116 FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL, 



most opprobrious term of abuse, among the Por- 

 tuguese, is negro ! The slaves of the soldiers are 

 quite different men ; they enjoy their existence as 

 such, and we had every reason to be satisfied with 

 our neighbours ; they behaved very friendly to us, 

 and practised towards us all the virtues of hospi- 

 tality. The soldiers consider themselves very poor, 

 because it is several years since they have received 

 their pay; it is true they have no money, but 

 they are never in want of the necessaries of life 

 which the island produces ; and, therefore, I con- 

 sidered them as very rich and fortunate people. I 

 took up my quarters in a small house near the 

 tent, belonging to the widow of a soldier, and con- 

 tinued to remain on shore, occupying myself with 

 m}^ chronometers. We devoted the evenings to 

 recreation ; the good-natured inhabitants usually 

 collected round our tent, and a couple of violins 

 and flutes, which heightened our pleasure, invited 

 them to dance and sing, and gave us an opportu- 

 nity of observing the grace with which the girls 

 danced the fandango. Immediately after sun-set 

 the air is filled with an innumerable number of 

 fire-flies, which shine in the air like burning points ; 

 the large locusts began already to chirp, and frogs 

 of the size of hedge-hogs came out of their lurk- 

 ing places, and may be said to bark like middle- 

 sized dogs. On those who visit this place for the 

 first time, this animation by day and by night, the 

 many beautiful birds and butterflies, and this 



