212 



JOURNEY FROM THE RIO DOCE 



At this place we were very near having the misfortune to lose Mr. 

 Freyreiss, One morning he went out alone with his fowling-piece, 

 and did not return at the usual time to dinner. Evening came ; it 

 grew darker and darker, and we still looked for hmi in vain. Our 

 fears for his safety increased every moment ; I therefore made several 

 of our people fire frequently in order to give him a signal : at last we 

 heard a ftiint report of a shot at a great distance. I immediately 

 ordered the Indians, provided with burning torches, or rather fire- 

 brands, to hasten to the side from which the sound had been heard. 

 Happily they found our lost companion, and returned with him about 

 midnight. He reached the fazenda very weary and exhausted, and 

 related to us his dangerous adventure. 



He had proceeded a considerable way upon a forest-path that was 

 not very practicable, and which suddenly ceased. He continued to 

 advance ; and when he thought of returning he had entirely lost the 

 proper direction. He spent the rest of the day in seeking it, and 

 marked the trees in order to know where he had already been ; but 

 all his attempts to find his way were fruitless. At length he ascended 

 a mountain, hoping that by having a wider prospect, he should be 

 able to discover the track, but on every side nothing was to be seen 

 but immense unbroken forests. At length he came to a brook, and 

 waded down it, in the hope of reaching the Alcoba^a, and by follow- 

 ing its course to find his way back to the fazenda ; but in this hope 

 he was again disappointed, for the brook soon expanded into a marsh, 

 and was lost. His situation now became in the highest degree alarm- 

 ing. Exhausted with hunger, heated by his fatiguing walk, and wet 

 through with the water of the brook, he sunk down, unable to pro- 

 ceed. But twilight now approached ; he mustered all his strength, 

 and built himself a little hut of palm-leaves. Here he was dreadfully 

 tormented by the mosquitoes ; nor was he less disquieted by the well- 



