242 JOURNEY FROM CARAVELLAS 



Many persons at Caravellas had died of the disorders incident to the 

 change of temperature, while we foreigners experienced less incon- 

 venience from it. The open plain in which Caravellas stands, is 

 encompassed by marshy forests and thickets, in which the plantations 

 of the inhabitants lie scattered. This forest is much pleasanter in 

 the fine season of the year than we now found it; for it appeared 

 nmch more beautiful when I visited it again, at the commencement of 

 spring, in the month of November. 



The cheerful song of the sabiah, ( turdus riijiventris,) resounded 

 in the dark shade of the cocoa-trees, one of which I accidentally met 

 with here, that had taken root in the hollow trunk of a very large 

 tree, and had already shot up to a considerable height. You ride 

 through this forest to the mouth of the river Caravellas, where about 

 a dozen fishermen's huts form a little hamlet. From the barra or 

 mouth of the river, which is spacious and safe, you follow the flat 

 sandy beach, against which the sea, agitated by the wind, rolled its 

 hoarse dashing waves. On the land side this flat beach is bounded 

 by thick bushes stunted by the wind; they consist of trees and shrubs, 

 with dark green leaves, resembling those of the laurel, which are 

 partly milky, juicy, and stiff ; as the two kinds of clusia, with large 

 beautiful white and rose-coloured flowers, that grow in abundance 

 along the whole strand. Here, as well as on the whole east coast, 

 the shrub known by the name of almecigo, (idea, amyris, aublet,) 

 every part of which is very aromatic, is frequently found. From it 

 exudes a highly odorous gum, which is used for various purposes, 

 especially as pitch or resin for ships, and as a balsam and remedy for 

 wounds. A chief part of the low thickets on the sea-shore consists of 

 the two species of cocoa, the cocos de Guriri and de Aj'icu?'!, which 

 grow commonly on the coast, and have been already mentioned in 

 the account of our stay on the Mucuri. The first was now in flower, 

 and loaded with unripe fruit; the other is handsomer, grows from 15 



