78 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



pass over a certain, ridge fgrming a portion of a large clump 

 of rounded hills, called the Serra do Cortume, which rise 

 to a height of about five thousand feet. I have, therefore, 

 come to. this :place to find out whether I can get workable 

 ascending and. descending grades. 



The result of the day's work was that, after going about 

 for some hours and a .good deal of wood-cutting, I found 

 the lowest point of the ridge, and on returning to camp I 

 made a detailed sketch plan, by which I am glad to find 

 the route marked on my original rough outline map is 

 certainly the best ; so now it only remains to go over it 

 with the level* ; 



August 19th being Sunday, some of my men went over 

 with me to Sao Amaro, which is some eight miles off, to 

 attend the service, as a propitious beginning to the regular 

 work of to-day (August 20th). I enjoyed the charming ride 

 much ; the service was quiet and reverent, and the priest gave 

 a good sermon on " Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for 

 repentance." The church was crowded, and after service 

 we were entertained at the house of one of my men (Arturo) 

 who lives there. 



Camp No. 2. 

 August 26. — I have now had a week of good work, but 

 unfortunately lost one day-owing to having to change camp. 

 The reason was this. A few days ago a case of small-pox 

 broke out in a cottage about five minutes' walk above us ; 

 it was a man who ■ had come home from a distance. I 

 thought we were pretty safe, but finding the people from 

 that cottage washed their clothes in the stream we drank 

 from, ordered the men to fetch the water from a source 



* The grades worked out satisfactorily without any heavy cutting, and the 

 detailed plans and sections were approved of and passed by the President of 

 the Province early in 1884. Construction began January 6, 1885. 



