72 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



of the first of May? On telling him that I was at 

 an Indian settlement a little below the great fall 

 in the Demerara, and that a strange and sudden 

 noise had alarmed all the Indians, he said the 

 same astonishing noise had roused every man in 

 Fort St. Joachim, and that they remained under 

 arms till morning. He observed, that he had 

 been quite at a loss to form any idea what could 

 have caused the noise ; but now learning that the 

 same noise had been heard at the same time far 

 away from the Rio Branco, it struck him there 

 must have been an earthquake somewhere or 

 other. 



Good nourishment and rest, and the unwearied 

 attention and kindness of the Portuguese com- 

 mander, stopped the progress of the fever, and en- 

 abled me to walk about in six days. 



Fort St. Joachim was built about five and forty 

 years ago, under the apprehension, it is said, that 

 the Spaniards were coming from the Rio Negro to 

 settle there. It has been much neglected; the 

 floods of water have carried away the gate, and 

 destroyed the wall on each side of it ; but the pres- 

 ent commander is putting it into thorough repair. 

 When finished, it will mount six nine and six 

 twelve pounders. 



In a straight line with the fort, and within a 

 few yards of the river, stand the commander's 

 house, the barracks, the chapel, the father con- 

 fessor's house, and two others, all at little inter- 

 vals from each other; and these are the only 

 buildings at Fort St. Joachim. The neighbouring 

 extensive plains afford good pasturage for a fine 



