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JOURNEY FROM THE RIO DOCE 



occa, maize, and even fine water-melons, sufficient for their own use. 

 They have hkewise some boats, and add to their supply of provisions 

 by hunting and fishing. 



We here met with a very remarkable old man, called Simon, who 

 has lived for many years, quite secluded, in a small house near this 

 station, and has no apprehension of the savages. Though he is very 

 old, he still enjoys uncommon strength and good spirits, and is beloved 

 by all the neighbours. He cultivates his plantations himself, is an ex- 

 perienced hunter and fisherman, and is thoroughly acquainted with 

 the surrounding country. We visited him several times in his little 

 hermitage, and found him, with his limited wants, not only quite 

 contented with his condition, but so good-humoured and merry that 

 his cheerfulness communicated itself to all the company round him. 

 He made us a present of the skin of the great ant-eater ( myrmeco- 

 phaga jubata. Linn.), here called tamandua cavallo, and which he 

 had lately killed. At Monserra we obtained other rarities for our 

 collections of natural history ; for instance, the scarahmis hercules, the 

 largest beetle of Brazil, which a soldier had caught and brought to us 

 alive. In the sequel, a man brought us at one time four or five heads 

 of this rare beetle ; and on questioning him respecting the lamentable 

 mutilation of this interesting subject, I learned that the ladies in 

 many places wear these heads strung round their necks by way of 

 ornament. 



In order to procure the necessary escort through an uninhabited 

 wilderness, eighteen leagues in extent, to St. Matthew's, we requested 

 the ensign our companion, to give us two soldiers, as the papers 

 which we had received from the minister, the Conde d'Aguiar, ex- 

 pressly authorised us to claim this assistance. We had shewn these 

 papers to the governor at Capitania, and requested him to furnish us 

 with the people necessary for the prosecution of our journey. Here- 

 upon we received a letter from him to the ensign at Linhares, in which 



