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 Macape—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 tkat
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
