204 



JOURNEY FROM THE RIO DOCE 



light was reflected on the broad shining surface of the unruffled sea, 

 and indemnified us for the uniformity of the road along the flat 

 sandy coast ; while the great night-swallow hovered over our heads, 

 but unfortunately at an elevation beyond the reach of our fowling- 

 pieces*. 



It is five leagues from the Mucuri to the river Peruipe ; before you 

 reach the isthmus on the sea-coast, the road leads to Villa Vipoza. 

 Here we missed our way, and came to the mouth of the Peruipe, 

 where we found some scattered fishermen's huts. We were obliged 

 to turn back. It was broad daylight, when we emerged from among 

 thickets into a verdant meadow on the bank of the liver, where we 

 saw, under a charming grove of cocoa-palms, the town of Villa 

 Vifoza, consisting of about one hundred houses. A white edifice, 

 distinguished by its size among the low dwellings which surrounded it, 

 was immediately recognised as the camara, or royal building ; we 

 rode up to it, and found the onvidor in company with the two naval 

 captains, Jose daTrinidade and Silveira Jose Manoel de Araujo, who, 

 as we mentioned before, were commissioned by the government to 

 make an astronomical survey of this coast, and prepare a chart of it. 

 The suite of the onvidor Avas of the most motley description ; for be- 

 sides some Portuguese and negro slaves, he had with him ten or 

 twelve young Botocudos of Belmonte, and a young Machacali. 



The sight of the Botocudos astonished us beyond all expression ; 

 we had never before seen such strange and singularly ugly beings. 

 Their original countenances were farther disfigured by large pieces of 

 wood which they wore in their lower lips and in their ears : the lip is 



* This bird is a hitherto non-descript species of the genus, which I named caprimulgus 

 CBthereus, because it rises to a great height in the air, where it hovers like a falcon. It is 22 

 inches long; its plumage is a dirty red, with dark brown and blackish spots. The upper 

 small scapular wing feathers form a dark brown spot, A dark brown spotted transverse 

 stripe marks the bottom of the breast. 



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