136 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



in the temperate zone. In a quarter of an hour 

 the whole turmoil of the elements had subsided, 

 and the slopes of the valley, from which the rain 

 poured down in torrents were in a few minutes 

 dried by the sun. The host's numerous sons mean- 

 time exerted themselves to entertain us by singing 

 their simple popular songs, which they accompanied 

 with the guitar. The most celebrated poet of 

 Minas is Gonzaga, formerly ouvidor of S. Joao 

 d'El Rey ; but having, at the beginning of the 

 French revolution, taken part in a seditious tumult, 

 he was banished to Angola, where he died. Be- 

 sides the songs of this poet, which have been pub- 

 lished under the title of " MarUia de Dirceo," 

 numbers of others are current in the mouths of 

 the people, which afford equal proof of the deli- 

 cacy of the muse of the unfortunate poet. Such 

 is the little song " No rega90, &c." which we here 

 caught as it was sung to us. When Brazil shall 

 have one day a literature of its own, Gonzaga will 

 have the glory of having attempted the first ana- 

 creontic tones of the lyre on the banks of the 

 pastoral Rio Grande, and of the romantic Jequi- 

 tinhonha. 



On the Corrego dos Pinheiros, which resembles 

 a Tyrolese Alpine summit, a new formation of rock 

 commences. The hitherto prevalent granite and 

 gneiss is succeeded by that form of the mica or 

 rather quartzy slate, which is generally called 

 ela§ti:C sandstone, and thin layers of which are in 



