84 IJAHIA. 



value of slaves, and left. He was said to receive ^60 per 

 annum as stipend and fees in addition. 



We had some excellent fresh beef for dinner, fried in small 

 pieces with garlic and potatoes and carrots, and with it farinha, 

 the coarse meal made from cassava root, the fine siftings from 

 which are tapioca. The farinha is universally used here, and 

 is very good with gravy. 



The sleeping apartment was a space of about eight feet 

 square, separated from the front room by a low partition ; in 

 it were three light cane-bottomed sofas, one at each end, and 

 one opposite the door ; they were packed so close together as 

 to touch one another. A neatly folded small coverlet and a 

 pillow were placed in the middle of each. 



Here we turned in ; the third bed being occupied by a very 

 dirty dealer in tobacco. Rendered sleepless by the fleas, I lay 

 awnke most of the night listening to the mingled crying of 

 children, barking of dogs, croaking of frogs in the marsh 

 below, and squeaking and groaning of the axles of the ox-carts 

 bringing merchandise to the fair. 



Though other charges were comparatively cheap, we had 

 each to pay two shillings for our beds, as did also some of the 

 cattle dealers who slept in a small house over the way, rented 

 by the host for that purpose, and to keep the guests' saddles 

 and bridles in. 



At 6 A.M. there was no bustle or signs of the fair, and not 

 till 9 or 10 o'clock did strings of mules, laden each with a 

 pair of bales of tobacco, arrive opposite the inn. The mules 

 carry about seven or eight arrobas (arroba=25 lbs.). The 

 tobacco comes to the market compressed and cut into neat 

 rectangular bundles ; the merchants test it by pulling some 

 from the bundle and rolling a rough cigar. 



In the broad open street in the middle of the town were 

 rows of small booths, at which farinha, fruit, vegetables, and 

 jerked beef, imported largely from Buenos Ayres, were for 

 sale ; the dried beef varies in price from six to two milreis 

 (i milrei = 2s.) an arroba. It seemed singular that it should 

 pay to bring it to a place where fresh meat was so abundant. 



Other stalls offered needles and thread, sweet stuff for 

 children, etc. ; but most trying to a naturalist's eye, were stalls 

 where various Rodents and other small native animals were 

 for sale, spitted on wooden skewers, roasted and dried for 

 eating. Amongst these I saw at least a dozen of the tree- 

 climbing ant-eater, the Tamandua, and many Three-toed 

 Sloths : the skulls of all were split open, and they were 

 utterly lost to science. The iiesh is supposed to cure various 

 diseases. 



