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tremendous; but he did not offer us any hospitality, so we had to sit on a bank by the roadside in the full sunshine, and have an umbrella held over us to diminish the effect of the perpendicular rays. Repelled by the master, we were pitied by one of his slaves, who came, while I was cutting up some slices of cucumber and onion, to bring us three cucumbers ("pipinos "), which he had just cut, and were deliciously cool, besides being younger than the one we had. While the slave was speaking to us, he often turned round anxiously to see that his master was not looking.

After breakfast, we went on working with theodolite and level through the picadas, set out on that eventful Saturday (January 5), of which I gave a full description. The scene was so different, and the forest beautiful, but this time the torture of the mosquitos was the objection.

January 10.-Last evening, as I was riding home from the work, I met my friend Joaquim Gonçalves de Souza, who told me that a few days back a carro (ox-cart) had unladen its contents at his fazenda, as, owing to the rains, it was impossible for the cart to go on to Brumado, which was its destination. Among the merchandise, he informed me, was a box with my name on it, consigned to a Senhor Joscelino Pacheco, at Brumado. I supposed it was the box I expected from home, which was sent off from London on November 16. Therefore, this morning I rode over there, and found that it was as I expected. I made arrangements to have it brought up here on a "carrinho," a little cart drawn by four oxen, as that was able to cross the ramshackle bridge; and it accordingly arrived in the afternoon. at the camp.

The Fazenda do Engenho-so this farm is called—is a large establishment, and, from the number of slave-huts

all round, really appears like a small village. It is situated off the main road, close by the bridge over the River Camapuão, and on the bank of the river. The owners are six brothers, who have several fazendas; but two or three live here with their mother. They all have a special aptitude for carpentering, ironwork, and mechanics. There is a carpenter's shop and a forge, with plenty of water-power, which is taken advantage of. Among other uses, such as supplying the motive power to turbines for grinding maize, it works the "monjolo," or water-mill, which, with its monotonous creak and thud, is almost perpetually in motion. The owners were very kind, and showed me a lot of their work, which is really well done. I inspected hammerheads, knives, etc., and was especially pleased with some plane-stocks made of scented wood, and a well-finished table with drawers, constructed of different coloured native woods. After coffee and boiled eggs, I returned to the work.

The next day the youngest of the brothers, named Carolino, came to ask me to employ him, which, having a vacancy, I was very glad to do. He has turned out a good workman, besides being very willing and obliging.

That morning we saw an armadillo swimming across the river; my men killed him, but he was not good to eat. This species has a short tail devoid of scales.

January 12.-We had our breakfast in a cottage at Camapuão, full of women and children. The women were all busy spinning and weaving. We bought some girdles, which the natives wear round their waists; they are strong and well made, of cotton, which is dyed with various bright colours.

About four o'clock we saw a heavy storm coming on, and so finished up in a hurry. We had only reached

Padre Pinto's house when the storm came on in right earnest. The house appeared all shut up, so we went and took shelter under a large shed in the yard. We learned that Padre Pinto had gone to Brumado; but soon a large assembly of women and girls appeared in the verandah, and they sent us a basket with about a hundred peaches, which we speedily began to demolish. The storm continued, its fury was unabated; and as our horses, for which we had sent, did not put in an appearance, we went over into the verandah, and were received by the padre's housekeeper. Among the girls was a very pretty lass, who, we were told, was the padre's niece. We were soon very friendly, conversed very pleasantly, and heard the whole history of the family, with which, however, I will not weary you. At length, as the horses never arrived, Roberts and I very reluctantly took our leave to return for dinner; and, meeting our horses in the village, were spared going on foot through the seas of mud on the high-road below our camp.

We noticed that the pigs and horses belonging to Padre Pinto were being regaled with peaches, which will show you they are tolerably plentiful.

Having sent in a man to Brumado to buy rice and a good supply of potatoes, he returned in the evening, stating there was no rice to be bought, and eight pennyworth of potatoes were all that was to be had in that city. The next day two of the nice little boys who visited us a few days since brought us two small bags of minute potatoes, for which we gave them eightpence, and they were well pleased with it.

On the 15th we had to ride some miles to a point on the other side of the river, to join in our survey to a piece that had been done from Brumado, and thus complete the

whole of the outdoor work of the first section. I had previously been over there and arranged all the details; but we had a heavy day's work to get everything completed. To gain a footbridge, the only means of crossing the river, we had to traverse a submerged swamp. On reaching the bridge, the saddles, etc., were taken off and carried across; and then one of the men had to go lower down the river to a ford and swim the horses across. Having accomplished this, we were able to ride tolerably near to the point where our work began. Fortunately the weather was favourable, and we suffered only from the mosquitoes. We were in the thick forest (mata virgem), and heard the screams of parrots, the chatter of monkeys, and saw some bright Heliconida. By working with all our might we accomplished our task, and-I must confess with some sorrow on my part-returned to camp, not again to resume any outdoor work.

January 16.-To-day has been a very busy day, cleaning and putting away our instruments, packing up and arranging the luggage, interviews with many visitors from all round the neighbourhood, who have heard of our departure and come to take leave; one of my men wanting change for a large bank-note, another wishing to be only partly paid to-day, and to receive the remainder tomorrow; paying off and dismissing all the other workmen ; worried by one visitor who wished to sell grapes, by a second with eggs, while a third had cucumbers and tomatoes to dispose of.

Our camp presented a lively scene, and the jabber of many voices was ceaseless from morning till night.

CHAPTER VIII.

LIFE IN ENTRE RIOS, MINAS GERAES.

Cidade de Entre Rios, (Antigo) Brumado de Suassuhy. January 22, 1884.-We have now been in this town for five days. We came in on the 16th, having finally taken leave of every one. Our cook, Aleixo, was quite affected when he said good-bye, and hugged us both in his arms; his eyes filled with tears, he sobbed, and could not speak. As soon as we arrived here, we went to the house called Hôtel Entre Riano, and ordered breakfast. We next paid a visit to Senhor João Baptista, who insisted upon preparing breakfast for us immediately. We then proceeded to the office, and, after some business conversation, returned to João Baptista. His excellent food was doubly enjoyable after our camp fare, and his kind welcome raised my spirits after the depressing influence of the past few weeks.

I fear I forgot to mention that two days after Christmas this benevolent man came to pay us a visit at the camp, bringing some bread and cakes and three or four bottles of wine.

Returning to the hotel, we arranged to hire the house we are now living in; it is opposite the hotel, in the main

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