154 THE TOCANTINS. Chap. IV. 



displa3dng talent and enterprise, for it shows that dege- 

 neracy does not necessarily result from the mixture of 

 white and Indian blood. The Cametaenses boast, as 

 they have a right to do, of theirs being the only large 

 town which resisted successfully the anarchists in the 

 great rebellion of 1835-6. Whilst the whites of Para 

 were submitting to the rule of half-savage revolutionists, 

 the mamelucos of Cameta placed themselves under the 

 leadership of a courageous priest, named Prudencio; 

 armed themselves, fortified the place, and repulsed 

 the large forces which the insurgents of Para sent to 

 attack the place. The town not only became the refuge 

 for all loyal subjects, but was a centre whence large 

 parties of volunteers sallied forth repeatedly to attack 

 the anarchists in their various strongholds. 



The forest behind Cameta is traversed by several 

 broad roads, which lead over undulating ground many 

 miles into the interior. They pass generally under 

 shade, and part of the way through groves of coffee 

 and orange trees, fragrant plantations of cacao, and tracts 

 of second-growth woods. The narrow brook-watered 

 valleys, with which the land is intersected, alone have 

 remained clothed with prima3val forest, at least near 

 the town. The houses along these beautiful roads 

 belong chiefly to mameluco, mulatto, and Indian fami- 

 lies, each of which has its own small plantation. There 

 are only a few planters with larger establishments and 

 these have seldom more than a dozen slaves. Besides 

 the main roads, there are endless bye-paths which thread 

 the forest, and communicate with isolated houses. Along 

 these the traveller may wander day after day without 



