( .115 ) 



CHAP. VI. 



(CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY FROM NATAL 

 TO A9U. 



r T^HE governor did all in his power to dis- 

 suade me from proceeding further, the 

 drought being so great as to render it not quite 

 prudent ; but as I had come so far, I was re- 

 solved, at any rate, to make the attempt. If I 

 had been certain of being able to undertake the 

 journey at a future period, it would have been 

 better to have returned, and to have waited 

 until a more favourable season ; but I am re- 

 joiced that I went at that time, as, otherwise, I 

 should most probably have been under the neces- 

 sity of foregoing my plan altogether. Some of 

 the disagreeable circumstances which I met 

 with, certainly proceeded from the rigour of 

 the season. 



I received from the governor a letter of in- 

 troduction to Aracati. He also insisted upon 

 my leaving my own horse, that he might be in 

 good condition when I returned. I was to 

 sleep at a place from which Rio Grande is sup- 

 plied with farinha during the drought ; but, in 



vol. l 1 



