BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 49/ 



chiefly of saltpetre ; and while I was engaged in pointing 

 out to the Fazendeiro, at Corte, where our bivouac had 

 halted, the important article of commerce which this mate- 

 rial would afford, I felt myself violently attacked with the 

 premonitory symptoms of an acute fever, which soon after- 

 wards deprived me of all consciousness. An emetic was 

 administered, in the vain hope of warding off the malady ; 

 and, by dint of great exertions, I pursued my journey on 

 horseback for two days, passing the Faziendas Buriti and 

 San Pedro, in order to gain Todos los Santos. The dread- 

 ful sensations, violent vomiting, mortal depression, and 

 prostration of strength, compelled me perpetually to alight 

 from my beast, and extend my weary frame on the ground. 

 At the same time, one of our servants being similarly 

 attacked, we had no alternative but to halt at the last named 

 farm. My brain was so much affected that Dr. Spix, who 

 nursed and attended me with the most sedulous care, was 

 apprehensive that my disease would prove to be a nervous 

 fever; but the rest which I obtained at Todos los Santos, 

 appeared to give a new turn to the complaint, which, after 

 several days, settled into a confirmed ague, coming on solely 

 m the evening, but always accompanied with distraction 

 of the aensorium, and unusual prostration of strength. With 

 our poor servant, matters went on much worse : he was seized 

 with the most dreadful convulsions, attended with locked-jaw, 

 raving, frenzy, and apoplexy, and died on the fourth day. 

 Jo fill up the measure of our sorrows, my faithful friend and 

 companion also fell ill, after bathing in a shallow pool of 

 Water ; his body being covered with painful boils, which were 

 acutely inflamed. Under such circumstances, all our efforts 

 were turned to effecting our escape from the damp and 

 unwholesome atmosphere of the Palm-woods, and proceed- 

 ln g to Cachias with the utmost speed; but as we could 

 not keep ourselves upright in the saddle, we were obliged to 

 hire negro slaves from the neighbouring farms, who carried 

 Us upon mats, slung between poles. It is impossible to 

 Ascribe the anguish of mind which we suffered, each seeing 

 vol. v. oo 



