CHAPTER IX.
PARNAGUA TO NATIVIDADE.
Leaves
Parnagua—Arrives at Saco do Tanque—Can-apatos a great pest to
Travellers and Cattle—Vegetation of the Country—Crosses the Serras da
Batalha and de Matto Grosso, the boundary of the Province of
Piauhy—Descends into the district of Rio Preto—Account of the Cherente
Indians—Arrives at Santa Rosa—Crosses the River Preto—Reaches the
desolate Region of Os Geraes—Passes over the elevated table-land
Chapada da Mangabeira—Arrives at the Indian Mission of Duro—Description
of these Indians—Reaches Cachoeira—Crosses the Serra do Duro—Fords the
River Manoel Alves — Arrives at Almas-—Galheiro morto—
Morhinos—Abundance of Wild Honey-—Description of several kinds of Bees—
Reaches Nossa Senhora d'Ampara—Mato Virgem—Goitre not uncommon—Passes
Sociedade—Arrayal da Chapada—And arrives at Natividade.
It was
with much difficulty that I procured in Paniagua a person to replace
the soldier who accompanied us from Oeiras; chance threw in my way a
mulatto, who having come with a large drove of cattle from the province
of Goyaz, was therefore acquainted with the tracks through the
unfrequented country into which we were now about to enter. We left Parnagua on the 29th of September, and continuing our journey nearly in a southerly direction, we
arrived at a little fazenda, called Saco do Tanque, on the 7th of
October, the distance being about twenty-six leagues. It was late in
the afternoon when we left Parnagua, and being nearly dark by the time we reached the head of the lake, we halted there for the night under some trees. Towards morning we felt so chilly in our hammocks, that we were glad to get up and warm ourselves at a large fire, which the men kept burning all night. As we rode along the side of the lake, we saw several capivaras
