1848.] 



MEXIANA. 



63 



. Then among the bushes there were flocks of the beautiful 

 red-breasted oriole, Icterus militaris ; but they were unfortu- 

 nately not in good plumage at the time of my visit. The 

 common black vulture is generally to be seen sailing over- 

 head, or seated on some dead tree ; and great Muscovy ducks 

 fly past with a rushing sound, like some great aerial machine 

 beating the air violently to support its ponderous body, and 

 ofi'ering a striking contrast to the great wood-ibis, which sails 

 along with noiseless wings in flocks of ten or a dozen. In the 

 skirts of forest and in the larger " ilhas," black and spotted 

 jaguars are often found, while pacas, cotias, tatus or armadillos, 

 deer, and other small game are plentiful. 



The whole population of the island consists of about forty 

 persons, of whom twenty are slaves, and the remainder free 

 Indians and Negroes in the employ of the proprietors. These 

 are all engaged in attending to the cattle and horses on the 

 island, which vary in number, and were much more numerous 

 three or four years ago ; the horses in particular having been 

 almost exterminated by a disease which suddenly appeared 

 among them. There were now about fifteen hundred head of 

 cattle, besides a great number of wild ones, which keep in the 

 remote parts of the island, and four hundred horses. The 

 slaves and labourers are allowed farinha only ; but they can 

 cultivate Indian corn and vegetables for themselves, and have 

 powder and shot given them for hunting, s6 that they do not 

 fare so badly. They also have tobacco allowed them, and 

 most of them earn money by making baskets or other trifles, 

 or by killing ongas, the skin being worth from five to ten 

 shillings. Besides attending to the cattle and horses, they 

 have to build houses and corrals, to hunt alligators for oil, and 

 kill bats, which do great injury to the cattle by sucking their 

 blood night after night. The bats live in holes in trees, where 

 they are killed in considerable numbers, Senhor Leonardo 

 informing me that they had destroyed about seven thousand 

 during the last six months. Many hundreds of cattle are said 

 to have been killed by them in a few years. 



The slaves appeared contented and happy, as slaves generally 

 do. Every evening at sunset they came to bid good-night to 

 Senhor Leonardo and myself, a similar salutation taking place 

 when they first met us in the morning. If a negro goes out for 

 the day to any distance, he bids adieu to all he may meet, as 



5 



