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 roadside, 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 Arge-mone Meoncana, 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
Flickr
Stumbleupon
Scribd
