PR0VIStOS T -GR0UNDS. 



161 



vegetable part of the food. The root of the 

 mandioc and the kidney-bean are the two plants 

 which are chiefly cultivated ; of the first of 

 these I shall soon treat more at large. Maize is 

 not much used in this part of the country. 



An estate contains in general much more 

 land than its owner can manage or in any way 

 employ, even under the present extravagant 

 system of changing from one piece of ground to 

 another. I call it extravagant, because it re- 

 quires so much space for its operations, and per- 

 forms these with more labour than is necessary. 

 This overplus of land gives room for the habi- 

 tations of free people in the lower ranks of life, 

 who live upon the produce which they raise by 

 their own labour. The tenures by which these 

 persons hold the lands which they occupy are 

 most insecure, and this insecurity constitutes one 

 of the great engines of that power which the 

 landholder enjoys over his tenants. No agree- 

 ments are drawn out j but the proprietor of the 

 land verbally permits the peasant who applies to 

 him for a place of residence, to inhabit a cottage 

 upon his lands, under the condition of paying 

 him a trifling rent (from four to eight mil reis, 

 one to two guineas or rather more) ; and he is 

 allowed to cultivate as much ground as he pos- 

 sibly can by himself, but the rent is increased 

 if he calls in any one to assist him. Sometimes 

 the verbal arrangement which is entered into, is, 



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