STAY AT MORRO d'aRARA, &C. 



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other trees with it to the ground ; because all these forests are inter- 

 laced and twined together by the strongest ligneous climbing plants ; 

 many trunks were broken ofF by others, and remained standing like 

 colossal pillars : prickly plants, especially the stems of the aii'i palm, 

 which are covered with thorns, lay every where on the ground, and 

 made these abatis perfectly impenetrable. The ouvidor had caused 

 five or six huts to be built near the lagoa, the roofs of which were 

 covered with uricanna leaves. Four of our Indians, who, like most of 

 their countrymen, were very good hunters, and still better fishermen 

 and boatmen, were sent out every morning for the whole day, to fish, 

 hunt, and examine our mmideos or traps for animals, and they al- 

 ways brought home in the evening, game and abundance of fish, 

 principally piabanhas, tra'iras, piau, robal, and other species. As 

 soon as all our people were collected together in the evening, we had 

 no cause to fear an open attack of the savages. Against a surprise 

 by night, which they do not readily attempt in dark, but preferably 

 in moonlight, nights, we were secured by the vigilance of our dogs. 

 A large dog belonging to the ouvidor distinguished himself above the 

 rest ; he seemed to scent the savages when they prowled about on the 

 mountain, beyond the lagoa. On these occasions he was quite 

 furious, and barked long and without intermission towards the suspi- 

 cious quarter. The Patachos, from their dark lurking places, doubt- 

 less observed us, not without wonder and dissatisfaction, and our 

 hunters had need of great caution not to approach them unguardedly. 

 We often heard these savages imitate the notes of the owls ( curi/jaj, 

 of the capueira, and other animals, especially the night-birds ; but 

 our Indians, who were equally skilled in this art, never failed to dis- 

 tinguish the imitation from nature. A person not acquainted with it, 

 would perhaps have attempted to follow the call of the bird, when 

 the arrows of the savages would have shewn him his mistake. When 

 our people danced the baduca by moonlight, and played the guitar 



