JOURNEY FROM NATAL TO ACU. 



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expected that the first heavy rain would drive 

 them back to their usual habitations, as these 

 lands, after violent rains, are laid under water. 

 Each man possessed his small field of mandioc 

 and maize. I left John's horse here in charge of 

 one of these men, as it began to give way, and 

 I proceeded with four loaded horses ; two as be- 

 fore, and one oi'farinha, and another of maize. I 

 had provided myself at Rio Grande with 

 leathern bags, for carrying water, and several 

 other necessary things which I had not been 

 instructed to bring, but which experience had 

 taught me the necessity of possessing. 



We remained at this place during one entire 

 day, and the next morning set off, intending to 

 sleep at a hamlet, called Pai Paulo. We rested 

 at mid-day near to a well, and in the afternoon 

 proceeded. Wells are generally formed in these 

 parts by digging a hole in the ground, to the 

 depth of two or three feet, until the water 

 appears ; if a person in the neighbourhood of 

 one of them, who takes water from it, should 

 be nice about these matters, a fence is made 

 round it, but if not, as is oftenei the case, the 

 well remains open, and the cattle come down to 

 drink at it. These pits or wells are called ca- 

 gimbas. The grass was much burnt up, but 

 still there was plenty of it. In the afternoon we 

 passed over some stony ground, — it was the 

 first I had met with, and it was very painful to 



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