142 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



for since I have been able to get that I am rapidly recover- 

 ing. This infliction was far worse than carrapatos, besides 

 being horribly disfiguring ; and my appearance, when I 

 came into town with both my hands bandaged up and in 

 slings, excited great compassion. 



Jantiary 25. — I saw last night a fine comet, due west. 

 It set about 9.30 p.m. The weather has been magnificent 

 and cloudless the last two days, but beautifully cool in our 

 house — only 78°. 



February i. — The townsfolk are very friendly, but 

 Sr. John Baptist is the most benevolent of all. A week 

 ago he sent, one morning very early, a large trayful of 

 cakes, biscuits, bread, and compote of apricots, with his 

 card, " begging forgiveness for such an insignificant 

 remembrance." 



I have already described our house. I must now say 

 a word or two about our garden, which is bounded by stone 

 walls on three sides, and on the fourth by a mass of huge 

 cacti {Cereus sp) thirty feet high, now just coming into 

 flower. In it are some orange trees, and many coifee 

 shrubs {Coffea Arabicd), which are now both in flower and 

 fruit, but are wild and uncared for. The walls are over- 

 hung by the huge leaves of a plantation of bananas {Musa) 

 in the next garden. 



A little further up on the other side of the road is a 

 very extensive house, but only of one story. According 

 to the invariable custom which obtains here with all the 

 larger habitations, a large shop or general store is the pro- 

 minent feature, with one or two public sitting-rooms out 

 of it. The house referred to belongs to Senhor Joaquim 

 Ribeiro de Oliveira. This gentleman has two or three 

 sons, two little girls, and a grown-up daughter, who is a 

 very accomplished musician. Senhor Ribeiro paid us a 



