336 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL.
proceeded
on the flat top of this ridge about half a league, every step yielding
some new plant. It was quite dark before we arrived at a place suitable
for our encampment; this was a dry, sandy, grassy spot, by the side of
the path; there were only a few small trees in the immediate
neighbourhood, and the men, by groping beneath them, obtained as many
dry sticks as sufficed to make a small fire wherewith to cook our
supper.
The
sky was quite clear on our arrival, but shortly afterwards a thunder
storm was seen gathering to the westward; and no sooner were we laid
down on our hide beds, by the side of the fire, than the rain began to
fall, and having no shelter of any kind, we were soon completely
drenched ; the men, in their anxiety to keep the fire alight, held a
hide over it till the storm ceased. The flashes of lightning were
extremely vivid, and the peals of thunder fearfully loud. After it had
passed over, we made ourselves as comfortable as our circumstances
would permit, and laid ourselves down, in the hope of not being again
disturbed. In this, however, we were sadly disappointed, for shortly
after we had fallen asleep, the storm returned in all its fury, leaving
us in a far worse state than we had previously been. Those only who
have passed a night under such circumstances can imagine the annoyance
we experienced; could we have seen the probability of its occurrence,
we might have been better prepared for it, but in the middle of the dry
season we certainly had no reason to expect so much rain. A third time
we laid ourselves down, not to sleep, because that was now impossible,
cold and wet as we were, for the fire had been completely extinguished
by the quantity of rain that had fallen.
When
daylight broke, I found the place where we were encamped to be one of
the most lovely that can be conceived, abounding in a variety of
beautiful shrubs, and many curious plants. We remained here till noon,
in the expectation that the sun would shine with force sufficient to
enable us to dry all the things that had been wetted by the rain during
the night; but the whole forenoon continuing cloudy, we resolved to
pursue our journey. In the morning, immediately after breakfast, I
returned
