gentle declivity. I
carried a letter from Senhor Lagoeira to a schoolmaster, who in a short
time found an empty house for our accommodation, of a very inferior
description, and little calculated to keep out either wind or rain; it
was, however, the only one that could be obtained. Here we remained for
about a week, until another, which on our arrival was occupied by a
travelling merchant, became empty; it was far superior, and now fell to
our use. As the season of rain was not yet nearly terminated, I remained
in Arrayas nearly two months, during which time I amassed a splendid
collection of the curious and beautiful plants, which are peculiar to the
upland grassy campos of the interior of Brazil.
The Villa de Arrayas is very pleasantly situated in a hollow on the
table-land of the Serra; it is surrounded nearly on all sides by low
grassy hills, which are but thinly-wooded with small trees and bushes.
The highest of these hills are towards the N.E. side of the town, and
from behind them flows a beautiful stream that at all seasons supplies it
with water; the inhabitants have a saying, that the place has neither bad
water nor good roads (em Arrayas não tem agoa roim, nem caminhos bons),
and this is truly its characteristic. The town is of very small size,
the population not exceeding three hundred inhabitants, great and small.
Here, as in other towns in the interior, many of the houses belong to the
fazendeiros, who only occupy them during the festas; they are nearly all
arranged before a large square, on the east side of which the only church
is situated. On our arrival I was surprised to observe a house with
glazed windows, a rare sight in the interior of Brazil, but on nearer
inspection, I found that the place of glass was supplied by plates of
talc, which is found abundantly in this neighbourhood.
During my stay among the people of this place I found them universally
kind and obliging, so far as their limited means permitted, for the
greater part are very poor; in most instances, however, this poverty is
occasioned by their own indolence. It was with great difficulty that we
could purchase any thing in the shape of provisions, and it is still a
mystery to me, how the great mass of the inhabitants contrive to live;
had it not been for the kindness of my good friend Senhor Lagoeira, who
again sent me supplies of provisions, we should often have been in a
state of starvation. Notwithstanding the smallness and the poverty of the
place, it contains two priests, neither of whom seemed to be the worst
fed of the community. There are three public schools, two of which are
elementary, one for boys, the other for girls; in the third, Latin only
is taught. Here, as in all the other towns and villages in the interior,
the teachers are paid by government, and, consequently, the education of
all classes is gratuitous; notwithstanding this, I was surprised to see
the small number who take advantage of so favourable an opportunity for
the education of their children. Those who live in the country, and who
send their children to school, are obliged to board them in the town,
which is generally looked upon as a great grievance. Here, as elsewhere,
I met with very few who have a taste for reading, and, generally, the
only books they possess are some small volumes of orisons. Even the
libraries of the priests are confined to a few religious and classical
works; and among these, a Bible is rarely to be met with, a mere
abridgment of it supplying its place.
The rocks which compose the mountain range on which the town of Arrayas
stands, all belong to the primary strata; these are nearly vertical,
the little inclination which they present, being towards the east, that
being the direction of the highest part of the Serra. The most westerly
of these rocks have an arenaceous schistose structure, and these overlay
a very compact greyish-coloured stratified rock, very much resembling
gneiss, in which are imbedded innumerable rounded pebbles of granite
and quartz, of all sizes from one to three or four inches, and which
is probably equivalent to the grauwacke rocks of the old world. The
limestone of which the western side of the Serra is composed at Sapê and
Natividade, is not found here, but I again met with it to the south; in
none of the rocks did I observe any appearance of organic remains.
From its elevated situation, the climate of Arrayas is much cooler
than in the plains below, and the rains are both heavier and of longer
duration; these always come from the N.E., beginning in October or
November, and continuing till the month of April, or until a regular
S.E. wind sets in, which is the first signal that the dry season has
commenced. The rearing of cattle is the most ordinary occupation of the
fazendeiros, their cattle meeting with a ready sale in the Bahia market;
but they generally also cultivate a little sugar cane, principally for
the manufacture of rum, which is extensively used among all classes of
society, and of course meets with a good sale. Mandiocca, rice, and
Indian corn, are also cultivated, both for family use and for sale in the
Villa. All these productions, however, are grown in the low countries,
principally along the foot of the Serra; around the Villa itself little
or nothing is cultivated, notwithstanding that the soil in many places
is favourable for small plantations. Both the climate and soil seem
well adapted for the production of coffee, as the few small plantations
that have been attempted yield good crops, without any care having been
bestowed on them; in the garden belonging to the house in which I lived,
there were about one hundred and fifty coffee plants, which in the end of
April were loaded as heavily with fruit as any I have seen in the large
plantations in the province of Rio de Janeiro. This article, however, can
never be cultivated here to any extent, with a view to exportation, on
account of its great distance from the coast. The Rio Tocantins offers
the only water conveyance, and that as yet is only navigable for canoes
of small burden. There are only two shopkeepers in the Villa, both of
whom bring their goods from Rio de Janeiro. They go there once in two
or three years, the entire journey generally occupying from six to nine
months.
The diseases of this district are very similar to those which are common
in the more northern part of the province. In the low country, which,
during the rainy season, is full of marshes and swamps, intermittent
fevers are prevalent, and are often fatal to those coming from the
upland districts. As very few only can afford to purchase sulphate of
quinine, the general mode of curing these fevers is by emetics and
purgatives, and occasionally by bitter barks obtained from the trees
in the woods; of these the one most commonly used is procured from the
_Strychnos pseudochina_ of St. Hilaire, a small tree which grows on the
upland campos. A strong infusion of coffee with a mixture of salt is
also sometimes administered. Though the inhabitants of the plains are
constantly subject to the fever, they seldom die of the disease itself,
but the effects which it produces on the constitution after a long series
of yearly attacks, ultimately cut off a great many. The principal organ
that becomes affected is the spleen, which is sometimes so much enlarged,
that it nearly fills the whole abdominal cavity; when travelling in
these districts, we seldom arrived at a house where I was not consulted
respecting enlargements of this organ. The liver is more rarely affected:
its affections are generally produced by intemperance in eating and
drinking, and by the constant and immoderate use of tobacco. In the Villa
intermittent fevers are unknown, in consequence of its being situated
above the region of miasmata, unless they appear in cases where the
infection has been imbibed below. The traveller before alluded to, who
gave up the house for our use, left behind him an Indian servant, with
no one to attend to him, and whom I found almost dead from the attacks
of a severe tertian ague, but who soon recovered after being properly
treated. This poor fellow was a native of the banks of the Amazon, and he
remained in my service until my arrival in Rio de Janeiro. These fevers
very often lose their intermittent character, and assume a malignant
remittent nature. The prevailing diseases in the Villa are ophthalmia,
colds, inflammatory complaints, rheumatism, and dyspepsia; paralysis
also is common; and as a preventive, nearly all the people wear a thick
twisted iron ring, made on the Saturday of the passion week (sexta feira
da Paixão), and blessed by a priest. Goître is common, but not nearly
so much as in Natividade and Conceição. Here they attribute it to the
coldness of the water they use for drinking.
The country around Arrayas affords many prospects as highly picturesque
and pleasing to the eye of a common observer as that of the naturalist;
to the latter, however, it offers a double charm, owing to the great
variety in the objects which such diversity of soil and situation
presents for his investigations. My excursions in various directions
yielded me upwards of three hundred species of plants, all different from
any I had elsewhere collected. The dry upland campos afforded numerous
grasses, which are nearly all coarse and rank, and not well suited for
pasturage; these grasses do not form a close turf, as in Europe, but
grow in scattered tufts, leaving greater intervals of bare soil than
the amount of surface actually covered by them; this, however, is not
apparent at first sight, for the culm is generally long, and when ripe,
and seen from a distance, the campos appear as if covered with wheat or
oats. Many flowering shrubs and beautiful herbaceous plants are found
growing among the grasses; of the former _Diplusodon_ and _Kielmeyera_
are the most ornamental; one of the latter (_Kielmeyera rosea_, Mart.)
grows in bushes about a foot and a half high, and produces numerous large
rose-coloured flowers, from which it has obtained the name of Rosa do
Campo. Of the herbaceous plants of these tracts, the most beautiful are
those belonging to the Gentian tribe. A species of _Lisianthus_ produces
large blue bell-shaped blossoms, not unlike those of the _Digitalis_ in
shape; and towards the end of the rainy season, the fields are gaily
adorned with two elegant species of _Callopisma_; one of these is more
abundant than the other, and being intensely bitter, is used medicinally
as gentian by the inhabitants of Goyaz, who collect it when in full
flower, dried bundles of it being seen hanging up in almost every house;
it is used, in infusion, in dyspepsia, and also to strengthen those who
are recovering from fever. The trees of the upland Campos are mostly
small, consisting chiefly of the beautiful Sicupíra (_Commilobium
polygalæflorum_), _Qualea grandiflora_, and _Q. parviflora_, a
_Vochysia_, _Salvertia convallariodora_, a _Panax_, an _Albertinia_, a
_Lafoensia_, two species of _Cecropia_, the Mangába do Mono, the Cashew,
and several species of _Mimosa_.
Towards the latter end of the month of April, the whole north of the
province of Goyaz was thrown into a state of alarm, in consequence of
information received from San Pedro de Alcantará, a small town in the
extreme north of the province, near the banks of the Rio Tocantins, that
a party of the troops of Raimundo Gomez, and the Balaio had crossed over
from Pastos Boms in the province of Maranham, to Alcantará, and taken
it by force; and that although the greater part of the more respectable
inhabitants had fled to the woods, a number had been killed and robbed,
while others had joined the rebels. Notice arrived at the same time
that all the canoes which had descended from the central parts of the
province towards Pará (April being the month in which they generally
start), were taken, the owners killed, and the hides with which they
were laden thrown into the river. It was immediately surmised that the
canoes were captured for no other purpose than to ascend the river in
order to devastate the towns and villages in this quarter, in the same
manner as they had attacked those below. On the 22nd of April I was
called to a fazenda about three leagues to the north of Arrayas, to visit
a young lady, who was indisposed. When I arrived there, her father had
just received a letter from the Vigario of Conceição, stating that a few
days before, the robbers had reached Porto Imperial, a village on the
Tocantins, only three days’ journey from the Villa de Natividade, and
that the inhabitants of the latter place were flying in all directions.
On my return to Arrayas, he sent by me a letter to the President of the
Camara Municipal, containing the above information, who immediately
called a meeting of the principal inhabitants to take into consideration
what steps were necessary in this exigency; it was agreed that the
National Guard should be called out by beat of drum, but although the
town possessed such an instrument, unfortunately there was no one able
to use it, until one of my men, a black from Natividade, asked my leave
to offer his services. Accordingly the drum beat to arms round the town,
but not more than half a dozen men made their appearance. Next morning
they were again called out, when about a dozen assembled, nearly all
without arms. These few were immediately put under drill by a fazendeiro
who happened to be in town, and who, although bearing the rank of ensign
in the National Guards, appeared quite ignorant of the task he undertook.
The Juiz de Paz was immediately summoned from his fazenda, and expresses
sent off to the city of Goyaz to inform the President, as well as the
intermediate towns; orders were likewise issued to the different parts
of the district to assemble the whole of the National Guard. In the
course of four or five days above a hundred and forty men appeared in
the Villa, the greater part of them armed with their own fowling-pieces,
but there were no muskets, gunpowder, or ball in the place. Those who
had no guns, armed themselves with their long knives, firmly tied to the
ends of short poles; like the troops of Piauhy, they formed the most
motley group imaginable, being of all colours, of all sizes, and without
any uniform. They remained under drill for about eight days, at the
expiration of which time, news arrived that the previous information had
been premature, and that the rebels, amounting to about five hundred men,
all well armed, were still in Alcantará. Immediately on receiving this
information, the Juiz de Paz dismissed his troops, with the exception of
ten men, kept as a guard for the protection of the Villa. In proportion
to the number of inhabitants which this district contains, the number
of National Guards assembled on this occasion, was greater than in any
of the districts of Piauhy; but I had doubts whether one half of them
would have responded to a second call, as these poor fellows who had
been suddenly called away from their houses and families, most of them
after a long journey which they had to make on foot, were not satisfied
with the treatment they received from the authorities, for they found
on their arrival, that no accommodation had been provided for them,
except an old house, the walls of which were raised but little above the
ground, where, more like pigs than human beings, they were all stowed
together. Had the weather been fine, the greater part of them would have
preferred sleeping in the open air, but unfortunately much rain, at this
time, fell at night. Moreover, during the whole period they remained in
the Villa, not one sixpence was expended in procuring provisions for
them, and had it not been for the charity of some of the inhabitants,
they would certainly have either starved, or been driven to take food by
force. When some of them applied to the Juiz de Paz for provisions, he
told them he did not like to appropriate any of the funds belonging to
the town to such a purpose, as these were absolutely required for the
erection of a new jail, which they had in contemplation! A few hours
before their dismissal, they mustered in the church to hear mass, after
which the Juiz de Paz gave each of them a glass of rum, and this was all
the remuneration they received for their services. When the news first
arrived that the rebels had reached Porto Imperial, several inhabitants
of the Villa, who had previously boasted of the feats of bravery they
would perform, should the enemy advance as far south as Arrayas, were
the first to pack up their valuables, in readiness to decamp on a short
notice; and none of the women were now to be seen with the rings on their
fingers, or in their ears, or with the gold chains which they usually
wear round their necks.
The proper season for travelling having now arrived, I became desirous
to resume my journey, so as to reach Rio de Janeiro, if possible, before
the setting in of the next rains. Thanks to the kindness of my excellent
friend Senhor Lagoeira, who supplied me with the greater portion of our
provisions from his fazenda, my funds had not been much encroached on
during our stay in Arrayas. By my profession, I gained even more than
was expended, by which I was thus enabled to add four fine horses to my
troop, which now therefore amounted to sixteen in all. On the 4th of May
I went to Sapê, to take leave of my friend, and to bring back my horses,
which had been pasturing there since our arrival; knowing that I was
about to leave, he had prepared an ox, and other articles of provision
for our journey. The parting with this truly good person, with whom,
in a strange land, I had lived on terms of intimacy, from whom I had
experienced kindness that I could never have expected, and with whom I
had no earthly chance of again meeting, produced a feeling of depression
which hung over me many days after my departure.
CHAPTER XI.
ARRAYAS TO SAN ROMÃO.
Departure from Arrayas—Reasons for preferring the Route
along the Serra Geral—Passes Gamelleira—Bonita—Reaches San
Domingo—San Joäo—San Bernardo—Curious Fact respecting the
Rio San Bernardo—Passes Boa Vista—Country consists of very
elevated table-lands—Its Natural Productions—Arrives at Capella
da Posse—San Pedro—San Antonio—Dôres—Riachão—Animals greatly
tormented by large Bats—Habits of these Vampires—Reaches
San Vidal—Flight of Locusts—Passes Nossa Senhora
d’Abbadia—Campinhas—Pasquada—San Francisco—Crosses River
Carynhenha and enters the Province of Minas Geräes—Country
described—Habits of the great Ant-eater—Passes Capão de
Casca—Descent of the Serra das Araras—Reaches San Josè—Rio
Claro—Boquerão—Santa Maria—Espigão—Taboca—San Miguel—Crosses
River Urucuya—Passes Riachão—Arrives at San Romão—Town
Described—Its Population—Habits of the People—Rio de San
Francisco—Description of the different varieties of the Salmon
tribe found in it.
The necessary preparations having been completed, we started from
Arrayas on the afternoon of the 6th of May, my object being now to reach
the Villa de San Romão on the Rio de San Francisco; but instead of
proceeding southward along the western base of the Serra Geral as far
as the parallel of San Romão, the road usually followed by the people
of the country, I preferred the less frequented, and consequently the
more difficult route, that leads along the Serra itself. My reasons for
adopting this plan were, in the first place, because the low country to
the westward had already been travelled over by Pohl and Burchell, and
partly by Spix and Martius; and secondly, because I always preferred
elevated regions, on account of the greater diversity of vegetation met
with in such situations. We were accompanied for about half a league
out of the Villa by a few of the more respectable inhabitants. Shortly
after the return of my friends, we descended the Serra on which the Villa
stands, by a very rocky path, but this descent was not nearly so great as
the ascent on the opposite side, and although we now found ourselves in
a comparatively flat country, we were still at a considerable elevation.
After proceeding half a league, we encamped for the night under some
trees by the side of a small stream; here we slung our hammocks, but soon
after midnight the cold became so great, from the wind that blew down
from the Serra, that we could not sleep; and long before daybreak we were
glad to rise, and seat ourselves round a large fire, such as we always
made it a rule to burn every night we slept in the open air.
A journey of four long leagues on the following day, brought us to the
fazenda Gamelleira, where we passed the night under a large fig-tree,
there being only one small house belonging to the vaqueiro. This fazenda
belongs to a widow lady, Dona Maria Rosa, at whose house we spent some
time during the middle of the day. Soon after leaving Gamelleira, we
entered a virgin forest quite unlike any I had seen since leaving the
Province of Rio de Janeiro, and which I little expected to find in the
district where we were now travelling. It contained many large trees,
covered with numerous parasitical _Orchideæ_. The forest was about a
league in length, after which we entered upon an elevated thinly-wooded
tract, where we halted to breakfast under a beautiful shady wild-fig
(Gamelleira). In the afternoon we accomplished another two leagues, and
passed the night at a fazenda called Mangê, the road leading over a
thinly-wooded Chapada.
On the morning of the 9th, after a ride of a league and a half, we rested
on the banks of a small brook under a group of Buriti palms. The first
part of our journey we found to be hilly and stony, with intermediate
well-wooded low tracts, but the latter part of it was through a most
beautiful country of fine open grassy campos, with occasional large
wide-spreading trees. In the afternoon, we travelled a league and a half
through a country even still more beautiful than that through which we
passed in the morning. We ascended a slight elevation that led to a
flat Chapada, rather thinly-wooded, abounding in a rank kind of grass,
a species of _Andropogon_, growing in large isolated tufts, and about
three feet high, after passing through which we entered an open campo
country. From the termination of the Chapada, there is a fine view of a
large Serra, which runs from north to south, but not of great elevation
and almost perfectly level as far as the eye could reach; this is the
western side of the most elevated portion of the Serra Geral. It was
not till some time after sunset, that we could find a convenient place
for encamping, but the moon shone brightly, and we proceeded without
inconvenience. The place where we halted at last was under some small
trees near the side of a wood, but we little anticipated the plague
we were about to encounter; in half an hour we discovered that it was
swarming with the Carrapato Miudo, and so numerous that our bodies were
soon covered with them. As it was now too late to shift our quarters,
our only remedy was to set fire to the grass around our encampment.
This being done we washed ourselves with a strong infusion of tobacco,
which destroyed the Carrapato, and then with tepid water to prevent any
bad effects from the tobacco, a remedy usually adopted by the vaqueiros
whose occupations lead them daily into places infested by these annoying
insects. Having thus secured ourselves from any further attacks from this
pest, we slept soundly, and resuming our journey early next morning, we
travelled three leagues and a half through a flat sandy bushy country,
reaching about mid-day a small fazenda called Bonita, where we remained
till the following day. The small house belonging to the proprietor of
this fazenda is situated on a slight eminence, which commands a fine view
of the surrounding flat country. He formerly lived in a somewhat lower
spot at a little distance, but as his family suffered constantly from
ague, he removed to this place, since which they have been free from
this complaint, although the difference of elevation is not more than a
hundred feet.
In the morning the Juiz de Paz of the district, who lives about two
leagues to the north of Bonita, passed, and learning that we were
strangers, and about to visit the Arraial de San Domingo, a little
village two leagues and a half distant, he told me that he was on the way
thither himself, and that his own house, which he only occupied during
festa times, was much at my service during my stay there. The distance
between Bonita and the village is said to be about two leagues and a
half, but they proved to be very long ones. The road till within a short
distance of the village is pretty level, and generally sandy, but it
afterwards became more hilly and stony; it leads southward along the base
of the Serra Geral, but generally a mile or more to the west of it; the
top of the Serra still continued to be level with a precipitous face, the
rock being of a reddish-yellow. Shortly after leaving Bonita, an elevated
pyramidal peak of the same elevation as the Serra, is descried to the
S.E. presenting a remarkable resemblance to some enormous work of art; it
stands about a quarter of a mile distant from the Serra, and is placed
upon a broad regular base.
We reached the Arraial de San Domingo a little before sunset, and took
up our residence in the house of the Juiz de Paz. Like the rest of
the houses it was built of large unburned bricks, with the partitions
formed of wicker-work, plastered with clay, smoothed by the hand of the
operator, and ornamented all over with the strokes left by his fingers.
The village stands among some small hills about a league to the west
of the Serra Geral; it is very insignificant, containing only about
forty houses, a great many of which, belonging to the fazendeiros,
are untenanted, except during the festas; a small limpid stream runs
near it, which flows with great rapidity, but it contains no fish, as
they are prevented from ascending by a cataract which exists at some
distance below the village. We remained here two days, endeavouring to
hire another man to assist in the management of my troop, but I had much
difficulty in finding one, notwithstanding there were plenty of young
men idling about, who had no disposition to work for a livelihood. It is
a common saying in these parts, that for every ten who work, there are
ninety who do nothing, and maintain a wretched existence by hunting and
robbing their more industrious neighbours. Having heard of a man who had
already made a journey to Minas Geräes, I sent for him, and found him
willing to engage with me; but just as we were concluding the agreement
his wife came up and abused me violently for enticing her husband away
from her. She was a large mulatto woman, old and ugly, and what very much
surprised me, a slave, while he, who was also a mulatto, was a freeman,
and considerably younger. They had done little but quarrel during the six
years they had been married, and he seemed now determined to get rid of
her; he therefore told her, that though she had governed him for a very
long time, she should do so no longer. We could not, however, get rid of
her, till he promised that he would not remain more than a month with me;
when that time expired, he did not feel inclined to return, but went on
with me to the Gold District, when he got employment at one of the mines.
Everything being at length arranged, we started early on the morning of
the 14th, and travelling southward, still keeping on the eastern side
of the Serra, we arrived, on the forenoon of the following day, at a
fazenda called San João, and as our provisions were nearly exhausted,
I determined to obtain a fresh supply here, if possible. On making
enquiries of the owner, he informed me that as he had no cattle near
the house, it would be two or three days, at least, before a cow or ox
could be brought from a pasture, which was seven leagues distant; to this
of course I was obliged to consent, as we were now in a country where
provisions were not easily obtained. In the afternoon, I went down to
bathe in a little stream which passes at some distance from the house,
and, seeing a plant in flower among some bushes on the bank, I went in
among them to collect it, but when I came out again, I found that I had
paid dearly for so doing, as my trowsers and shirt, as well as my hands
and legs, which were bare, were thickly covered with small carrapatos.
As no time was to be lost I again took off my clothes and rushed into
the stream; it caused me much trouble to clear my shirt and trowsers of
these annoying insects, and I afterwards took great care not to walk much
about in this neighbourhood. It was not till the morning of the second
day that a fine fat cow was brought, and although killed immediately,
the flesh was not dry enough to be packed for two days more. The owner
of the fazenda, Captain Faustino Vieira, we found to be of a very
niggardly disposition, and much less hospitable than the fazendeiros I
had generally met with in this province. Although his house was a good
and commodious one, we had during our stay to put up in an open shed,
which served to cover the sugar mill belonging to the farm. He was most
exorbitant in his charges for all we had purchased of him, requiring one
half more for the cow than its usual price in that part of the country;
he charged in like manner for the farinha, and the Indian corn for my
horses.
On the day we left San João, we made a journey of three long leagues,
and put up for the night at the Fazenda de San Bernardo. During the
afternoon, one of the horses in passing between two trees broke his
pack-saddle, and it was necessary to remain here half the following
day, in order to get it properly repaired; in the interval I went out
to botanize near a large marsh, through which a small river runs. This
river, as well as several others about the same size, which we passed
both before and after we left San João, loses itself beneath a low serra
of limestone which runs parallel with the Serra Geral, and nearly two
leagues to the west of it. These rivers take their rise in the Serra
Geral, and are said to enter beneath the range before mentioned, where
they all unite, and at the distance of three leagues still further to the
westward, they again appear above ground in one stream, forming the Rio
de San Bernardo, which afterwards falls into the Rio Parannan. A person
belonging to the fazenda took me down to see the spot where the stream,
that passes this place, disappears in the mountains, when contrary to
what I expected, I found that it did not enter by an open cave, but by an
aperture far below the surface of the water, forming what the Brazilians
call a Soumidouro; the current here runs with considerable rapidity,
strikes against the nearly perpendicular face of the limestone rock, and
forming a few whirlpools is lost in the gulf below. By these streams the
remains of many of the animals of the country must be entombed in the
deep caverns through which they pass, and it is not impossible that such
deposits may, at some distant epoch, form themes for the speculation
of future geologists. As it was late in the afternoon before we left
San Bernardo, we could not complete more than a league of our journey,
through a country very similar to that on the other side of San Domingo.
Next morning after accomplishing a very long league and a half, we rested
to breakfast at a little habitation called Boa Vista, but inappropriately
named, for not only is it situated in a hollow, but is surrounded by
trees. The house had a miserable appearance, but the old woman to whom it
belonged offered us much civility and attention, and gave us some sweet
limes, which we relished exceedingly after our exposure to a burning
sun. The country here is of an undulating character, and rather thickly
wooded, though the soil is poor, being very sandy. During these journeys
my collections were much increased by the addition of many fine shrubs
and herbaceous plants, the dry sandy campos abounding with numerous
species of _Diplusodon_, elegant little shrubs with rose-coloured
flowers; while the moister portions afforded a rich harvest of curious
varieties of _Eriocaulon_, having little resemblance to our humble
British species, being tall and branched, and very remarkable from the
large white balls of flowers which each branch bears at its extremity.
In the afternoon we made another journey of two leagues, the road being
through a hilly elevated country, in which we met with several gradual
ascents, that always terminate in flat, sandy, thinly-wooded chapadas.
After travelling about a league, we came very close to the Serra Geral,
and continued our journey along its base, till we reached a convenient
spot where we encamped under some trees by the side of an open swamp,
in the centre of which grew a large grove of Buriti palms; we had been
gradually ascending, for we were not more than two hundred feet below the
summit of the Serra; our elevated situation, and a smart breeze which
began to blow after sunset, caused us to pass a colder night than we had
done for some time.
Another journey of two long leagues brought us about mid-day to the
little village of Capella da Posse, our route leading us through a
beautiful upland country. It was for the most part of an undulating
character, the road sometimes passing through large open campos,
containing small clusters of Buriti and other palms, at others through
densely wooded hollows, and not unfrequently along the bushy margins of
open sandy marshes, abounding in curious _Eriocaulons_. Within a few
miles of Posse, the mountain range takes a sweep to the S.E., and the
road consequently diverges from the Serra, to gain the village, lying
to the southward, which is surrounded by a flat, arid, and very sandy
country, covered with a few scattered stunted trees and shrubs. The
village we found to be of the most miserable description; it contains
about a dozen small houses, and a very little church; the place is so
poor that it cannot support a priest, for one who came to settle among
the inhabitants about a year before our visit left, because they either
could not or would not pay him more than half the salary he was promised.
It was late on the following day before we left, as I remained to arrange
the large collection made between San Domingo and this place. Hitherto
we had avoided travelling along the upper part of the Serra, on account
of the difficulty of finding water, but beyond Posse, the comparatively
flat sandy country merges into the mountain range, and our course
was therefore now in a S.E. direction. On the second night after our
departure, we arrived at a little hamlet, about five leagues distant,
called San Pedro; it consists of about half a dozen small houses, and
a little chapel. We passed the night in an open shed, between two of
the houses, and on rising in the morning Mr. Walker missed some of his
clothes; it was very fortunate that nothing else had disappeared, for we
were afterwards informed that the whole place was nothing better than
a nest of robbers. The fazendeiro who gave us this information said,
that whenever he had occasion to sleep there, and had money with him,
he always hid it in the bush at some distance until the morning. During
the whole of my travels, I always avoided sleeping in the open air if
possible, whenever two or three houses were seen together, otherwise
some little thing or other was always sure to disappear; indeed, in the
dry season, and where the country suited, it was always preferable to
encamp at some distance from any habitation, especially in the thinly
inhabited districts. Next day we only travelled a league and a half, and
passed the afternoon and night at the fazenda de San Antonio, the owner
of which was a coloured man, and very hospitable. Leaving this place
early in the morning, a journey of two very long leagues brought us to
the next fazenda called Dôres, but we found that for some time it had
been deserted by its inhabitants. The country through which we passed
on our journey there, was nearly one continued elevated sandy plain,
with occasional large open marshy campos, but these only existed where
any slight declivity was seen. About half way we came to a long narrow
valley, in the centre of which was observed a small and very deep river,
with a rapid current, over which we passed by a wretched old bridge,
formed of the trunks of two trees, traversed by smaller branches very
loosely laid together, so that I was glad when I saw the last of the
horses safely across, on account of the great risk of their feet slipping
between the cross sticks. In the afternoon, we went a league further to
a fazenda called Picada, which, like most of the houses we had lately
seen, was very small; it belonged to a mulatto, with a large family, who
seemed to be in no very affluent circumstances. Among the numerous plants
collected on these journeys, was one, the root of which is celebrated
by the inhabitants of these districts, as a cure for the bite of the
rattle-snake. It is a suffruticose species of _Trixis_, about four feet
high, with rather large clammy leaves; the root has a musky smell, and
it is even said that the smell alone is sufficient to kill a snake; they
call it raiz da cobra.
We started from Picada early, but did not proceed more than a league,
being detained on the road by an accident that befell the Indian guide I
had hired at Arrayas: he was walking behind another of the men, who was
mounted on a spirited young horse, when on a sudden, probably from the
sting of some insect, it started, casting up its heels in the air, and
after striking the poor Indian a violent blow in the stomach, set off
at full gallop, throwing its rider, but without doing him any harm. I
sent forward the troop in charge of Mr. Walker, while I remained behind
to attend to the Indian who seemed to be in much pain; he was greatly
relieved by a little water for which we had to wait a long time before it
could be procured, he was then placed on a quiet horse, and led slowly
to the nearest house two miles distant, but by the time we reached it,
he became so weak that his pulse was scarcely sensible. After giving him
a cup of strong warm tea, the only stimulus that was to be procured, his
pulse rose considerably, when I bled him in the arm, which relieved him
greatly; and he gradually recovered, so that we were enabled to resume
our journey in the afternoon of the following day.
We stopped at a place called Riachão, which consisted of three houses,
about a quarter of a mile distant from each other. Here, for the third
time only since I left Arrayas, I was able to purchase some Indian corn
for my horses; they stood in much need of it, as the pastures were
now very poor, consisting of coarse, dry, innutritious grasses. The
inhabitants of this district are so desperately lazy that they scarcely
plant sufficient of anything for their own use, notwithstanding the
unlimited extent of ground that each family possesses. For several nights
before we reached this place, the horses were greatly annoyed by bats,
which are very numerous on this Serra, where they inhabit the caves in
the limestone rocks; during the night we remained at Riachão, the whole
of my troop suffered more from their attacks, than they had done before
on any previous occasion. All exhibited one or more streams of clotted
blood on their shoulders and backs, which had run from the wounds made by
these animals, and from which they had sucked their fill of blood; when
a small sore exists on the back of a horse, they always prefer making
their incision in that place. The owner of the house where we stopped
informed me, that he was not able to rear cattle here, on account of the
destruction made by the bats among the calves, so that he was obliged to
keep them at a considerable distance in a lower part of the country; even
the pigs did not escape their attacks.
The singular creatures which are productive of so much annoyance,
constitute the genus _Phyllostoma_, so named from the leaf-like
appendage attached to their upper lip; they are peculiar to the continent
of America, being distributed over the immense extent of territory
between Paraguay and the Isthmus of Darien. Their tongue, which is
capable of considerable extension, is furnished at its extremity with a
number of papillæ, which appear to be so arranged as to form an organ
of suction, and their lips have also tubercles symmetrically arranged;
these are the organs by which they draw the life-blood both from man
and beast. These animals are the famous vampires, of which various
travellers have given such redoubtable accounts, and which are known to
have nearly destroyed the first establishment of Europeans in the new
world. The molar teeth of the true vampire or spectre bat, are of the
most carnivorous character, the first being short and almost plain, the
others sharp and cutting, and terminating in three and four points. Their
rough tongue has been supposed to be the instrument employed for abrading
the skin, so as to enable them more readily to abstract the blood, but
zoologists are now agreed that such supposition is wholly groundless.
Having carefully examined, in many cases, the wounds thus made on horses,
mules, pigs, and other animals, observations that have been confirmed
by information received from the inhabitants of the northern parts of
Brazil, I am led to believe that the puncture which the vampire makes
in the skin of animals, is effected by the sharp hooked nail of its
thumb, and that from the wound thus made, it abstracts the blood by the
suctorial powers of its lips and tongue. That these bats attack man as
well as animals is certain, for I have frequently been shown the scars of
their punctures in the toes of many who had suffered from their attacks,
but I never met with a recent case. They grow to a large size, and I have
killed some that measure two feet between the tips of the wings.
It was late in the afternoon when we left Riachão, and we halted about
a league beyond it, under some trees, by the side of a small marsh,
having been informed that the next watering place was more than a league
further on. We were now travelling along the Chapada, or flat top of the
Serra, and I observed that the little streams we had been crossing for
some time all flowed to the eastward, to empty themselves into the Rio
de San Francisco. We suffered from the cold during the night, and were
besides much annoyed by a large species of mosquito, the bite of which
was very painful, and on the following morning our hands and faces were
greatly swollen in consequence. We did not get away from this place
till about mid-day, owing to one of the horses having strayed to some
distance, but this loss of time was compensated by successful botanizing
made in the neighbourhood. We now passed through a rather dense wood
in a hollow, the road being dreadfully bad in consequence of the great
number of large rocks of limestone abounding there. The remainder of this
morning’s journey, of a league and a half, was through a flat, open,
and rather sandy country, when we halted for a short time by the side
of another marsh, which afforded both water and good pasturage for the
horses. In the afternoon we accomplished a further distance of two very
long leagues, and spent the night at a small fazenda called San Vidal.
Two leagues beyond this place, we reached the banks of a small river,
too deep to allow of the horses passing with their loads. We were told
at San Vidal that we should find a bridge, but we met with only the
remains of one; after much trouble in searching along the swampy banks,
we found at length a spot that answered as a ford, where all the loads
were carried over on the men’s heads, a task which occupied about an hour
and a half. We halted on the other side of the river, under the shade
of a large _Vochysia_, which was then covered with its long spikes of
yellow flowers. During the time we lost in crossing, and for more than
an hour afterwards an immense flight of a large greyish-coloured locust,
passed from south to north. They did not keep continuously on the wing,
but alighted and rose again at short intervals, and thousands of them
which fell into the stream were carried down by the current. They did
not fly above twelve feet from the ground, and their constant rise and
descent gave the air very much the appearance of falling flakes of snow.
The country through which we passed after leaving San Vidal, is nearly
one continued flat, sandy, bushy plain, thinly wooded in some places with
small trees, among which occasionally appeared a fine palm, with a stem
about twelve feet high; large tracts had lately been burned according
to the general custom at this season. In many places these sandy plains
were beautifully adorned with a dwarf species of _Diplusodon_, covered
with rose-coloured flowers, and small leaves, greatly reminding me of the
heather of my native country. A _Vellozia_, with a stem about four feet
high, was also very common, as well as several elegant stemless palms. In
the evening we went on about a league and a half, and passed the night
under some trees by the side of a small river, very similar to that we
crossed in the morning. During the whole of this day’s journey, we were
greatly annoyed by the numerous stragglers of the flight of locusts that
were following their companions, and which sometimes nearly blinded us by
striking against our faces. My little monkey amused herself by catching
them as they passed, and they appeared a favourite food with her; to
prevent their escaping, for she had frequently three at a time in her
possession, she secured them by biting off their heads as soon as they
were caught.
The river on the north side of which we slept, was very deep, and I was
greatly annoyed to find that a small bridge, that had been thrown across
it, had been nearly carried away by the floods, so that we were again
put to the trouble of having all the luggage carried over; this occupied
about an hour, when we lost no time in resuming our journey, in the hope
of reaching some habitation where I could ascertain whether we were on
the right path towards a little hamlet through which I wished to pass,
called Nossa Senhora d’Abadia. After leaving the river, we ascended a
low hill, on the top of which is a somewhat thickly wooded Chapada, and
we spent nearly half an hour in crossing it. Having accomplished this,
we saw at some distance in a hollow, a few small houses with a church,
which proved to be the little hamlet we were in quest of. It consisted
of half a dozen miserable small huts formed of wicker-work and clay, and
thatched with palm leaves, the church being also constructed of the same
materials; the houses were all in a state of decay, and uninhabited,
with the exception of one, in which we found a mulatto woman and a few
children. I had hoped to procure here some corn for my horses, but none
was to be had. I asked the woman if she could direct us to the Arraial
of Formozo, but all the information she could give was that it was three
leagues distant; not only had she never been there, but had never gone
half a league beyond the spot where she lived: she told us, however, that
if we went to the house of the Juiz de Paz of the district, who lived
about half a league from Abadia, he would give us all the information
we wanted. We proceeded there accordingly, and found his house to be
scarcely better than those we had just left, and the Juiz himself, a
little meagre old man, with a grey beard that appeared never to have
felt a razor. When I asked, according to the custom of the country, if
he would allow us to pass the middle of the day with him, he said he was
sorry he could not give us accommodation, as two travelling merchants
from the Rio de San Francisco, occupied the only spare room in his
house. As the day was fine, we took up our quarters beneath the shade
of a large tree, called Pao Parahiba (_Simaba versicolor_, St. Hil.),
which grew before his house. Still wishing to give the horses a feed
of Indian corn, I solicited the old man as a favour to sell me a small
quantity, but he assured me he had not a single grain in his possession;
this however I scarcely believed, as I saw heaps of husks lying about,
and not long after, one of my men was informed by a slave belonging to
the place, that his master had plenty. In the course of the day, having
learned my profession, he came to consult me respecting a complaint of
the chest, under which he had been labouring for about eight days; but
I very coolly told him, that being aware he had plenty of corn, I would
not attend to his complaint until he had sold me as much as would provide
a good feed for all my horses. He now confessed he had a little, and
would try to spare as much as I wanted; in half an hour he sent out about
a bushel, for which I immediately paid him the usual price, about two
shillings. I found him labouring under a slight attack of inflammation of
the lungs, for which I bled him, and left him some medicine to take. I
could not however ascertain his reason for refusing me the corn in the
first instance, but my medical knowledge ultimately acted like a charm in
procuring it.
When we left the house of the Juiz de Paz in the afternoon, he directed
us to Formozo, but as will be seen, not sufficiently clearly. We started
early with the intention of making a long stage, and after travelling
two very long leagues, we arrived at a small house in a hollow, where
two men, a negro and a mulatto, were making Farinha de Mandiocca. From
them we learned we were on the wrong road for Formozo; and when I asked
leave to pass the night here, they assured me we should find much
better accommodation a little way further on. As the hut was small, I
accordingly pushed on towards the place indicated, hoping to obtain good
shelter, as it had been thundering all the afternoon, and seemed likely
soon to rain; but when we had travelled half an hour without meeting
with any signs of a house, we reached a small muddy stream, just as it
was getting dusk, in crossing which one of the horses fell with its load
of specimens of dried plants in large skin boxes, by which the plants
became soaked; this was all the more vexatious, as some of these parcels
were the same that had formerly suffered on the journey from Duro to
Natividade. After passing this stream, we went on pretty quickly for
about another half hour, when we arrived at a small uninhabited house in
a very ruined condition, but as the roof was in great measure entire, we
determined to remain here for the night. We were much incensed against
the men who gave us such wilfully false information, for just as the
luggage was taken off the horses, it began to rain heavily, accompanied
by a strong wind; and notwithstanding that we covered the open patches
in the roof and walls as well as we could with skins, it was two hours
before we could manage to keep a candle lighted. Towards midnight the
storm ceased, when we kindled a large fire in front of the house, which
helped to warm and dry us.
On the following day we examined the collections that had been wetted,
and as the sun shone brightly, we dried them by spreading them out on the
sheets of paper in which they were packed; this task having occupied
nearly the whole day, we passed the following night under the same
shelter. In the afternoon I took a walk a little way along the banks of
a small stream which flows into a large marsh, lined on each side with
Buriti palms, and other trees and shrubs, where I collected a number of
fine plants. Next morning before starting, Mr. Walker, in searching for
a ring to fasten into the end of one of our trunks, had a very narrow
escape from being bitten by a rattle-snake: the ring had been laid down
in a corner of the room, and putting his hand to search for it in the
dark, he felt something soft which he was just about to lift, when to his
horror he discovered it to be a rattle-snake. No time was lost in killing
this frightful reptile, which was found to measure nearly five feet in
length; I had slept all night within two feet of it. We left this place
on the morning of the first of June, and after travelling about a league,
came in sight of some houses which were supposed to be Formozo, but were
informed the place was called Campinhas, and that we had left the former
place behind us a little to the westward. Half a league further on, we
halted during the middle of the day, in the house of an Indian, at a
place called Pasquada; when we arrived, the man was absent working in his
plantation, but his wife received us with great hospitality, immediately
sending one of her boys with a large basket of oranges and another of
sweet potatoes, and a few eggs, treating us in a very different manner
from that to which we had been for some time accustomed. From this place
we went on about two leagues, and encamped for the night under a large
tree, called by the inhabitants Folha larga (_Salvertia convallariodora_,
St. Hil.). The nature of the country still continued to be very much the
same as that we had traversed since we had reached the table-land of
the Serra. On the dry grassy flats, I met with a few specimens of the
beautiful Amaranthaceous plant which Martius has described under the name
of _Gomphrena officinalis_, and which is well known to the people of the
country by its vernacular name of Para-todo. It has a large tuberous
root, which is very much used as a purgative, and as its name implies,
is considered good for every complaint. The stem is about a foot high,
hairy and leafy, and bears at its extremity a large compact head of
crimson flowers. We passed a miserably cold night being obliged several
times to get out of our hammocks, in order to warm ourselves at the fire.
Had we proceeded half a mile further, we should have reached a good
sized fazenda, but I was not aware we were so near it, until we heard a
cock crow in the morning. We halted during the middle of the following
day, at a fazenda called San Francisco, about two leagues distant from
where we slept. From the time we left Arrayas, the horses had gradually
fallen off in strength, owing to the want of proper provender, as they
had depended almost entirely on the coarse rank innutritious grasses of
the mountain pastures. They had also been accustomed to a warmer climate
than that we now experienced on the table-land of the Serra, where we
were exposed to a chilly S.E. wind, which at night was particularly
piercing. The heat during the day, especially when unclouded, was very
great, and this rendered us much more susceptible to the cold at night.
At Riachão I was obliged to exchange two of my horses that could proceed
no farther, and finding here that my own horse, which I had constantly
ridden since I left Icó, in the province of Ceará, was with difficulty
kept from lagging behind the others, it became necessary, much against
my inclination, to part with him and procure another. On leaving him
behind me I felt as if parting from an old friend, as we had become so
much accustomed to each other; my chestnut horse was now replaced by
another of a pure white, with a flowing mane and tail; but it did not
remain long in my possession, for it was stolen from me soon after we
crossed the Rio de San Francisco. We left San Francisco in the afternoon,
and passed on our way to the first house from the fazenda, which is
said to be three leagues distant; but as the leagues in this district
were even much longer than those of the more populated parts of Goyaz,
the distance in reality was far greater. Towards dusk we encamped under
some small Tingi trees (_Magonia glabrata_, St. Hil.), from the stems
of which we suspended our hammocks. Some of the large undulating grassy
campos through which we passed, between the fazenda and the place of our
encampment, had been burned a few weeks before. These were now covered
with numerous herbaceous plants in full flower; and I observed that in
those parts that remained untouched by the fire, the same plants were in
a more backward state, none being yet in blossom; but over the burned
tracts, the new grass was springing up vigorously, promising soon to
yield an excellent pasture for the cattle.
On the following morning, after having proceeded about half a league, we
reached the Rio Carynhenha, which forms the boundary line between the
province of Pernambuco, through the south-west corner of which we had for
a few days been passing, and that of Minas Geräes, so that on crossing
it we at length entered the latter province. After travelling a further
distance of two leagues, we halted to breakfast under a wide-spreading
Piki tree, on the margin of a Buriti swamp. The first part of our day’s
journey was through an open campo country, the greater part of which
had been lately burned; but the latter half was through a hilly and
thinly-wooded tract. The day being cloudy, and the wind blowing freshly
from the S.E., made us all complain much of the cold. In the afternoon it
was my intention to reach the next house, said to be three leagues from
that we had passed in the morning, but after travelling till dark without
seeing it, we encamped for the night near some bushes on the banks of a
small river; and as there were no trees here from which to suspend our
hammocks, we contented ourselves with sleeping on hides spread on the
ground.
In passing through a wooded campo (Taboleira coberta) we came upon a
large ant-eater (_Myrmecophaga jubata_), which Mr. Walker followed with
the intention of shooting, but his gun missed fire: we all pursued it on
foot with sticks, as none of our guns happened to be loaded. I was the
first to come up with it, and being well aware of the harmless nature of
its mouth, I seized it by its long snout, by which I tried to hold it,
when it immediately rose upon its hind legs, and clasping me round the
middle with its powerful fore paws, completely brought me to a stand;
one of the men now coming up, struck it a blow on the head with a thick
stick, which brought it for an instant to the ground. Notwithstanding
it was frequently stunned by the blows it received, it always raised
itself again and ran off. At last, I recollected the small pistols which
I always carried in my jacket pocket, loaded with ball, when by the
first shot through the breast it fell dead. It was a very large animal,
measuring about six feet without including the tail, which together with
the long hair by which it is covered, measured full four feet more. It
ran very slowly, owing to the peculiar organization of its fore feet,
two of the claws of which are very large and doubled up when it walks or
runs, causing one side of the foot to rest on the ground. The proper, or
rather principal use of these powerful claws, is to assist in obtaining
the white-ant, the food on which he lives. The large clay nests of these
insects are very common in those upland campos; and when the ant-bear
wants a meal, he attacks one of these hillocks with his fore claws, tears
out a portion of the side, and pushes in his long slender tongue, which
is covered with a viscid saliva, to which myriads of the ants adhere, and
opening his little mouth he draws it in; now shutting his lips, pushes it
out a second time, retaining the ants in his mouth till the tongue has
been completely exserted, when he swallows them. We afterwards met with
numbers of these strange-looking animals.
The small river near which we slept, was full of rounded blocks of
limestone, which being very slippery, rendered our passage across it
difficult, but fortunately all the luggage was got over in safety. We
now travelled for a league through a bare, arid, hilly country, in
which almost the only tree that exists, is a small gregarious species
of _Vochysia_, and arrived at the house we expected to reach the night
before, where I remained all day in order to preserve the skin of the
ant-eater, and to arrange some of my other collections. This place is
called Capão da Casca, and consists of but one small miserable hut,
entirely formed of leaves of the Buriti palm. It was inhabited by a
mulatto, his wife, and three children; there were but two very small
apartments, so that we were obliged to sleep on our hide beds spread out
on the ground before the house, where our men had kindled a large fire.
The house is situated in the mouth of a small wooded valley, and the only
cultivated ground I saw was a plantation of mandiocca. The miserable
poverty of the family seemed to be entirely owing to the laziness of the
man, who was a perfect picture of indolence.
We left early on the following morning, with the intention of making a
long journey, as the next house was said to be six long leagues distant,
which I set down as equivalent to ten legal ones. Shortly after leaving
the house we had to cross a small stream, the bed of which was very
boggy, so that one of the horses stuck fast, and in trying to extricate
himself fell, together with his load, into the stream. It was some time
before the boxes could be taken off, by which time they became quite full
of water,—fortunately it was not a load of botanical specimens; but one
of the boxes contained the last remains of my stock of paper for packing
dried plants, as well as a little box full of the skins of bats and other
small quadrupeds, together with some insects, all of which were more or
less destroyed. As this was the first horse that attempted to pass, I
would not allow any of the others to venture across with their loads,
all were unpacked and passed over by the men in safety. By the time
everything was again put into travelling order, and we had gone on about
half a league, it was mid-day, when we halted under a large tree in the
hollow near a wooded marsh. Our first care was to dry all the articles
that had been wetted in the morning, which operation was much favoured by
the sun that shone brilliantly.
Some of the campos we passed through were covered with a large species of
tree-lily, bearing a profusion of beautiful purple flowers. Early in the
afternoon we continued our journey, and halted for the night in a wooded
campo, a little above a large Buriti swamp, sleeping on a hard bed, there
being no place wherein to sling our hammocks, and suffering much from the
cold. Although accustomed daily both to privations and fatigue, there was
an indescribable pleasure in the wild life we had long been leading; it
is true we were deprived of nearly all the comforts of civilized life,
but we were at the same time free from all its restraints. When we rose
in the morning we knew not where our next sleeping place might be, but
the choice was almost always at our command, which however was not made
at random, but constantly regulated by some indispensable requisites,
such as water and grass for the horses, trees from which to suspend our
hammocks, and wood wherewith to make our nightly fire. We had hitherto
met with but little difficulty in finding, all these together; but the
part of the Serra Geral on which we were now travelling called the Serra
das Araras, was in most places so destitute of arboreous vegetation, that
trees were seldom met with in combination with other requisites for an
encampment.
On arriving at a place where we wished to remain, each person had his own
department to attend to. The first thing was to unload the horses, at
which all assisted. Mr. Walker and I always saddled and unsaddled our own
animals: two of the men then took them to the spot that offered the best
pasture, where they were left after fastening their fore legs together
with leathern straps to prevent them from straying during the night;
these men on their return brought with them as much dry wood as they
could carry. Another man was despatched with a large leather bag to fetch
water; while Mr. Walker and I arranged the packages together in such a
manner that they could readily be covered over with skins in the event
of rain; two large trunks put together served as our table, while two
smaller ones supplied us with seats. Generally before the men returned,
Mr. Walker had kindled a fire, and while supper was preparing, which was
also our dinner, for we took only two meals a day, I occupied myself in
preparing and changing the specimens collected on the previous days. By
the time the water was boiled for our tea, the piece of dried beef which
had been put on a wooden spit, and suspended over the hot embers, was
ready for our supper, as it required to be little more than heated. The
tea, dried beef, and farinha de mandiocca constituted our usual fare; and
I am certain that if any of our European friends, who had never seen this
kind of provision, could have been suddenly transported to one of our
meals, he would have concluded, from the appearance of our food, that
we were eating saw-dust and roasted leather. Our greatest comfort was a
large stock of excellent tea, which I laid in before leaving Pernambuco,
and which fortunately lasted till we reached a more civilized place,
where more was procured; this was my only beverage during the whole of
this long and protracted journey, and nothing could be more refreshing at
the end of a day’s ride under a burning sun.
I was told when I arrived in Brazil, that I should find it necessary
to mix either wine or brandy with the water I drank, but a very short
experience taught me, not only that they were unnecessary, but decidedly
hurtful to those whose occupations lead them much into the sun. Whoever
drinks stimulating liquors, and travels day after day in the sun, will
certainly suffer from headache, and in countries where miasmata prevail,
will be far more liable to be attacked by the diseases which are there
endemic. The dried beef of an ox generally lasted us from three weeks
to a month, by the end of which time it was scarcely fit to be eaten,
becoming as hard as a chip of wood. In moist rainy weather it was very
difficult to preserve it, for with the utmost care we could not prevent
the breeding of maggots, from which it required to be freed both before
and after it was roasted. We were seldom, however, more than a fortnight
without provisions of some kind or other, either in the shape of deer,
monkeys, armadillos, large lizards, or birds of various kinds.
We started early from the Buriti swamp where we slept, with the
expectation of reaching the fazenda do Rio Claro about mid-day, but a
little before that time we found, by the direction in which we were
going, that we had taken a wrong road. A little after mid-day we came to
the S.E. termination of that part of the Serra das Araras on which we had
been travelling, whence we had an uninterrupted view of the vast plain
that stretches to the south and east, studded here and there with a few
small lakes. After descending the Serra by an easy path, we rested during
the middle of the day beneath some trees, by the side of a little stream
of cool water that came rushing down from the Serra, not knowing where
we were, nor when we might meet with any one to give us information. We
soon found the track again, and travelling through a flat thinly-wooded
country, on an indifferent path, for about half an hour, we arrived at a
small house, which we found empty; and a little further on we came upon
another in the same state. Following the same path for about an hour, we
met a black man and a boy, from whom we learned that we should arrive at
a fazenda about half a league further on; we likewise ascertained at the
same time that the road we had chosen was a round of about three leagues
and a half to the fazenda do Rio Claro, but that it was much better than
the one usually travelled; this at least was some consolation for the
error we had committed. It was nearly sunset when we reached a small
fazenda, called San José, where we put up for the night; the house was
not only small, but in a wretchedly ruinous condition, and belonged to a
mulatto, who did not seem to be very industrious. The Rio Urucuya, which
runs directly east from the Serra Geral, and empties itself into the Rio
de San Francisco a little below San Romão, passes close to the house, and
is even there of considerable width and depth. On this day’s journey I
collected no new plants, being the only instance of failing to do so in
my travels since I left the coast.
Next morning, after receiving proper directions for the fazenda do Rio
Claro, we left San José, and not long after we started came to a large
rivulet which was so deep and muddy that it became necessary for all the
luggage to be carried over by the men, and owing to the difficulties of
the fording this occupied about two hours. As the stream is narrow, and
the banks high on each side, it would not be difficult, in the course
of a day, to form a good wooden bridge over it at a trifling expense,
for plenty of wood exists close by; but this is scarcely to be expected
from those who will not give themselves the trouble of erecting a decent
house to live in, notwithstanding they are surrounded by an abundance of
materials. When all had been passed over, I found it was then too late
to go on until we had breakfasted, we therefore remained here till the
afternoon. While at breakfast, an elderly white woman and her son arrived
on the opposite side of the stream, and after having crossed it, they
remained during the middle of the day in our encampment. We found this
woman, notwithstanding her age, to be lively and active, qualities not
common among Brazilian women. I learned from her that she was going to
a place at a distance of five days’ journey, to fulfil a vow she had
made to San Antonio, some short time before, when she was suffering from
illness. During our stay at this place, we were greatly tormented with
carrapatos. We started early, and shortly before sunset arrived at last
at the fazenda do Rio Claro, having passed through a flat, thinly-wooded
country, covered with several large coarse kinds of grass.
This fazenda takes its name from a little stream that flows past it, and
falls into the Urucuya, about a league further south. Although the house
was large and commodious, compared with the generality of others in those
parts, the owner, Senhor Manoel Lucas, would not give us accommodation
for the night, but sent us to a small open shed in front of the hut of
one of his slaves, where we slung our hammocks, after having tied up some
hides to keep out a cold wind that blew down from the Serra. The men
slept in the open air, on the ground, by the side of a large fire. As I
had a great many plants to pack up, and as it was necessary to get two
more large hide trunks made to put them in, we remained four days at Rio
Claro for this purpose. During our stay we found the proprietor to be no
less exorbitant than Captain Faustino, of San João, in the extravagant
prices he demanded for the dried hides and Indian corn that I bought of
him, and equally inhospitable in his demeanour.
The whole time we remained here, was spent in the shed before mentioned,
where we were roasted by day, and starved with cold by night. We found
it so extremely cold in our hammocks, for want of a proper supply of
blankets, that we rose several times during the night in order to warm
ourselves by the fire around which the men slept.
It was on the afternoon of the 12th of June that we left the inhospitable
banks of the Rio Claro, and after a journey of two leagues, arrived at
the next fazenda, called Boquerão, from the owner of which we met with
a very different reception from that at the Rio Claro; we were not only
accommodated in his own house, but shortly after our arrival, he prepared
for us an excellent supper of fresh beef, a luxury we had not enjoyed
since we left the fazenda of San João, near San Domingo. I now regretted
very much that I had not delayed my preparations until our arrival at
this place, as we should have found everything more comfortably provided.
The trees since we descended the Serra, I observed to be very different
from those we had there met with, resembling much more those existing in
the Sertão country of Piauhy; they consisted of the Cambaiba (_Caratella
çambaiba_, St. Hil.), the Folha larga (_Salvertia convallariodora_, St.
Hil.), two species of arboreous _Bignonia_, with yellow flowers, and
the Sicupíra (_Commilobium polygalæflorum_, Benth.); there were besides
a fine _Gerascanthus_, bearing large panicles of white flowers, a
silk-cotton-tree (_Bombax_), and a simple leaved _Rhopala_.
Our host, whose name I regret I have neglected to record, would not allow
us to depart on the following morning till we had breakfasted. As our
stock of provisions was again becoming short, he sold me as much dried
beef as I thought would carry us to San Romão, which was not now many
days’ journey distant. We rested during the heat of the day at the next
fazenda, after travelling two leagues and a half; in the afternoon we
went another two leagues, and remained for the night at the fazenda of
Santa Maria. The country still continued flat and dry, partly open and
partly wooded; some of the open places abounded, as far as the eye could
reach, with the large yellow clay nests of the white ant, among which we
saw several ant-eaters, and a large flock of the ostrich of the country,
which, as soon as they saw us, fled with extraordinary rapidity. From
Santa Maria, we went on to a little hamlet called Espigão, half a league
distant; it consisted of a few small houses, at one of which we stopped
to make enquiries about the road; it belonged to a tailor, who was at
work outside the door; as soon as we arrived, about half a dozen young
women, of all colours, and dirty in the extreme, came out to reconnoitre
us. Following the directions, we went on about a league further, and
halted to breakfast at an uninhabited house, by the side of a beautiful
stream of clear water, flowing from a Buriti palm swamp. Resuming our
journey in the afternoon, we crossed the stream, but were puzzled which
road to take of the two that presented themselves, one led to the south,
and another to the east; and as our general direction was easterly, we
followed that course. After travelling about two leagues and a half
through a very arid and barren country, consisting of long flat sandy
tracts, wooded with a few stunted trees and bushes, and large open Buriti
swamps, we arrived at another uninhabited house. During the latter part
of this journey, the road inclined so much towards the north, that I felt
certain we had not taken the right one, and determined to retrace our
steps on the following morning, and take that which led to the south. As
the house was in a very ruinous state, we slept under some trees; and as
the nights had now become too cold for the use of hammocks, we generally
abandoned them, and adopted instead an ox-hide laid on the ground, by the
side of a large fire, with a trunk placed at our heads, and two or three
others alongside; a heap of wood was always collected and laid within
reach, and as the hardness of our beds never allowed us to sleep too
soundly, the fire was always well kept up; the men had another fire to
themselves.
On the following morning we returned to the place where the two roads
separated, and breakfasted under the shade of a large Sicupíra tree.
Fortunately, just as we were about to start, the same old lady and her
son whom we met at the fazenda do Rio Claro, now passed us, on her
return from the fulfilment of her vow; from her we learned that we were
altogether out of our proper course, and that to regain it, it was
necessary to return to Espigão, at which place there were also two roads,
and that we had been directed to the wrong one; we had, therefore, no
alternative but again to retrace our steps, having lost a day and a half
by this erroneous information. On reaching Espigão, we took the other
road without making any further enquiries, and after travelling about a
league and a half, reached the banks of a small river, half an hour after
sunset. We passed the night under some trees on the banks of the stream,
which is called the Riberão de Area; it is only about twenty yards broad,
and shallow enough to allow the horses to pass over with their loads, but
as the bottom was very bad, from the great quantity of smooth rounded
stones, I thought it safer to have all the luggage conveyed over next
morning in a fine large canoe, which we found made fast on the opposite
side, by which means we escaped all risk of damage from the slipping of
the horses’ feet. The country around this place was very pretty, being
flat on each side of the river to a considerable distance, well covered
with grass, and thinly wooded; immediately above the ford, there is a
long rapid, the rushing of the water over which is heard at a great
distance. The canoe being large, we were not long in passing the luggage,
and afterwards we made a journey of about two leagues and a half, through
a slightly undulating, arid, and barren country, consisting chiefly of
bare grassy hills, covered in many places with abundance of ferruginous
stones, and flat, sandy, thinly-wooded Taboleiras. We rested by the side
of a small stream which flowed from a Buriti swamp, and as there were
no large trees, we sheltered ourselves from the burning sun among some
bushes which grew on the margin of the rivulet. In the afternoon, another
journey of two leagues and a half through a similar country, brought
us to a little fazenda called Taboca, which belonged to a mulatto. On
starting next, morning, the owner accompanied us for nearly half a mile,
in order to put us upon the right road, there being several other paths
leading to different places.
A journey of about ten leagues from this place, which occupied two days
and a half, brought us to the banks of the Rio Urucuya, at a place called
San Miguel, little more than a league to the westward of its junction
with the Rio de Francisco, and here we had to cross it; the stream was
about a gunshot in breadth, and very deep. As there was no regular ferry
established here, we hired a small canoe, by means of which all the
packages were safely taken across in two hours. The horses were passed
about a quarter of a mile further up, at a place where they had only
about half the breadth of the river to swim. It was in the morning that
we arrived at this place, and although no corn could be obtained for the
horses, I determined to remain till the following day, in order to give
them a rest, all being in a very exhausted state, in consequence of their
long journey, and the want of nourishing provender. We were now only five
leagues from the Villa de San Romão, and were the more anxious to reach
it as soon as possible, as our stock of provisions had been exhausted the
evening before we reached the ferry. The journey from Boquerão occupied
a longer time than we anticipated, and we were disappointed on finding,
that after leaving that place, we could obtain nothing by purchase at
a few small fazendas we passed. I have everywhere observed during my
travels in Brazil, and the same remark has been made by M. Auguste de
St. Hilaire, that the nearer a traveller comes to a town or village, the
less chance he finds of being able to renew his stock of provisions. The
men had still a few french-beans and a small piece of fat bacon left, but
not more than would suffice them for a single meal; Mr. Walker and I had
now been two days and a half without tasting any solid food, sustaining
ourselves during that time entirely on strong tea, for we had not been
able to meet with a single wild animal of any description; we had often
before suffered severely from thirst, but had never been so long without
food; it was fortunate we had the tea, as it prevented us from suffering
nearly as much from hunger, as I expected we should have done. We stopped
at a house on the south side of the river, which was both miserable and
small, belonging to an old black woman, the only resident there; she had
nothing, not even a fowl to sell. We slept in a part of the house that
wanted a roof, and had only a small portion of the walls entire; a large
fire was kindled in the middle of the floor, by the side of which we
spread out hides for our beds.
As there was some difficulty in finding one of the horses, it was late
next morning before we left the banks of the Urucuya. After travelling
nearly a league, we halted for some time at a place where there are two
small lakes, called As Dus Irmãas. We did not proceed further, having
been informed, before we started, that we should not meet with a drop of
water for the next three leagues, and this in the afternoon we found to
be really the case, the road leading through one continued flat dry sandy
plain, thinly covered with bushes and small trees. We reached the first
watering place a little before sunset; it is called Riacho, and is about
a league from San Romão; there is no house there, nor could I observe any
appearance of habitation on the whole road from the Urucuya to the Villa.
We hoped to have reached the Villa that evening, but the horses were too
much fatigued to go further; we therefore encamped for the night under
some trees by the side of a limpid rivulet; none of us had had a morsel
to eat, but we had all a large basin of strong warm tea, which made up
in some measure for the want of a more substantial supper. To this Mr.
Walker and the men added a pipe of tobacco, as they were all inveterate
smokers.
At length, on Sunday morning the 21st of June, we entered the Villa de
San Romão, and having proceeded to the house of the Juiz de Paz, in order
to show him my passport, he very kindly sent a person to look after a
house for our reception. He was not long in finding one, and as soon as
the horses were unloaded, I dispatched a man in search of provisions,
but, strange to say, he could find nothing but farinha. A market had been
held early in the morning, of both fresh and dried beef, but all had
been sold off before our arrival; a most fortunate occurrence, however,
afforded us a better breakfast than we anticipated. Just as we were
preparing some tea, which we intended to take with some farinha, a little
boy came to enquire if I would buy a fish which he had just caught, and
which was lying on the banks of the river. I went there immediately, and
for the value of a few pence, bought the fish, a fine species of salmon
upwards of two feet long, which I need not say was soon cooked, and
formed a most welcome meal for all of us.
The Villa Resonha de San Romão is situated on the south bank of the
Rio de San Francisco, in the district of Paracatú; it is small, not
containing above one thousand inhabitants, and forms a square of several
long narrow irregular streets; the houses are all of one story, and
without exception, built of wicker-work and clay, there being no stone
in the neighbourhood; the principal streets run parallel with the river,
and the three which are nearest to it, are almost every year inundated by
the overflowing of its waters during the season of the rains. The other
part of the town being somewhat higher, is exempt from this annoyance;
the house we inhabited was one of those exposed to the floods, and
although the floor was at least four feet above the level of the street,
it required to be abandoned annually for some time; during the great
flood of 1838, to which I was witness on my voyage up the Rio de San
Francisco, the water rose five feet above the level of the floor, and the
walls still retained evident marks of the fact. The population consists
chiefly of people of colour, and I do not believe that a dozen white
families exist in the whole Villa. Most of the respectable inhabitants
are shopkeepers, who supply the fazendeiros, and those who reside in the
surrounding country, with European and other goods. The place cannot
be said to have any trade of its own, the principal source of traffic
being fish, caught in the river, which after being salted and dried,
is sold to the inhabitants of the Sertoes, who are remarkably fond of
this food. The better class of the inhabitants are greatly addicted to
gambling, resorting every day for that purpose to the house of an old
captain, who is the owner of a spirit shop; having occasion to call
several times on some of them, with letters of recommendation that I
brought from Goyaz, I seldom found them at home, being always directed
to the above house, where they were sure to be found, in company with
one of the two priests belonging to the place, and this on Sundays, no
less than on other days. This priest, Padre Francisco Fernandes Vianna,
although a man of most benevolent disposition, was far from being a model
of morality to his flock; to him, however, I was indebted for several
acts of kindness, as also to Lieut. Col. Thomas de Conceição, a person
of considerable intelligence, who forms an exception to the general
character I have given of the inhabitants. From this gentleman I received
letters of recommendation to the excellent and learned Padre Antonio
Nogueira Duarte, of Contendas, a small village between the Rio de San
Francisco and the Diamond District, a person who is spoken of in the
highest terms, both by St. Hilaire and by Spix and Martius. I expected to
pass through this village, and to have the pleasure of meeting with one,
who though now a very old man, still takes a delight in the pursuits of
natural history, but when I found that in order to visit him, I should
be obliged to make a round of several leagues, I renounced all idea of
doing so, both on account of the fatigued condition of my horses, and of
the great desire I now had to reach a place where my funds, which were in
a very reduced state, could be renovated. The first evening, as I walked
through the town, I was surprised to hear one or more fiddles playing in
almost every house; this is the instrument almost exclusively used by the
barbers in Rio de Janeiro, and the other large cities and towns along the
coast, but in the interior it is very seldom met with, the guitar being
a greater favourite, and generally used both by ladies and gentlemen. In
San Romão, however, this usual fashion is departed from, no young lady’s
education being considered complete unless she has learned to handle the
bow.
It being now the dry season, the river was many feet below its banks, and
although of great breadth, appeared narrow when compared with what it was
when I first beheld it, in 1838. It abounds in fish, which at this season
are brought in canoes in great plenty, and sold in the Villa at a very
cheap rate. During my residence there, I prepared specimens of most of
the ordinary kinds, which are now in the British Museum. The following
are the names of a few of those which are most esteemed.
1. _Surubím._[13]—This fish, which is a species of sturgeon,
often reaches the length of six feet. It is taken most commonly
in nets, but sometimes also, especially by the Indians,
by being shot at with an arrow, to which a strong cord is
attached. The flesh of this species dried is that principally
sold in the Sertão; I have frequently tasted it, and found it
excellent.
2. _Curumatám._—This, as well as the three following, belongs
to the _Salmonidæ_; it is about two feet in length, and both
in colour and taste its flesh has a very near approach to
our common salmon. It inhabits the bottom of the river, and
is generally taken with a drag-net, but never with the hook.
During my stay in San Romão, several canoes came in every
morning, nearly full of them, and sold at about a halfpenny
each fish. The stomach is very thick and muscular, but in all
those I examined, I never found anything but a large quantity
of fine earth, in hard lumps.
3. _Dourádo._—A beautiful fish, from two to four feet in
length; it is generally taken with the hook, but is not
considered delicate food. We, nevertheless, relished the first
we ate very much, it being this species I bought of the boy on
the day we arrived at San Romão.
4. _Matrixám._—Somewhat similar to the _Dourádo_, but smaller,
and considered a much superior fish.
5. _Piau branco._—From one to two feet long, and with much
larger scales than any of the others; it is taken with the
hook, and its flesh is much esteemed.
6. _Curvínha._—About two feet in length, with a scaly head; it
takes the bait readily, but the flesh, which is soft, is not
considered good.
7. _Traíra._—Also about two feet long and rather slender; it
takes the bait, and is much esteemed.
8. _Pirá._—About two and a half feet long, with a protruded
beak; is only taken with the drag-net, and is considered a
delicate fish.
9. _Mandí._—One of the _Siluridæ_, and perhaps a species of
_Mystus_; from a foot and a half to two feet long, with no
apparent scales, and long barbecels proceeding backwards from
its mouth. It keeps near the bottom of the river, is taken by
the hook, and considered one of the best fish it produces.
10. _Pocomó._—This and the following also belong to
the _Siluridæ_, and are, perhaps, species of the genus
_Hypostomus_. The _Pocomó_ is an ugly black fish, about two
feet long, covered with large hard plates. It keeps near the
bottom, and is taken in great plenty in the nets which are
thrown for other fish. During my visit, the sandy shores of the
river were covered with those which had been thrown out of the
nets. It is seldom eaten, but makes good bait for other fish.
11. _Cascuda._—This species is smaller than the last, and very
much resembles it, except that it is of a yellow colour.
The _Piráuh_ and _Piába_, of both of which I have already spoken,
are as abundant here as they are below the Falls of Paulo Affonso;
besides these, there must be many others which I had not an opportunity
of seeing. During the whole time we remained in San Romão, we lived
principally on fish; indeed, it is so abundant and so cheap, that fresh
beef is rarely offered in the market. The navigation of the river being
uninterrupted from this place to the Falls of Paulo Affonso, many canoes
are continually passing up and down; their principal cargo up is salt,
from the manufactories which exist on the vast saline flats on both sides
of the river below Porto do Salgado; this is partly sold for money, and
partly exchanged for hides, tobacco, &c.
As it was essentially requisite to arrange and pack the large collections
made during our journey from Arrayas, and as our long journey now
began to manifest its effects on the men, as well as on the animals, I
determined to give them a sufficient rest, by remaining a fortnight at
San Romão; accordingly the horses were sent to pasture on a large island
in the river, immediately opposite the town; this island is about half
a league long, and a quarter of a mile broad; the pasture there was not
very good, but the horses remained much safer than in any other place.
Horse stealing is so very common in this quarter, that scarcely a troop
arrives, from any distance, that does not lose one or more animals;
before our arrival, we became aware of this fact, and were advised to
put our troop on the island for safety. As the country was greatly dried
up around the town, by the effects of the long drought, I did not here
add much to my collections; and, indeed, a slight accident that occurred
to me, prevented my walking about so much as I should otherwise have
done. A few days after we arrived, I went to pay a visit to a gentleman,
when in going up a few steps at the door, my foot slipped, and my leg
came with considerable violence against the sharp edge of one of the
brick steps; the wound, although small, troubled me greatly, for owing to
the fatigue I had previously undergone, and the innutritious nature of
our food, my body had evidently fallen into a somewhat scorbutic state.
I did not finally recover from the effects of this accident till nearly
two months afterwards, when I rested several weeks in the house of a kind
friend in the Gold District.
CHAPTER XII.
SAN ROMÃO TO THE DIAMOND DISTRICT.
Leaves San Romão—Passes Guaribas—Passagem—Geräes
Velhas—Espigão—Caisára—Cabeceira—Arrives at the Villa
de Formigas—Town described—Account of the impostor
Douville—Country around rich in botanical products—Passes
Viados—Arrives at the Arraial de Bomfim—Reaches San
Elo—Sitio—Comes to a Gold Working called Lavrinha—Crosses
the River Inhacica—Reaches As Vargems—Registo do Rio
Inhahy—Bassoras on the river Jiquitinhonha—Examines a Diamond
Mine—Formation in which the Diamond is found—Mode of Working
it—Arrives at the Arraial de Mendanha—Town described—Ascends
the Serra de Mendanha—Reaches Duas Pontes—Arrives at the
Cidade Diamantina, formerly the Arraial de Tijuco, the
Capital of the Diamond District—Town situated on side of
Hill—Description of its Population—Their mode of Dress—Its
cold Temperature—Productions of its Neighbourhood—Mining for
Diamonds, formerly a privileged Monopoly, now is open to
all.—Character of Miners—Extent of Diamond Mines—Privilege
of Slaves there employed—Climate very Healthy—Women very
Handsome—Complaints incident to its Climate—Loyalty shown by
its Inhabitants—Fatality among Horses.
The province of Minas Geräes is not only one of the largest in Brazil,
but one of the richest, its natural resources being very considerable. It
extends between the 14th and 23rd degrees of south latitude, and between
the 41st and 53rd degrees of west longitude, the four more westerly
degrees, however, include but a very narrow corner; on the east, it is
bounded by the maritime province of Espirito Santo; on the north, by
those of Bahia and Pernambuco; on the south, by those of Rio de Janeiro
and San Paulo; and on the west, by that of Goyaz. It is naturally divided
into two very unequal portions by a mountain chain, that runs from
south to north, in which exist the Gold and Diamond mines, for which the
province is so celebrated. The country to the east is mostly covered
with virgin forests, while that to the west, which is flatter, chiefly
consists of pasture lands, much of which, however, is covered with
Catinga forests, forming one of the largest tracts in Brazil, to which
the name of Sertão is given. In order to reach the Cidade Diamantina, the
capital of the Diamond district, which it was now my intention to visit,
it was necessary to make a long journey through this desert-like country;
the road most frequented, is that which runs southward along the east
bank of the Rio de San Francisco, and the north of the Rio das Velhas, a
large tributary of the former, which takes its rise in the Gold country;
the other, which is a far worse road, leads through the Sertão in a
south-east direction; but I preferred it, because it would sooner bring
me into the mountainous regions of the Diamond district.
On the 1st of July, preparatory to our departure, my horses were brought
over from the island to the east side of the San Francisco, and early
on the following morning the luggage was all at once passed over, in a
large ajojo, two canoes lashed together. All being now prepared, I had
resolved to proceed immediately, but on collecting the animals, my own
saddle horse was not to be found; all that day was spent in search of
it, but the only trace left, was the leathern strap, by which its fore
legs had been secured, and which was found in the wood unbuttoned at both
ends, and as this could only have been done by some person, we came to
the conclusion that the horse was stolen; I, therefore, resolved to lose
no more time in looking after it. About midnight we were awakened by a
black man, who had assisted my men in the morning’s search, who came to
inform me that a horse similar to mine, had been seen during the day,
tied to a tree in the wood considerably further up the river. Early next
morning, I despatched one of my people in that direction to look for
it, who returned in about an hour, bringing the horse with him; it was
evident it had been taken there, in the hope of its remaining concealed,
until an opportunity occurred of carrying it away altogether. I now lost
no time in commencing the journey, and making a short stage of about
a league, rested, during the middle of the day, at a fazenda called
Guaribas. The first half league was through a flat thinly-wooded tract,
which is generally overflowed by the river, during the rainy season; I
saw some fine large trees in this wood, of a species of _Triplaris_,
and an arboreous _Bignonia_, destitute of leaves, but covered with
flowers not unlike those of the Foxglove, in shape, size, and colour.
The underwood here consisted chiefly of different kinds of _Mimosa_,
_Acacia_, _Bauhinia_, _Cæsalpinia_, &c., and an immense number of Lemon
trees, loaded with fruit; this tree has here become quite naturalized,
and the cattle that pasture in the woods are so fond of the fallen fruit,
that when killed, their flesh smells strongly of it. The other half
league led through a thickly-wooded Taboleira. At Guaribas, I occupied
myself with skinning a very large howling monkey, which Mr. Walker shot
the evening before, on a tree on the banks of the Rio de San Francisco;
and in the afternoon we advanced another two leagues, and arrived at a
fazenda, called Passagem. The road was dreadfully bad, in consequence of
the underwood which choaked the almost untrodden path; on this journey,
every little twig and blade of grass was loaded with carrapatos, in
balls, often the size of filberts, and we became completely covered with
these annoying insects; the banks of the little stream near the house,
in particular, were swarming with them. In the afternoon, we passed two
small lakes which were full of wild ducks, but we were too much annoyed
by the badness of the road to lose time in shooting any of them, although
they appeared to be very tame; they are smaller than those which frequent
the lakes of the north of Brazil.
The fazenda of Passagem, at which we stopped, belongs to a person who
resides in San Romão, whose acquaintance I made during my stay there;
the vaqueiro in charge of it, had orders not only to entertain us for
the night, but to guide us to the next fazenda, which is three leagues
distant. It was my design to leave early on the following morning, but
my mortification was extreme on finding that my riding horse again was
not forthcoming with the others. As the country around the house was
covered with a thick Catinga forest, abounding in many places with a
small kind of Bamboo, of the leaves of which the horses are remarkably
fond, we concluded he would be found grazing somewhere near at hand,
but all the forenoon was in vain spent in search of him; the vaqueiro,
who was a most obliging man, and well acquainted with the country, then
mounted his horse, in quest of the lost animal, but he returned in the
evening, without having been able to find the slightest trace of him.
All the following day was again spent in a useless search, and, as the
pasturage at this place was very bad, we went on in the evening, for
the sake of other animals, to Geräes Velhas, the fazenda to which the
vaqueiro had orders to conduct us. He remained here with us all night,
and next morning, I sent one of my men back with him, to have a last
search for the missing horse, being unwilling to proceed without him,
as he was one of the best belonging to my troop; but on the following
day, the man returned without having obtained the slightest intelligence
of the lost animal. I entertained no doubt that the thief who had been
disappointed on the former occasion, had now followed us, and at last
made sure of his booty. The country between Passagem and Geräes Velhas
consists principally of a flat Taboleira, which for the most part is
covered with a tall grass, a species of _Andropogon_, from six to twelve
feet high. For the next four days after leaving Geräes Velhas, our route
was through a very thinly inhabited country, consisting sometimes of low
Catinga forests, at others, of Taboleiras cobertas, and not unfrequently
of woodless grassy hills, on which that species of _Callopisma_, called
Boca do Sapo, and the beautiful _Chresta pycnocephala_, grew profusely,
both of which were then in full flower. In passing through bushy grassy
tracts in the Sertão, the ears of the traveller are greeted, from
early dawn till night, by the loud cries of a large gallinaceous bird,
called by the inhabitants, Seriema; they generally go in pairs, and by
keeping among the long grass, they are seldom seen; like the Ostrich of
the country (Emu), they run with great quickness. St. Hilaire compares
their cry to that of the turkey, but I find in my Journal, that I have
frequently remarked it to be like the yelping of a whelp. They build
their nest in the low trees, and lay two eggs; as their flesh is not much
esteemed, they are seldom sought after by the sportsman; and on this
account are frequently heard uttering their peculiar cry in the immediate
neighbourhood of houses: it is the _Dicolophus cristatus_ of Illiger.
In passing through a little hamlet, called Espigão, which consists of
about a dozen scattered houses, belonging to people of colour, I met with
a horse dealer, with whom I exchanged two of my horses, that were a good
deal exhausted, for two better ones, giving him a sum of money to boot;
but as he saw I was almost driven by necessity to make this exchange, he,
of course, contrived to have the best of the bargain, in which respect
the Brazilian horse-dealers very much resemble those of more civilized
countries. On leaving Espigão, we travelled all the afternoon, and the
whole of the next day, before we came to any habitation; it was dusk
when we arrived in sight of it, and it was not without some difficulty,
owing to the badness of the road, and our not knowing which path to
take, that we at length reached this fazenda, called Caisára. I was much
disappointed to find this portion of the province so thinly populated,
and exhibiting but few indications of native industry; although many
tracts appeared equally well adapted for the rearing of cattle, as the
greater portion of Goyaz, we saw scarcely any animals distributed over
its surface. There seemed abundance of excellent pasturage and good
shelter for cattle, and notwithstanding that the upper parts of the hills
were sometimes bare, the valleys appeared to be well wooded. When I asked
for quarters for the night, at this place, I was told by the owner, an
old mulatto, that if we chose, we might sleep under some orange trees,
to which he pointed, at a little distance from the house. Thither we
accordingly went, but just as we were getting the horses unloaded, he
came down to inform us, that although he gave us liberty to sleep there,
he would not on any account allow us to make a fire. The nights in this
part of the country being too cold to admit of sleeping in the open air
without artificial warmth, I determined to keep aloof from a man who was
so uncivil and inhospitable, and therefore moved away from his orange
trees, carrying off all our equipage to the high road, which passed by
the house, where we kindled a large fire, by the side of which we slept,
but most uncomfortably, as the ground was covered with carrapatos. Next
morning before we started, the owner of the fazenda came out to visit us,
and no doubt being ashamed of his conduct, he begged I would not mention
to any one the manner in which we had been received, which was entirely
owing to the smallness of his accommodation; but this was evidently a
mere excuse, as his house was by no means small. The true reason for
making this apology, was his having ascertained, from one of my men, the
nature of my profession, for he brought with him one of his daughters, to
solicit my advice respecting a complaint under which she had laboured for
some time. I was also asked by him to visit one of his slaves, who for
many years had been prevented from working, by a complaint not uncommon
in Brazil, Sarcocele; this, however, was the most remarkable case I had
ever witnessed, exhibiting an enormous mass of solid flesh in a pyriform
shape, that reached the ground, weighing nearly as much as the rest of
his body. The wretched being who was thus affected was a man still in the
prime of life, and suffered but little, except from the inconvenience it
caused him.
On the afternoon of the following day, we arrived at another fazenda
called Cabeceira, the distance between the two places being about four
leagues and a half. On this journey, the country still continued to rise,
and about half a league before reaching this place, we passed over a
bare Serra of considerable height, the ascent of which was rather steep,
although the road over it is excellent, being so constructed that carts
can cross it without difficulty. That portion of the mountain in which
the road has been made is a soft brownish-coloured clay slate, but at no
little distance on each side, the more lofty summits of the Serra consist
of black compact limestone. The bushy campos through which we passed in
the forenoon, were beautifully adorned with a fine plant, belonging to
the natural order _Compositæ_, which grew in the greatest abundance, and
reached to the height of about five feet, the _Chresta sphærocephala_
of De Candolle; it has large leaves, which, together with the stem and
branches, are covered with a white woolly substance, and is much branched
at the top, each branchlet being terminated by a large globose compact
head of purple flowers. As there was a good watering place in a wood a
little beyond Cabeceira, we preferred going there, rather than remaining
at the house, to which we were invited by the owner. During the whole
interval since we had left the province of Goyaz, we never suffered for
want of water as we had done in the dry provinces of the north. In every
part of the country through which we were now travelling, we found in
nearly every valley a little stream of clear, cool, and delicious water,
and during our future progress it became even more abundant. We were
now only two leagues and a half distant from the Villa de Formigas, but
owing to the badness of the roads, we did not reach it till nearly one in
the afternoon, notwithstanding we left our encampment at an early hour.
The country was rather hilly, and the road stony, but it presented one
great advantage to the traveller, which I knew well how to appreciate, in
the bridges which are to be found crossing all the little streams that
intersect the roads. They are constructed of wood, and however rude, they
save the traveller much trouble, and prevent the risk of damage to the
luggage, as we too often experienced on our journey between Arrayas and
San Romão. Immediately on entering the Villa we passed over an excellent
bridge of considerable span, one of the best I had yet seen in the
interior; it crossed a small river which passes through a portion of the
town. Having letters of recommendation to the Vigario of the district,
Padre Antonio Gonsalves Chaves, I proceeded at once to his house, where
we met with a most hospitable reception; an excellent breakfast was
immediately prepared, and good quarters provided us, in an empty house
belonging to him, adjoining the one which he inhabited.
The Villa of Montes Claros de Formigas, is of small dimensions,
containing a population of about 1,000 souls, but in respect to its
situation, the arrangement of its streets, and the neat and clean
appearance of the houses, it far exceeded any Villa I had seen in the
interior. It is distant from Rio de Janeiro and Bahia upwards of two
hundred leagues, and about fifty from the Cidade Diamantina; until the
year 1832, it ranked only as an Arraial, but in that year it was elevated
to the dignity of a Villa, and is now the chief town of the Comarca of
the same name. The site on which it is built has been well chosen, being
a slightly elevated plateau, in the centre of a large valley, which is
surrounded on all sides by an irregular ridge of hills of considerable
elevation. The greater part of the houses are arranged in the form of a
very large square, much longer than broad, of which the south side is
still incomplete. At the north end of this square stands the only church
the Villa contains, near which is an excellent roofed market-place, for
the sale of provisions brought from the country; at the south-end of the
space fronting the church, is a large jail not yet finished. The small
river that passes it, called the Rio Vieira, falls into the Rio das
Velhas, yielding the town a very good supply of fish, similar to those
found in the Rio de San Francisco. The Villa contains a few shops, where
European goods are sold; these goods were formerly brought from Bahia,
but Rio de Janeiro seems now to be the principal resort of the merchants,
who take with them in exchange to the coast its chief produce, saltpetre,
which is found not only in the soil in certain parts of the surrounding
Sertão country, but in caverns in the limestone rocks, of which the low
mountains in the vicinity are principally formed. The fazendeiros in the
country around Formigas, occupy themselves principally in the rearing
of cattle and horses, which are for the most part driven to the Bahia
market. They also cultivate a little mandiocca and Indian corn, but no
rice, the dry nature of the country not being suited to its growth.
I remained only two days in Formigas, being now very anxious to reach
the gold country, where I expected to find letters from England awaiting
my arrival: I should otherwise have made a longer stay here, in order
to recover from the effects of the bruise I received on my leg at San
Romão, which, in consequence of my being obliged to ride every day on
horseback, had become so greatly inflamed and swollen as to cause me
much pain and inconvenience, and totally to prevent all chance of making
any excursions on foot in the neighbourhood of the Villa. During my stay
I received many kind attentions from the Vigario, who readily afforded me
the use of his library, which, though small, contained a good selection
of Latin, French, and Portuguese works. From him I received the following
information respecting the unfortunate impostor Douville, the pretended
author of the travels in the interior of Africa:—[14]
In the year 1836 he visited Formigas, and lived for some time in the
house of the Vigario, passing himself off as Dr. Douville, and gaining
much money by the practice of medicine: he also trafficked in the buying
and selling of horses, notwithstanding that he said he was sent to
Brazil by the king of France, on a mission to investigate its natural
productions and curiosities, and to construct a map of such portions
of the empire as he chose to visit during his travels. He boasted much
of his African journeys, exhibiting everywhere a gold medal, which he
said he received from the Geographical Society of Paris, subsequent to
the publication of his work. The Vigario, as well as other persons of
intelligence in Formigas, suspected him to be an impostor, concluding
that he was not the real Douville who was said to have travelled in
Africa, but another person who had got fraudulent possession of his
papers, &c. He generally charged exorbitant sums of money to those he
attended in his medical capacity, and it was owing to an instance of
this kind that he met with his death. Somewhere near the Rio de San
Francisco, he was called upon to attend a fazendeiro who was ill, and
with whom he bargained to effect his cure for the sum of 200 mil-reis,
about twenty-five pounds sterling; but in the end the patient died,
notwithstanding which, he insisted on receiving the stipulated sum, and
after some time, the heirs of the deceased yielding to his importunities,
gave it to him. They did not, however, intend it should remain long in
his hands, for when Douville embarked to go down the river, they sent a
man after him, who killed him one night as he was asleep in his canoe,
and robbed him not only of the 200 mil-reis, but of everything he had in
his possession; thus he fell at last a victim to his own gross impostures.
We left Formigas on the morning of the 13th of July, and after travelling
about half a league we reached the mountain range, by which the valley
is bounded, its structure being a dark compact primitive limestone. The
ascent, which is very gradual, is well wooded with small trees, but on
reaching the top, we entered upon an undulating open barren country,
with only here and there a few clusters of trees in hollow places; to
these isolated woods, the name of capoes is given, an appellation which
is highly poetical, being derived from the Indian word Caapoám, which
signifies an island. These island-woods form a peculiar feature in
the upland, open, undulating campos of the province of Minas Geräes.
The trees which compose them, chiefly consist of different species of
_Myrcia_, _Eugenia_, _Vochysia_, _Anona_, _Laurus_, _Styrax_, &c.,
intermingled with climbing shrubs, such as _Bauhinia_, _Paullinia_,
&c. The soil in which these trees grow, is often so swampy that it is
difficult to get among them, nor can this be done without risk, on
account of the large boa constrictors which frequent these places.
After a journey of about three leagues through this description of
country, we came to a small stream in a hollow, where we determined
to halt for the remainder of the day, as we had been told the next
watering-place was about three leagues further on. The spot we selected
for our quarters was under the shade of some small trees, but we had
scarcely unloaded one horse, when we found ourselves covered with
carrapatos, and on examination discovered that both the grass and
ground were swarming with them. No time was lost in abandoning this
spot, and ascending again to the open campo, we obtained shelter
under the wide-spreading boughs of a large Jatobá tree. In the grassy
fields I found a pretty little melastomaceous shrub with rose-coloured
flowers; and on the slanting face of a hill which led down to one of
the island-woods, I collected no less than five species of the genus
_Eryngium_. During the night a cold wind blew over the table-land where
we slept, from the effects of which we endeavoured to protect ourselves,
by means of a large fire that we kept burning, but which we had some
difficulty in maintaining for want of dry wood. Towards morning we were
all aroused by the barking of our large mastiff dog, and the screaming
of some one he had attacked. Our encampment was close by the side of the
public road, and the dog had sprung upon a poor black man who was on his
way to Formigas from the diamond districts, and who had set out on his
journey at this early hour to escape the heat of the day.
On the following morning we went on to the next watering-place, which
was a spring in a wooded hollow. The country through which we passed
was very different from that we had traversed on the previous day; the
first half of the three leagues was through an elevated, but rather
thickly wooded country, on leaving which we ascended a low Serra, covered
with a stunted shrubby vegetation; to these elevated shrubby tracts the
inhabitants of Minas Geräes give the name of Carrascos.[15] Many of
the shrubs seen here, belonged to forms that were quite new to me. One
of the most remarkable of these was a fine new species of the curious
genus _Lychnophora_, belonging to the natural order _Compositæ_, and is
peculiar to the mountains of Minas Geräes, and which, together with the
Vellozias, give a decided feature to their otherwise peculiar vegetation.
This shrub is about six feet high, with numerous branches issuing nearly
horizontally from the upper part of the stem, each bearing a cluster of
narrow leaves about half a foot long. The whole of the plant, with the
exception of the upper sides of the leaves, is everywhere covered with
a dense coat of long brownish-coloured wool, which, in places where it
grows abundantly, is collected by the inhabitants to fill their beds and
pillows. I afterwards met with some other species, having their leaves
so very narrow that at first sight they resemble the Scotch fir, the
likeness being increased by their habit of growth, which is somewhat
similar. In the afternoon we made a journey of three more leagues,
through a hilly, barren, grassy country, and halted for the night in a
hollow by the side of a small stream, a little beyond a fazenda called
Viados.
After travelling about a league on the following morning, through a
flattish country, we arrived at the Arraial de Bom Fim, an irregularly
built village, consisting of a church, and about forty or fifty houses,
many of which have a very dilapidated appearance. We stopped here no
longer than was necessary to give a feed of corn to the horses, of which
they stood greatly in need, the pastures through which we now were
passing affording very little nourishment. The principal shop in the
village of Bom Fim belonged, as it did twenty years before, when it was
visited by M. Auguste de St. Hilaire, to Colonel Pedro José Virciani,
the proprietor of a large fazenda about two leagues distant, where he
resides, the shop being entrusted to a person in whom he confides;
this practice I found to be not uncommon with rich fazendeiros in this
province. From the Vigario of Formigas I obtained a line of route from
this place to the Cidade Diamantina, but being here informed of another
road having the double recommendation of being both better and shorter, I
determined on giving it the preference; by so doing it became necessary
to pass the fazenda of San Eloi belonging to the above-mentioned Colonel
Virciani. On arriving there I sent one of my men to ask leave to remain
till the following day, which was granted; but on learning that I was
a foreigner, he immediately ordered two good rooms to be prepared for
me and my men, in a house adjoining that in which he resides. On being
introduced to him, I found him to be an elderly man, of hale appearance,
and of very pleasing manners. I passed the evening very agreeably in
his house, when he informed me that M. Auguste de St. Hilaire remained
a day and night with him during the course of his journey to the Rio de
San Francisco. Although he made no mention to me of the circumstance, I
afterwards learned that some observations made by that learned traveller
and botanist, in the account of his visit to San Eloi, had much offended
this worthy man. The obnoxious passage was the following:—“Pendant tout
le temps que je passai chez le Capitaine (for he was then only a captain)
Virciani, la maîtresse de la maison ne se montra point; cependant, tandis
que nous mangions, je voyais un minois féminin s’avancer doucement à
travers la porte entr’ouverte; mais aussitôt que je jetais les yeux de ce
côté, la dame disparaissait. C’est par une curiosité semblable que les
femmes cherchent à se dedommager du peu de liberté dont on les laisse
jouir.”[16]
The same lady was still alive, and I saw her every time I was in the
house, but twenty years had made great alterations on the pretty face
of which St. Hilaire had only a few glimpses. She had, however, several
daughters grown up, who were no less shy than the mother was in her
younger days. As soon as the colonel ascertained that I was acquainted
with the practice of medicine, he talked upon no other subject, being,
as he said himself, a Curioso, which is the appellation given to those
who dabble in any profession, without having been regularly educated
to it. As a number of his slaves were indisposed, I accompanied him on
a visit to each in succession, his object being to ascertain whether
he was treating them properly, and to have my advice respecting their
complaints. His usual guide in these matters was a Portuguese translation
of Buchan’s Domestic Medicine. I found all over Brazil, individuals
possessed of no better information, who made a livelihood by their
practice of medicine, passing from town to town, and from fazenda to
fazenda, many of them, like their brethren in Europe, making large sums
of money by their pretended skill in this science.
This fazenda was one of the best I had then seen in the interior; the
colonel’s house, which was of two stories, those of his slaves, his
store-houses, and other offices, were arranged in the form of a square;
near the house was a garden, in which most of the common European
vegetables were cultivated with great care, and yielded good crops. It
was here that, for the first time since I left the coast at Aracaty, I
saw water employed to drive a wheel, as a substitute for manual labour,
in the grinding of mandiocca, &c. This wheel was about fifteen feet
in diameter, and was well supplied, on the overshot principle, with
water from a small stream that passed at some distance, conveyed in
a well-constructed wooden aqueduct: this power served alike for the
grinding of mandiocca, of cane, of Indian corn, and for bruising castor
oil seeds. The colonel every year prepares a considerable quantity of
castor oil, which is of better quality than any I have seen made in
other parts of Brazil; it is used principally for burning in lamps,
but a little is also employed medicinally. The property belonging to
Colonel Virciani is well adapted both for the rearing of cattle and
the cultivation of sugar-cane, and it is from these sources that he
principally derives his large income. The mandiocca, Indian corn, &c.,
which he cultivates, are grown in quantities, not more than sufficient
for the consumption of his household and slaves. Besides an abundant
supply of corn for my horses, for which he would not accept payment, the
colonel provided me with a small quantity of tea, as my stock was then
nearly exhausted, and none could be purchased either in San Romão, or
Formigas. Colonel Virciani and his family used it constantly, procuring
at intervals an entire chest from Rio de Janeiro.
On the morning we left San Eloi, we did not depart till after breakfast,
so that we only accomplished a distance of about two leagues and a
half, passing through an elevated level country, large tracts of which
were covered with low shrubs, forming that kind of vegetation called
Carrasco; we then halted for a short time under a large silk-cotton tree,
near an open marshy campo, in which a fine stemless _Eriocaulon_ grew
in great abundance. In the afternoon we made another journey of about a
league and a half, through an upland, grassy, hilly country, and towards
dusk arrived at the fazenda do Sitio, which belongs to the Guarda-Môr,
Gonsalvo Christovão Pereira d’Alcami, from whom, though I carried no
letter of recommendation to him, I received a most hospitable reception:
rooms were immediately prepared for our use; and during the day and a
half we remained there, both Mr. Walker and I were entertained at his
table. His house, which is an excellent one of two stories, is situated
in a hollow, from which the view of the hilly country in the distance is
very fine.
I remained here a day longer than I had intended, finding my collection
of plants so great that it became necessary to arrange them; this
occupied me a whole day, and I had fortunately the assistance of a
bright sun-shine, which enabled me to dry all the moist paper, and to
place all the specimens in dry sheets. A fine stream flowing from the
hills, passes close to the house, and in a walk I took along its banks
in the afternoon, I added many botanical novelties to my collection. I
was informed by our host, that in the gravel of this stream two or three
diamonds had been found, from which it was evident that we were now on
the verge of that district, to which this precious stone gives its name.
My collections having been all put into order, I had resolved to
resume the journey early next morning, but in this I was disappointed
in consequence of one of my horses having strayed into the woods, and
therefore our departure was delayed till the afternoon. I had here again
the choice of two roads, one winding round the foot of a very high Serra,
which, although longer, was much better than the other that passed over
the top of the Serra: I preferred the latter on account of the very
different vegetation I expected to find there, but as regarded the
horses, which were not at all in good condition, the former would have
been the better. The Guarda-Môr wished me to remain another night, in
order to avoid sleeping on the top of the mountain far from any house;
but as we were all much accustomed to this, it gave us no concern,
although afterwards we had reason to regret our decision. Shortly after
leaving the fazenda, we ascended a Serra of considerable height, barely
wooded with a few low shrubs, the greater part of which consisted of
three species of _Lychnophora_. Continuing along the undulating top of
this, we reached another ascent, stony and difficult in the extreme
for the horses, which terminated in a rocky and rather flat top of
considerable length. This place presented quite an alpine appearance; the
rugged arenaceous schistose rocks, and even the ground, as well as the
small shrubs, had a hoary appearance, from the numerous lichens by which
they were covered; and the cold we experienced was quite in unison with
the aspect of the country.
With the exception of the elevated ranges of the Organ mountains,
this was the richest botanical field I had met with during my long
peregrinations. So numerous indeed were the objects that presented
themselves on every side, each more beautiful or more curious than the
other, that I was obliged to restrict myself in the number of specimens
collected, so that I might obtain at least a few of each kind. The
shrubs here consisted of different species of _Lychnophora_, beautiful
_Melastomacea_, a _Virgularia_ covered with rose-coloured blossoms,
several _Hypti_, a _Panax_, &c.; and among these grew many curious kinds
of _Eriocaulon_, and other small herbaceous plants. The soil here was
rather boggy, and numerous little rills of limpid water were flowing down
the mountain in all directions. Leaving this flat, we entered upon a
third ascent, steeper and more stony than the previous one, which shortly
brought us to a flattish, grassy, somewhat shrubby tract.
On this ascent a different vegetation again presented itself, two of the
most beautiful of the plants being a species of _Physocalyx_, a handsome
shrub about three feet high, with numerous orange-red flowers, surrounded
by a large inflated calyx of nearly the same colour, and a beautiful
scarlet-flowered _Lisianthus_. We proceeded on the flat top of this
ridge about half a league, every step yielding some new plant. It was
quite dark before we arrived at a place suitable for our encampment; this
was a dry, sandy, grassy spot, by the side of the path; there were only a
few small trees in the immediate neighbourhood, and the men, by groping
beneath them, obtained as many dry sticks as sufficed to make a small
fire wherewith to cook our supper.
The sky was quite clear on our arrival, but shortly afterwards a thunder
storm was seen gathering to the westward; and no sooner were we laid down
on our hide beds, by the side of the fire, than the rain began to fall,
and having no shelter of any kind, we were soon completely drenched;
the men, in their anxiety to keep the fire alight, held a hide over it
till the storm ceased. The flashes of lightning were extremely vivid,
and the peals of thunder fearfully loud. After it had passed over, we
made ourselves as comfortable as our circumstances would permit, and
laid ourselves down, in the hope of not being again disturbed. In this,
however, we were sadly disappointed, for shortly after we had fallen
asleep, the storm returned in all its fury, leaving us in a far worse
state than we had previously been. Those only who have passed a night
under such circumstances can imagine the annoyance we experienced; could
we have seen the probability of its occurrence, we might have been better
prepared for it, but in the middle of the dry season we certainly had no
reason to expect so much rain. A third time we laid ourselves down, not
to sleep, because that was now impossible, cold and wet as we were, for
the fire had been completely extinguished by the quantity of rain that
had fallen.
When daylight broke, I found the place where we were encamped to be one
of the most lovely that can be conceived, abounding in a variety of
beautiful shrubs, and many curious plants. We remained here till noon, in
the expectation that the sun would shine with force sufficient to enable
us to dry all the things that had been wetted by the rain during the
night; but the whole forenoon continuing cloudy, we resolved to pursue
our journey. In the morning, immediately after breakfast, I returned
with one of my men to the top of the last ascent we had passed the night
before; and made several other shorter excursions in the vicinity of
the encampment, by which many interesting novelties were added to my
collections. We did not start till shortly after mid-day, when, after a
fatiguing journey of three long leagues, we arrived at a very recently
established gold working called Lavrinha. Our route was entirely along
the flat top of the Serra, sometimes passing through large open grassy
tracts, abounding in numerous kinds of _Eriocaulon_, _Melastomaceæ_,
_Compositæ_, a blue flowered _Lupinus_, a small _Virgularia_ with
pale rose-coloured flowers, great profusion of a purple _Vellozia_,
and the beautiful scarlet-flowered _Lisianthus_, &c.; and sometimes
through rugged tracts thinly wooded with small shrubs, among them
numerous _Melastomaceæ_, many of them with small imbricated leaves, and
large rose-coloured blossoms, forming the most elegant little bushes
imaginable, in general habit not unlike heaths. Although this journey
was very fatiguing to the animals, to me it was exciting and delightful
in the extreme; the whole country through which we had passed for nearly
two days, was one vast flower garden, where, ‘like a child at a feast,’
I knew not which object to grasp at first: everything was not only new
to me, but each more beautiful or more curious than the other. In this
upland region a solemn silence reigned, not a single animal of any
description having been observed during our progress through it, nor any
sound heard except that made by ourselves.
We reached Lavrinha about five o’clock in the afternoon; and although
the sun shone brilliantly during the better part of our journey, it was
too late to attempt drying any of our things when we arrived. Lavrinha,
as I have already stated, is a small gold working, then but recently
established. The only buildings near it were a small hut, made of a few
posts and poles, covered with Buriti palm leaves, where the overseer
slept, and a few sheds of the same materials for the shelter of the
slaves; we obtained accommodation in one corner of the former. A small
stream that passes close by, but which is only supplied with water in the
rainy season, had offered some indications of gold, which induced some
rich fazendeiros, among whom were Colonel Virciani and the Guarda-Môr,
to form themselves into a society, six months before my visit, with the
object of establishing a working; accordingly about forty slaves were
sent to carry on the operations, under the directions of the person who
first discovered the gold, and who, for his labour, obtained a number of
shares in the concern. The vein from which the gold found in this small
stream had been washed, was discovered proceeding downwards through a
soft white arenaceous schistose rock; and at the period of my visit,
they had mined to the depth of about thirty feet. I found them then
occupied in washing the material they had taken out, which proved to be
very uncertain in its product, some days yielding one, two, and three
ounces of gold, but more frequently the amount was less than an ounce.
A short time before our arrival, as much as four ounces resulted from a
single day’s labour, but it had again diminished to less than an ounce.
It appeared to me, from the awkward manner in which the works were then
carried on, that they would never turn to profitable account, as the
person in charge of the operations was not only quite ignorant of the art
of mining, but unacquainted with the most simple operations in mechanics.
While employed in the labour of excavating, a considerable amount of
water was constantly flowing into the mine from two springs; and this was
again drawn out in buckets by hand labour, continued both day and night;
whereas a pump of no large diameter would have served to carry off the
water more quickly and effectually, and saved the labour of at least ten
or twelve men. When I mentioned this to the manager, he told me that no
one in the neighbourhood had the smallest idea of the construction of a
pump. Even a common winch and buckets would have been far better than
the plan here adopted, but such was the low state of their mechanical
knowledge, that they knew not how to construct even so simple a machine.
The following day being one of clear sun-shine, we were occupied all the
forenoon in drying our wet clothes, and in arranging the large collection
of specimens made the day before; and in the afternoon, I took several
short walks in the neighbourhood in quest of novelties. Lavrinha is
situated on the southern extremity of the Serra, in a hollow, surrounded
by rocky hills, somewhat lower than those which form the northern parts
of the Serra. Here I again made numerous collections, among which were
two fine orchideous plants, both species of the beautiful genus _Lælia_,
one of them bearing violet-coloured, and the other bright yellow flowers.
In dry arid clefts in the rocks grew several curious little _Vellozias_,
and _Eriocaulons_; one of the latter was a branched species about six
feet high.
Having so frequently mentioned this curious tribe of plants, I will
here make a few observations upon them. When Linnæus published the
last edition of his _Species Plantarum_, in 1764, he described only
five species from all parts of the world, while, from Brazil alone, my
herbarium contains upwards of one hundred. Only one species is found in
Great Britain,—a little grass-like plant, with a single flowering stem
about six inches long, bearing a small globular head of minute white
flowers. It is found only in lakes in the Isle of Skye, and in the west
of Ireland. Very few of the Brazilian plants bear much resemblance to
this northern species; for a great number of them are large suffruticose
plants, often obtaining a height of from four to six feet, with leafy,
very much branched stems, each branchlet terminated by a large white
ball, composed of a vast number of smaller heads, placed on peduncles
of unequal length. Another remarkable circumstance connected with these
strange plants, is the fact, that the greater number of the Brazilian
species do not inhabit water, in the manner of our native British one,
but grow in the most dry and arid portions of mountainous declivities;
many others also grow in parched, flat, sandy places, which are flooded
in the wet season; the truly aquatic Brazilian kinds, more or less
resemble our own in habit.[17]
Shortly after leaving Lavrinha, we began to descend the Serra, which on
this side is of no great height. The road was very bad, turning and
winding among large blocks of rock, and covered with loose stones, which
rolled under the horses’ feet, and rendered our downward progress not a
little dangerous. Having at length accomplished the descent, we found
ourselves on a comparatively good road, and in a flat country, being in
fact a large valley surrounded by hills, and presenting several small
swamps where a few Buriti palms grew, but which, from their diminutive
stature, compared with those we had seen in similar situations in the
provinces of Piauhy and Goyaz, did not appear to thrive under the great
degree of cold to which they are here exposed. After travelling about two
leagues and a half, we halted during the middle of the day in a shady
place by the side of a small rivulet, opposite a rounded knoll, which
was covered with _Lychnophora pinaster_, bearing much resemblance to the
Scotch Fir, and a large kind of tree-lily.
Proceeding in the afternoon through the same valley, which had now become
gradually narrower, and which was bounded by two long ranges of bare
grassy hills, we arrived about sunset, on the banks of a small river,
called the Rio Inhacica, and took up our quarters for the night in the
open veranda of a small venda, the only house in the place. We fully
expected to have purchased here some addition to our stock of provisions,
but the only article to be found for sale was rum. Not long after our
arrival, however, a person belonging to the house returned from the river
with a fine fish about a foot and a half long, which I gladly bought for
a small sum, and it afforded us an excellent supper. While engaged in
arranging my plants, and placing the specimens in paper, I was surprised
to hear from the proprietor of the venda, a middle aged mulatto, who was
standing by looking on, that he also was well acquainted with that kind
of occupation, having been in the employment of Drs. Spix and Martius,
during their excursions in the provinces of Minas Geräes, Goyaz, and
Bahia. He spoke in the highest terms of the kindness he received from
these travellers, and the pleasant life he led while in their service,
the only drawback to which was the great trouble he often experienced in
drying the paper for preserving their botanical specimens. This I could
well believe, as I found from experience that the men did not at all
relish such labour, being often obliged, in cloudy and rainy weather, to
dry every day several reams, sheet by sheet, over the fire.
The mulatto, being the ferryman, passed the luggage safely over to the
opposite side of the river in a canoe. We were again annoyed by our too
frequent cause of detention, the straying of one of the horses, which
was not found till near mid-day, so that we were not able to accomplish
that day more than about three leagues. The country still continued flat,
with the exception of one or two low, dry, gravelly hills that we passed
over; in many places, particularly in the hollows, it was pretty well
wooded with small evergreen trees. The day was very hot and sultry, and
as I suffered much from a severe headache, I was extremely glad when we
arrived early in the afternoon at our destination, which was a little
hamlet, consisting of about half a dozen houses called As Vargems: we
were allowed to take up our quarters in an open shed belonging to one
of the houses, used for the preparation of farinha de mandiocca, in
which process several persons were then employed. The wheel used for
grinding the root was driven by a small water-wheel, which, although
rudely constructed, answered the purpose extremely well, and saved much
manual labour. The little streams of water, which are so frequent in the
hilly districts of the province of Minas Geräes, afford the inhabitants
great advantages over those of the dry northern provinces. This was only
the second time I had seen water power applied to such purposes, but in
travelling further south I found it generally used. The people belonging
to the house where we rested, were nearly white, and appeared to be very
poor, but they were very civil and kind.
A journey of about a league and a half from As Vargems, through a flat
valley, bounded on the right by a high bare rocky Serra, brought us
to another small stream called Rio Inhahy, which, being here of no
inconvenient depth, the horses forded in safety with all the luggage.
On a rising ground a little beyond the river, we observed a large house
close to what appeared to be the ruins of a church; but we afterwards
learned that it was a Registo, or place where all travellers, who passed
into or out of the Diamond district proper, of which this is one of
the boundaries, were duly examined, in order to prevent any contraband
extraction of diamonds—a system of precaution that was chiefly in vigour
prior to the independence of Brazil, when the workings of this precious
stone were carried on entirely by the government. On reaching the house
we found it uninhabited, and fast falling into a state of decay: we took
possession of one of the largest apartments, which, being well roofed,
afforded us better shelter from the sun than we could have obtained under
the shade of a tree. It was late in the afternoon before we left this
place, having employed the morning in repairing the horses’ trappings,
and we did not accomplish more than half a league of our journey, our
route being, for the greater part of the way, over a bare grassy hill,
where I found a few shrubs in flower: we encamped for the night under
some trees in a hollow, by the side of a little limpid stream. Another
short journey of somewhat more than half a league, brought us early
in the forenoon of the following day to a place known by the name of
Bassoras and Areas, on the banks of the Rio Jiquitinhonha. Although
this river is not very large here, we found it too deep to venture the
luggage upon the horses’ backs; and as there was no canoe, no alternative
remained but to have it carried over on the heads of the men; this
occupied so much time, that we found it too late to proceed further
before breakfast.
I was afterwards glad that we were obliged to remain here, as it afforded
me an opportunity of witnessing the operations carried on in one of the
largest diamond mines, if not the largest, at this time worked in the
district. The principal house in this place belonged to Captain Jozé
d’Almeida e Silva, who was also the proprietor of the mine. As no large
tree could be found under which we could take shelter, I was directed
to the house of the captain, who would be most likely to afford us
accommodation, during the short time we intended to remain here; and
seeing him at the door, I accosted him with this view, when he politely
informed me that the only place he could give us was an open shed, to
which he pointed, where some black carpenters were at work. About half
an hour after we had established ourselves in this not very comfortable
place, and while employed in arranging the collections made during my
morning’s ride, the captain having learned the nature of my occupation,
came over to offer me the use of an empty room in his house, but as
all my luggage was now unpacked, I thanked him for his kindness, and
declined his invitation: he, however, politely pressed me to remain all
day, that I might see how the mining operations were carried on. About
an hour after we arrived, a troop of several mules came in from one of
his fazendas, with provisions for his slaves; and very soon after, he
sent me a present of fruit, consisting of a basket of fine oranges, and
another of Jabuticabas, both of which we greatly enjoyed, as we had not
tasted fruit of any kind for a long time. The Jabuticaba is the fruit
of a species of _Eugenia_ (_E. cauliflora_, Mart.), which grows wild in
the woods of the south of Brazil, and is also cultivated in most of the
gardens in the diamond and gold districts. It is of a black colour, about
the size of a greengage plum, of a pulpy consistence, and very refreshing.
The mine of Captain Almeida was close to the Rio Jiquitinhonha, upon an
elbow of land that at one time must have formed the bed of the river.
A mine in the neighbourhood had been worked by the government about
forty years ago, which yielded, in the course of three years, not less
than thirty-seven lbs. six drs. of diamonds;[18] the formation, as it
is called, becoming exhausted at the end of this period, the mine was
abandoned. In the expectation of similar good fortune, Capt. Almeida
commenced operations near the same place, about seven months before my
visit, with upwards of a hundred and fifty slaves, all of whom were hired
from his neighbours. At an expense of about £1,000 sterling, he brought
a small stream of water from a distance of a league and a half, opened
a large excavation, and erected pumps, worked by a water-wheel, for the
purpose of clearing the mine of water. The excavation was carried on to
the depth of about thirty feet, without encountering any proper diamond
formation, although on being washed it yielded a small number of stones
of no great value. A short time before my arrival he commenced another
excavation in the same neighbourhood, about forty yards square. The
different kinds of soil through which it was necessary to cut, before
reaching the deposit in which the diamonds were found, were, in the first
place, about twenty feet of a reddish sandy soil, which was loosened by
the hoe, and then washed into the river by a current of water, issuing
from the small stream that served to work the water-wheel; below this was
about eight feet of a tough yellowish clay, which was dug out by the hoe,
and carried away on the heads of negroes, in flat wooden bowls about a
foot and a half in diameter, no such implement as a barrow being known
here; beneath this clay appeared a layer of coarse reddish sand, about
two feet and a half in thickness, below which was found the peculiar
soil that contains the diamonds. When this diamond formation consists of
loose gravel, it is called Cascalho in the language of the miners, and
Canga, when found in the shape of a ferruginous conglomerate; this bed
varies from one to four feet in thickness, and the gravel of which it
is composed, consists of small pebbles of primitive rocks, which from
their rounded and polished nature have evidently, at some distant period,
formed the bed of a stream of running water. These pebbles are of various
kinds, but when there appears much of what they call Esmeril preto, a
variety of tourmaline, the Cascalho is considered to be rich in diamonds.
The Cascalho generally rests upon a substratum of a kind of hard clay
called Pizarra, beneath which are found the solid schistose rocks which
generally prevail throughout the whole diamond district. Sometimes Canga,
or the agglutinated gravel, rests upon a rock called Marmore, which
appeared, from the description of it given by Captain Almeida, to be a
kind of limestone; and when this occurs, it is always found to be rich in
diamonds.
The manner in which the washing of the Cascalho is carried on is the
following: along one side of a pond of water is placed a range of eleven
troughs, about three feet square, made of small straight stakes driven
into the ground, the side next to the water being much lower than the
others; the bottom is made of clay closely pressed down; the troughs are
called Bacós, and into each of them a portion of Cascalho is put by a
slave stationed there for that purpose; immediately in front of each Bacó
stands a slave up to his knees in water, having a large flat wooden plate
(Bateia) with which he dashes water upon the Cascalho with considerable
force; by this means, and by stirring it at frequent intervals with a
small kind of hoe, it is freed from the earth and sand with which it is
mixed, when the larger particles of gravel making their appearance on
the surface are taken out; it is during this process that the largest
diamonds are generally found. Immediately in front of these troughs,
and about three feet above the level of the ground, separate seats are
erected for two overseers, each armed with a long leathern whip, who keep
a strict look out that no diamonds are stolen. This labour is continued
from morning till about four o’clock in the afternoon, when the Cascalho,
thus washed and purified, is taken out of the Bacós, and carried to
the side of a little stream of running water, to be finally washed. On
accompanying the captain to witness the performance of this operation,
which to the stranger is the most interesting process in diamond-mining,
I found seven slaves seated on the side of a small canal about four feet
broad, with their legs in the water nearly up to their knees; this little
stream of running water is called the Lavadeira. Each of the slaves had
a large flat wooden plate, similar to that used in washing the rough
Cascalho, into which a small shovelful of the purified Cascalho was put
by a slave stationed behind the others for that purpose. This done, the
washer filled the Bateia with water, and whirling it round in a peculiar
manner on the surface of the stream, the larger gravel rose to the top,
and was carefully examined. This being repeated several times, he then
placed the Bateia on his knees, the right knee being considerably lower
than the left, when with his hand he threw water on the fine gravel,
which was thus washed out with great care into the canal, continuing in
this manner until the Bateia was empty; it is in this last process that
diamonds are expected to be found. A small Bateia, containing a little
water, was placed on a low pedestal between the two overseers, and into
this the diamonds were put as they were found, which on this occasion
amounted to eleven, all of which, however, were small. In the bottom
of the Bateias is always found a small quantity of gold dust, which is
carefully preserved.
Although diamonds are usually found in the diluvial gravelly soil above
described, that is not, however, the matrix in which they have originally
been formed. Whatever may be the case in other countries, I remained
perfectly satisfied that here, they have originally been formed in the
metamorphic quarto-schistose rock, of which the mountains in the Diamond
district are constituted, and that they have, during a long series of
years, been washed down along with the other débris, to the places where
they are now found so abundantly. These rocks are rather soft in their
nature, and of course easily disintegrated; hence the many wild ravines
which intersect this range, excavated by the small streams that flow
from it. Small masses of the rock have frequently been found containing
diamonds imbedded in them; in the Cidade Diamantina I saw two beautiful
specimens, in each of which one half of a small diamond was exposed; the
extravagant price asked for them prevented me from purchasing either.
When we read in books, that the diamond is a production of the most
recent geographical epoch, as stated, for instance, by Dr. A. Petzholdt,
in Jamieson’s Journal, no. 68, we cannot help imagining that those who
promulgate such opinions, have been led astray by travellers, who have
listened to the idle stories of the uneducated inhabitants of Diamond
countries, who almost all assert, that diamonds are regenerated in the
course of a few years, in the soil from which others had previously been
taken. This I found to be a very common opinion in Brazil; but those
best able to form a just conclusion on the subject, for instance, such
intelligent miners as Captain Josè D’Almeida e Silva, believe otherwise.
It is true that he, as well as others, have frequently a second time
washed the same Cascalho that had been worked when the government held
the monopoly in its own hands, not because they believed new diamonds to
have been since formed, but because they well knew that in those times
the Cascalho was not so carefully examined as it is at present; indeed,
notwithstanding the most careful scrutiny, it is believed that some
diamonds still escape notice.
We resumed our journey on the following morning, and after travelling
about two leagues and a half, we halted to breakfast in an open shed,
belonging to a house by the road-side, which was then uninhabited. The
country through which we passed was hilly, and well-wooded with small
trees and shrubs. The ascent and descent of the higher hills are much
facilitated by the care bestowed on the formation of the roads, as
they are well paved with large flat blocks of the schistose rocks, of
which the mountains are composed. In many places, however, the pavement
is beginning to give way, from the water flowing over it in the rainy
season, and if not repaired, it will soon fall into a very ruinous
state. A wooden bridge, also, which crossed a small river, and which
appears to have been at one time of excellent construction, was now in
such a decayed state, that no one could venture to pass over it; we
were consequently obliged to ford the stream a little way below the
bridge. In the bed of the river we saw several groups of people washing
for diamonds. Early in the afternoon, we started for the Arraial de
Mendanha, only half a league distant; the road led through a flat bushy
valley, surrounded on both sides by mountains, those on the left rose
to a considerable height, and presented the same arid rocky aspect as
the mountains in the Highlands of Scotland. In the middle of this valley
ran the Rio Jiquitinhonha, which we crossed to reach the village on the
opposite side: this was easily accomplished over a well-constructed
wooden bridge, of considerable span, on which is a toll-bar, the first
we had yet met with in the country, and this afforded evidence that we
were now approaching a more civilized part of Brazil than any we had yet
traversed. At this bar, I had to pay forty reis for each loaded horse,
and twenty for each of my men, which I did with much pleasure, as I well
knew the labour and risk encountered in passing the luggage over rivers,
when not provided with bridges.
On enquiring for a place where we might pass the night, we were directed
to the public Rancho, but finding it a small place, extremely dirty, and
occupied by a number of black Tropeiros, I could not think of taking up
my quarters there. Ranchos are large sheds, generally open at the sides,
and built near a venda, for the accommodation of travellers. This was the
first I had seen since leaving the coast, but I afterwards found them
very common on the more frequented roads in Minas, but particularly on
the great highway between the Gold district and Rio de Janeiro. Rather
than remain at the Rancho, I preferred hiring an empty house for the
night, and obtained, at last, after some trouble, the keys of one that
was newly built.
The Arraial de Mendanha appeared to be a flourishing little place,
containing a population of about eight hundred persons, nearly every
house being inhabited. The situation of the village, although romantic,
is far from fertile, being on the bare rocky bottom of a high mountain,
which nearly overhangs it, with little or no ground in its vicinity
fitted for plantations of any description. The greater part of the
inhabitants obtain an income by employing their slaves in mining for
diamonds, or by keeping shops to supply the others with provisions and
clothing, principally in exchange for diamonds and gold-dust, and were it
not, indeed, for the diamond mines that exist in the neighbourhood, not
a single house would have been erected in this place. Soon after leaving
Mendanha on the following day, we began the ascent of the Serra, which
bears the same name; it was about a league in length, and notwithstanding
its steepness in many places, the excellence of the road rendered it
comparatively easy. In nearly its whole extent, it is well paved with
large flat blocks of the sandy schistose rock, of which the Serra is
formed, taking a zigzag direction, where the ascent is steepest; the
lower part of the Serra, particularly along a deep ravine, by the side of
which the road leads, is pretty well wooded with small trees and shrubs,
but towards the summit it presents the same bare alpine appearance as
that we had crossed before reaching the little gold mine at Lavrinha.
I walked up the greater part of the ascent on foot, botanizing all the
way, and picked up several novelties. From the summit to Duas Pontes,
which is a league distant, the road leads through a flat rocky and bushy
country, with some elevated ridges on the left, covered with a very
stunted shrubby vegetation. At Duas Pontes, where we halted to breakfast,
we found two houses, being the only ones existing between Mendanha and
the Cidade Diamantina, a distance of four leagues; the place takes its
name from two bridges which exist near it, standing about a mile distant
from each other, both very well constructed of timber. One of the houses
was a small venda belonging to a negro, who informed me that he was a
native of Africa, and had worked for many years as a slave in diamond
washing, but that by the provident use of his privilege of working on
his own account on Sundays and holidays, he had been fortunate enough to
find as many diamonds as enabled him not only to purchase his freedom,
but that of his wife and several children. Near this place I found a
species of _Rubus_ loaded with fruit, which forcibly reminded me of the
days of my boyhood, and the bramble hedges of my native country. In open
places, I met with a few specimens of a second species of _Physocalyx_,
and a beautiful _Andromeda_, having large panicles of crimson flowers.
We were now only two leagues distant from the Cidade Diamantina, a
journey that might easily have been accomplished that afternoon, but not
wishing to enter it by night, owing to the great difficulty a stranger
always experiences in find accommodation, as well for himself as for his
animals; under such circumstances, I resolved to take up my abode for the
night, in an open campo on the top of the Serra, near a small stream of
water, within half a league from the city. The country through which we
passed on this short journey was almost entirely destitute both of trees
and shrubs, consisting chiefly of large undulating grassy campos, in many
places abounding in great blocks of rocks, similar to that of which the
Serra is composed. Two miles before reaching the place where we halted,
we obtained a most extensive view of the country to the eastward, which
is perhaps one of the most rugged and arid regions existing in Brazil; as
far as the eye could reach, nothing was to be seen but hundreds of bare
hills, whose barren tops were whitened by the numerous _Lichens_ with
which the rocks were covered. Overlooking these lower ridges stood the
lofty peak called Itambé, the top of which is upwards of 6,000 feet above
the level of the sea. It was with great difficulty the men could find as
much wood as would make a fire to cook our supper, and we were obliged,
for the first time, to lay ourselves down to sleep without a large fire
burning all night, at a time, too, when the cold was greater than any we
had yet experienced.
On rising in the morning, the thermometer indicated 54°, Fahrenheit,
under which temperature we were all shivering with excessive cold, so
long accustomed as we had been to a warmer climate. In an hour’s time,
after resuming our journey, we commenced the descent of the Serra, over
a road constructed in the same manner as the ascent at Mendanha, but
neither so long nor so steep; shortly after which, we came in sight
of the famous Cidade Diamantina, or city of Diamonds. This capital
of a rich province occupies the whole acclivity of a Serra, equal in
height to that we had just descended, from which it is separated by a
narrow valley. The traveller approaches the city so suddenly, that it
almost appears as if called into existence by the power of magic; he is
astonished at the sight of so great an assemblage of large white-washed
houses, intermingled with many churches, rising gradually one above the
other along the steep sides of the Serra, together with the numerous
small plantations, by which the houses in the suburbs are surrounded,
consisting of orange trees, bananas, and the usual productions of
a tropical country; together with abundance of the compact growing
Jabuticabeira, and many fine trees of the large grotesque Brazilian pine
(_Araucaria Brasiliana_), which contrasts strangely with the rocky and
absolutely bare country, that surrounds the city on all sides: it is,
indeed, an Oasis in the desert.
Having no letters of recommendation to any person in the city, I went
immediately on my arrival to the house of the Juiz de Paz, to present
my passport, and learning from him that a small inn was to be found
in the lower part of the city, I determined to put up there, until I
could succeed in hiring an empty house for a few days; fortunately,
the landlord had one to let, in the upper part of the city, whither we
quickly removed, glad that we were not obliged to remain at the inn,
where the accommodations were far from tempting.
This place, formerly known as the Arraial de Tijuco, was, in the year
1839, elevated to the dignity of a city, under the name of Cidade
Diamantina, from its being the capital of the Diamond district. According
to information which I received from the Juiz de Paz, its population
amounted to about 6,000 souls; the streets are very irregular, and
generally very narrow, as well as badly paved; both within the city and
in the suburbs there are many fine houses, of two and three stories, and
as there is abundance of excellent stone in the neighbourhood, nearly all
are built of this material. They are constructed, however, at an enormous
expense, owing to the great distance from which timber can be obtained;
it is all dragged by bullocks from the Sertão, a distance of from four to
sixteen leagues, over a rugged, hilly country, through which carts cannot
pass; owing to the same reason, fire-wood is extremely dear in the city,
and very bad in quality, as it is often brought for sale in a half green
state. Many slaves are employed by their owners in cutting the large
shrubs that grow in the ravines, within a short distance from the city,
the branches of which are made up into bundles, and offered for sale from
house to house; the stems of the large tree-lily (_Vellozia_) are also
collected for fuel, particularly a kind that exudes abundance of resinous
matter. The Tropeiros on approaching the city with their loaded mules,
always bring with them, from the wooded countries, as many bundles of
split wood as suffice them for the purposes of cooking till the period of
their departure.
Many of the shops are quite equal in appearance to those in Rio de
Janeiro, and are provided with nearly the same articles, the difference
in price seldom exceeding twenty per cent. All European goods, with the
exception of a few from Bahia, are brought from Rio on the backs of
mules, which are daily to be seen arriving in troops, sometimes of a
hundred at a time. With the exception of the few vegetables grown in the
gardens around the city, every product consumed here as food is brought
from a distance of from ten to twenty leagues, and sold in large market
places, called Intendencias. These products consist chiefly of farinha
de mandiocca and Indian meal, the latter being much more extensively
used in the province of Minas, than in the northern provinces; also
dried beef, sugar, pork, cheese, Indian corn, french beans, rice, and
castor-oil, which is used to burn in lamps. The city contains three or
four handsome churches, one called Nossa Senhora da Rosaria, belongs to
the negroes from the coast of Africa, and where, over the high altar, is
seen the figure of a black virgin. As we lived closed to this church, I
attended on several evenings the celebration of one of its festivals,
and found not only the blacks who usually attend the church, but many
of the most respectable male and female inhabitants of the city. Every
thing was conducted with the greatest propriety, and on one evening I
heard a very excellent sermon preached by one of the priests belonging to
the city. During our stay a Novena was held in another of the churches,
Nossa Senhora das Mercês, where I attended several times; on all these
occasions I was particularly struck with the different mode in which
the ladies dressed here, from that I had observed in other parts of the
interior. In the large towns I had previously visited, I remarked that
a greater number of ladies attended church during the Novenas than at
any other time, when both the more respectable, as well as the poorer
classes, were always dressed in their best attire. In Cidade Diamantina,
although the churches on such occasions were equally well attended, the
most respectable ladies were not so well dressed as usual, and were
it not that the superior classes avail themselves of the privilege of
squatting on the floor before the altar, they would not be distinguished
from the poorer individuals who take their station behind them. They all
appear in the same kind of dress, which consists of a dark coloured
cloth cloak, with a large cape, in which they muffle themselves; and a
white handkerchief which is tied round the head, surmounted by a man’s
hat. During the three weeks I remained in the city, I never saw a lady
walking abroad in any other kind of hat; some few were white, but black
seemed the most fashionable.
The most elevated portion of the city is about 4,000 feet above the
level of the sea, and the climate is consequently mild. During my stay
in the month of July, the thermometer ranged from 54° to 60° at noon,
a temperature we had long been unaccustomed to, and we suffered not a
little from the cold. As a fire could only be kindled in the kitchen,
we used all to get as close to it as possible, particularly in the
morning; it was however during the night that we suffered most, for our
bed-clothes were too light for this climate, and my stock of money had
now become so far reduced, that I could not afford to purchase additional
blankets either for myself or my men. It was necessary to devote the
little that I had to the purchase of a stock of provisions, for the
continuation of our journey; there was no one here to whom I could
apply for money, and we were still far from any of the English Mining
establishments, where alone I could expect to obtain cash for bills on
my agents in Rio de Janeiro. The coldest months in this region are May,
June, and July; the hottest months are those of November, January, and
February, during which period the thermometer ranges from 74° to 88°,
but mostly only reaching 84°. During the early part of the warm season,
thunder storms are very frequent, which always come from the north. For
a few days after our arrival, the air was clear and bracing, but a cold
drizzling rain soon set in, which lasted nearly a week. The houses have
generally a small garden attached to them, in which I observed most
of the common European vegetables, such as potatoe, cabbage, pease,
lettuce, parsley, &c.; as well as many of the flowers that are ordinarily
cultivated in the gardens of Europe. Some of the European fruit trees
are also found in the gardens, such as the apple, pear, peach, fig, and
quince. The city is abundantly supplied with excellent water, from
springs that take their rise in the mountain on which they are situated.
These streams are conducted into several of the houses, and many families
are by this means supplied with one of the greatest luxuries that can
be enjoyed in a warm climate, at a very small expense; there are also
several public fountains in different parts of the city.
The privilege of diamond washing, formerly a monopoly of the government,
is now accessible to any individual who chooses to risk his time and
capital in this labour, a privilege only conceded since Brazil has
declared its independence; all that is required is that the adventurer
should give notice to the Camara municipal, of the exact spot where he
intends working, a notice demanded in order to protect some of the virgin
tracts still preserved as royal property. The greater portion of the
inhabitants of the Cidade Diamantina who possess a few slaves, employ
them in the washings, which are generally chosen in places where the
Cascalho is near the surface, and near the beds of the little mountain
streams, which are so numerous in the adjoining locality. Many free
blacks also work on their own account, and thus obtain a precarious
livelihood. The persons engaged in these adventures are generally a
very improvident race, for even those who carry on the most extensive
Serviços, as the workings are called, often run deeply in debt after a
rich washing has been exhausted, before they succeed in finding another
productive spot. I was assured by one of the most extensive miners in the
district, that the excitement produced by this kind of life is like that
of a gambler: whoever enters upon it, never renounces it. The district
which gives rise to this curious source of industry, is comprised within
the space of fourteen leagues square, and it is beneath the mark to state
that 10,000 individuals subsist entirely upon the product of diamonds and
gold extracted from its soil. It is not, however, so much the miners as
the shopkeepers who reap the greater share of profit from this source of
industry, all of whom trade more or less in diamonds and gold-dust, which
they take from the miners in exchange for the supply of their own wants,
and those of their slaves. It is rare to meet with a miner, who is not
in debt to some shopkeeper, to whom he is bound to give in payment the
product of his washings, at a lower rate than he could obtain, if he had
the advantage of offering them in an open market to the highest bidder.
The life of a shopkeeper, although not so exciting as that of a miner, is
one, however, less subject to risk; he generally soon grows rich, while
the poor miner struggles on in poverty, his greatest source of happiness
existing in hopes that are seldom realized.
Slaves are allowed to work on their own account on Sundays and holidays,
not in the Serviços of their masters, but any where else, except on the
royal preserves; and it was told me as a remarkable fact, that most of
the largest diamonds obtained in this district have been found by slaves
on these occasions; it is not, however, an unfair inference to conclude,
that as the blacks are most expert thieves, some of those stones at
least have been stolen. Better opportunities now exist for more readily
disposing of diamonds thus obtained, than when the workings were entirely
in the hands of the government. In those days they were mostly disposed
of clandestinely to contraband dealers, many of whom used to hide
themselves in the mountains by day, and at night visit the huts of the
slaves, to purchase the stolen property; even the shopkeepers were deeply
engaged in these illicit transactions. The Juiz de Paz, who was during
the period of my visit one of the richest merchants in the city, owes his
fortune to the following circumstance:—At the time Brazil still remained
under the dominion of Portugal, he was the proprietor of a small shop,
and occasionally made a journey to Rio de Janeiro to purchase goods.
One evening returning from one of these long journeys, having retired
to rest earlier than usual, he heard some one knocking at his door,
to which at first he paid no attention, concluding it to be only some
customer; but, as the noise continued, he at last arose, when he saw a
slave who had come to offer a large diamond for sale, that weighed about
two pennyweights and a third. The price asked for it was six hundred
mil-reis, at that time equal to about £180 sterling; but not having so
much money in his possession at the moment, he was obliged to borrow some
for the occasion. Early next morning he set off on his return to Rio de
Janeiro with his purchase, stating to his friends that he had forgotten
some important business, which could only be settled by his presence.
On reaching the capital, he found it necessary to use great caution in
endeavouring to dispose of his prize, as all trade in diamonds was at
that time contraband, any one found dealing in them being condemned to
ten years’ transportation to Angola, on the coast of Africa, his property
being at the same confiscated, and sold for the benefit of government. At
last he was prevailed upon to dispose of it for 20,000 mil-reis, about
£6,000, which amount was paid to him in hard dollars; never having seen
so large a sum of money, he was perfectly astonished at its amount when
it was brought to him, and after regarding it for some time, he asked
with great simplicity if it all belonged to him. Shortly afterwards,
the individual who bought the diamond sold it for 40,000 mil-reis, and
when the Juiz learned its great value, and found that he might have sold
it for at least a third more than he received, his mortification it is
said was so great as to affect his mind. He has long, however, recovered
from his chagrin, and is now one of the most active, as well as the most
extensive, gold and diamond merchants in the district.
The temperate climate enjoyed by the inhabitants of this part of the
country, renders them more healthy than those who live in the Sertão; the
women are the most beautiful I met with in Brazil, and the men are also
a finer race than those of the low countries, many of them having more
the appearance of Europeans, than of inhabitants of a tropical climate.
The diseases most common here are those induced by sudden variations
of temperature, such as colds and inflammatory complaints; the slaves
who are constantly working up to their knees in water, are subject to
rheumatism; their diet, which is not of the most nutritious nature,
consists chiefly of boiled French beans and Indian corn meal (fubá),
which, with the addition of hot water, is made into a thick paste, called
Angú; this gives rise to general debility, particularly in those addicted
to the immoderate use of rum. It is not the slaves only who are given to
this vice, but whites of both sexes, in almost all classes of society,
indulge in it to a great extent; this is in some degree manifest, from
the very great quantity of that spirit daily brought to market, for it is
said, that for every troop that enters the city with provisions, another
arrives with rum from the sugar plantations in the low countries. I must
confess that I saw but few instances of intoxication in the streets,
except among persons of colour.
As I arrived in the city without letters of introduction, I made very few
acquaintances among the inhabitants. During my stay, however, I received
great kindness from Senhor Antonio Gomez de Carvalho, the Juiz de Paz,
and Major Luiz José de Figueredo, the President of the Camara Municipal,
both of whom called on me the day after we reached the city. M. Auguste
de St. Hilaire, who visited these provinces in 1817, speaks in high terms
of the great hospitality of the inhabitants of Minas Geräes, but they do
not now appear disposed to treat foreigners with the same familiarity
as formerly; this may be attributed to their great intercourse with
Europeans, particularly since the introduction of English mining
companies, which has greatly tended to alter their character. In one
of the houses where I occasionally visited, I met with Portuguese
translations of Sir Walter Scott’s ‘Ivanhoe’ and ‘Guy Mannering,’ They
had been sent from Rio de Janeiro to one of the daughters of the family
by whom they had been read with the greatest admiration; she had received
an excellent education, and composed verses fluently. I was rather
surprised when informed that neither a bookseller’s shop nor a library
existed in the city.
During my residence in this place, news arrived that produced a great
sensation; the young Emperor, Don Pedro the Second, had been called
upon to assume the reins of government, contrary to the wish of the
regent, before he had attained the age provided by the Legislature; a
proceeding that seemed to be highly approved of by the greater part of
the inhabitants, and rejoicings were consequently made on the occasion.
In the afternoon, high mass was celebrated in the Matriz church, at
which were present all the members of the town council, as well as the
whole body of the national guard. In the evening there was a general
illumination, and the national guard, after firing several volleys in
front of the house of the commandant, paraded through the principal
streets, with the band playing, accompanied with the town council, and
all the principal inhabitants of the city. I walked along with the
council, having been invited to do so by the president, and had thus
a good opportunity of witnessing the whole proceedings; every now and
then a halt was made before the house of some respectable citizen,
where generally five or six persons recited verses, composed during the
day in honour of the occasion, while the ladies of the house, from the
balconies, were showering down flowers perfumed with Eau de Cologne;
and occasionally the crowd below was honoured by a song from one of
the fair ones. This was repeated for three successive nights; many of
the verses produced on this occasion were extremely appropriate, but
a greater part consisted of the most fulsome adulation of the young
Emperor, which was perhaps as unmeaning and ephemeral, as that bestowed
on his father, who when he proclaimed the independence of Brazil,
received honours from these same people, little short of those bestowed
on a Deity, but after a propitious reign of ten years, was suffered to
abdicate in favour of his infant son, without any expression of regret
on their part. On the contrary, they appeared to rejoice in a measure
that tended to the consummation of those republican views, which at
that period seemed likely to draw the Empire into one general vortex of
anarchy and confusion. Happily, however, for the country, the greater
portion of the community had the good sense to resume its attachment
to those monarchical institutions that seem well adapted to the habits
and manners of the Brazilian people, and I had now the good fortune to
witness the exuberant effusions of an enthusiasm, which I hope will prove
more lasting than that exhibited by them on a former occasion towards the
illustrious founder of the Brazilian Empire.
When we arrived in the Cidade Diamantina, my horses were in bad
condition, owing to the long and fatiguing journey they had just
accomplished, and the bad pastures on which they had latterly been
obliged to feed. I found, however, to my regret, that the pasturage here
was still worse, and I feared that by the time I was ready to leave, they
would not be in a condition to resume the journey. The only pastures here
are to be found on the top of the Serra above the city, in a region very
arid, and particularly cold at this season, whence indeed it derives its
name of the Serro do Frio. Although they were fed twice a day with Indian
corn, they grew thinner and weaker after the setting in of the cold
rain, so that notwithstanding all our care and attention, eight of them
died in the course of a few days. Finding the remaining ten were totally
unfit for service, I thought it better to dispose of them at once, for
a mere trifle (70 mil-reis), rather than see them die off one by one.
The person who bought the horses immediately removed them to the Sertão.
As this occurred at a time when my stock of money was almost exhausted,
with no immediate hope of being able to renew it, I was brought nearly
to a stand; with the money I received for the horses I was enabled to
hire a troop of mules to convey us to Cidade do Serro (formerly Villa
do Principe), which is ten leagues distant from the Cidade Diamantina,
on the road towards Rio de Janeiro, and having made the necessary
arrangements, I prepared for my departure.
CHAPTER XIII.
CIDADE DIAMANTINA TO OURO PRETO.
Leaves the Cidade Diamantina—Reaches As Borbas—Passes
the Arraial do Milho—Tres Barras—Arrives at the
Cidade do Serro, formerly Villa do Principe—The Town
described—Passes Tapanhuacanga—Retiro de Padre Bento—N.S. de
Conceição—Description of an Iron Smelting Work at Girão—Vast
abundance of Iron Ores in this District—Reaches Escadinha—Morro
de Gaspar Soares and two other Iron Smelting Works and
Forges—Ponte Alta—Itambé—Passes Onça—Ponte de Machado,
where frost was seen—And arrives at Cocaes—Visits the large
Establishment of the Cocaes English Mining Company—The author’s
unkind reception by the Director of that Establishment—Reaches
S. João do Morro Grande, part of the Mining Establishment
of the English Gongo Soco Company—Hospitable reception and
visit to the Gold Mines—Its Workings described—Geological
structure of the Mines, and the surrounding Country—Leaves
Gongo Soco and passes Morro Velho-Rapoza—And reaches the
Establishment of another English Mining Company at Morro
Velho—The author’s delight on receiving letters after two
years’ absence—His kind reception and abode there—Village
of Congonhas de Sahara described—Attached to the Gold Mines
of Morro Velho—Account of those Mines—Mode of Working and
extracting Gold from the Ore—Visits the City of Sabará—Mining
Establishment of Cuiabá—Serra de Piedade—And Serra del
Curral del Rey—Leaves Morro Velho—Reaches the Villa de
Caëté—Passes S. José de Morro Grande—Barra—Brumado—Serra de
Caraça—Catas altas—Inficionado—Bento Rodriguez—Camargos—And
reaches San Caetano—Visits the City of Mariana—Passes the
Serra de Itacolumi—Arraial de Passagem—And arrives at the
city of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Rica—City described—Its
Population—College—And Botanic Garden.
Before leaving the Cidade Diamantina, I made several excursions to the
valleys, the ravines, and the mountain tops in its vicinity, which
yielded me many acquisitions; having made all the necessary preparations
for our departure, we left early in the forenoon of the 15th of August.
We made a journey of about three leagues, and remained for the night at
a place called As Borbas, encamping in an open grassy spot, not far from
the only house there, that belonged to a blacksmith. The road by which
we travelled is the high way leading to Rio de Janeiro, and is perhaps
the worst in the country, notwithstanding the great traffic here carried
on, not only to the capital of the Diamond country, but also to that
large district to the N.E. called Minas Novas. The numerous ascents and
descents are very rocky and full of large stones, the last ascent, of
greater extent than the others, about a league from the city, leads to an
open flat grassy country, the summit of the Serro do Frio. To the left we
passed some higher ranges, one of which is the elevated Serra de Itambé;
it was a very arid desolate tract, the few shrubs which grew on it being
two or three species of _Lychnophora_, called Candeia by the inhabitants,
and the grotesque _Lychnocephalus tomentosus_, together with a few
occasional clumps of _Vellozia_. Shortly before we reached As Borbas,
we gradually descended to a considerable extent, by a rocky path, and
entered a broad valley, which, though more wooded than the plain above,
was still very arid in its appearance.
As some of the mules had strayed during the night, we were delayed at
our encampment till near noon on the following day; this was not at
all agreeable, for we were exposed to a hot sun, without any means of
sheltering ourselves from its influence. As I had now no animals of my
own, I was obliged to submit to the will of the tropeiro, who did not
seem very anxious to proceed rapidly on his journey. We found the mode of
travelling in the southern provinces very different from that we had been
accustomed to in the northern. Horses are seldom or never used, and only
one journey is made in the day, which, according to the nature of the
road, extends from three to four leagues. The troops, which often consist
of as many as from fifty to one hundred mules, are very well organized,
those which are not conducted by the owner himself being entrusted to
an Arrieiro or muleteer, who, mounted on horseback, follows in the rear
of the troop. It is he who gives the necessary orders for its starting
and halting, looks to the condition of the pack saddles, and takes care
the loads are well balanced, as otherwise they would gall the backs of
the animals; it is also part of his business to examine the feet of the
mules, when the troop halts, to ascertain the state of their shoes,
and replace those which have been lost; the situation of Arrieiro is
generally held by a free mulatto, and to him also the sale and purchase
of goods is often entrusted. The roads in Brazil are so narrow that the
animals are obliged to go singly, one before the other, and so much are
they accustomed to this, that even when the road is broad enough for many
to go abreast, they still persist in the habit they have acquired of
following one another. The troop is subdivided into divisions (lotes) of
seven mules each, which are separately managed by a driver (tocrado), who
goes on foot, and is generally a negro. From As Borbas we made a journey
of about three leagues and a half, through a hilly, rocky, uninteresting
country, and arrived at a place called Tres Barras. Shortly before
reaching it we passed the Arraial de Milho Verde, but at a short distance
to the south, at a place called Váo, we crossed a small river over an old
half-rotten wooden bridge. At this place there are a few poor looking
houses, the owners of which are principally diamond washers; one of them
showed me a few diamonds, all of which were very small, and not nearly
equal in colour to those found near the Cidade Diamantina; one was jet
black, a colour that not unfrequently occurs.
Leaving Tres Barras, another journey of three leagues and a half brought
us to the Cidade do Serro. The road leads through a hilly undulating
country, evidently much lower than that in the Diamond district which we
left behind at Tres Barras; it had now lost its barren rocky appearance,
the greater part of the rounded hills being wooded to their tops, and
occasionally houses and plantations were to be seen in the hollows. In
place of the gravelly soil which exists in the Diamond district, the red
argillaceous ferruginous clay, so common in the country, again made its
appearance. We came in sight of the city when about a league distant from
it, and although much smaller than the Cidade Diamantina, its elevated
situation gives it quite as striking an appearance. Like it, the greater
part of the Cidade do Serro is built on the slope of a hill, which,
however, is of less elevation, and the houses are not so closely crowded
together. At this place I parted with the tropeiro who brought us from
the Cidade Diamantina, and as there was no inn of any description, I
took up my quarters in the public rancho, which is a large well-built
house, expressly constructed for the accommodation of the troops that
pass and repass, three only of which are allowed to rest in it at a time,
and the proprietor charges four vintims (about two pence) per night
to each tropeiro for the accommodation. He has adjoining it, a large
venda, for the sale of provisions and Indian corn, and it is understood,
that the tropeiros are expected to purchase there what they require for
themselves, their men, and their mules. At this rancho I met with a
muleteer returning to Ouro Preto, with his mules unloaded, eighteen of
which I hired to carry us forward, and for which I agreed to pay him on
our arrival there, 180 mil-reis, or about 22_l._ sterling.
Cidade do Serro, formerly known by the name of Villa do Principe, is
situated partly on the northern acclivity, and partly upon the ridge of
a hill which runs from east to west, and consists, principally, of one
long street, with a few others that intersect it; these are nearly all
well paved, and the houses are, with but few exceptions, white-washed. As
in the capital of the Diamond district, almost every house has a small
garden, which gives to the city a very pleasing appearance, when seen
from a distance. I remained here only part of a day, and had, therefore,
little opportunity of gaining much information respecting it; it struck
me, however, during a walk through its principal street, that it was a
dull place. According to St. Hilaire, it contained in the year 1817, a
population of from 2,500 to 3,000 inhabitants; it has a few good shops,
but the greater part of the respectable inhabitants are agriculturists,
who have their fazendas in the neighbourhood. Gold at one time was found
rather plentifully in the argillaceous soil, particularly in a small
stream which runs in the valley below the city called the Corrego de
quatro vintems; it is now, however, nearly exhausted, and only a few of
the more wealthy citizens employ some of their slaves in search for this
metal.
The hills around the Cidade do Serro, are covered with a grass which
the Brazilians call Capim gordura (_Melinis minutiflora_, Nees ab E.).
It is covered with an oily viscous matter, and universally makes its
appearance in those tracts, which have been cleared of virgin forest for
the purposes of cultivation; both cattle and horses are very fond of it,
but although they soon fatten on it, the latter get short-winded, if
they feed on it for any length of time. Martius considers this plant to
be truly a native of Minas Geräes, while St. Hilaire is of a different
opinion; as it is now everywhere so common in this province, it is a
difficult matter to say which of those excellent botanists is in the
right; all the agriculturists that I have spoken with on the subject
agree with St. Hilaire, although they differ in opinion in regard to
the place of its original growth. It is only on the mountains, that it
is found covering large tracts, and at present it is rapidly extending
northwards. St. Hilaire during his travels did not observe it beyond 17°
40´ of south latitude; but while crossing the Serra Geral from Goyaz
to Minas, I met with it many degrees to the north of that parallel. T
noticed it only near houses, and there is little doubt that in the course
of a few more years it will overrun that chain in the same manner that it
has done those of Minas. The seeds had evidently been brought from the
latter country by troops, which pass that way into Goyaz; it is not to be
met with at all in the Sertão. Another plant which makes its appearance
with this grass, and one of the worst pests which the Brazilian farmer
has to contend with is the _Pteris caudata_, a large brake similar to
that so common in many places in Great Britain; it is called by the
common name of Samambaia.
Leaving the Cidade do Serro, and passing through a hilly country, which
is more thickly wooded, and contains a greater number of habitations
than that we had lately traversed, a journey of four leagues brought us
to the Arraial de Tapanhuacanga, where we passed the night in the public
rancho; a large troop of about one hundred mules had arrived there before
us, from Rio de Janeiro, loaded with European merchandise. This village
is situated in a hollow, which is surrounded by some rather high hills,
the nearest of which are covered with grass, a few solitary trees, and
an immense number of the large clay nests of the white ant; while the
more distant are covered with virgin forests. At the time the village
was founded, gold was discovered abundantly in the neighbourhood, but
it is now very nearly exhausted; it contains at present only about
twenty or thirty houses, the greater part of which are falling into
ruin, and the two churches are in the same condition. Below the village
runs a small stream, in the bed of which a few miserable beings still
endeavour to earn a livelihood by washing for gold. While in the rancho,
one of the men belonging to the troop brought in a handful of branches
covered with leaves, with which, after holding them some time over the
fire, so as to render them brittle, he made a kind of tea for himself
and his companions; from the fruit on it, I found it to be a species of
_Symplocos_. The leaves of many other shrubs and trees are used in the
same manner by the inhabitants of Minas, under the name of Congonha;
those of the _Ilex Caraguayensis_, from which the celebrated Yerba of
Paraguay is prepared, are most commonly used.
We left Tapanhuacanga early next morning, and having accomplished about
five leagues and a half, we halted at a fazenda called Retiro de Padre
Bento, a large house built on the gentle slope of a grassy hill; our
whole journey, indeed, was through an open, hilly, grassy country, the
pasture being chiefly Capim gordura. In many places the ground had been
turned up to a great extent in search after gold, but the workings were
all abandoned; large tracts were likewise covered with the tall brake of
which I have already spoken. One of the most common trees I observed was
a fine large _Hyptis_ (_H. membranacea_, Benth.) bearing great panicles
of purple flowers. This tree is from twenty to forty feet high, and is
one of the largest species of the family of the _Labiatæ_ I met with in
Brazil.
After travelling about half a league next morning, we passed through the
Arraial de Nossa Senhora de Conceição de Mato Dentro. This village is
situated in a hollow, on the banks of a small stream, and is surrounded
by high grassy hills; it contains about two hundred houses arranged in
two long parallel streets, and is one of the most miserable looking
places I have ever seen; many of the houses are falling into decay, and
those which are still inhabited, are not even white-washed, but are
merely covered with the red clay used in plastering them. The country
around has a barren aspect, but as the hills are all covered with Capim
gordura, it does not look quite so sterile as that around the Cidade
Diamantina; they are, however, destitute of all those beautiful small
shrubs, which render the mountains in the diamond district so interesting
to the botanist. Except a few small gardens attached to some of the
houses, there are no signs of cultivation in the neighbourhood of
Conceição. At a short distance from this village the road passes over
a high hill, upon reaching the top of which we got into a cold dense
mist, which was rolling down into the valley before the wind, but which
disappeared as soon as it reached a warmer atmosphere. We travelled
in the mist for about half a league, and finally emerged from it by
descending the opposite side of the Serra. On this descent we met another
large troop consisting of upwards of one hundred mules, part of which was
destined to the diamond district, and part to Minas Novas; the road was
here so narrow that our small troop was obliged to halt while the others
passed.
About a league and a half from Conceição, we passed a small iron work
belonging to a German blacksmith; it is situated in a most romantic spot
on the banks of a small river, the waters of which rush through a narrow
rocky channel, and is surrounded by hills covered with virgin forests.
The proprietor of this establishment told me that he had been eighteen
years in Brazil, seven of which had been spent at this place. His furnace
is a small one, making only a hundred weight of iron per day, but he was
about to erect another of equal size. The blasts for the furnace, and
for the forging fires, as well as the large hammer by which the iron is
beaten into bars, are worked by water. He had several men in his employ,
making all kinds of iron implements used in the country, but principally
shoes for mules, for which he finds a quick sale from the tropeiros
that are daily passing. He also manufactures a small quantity of steel,
which he confessed to be of an inferior quality; there is abundance of
iron-stone in the neighbourhood, and plenty of wood to make charcoal for
reducing the ore. The province of Minas Geräes is perhaps richer than any
part of the world in iron; indeed, as St. Hilaire observes, it may be
considered as inexhaustible.[19] In Europe iron ore is generally found
at a considerable depth, but in Minas it is frequently met with near the
surface.
From Girão, for so this forge is called, we went on another league, and
halted for the night in a public rancho at a fazenda called Escadinha.
The country during the latter part of the journey was well wooded with
virgin forests similar to those on the Organ mountains, and like them
abounding in tree-ferns, small palms, and a large species of bamboo. It
was quite refreshing to be once more in such a region, after wandering so
long in the arid provinces of the north.
On the following morning, after travelling about two leagues, we passed
a small village called the Arraial do Morro de Gaspar Soares, which,
contrary to the general custom in Brazil, is situated on the summit of a
high hill. It is surrounded by other hills covered with Capim gordura,
which, although it was then the end of the dry season was quite green,
and presented a great contrast to the pastures of Ceará, Piauhy, and
Goyaz, which in the same season are quite burned up. Here there was no
sign of cultivation, although I was informed that at one time the whole
of these bare campos were under culture till the Capim gordura took
possession of them; new plantations have been formed at a distance by
the cutting down of the virgin forests, which in time will have to be
abandoned from the same cause. Notwithstanding the richness of these
pastures but few cattle were to be seen grazing here. As we did not
intend to stop at this village, and as the road passes along the foot of
the hill on which it stands, I had not an opportunity of seeing it more
closely, but it had a neat and picturesque appearance at a distance. On
the road not far from each other, we passed two small iron works; these
forges were established by government while Brazil was still a colony
of Portugal, and the greater part of the iron they produced was sent to
the diamond district for the use of the mines there; they are now in the
hands of private individuals. About two leagues beyond this village, we
finished our day’s journey at a venda called Ponte Alta, which has a
public rancho attached to it. The country through which we passed was
not very interesting to the botanist; by the side of a little rivulet
near the rancho grew a fine species of _Vochysia_, covered with its long
spikes of bright yellow flowers, and a _Rubus_, the fruit of which, when
ripe, is green, and has somewhat the flavour of the strawberry.
From Ponte Alta, a journey of three leagues brought us to the Arraial de
Itambé; the road led through a hilly but rather well wooded country, with
a more varied general vegetation than any part I had passed over since
leaving the diamond district. About a league and a half from Itambé, we
ascended a hill of considerable height; and after journeying about half a
mile through a low wood, we entered on an open tract with a moist sandy
soil, which afforded me a large collection of very rare and interesting
plants.
The Arraial de Itambé is situated in a beautiful valley, on the banks
of a small river which bears the same name, and which we crossed before
entering the village, over an excellent wooden bridge. The village
contains from eighty to a hundred houses, and a church, most of which are
in a state of great decay; indeed, the aspect of ruin and desolation was
more apparent here than in any place of its size I have seen in Brazil,
with the exception perhaps of the Villa de Parnagoá, in the south of the
province of Piauhy; the appearance of the inhabitants was equally abject
and miserable. The valley in which it stands is surrounded by high gently
sloping hills, some of which are grassy and rocky, while others are
covered with low woods. Beyond these hills, and about a league distant
from the village in a westerly direction, a higher chain of mountains
exists called Itacolumi; from the seven summits it presents, it also
bears the name of Sete Pecados Mortaes; this range was once covered by
forests, which about forty years ago were accidentally destroyed by fire.
As at the Arraial do Morro, the neighbourhood of Itambé presents no signs
of cultivation, if a few small gardens attached to some of the houses,
containing some orange and other fruit trees, be excepted. Formerly gold
washing was carried on to some extent in the bed of the river, but it
is now found in such small quantities that the produce will not pay the
expense of the labour.
From Itambé we went to a little hamlet consisting of about a dozen
houses, and a small chapel called Onça, the distance being about two
leagues and a half. The ascent of the Serra from Itambé was very rocky,
and the country afterwards hilly. One of the few plants which I met with
on this journey, was the really beautiful _Mutisia campanulata_, Less., a
climber with pea-like leaves, and large heads of bright scarlet flowers,
which are gracefully suspended on long footstalks.
Our next journey was very long, being a double day’s march, or about six
leagues. The road led through an open, undulating, and very rich country;
and we passed some large fazendas surrounded by extensive plantations
of Indian corn; those parts of the country not under cultivation were
covered with virgin forests, in which I observed, for the first time
since I had left the Organ mountains, abundance of the Brazilian
cabbage-palm (_Euterpe edulis_, Mart.). The sun was excessively hot all
day, and there was scarcely a breath of wind stirring; in consequence
of this I suffered much from a severe attack of headache. The place
we stopped at is called Ponte do Machado, where there is an excellent
rancho; the night was clear and cold, and when the men went out in the
morning to collect the mules, the grass was covered with hoar frost; and
the dew which had fallen on the leaves of the shrubs during the early
part of the night, was formed into small icicles; this was the only time
I observed ice in Brazil, and the first time in their lives that my men
had ever seen it.
From Ponte do Machado, a short journey of two leagues brought us to
the Arraial de Cocaes early in the forenoon, where we took up our
quarters as usual in the public rancho, the village not affording
better accommodation. Long before we arrived at this place, I had been
informed that an English mining company possessed an establishment in the
neighbourhood; and I now learned that it was situated on a high Serra,
which bears the same name as the Arraial, and only about a quarter of a
league distant. My stock of money was very nearly exhausted, and as I
should have to pay my tropeiro on our arrival at the city of Ouro Preto,
from which we were now only eleven leagues distant, I determined to
apply to the chief commissioner of the Cocaes mine for some assistance.
From Natividade, in the province of Goyaz, I had written to the house
of Messrs. Harrison & Co., at Rio de Janeiro, who kindly acted as my
agents during the whole time of my residence in Brazil, requesting
them to forward all my letters and parcels to Mr. Herring, the chief
commissioner of the San João d’El Rey mining company, and once at that
place I felt certain that all my wants would be supplied, as Mr. Herring
knew me personally, having had the pleasure of meeting him in Rio,
in the beginning of 1837; but we were still about thirty-six leagues
distant from the town of San João d’El Rey, at which place it was then
my impression Mr. Herring resided. Coming as I did from the ‘far west’
of Brazil, I had of course no letters of recommendation to Mr. Goodair,
the chief commissioner of the Cocaes mines, yet I resolved to solicit
from him that aid which a countryman of my own could only be expected to
supply.
As soon as my luggage was all properly arranged in the rancho, I rode
up to the mine, but found that Mr. Goodair was out visiting some of
the works at a distance, and was not expected to return for two hours,
I therefore determined to await his arrival; and in the meantime
I was invited to dine with Mr. Roscoe, one of the officers of the
establishment. This gentleman, who is married to an English lady, had a
fine family of several little flaxen-haired children, and they, and the
dinner, which consisted principally of roast beef and English potatoes,
made me feel as if suddenly transported to my own country. Shortly after
dinner Mr. Goodair arrived, and after stating to him the object of my
long journey, I candidly informed him of the unpleasant circumstances
in which I was placed for want of money, and asked him for the loan of
£25, for which I would give him an order on my agents in Rio; by doing so
I told him he would confer an obligation, not only on me, but on those
under whose patronage I was travelling, at the same time offering to show
him credentials, which I purposely took with me, to prove that I was not
an impostor. These, however, he would not look at, told me he was sorry
that he could do nothing for me, but added, that as my agents in Rio were
also the agents for the Morro Velho mining company, perhaps I might meet
with some assistance there: “at all events,” he concluded, “the doctor
there is a countryman of your own, a Scotchman, and he, perhaps, may feel
inclined to do something for you.” After giving me this advice, he turned
on his heel, and without even bidding me good day, walked out of the room.
As may well be imagined, my feelings were not a little hurt at this
uncourteous treatment; it was quite optional on his part whether he
would let me have the money or not, but I certainly expected a kinder
reception. I looked back on my long and painful journey of more than two
years’ duration, and my memory recalled the many acts of kindness I had
received from people of the country who had never heard of me before,
and I felt keenly the marked contempt with which I was treated by an
Englishman, and the only one too, to whose benevolence I appealed during
the whole course of my travels. My personal appearance might perhaps
have influenced him, for the necessarily limited wardrobe with which I
started from the coast was now nearly exhausted, nor would the state of
my funds allow me to add to it. I was deeply sunburnt from exposure, and
the fatigue of long continued travelling, innutritious diet, and latterly
even little of that, together with much anxiety of mind, produced by the
evil which I here tried in vain to remedy, gave me, I have no doubt,
no very prepossessing appearance. Had Mr. Goodair, however, been of an
obliging disposition, a little enquiry would have satisfied him that my
object was not to deceive; the fact of my having arrived in the village
with four attendants, and nearly twenty mules’ load of luggage, and the
excellent credentials I possessed, carried with them sufficient evidence
that this was not the case.
Learning from Mr. Roscoe, and Mr. Rigby, another officer of the
establishment, from whom I received much civility, that Mr. Herring was
chief commissioner of the Morro Velho mine, which was only about eleven
leagues distant from Cocaes, I instantly determined to go and ascertain
if any letters had been sent up for me from Rio de Janeiro. I expected
to have been able to examine the geological nature of the mine, but the
reception I met with put a stop at once to my intentions. Mr. Rigby,
however, showed me over the surface works.
The mine is situated near the top of the eastern side of the Serra de
Cocaes. In the year 1833, a lease for fifty years was bought by the
present company; the former proprietors had worked it previously for a
long period with much profit; in June 1834, the company began operations,
and though these have been carried on with much perseverance, and at a
great yearly expenditure, but very little gold has been extracted. At
the time of my visit, the money laid out on the mine altogether exceeded
£200,000. The manner in which the mine was worked, formed a great
contrast to what I had previously seen adopted by the Brazilians; all the
machinery was put in action by water power, and it was a most interesting
sight to observe how one very small stream of water, brought from a
distance of several leagues, was turned to so many useful purposes. In
the first place it was made use of to drive a saw mill, then descended
to the mill where Indian corn for the slaves was ground into flour,
thence it was conducted to the blacksmith’s shop, to work the blast for
a furnace, and the tilt hammer, after this it was led into a large
vegetable garden for the purposes of irrigation, and thence conducted to
work a machine for drawing ore from the mine. Leaving this it descended
to drive a large pumping wheel, forty feet in diameter; besides which
it kept in action two stamping machines for reducing the ore to powder,
another machine for raising ore, a second forty feet pumping wheel, and
lastly, it turned a wheel that worked a machine for ventilating the
mine. The gold is found in a soft, friable, greyish-coloured, micaceous
iron schist, which is called by the Brazilians Jacotinga: the principal
shaft is about fifty fathoms deep. At the time of my visit, there were
thirty English miners, about three hundred slaves, and thirty hired free
Brazilians, at work in and about the mine.
The village of Cocaes is not only the prettiest I have seen in Minas, but
is also the most beautifully situated. It is built on the gentle slope
and summit of a low hill that stands in the bosom of a semicircle formed
by the Serra, which in some places is covered with virgin forest, and in
others is bare and rocky. Between the Serra and the village runs the Una,
a small stream, which, however, in the dry season contains but little
water. Everywhere along its banks, and even to a considerable distance,
the ground has been turned over and washed for gold; these operations are
still carried on. Far from exhibiting the ruin and decay, which the other
villages we shortly before passed through presented, the houses here
have all a neat appearance, being mostly white-washed, and surrounded
by little gardens containing orange and coffee trees, bananas, &c. The
church stands out conspicuously from all the other buildings, and around
it are planted a few tall palms, which give to the whole place a truly
tropical aspect.
On the morning of the second day after our arrival, we left the Arraial
de Cocaes; and I thought it very hard to be travelling in the famous El
Dorado, with scarcely a sixpence in my pocket, while judging from my
first attempt there were but faint expectations of improving my pecuniary
wants. Ascending the Serra de Cocaes by an excellent road, and passing
the entrance to the mine, we descended to the other side, and following
a nearly westerly route for about the distance of four leagues along the
base of the Serra, reached the celebrated Gongo Soco mine, about two
o’clock in the afternoon. About half way we passed through the Arraial
de San João do Morro Grande, which consists principally of one long
narrow street. The country around it is formed of a coarse ferruginous
soil, that everywhere has been turned up in search of gold, but as it is
now nearly exhausted, very few of the inhabitants are engaged in that
species of labour. Like most other villages that owe their origin to the
auriferous soil in their neighbourhood, it presents all the symptoms of
decadence; houses that were built in times of prosperity are quickly
falling into ruin, and the few that have been more recently erected, are
of a much inferior construction; near the centre of the Arraial is a fine
church, still kept in good repair. On the road several English miners
passed us on their way to Rio, from a mine which had been established
a few years before on the Serra de Candonga, between Tapanhuacanga and
Cidade do Serro, but which was now about to be abandoned.
As I brought a letter with me from Mr. Rigby at Cocaes to Mr. T. Baird,
one of the partners of a large general store at Gongo Soco, and as I was
most kindly received by him, I found myself more comfortably situated
than at Cocaes. The whole of the houses at this place belong to the
company, and it is undoubtedly one of the prettiest little villages
in the province. The situation in which it is placed adds much to its
beauty, being a narrow valley bounded on the north by the high wooded
Serra, that runs westward from Cocaes, and by a lower undulating grassy
elevation on the south. With the exception of the large house occupied
by Mr. Duval, the chief commissioner, the others are all of one story,
arranged in streets, isolated, and in the English cottage style, adorned
in front with flower beds, and not unfrequently with palms and other
tropical trees. Near the centre of the village stands a small but elegant
church for the use of the free Brazilian workmen and slaves, employed by
the company. There is a catholic priest in the pay of the company, and
formerly there used to be an English clergyman also; in this village the
officers and the greater part of the English miners reside. The mining
operations are carried on about half a mile further to the westward, and
the houses of the slaves are situated near the works.
By Mr. Hammond, the chief acting commissioner, Mr. Duval being then on
a visit to Rio, and by the other officers I was kindly welcomed to the
establishment; and to one gentleman in particular I shall ever feel
grateful for his disinterested kindness, and more so from his being a
foreigner,—I mean Mr. Virgil Von Helmreichen, the civil engineer of the
establishment. Having entered into conversation with me on the nature of
my travels and pursuits, he told me that he was well acquainted with Mr.
Natterer, the celebrated zoological traveller in Brazil, who had often
mentioned to him the awkward situations in which he had frequently been
placed, when in the interior, from the want of opportunity to draw for
money; and his knowledge of this fact led him to enquire into the state
of my funds, which I candidly explained to him, when he very generously
offered to let me have as much money as would convey me to Rio, on no
other security than my promise to pay it into the hands of his agent on
my arrival there. This obliging offer I however declined to accept, until
I could ascertain at Morro Velho whether my letters had arrived there or
not.
Having expressed a wish to Mr. Hammond to be allowed to visit the
interior of the mine, he at once kindly consented, and requested one of
the mining captains to escort me: Mr. Ferriar, a young gentleman whom I
had formerly met at Rio, offered to accompany me. Before going down, we
were taken to the room where the captains keep their mining clothes, and
were there obliged to change our dress for one of the suits used in the
mines. This consisted of a large coarse flannel shirt, a pair of drawers
of the same material, and a coat and trowsers made of coarse canvass, a
stout leathern hat which fitted the head tightly, and a pair of strong
shoes, which we put on our bare feet. Being thus accoutred, we were each
provided with two candles, one which was for immediate use was stuck
into a ball of soft clay which served as a candlestick, and the other
hung to the button of the coat for after use. Fitted out in this manner,
we entered the mine by what is called the Adit level, whence we descended
to the next level, seven fathoms deeper; and so on in succession, till
we visited seven out of the nine levels, or workings, of which the mine
consists; as the two lowest were full of water we could not visit them.
The distance between each of the levels is seven fathoms, so that we
reached the depth of 294 feet, while the greatest depth is about 378.
The excavations in these levels consist of narrow passages or galleries,
not more than four or five feet wide, and five or six in height, driven
in various directions through the Jacotinga, or micaceous iron schist.
This schist is of so soft a nature, that the passages as they are driven
require to be strongly lined with wood to prevent their filling up again;
and in many places it is quite astonishing to see how some of the thick
pillars of hard Brazilian wood, often a foot and a half in diameter, are
crushed and broken by the weight from above. The principal gold vein runs
to the westward, but there are many ramifying branches. The vein is very
unequal in richness, sometimes, as at the period of my visit, yielding
hardly any gold, while at others it is found in what the miners call
bunches, which are sometimes so rich that more than one hundred pounds
weight of the pure metal has been taken out in one day. The rich ore is
washed and pounded up in mortars, while the poorer sort is sent to the
stamping mills, and afterwards either separated by washing in the Bateia
or amalgamated. Notwithstanding the superior richness of this mine, the
machinery appeared much inferior to that at Cocaes.
From an excellent diagram constructed by Mr. Helmreichen, exhibiting a
section of the country in which the mine is situated, and which he kindly
allowed me to examine, I have been enabled to make the following sketch
of its geological structure. The Serra which runs from east to west, and
lies to the north of the mine, is of primitive character, the mass of its
centre consisting of granite; upon the granite is imposed a thick bed of
schistose and clay slates, cropping out at an angle of about 45°. Above
this lies another thick bed of ferruginous Itacolumite, having the same
inclination as the rocks below; and immediately over this the Jacotinga,
or soft micaceous iron schist which contains the gold, and which is
about fifty fathoms in thickness. Above the Jacotinga is another thick
layer of Itacolumite; and lastly, about half a mile to the south of the
mine, a thick bed of a highly crystallized stratified limestone crops
out at the same angle, and in the same direction as the other rocks.
About half a mile to the eastward of the entrance to the mine, the bed of
Jacotinga narrows to a point, but towards the westward it appears to be
inexhaustible, and in that direction all further mining operations will
be carried on.
On the morning of the 29th of August, I left Gongo Soco to visit the
Morro Velho mine, which is distant about six leagues, in a N.W.
direction. I was accompanied only by a guide, having left all my men and
luggage at Gongo, as I expected to be absent only about three days. The
country between the two places is very hilly and barren, consisting of
elevated grassy hills occasionally studded with a few small trees. In the
hollows, however, there are generally patches of trees, forming those
woods to which the name of Capoes is given. About two leagues and a half
from Gongo, we passed through a small straggling village called Morro
Vermelho, which was in a state of great decay; and about two leagues
and a half further on a still smaller village, called Rapoza, situated
on the banks of the Rio das Velhas; we crossed this river over an old
narrow, tottering, wooden bridge without rails. On my arrival at Morro
Velho about eight o’clock in the afternoon, I found to my great delight,
that all my English letters and parcels, which had been accumulating
during more than two years, were here awaiting my arrival, which had been
expected several months. Letters of credit had also been kindly sent up
by Messrs. Harrison, for such sums of money as might be required by me,
so that my mind was now quite at ease on that point. I sat up nearly all
the night reading my letters, but the state of mind produced by them was
far from happy, for not a few of them brought most unwelcome news, of
the death of near and dear relations and friends. The kind reception I
met with from Mrs. Herring, the lady of the chief commissioner, and from
Mr. Crickitt, the acting commissioner for Mr. Herring, who was then in
Rio with his two eldest daughters, will ever be remembered by me with
gratitude. Rooms were ready to receive me, and instead of remaining only
one day, as I originally intended, I was prevailed on to spend about a
month at Morro Velho, during which time my health improved rapidly. The
day after my arrival, I sent to Gongo Soco for Mr. Walker, the men, and
the luggage.
The mine of Morro Velho is situated about half a mile to the S.E. of the
Arraial de Congonhas de Sabará. The village, which is very irregularly
built, is placed in a hollow, and contains a population of about 2,000
inhabitants; but until the mines in the neighbourhood began to be worked
by the English, the population was much less; here are three churches,
one of which has never been finished and is now falling into a state of
ruin. The mine is situated on one of the hills surrounding the valley,
and had been worked by its proprietors for about a hundred years previous
to its being bought by the present company. When St. Hilaire visited
this village the gold was considered as exhausted,[20] but it now yields
perhaps more gold than any other mine in the empire. The present company
first commenced its operations about 1830, under the superintendence of
Captain Lyon, the northern voyager. This mine is very different from
that at Gongo Soco, inasmuch as the auriferous vein occurs in a greyish
coloured clay state; the vein, or lode itself, consisting of a kind of
quartzose rock mixed with a considerable proportion of carbonate of lime,
strongly impregnated with iron and arsenical and copper pyrites; its
general direction is from east to west, and it is about seven fathoms
wide a little to the west of the central workings, at which point it
divides into two branches that run to the westward, while other two
extend to the eastward; the more easterly branches are those that have
been worked to the greatest extent. These ramifications gradually
diverge, and ultimately take a N.E. direction, running parallel to each
other, at a distance of about a hundred feet.
The ore is first removed from its bed by blasting, and is afterwards
broken by female slaves into small pieces, about the size of the stones
put upon macadamized roads, after which it is conveyed to the stamping
machine to be reduced to powder; this machine consists of a number of
perpendicular shafts placed in a row, and heavily loaded below with
large blocks of iron; these being alternately lifted up to a certain
height by a toothed cylinder, turned by a large water-wheel, fall down
upon, and crush the stones to powder; a small stream of water constantly
made to run through them, carries away the pulverized matter to what is
called the strakes, a wooden platform, slightly inclined, and divided
into a number of very shallow compartments, of fourteen inches in width,
the length being about twenty-six feet; the floor of each of these
compartments is covered with pieces of tanned hide about three feet long,
and sixteen inches wide, which have the hair on; the particles of gold
are deposited among the hair, while the earthy matter, being lighter, is
washed away. The greater part of the gold dust is collected on the three
upper, or head skins, which are changed every four hours, while the lower
skins are changed every six or eight hours, according to the richness
of the ore. The sand which is washed from the head skins, is collected
together and amalgamated with quicksilver in barrels, while that from
the lower skins is conveyed to the washing-house, and concentrated over
strakes of similar construction to those of the stamping mill, till it
be rich enough to be amalgamated with that from the head skins. The
barrels into which this rich sand is put together with the quicksilver,
are turned by water, and the process of amalgamation is generally
completed in the course of forty-eight hours; when taken out, the amalgam
is separated from the gold by sublimation. In the whole process, the
loss of mercury amounts to about thirty-five pounds a month, but up to
two months before my visit, it was nearly double that quantity. For a
long time the gold dust was extracted from the sand by hand-washing in
Bateias, after the Brazilian manner; but the process of amalgamation is
found to be superior, requiring less labour, and extracting a larger
proportion of gold. The zillerthal, or running amalgamation process,
similar to that used in the Tyrol, has also been tried here, but was not
found to answer owing to the great loss of quicksilver. The roasting
process has also been attempted, but although by this means the ore
yields a much larger per-centage of gold, the fumes arising from the
arsenic were found to be so injurious to the health of the workmen, that
it was abandoned. A ton of ore produces from three to four Portuguese
oitavas of gold; but the same quantity has often yielded as much as seven
oitavas. At the time of my visit, from fifteen to sixteen hundred tons of
ore were reduced to powder every month.
After having rested about a week at Morro Velho, I started, with Mr.
Monach, the surgeon to the company, to ascend the Serra de Piedade, which
is the highest part of the great western chain in the Gold district.
After travelling about three leagues in a northerly direction, we arrived
at the city of Sabará, which, except the Cidade Diamantina, was the
largest I had then seen in the interior; it is situated on the north bank
of the Rio das Velhas, at the eastern foot of the great chain already
alluded to. From the place where the first view of it is obtained,
it has a very fine appearance, its site being somewhat elevated, the
houses are generally large, and there are several fine churches; the
old and new city together are about a mile in length, but the breadth
is inconsiderable; the streets are well paved, and judging from the
numerous public fountains, it appears to be well supplied with water.
It was only about two years before the period of my visit that Sabará
was raised to the dignity of a city; the greater part of the inhabitants
are shopkeepers, who trade with those of the Sertão to the westward.
Notwithstanding its near approach in size to the Cidade Diamantina, it
forms a great contrast with it in the stillness of its streets. The
ferruginous gravelly soil around it, and along the banks of the river,
has all been turned over in search of gold, but now very few seem to be
engaged in that pursuit; the bed of the river is said to be rich in gold
dust.
From Sabará we went to Cuiabá, a mining establishment belonging to the
Cocaes Company, about two leagues distant; the road for nearly the whole
way runs up a narrow and very picturesque valley, along the banks of
a small river. At the Cuiabá mine there were only two officers, Mr.
Richards, the superintendent, and Dr. Morson, the surgeon, who is married
to an English lady, by whom we were kindly received. The Serra de Piedade
being still about two leagues and a half distant, we slept that night at
Cuiabá, and started next morning about half-past six o’clock, accompanied
by Mr. Richards. After crossing the small river which passes the mine, we
almost immediately began to ascend the high country on the opposite side,
and having travelled about two leagues, through a hilly, grassy country,
destitute of trees, except in low hollow places, we crossed entirely from
the eastern to the western side of the mountain chain, of which the Serra
forms part, so as to reach the proper place of ascent; this we gained by
skirting along the base of the Serra, but at a considerable elevation
above the plain below, through a bushy stony spot. The first half of the
way from this place is pretty steep, and leads over a rough hard reddish
iron-stone tract, thinly covered with a few bushes of a species of
_Baccharis_, and another of _Lychnophora_, while on the grassless stony
surface of the ground, there were numerous species of _Orchideæ_, among
them a beautiful _Lælia_ with yellow flowers, a very prickly procumbent
species of _Cactus_, and numerous large water-bearing _Tillandsias_.
Leaving this region we came upon a flat space covered with large blocks
of micaceous rocks, the layers of which are very tortuous. The road
then winds along the western side of the mountain, close to the edge
of some deep precipices, and finally ascends to a level spot, situated
but a little way below the highest part of the mountain. On the extreme
northern part of this flat there is a small church called Nossa Senhora
de Piedade. Upon our arrival there, we found a party consisting of half
a dozen women and two men, who had reached it a short time before us;
we soon learned they had come to fulfil vows which they had made some
time before. We saw large offerings of candles which they had presented
to the church; and most of them had made promises to sweep the floor of
the chapel, for we observed that the women in particular cut small twigs
from the bushes in the neighbourhood, of which they made brooms, and
with which they, one after the other, swept it, but in no very careful
manner. Leaving our horses near the church, we ascended the highest peak,
which is of a very rocky nature, and covered with a vegetation of small
_Orchideæ_ and _Tillandsias_. Ordering the refreshments we had brought
with us to this place, we sat down on the rocks to breakfast; according
to Spix and Martius, this mountain is 5,400 feet above the level of
the sea. While skirting along the lower part of it, we felt very cold,
in consequence of being enveloped in a mass of dense clouds which were
rolling past us, discharging at the time enough of their contents to
wet us not a little; I never, before this occasion, saw so distinctly
the vesicles of which clouds are formed. It was not till about eleven
o’clock, or nearly two hours after we had reached the summit, that these
clouds began to disperse, and then we had a most extensive view of the
country on all sides, which is of a very hilly nature, excepting on the
west, where the flat Sertão district presents itself. Notwithstanding
the magnificence of the view obtained from this point, the pleasure to
be derived from overlooking a populous and richly cultivated country was
wanting. But few houses came within range of the sight; and the Villa
de Santa Luzia, about six leagues distant to the south, is the only
town that can be descried, the others being hidden by the surrounding
mountains. Two of the most prominent objects that strike the view, are
the Serras of Cocaes and Caráça, the latter of which is the highest, and
about eight leagues distant, in a N.E. direction.
On the eastern side of the mountain, close to the church, there is a
small garden, which seems to have been well attended to in better times.
I observed there a few stunted peach and apple trees, a few potatoes,
and other European vegetables. The greater part of the garden, as well
as the top of the Serra, in front of the church, is overrun with the
common strawberry of Europe, and being then in fruit, we each obtained a
handful. Several other European plants have become naturalized, such as
the chickweed, _Cerastium vulgatum_. The church is kept by a middle-aged
Mulatto woman, and a dirty-looking old white man, dressed in the manner
of a priest, who calls himself a hermit, resides there also. Except the
few vegetables which they cultivate, food comes all from below, and the
water they drink is obtained from the numerous _Tillandsias_ which crowd
the rocky parts of the Serra, and which in the bases of their leaves,
contain a large quantity of water, an ordinary sized plant yielding about
a pint.
The Serra is rich in plants interesting to the botanist, but not nearly
so much so as the Organ Mountains, in the province of Rio de Janeiro,
owing, no doubt, to its great want of moisture. From the upper part, I
obtained two fine shrubs belonging to the natural order _Malpighiaceæ_;
a fine shrubby _Styrax_; a _Cassia_, about four feet high, which is very
common near the middle of the mountain; a red-flowered _Gaylussacia_,
and a _Gualtheria_, both abundant near the summit; a shrubby variety of
_Drymis Granatensis_, several ferns, and a few mosses and lichens.
Shortly before we began to descend, the atmosphere became so hazy, that
we could see only a short distance; this was caused by the custom that
prevails at the end of the dry season of burning the campos, as this
encourages the more speedy growth of a crop of new grass, after the rains
have set in; it is also at this season that the wood is burned on the
grounds which have been cleared for cultivation. After a very pleasant
day’s excursion, we reached Cuiabá about dusk, and having spent the
greater part of the evening with Dr. Morson and his lady, I was occupied
till near midnight in preparing the specimens I brought with me from
the Serra. On the following day we returned to Morro Velho. The mine of
Cuiabá is very similar in its nature to that at Morro Velho, but wrought
on a much smaller scale, and the ore moreover is not nearly so rich.
During my stay at Morro Velho, I made many little excursions in the
neighbourhood, and thus added largely to my collections.
On the morning of the 24th of September, after having taken leave of my
kind friends at Morro Velho, we again resumed our journey. There is a
direct road from this place to the city of Ouro Preto, the capital of the
province of Minas, through which I wished to pass, but part of my luggage
having been sent on from Cocaes to a village called San Caetano, situated
about three leagues below the city of Marianna, I was obliged to proceed
there first. It was my intention to return to Gongo Soco by the way I had
come, but the day before we left, information reached Morro Velho, that
the wooden bridge over the Rio das Velhas, at Rapoza, had fallen down. We
were therefore obliged to return by the way of Sabará, which increased
the journey about two leagues. We passed through Sabará without halting,
and arrived in the afternoon at the Cuiabá mine, where we spent the
night with Mr. Richards, and started again next morning after breakfast,
reaching Gongo Soco between five and six o’clock in the afternoon. Almost
the whole of the country between the two places, with the exception of
the Serra to the N.W. of Gongo, consists of bare grassy hills, a few
small woods only existing in the hollows. Being then the end of the dry
season, the hills had a very arid and barren look, everything being
burned up from the want of rain. The roads were covered with fine yellow
dust, the _débris_ of the clay slate of which the hills are formed; and
we were nearly the whole way enveloped in a dense cloud of it, rising up
from the horses’ feet.
At about half way between the two places, we passed through part of the
Villa de Caeté, a miserable looking town of some size, situated in a
narrow shallow valley, running in a N.E. direction from the Serra de
Piedade, the Villa itself being distant from it about two leagues. This
Villa, like many others in the mining districts, has all the appearance
of having seen better days, as it contains the ruins of many fine houses,
as well as one of the finest churches that exists in the interior, and
St. Hilaire doubts even if there is one in Rio de Janeiro that may be
compared with it.
On the day we left Gongo Soco, we passed through the Arraial de San João
do Morro Grande, and halted for the night at a small hamlet called Barra,
about a league to the S.E. of it. The country around, as well as the road
we had passed over, was hilly, bare, and arid; a small stream passes
through the village, the gravelly banks of which have been completely
turned over in search of gold. Next day we made a journey of about two
leagues; and about half a league from Barra we passed through the Arraial
do Brumado, a long straggling village in a state of great decay. Leaving
this place, we continued in an easterly direction till we arrived at the
foot of the Serra de Caráça, and winding along the hilly base of its N.E.
side, we reached, shortly after mid-day, the Arraial de Catas Altas,
which is situated at the foot of the Serra towards its S.E. extremity. It
consists principally of one long street, and like Brumado does not seem
to be in a very flourishing condition. The hills around the village, and
between it and Brumado, are covered with Capim gordura. At a considerable
elevation on the Serra itself, there is a hermitage, called Nossa Senhora
Mai dos Homens. The building was begun by a Portuguese in 1771, who was
still alive, though above a century old, when it was visited by Spix and
Martius in 1818; it is now converted into a theological seminary, but is
said to contain but few pupils. This Serra was botanically explored by
St. Hilaire, as well as by Spix and Martius, and found to be very rich in
rare and curious vegetable productions; I wished also to devote a day to
ascend it, but the weather was very unfavourable, as it rained heavily,
and the upper parts of the mountain were enveloped in clouds.
Leaving Catas Altas, the road takes a southerly direction, along the
foot of the Serra de Caráça; and after travelling about two leagues, we
passed through the Arraial de Inficionado, another long narrow village,
about the same size as Catas Altas, and, like it, in an obvious state of
decadence. About a league further on, we arrived at the Arraial de Bento
Rodrigues, where we took up our quarters for the night in the public
rancho. The road, on this journey, was far from good, being both hilly
and stony; I saw but little soil fit for plantations, it being generally
of a clayey nature, intermixed with a coarse ferruginous gravel, or the
_débris_ of the schistoze rocks of the Serra; and everywhere this soil
has been turned up in search of gold, but with the exception of a small
mine between Inficionado and Bento Rodrigues, I saw no workings being
carried on.
At about a league from Bento Rodrigues, we passed through a small village
called Arraial de Camargos, which is situated among some hills on the
side of a small river. We were now only three leagues from the place
of our destination, San Caetano, which I was anxious to reach without
further delay; but the road, which here passes through a bare hilly
country, is bad, and the mules being only lately broken into work, we
got on but very slowly, from their either lying down or going off the
road. On this account it was about five o’clock in the afternoon when we
reached the last house on the road to San Caetano, the distance between
them being somewhat less than a league. At this house, the tropeiro
wished to remain for the night, a proposal I would by no means consent
to, especially as it threatened to rain, and the house was so small, and
so badly covered, as to afford but very indifferent shelter. He, however,
insisted on remaining, and would have done so, had I not threatened
him with non-payment, when, very much against his will, he resumed the
journey, and about dusk we reached the Arraial de Caetano, where I found
all my collections in good condition, in the house of the tropeiro who
brought me from Cidade do Serro, and who again agreed to take me to Rio.
In passing through a small forest, not far from the Arraial, I collected
specimens of three kinds of tree ferns, and added to my collection of
_Orchideæ_ a pretty sweet-smelling _Epidendrum_.
The Arraial de San Caetano, which is small, and evidently poor, is
situated on the acclivity of a low hill on the north bank of a small
stream which empties itself into the Rio Doce. It contains only one
church, which if finished on the scale it has been begun, would be
a great ornament to the place, standing, as it does, on a height
which overlooks the village. Gold washing in the bed of the stream,
and along its banks, seems once to have been the chief occupation of
its inhabitants, but that source of gain being now exhausted, they
have mostly taken to the cultivation of the soil much of which in the
neighbourhood is well adapted for the growth of coffee, Indian corn, &c.
The tropeiro not being able to start for some days after my arrival,
and making objections to go round by Ouro Preto, which I had a great
desire to see, I determined to make a hurried visit to that city alone.
I therefore hired a guide, and started on the morning of the 5th of
October. A journey of three leagues through a hilly and thinly-wooded
country, brought me to the city of Marianna, the situation and appearance
of which pleased me very much; it stands on the S.W. side of a broad
level valley, on the gentle declivity of a rising ground which skirts
the base of the range of the Serra de Itacolumi. It is more compactly
built than the towns I have generally seen in Brazil, and as there are
several fine and handsome churches, and the houses are mostly large and
white-washed, the city has altogether a very noble appearance. In the
suburbs, and even in the city itself, many of the houses have gardens
attached to them, planted with bananas, oranges, and the round-headed
Jaboticabeira, which with their different shades of green, contrast well
with the white-washed walls of the houses; in passing through the town,
it appeared so quiet, that I could almost have fancied it deserted. In
some of the principal streets, I saw a few shopkeepers leaning listlessly
over their counters, and on the stairs in front of the prison a few
soldiers keeping guard; these and an occasional black urchin squatted at
a door, were all that gave an idea of life in the city, which is said to
contain about 5,000 inhabitants. It is more a clerical than a commercial
city, being the residence of the bishop and the seat of a theological
college.
The imperial city of Ouro Preto, formerly Villa Rica, is about two
leagues distant from Marianna in a south west direction. The road, which
is very good, gradually rises towards Ouro Preto; in many places along
the side of it there are planted at irregular distances wild fig trees,
natives of the country, which have grown up, and not only give a good
shade, but recall to a European the roads of his native country. Near the
entrance to the city, where the road has been hollowed out of the solid
rock, many galleries are to be seen entering the hills; these are gold
workings which have long been abandoned, and some of which are now made
use of as pig-styes, by the poor people who live in their vicinity. About
half way between the two cities, the road passes through the Arraial de
Passagem, a small village, the inhabitants of which formerly subsisted by
gold washings, but the mines being now exhausted, they occupy themselves
with the cultivation of provisions, for which they find a ready market in
Ouro Preto.
During my short stay in the Imperial city, I lived in the house of Senhor
José Peixoto de Souza, having carried letters to him from Morro Velho.
He is the principal merchant in the province of Minas, and possesses
the finest house in the city; the erection of it cost him about £4,000
sterling, a great sum for a house in the interior of Brazil. He is a
man of a very kind and obliging disposition, and being agent for all
the English mining companies, his house is the place where the officers
belonging to them put up at in passing through the city, there being
no respectable inn in the whole place; nor is it only Englishmen who
make his house a rendezvous, his own countrymen sharing in like manner
his hospitality. During the three days I remained there, so many guests
arrived and departed, that it had more the appearance of an inn than the
dwelling of a private individual. He began life as a simple washer of
gold (faiscador), and is now the principal gold merchant in the province.
The country around the city is hilly in the extreme, and the rocks
consist of clay-slates, soft micaceous iron schist, commonly called
Jacutinga, and that hard iron slate rock, now known by the name of
Itacolumite, all disposed in layers that are much inclined; the country
round is auriferous, and many workings exist in the neighbourhood. In
the narrow valley, on one side of which the city stands, runs a small
stream, called the Riberão de Ouro Preto, which takes its rise in the
neighbourhood; the bed of this brook consists of a soft kind of gravel,
and in it the poorer part of the inhabitants gain a scanty subsistence
by washing for gold. The operation is called Mergular, or diving, and
the people who work in this manner are called faiscadores; they are
generally half-naked, and after raking away the larger stones from the
place which they select in the bed of the stream, they fill their flat
wooden plate (Bateia) with the fine gravel and sand, which is purified by
washing in a peculiar manner, till at last the gold dust remains in the
bottom of the vessel, from which it is transferred to a small leathern
bag which is suspended from their middle; they are not able to make more
than about a shilling a day. The time they prefer is after heavy rains
have caused a strong current in the stream.
Although the city of Ouro Preto is much larger than that of Marianna,
it has not the same imposing appearance, not for the want of large
buildings, but from the irregularity of its site. The greater part of
it is built upon the side of the Serra de San Sebastião, which forms
the N.W. boundary of a deep narrow valley. It is naturally divided into
an upper and lower town, the upper being by far the finer; it contains
a number of handsome buildings, such as the palace of the provisional
government, which is a large and well-built stone edifice, standing on
one side of a square of considerable size, the opposite side of which
is formed by the town house and prison, which is also a fine building.
A little below these stand the barracks, which are the best I have
seen in the interior; the treasury is also a good substantial stone
building, but the low situation, and the narrow street in which it is
built, do not allow of its being seen to advantage. The city contains
six large churches, the finest of which, Nossa Senhora do Carmo, stands
in the upper town, not far from the prison house; the city is abundantly
supplied with water of an excellent quality, a fountain existing in
almost every street.
The population of the city is said to amount to about 8,000 souls; it
contains many good shops, but not one devoted to the sale of books. It
boasts, however, of two printing offices, and four newspapers, two of
which are ministerial, and two belong to the opposition. They are of
small folio size, and their contents are almost entirely of a political
nature. In the beginning of the year 1840, a college, a preparatory one,
was established by a law passed in the provincial assembly, in which
Latin, French, English, philosophy, mathematics, and pharmacy, are taught
by as many different professors.
About a mile from the city there is a Botanic Garden, which is maintained
by government, and principally intended for the propagation of useful
exotic plants, to be given gratis to those who may apply for them.
I found the plants principally cultivated here to be the Tea plant,
Cinnamon, the Jaca, Bread-fruit, Mango, &c. Several acres are devoted to
the cultivation of tea, of which a considerable quantity is manufactured
yearly, and sold in the city at about the same price as that which is
imported from China. The avenue leading to the garden, as well as several
others which surround it, are planted with the Brazilian pine (_Araucaria
Brasiliana_), which adds greatly to the beauty of the grounds; these
trees were about thirty years of age, and bore abundance of their large
cones yearly.
CHAPTER XIV.
OURO PRETO TO RIO DE JANEIRO, AND SECOND JOURNEY TO THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS.
Leaves Ouro Preto—Arrives at San Caetano—Passes Arraial de
Pinheiro—Piranga—Filippe Alvez—San Caetano—Pozo Alegre—Sadly
incommoded by a thunder-storm—Reaches Arraial das Mercês
Chapeo d’Uva—Entre os Morros—Crosses Rio Parahybuna—And
enters the Province of Rio de Janeiro—Passes Paiol—Reaches
Villa de Parahyba—Crosses the River Parahyba—Mode of Ferrying
described—Passes Padre Correa—Corrego Seco—Reaches summit Pass
of the Serra d’Estrella—Magnificent view of the Metropolitan
City, its Harbour, and surrounding scenery—Arrives at Porto
d’Estrella—Embarks for the City and finally arrives at Rio
de Janeiro—All the Collections brought from the Interior are
arranged and shipped to England—The Author resolves again to
visit the Organ Mountains—His departure for the Serra—Adds
largely to his Collections—Ascends the loftiest peaks of
the Mountains—Their elevation above the sea about 7,500
feet—Departs on an excursion to the Interior—Passes the Serra
do Capim—Monte Caffé—Santa Eliza—Sapucaya—Porto d’Anta—Crosses
Rio Parahyba—Passes Barro do Louriçal—San José—Porto da
Cunha—Recrosses the Rio Parahyba—Reaches Cantagallo—Visits
Novo Friburgo—Description of these two Swiss Colonies—Pleasant
sojourn in the Organ Mountains.
Two days after my return from the city of Ouro Preto, we left the village
of San Caetano for Rio de Janeiro, and having travelled in a S.E.
direction about two leagues and a half, we halted for the night in a
public rancho near a small fazenda. It rained heavily nearly all the way,
and there was much thunder; our road was through a hilly country, the
hollows only being thickly wooded; in marshy spots I observed some fine
large _Talauma_ trees, which are the _Magnolias_ of South America, and
whose large blossoms are equally fragrant. The rain continued all night,
but towards morning the weather cleared up and allowed us to resume our
journey. Besides the mules that were employed to carry my luggage, the
tropeiro had many others loaded with coffee, an article which is now
cultivated to a considerable extent in the province of Minas. Another
journey of three leagues and a half, through a hilly, well-wooded, and
rather thickly-inhabited country, brought us to the Arraial do Pinheiro,
a small village surrounded by gold washings, which, however, are upon
a very small scale. In the rancho, in which we passed the night, there
were two large troops, one of which was conveying coffee to Rio, and the
other on its way thence with salt for the interior. The woods through
which we passed reminded me very much of those on the Organ Mountains,
not only from their general appearance, but from the great similarity
in the vegetation. Three or four beautiful kinds of tree-ferns, often
reaching to the height of from thirty to forty feet, grew in humid shady
places; and on the more elevated tracts were seen many large trees of
an arboreous _Vernonia_, upwards of forty feet high, covered with large
panicles of white flowers, which, along with the blossoms of a large
_Myrcia_, perfumed the air with their rich odour.
Still following a S.E. direction, we reached the Arraial de Piranga,
which is about three leagues distant from the village of Pinheiro; this
Arraial, like many others we had passed before, owed its origin to the
gold which existed in the soil of this neighbourhood; at one time great
quantities were found here, but the workings are now nearly exhausted.
The population consists of about 1,200 persons, most of whom are in great
poverty; it has a dull and deserted appearance, but at the same time all
the indications of former opulence; it contains three churches, and the
greater part of the houses are large, and generally of two stories, a
mode of construction not very common in the villages of Brazil; many of
the inhabitants are now following agricultural pursuits. Our next day’s
journey of about four leagues, through a country similar to that we had
just left behind, but more thinly-wooded, brought us to a large fazenda,
called Filippe Alvez. We were allowed to pass the night in the sugar
mill, a large building open nearly all round; the mill was worked by a
water-wheel about thirty feet in diameter, which at times was also used
to put in motion a machine for pounding Indian corn; the latter, which
was at work both by day and night, annoyed us not a little by its noise.
Large tracts of land near the house had lately been planted with Indian
corn and rice.
From Filippe Alvez, we went on to a small village called the Arraial de
San Caetano, the distance being about three leagues. It is a small and
miserable place, and although it contains a few shops, I could find no
provisions to purchase, excepting farinha made from Indian corn. On this
journey, I found a large species of _Equisetum_, the largest indeed that
has yet been seen in the recent state; it grew abundantly in a wooded
marsh near the road, and I measured one that was upwards of fifteen
feet in height, the lower part of the stem being full three inches in
circumference. Although of gigantic size, when compared with the other
species existing at present on the earth’s surface, it is far from
equalling those enormous remains, which are found in the fossil state in
the coal strata, and known to geologists under the name of _Calamites_;
many of these have stems as thick as a man’s body; indeed the difference
in size between the recent species of _Equisetum_, and those which have
existed at a former period of the earth’s history, is about as great as
between a stem of wheat and the gigantic bamboos of the East Indies and
of South America.
We travelled on the following day about three leagues, through a hilly
country, which in some places was well wooded, but the greater part
of it consisted of large cleared tracts which had formerly been under
cultivation, but were now every where covered with the large brake I have
before mentioned; this fern is not, however, entirely without use, for
the young shoots cut into small pieces and boiled, or stewed with pork,
are eaten by the inhabitants, and are said to be not only pleasant to the
taste, but wholesome. We took up our quarters for the night in a large
open rancho, near a fazenda called Pozo Alegre.
At this place we spent a most miserable night; about midnight we were
awakened by a dreadful tempest of thunder, wind, and rain, which came
from the westward. The rancho was open all round, and the end that faced
the storm was unfortunately that where Mr. Walker and I had slung our
hammocks. When I awoke a loud peal of thunder was rolling fearfully right
over us; my hammock was swinging to and fro by the force of the wind,
which was blowing a hurricane, and we were soon completely drenched by
the rain, which fell upon us in streams from the roof. My greatest dread
was that the old shed would be blown down upon us, but it fortunately
withstood the blast; my collection of botanical specimens suffered very
much, as the boxes in which they were packed were arranged in the middle
of the floor, and this being considerably lower than the sides, it soon
filled with water to the depth of six inches; in consequence of this
the parcels in the bottoms of four of the boxes were greatly damaged.
The storm lasted for an hour with undiminished force, and as soon as it
abated we struck a light, for our fire had been completely extinguished;
the water was quickly bailed out of the shed, and the boxes raised from
the ground; a fire was kindled with some difficulty, around which we all
crowded, for we were all suffering much from the cold; it now became a
question how we were to sleep during the remainder of the night, as every
thing available for a bed was thoroughly wet. For my own part I arranged
some pieces of wood, that had been brought in the evening before for
fuel, alongside the fire, and although the bed thus formed was not a very
soft one, I contrived to pass the night tolerably well.
The next morning being still cloudy, without any appearance of the sun,
I sent to the owner of the rancho to ask permission to dry my plants in
the mandiocca stove; and, as he returned word that I might do so, we had
everything taken there in a short time. On our arrival at the house, he
seemed to have changed his mind, from what cause I know not, for he told
me very plainly that we might go somewhere else, as he would not allow
us to enter his premises; I have seldom been so much annoyed as I was at
this conduct. This man, whose name was Major Domingos Josè de Barros,
was about eighty years of age, a Portuguese by birth, and said to be
worth upwards of a hundred thousand crusados; he was of a most miserly
disposition, as indeed his whole appearance testified, his dress being
old and of the coarsest materials.
We went on about half a league further, to a fazenda belonging to a
son-in-law of the old miser, who was also a Portuguese, but altogether
different in disposition. He immediately gave me accommodation for my
luggage, and the sun shining out brightly shortly after our arrival,
we lost no time in spreading out the collections that had been wetted
the previous night. We were again visited by a thunder-storm in the
afternoon, which prevented us from getting more than half of them dried.
At this fazenda, where I received much hospitality, I remained the whole
of the following day to complete the drying and packing of my collection,
and next morning, a journey of about three leagues brought us to the
Arraial das Mercês, a village which consists of a single street about
a quarter of a mile in length. In a large square in the middle of it,
are a few good houses of two stories, and the only church; this last is
built of large unburned bricks, and being unplastered, has a very mean
appearance when contrasted with the white-washed houses by which it is
surrounded. The whole village has a much greater appearance of prosperity
than any we had passed on the road from Marianna: the reason is obvious,
the non-existence of gold in its vicinity. The country during this day’s
journey was still hilly, and covered with virgin forests. We passed
several fazendas, the houses of which were very ill-built and dirty,
and very different from what I expected to find in this part of Brazil.
Near these houses large tracts of forests had lately been cut down and
burned, and the ground so cleared planted with Indian corn, which is the
staple article of food in the southern, as mandiocca is in the northern
provinces.
During the four following days, we accomplished about fourteen leagues,
and arrived at Chapeo d’Uva, at which place the road by which he
came, called the Caminho do Mato, or forest road, joins that of the
ordinary traffic which passes through the city of Barbacena, and the
campo district between it and the capital of Minas. Our route, on
these journeys, was still through a hilly country, and the roads were
extremely bad, passing for the most part through virgin forests, the
trees of which, in some places, were very large, consisting principally
of different kinds of _Cecropia_, _Vochysia_, _Copaifera_, _Laurus_,
_Ficus_, _Eugenia_, _Myrcia_, and _Pleroma_. I also observed many kinds
of tree-ferns and palms, the most abundant of the latter tribe being the
slender cabbage palm (_Euterpe edulis_, Mart.), several of which we cut
down for the sake of the long terminal bud, which when cooked is equal to
asparagus in flavour.
At Chapeo d’Uva we slept as usual in a public rancho, and from this place
we made a journey of about three leagues, and halted at a large rancho
near the village of Entre os Morros. The road was excellent, being part
of the new line, then in course of construction, from Rio to Ouro Preto
by way of Barbacena. About two leagues and a half from Chapeo d’Uva,
we passed the first toll-bar I met with on a highway in Brazil. All
animals, whether loaded or unloaded, pay here thirty reis a league, which
is the sum also charged for foot passengers. The distance hence to the
next toll-bar is ten leagues, and the whole amount has to be paid here
for the distance to the next bar, which was then the termination of the
finished part of the road. The legislative assembly passed a law, three
years prior to this period, authorizing the provincial assembly of Minas
Geräes to make new roads through the most populous districts, and a loan
was soon afterwards raised, of upwards of £40,000 sterling, to carry this
law into execution. These ten leagues that I found completed in the end
of the year 1840, were undertaken on the worst part of the Minas road,
the country through which it passes being for the most part low and
marshy. So great is the traffic on this route, that the amount collected
at the toll-bars was at this time sufficient to pay the interest on the
loan; and in the course of a few years it was expected that a tolerable
cart-road would be completed from Rio de Janeiro to the capital of the
Mining district.
Shortly after passing the toll-bar, we crossed the Rio Parahybuna on a
temporary bridge, erected until a permanent one for the new road, which
was in course of construction, could be finished: the abutments are
already substantially built of stone, but the arch was to be of wood.
On the banks of the river I found a beautiful species of the genus
_Petræa_, climbing among the branches of the trees; and in a marsh, at a
little distance from the stream, a fine species of _Franciscea_, which
grew where the water lay about two feet deep; it was very plentiful, and
literally covered with its beautiful purple blossoms. On the third day
afterwards, we passed the second toll-bar, and again crossed the Rio
Parahybuna, at the place where it divides the province of Minas Geräes
from that of Rio de Janeiro. The river is much broader here than at the
former place, and there is an excellent bridge over it, consisting of
several small arches; the abutments and piers are built with stone, and
the arches are of wood; the whole is roofed over to protect the wood-work
from the influence of the weather. Shortly after crossing the river we
halted for the night at a little hamlet called Paiol. The country on both
sides of the river is very hilly, and before we reached Paiol, we crossed
a rather high Serra, called the Serra das Abobras, which is composed
entirely of gneiss rocks, large blocks of which often render the path
difficult to pass over. Before we reached the Parahybuna, the road sides
were covered with a beautiful species of _Bugenvillea_, which being at
that season in full flower, was a great ornament to the woods, the large
rose-coloured bracts of its flowers rendering it a very conspicuous
object.
Our next journey brought us to the Villa de Parahyba, which is situated
on the N.W. bank of the river of the same name, which we crossed here in
a boat. The mules were not unloaded, but were taken over in a large flat
punt, which conveyed about fifteen at a time. A strong iron chain was
stretched across the river, at the height of a few feet above the water,
to which the punt was attached by a smaller chain with a ring on it, so
as to allow it to run from one end to the other, and prevent the boat
from being carried down the stream, which runs with considerable force;
the punt was then pulled over by a rope, an operation in which three
blacks were employed. About four years before I visited this place, a
stone bridge had been begun a few hundred yards from the ferry, but the
erection of it was going on very slowly; the northern abutment and three
piers were all that were then finished. The foundation on which it is
built is good, the bed of the river at this place being formed of gneiss
rock, the strata of which are nearly vertical. At the ferry, ninety reis
(three-pence) were charged for each animal.
Three days after we passed the Rio Parahyba, we arrived at a large
fazenda called Padre Correa, the distance between the two places being
about seven leagues; the road in many places was very bad, and the
country still continued hilly and densely covered with virgin forests.
The fazenda of Padre Correa is situated in a hollow surrounded by bare
hills; the building, consisting of the dwelling-house, a small chapel
attached to it, the rancho, and a venda, form nearly three sides of a
large square, in the centre of which stands a very large tree, a species
of wild fig, which a little above the root divides into two stems of
nearly equal size. On a height to the east of the fazenda, are seen
two large rows of the Brazilian pines, which add much to the beauty
of the place; a small river called the Piabanha, that passes near it,
falls into the Parahyba. An extensive manufactory of horse-shoes, and
such iron implements as are used in the country, is carried on at this
place. Our next journey brought me once more in sight of the sea. The
road between Padre Correa and the pass of the Serra d’Estrella, which
is a continuation of the Organ mountains, was then under repair; the
workmen were Germans, who lived in a small village by themselves: we
also passed through a small miserable village called Corrego Seco. The
country very much resembles that I have elsewhere described, between the
Organ mountains and the Swiss colony of Novo Friburgo, being very hilly
and covered with magnificent virgin forests. From the top of the pass,
there is a fine view of the country around Rio de Janeiro, and of the bay
with its numerous verdant islands. On reaching this spot, I stood for a
long time admiring the scene of my first labours in Brazil. My feelings,
on looking down on the magnificent view before me, were such as would be
experienced after returning to my native country, for everything brought
to my recollection the remembrance of past times, and of kind friends;
the Sugar Loaf, the Corcovado, the Gavea, and the Peak of Tijuca, were
rearing high their cloudless summits, as if to welcome me back to a place
of civilization.
The most elevated part of this pass is about 3,000 feet above the level
of the sea; the descent of the Serra, from its zigzag nature, is about a
league in length; it is well constructed, being paved with large blocks
of stone, and is kept in excellent repair; as it was rather steep in some
places, and the road was good, I preferred walking down it to riding.
A little beyond the foot of the Serra we passed Mandiocca, the estate
which formerly belonged to M. Langsdorff, the late Russian consul-general
in Brazil, and celebrated traveller: it now belongs to the government,
and has been converted into a gunpowder manufactory. The Estrella pass
is much better than that of the Organ mountains, but by the latter the
journey to Minas is shortened by about sixteen leagues. A little way
beyond Mandiocca we halted at a large rancho, whence, after having
arranged the collections that had been made on the journey, I started
alone for the Porto d’Estrella, with the intention of embarking there in
the evening for Rio de Janeiro, so as to have a place prepared for the
reception of my luggage, previous to its arrival. The distance I had to
ride was about three leagues, through a flat, generally marshy country,
quite like that between Piedade and the beginning of the ascent to Mr.
March’s estate.
It was late in the afternoon when I arrived at the village of Porto
d’Estrella, and as boats can only start for the city after the sea
breeze has ceased to blow, I found that I had arrived much too early,
and not having yet dined, I looked out for a place where I could procure
something to eat. On enquiring of the lad at the venda from whence the
boats start, I was told they were in the habit of preparing repasts for
travellers, and that if I wished him to do so, he would provide a dinner
for me. After waiting with no little patience for upwards of two hours,
I was at last shown into a small dirty back-room, when a dish of fish
fried in oil, and Perão, a kind of thick paste prepared from mandiocca
flour, were set before me; but everything was so dirty, that very little
sufficed to satisfy my appetite.
Nearly all the goods to be conveyed into the interior, are shipped at
Rio, in large boats called _Faluas_, and landed at this village, the
packages being all of the same weight, so that they may counterbalance
each other, when put upon the backs of the mules that are destined to
carry them inland; there is therefore much activity here, as a day never
passes without the arrival and departure of several large troops. The
chief articles brought to this place from the interior, are coffee,
cheese, bacon, quince marmalade, &c. The village is a long, dirty,
straggling place, with few inducements to detain the traveller. About
seven o’clock in the evening I was informed that the boat I had hired
was ready to sail, but I had no sooner got on board, than a heavy
thunder-storm came down from the mountains, and put off our starting for
an hour. The village is a mile distant from the sea, being built on the
banks of a small river called the Inhomerim; and so slow was our progress
that it was eleven o’clock before we reached its confluence with the bay.
At this point a very good inn exists, which, as I experienced on another
occasion, affords very good accommodation. As the land-breeze was very
faint, the boat had to be rowed nearly all the way, and on this account
it was about four o’clock in the morning before we reached the city. Not
wishing to disturb any of my friends at so early an hour, I remained in
the boat till six o’clock, when I went to the house of Messrs. William
Harrison and Co., and received from my old friends there a kind and
hearty welcome back to Rio de Janeiro, after an absence of more than
three years.
Two days afterwards (on the 2nd of November, 1840), Mr. Walker arrived
with all my luggage in good condition. Knowing from former experience
how ill-suited either an hotel or a boarding-house is for a naturalist
to carry on his operations in, I determined to hire a small house; and
in the district called Catumby, which is in the immediate vicinity of
the city, I found one that in every respect answered my purpose. Having
furnished it economically, I had my collections removed thither, and
as they amounted to about 3,000 species, including upwards of 60,000
specimens in Botany alone, it took me about three months to classify and
properly pack them, previous to their being sent to England.
During this residence in Rio, my time passed away very pleasantly, the
agreeable society which I mingled with, making sufficient amends for
the solitude and privations of the three preceding years. The days were
generally devoted to my collections, and the evenings were spent with the
families of some one or other of the many resident English merchants.
I had also the pleasure at this time of making the acquaintance of Dr.
Ildefonso Gomez, a talented Brazilian physician, who, when a young man,
accompanied M. Auguste de St. Hilaire on his first journey to the mining
districts. His house, which is in the country, and only a mile from my
residence, was always open to me, as it ever has been to all scientific
men who have visited Rio. I likewise spent many agreeable hours with
my near neighbour M. Riedel, the Russian botanist, and companion of M.
Langsdorff in his journey through the interior of Brazil, and we made
several excursions together to the woods in pursuit of objects connected
with our favourite science.
As soon as my labours in Rio were brought to a conclusion, I resolved to
make another journey to the Organ mountains, being desirous of devoting
more time to the investigation of the botany of the higher regions of
that chain than I had been able to do during my former residence there.
For this purpose I left Rio on the 12th of March, 1841, and during the
following month occupied myself in making excursions on Mr. March’s
estate. The weather was too variable to think of making a journey to the
top of the Serra, but by the beginning of April it became more settled;
and having been joined by Mr. George Hockin, a gentleman from the house
of Messrs. Harrison and Co., who had frequently accompanied me in my
previous excursions in the neighbourhood of Rio, preparations were made
for ascending the mountains on the 9th. We left the fazenda about 8
o’clock A.M., taking with us three blacks, besides my own servant; my
old guide, Pai Filippe, was now too infirm to undertake such a journey,
but his place was filled by one of his sons. Following the path I had
made four years before, we reached, about four o’clock, the highest point
I had attained on my former visit, and at this place, under the ledge of
a rock, we slept for the night; this being a very convenient and well
sheltered spot, we decided to make it our head-quarters during the few
days we remained in the mountains.
Besides specimens of nearly all the plants which I found on my previous
journey, I collected on the ascent many that were new to me; two of
the most remarkable of these were a kind of _Fuchsia_ (_F. alpestris_,
Gardn.), and a very extraordinary species of _Utricularia_; the latter,
to which I have given the name of _U. nelumbifolia_, has since been
published in Hooker’s _Icones Plantarum_, where a very excellent figure
of it is given. Like most of its congeners, it is aquatic; but what is
most curious, is that it is only to be found growing in the water which
collects in the bottom of the leaves of a large _Tillandsia_, that
inhabits abundantly an arid rocky part of the mountain, at an elevation
of about 5,000 feet above the level of the sea. Besides the ordinary
method by seed, it propagates itself by runners, which it throws out
from the base of the flower stem. This runner is always found directing
itself towards the nearest _Tillandsia_, when it inserts its point into
the water, and gives origin to a new plant, which in its turn sends
out another shoot; in this manner I have seen not less than six plants
united. The leaves, which are peltate, measure upwards of three inches
across; and the flowering stem, which is upwards of two feet long, bears
numerous large purple flowers.
On the following morning, after an early breakfast, we set out to
ascend that part of the Serra which appears from the fazenda house to
be the highest. This peak, which I had been prevented from ascending
in 1837, was reached in the following year by the Rev. Mr. Maister,
who was then the English clergyman at Rio; and again about six weeks
before our visit, by Mr. Lobb, an English gardener, who had been sent
out by a nurseryman to collect seeds and living plants: we thus found
a path ready made for us. This part of the mountain is about 600 feet
higher than the spot we had chosen for our bivouac. Starting then from
this place, we made a descent into a wooded ravine in which the ground
was covered by the beautiful _Alstrœmeria nemorosa_, and many delicate
ferns, while the branches of the _Melastomaceæ_, and other trees and
shrubs, were festooned with the climbing _Fuchsia_, brilliant with its
scarlet blossoms. Then ascending for some time, through a well wooded
tract, we entered upon a steeper portion of the mountain, overspread with
beautiful flowering shrubs, among which were several fine _Melastomaceæ_,
fruticose _Compositæ_, a _Gualtheria_, some species of _Vaccinium_,
and a handsome new _Escallonia_ (_E. Organensis_, Gardn.), bearing a
profusion of rose-coloured blossoms. The summit of this peak we found
to consist of several enormous loose blocks of granite, covered with
_Lichens_, small species of _Orchideæ_, _Gesnereæ_, and where there was
any accumulation of soil, a large-flowered _Amaryllis_ (_Hippeastrum
Organensis_), now common in English hot-houses; the climbing _Fuchsia_ in
a dwarf procumbent state was also found here. Upon reaching the summit,
we erected a pole and flag in order to give notice to our friends below
that we had got up in safety; and immediately afterwards, by the aid of
a glass, we saw it answered by another from one of the English cottages
near the fazenda. The day was beautifully clear, and we had a splendid
view of the surrounding country. On looking to the westward, however, it
was evident that we were not on the most elevated point of the range, as
we observed, about a mile distant, a broadly rounded peak considerably
higher; and we accordingly determined to ascend it on the following day.
I here met with two very interesting plants, one a beautiful tree-fern,
which proved to be the _Hemitelia Capensis_, a native of the Cape of
Good Hope, which is a remarkable fact in the geographical distribution
of plants, as tree-ferns have a very limited range; the other was a very
handsome herbaceous plant, about four feet high, with a woolly stem,
and large leaves, not unlike those of a _Verbascum_, exhibiting large
panicles of orange coloured flowers; it belonged to the natural order
_Compositæ_, and as it proved to be a new genus, I named it after my late
lamented friend, J. E. Bowman, Esq., of Manchester.
Early on the following day, we started to ascend the loftiest peak of the
mountain before noticed, and found it to be a more fatiguing journey than
that of the previous day, in consequence of having to cut our way through
two or three wooded tracts, of considerable breadth; the paths of the
tapir, however, frequently facilitated our progress. Very shortly after
we started, we were agreeably surprised to find, in the lower part of
the valley we had to cross, a beautiful little stream of cool and limpid
water, descending from the more elevated parts of the mountain, and
flowing towards the east; in many places there were pools considerably
broader and deeper than the general course of the stream, which, judging
from the paths leading into them, had been formed by the tapirs that
inhabit this portion of the mountain, where they can enjoy, undisturbed,
their favourite luxury of cold bathing. This valley is somewhat less
than a quarter of a mile square, and is covered on both sides of the
stream, but particularly on the west, with virgin forests, the trees of
which are of considerable size, one of the largest being a species of
_Weinmannia_. The soil appears to be of excellent quality, there being a
good depth of alluvial matter; indeed, in no part of Brazil have I seen a
spot where a person, desirous of excluding himself from the world, could
find a retreat, at once so healthy, beautiful, and fertile, as this; here
all kinds of European fruits and vegetables might be cultivated in the
greatest perfection; and the stream, besides furnishing a constant supply
of the most delicious water, might likewise be made to work a small mill.
Passing over a hill that bounds the western side of this valley, we came
upon an open flat marshy tract, the greater part of which is covered
with a tall grass, about five feet high, growing in tufts. Leaving this
we entered another wooded spot, formed of trees of a much smaller size
than those before observed, and passed through it along the tracks of
the tapir, where I was rather surprised to observe that while the stem
and branches of almost every tree were covered with the beautiful
little _Sophronitis grandiflora_, no other orchideous plant was to be
seen; beyond this, we met with no more wood; the vegetation consisting
of various herbaceous plants, and a few stunted shrubs. From the wooded
region, the summit of the mountain is gained by a steep acclivity, on one
side of which is a broad ravine, full of immense blocks of granite.
The summit of this peak we found to be very different from that we
visited the day before, consisting of one great mass of granite, flat
on its surface, and of considerable extent; the rock is for the most
part bare, but some portions of the western side were covered with a
vegetation of stunted shrubs, and herbaceous plants; among the latter,
the most abundant was the pretty _Prepusa Hookeriana_, the large inflated
calyces of which resemble those of some species of catchfly; on the
very summit, were seen many little excavations in the rock, full of
excellent water, and had we been aware of this, it would have saved us
the trouble of carrying with us a supply in bottles. The day was very
fine, but a broad belt of clouds that spread around the mountain below
us, prevented us from enjoying the extensive view on which we had fully
calculated. At mid-day, the thermometer indicated a temperature of 64°,
in the shade, and I found that water boiled at a heat of 198°, from which
I estimate the height of the mountain above the level of the sea to be
7,800 feet. A register of the thermometer, kept during our stay on the
upper regions of the Serra, and observed on the level of Mr. March’s
fazenda, gave a mean difference of temperature between the two places, of
12° 5´. Baron Humboldt estimates the mean decrement of heat within the
tropics, at 1° for every 344 feet of elevation, and considers this ratio
as uniform up to the height of 8,000 feet, beyond which it is reduced
to three-fifths of that quantity, as far as the elevation of 20,000
feet; it has, however, been since found, that in general the effect of
elevation above the level of the sea in diminishing temperature, is, in
all latitudes, nearly in proportion to the height, the decrement being 1°
of heat for every 352 feet of altitude;[21] this would give 4,400 feet
for the elevation of the highest peak of the Organ mountains, above Mr.
March’s fazenda,[22] and as this is 3,100 feet above the level of the
sea, we have for the total greatest elevation, 7,500 feet. We returned
to our former resting-place in the evening, well pleased with our day’s
excursion.
On the morning of the 12th, at 6 o’clock, the thermometer indicated
44°, the weather being very clear, and accompanied with a sharp breeze
from the westward. On climbing to the top of the rock under which we
had slept, one of the most magnificent views I have ever seen presented
itself. Towards Rio de Janeiro the immense bay, and all the country
intervening between it and the mountain, were hidden from us, by a mass
of snow-white clouds, spread out, apparently, about 3,000 feet below the
point where we stood; shortly after sunrise, this space appeared like
a vast ocean covered with foam, the resemblance being increased by the
tops of the lower mountains rising through them, like islands; in the
opposite direction, the valley in which Mr. March’s fazenda stands was
also obscured, in a similar manner, by clouds, giving it the appearance
of an extensive lake, surrounded on all sides by mountains; but as the
sun gained power, these clouds gradually dispersed.
After breakfast, Mr. Hockin started again to visit the highest peak, for
the purpose of making a panoramic sketch from its summit, but did not
succeed, owing to the cloudy state of the atmosphere that surrounded it;
I did not accompany him, as I preferred making a few lateral excursions
in the vicinity of our encampment. Late in the evening we observed a
phenomenon, often witnessed on the tops of mountains; large masses of
clouds, in a continued stream, came rolling from the westward over the
tops of the peaks, but no sooner had they reached the upper part of
the valley opposite our hut, than they disappeared, the vapour being
dissolved by the higher temperature of the air that existed on the
opposite side of the mountain; it is in this manner that a mass of clouds
is often seen as if resting on a high peak, even when a strong breeze is
blowing. On the morning of the 13th we bade adieu to our rocky dwelling,
and slept that night in a little hut we erected in a grove of small palms
and tree-ferns, by the side of a small stream, the sides of which were
fringed with beautiful herbaceous ferns. On the following afternoon we
reached the fazenda, after an absence of six days.
In order to gratify my desire of examining the virgin forests which exist
on the banks of the Rio Parahyba, I determined to make a hurried visit
there previous to my return to Rio de Janeiro. The Parahyba forms the
boundary between the provinces of Rio and Minas Geräes, but only after
it has been joined by the Parahybuna. On this expedition I was again
accompanied by Mr. Hockin, and was glad to have so excellent a companion.
We left the fazenda on the 24th of March, and after a journey of seven
leagues, arrived at a farm called Serra do Capim. We followed a new road,
which was in progress of construction under the superintendence of Col.
Leite, a wealthy planter, leading from Piedade, over the Organ mountains,
towards Minas Geräes, but it was then in a barely passable condition.
By far the greater part of the country through which we travelled was
in a state of nature, being covered with virgin forests, abounding in
tree-ferns and palms.
The fazenda where we rested belonged to a gentleman residing in Rio,
but the letter I carried to the manager of the farm procured us a
hearty reception; corn was immediately ordered for our mules, and we
were shortly regaled with an excellent supper. We found our host to be
a kind and intelligent old man, who informed me that he had followed
the profession of apothecary for many years in Minas; like most of the
fazendeiros in Brazil, he acts as physician to the hospital of this
estate, so that he was glad of an opportunity of consulting me on most of
the cases under his charge. Next morning he would not allow us to depart
till after breakfast.
On leaving this place we soon passed through some of the finest forests
I had yet seen in the province, and in the afternoon arrived at a large
coffee plantation, called Monte Caffé, the distance being about seven
leagues. This fazenda belonged to a Brazilian called Brigadeiro Ignacio
Gabriel, to whom I had also letters of recommendation. Although we did
not find him at home, we were most kindly welcomed to the estate by
his lady, and Mr. Hadley, his chief manager, who is an Englishman, and
whom I had formerly met at Mr. March’s, during my stay there in 1837.
The estate was at this time only in its infancy, but it was considered
to be one of the finest in the district, and although the trees were
young, it was expected that they would this year yield 12,000 arrobas
of coffee, of 32lbs. each. At the period of our visit, the berries were
just beginning to colour, and the branches were bent down with the weight
of their produce. The country here consists of low hills, upon which
the plantations are formed; these hills had previously been covered
with forest. There were about 200 slaves on the estate, 70 of whom only
were employed as field-labourers, the others being occupied at various
trades, such as cabinet-makers, carpenters, masons, blacksmiths, &c. A
few days previous to our arrival, about twenty young negro boys, recently
imported, were brought up from Rio; they appeared to be between ten and
fifteen years of age, and none could yet speak Portuguese. They were
all active, healthy little fellows, running about laughing, playing,
and seemingly happy and unconscious of the circumstances in which they
were placed. In justice, however, to the Brazilians, I must say of
them, after an experience of five years, that they are far from being
hard task-masters, and that with very few exceptions, I found them kind
and considerate to their slaves. The Brigadier had lately erected an
excellent saw-mill, which was driven by water-power, and he was then
erecting a large stove for the purpose of drying coffee by artificial
heat. The superintendence of this work was undertaken by a German, who
had resided for many years in the island of Java.
On the morning of the 28th we left Monte Caffé, and proceeded on our way
to the Rio Parahyba, which was only about a league and a half distant.
Mr. Hadley accompanied us for about a league, and while passing through a
small estate called Santa Eliza, which adjoins Monte Caffé, and belongs
also to the Brigadier, he informed us that about twenty years before,
it was owned by a person who made use of the house as a decoy for
travellers to and from Minas Geräes, and who, as soon as they fell into
his snares, were robbed and murdered. His house is still standing, but is
now uninhabited; the trap-doors which he employed for these diabolical
purposes are still to be seen in the floor. We shortly afterwards came
in sight of the river, and reached the banks at a place where the stream
rushes with great force through a narrow, rocky channel. We expected to
have been able to pass it here, but were told that we could not do so
for want of a canoe, and were advised to go a league and a half further
up to a place called Sapucaya, which we accordingly did. The road for
nearly the whole distance runs parallel with the river, through a most
magnificent forest, the trees being of great size, and in general with
very straight stems, often rising unbranched to a height of upwards of
one hundred feet.
In riding along I could not help feeling deep regret, that in these
regions many square leagues of such forests were being cut down and
burned, in order to make room for plantations of coffee. There are no
means of conveying this fine timber to the coast, as the river, although
of considerable flow, is not navigable for rafts, owing to its many rocky
rapids. At this place, I observed the bed of the stream to be formed of
thin strata of Gneiss rocks, cropping out vertically, and like the course
of the river running from west to east.
Sapucaya is a small hamlet, consisting of a few houses of very recent
construction, which owe their origin to their proximity to a new bridge,
at this time in process of erection across the river, in connexion with
Colonel Leite’s new road to the province of Minas Geräes. We here found
a canoe, suited only for foot passengers; horsemen, we were told, seldom
came this way at this season, owing to the swollen state of the stream,
and the rapidity of its current rendering it dangerous to swim horses
across. We were consequently advised to go another league and a half
farther up the river, to a place called Porto d’Anta. At Sapucaya we gave
our mules a feed of Indian corn, but we could find no refreshment for
ourselves, excepting a few bananas and a little farinha de mandiocca,
upon which we made our dinners. On the stems of the trees in the forest,
I met with many fine orchideous plants, one of the most abundant, and
certainly the most beautiful, being the _Cattleya labiata_. The country
between Sapucaya and Porto d’Anta, which we reached about dusk, was
somewhat similar to that observed lower down the river, but not so well
wooded. At this place we were at length enabled to cross the river,
there being a regular ferry-boat established for horses, consisting of
three large canoes lashed together, planked over, and railed round. The
river here was about the breadth of the Clyde at Erskine Ferry, but the
current was much more rapid. The Barca, as the ferry-boat is called,
was rowed across, but, in consequence of the current, the boatmen were
first obliged to ascend the river a considerable way before they began
to cross. We found a very good venda on the opposite side of the stream,
where we put up for the night, and where we had in a short time a very
excellent supper, and were provided with tolerable beds.
Next morning after breakfast, we went on to a fazenda, called Barra
de Louriçal, belonging to Colonel Custodio Leite, whom I have before
alluded to, as superintending the construction of the new road, and
whom I had frequently met at Mr. March’s during my former stay there;
this place is about a league and a half distant from Porto D’Anta, and
we had again to descend along the banks of the river about a league,
by a very romantic road that leads through a fine forest abounding in
objects of great interest to the botanist, as well as the zoologist;
we observed numerous monkeys passing along the branches of trees over
our heads, particularly a large black howler (_Mycetes_), the females
of which were carrying their young upon their backs. We then struck off
to the north, and reached the fazenda early in the forenoon; we did not
find the Colonel at home, but one of his sons received us very kindly.
This is a very fine estate yielding annually about 10,000 arrobas of
coffee. On the following day we went to pay a visit to Captain Francisco
Leite, a brother of the Colonel, whose fazenda is about a league and a
half farther north. We were fortunate enough to find him at home, when
he showed us all that was worth seeing on his estate; he is a tall thin
man, and although considerably advanced in years, is of a most active
and lively disposition. He informed me he was a native of the mining
districts, and began his career as a simple gold-washer, having been
fortunate enough to acquire a little money, he left that occupation and
purchased this estate, about twenty years before our visit, at a time
when it was entirely covered with forest. He is now one of the most
wealthy, if not the wealthiest individual in this part of the country;
the cultivation of coffee having enriched most of the inhabitants of this
fertile region. His estate yields him about 11,000 arrobas of coffee; and
also a considerable quantity of cheese, sugar, and rum, which are chiefly
sent to market in Rio de Janeiro. He was very desirous we should remain
all night, but we were obliged to refuse his hospitality, having promised
to return to the house of the Colonel, with the intention of resuming our
journey early on the following day.
On the morning of the 31st we left Colonel Leite, and in the evening
reached Porto da Cunha, which is six leagues further down the river; we
had to travel more than eight leagues, having mistaken our road. Some
parts of the country through which we travelled were very romantic,
particularly by the side of the river, the banks of which were often
rocky and well-wooded; the forests are, indeed, the most magnificent
that it is possible to imagine. We passed a few small houses belonging
chiefly to coloured people, but it was only towards the termination of
our journey that we saw one or two large coffee plantations. About three
o’clock in the afternoon, while we were passing through a very dense
tract of forest country, we came upon a place about three or four acres
in extent, that seemed to have been lately cleared, with a small house
formed of stakes and palm leaves, standing in the centre. On arriving
at the house, we found it belonged to an Indian family, consisting of a
man, his wife, and four children. They were just collecting their crop of
Indian corn, a good feed of which was readily obtained for our animals,
but we could procure nothing eatable for ourselves. At some distance
beyond this place, I found, in a rather open part of the forest, a
beautiful arboreous species of _Bugenvillea_, quite distinct from any
yet described; it forms a tree from twenty to forty feet high, with a
stem more than two feet in circumference; unfortunately I lost all the
specimens I collected, through the carelessness of my servant. In the
deep forests, I found many different orchideous plants upon the stems of
the trees, among which was the rare and beautiful _Huntleya meleagris_.
It was quite dark when we reached Porta da Cunha, where we could find no
place of accommodation; we were first referred to a venda a little way
further down the river, but on arriving there, we found it to be a new
house in an unfinished state, and not yet inhabited, so that it offered
no accommodation for man or beast. From this place we were directed to a
small village about half a league still further down the river, called
San José, but at the same time we were informed, that about half way
to the village, we should see a small fazenda belonging to an elderly
widow, who sometimes gave shelter to travellers; we accordingly made
application at this place, and were received for the night. The house had
certainly a very miserable appearance, but we were glad to find any sort
of quarters. The old lady, whose name was Dona Custodia, was, however,
rather suspicious of us, perhaps from our arriving at so late an hour,
for looking over the balcony, she asked us why we did not go to different
houses she mentioned; but, on replying that we were strangers, and had no
acquaintance with those individuals, she then told us to dismount. Corn
was immediately ordered for our animals, and in a short time supper was
sent to us, consisting of a little fried salt beef, and several dishes
prepared from the Indian corn meal, which though a very poor substitute
for a meal, afforded us, as we were hungry, a hearty dinner and supper
at the same time. Shortly afterwards, we were shown into our bed-room, a
little closet with two camp bedsteads in it, on one of which a miserable
black man was sitting, who also appeared to be a traveller; the other we
were told was at our disposal, and we had no alternative but to make use
of it; a hide was spread on the floor for the servant, and in this small
room, which was scarcely large enough for two persons, four of us had to
pass the night. To crown all, the roof was so bad that we might have
studied astronomy through it; and the window, which was not glazed, and
without a shutter, looked into a pig-sty, by the inmates of which we were
aroused early in the morning. If, however, the accommodation was bad, the
charge made for it next morning was but a mere trifle, amounting only to
one shilling and eight pence in all, including, besides, a cup of coffee
in the morning, and another feed of corn to the mules. I gave her about
double the sum, with many thanks besides for her kindness, with which
she was not a little pleased. She had once, she told us, been in better
circumstances, in the mining district, but had lost her money in some
unfortunate mining speculations, and had come down to this place with her
son, to endeavour to gain a livelihood by making sugar and rum, which
they dispose of chiefly in the adjoining village.
From Dona Custodia’s, we went on to the Arraial de San José, in the hope
of getting a comfortable breakfast, but in this we were disappointed,
as nothing was to be had there. We then returned to the Porto da Cunha,
where we were equally unsuccessful, but were informed that a breakfast
might be had at a venda on the opposite side of the river. There is a
ferry at this place, which is in the hands of the provincial government
of Minas Geräes, and a sergeant is stationed here, who levies the passage
money, as well as the duties payable on such articles as are sent out of
the province; as it was our original intention to re-cross the river at
this place, we lost no time in accomplishing it, the conveyance being
exactly the same as that at Porto d’Anta. When we went up to the venda,
we found, to our astonishment, that they could give us nothing to eat;
but the lad who kept the venda, and who was a most uncivil wretch,
at last told us that he had some salt fish and rusks, which we might
purchase, but that he would not cook the fish for us; this, however, we
contrived to do ourselves, at a fire which our servant kindled outside.
Leaving Porto da Cunha, we went out in an easterly direction, it being
our intention to visit a small town, called Cantagallo, which at one time
was a famous place for gold washing. Very shortly after we started,
we passed through a large coffee estate belonging to the celebrated
Brazilian deputy, Carneiro Leão, and about a league further on, came
upon the Rio Paquequer grande, down the south banks of which we went a
considerable way through some fine forests. Towards dusk, while we were
pushing on without knowing where we might find quarters for the night,
we met a young man who had been out hunting, and by him we were informed
that there was a fazenda only a little further on to which he belonged,
where no doubt we should be welcome to spend the night. We also learned
from him that we were not on the right road to Cantagallo, although it
would take us to it, but by a worse and more circuitous route. Arrived
at the fazenda, we were shown into a well furnished apartment, and
immediately after, the owner came to bid us welcome. Learning that we
came from Mr. March’s fazenda, he came up, shook me by the hand, when I
recognised him to be a Dr. Saporiti, who about a month before stopped
a night at Mr. March’s, on his way from the city: he expressed himself
greatly delighted to see us, ordered coffee, and told us we should
shortly have supper. In the mean time, he introduced us to his lady,
whom we found to be more refined in her manners than the generality of
the wives of fazendeiros, no doubt from her having resided many years in
Rio de Janeiro. The young man who conducted us to his house, we found
to be her son by a former husband. Dr. Saporiti is an Italian by birth,
but had been upwards of twenty years in Brazil. About ten o’clock we sat
down to an excellent supper, and altogether the evening passed away most
agreeably, from the enlivening conversation of our host and hostess,
the latter in particular amusing us with the pictures which she drew of
rustic life in the distant province of Mato Grosso, of which she is a
native. Next morning breakfast was prepared early on our account, as we
wished to start in good time.
Owing to the bad state of the roads, it was six o’clock in the evening
before we reached Cantagallo, though the distance was only four leagues;
the country is thickly wooded, and in general rather level. On the
descent of a high hill, we passed through a large coffee plantation which
had been abandoned, in consequence of the cold being too great to allow
the berries to come to perfection. Between this, however, and Cantagallo,
we saw some very extensive plantations, both the soil and climate being
admirably adapted for the growth of the coffee plant.
The villa of Cantagallo is situated in a narrow valley, bounded on each
side by rather high hills; it consists principally of one long street,
and a large square, of which only two sides are completed; the houses are
mostly well built, and on the whole it has a neat and clean appearance.
Formerly there were many gold washings in the neighbourhood, but now
scarcely any one occupies himself in searching for this metal. The great
article of produce is coffee, with which immense tracts are planted: it
is conveyed by mules to the head of the bay, and then shipped for Rio.
We took up our quarters at an inn kept by a Frenchman, a man of immense
size, and well advanced in years, who informed us that in his youth he
belonged to the body-guard of Napoleon. On the second morning after
our arrival we resumed our journey, and at nine o’clock P.M., reached
the Swiss colony of Novo Friburgo, about eight leagues distant. The
first part of the journey leads through a level country which is
well cultivated, but the road afterwards becomes very mountainous,
particularly during the last two leagues, through a wild and romantic
deep pass; though it was late before we reached the end of our journey,
the brilliant moonlight enabled us to admire some of the beauties of the
scenery.
The town of Novo Friburgo, called also Morro Queimade, is built in
the form of a square, with the houses nearly all of one story; it is
inhabited principally by natives of Switzerland, who emigrated to Brazil
many years ago; several Brazilian families also reside here. About a
mile to the west there is a small village in which the Protestant part
of the settlers live. The greater number of the colonists, however, are
scattered in the country for several miles round. They are very poor,
having been placed by the Brazilian government in one of the worst
possible places for the exertion of their industry, the situation being
elevated more than 3,000 feet above the level of the sea, with a bad
soil, and a climate quite unfitted for the cultivation of either coffee
or sugar. Their principal crops are Indian corn, and a few European
vegetables; they also make a little butter. The climate being very
agreeable during the summer months, many families, both foreign and
Brazilian, come here to escape the great heat of the city. The mountain
scenery around is very fine, but is far from equalling that of the Organ
mountains. There is a good inn in the town kept by a Swiss, where we put
up during our short stay.
We left Novo Friburgo on the 6th of April, and returned to the Organ
mountains. Passing in a westerly direction through a hilly, wooded
country, we arrived in the afternoon at a small house situated in a
valley by the side of a little stream, where we were glad to take up our
quarters for the night, as it had rained heavily from about midnight:
we could get nothing for our dinner but a few boiled cabbage leaves and
rice. A short time before we arrived at this place, we passed through
a dense forest of large trees, on the stems and branches of which grew
immense quantities of the beautiful _Gesneria bulbosa_, the large
panicles of which, consisting of numerous brilliant scarlet flowers, hung
down over our heads in the path. Orchideous plants were also abundant;
one of the finest of which, the _Oncidium Forbesii_, was in flower. On
the following night we slept at a small estate belonging to Admiral
Taylor, an Englishman, who has been long in the Brazilian service, whom I
knew well, but we did not find him at home; and in the afternoon of the
next day, after a ride of about three leagues, we arrived at Mr. March’s
fazenda.
Notwithstanding that this visit to the Organ mountains was made at the
same season as my previous one, the variety of the vegetation is so
great, that I added to my collection several hundred plants I had not
formerly met with. My general health, which had suffered a good deal
from the fatigues of my long journey in the interior, and by pretty
close confinement for three months in Rio during the hot season, improved
wonderfully by my sojourn on the mountains. There were not so many
English families here at this time as there were in 1837, and there
was consequently less gaiety; but most of my leisure hours were spent
agreeably at one or other of the cottages.
CHAPTER XV.
MARANHAM, VOYAGE TO ENGLAND, CONCLUSION.
Leaves the Organ Mountains and returns to Rio de
Janeiro—Embarks for England with large Collections of living
and dried Plants—Touches at Maranham—City described—Its
Population—Public Buildings—And Trade—Geology of its
neighbourhood—Visits Alcantarà—Sails for England—Gulf Weed—Its
great extent and origin—Flying Fishes—Observations on their
mode of flight—Remarkable Phosphorescence at Sea—Description
of the singular animal that causes this phenomenon—Its curious
nests—Scintillations at Sea caused by a very minute kind of
Shrimp—Arrives in England—Concluding remarks.
Learning that there was a vessel in the harbour at Rio, about to sail
for Liverpool, and being now anxious to return to England, I put my
collections into order, and left the Organ mountains on the morning of
the 25th of April, reached Piedade the same evening, and arrived in the
city early next morning. Besides botanical specimens for the herbarium,
I collected, during my residence on the mountains, a large number of
the most beautiful plants in a living state to take home with me. They
filled six large Wardian cases, but scarcely half of them reached England
alive, owing to the boxes not having been properly constructed; many of
those which survived are now widely dispersed, and are very ornamental
plants.[23]
Early in the morning of the 6th of May, I went on board the barque
“Gipsy,” which shortly after got under weigh. She was not, however,
bound for England direct, having to call at Maranham, in the north of
Brazil, to take in a cargo of cotton. I was thus unexpectedly afforded
an opportunity of seeing another of the large Brazilian sea-ports, and
of making a few collections in a part of the empire which possesses a
different vegetation from any I had hitherto visited. We had a fine run
to Maranham, which place we reached in fifteen days. The night before we
made land, we had a strong breeze off shore, which brought with it a vast
number of moths and butterflies of all sizes, and of those that came on
board I was enabled to make a collection of about a dozen species. The
land here, as at Pernambuco, is very flat; the great sea-ports of Brazil
diminish in importance from south to north, the most important being Rio,
the next Bahia, the third Pernambuco, and the fourth Maranham.
The town of S. Luiz de Maranham is situated on a slightly elevated part
of the north-west end of an island of the same name, which is about
seven leagues long by five broad, and is separated from the mainland by
a channel of no great breadth. The river, in the mouth of which it is
situated, is formed by the union of several smaller ones which take their
origin in the south-western portions of the province. The population of
the town is said to amount to about 26,000; the houses are substantially
built of a reddish-coloured sandstone, are mostly of two stories, and
more regular in their appearance than those of the other large Brazilian
cities. The streets are generally well paved, and cleaner than any I
have seen in the country, no doubt owing to many of them having a slight
inclination, which allows them to benefit by the heavy falls of rain that
had already set in when we arrived. It contains eighty-five churches; the
palace of the president forms part of a large square, the remainder of
which consists of a large building formerly the college of the Jesuits,
the prison, and the town-hall. A very considerable trade is carried on
here both of import and export: most of the European goods which arrive,
are sent up to the interior of the province, and also into that of
Piauhy; the principal exports are cotton and hides.
On my arrival at Maranham, I was very kindly received by the English
residents there, who had heard of me when I was at Oeiras, and was
invited to take up my quarters in the house of the English physician, Dr.
Arbuckle. As the ship remained about three weeks, I had ample time to
make a few excursions in the neighbourhood, but was prevented from seeing
as much of the country as I wished, on account of the rains.
The island on which the town stands is very flat, in some places marshy,
and covered with a vegetation of shrubs and small trees. In the marshes
grow some fine palms belonging to the genera _Attalea_ and _Euterpe_.
There are but very few cocoa-nut trees; and indeed the general appearance
of the country indicates a less humid climate, and consequently a less
vigorous vegetation than exists towards the southern tropic. On the
island there is but little cultivation; much of the soil is of a sandy
nature on the surface, and below that of a gravelly character, highly
impregnated with iron; and the same also is the case on the continent
opposite the town. The rock which forms the basis of the island is a
dark red sandstone, similar to that which I found in the provinces of
Ceará and Piauhy in connection with the chalk formation of those parts of
the country. In many places it is of a conglomerate nature, the rounded
stones being of the same character as the softer matrix in which they
are imbedded. On the opposite continent, near the town of Alcantarà, I
found the same rock rising only a little above the level of the sea, but
overlaid by another rocky deposit, more than fifty feet thick in some
places, consisting of alternate strata of yellowish and greenish coloured
sandstone, irregularly deposited, soft, and in some places of a marly
nature. These rocks I have no hesitation in considering as equivalent to
those which underlie the white chalk near the Villa do Crato and Barra
do Jardim, in the interior of the province of Ceará, and they no doubt
formed part of the great chalk deposit, which seems at one time to have
covered the eastern shoulder of the South American continent, but which
in many places has since disappeared.
Besides making excursions in all directions in the island, I also
crossed over to Alcantarà, where I remained three days. I had a letter
of introduction to the principal merchant in the place, Senhor Peichoto,
a native of Portugal, and with him I lived during my stay there. I
crossed the bay, which is about four leagues broad, in one of the regular
trading vessels, which are about forty tons burden; these carry over
from Alcantarà cotton and fire-wood, the former is cultivated at some
distance in the interior, whence it is brought in on the backs of horses;
the fire-wood is obtained from the stems and branches of the mangrove
(_Rhizophora Mangle_), which grows in great abundance along the muddy
shores: it burns in the green state better perhaps than any other kind
of tree. Along these muddy shores great flocks of the beautiful Red
Flamingo (_Phænicopterus Chilensis_, Molina) are almost always to be
seen. At night they roost among the mangroves, and are much sought after
by the inhabitants, who consider their flesh excellent food. The town of
Alcantarà, like that of Maranham, is situated on a rising ground, and
seems to have been once in a more flourishing state than at present;
the houses and churches are mostly large, but are in a very dilapidated
state, while the streets are overgrown with weeds. The more wealthy
people who reside here, are the proprietors of cotton plantations, while
the poorer gain a livelihood by fishing and making hammocks, for which
latter article there is a great demand through the northern provinces.
Some of these are so finely worked that they sell for as much as six or
eight pounds each; they are made of fine cotton cord, and are either
altogether of a white colour, or white and blue, the latter colour being
obtained from the wild Indigo, which grows abundantly all over the
country. There are _Salinas_, or salt-pits, a few miles to the north of
the town, which formerly belonged to the Jesuits, and were profitably
worked by them, but they are now very much neglected. Along the shore,
and scattered here and there among the bushes on the low hills, I saw
a few plants of the wax palm (_Corypha cerifera_, Mart.), which is so
common about Aracaty, in the province of Ceará.
In the course of my rambles in this neighbourhood, I met with many plants
that were new to my collections; the flora of Maranham has greater
affinity with that of Guiana, than with any other part of Brazil I have
visited, as might indeed be expected from its northerly position; it is
also well known that such plants as grow only near the sea, have a far
more extensive geographical range than those which grow inland. I was
particularly struck with this fact in travelling into the interior from
Pernambuco and Aracaty. At both of these places are seen many plants
common to the shores of the West Indies, Guiana, and nearly the whole
of the intertropical coast of Brazil, while in the same parallels of
latitude, from a little way inland to the most western point I reached,
the vegetation had a distinct character from that of any other place.
The same observations apply to extensive plains, the vegetation of which
is so frequently and annoyingly monotonous to the botanist, while on
elevated tracts a much greater diversity occurs.
It was the knowledge of this fact that induced me, during the whole of my
travels, to keep as much as possible along mountain chains and elevated
table-lands. No satisfactory reason has yet been suggested to account for
the greater number of species which exist in a given space on a mountain
than on a plain; temperature, light, and moisture, no doubt play the most
important part, but there must be other causes yet unknown.
At Maranham I met two of my Oeiras acquaintances: one of them, though a
major in the army, was also a merchant, who had come down to purchase
European goods; the other, a son of the old Baron of Paranahiba, whose
object was to enter into holy orders, previous to his being appointed
Vicar of Oeiras. From them I learned that the insurrection had at last
been put down, and that the province was subsiding into a more settled
state. The authorities were apprehending all those they could lay their
hands on, who had been engaged in the affair, and sending them to the
province of Rio Grande do Sul, to fight against the rebels there,—a rare
piece of policy! I saw several parties of them brought down, and a very
ill-looking set of fellows they were.
The ship at length having taken in all her cargo, I embarked, and finally
bade adieu to the shores of Brazil, on the morning of the eighth of June.
While we were in about the fifty-sixth degree of west longitude, and
between the twenty-second and twenty-eighth degrees of north latitude,
we passed through those enormous fields of sea-weed, (_Sargassum
bacciferum_, Agardh), which have been described by almost every voyager
in those seas. It existed generally in long narrow strips or bands, lying
across the wind, sometimes not more than the ships’ length apart, at
other times at a considerable distance from each other. Much diversity of
opinion exists as to the origin of this floating mass; Humboldt believes
it be detached from rocks, at a considerable depth in the latitudes
where it floats; while others suppose it to come from the shores of the
northern seas, having been detached from the rocks by the violence of
the winds. Some again imagine that it comes from the rocky shores of
the gulfs of Mexico and Florida; while many agree with me in believing
that it has never had any other than its present place of abode; no one
has ever seen it attached to rocks, nor have roots ever been discovered
belonging to it. During the five or six days that we sailed through this
gulf-weed, I hooked on board more than a thousand pieces, and every one
of them presented the same appearance. The lower end of the stem had
always a whitish, decayed appearance, just like a piece of tangle which
has been some time cast on shore, while the extremities of the branches
were universally of a very fresh and healthy appearance. Such being the
case, we can scarcely help believing that these remarkable plants have
existed since the time of their first creation to the present period,
as we now find them, floating always in this revolving gulf stream, and
undergoing a perpetual mutation from the decay at one extremity, and
growth at the other. There is nothing unreasonable in this opinion, as
sea-weeds are not like land plants, which derive nourishment from the
spot to which they are attached. I found among the weed a great variety
of _Zoophytes_ and other minute marine animals; a crab, measuring from an
inch to an inch and a half across, was frequent, and I observed the nest
of one, formed by the small branches woven together by a strong kind of
thread, not unlike that of which spiders make their webs; it contained a
number of young ones.
In those latitudes, it was also curious to watch the flight of the
flying-fishes (_Exocetus volitans_), whole shoals of which rose quite
close to the ship; and I have perfectly satisfied myself, not only on
this occasion, but during the several times I have crossed the ocean,
that they make use of their pectoral fins as wings, during the time they
remain above water. This fact I was particularly desirous to ascertain,
as Cuvier and all other authors I have consulted on the subject, except
Humboldt, deny that this is the case.[24] The distance to which they fly
is sometimes very short, at others I have watched them skimming along
till the eye almost lost sight of them; I should say that they frequently
extend their flight to three hundred yards. The height to which they rise
above the surface of the sea, does not usually exceed three or four feet,
but that they rise higher is well known, from the fact that they not
unfrequently fly on board ships, which are from ten to fifteen feet out
of the water. When the sea is calm, they shoot along on the same plane,
like an arrow, and the impulse they acquire on leaving the water appears
to be that alone which impels them onward. The first time I discovered
that they certainly use their fins as wings was one day when a rather
high swell was running; a good many fish were rising, but not in great
numbers at a time. Solitary individuals could be followed by the eye to a
great distance, but during their progress they did not keep on the same
plane, nor did the course of their flight form the segment of a circle,
but they could most distinctly be seen rising and falling over the heavy
swell, keeping always at about the same height above the water, just as a
bird would do; the albatross, for example, when skimming along in search
of food. The only time I ever saw distinctly the fins moved in the manner
of wings, was in the South Atlantic Ocean. One beautifully clear day,
when we were running quietly along under the influence of a light breeze,
several large dolphins were playing about, one of which we saw give chase
to a flying-fish; the latter rose, but its flight was followed by the
dolphin. It fell close to the ship, and in attempting to rise again, the
impulse was not sufficient to throw it completely out of the water; it
flew along with its tail nearly out of the sea, for about a yard, when
it fell a prey to its pursuer; several of the other passengers were
watching it also, and by all of us the large fins were seen to be worked
with great rapidity. I agree with Humboldt,[25] that these fishes do not
always rise out of the water to escape from their enemies, as they often
spring up close to ships, when there are no signs of large fishes being
near. Why should the flying-fish, having the power to do so, not enjoy a
flight in the air, quite as much as a duck does a dive under the water,
or land animals the luxury of bathing?
Another remarkable oceanic phenomenon is the brilliant phosphorescence
of the water, which frequently occurs in low latitudes; and, presuming
they will not be misplaced, I shall make a few observations on the
subject. On my passage from England, and while we were about 2° of south
latitude and 26° of west longitude, I was called up by the captain, about
half-past ten o’clock at night, to witness a remarkable appearance the
sea had assumed. Upon reaching the deck, one of the most magnificent
scenes imaginable presented itself; all round the ship, and to as great
a distance as the eye could reach, the swell, which was running pretty
high, was emitting from its surface, at short intervals, long broad
sheets of phosphorescent light, which continued bright only for a second
or two, and then disappeared. The continued glare of these long streams
of light, their sudden appearance and disappearance, as if detached
portions of sheet lightning were flashing from wave to wave, gave a wild
and terrific aspect to the surface of the ocean; the reflection from it
was so great, that the sails of the ship were illumined by the glare. On
looking over the ship’s stern, her wake for about fifty yards was one
continued stream of pale yellow light, upon which, ever and anon, were
floating away, and becoming extinct, curious masses of a circular shape,
varying from half a foot to two feet in breadth, of a livid hue, similar
to that which burning sulphur emits. These masses retained their livid
flame-like appearance till they reached about six or eight yards from
the ship, when they gradually became extinct; their beautiful colour
contrasting singularly with the pale yellow stream on which they floated.
This curious state of the sea only lasted about a quarter of an hour, the
water then assuming its usual aspect, the foam at the ship’s bow only
presenting the sparkling appearance which it usually exhibits within the
tropics. This occurred on the 7th of July; the weather had been cloudy
all day, with the thermometer 79° at noon; the night was dark, and it was
blowing a fresh breeze from E.S.E., the ship going at the rate of six
knots an hour.
It is well known that the circular masses of light which I have
described, are produced from aggregated masses of very small marine
animals, to which the name of _Pyrosoma_ is given; I did not, however,
capture any, as my towing net was at this time out of order, but during
my voyage to Ceylon I was more fortunate; on the 25th of November, 1843,
in about 3° and 4° N. lat., and 23° W. long., with cloudy weather, and
the thermometer 81° at noon, shortly after it became dark, we got into a
field of these animals, and though the brilliancy of their light was not
so great as on the former occasion, they were more numerous, the ship
sailing through them for several hours. They were seen in broad shoals at
great but irregular distances from each other. The towing net on being
thrown overboard soon procured me a large supply of the extraordinary
animals of which these shoals were composed; they gave out a bright pale
yellowish green light, which they retained for some time after they were
brought on board. Each mass was shaped not unlike the finger of a glove,
being hollow, and closed at one end; they varied a little in size, but
were generally about four inches in length. The little animals of which
these masses are made up, are placed horizontally, and lie closely packed
over each other, their heads being towards the outer surface. When kept
in a glass in salt water for some time, they soon separated from each
other, and being very transparent, were then scarcely to be distinguished
from the water; they taste exactly like fresh oysters. During this
voyage, I obtained four distinct species, two of which were taken off
the Cape of Good Hope; one of these finger-like masses, taken near the
Equator, measured about two feet in length. I have often observed close
to the ship these bodies at a considerable depth, giving out a faint
light; and I am persuaded that the brilliant flashes which were emitted
from the sides of the swell, on the first occasion, were caused by the
number of the _Pyrosomæ_ then existing in the sea. The scintillations
which issued from the foam, dashed up by the ship, were caused by a
phosphorescent microscopic species of shrimp (_Noctiluca oceanica?_
Spix), which I collected in great numbers, in a net made from an old flag.
Our voyage home was a quick and a very pleasant one. We were only
thirty-two days altogether at sea from Maranham, we had no rough weather,
and the only calm day we experienced occurred between our losing the
N.E. trades, and falling in with westerly winds. The nearer I approached
home, the more my desire increased to be again among my friends; and
this I believe, under similar circumstances, almost universally occurs.
When we are at a great distance from, and know that we have no immediate
chance of returning to, those who are dear to us, we suppress as much
as possible the indulgence in hopes which cannot be realized; but when
we feel that every hour is bringing us nearer home, we throw off all
restraint on our imagination, and only regret that our progress cannot
be accelerated. On the evening of the eighth of July the welcome cry of
“land” was heard, and on the following afternoon we made the mouth of
the Mersey, but for want of sufficient water, we had to stand off and on
till next morning, during which interval we experienced a smart gale of
wind from the N.N.W., which kept us all awake. Early next day, the 10th
of July, 1841, I stood once more on British ground, after an absence of
upwards of five years.
* * * * *
Having now brought my narrative to a conclusion, it only remains
to notice that the object I had in view when I left England, was
accomplished to the satisfaction of all concerned in it, and the
anticipations I had indulged of the pleasures to be derived from such
an expedition, have not been disappointed. If almost every day brought
its little annoyances, they were more than compensated by the delight
which new scenes and objects for study constantly produced. Difficulties
only appear insurmountable when they are not looked boldly in the face;
and it is fortunate for us that the bright side of the picture of the
past presents itself more frequently than the dark. I have much to
congratulate myself upon; for although often exposed both by night and
by day, my health, save only on one occasion, continued good; and with
very few exceptions, I received the greatest kindness from all my fellow
men with whom I came in contact. I have also been more fortunate than
many natural history travellers, for the numerous collections shipped to
England, from time to time, all arrived safely; the letters, too, which
I despatched, reached their destination, with only one exception; and
not one of those from home was lost, although often long in coming to my
hands. It was not without many regrets that I left Brazil, for the life
I led was free and independent; the climate agreed better with my health
than that of England; and the country is beautiful, and richer than any
other in the world in those objects, to the study of which I have devoted
my life.
THE END.
Printed by Reeve, Benham and Reeve, King-William Street, Strand.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Personal Narrative, vol. iii. p. 36.
[2] _Echites atroviolacea_, Stadelm., and _E. crassinoda_, Gardn.
[3] This species I have ascertained to be identical with _F. affinis_,
Cambess.; _F. pyrifolia_, Presl.; and _F. radicans_, Miers.
[4] Vide Hooker’s ‘Journal of Botany,’ vol. iv. p. 5.
[5] Dr. Parigot appears, however, to have found coal abundantly in the
island of Santa Catharina, in the south of Brazil. He was employed by the
Government while I was there, to explore that country for coal, and in a
pamphlet which he published in 1841; entitled “Memoria sobre as Minas de
Carvao de Pedra do Brazil,” he mentions a bed about three feet thick, of
considerable extent; but as nothing has since transpired on the subject,
it may be doubted whether this coal is of any useful quality.
The coal which Spix and Martius inform us exists near Bahia, Dr. Parigot
found to consist of beds of lignite; and the probability is that they are
equivalent to that which I found at Crato.
[6] The fishes were found by M. Agassiz to be all new species, and he has
described them in the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal for January,
1841. I also possess, from the same rocks, specimens of two species of
very minute bivalve shells, a single valve of a _Venus_, and casts of a
univalve shell, all apparently new.
[7] Some of the specimens I obtained at this place were of that species
which M. Agassiz has done me the honour to name _Cladocyclus Gardneri_,
and are about a foot in depth; one, which from its great size, I was
obliged to leave behind, was still deeper.
[8] _Echites tenuifolia_, Mikan. _Dipladenia tenuifolia_, var.
_puberula_, Alph. D.C., Prodr. 8. p. 482.
[9] See Professor Morren’s paper “_On the production of Vanilla in
Europe_” in _Taylor’s Annals of Natural History_, vol. iii. p. 1.
[10] _Echites virescens_, St. Hil., _Dipladenia Gardneriana_, Alph. DC.
[11] Hooker, _Journal of Bot._ Vol i. p. 215.
[12] _Cocos capitata_, Mart.
[13] This spelling is different from that made use of by St. Hilaire, his
being _Suruby_. That which I adopt for this, as well as for the other
species, is taken from a MSS. list given me by Padre Francisco Fernandas
Vianna, of San Romão.
[14] For an exposition of this pseudo-African traveller, compared with
whom Mendez Pinto was but a mere type, see the 10th and 11th vols, of the
“Foreign Quarterly Review.”
[15] I shall here briefly enumerate the different kinds of forests and
woods, which the inhabitants of Brazil distinguish by particular names.
These are first, the Matos Virgens, or virgin forests, such as those
which exist on the Organ Mountains, and indeed along the whole maritime
Cordillera. To these also belong the Capoes of the Campo countries. Next
to the virgin forests come the Catingas, the trees of which are generally
small and deciduous, and form the connecting link between the virgin
forests and the Carrascos, which grow on more elevated tracts than the
Catingas, and consist of close growing shrubs about three or four feet
high. These are all natural woods, very different from the next I shall
mention, to which the name of Capoeira is given; such wooded tracts are
formed by the small trees and shrubs, which spring up in lands that have
been cultivated or prepared for cultivation, by destroying the virgin
forests, which is generally effected by setting fire to them: the trees
that then spring up are always very distinct from those which constituted
their original vegetation.
[16] Voyage dans les Provinces de Rio de Janeiro et de Minas Geräes, t.
2. p. 350.
[17] Since my return to England, I have described several of these
curious plants in the sixth vol. of Hooker’s ‘Icones Plantarum.’
[18] For an excellent description of the diamond mines, and an account
of the manner in which the workings were carried on while under the
administration of the government, the reader is referred to the work of
M. Auguste de Saint Hilaire, ‘Voyage dans le district des Diamans et sur
le Littoral du Brésil,’ Paris, 1833.
[19] Martius, in speaking of the productions of Minas Geräes, says:
“Almost every kind of metal is found here; iron-stone, which produces
ninety per cent., is met with almost everywhere, and it constitutes in
a manner the chief component part of long chains; lead is found beyond
the Rio de San Francisco in Abaité; copper in San Domingos, near Fanado
in Minas Novas; chrome and manganese in Paraöpeba; platina near Gaspar
Soares, and in other rivers; quicksilver, arsenic, bismuth, antimony, and
red-lead ore, about Villa Rica; diamonds in Tijuco and Abaité; yellow,
blue, and white topazes, grass and bluish green aqua marines, red and
green tourmalines, chrysoberyls, garnets and amethysts, principally in
Minas Novas. But what has chiefly contributed to the great influx of
settlers, and to the rapid population of this province, particularly of
the capital, is the great abundance of gold which has been obtained for
above a century.” _Travels in Brazil, Lloyd’s Translation_, vol. ii. p.
181.
[20] “Congonhas doit sa fondation à des mineurs attirés par l’or que l’on
trouvait dans les alentours, et son histoire est celle de tant d’autres
bourgades. Le précieux métal s’est épuisé; les travaux sont devenus plus
difficiles, et Congonhas n’annonce actuellement que la décadence et
l’abandon.”—_Voyage dans le District des Diamans, &c. par Aug. de St.
Hilaire_; vol. i. p. 169.
[21] Phillips, Treatise on Geology, in Lardner’s Cyclopedia, vol. ii. p.
227.
[22] For view of the Organ mountains, and Mr. March’s fazenda, see
Frontispiece.
[23] Among those which were introduced to England for the first time
on this occasion, may be enumerated the following:—_Siphocampylus
betulæfolius_, G. Don; _Pleroma Benthamiana_, Gardn. and _P. multiflora_,
Gardn.; _Franciscea hydrangeæformis_, Pohl; _Nematanthus longipes_,
Pohl; _Gesneria salviæfolia_, Gardn., and _G. leptopes_, Gardn.;
_Clusia fragrans_, Gardn.; _Luxemburgia ciliata_, Gardn.; _Dorstenia
elata_, Hook; _Prepusa connata_, Gardn., and _P. Hookeriana_, Gardn.;
_Campomanesia hirsuta_, Gardn.; _Bidens speciosa_, Gardn.; _Bowmania
speciosa_, Gardn.; _Anemia stricta_, Gardn. MS.; _Pteris sagittæfolia_,
Raddi; _Alstrœmeria nemorosa_, Gardn.; _Euterpe edulis_, Mart., and
_Corypha cerifera_, Mart., from Maranham.
[24] The following is the statement of Baron Cuvier:—“Leur vol n’est
jamais bien long; s’élevant pour fuir les poissons voraces, ils retombent
bientôt, parce que leurs ailes ne leur servent que de parachutes.” Le
Règne animal, Tom. 2, p. 287. Edit. 1829.
[25] Personal Narrative, vol. ii. p. 15.
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Travels in the Interior of Brazil - Principally through the northern provinces, and the gold - and diamond districts, during the years 1836-1841" ***
Copyright 2023 LibraryBlog. All rights reserved.