35S 



FESTIVAL OF ST. BENTO. 



upon my arrival at Jaguaribe, and on the occa- 

 sion of the festival came to invite me to the 

 novena and to the festa fthe nine previous 

 evenings and the festival) ; or rather he came to 

 request that I would not fail to go, as he feared 

 that my people and his might quarrel. I went 

 with a large party of men and women : we 

 ascended the hill, and on our arrival at its 

 summit, I was invited by one of the black 

 women to enter her cottage, the same invitation 

 being made to several other persons of our party. 

 The chapel is placed quite upon the highest 

 point of the hill ; and the house in which the 

 friars dwell, when they come to the estate, and 

 the row of negro huts, form a semi-circle about 

 it, thus in part inclosing the chapel. These 

 habitations look down upon the broad river of 

 Maria Farinha, winding below among the man- 

 groves, and there are several creeks on the op- 

 posite side, which look like so many branches. 



The crowd which had assembled was consi- 

 derable, and was not a little increased by my 

 free workmen ; some of whom were unmarried 

 men, unencumbered, and ready for any mis- 

 chief. I was armed witli a long pike and the 

 large knife of the country ; and had brought 

 three of my slaves, accoutred much in the same 

 manner, — three resolute Africans, upon whom 

 I could depend, and whose business it w r as 

 closely to watch their master. Before the com- 



