the
country suited, it was always preferable to encamp at some distance
from any habitation, especially in the thinly inhabited districts. Next
day we only travelled a league and a half, and passed the afternoon and
night at the fazenda de San Antonio, the owner of which was a coloured
man, and very hospitable. Leaving this place early in the morning, a
journey of two very long leagues brought us to the next fazenda called
D6res, but we found that for some time it had been deserted by its
inhabitants. The country through which we passed on our journey there,
was nearly one continued elevated sandy plain, with occasional large
open marshy campos, but these only existed where any slight declivity
was seen. About half way we came to a long narrow valley, in the centre
of which was observed a small and very deep river, with a rapid
current, over which we passed by a wretched old bridge, formed of the
trunks of two trees, traversed by smaller branches very loosely laid
together, so that I was glad when I saw the last of the horses safely
across, on account of the great risk of their feet slipping between the
cross sticks. In the afternoon, we went a league further to a fazenda
called Picada, which, like most of the houses we had lately seen, was
very small; it belonged to a mulatto, with a large family, who seemed
to be in no very affluent circumstances. Among the numerous plants
collected on these journeys, was one, the root of which is celebrated
by the inhabitants of these districts, as a cure for the bite of the
rattle-snake. It is a suffruticose species of Trixis, about
four feet high, with rather large clammy leaves; the root has a musky
smell, and it is even said that the smell alone is sufficient to kill a
snake; they call it raiz da cobra.
We
started from Picada early, but did not proceed more than a league,
being detained on the road by an accident that befell the Indian guide
I had hired at Arrayas: he was walking behind another of the men, who
was mounted on a spirited young horse, when on a sudden, probably from
the sting of some insect, it started, casting up its heels in the air,
and after striking the poor Indian a violent blow in the stomach, set
off at full gallop, throwing its rider, but without doing him any
harm. I sent forward
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