BRAZILIAN MAJOR. 



117 



well which we had passed. There was no alter- 

 native j to remain here was impossible, for there 

 was no grass. Therefore I ordered Julio and 

 his companion to let our horses and those of our 

 new friend remain together, and to look to them 

 equally. The slave soon joined us with the 

 water, gave the skin to my guide, and went on 

 to assist Julio, whilst I advanced very slowly, 

 that I might have some more conversation 

 with the owner of the comboio, or convoy, 

 which we had thus joined. He was the son of 

 a man of property, who resided upon the banks 

 of the Acu, and possessed several cattle estates 

 in those parts ; the old man was a colonel of 

 militia, and he with whom I conversed, was the 

 major of the same regiment. The drought had 

 been so severe with them, that they feared a 

 famine, and he had been sent down to the coast 

 to purchase farinha for the family, which the 

 skins contained, with the exception of one load 

 consisting of maize for his horses. After he had 

 purchased hisfarinha, he heard of the prohibition 

 of the governor respecting it, and understood 

 that a guard of soldiers was to be sent down to 

 the lake to take it from him ; he had, therefore, 

 stolen a march, and that nothing might be sus- 

 pected, he had left all his people, excepting 

 this one slave, and had even left his clothes. 

 His saddle-horse carried a heavy load, and he 

 set off a day before he had intended ; the animal 



1 3 



