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176 



JOURNEY TO SEARA. 



again called upon Senhor Barrozo, to make 

 known to him my plan, and he then gave me a 

 letter to a gentleman with whom he was ac- 

 quainted at Seara. A guide for the journey was 

 also procured. 



The horses were ready, and in the morning I 

 set forth, accompanied by my Goiana guide, and 

 the man whom I had hired for this additional 

 journey ; he rode a horse witli which he had 

 been charged to take to Seara. He was an old 

 man, half mad, and very amusing. We hailed 

 the ferryman to take us across the river before 

 day-break ; but as he did not answer, we took 

 possession of a large canoe which lay empty, 

 and was tied to a post ; we got into it, and the 

 Goiana guide paddled us very dexterously to 

 the middle of the river, where the canoe 

 grounded ; it had struck upon a sand-bank, 

 owing to the man being unacquainted with the 

 navigation of the stream. We w 7 ere obliged to 

 undress, and get into the water to push the 

 canoe off, which we succeeded in doing, and 

 reached the opposite side in safety. The horses 



j- 



crossed over, tied to the sides of the canoe, 

 swimming or taking the ground according to 

 the depth of the water. 



The distance between Aracati and the Villa 

 da Fortaleza do Seara Grande, is thirty leagues, 

 principally consisting of sandy lands covered 

 with brushwood j in a few places, the wood is 



