148 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



maggot in it. This is only one specimen among a dozen 

 others of the indolence of the natives. 



On Sunday afternoon (February 9), I went to see John 

 Baptist, and found that the fiscal engineer of the province, 

 Dr. Amerigo Brundao, had arrived from Ouro Preto. I 

 was introduced to him, and we had a long talk about the 

 railway. The next day he went through all the work we 

 have done, and on Tuesday, accompanied by Dr. Rebou^as 

 and the Public Prosecutor, came again and examined the 

 plans. They expressed themselves well satisfied with the 

 route chosen, as well as with all the details. 



February 14. I have already told you we can get 

 butcher's meat here. The beef is called "carne de vacca," 

 i.e. cow's flesh. They never kill bullocks, or even cows till 

 they are worn out, therefore the meat is not of the best, 

 being always full of muscle, but still it is meat It costs 

 threepence a pound. Kid flesh is excellent. A kid costs- 

 from one milreis to a milreis and a half, and is equal to 

 lamb. We had half a kid the other day, which lasted 

 Roberts and me for two days that is, four meals. It was 

 roasted for us at our chiefs house, and with mint sauce 

 and new potatoes was delicious. We have also enjoyed, 

 through the benevolence of our chief, the fore quarter of 

 a young pig, roasted, with sage and onion stuffing, which 

 was superb. 



The roast meat is cooked in native ovens, semicircular 

 in form, made of blocks cut from the huge termites' nests, 

 which are hard as stones. The natives often convert the 

 actual nests themselves into ovens. 



While talking of food, I may mention that our " chutar 

 hasri " (Hindostani for early breakfast) consists of bananas, 

 peaches, apricots, or pineapples (which cost twopence or 

 threepence each), with coffee, and milk and bread. After 



