

BOM JARDIM. 



317 



low, but the church is large and handsome. 

 Like the huts of A$u and of some other places, 

 those of Bom Jardim are not white-washed, and 

 therefore the mud of which they are composed 

 remains in its original colour. The place con- 

 tains about 500 inhabitants. We ascended a 

 steep hill to arrive at it, and on the opposite side 

 still another of equal height is to be surmounted 

 in proceeding farther inland. The village is 

 situated upon a break of the hill. The soil is 

 chiefly composed of red earth, approaching in 

 places to a bright scarlet, with veins of yellow 

 running through it; this is the description of 

 soil, which is said to be the best adapted to the . 

 growth of cotton. Bom Jardim is a great ren- 

 dezvous for the hawkers who are proceeding to 

 the Sertam, and for others who merely advance 

 thus far. It is distant from Recife twenty good 

 leagues, in a N. E. direction. 



My friend and I walked out and descended 

 the hill by a path which led us to the bed of the 

 river, for there was now no water in it. Great 

 want of water is often experienced at Bom 

 Jardim, but I think that if wells of sufficient 

 depth were dug, a supply might be obtained. * 

 On our return to the village, we discovered that 

 mas^ was about to be said, and therefore we ac- 



* Directions were given by the Capitam-mor, that a reser- 

 voir for rain water should be formed ; and these have been 

 carried into effect 1815. 



