TO THE RIVER ESPIRITO SANTO. 



151 



not amount to above 100,000 reas, whereas they are now increased 

 to 2000 crusadoes, exclusive of the amount of the sugar exported. 

 The free wild Indians formerly harassed this colony on the Iritiba ex- 

 ceedingly, especially the Goaytacases, and the tribes of the Tapuyas, 

 by which are particularly meant the Puris and Maracas ; but the 

 priest assured us, that these savage hordes had not appeared since a 

 great festival, with processions and religious ceremonies, had been an- 

 nually celebrated in the whole district in honour of the Holy Ghost. 



Villa Nova itself is a small place, with some good houses, but 

 which was more lively on Sunday, because all the inhabitants or 

 the neighbouring country repaired thither to mass. The captain of 

 the militia commanding in this district belongs to the regiment of 

 Espirito Santo, of which the chief officer is Colonel Falcao of Capi- 

 tania. He came on Sunday to visit us, and on our enquiring for 

 good hunters, had the politeness to send us some men acquainted 

 with the country ; besides these, we had occasion to engage an In- 

 dian who was an expert hand. These persons procured us several 

 interesting animals, among which were many sauassu monkeys, 

 whose loud voice is frequently heard on the banks of the river. Two 

 of our hunters found in the wood a large venomous serpent. It lay 

 quietly in a hollow, where it was not easy to get at it ; one of them 

 therefore mounted on a low tree, from which he shot the animal. 

 This beautiful serpent is called m this country pirucucu, attains the 

 length of eight or nine feet and a considerable thickness, is of a pale 

 reddish yellow colour, with a row of lozenge-shaped spots on the 

 back. The form of the shields, scales and tail, shews that it is the 

 great viper of the woods of Cayenne and Surinam, described, though 

 rather incorrectly, by Daudin, under the name of lachesis*. Its bite 

 is much dreaded, and persons who are wounded by it are said to die 

 in less than six hours. 



* Marcgraf mentions this reptile by the name of pirucucu. 



