^16 



TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



they seem to regard this swelHng rather as a parti- 

 cular beauty than as a deformity ; for we often 

 saw the women adorn this enormous goitre with 

 gold or silver ornaments, and, as it were, displaying 

 it, while they sat before their house doors with a 

 tobacco-pipe in the hand, or a reel to wind cotton. 

 We have annexed a drawing of one of these women 

 in her national costume. Negroes, mulattoes, de- 

 scendants of whites and Indians (mamelucos), 

 which form the greater part of its population, are 

 peculiarly subject to this disorder ; among the 

 whites the women have it more commonly than the 

 - men. The causes of this deformity seem to be 

 quite the same here as in other countries. For 

 it does not occur in the high, colder, and airy 

 mountainous districts, but in the low valley of the 

 Paraiba, which is often covered with thick fogs. 

 The reason of this is, that the direction of the two 

 chains of mountains from S. to N. does not allow a 

 free issue to the exhalations and vapours : the same 

 mists which during the day rise from the river and 

 the neighbouring marshes, which are partly covered 

 with thick woods, fall again into the valley at 

 night ; the warmth is at the same time consider- 

 able ; and the water of the river, which is often 

 very muddy, impure, and lukewarm, must supply 

 the place of spring water. Their habitations, too, 

 are uncleanly, damp, and windy. The raw flour 

 of maize, which is here more frequently used than 

 that of mandiocca, and is, though more nourishing, 



