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JOURNEY FROM CAPE FRIO 



were therefore obliged to relinquish our design, and to defer till the 

 next morning the chace which necessity commanded. In the dreary, 

 decayed house, where the rain penetrated through the roof, we found 

 but little rest in our hammocks, which we hung up, for we were 

 incessantly tormented by an infinite number of fleas, and a host 

 of hichos do p6 (sand-fleas, pulex penetrans ), of which we the next 

 day picked an incredible number out of our feet. This insect, which 

 is particularly common in all empty buildings in the sandy district, in- 

 sinuates itself between the skin and the flesh of the feet near the soles, 

 and of the toes, and sometimes even under the finger-nails. To say, 

 as some do, that it penetrates into the muscular flesh, is an exagge- 

 ration : it always harbours between the flesh and skin only. Its pre- 

 sence is soon made sensible by a violent itching, which at length 

 turns to a slight pain : it is therefore advisable immediately to take 

 it out with a needle, without injuring its body, which is like a 

 bladder, and full of eggs. In order to prevent inflammation, it is 

 proper, after taking out the insect, to rub into the puncture either 

 snufi:, or unguentum basilicum, which is sold by the apothecaries 

 in Brazil. 



A gloomy, rainy morning succeeded this disagreeable night ; but our 

 stomachs soon reminded us of the chace which we had unsuccessfully 

 commenced the preceding day. We therefore ordered our hunters to 

 mount, and sent them into the plain, where they dispersed the wild 

 cattle, which fled affirighted in all directions. Our mules in general 

 galloped well : at length our hunters, Thomas and Joao, succeeded 

 in killing an ox. It was immediately cut up ; we satisfied the hungry 

 people as soon as possible, and then separated to hunt. There are 

 many ornithological curiosities in these parts. Francisco, the Coropo 

 Indian, had shot the ibis with a naked flesh-coloured face, which 

 Azara describes by the name of curucau rasS ; others of the hunters 



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