CHARACTER OF THE SERTANEJOS. 



231 



he deserved. Robbery in the Sertam is scarcely 

 known ; the land is in favourable years too plen- 

 tiful to afford temptation, and in seasons of dis- 

 tress for food, every man is for the most part 

 equally in want. Subsistence is to be obtained 

 in an easier manner than by stealing in so abun- 

 dant a country, and where both parties are equally 

 brave and resolute ; but besides these reasons, 

 I think the Sertanejos are a good race of people. 

 They are tractable, and might easily be instruct- 

 ed, excepting in religious matters ; in these they 

 are fast rivetted ; and such was their idea of an 

 Englishman and a heretic, that it was on some 

 occasions difficult to make them believe that I, 

 who had the figure of a human being, could 

 possibly belong to that non-descript race. They 

 are extremely ignorant, few of them possessing 

 even the commonest rudiments of knowledge. 

 Their religion is confined to the observance of 

 certain forms and ceremonies, and to the fre- 

 quent repetition of a few prayers, faith in charms, 

 relics, and other things of the same order. The 

 Sertanejos are courageous, generous, sincere, 

 and hospitable : if a favour is begged, they know 

 not how to deny it ; but if you trade with them 

 either for cattle, or aught else, the character 

 changes, and then they wish to outwit you, con- 

 ceiving success to be a piece of cleverness of 

 which they may boast. 



The following anecdote is characteristic. A 

 d 4 



