320 



THE INTRUDO. 



tlie borders of the pond. The dwelling-house 

 was new and had a second floor ; it was very 

 clean and well furnished. This was the most 

 pleasantly situated and the best arranged man- 

 sion which we visited during this journey ; the 

 huts for the slaves were well built and looked 

 comfortable. Here we were entertained with 

 such music as has as yet found its way into these 

 parts of the country. Three negroes with bag- 

 pipes attempted to play a few tunes whilst we 

 were at dinner, but they seemed to play in dif- 

 ferent keys from each other, and sometimes each 

 appeared to have struck up a tune of his own 

 composing. I think I never heard so bad an 

 attempt at producing harmonious sounds as the 

 charameleiros made. The possession of a band 

 of these bespeaks a certain degree of superiority, 

 consequently the planters pride themselves upon 

 their musicians. 



Our party could not let pass this opportunity 

 of being together without practising the amuse- 

 ment of the intrudo *, although the usual timc- 



* The Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday are 

 properly the days of the intrudo, but the sport is, as in the 

 ease in question, often commenced a week before the ap- 

 pointed time. Water and hair powder are the ingredient.*- 

 which are established to be hurled at each other, but fre- 

 quently no medium is preserved, and every thing is taken up 

 heedlessly and thrown about by all parties, whether it bq 

 clean or dirty, whether it may do mischief or is harmless. 



