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 Ceara, 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. Joao 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
day-break, 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
