AND JOURNEY TO THE RIO DOCE. 



159 



the extremely pure, fresh sea-air soon completed the recovery of the 

 patients. We now made arrangements for remaining in this new 

 abode several months, intending to pass the rainy season there. Our 

 hunters made excursions through the forests far and near. 



Barra de Jucu is a small fishing-village, on the river Jucu, which 

 falls into the sea at this place, after taking its course from the great 

 fazendas of Coroaba and Ara^atiba, in numerous windings, through 

 the woods. It abounds in fish, and there are many wildly picturesque 

 spots near its banks. The houses of the fishermen at Barra de Juc6 

 are partly scattered ; in the middle of them, near the bridge over the 

 river, is the house of Colonel Falcao. This opulent planter possesses 

 several other fazendas in the neighbourhood, the largest of which, 

 Aracatiba, is about four leagues distant. The colonel was accus- 

 tomed to come hither in the summer season for the benefit of sea- 

 bathing, and was therefore much displeased that the governor had 

 given us his house for our residence ; which we however did not learn 

 till afterwards. He came nevertheless to Barra de Jucu, and had 

 another house in the neighbourhood prepared for his reception, till 

 he could have that in which we resided. 



The most interesting hunting excursions which we undertook here, 

 to make ourselves acquainted with the surrounding country, led us first, 

 immediately beyond the bridge over the Juc6, into the fine primeval 

 forest which extends to Villa Velha do Espirito Santo. We here met 

 with a pretty kind of sahiii, hitherto new to us, (jacchus leucocepha- 

 lus, Geoflfroy,) in small troops, which are particularly eager after the 

 nuts of certain wild cocoa-palms ; the round-tailed porcupine (the 

 coui/ of Azara), and other animals. Among the birds, the most 

 frequent in this forest are the beautiful blue nectarinea cyanea ( cer- 

 thia cijanca. Linn.); the following kinds of manakin, pipra pareoloj 

 erythrocephala and leucocilla ; also a small hitherto non-descript 



