IN THE VALLEY OF THE RIO CAMAPUAO. 127 



had been undisturbed since they were packed in London 

 in June last, were as dry as a bone, while Mr. Roberts's, 

 which had been in new leather portmanteaux, and have 

 been aired half a dozen times since he arrived on the 29th 

 of September, were all mildewed, and the inside of his 

 portmanteaux were likewise quite damp. I am, therefore, 

 in a state of mind concerning my compendium and leather 

 trunk left since August at Paraopeba, as I allowed them to 

 remain, thinking I might shortly return, whereas the days 

 have been only too short to get through the requisite work, 

 and now the track thither is impassable, owing to floods 

 and bridges that no one can pass over.* 



December 24. As our camp is in the midst of scrub, we 

 have cleared a space of a hundred feet square all round, 

 leaving only a few " gabiroba " bushes, which are in fruit 

 (very delicious, quite like gooseberries), and one tree for 

 tying the horses to, where they are fed with maize morning 

 and evening, and among the birds which come to pick up 

 the spilt corn are some half-dozen lovely canaries. 



We were presented to-day, from a neighbouring garden, 

 with a pretty bouquet of double dahlias, roses, larkspur, 

 nasturtiums, jasmine, and China asters. 



We had six or eight visitors on Sunday afternoon. 

 Among them a boy of nine years old, who came with his 

 father, and smoked abundantly, but preferred a pipe to a 

 cigarette ! 



Christmas Day. We were to have gone into Brumado 

 to-day, having received a special invitation to dinner from 

 the chief, f We should have numbered some eight Eng- 



* This luggage eventually came to Brumado in March, 1884, and the 

 clothes had suffered from the damp, a broadcloth frock-coat was all green 

 with mildew. Everything that is unearthed even now (October, 1885) has a 

 rank, mouldy, charnel-house smell about it, especially any papers. 



t Mr. Lea thorn Earle Ross. 



