112 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



came to a level plain at the foot of the prolong- 

 ation of the Lopo mountain, which here rises pic- 

 turesquely in four hills, where we reached the first 

 place in MinasGeraes, the Arrayal de Camanducaya. 

 The few inhabitants immediately hastened out to 

 meet us, but contented themselves with gazing at 

 us and detaining us by useless questions. In the 

 great rancho, which we here first met with, accord- 

 ing to the custom of Minas, we expected to repose 

 after the fatigues of our journey, but found our- 

 selves greatly disappointed ; for, just as we were 

 going to retire for the night, we were assailed by 

 such an incredible number of fleas, that in Europe 

 they would have been considered as a natural cu- 

 riosity. 



To the north of Camanducaya, after passing 

 Rosetta and Campiuh, we again arrived between 

 ragged mountain chains, which are covered with 

 campos, run from north to soutli, and form side 

 valleys towards the west. The rock is generally a 

 reddish granite. We could not expect to make a 

 closer examination of the country, for since we 

 had quitted Jundiahy we were incessantly attended 

 by all the evils of the rainy season. We travelled 

 almost constantly enveloped in thick fog ; the 

 temperature was low; for several days together 

 the thermometer, morning and evening, was 14" R., 

 and it hardly rose a few degrees higher at noon. 

 The numerous mountain streams had overflowed 

 their banks to a great distance, the roads were 



