Chap. VI. A TLANTER'S ESTABLISHMENT. 241 



then launclied out into a denunciation of the Cameta- 

 enses and the Liberals in general. He said he was a pure 

 white, a " Massagonista ;"* the blood of the Fidalguia 

 of Portugal flowed in his veins, whilst the people of 

 Canieta were a mixed breed of whites and Indians. I 

 noticed that this boasting was ill received by the rest ; 

 it is generally, in fact, considered bad taste in Brazil to 

 boast of purity of descent. Soon afterwards most of the 

 visitors departed, and we dined in quiet. A few days 

 afterwards I crossed the river to the Major's place, and 

 spent two days with him. The house was a very large 

 two-story building, having a large verandah to the upper 

 floor. There was an appearance of disorder and cheer- 

 lessness about the place which was very dispiriting. 

 The old gentleman was a widower. His only son had 

 been brutally massacred by the rebels in 1835, whilst he 

 was crossing the river in a small boat, and his two 

 daughters ' were now completing their education at a 

 seminary in Para. The household affairs appeared to 

 be managed by a middle-aged mulatto w^oman ; and a 

 number of dirty negi'o children were playing about the 

 rooms. Amongst the outbuildings there were several 

 large sheds, containing the cane-mill and sugar factory, 

 and beyond these a curral, or enclosure for cattle. The 

 mill for grinding the sugar-cane was a rude affair, worked 

 by bullocks. The cane was pressed between wooden 

 cylinders, and the juice received in troughs formed of 

 hollowed logs. Sugar-cane here grows to a height of 18 



* The Massagonistas are the descendants of the Portuguese colonists 

 of Massagao, in Morocco, who forsook this place in a body in 1769, and 

 migrated to the banks of the Amazons. 



VOL. r. R 



