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 Casalpinia which grew close by the roadside.
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
