1^24 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



3ome sugar-cane. His stores of the first of these 

 were immense, and filled several large barns 

 (Pqjol) up the very roof. The sugar-cane is 

 pressed in a small mill, belonging to the fazenda, 

 is used partly to make rum and treacle, and sold to 

 the neighbours. The ashes of dried bean-stalks, 

 from which the beans are threshed with long poles 

 on a dry floor before the house, are employed in 

 making soap, which is, however, very impure, and 

 never becomes hard. Attention is paid too to the 

 breeding of horned cattle. A herd of six hundred 

 supplies the whole establishment with meat, milk, 

 cheese, and leather. Thus the most important 

 wants are provided for by the produce of the 

 fazenda, which is very favourable, not only to the 

 prosperity, but also to the moral character of the 

 inhabitants. This is especially evident in the situ- 

 ation of the slaves, who, under such circumstances, 

 are healthy and cheerful, and live with their mas- 

 ters on a truly patriarchal footing. 



When we- had crossed the Sapucahy in boats, 

 and paid a few pence toll for each mule, we arrived 

 over two woody mountains, into a beautiful valley, 

 which is formed on the left, by the Serra de S. 

 Gonzalo, and on the right by the Serra dePaciencia. 

 Both are covered witli fine forests, and are distin- 

 guished by outlines closely resembling those of 

 our lower Alps, The country through which we 

 passed, lies high, and the vegetation of the plains 

 has an Alpine character ; the extensive hills are 



