272 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



meter stood at 14.60° Reaumur, during the greatest 

 part of the night ; a temperature which, together 

 with the hard bed on the cold stone floor, was 

 enough to put us in mind of Spanish inns. At 

 daybreak we continued our journey over low land, 

 but did not reach the royal country-seat of Santa 

 Cruz, which is five leagues and a half from 

 Campinho, because our Arieiro insisted on making 

 the first day's journey short, in order to accustom 

 the animals by degrees, and without injury, to travel- 

 ling. We therefore passed the night in the Venda O 

 Santissimo, where the old proprietor, an Italian by 

 birth, related to us how he had come to Rio, on board 

 a French ship, which had been sent on a voyage of 

 discovery into the South Sea, from which he had 

 deserted and afterwards settled in the country. 

 Thus we unexpectedly met with one of the com- 

 panions of Bougainville, who after this long se- 

 paration from Europe, had not only forgotten 

 the language of his country, but even European 

 manners. 



On our way hither we remarked a tract of 

 ground, consisting of dry granite sand. The low, 

 but very pleasant wood * which covers it, resembles, 

 by its bright green foliage, our laurel groves, but is 



* Schinus Aroeira, terebinthifolia Raddi ; Pohlana (Langs- 

 dorffia Leandr.) instrumentaria nob . ; Spixia heteranthera Leandr.; 

 Byrsonimanitidissima Humb.; Sapium ilicifolium W.; Alsodea 

 Physiphora nob. ; Petrea racemosa Nees. ; Solena grandiflora ; 

 Serianae, Paulliniae sp. &c. 



