TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



^83 



of the ground, which, on account of the thickness 

 of its tail, is here called the two-headed serpent, 

 Cobra de duas cabegas (Ccecilia annulata, nob.)» 

 The Indians dread it as venomous, and fled, terri- 

 fled at the naturalist, who had seized it by the 

 head, and playing with it, carried it towards them. 

 Nothing could have inspired the simple people 

 with greater respect for us ; from this time they 

 looked upon us with the same awe as they feel for 

 their Pajes (their magicians, priests, and physi- 

 cians) ; a feeling which we readily maintained 

 among them. 



Towards evening, we heard the sound of the 

 oX'horn echo in the woods. Our guests gradually 

 slipped in at the back door, quite softly ; and in a 

 short time, the barn, into which the liquor had 

 been brought, was flUed with a great number of 

 Indians. By degrees, those residing at a greater 

 distance arrived in single troops, each with his 

 whole family, and with bag and baggage, as if 

 they were going to migrate ; the men who had not 

 yet secreted their bows and arrows in the neigh- 

 bouring woods, hid them here ; the women put 

 down their baskets, took the children on their 

 shoulders, and looked for the drinking cup (ctija). 

 Without conversing with each other, each member 

 of the family examined the surrounding company 

 with an unsteady look ; the men approached each 



* Spix, Serpent. Bras. tab. xxvi. fig. 1. 



