JOURNEY TO AGUA FRIA. 



109 



at a liquor shop by the road-side. I bought a 

 considerable quantity of rum, which I threw over 

 my head and shoulders and into my boots, and 

 Manoel did the same ; each of us likewise drank 

 a good dose of it. This practice is very general ; 

 I had for some time followed it, and although I 

 had been much exposed to the rain in the course 

 of the preceding year, had not suffered from it, 

 not having experienced another attack of ague ; 

 but perhaps this is not attributable to precau- 

 tion, but to being seasoned to the climate. 



When we arrived at the village of Paratibi, 

 night had nearly closed in. I met with Antonio, 

 (the man who was waylaid when I resided at 

 Jaguaribe,)and he wished me to stay at his cot- 

 tage, but I preferred going on, now that we 

 were completely wet through. As we were 

 ascending the hill beyond Paratibi, I was in hopes 

 of a fine night, for the moon was clear, but she 

 did not afford us light for many minutes. In the 

 valley of Merueira the rain again came on, with 

 vivid lightning ; and in going through the wood 

 beyond the valley, the darkness was so great as 

 to prevent me from seeing Manoel's horse, ex- 

 cepting now and then during the flashes of 

 lightning ; although the animal upon which he 

 rode was of a gray colour, approaching to white, 

 and mine was sometimes touching his, for he 

 rode in front. When we arrived near to the 

 hill which descends on the side nearest to 



