140 



PROCEED ACROSS A PLAIN. 



was acquainted at Recife with the owner of the 

 place, which I made them confident was the 

 case, by describing his house and garden, and 

 they asked me after him, &c. The conversation 

 concluded by an offer of horses to proceed, and, 

 on their return to the house, a present of dried 

 meat was sent. Thus I was in the end a gainer, 

 by offering to pay for the milk ; but I was 

 more careful ever after. 



From St. Luzia, we proceeded across the plain, 

 expecting to reach a lake, of which the guide 

 had some recollection ; but when the night had 

 already closed in, we were still upon the same 

 endless plain, over which the track was only 

 marked by thesand upon it being more wornaway, 

 consequently, it might easily be lost at night. 

 The lake at which we had entertained hopes of 

 arriving, never becomes entirely dry in the sum- 

 mer ; but there was only one place at which it 

 could be crossed, therefore it would be dangerous 

 to reach its borders in the dark. The plain 

 presented no tempting lodging ; there were 

 several rocks upon it of different sizes^ but no 

 trees, and the wind blew hard. The guide dis- 

 mounted, to feel if there was any of the long 

 dry grass where we were ; on not finding any, 

 he walked to the left of the road, but was not 

 successful ; he then tried to the right, and found 

 some. We only discovered his situation by the 

 sound of his voice ; he called, and we answered, 



