kind
of vegetation called Carrasco; we then halted for a short time under a
large silk-cotton tree, near an open marshy campo, in which a fine
stemless Eriocaulon grew in great abundance. In the afternoon
we made another journey of about a league and a half, through an
upland, grassy, hilly country, and towards dusk arrived at the fazenda
do Sitio, which belongs to the Guarda-Mor, Gonsalvo Christovao Pereira
d'Alcami, from whom, though I carried no letter of recommendation to
him, I received a most hospitable reception: rooms were immediately
prepared for our use; and during the day and a half we remained there,
both Mr. Walker and I were entertained at his table. His house, which
is an excellent one of two stories, is situated in a hollow, from which
the view of the hilly country in the distance is very fine.
I
remained here a day longer than I had intended, finding my collection
of plants so great that it became necessary to arrange them; this
occupied me a whole day, and I had fortunately the assistance of a
bright sunshine, which enabled me to dry all the moist paper, and to
place all the specimens in dry sheets. A fine stream flowing from the
hills, passes close to the house, and in a walk I took along its banks
in the afternoon, I added many botanical novelties to my collection. I
was informed by our host, that in the gravel of this stream two or
three diamonds had been found, from which it was evident that we were
now on the verge of that district, to which this precious stone gives
its name.
My
collections having been all put into order, I had resolved to resume
the journey early next morning, but in this I was disappointed in
consequence of one of my horses having strayed into the woods, and
therefore our departure was delayed till the afternoon. I had here
again the choice of two roads, one winding round the foot of a very
high Serra, which, although longer, was much better than the other that
passed over the top of the Serra: I preferred the latter on account of
the very different vegetation I expected to find there, but as regarded
the horses, which were not at all in good condition, the former would
have
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