348 



ASSASSINS. 



I was most anxious to return to Jaguaribe, 

 and about the middle of October was making 

 preparations for the purpose ; when the manager 

 arrived from the plantation, with the intelli- 

 gence that one of his assistants had been at- 

 tacked two nights before, and nearly killed, by 



gang ; he said that he could not allow his house to be entered 

 without an order from the ecclesiastical court. This answer 

 was conveyed to the magistrate who had signed the order, 

 the soldiers remaining round about the house. A second 

 order arrived, and the bearer brought with him a couple of 

 hatchets, thus expressively pointing out to the corporal what 

 he was to do. Forthwith preparations were made for break- 

 ing open the door, when the priest said, that he would allow 

 the corporal to enter alone ; the man fearlessly went in, but 

 as soon as the door was again closed, the priest seized upon 

 him, and some of his negroes who were in another apartment 

 sprang forwards to assist their master; but the corporal dis- 

 engaged himself, J^d standing upon the defensive, called to 

 his men, who soon broke into the house. Search was made, 

 and the carcase and hide of the cow were found, and were 

 with the negroes taken publicly to the nearest town. The 

 mark of the red-hot iron upon the haunch had been burnt 

 out of the hide, that discovery might be rendered less easy. 

 The priest was punished by suspension from saying mass for 

 a few months. I was subsequently acquainted with him ; he 

 was received by many persons as if nothing had been amiss ; 

 but he was not received as heretofore, for the individuals cf 

 his own profession would not, generally speaking, associate 

 with him. The circumstance had not however so completely 

 prevented his re-entrance into decent society, as such a 

 crime would have done in many other countries, or so much 

 as would have occurred at Pernambuco, if he had been a 

 layman. 



