FAZENDA LIFE. 



119 



adaptation which is not susceptible of the same explana- 

 tion. Their social organization, too intelligent, it seems, 

 to be the work of any reasoning powers of their own, yet 

 does not appear to be directly connected with their struct- 

 ure. While we were watching our little insect, a breath 

 stirred the leaf and he instantly contracted himself and 

 drew back under his roof; but presently came out again 

 and returned to his work. 



July l^th. — I have passed two or three days of this 

 week very pleasantly with a party of friends who invited 

 me to join them on a visit to one of the largest fazendas 

 in this neighborhood, belonging to the Commendador Breves. 

 A journey of some four hours on the Dom Pedro Rail- 

 road brought us to the " Barra do Pirahy," and thence we 

 proceeded on mule-back, riding slowly along the banks of 

 the Parahyba through very pleasant, quiet scenery, though 

 much less picturesque than that in the immediate vicinity 

 of Rio. At about sunset we reached the fazenda, standing 

 on a terrace just above the river, and commanding a lovely 

 view of water and woodland. We were received with a 

 hospitality hardly to be equalled, I think, out of Brazil, 

 for it asks neither who you are nor whence you come, 

 but opens its doors to every wayfarer. On this occasion 

 we were expected ; but it is nevertheless true that at such 

 a fazenda, where the dining-room accommodates a" hundred 

 persons if necessary, all travellers passing through the 

 country are free to stop for rest and refreshment. At the 

 time of our visit there were several such transient guests ; 

 among others a couple quite unknown to our hosts, who 

 had stopped for the night, but had been taken ill and de- 

 tained there several days. They seemed entirely at home. 

 On this estate there are about two thousand slaves, thirty 



