126 



STAY AT VILLA DE ST. SALVADOR, 



factory to suck the canes. The boy whom Mr. Freyreiss had pur- 

 chased the day before was introduced among them, to see what im- 

 pression he would make upon his relations ; but to our astonishment, 

 not one of them deigned to cast a glance at him ; neither did he look 

 about for his parents and relations, but took his seat with perfect indif- 

 ference in the midst of us. I did not meet with such apathy among 

 any of the other tribes : it appears, however, to be manifested only 

 towards young persons who are partly grown up, for they display no 

 want of tenderness to younger children. Till a young man can pro- 

 vide for himself, he is the absolute property of his father ; but as 

 soon as he is in some measure able to procure his own subsistence, the 

 father troubles himself very little more about him. 



Some Puris passed by us with their wives heavily laden. Their 

 burdens consisted of their children, and some baskets of palm-leaves 

 full of bananas, oranges, sapucaya-nuts, cane for arrow-heads, cotton 

 cords, and some articles of ornament. The husband carried one 

 child ; his three wives the others, and the baskets. 



We now took leave of our host and of the Indians, and rode down 

 the left bank of the Paraiba, which we found as beautifully diversified, 

 and as well cultivated, as the right banli. We saw here large fazen- 

 das, surrounded with the finest trees, among which we observed the 

 sapucaya, with its young rose-coloured foliage, in full bloom, covered 

 with its beautiful and strangely formed large lilac flowers. We 

 halted near the house of Senhor Moraes. This intelligent planter 

 had ready for us some subjects of natural history, which he offered to 

 us. He also ordered his horse to be immediately saddled, in order 

 to accompany us. While we stopped here, some families of Puris 

 came and encamped near the house. They are remarkably attached 

 to this worthy man, who has always treated them in a sincere and 

 friendly manner. Without regarding the injury they do him, he 

 allows them to plunder his orange and banana-trees, as well as his 



