710 The Naturalist Brazilian Expedition. [July, 
employed here. The passages are already extensive, but only 
one shaft has been sunk, the scale on which the mine is worked 
at present not warranting further expense. One engine of forty 
horse-power is used for the shaft, a smaller one being employed 
for pumping ; the latter is required only once or twice a week, 
the mine being unusually dry. 
After remaining several hours at the mine we returned to São 
Jeronymo, where we made our headquarters for several weeks. 
The place, which contains perhaps 800 inhabitants, is a very good 
example of the better class of villages in this part of the province. 
The streets are regular but unpaved except by the native pebbles; 
as usual there is a grass-grown, shadeless square, certainly far 
from ornamental, and having no particular use unless it be 
to pasture the village horses. The houses are generally well 
built of adobe or brick, white-washed and covered with tiles; 
there is a curious little chapel, but no church, The place con- 
tains several good-sized stores with general stocks, two hotels, an 
apothecary, blacksmith, saddler, carpenter, &c. A steam saw- 
mill has been erected, and there is an important establishment 
for the preparation of matte, or Paraguay tea, which is brought 
from the Serra do Herval, forty miles distant. We mp 
little dark rooms in the principal hotel, where the landlord t z 
- much pains to make us comfortable. Our dining-room and ni 
ting-room also contained the billiard-table, which is m 
a Brazilian country hotel; luckily it was not much used ex be | 
of a Sunday. We found, however, that the house was BES 
by a party of rather noisy card-players, whose conviviality = 
robbed us of sleep. Now and then, too, a drinking epee x 
take place, and it was necessary to keep our doors well l A 
bar out the revelers. For the rest the house was quiet a” 
and we greatly enjoyed our stay here. = 
Our pursuits were a standing wonder to the village ee a : 
frequently came to visit us; the boys espe the mar 
hours in gazing at us through the open window. y ga : 
moset, came in for a share of admiration; the genus 15 
here, and there was much discussion as to wheth often accom 
was really a monkey or something else. As ge wits she 5008 
panied us in our walks, perched on my wife’s sho j bichinho- 
became known in the vicinity as a senhora d'ague? | : 
the lady of that little beast. a 
t 
