246 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



and she was caught round the waist. She had just time to 

 cross herself devoutly three times, and then fell into the 

 bottom of the boat almost senseless. This was repeated 

 with the other woman, but at length they all got off safely, 

 and I hope were landed all right, as I heard later of a boat 

 going in to-day with five on board which was upset when 

 rounding the lighthouse ; fortunately another boat was close 

 by, which picked them up before the sharks could get at 

 them. 



I spent some time watching the long line of breakers 

 dashing up over the reef, and sometimes nearly to the top 

 of the lighthouse tower, and it looked so curious through 

 the spray to see the calm water beyond. We tried shark- 

 fishing ; but though we saw several pilot-fish, and the bait 

 was nibbled, Johnny Shark was too wary for the hook. 

 Sometimes when a bullock has been killed here and the 

 waste portions thrown overboard, four or five sharks have 

 rushed at the dainty morsel. 



Before we had been at anchor an hour, eight boats came 

 out, and soon there was a regular market forwards ; cages, 

 bags, and baskets had been brought up, and there was a 

 fine display of pineapples, oranges, cocoa-nuts, sugar-canes, 

 ocelot skins, about one hundred parrots, three kinds of paro- 

 quets, lots of marmosets, and a coati. The vendors, who 

 knew how to charge, talked Spanish, French, English, and 

 Brazilian, and were willing to take all these moneys, as well 

 as those of the West Coast republics. 



I was told by a ten-years' resident (who joined us here) 

 that sugar is the principal export ; cocoa-nut trees abound ; 

 tobacco is grown principally for home consumption, though 

 a little is sent to Rio ; but there is no coffee. There are 

 very pretty drives in the "neighbourhood. Pernambuco is 

 the healthiest place on the coast ; there has been no yellow 



