ARRIVAL AT RIO, AND JOURNEY TO QUELUZ. 31 



In the evening I returned to Paraopeba, having passed the 

 whole day hunting up the district engineer, -who had 

 promised a train to bring us and all our language en masse 

 to this place ; but, after all, I was unable to make arrange- 

 ments. To-day I have spent five hours in a preliminary 

 exploration of this valley, as I am strongly inclined to make 

 use of it for the railway.* I went on foot, not caring for the 

 expense of a horse, and feeling more free to go anywhere. 

 Everybody who passed apparently thought me insane, for 

 no one walks an inch when they can help it. One thing I 

 already see clearly, that the country is not as easy as was 

 represented, and we shall have our work cut out for us. 



I have to-day had my bapteme d'insectes, in the shape 

 of a delightful little creature called the " carrapato," a kind 

 of tick which burrows its head in your flesh, and has to be 

 dug out with the point of a knife. I also saw one snake, 

 but he glided away from me. 



Paraopeba. 



July 7. At length I have found out the real cause of 

 delay. The contractor's engine is supposed not to be 

 powerful enough to bring all our luggage, and there is a 

 bridge near Carandahy which is hardly finished, so that the 

 large engine cannot cross it ; but I now expect we shall 

 all be here together to-morrow. Two of the staff, however, 

 tired of waiting, wished to come up last night, so I 

 arranged for the engine to come down for us about 5.30. 

 A truck was in readiness at 4.30, and we placed our light 

 luggage on it ; the engine arrived at 5.30, but, owing to the 

 usual indifference to delay, we did not leave till 7.30. We 

 three rolled ourselves up on some mat-beds we had bought, 

 and laid in the ballast truck to keep ourselves warm ; but 



* The railway is now constructed along this valley (January, 1 886). 



