Francisco
and the Diamond District, a person who is spoken of in the highest
terms, both by St. Hilaire and by Spix and Mar-tius. I expected to pass
through this village, and to have the pleasure of meeting with one, who
though now a very old man, still takes a delight in the pursuits of
natural history, but when I found that in order to visit him, I should
be obliged to make a round of several leagues, I renounced all idea of
doing so, both on account of the fatigued condition of my horses, and
of the great desire I now had to reach a place where my funds, which
were in a very reduced state, could be renovated. The first evening,
as I walked through the town, I was surprised to hear one or more
fiddles playing in almost every house ; this is the instrument almost
exclusively used by the barbers in Rio de Janeiro, and the other large
cities and towns along the coast, but in the interior it is very seldom
met with, the guitar being a greater favourite, and generally used both
by ladies and gentlemen. In San Eomao, however, this usual fashion is
departed from, no young lady's education being considered complete
unless she has learned to handle the bow.
It
being now the dry season, the river was many feet below its banks, and
although of great breadth, appeared narrow when compared with what it
was when I first beheld it, in 1838. It abounds in fish, which at this
season are brought in canoes in great plenty, and sold in the Villa at
a very cheap rate. During my residence there, I prepared specimens of
most of the ordinary kinds, which are now in the British Museum. The
following are the names of a few of those which are most esteemed.
1. Sumbim.*—This
fish, which is a species of sturgeon, often reaches the length of six
feet. It is taken most commonly in nets, but sometimes also,
especially by the Indians, by being shot at with an arrow, to which a
strong cord is attached. The flesh of this species dried
* This spelling is different from that made use of by St. Hilaire, his being Suruby. That
which I adopt for this, as well as for the other species, is taken from
a MSS. list given me by Padre Francisco Fernandes Vianna, of San Romao.
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