ARRIVAL AT siOCKGu. 29 



and three of rice ; the former of which produced 

 eighty, and the latter three hundred and twenty- 

 fold. The pasturage supports a fine stock of cattle, 

 and the woods are so full of game, that a deer had 

 been killed on each of the three previous days. 

 This profusion of food showed itself at dinner, 

 where, if the tables did not groan, the guests sure- 

 ly did : for each person is expected to eat of every 

 dish. One day, having, as I thought, nicely calcu- 

 lated so that nothing should go away untasted, to 

 my utter dismay a roast turkey and a pig appeared 

 in all their substantial reality. During the meals, 

 it was the employment of a man to drive out of the 

 room sundry old hounds, and dozens of little black 

 childi'en, which crawled in together, at every oppor- 

 tunity. As long as the idea of slavery could be 

 banished, there was something exceedingly fasci- 

 nating in this simple and patriarchal style of living: 

 it was such a perfect retirement and independence 

 from the rest of the world. As soon as any stran- 

 ger is seen arriving, a large bell is set tolling, and 

 generally some small cannon are fired. The event 

 is thus announced to the rocks and woods, but to 

 nothing else. One morning I walked out an hour 

 before daylight to admire the solemn stillness of 

 the scene ; at last, the silence was broken by the 

 morning hymn, raised on high by the whole body 

 of the blacks ; and in this manner their daily work 

 is generally begun. On such fazendas as these, I 

 have no doubt the slaves pass happy and contented 

 lives. On Saturday and Sunday they work for 

 themselves, and in this fertile climate the labour of 

 two days is sufficient to support a man and his 

 family for the whole week. 



April lAth. — Leaving Socego, we rode to an- 

 other estate on the Rio Macae, which was the last 

 patch of cultivated ground in that direction. The 

 C 2 



