22 BIO DE JANEIRO. [CHAP. n. 



buildings stand on a little hill, overlooking the cultivated ground, 

 and surrounded on every side by a wall of dark green luxuriant 

 forest. The chief produce of this part of the country is coffee. 

 Each tree is supposed to yield annually, on an average, two 

 pounds ; but some give as much as eight. Mandioca or cassada is 

 likewise cultivated in great quantity. Every part of this plant is 

 useful ; the leaves and stalks are eaten by the horses, and the roots 

 are ground into a pulp, which, when pressed dry and baked, forms 

 the farinha, the principle article of sustenance in the Brazils. It 

 is a curious, though well-known fact, that the juice of this most 

 nutritious plant is highly poisonous. A few years ago a cow died 

 at this Fazenda, in consequence of having drunk some of it. 

 Senhor Figuireda told me that he had planted, the year before, one 

 bag of feijao or beans, 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 surely did : for each 

 pei-son is expected to eat of every dish. One day, having, as I 

 thought, nicely calculated so that nothing should go away untested, 

 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 children, which crawled in together, at every oppor- 

 tunity. As long as the idea of slavery could be banished, there 

 was something exceedingly fascinating 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 stranger 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. 



