LIFE IN ENTRE RIOS, MINAS GERAES. 171 



by " picking them out " of her daughter's head ! — this said 

 daughter, who is my laundress, at the same time performing 

 a like grateful operation on one of her brothers. The next 

 moment my grisly old horror will be peeling my potatoes 

 or washing my rice. 



Making the excuse of being out all day, I have, there- 

 fore, now arranged to take my meals with Large at the 

 hotel, and the black sinner comes every evening after my 

 return to bring water, and twice a week to sweep out the 

 house. I am, therefore, now relieved of the presence of 

 this siren and her half-clothed brats. 



I received to-day your seven newspapers. Of course, I 

 have not had time to look at any of them, except the one 

 with a full account of the Duke of Albany's funeral. The 

 first news I had of this sad event was a telegram in the 

 journal de Commercio, of Rio de Janeiro, of March 31, 

 which reached us on April 3 : " The Duke of Albany died 

 at Cannes from an accident." I was appalled, and could 

 hardly believe it. How I do pity the poor Queen, but 

 especially the Duchess ! I lay awake for a long time the 

 night after I read the news, thinking of them. But I know 

 this will be an occasion on which the widely spread sym- 

 pathy to others from our Queen's motherly heart will strike 

 a responsive chord among millions, not only of her subjects, 

 but throughout the whole world. I am sure, for one, that 

 the old schoolmaster at Casa Grande would grieve if he 

 knew of the " Lady Victoria's " fresh sorrow. 



May 12. — We have now finished the outdoor part of 

 this extra work. Our route lay for about two miles along 

 a valley belonging to John Baptist, to which I have before 

 referred. This was the chief part of the cultivated ground 

 on the length we have just surveyed. Here the niggers 

 were very busy, on both sides of the valley, plucking off the 



