TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



153 



into stalk, rather than forming ears, which, besides, 

 ripen at different times, or bring the grain suddenly 

 to maturity so that it falls to the ground. On this 

 side of the mountain-, along the road, no trace of 

 agriculture was to be seen, but all the campos lay 

 dry and desolate as far as to the fazenda of Can- 

 duahy, three miles from S. Joao, and to the place 

 called Lagoa Doirado, which is at the same dis- 

 tance, in the vicinity of which there are several 

 gold- washings, that were formerly very rich. It 

 happened to be a fair or holiday. Some booths 

 had cottons, calicoes, hats, iron-ware, gunpowder, 

 &c., for sale ; the negroes who were present formed 

 groups, and played their miserable music on a wood- 

 en instrument with some twisted silk strings, ac- 

 companied by two sticks, which, by being rubbed 

 together, produce a grating sound. The neighbours 

 by degrees arrived upon mules, to go to mass ; but 

 they seemed to be more interested by the purchase 

 of the goods offered for sale, to supply their domes- 

 tic wants, than by the common amusements. After 

 divine service was over, we continued our journey, 

 and to our great joy, got out of the dry campos, 

 which were much exposed to the sun, into a low 

 forest, some miles in length. As soon as we had 

 passed this, we found ourselves in a romantic spot. 

 The campos, diversified by grass, shrubs, and some 

 small trees, sometimes rising in hills, through which 

 narrow valleys wind, sometimes covered with frag- 

 ments of rocks, resembling ruins, became more and 



