68 



JOURNEY FROM RIO DE JANEIRO 



and he had a house at Cape Frio, in which he pressed us to take up 

 our abode during our stay there. In the mean time he acted as our 

 guide, and repeatedly invited us to his house in the neighbourhood. 

 Mr. Sellow accepted the invitation. At mass we saw many of the 

 dark-brown Indians with their original physiognomy, which to us 

 strangers was a very interesting spectacle. In the evening they 

 danced in the house of their Captain Mor ; the caiiy went round, 

 and they were extremely merry. The priest was of the party, but he 

 seemed to be treated with little regard, except at church. 



In consequence of the visit which our botanical companion paid to 

 the house of Captain Carvalho, we acquired some knowledge of the 

 interesting productions of the great forests near St. Pedro. These 

 woods are full of the finest timber, and medicinal plants. Mr. Car- 

 valho had been formerly accused of exporting those useful kinds of 

 timber, which are the property of the Crown, and was imprisoned by 

 order of the government ; but his innocence was subsequently proved, 

 and he was set at liberty. 



The Brazil wood (ccesalpinia Brasiliensis, Linn.), so celebrated and 

 well known in Europe, abounds here; also ipe wood (hignonia) of 

 various kinds, with large yellow and white flowers, one species of 

 which is called ipe-nmarello, while another, which perhaps furnishes 

 the most durable ship-timber, is named ipe-tabacco, because its heart, 

 when split, emits a greenish powder ; pekea, the fruit of which is 

 sometimes eaten by man, and forms a common food of monkeys ; 

 also pitoma^ oleo pardo ( lauriis j, ipeima (hignonia J, the hardest wood 

 of all. As this is elastic, and at the same time very light, the In- 

 dians sometimes make their bows of it. Here are found, besides, 

 imhi{i, jaqtid., gjiihii, gnimbari, and mazaranduba, having a milky 

 juice under the bark, of which the Indians make bird-lime ; gi'aiina, 

 and sergeira, a cassia or mimosa, which sheds its leaves, one of the 

 finest and thickest trees. The latter is very light; it supplies the place 



