TO CARAVELLAS, ScC. 



209 



At Pindoba we crossed a little forest-stream, mounted the horses 

 lent us by the owners of the neighhour'mg fazcmdas, and rode through 

 solitary wildernesses, where woods, thickets, and heaths succeed each 

 other. On the scattered f'azcndas there are large sheds, in which 

 great quantities of mandiocca-tiour, the chief production of this 

 country, arc prepared. These buildings are open on all sides, and 

 consist merely of a roof of reeds or palm-leaves, supported by strong 

 posts, and under which there are many large pans fixed in brick- 

 work, to dry the flour. 



In an ancient forest of noble tall trees, we Mere surprised by a 

 strange chorus of a species of birds hitherto new to us. The whole 

 forest re-echoed with their snigular loud whistle, which is composed 

 of five or six piercing notes. These noisy tenants of the wood were 

 here assembled in flocks, and as soon as one began to utter his note, 

 all the rest immediately joined in chorus. Our hunters, excited by 

 the most eager curiosity, lost no time in penetrating into the thickets, 

 but, notwithstanding their number, it cost them great trouble before 

 they could shoot any of these screamers. This bird* is of the size of 

 a blackbird, and of a very plain dirty ash grey colour. The Portu- 

 guese on the east coast give it the name of Sebastian ; and in Minas 

 Geraes it is called thrush of the forests. At the end of the wood we 

 came to the house of Senhora Isabella, the owner of large mandiocca 

 plantations, an extremely charitable lady, and beloved on that ac- 

 count in the w^hole neighbouring country. As she has the reputation 

 of being able to cure various diseases, she is visited by many sick 

 and poor people, whom she either cures, or dismisses with presents 



* Muscicapa vociferans: ten inches long ; all the upper parts dark ash grey, in sonic places 

 with a brownish or yellowish tinge ; all the lower parts rather paler ash grey ; breast and 

 throat the darkest ; the tip of the feathers of the lower parts here and there rather yellowish. 

 In the Zoological Museum of Berlin, they have given it the name of muscicapa ampelina. 



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