STAY AT MORRO d'aRARA 



minister's saw-mill. The two naval officers who came with him, 

 sailed up the river to take a plan of its course, for two da3's' journey 

 upwards as far as the falls ; there they found Captain Bento Lourenzo, 

 who had proceeded so far in his work. The ouvidor left Morro 

 d'Arara on the 9th, and returned to the town ; he took away with 

 him such people and arms as he most wanted, in order to employ 

 them against the savages ; but the expedition availed nothing, for 

 the wary Tapuyas were not to be found. 



I was now left, with the steward of the fazeiida, my two German 

 attendants, five negroes, and six or seven Indians, who were slowly 

 to continue the work. As our mundeos did not catch much game in 

 the moonlight nights, we resolved to niake new ones : this was done 

 upon the mountain, on the other side of the new road. Thirty traps, 

 and three pit-falls were prepared. Though the Patachos did us con- 

 siderable injury, by several times taking away the animals caught, 

 and by beating in the cover of a pit-fall, we still caught some game, 

 till the place was disturbed by woodmen, who came from the town to 

 build boats ; the trees they felled were oiticica, jiquitiba, and cedro, 

 which next to the sergeira are the best for boat-building. 



The month of March had now arrived, and with it the beginning 

 of the cold season, which here sets in with abundance of rain. We 

 had often great heat in the morning, and towards noon violent 

 thunder-storms, which occasionally lasted one or two days, and 

 poured down torrents of rain. In such weather our solitary abode 

 in the little and gloomy valley in the forest, was extremely dreary : 

 vapours rose like thick clouds from the damp woods, and enveloped 

 us so, that we could scarcely see the opposite thicket though so 

 near us. This changeable and damp weather caused many diseases ; 

 fevers and head-ache were frequent, and even the native Indians 

 were not exempt from them, so that it was necessary to send several 

 of them to the town. We foreigners suffered particularly; we were 



