114 



JOURNEY FROM NATAL TO A^U. 



usual years, it is too wet to be cultivated, un- 

 less it was drained, and of this operation scarcely 

 any notions are entertained. At Natal, I pur- 

 chased another horse. I crossed the river in a 

 canoe, and the horses and men uvon jajigadas ; 

 w r e were landed upon the new raised road, and 

 immediately beyond it overtook some persons 

 w r ho were going to the Lagoa Seca, or dry lake 

 above-mentioned, where I was to purchase 

 maize and farinha, for crossing the tract of 

 country through which runs the river Seara- 

 meirim. We left the usual road, and turned 

 down a narrow path, which leads to this lake ; 

 it was overhung with trees. I struck my head 

 against a branch of one of these, and found that 

 I had disturbed a large family which had taken 

 up its residence upon it; my shoulders were 

 quickly covered with small red ants, and I did 

 not get rid of them without feeling some of 

 their bites. We arrived at the dry lake about 

 six o'clock in the evening, and put up at one of 

 the cottages. In the course of the following 

 morning, I made known my principal errand, and 

 that 1 likewise wished to purchase another horse. 

 The people who were residing here, had re- 

 moved from high lands which had on this season 

 proved barren ; they had erected small huts, 

 some of which had not been finished, and the 

 family, therefore, lived in public ; these huts 

 had only a roof to shelter their inhabitants, who 



