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STAY AT RIO GRANDE DE BELMONTE, 



night upon a sand-bank, on the margin of the stream, a httle above 

 the fall. This place is called Rafaseiro. We still enjoyed sunshine 

 when it was already dark in the neighbouring forests ; the hoarse 

 evening notes of the araras announced to the owls and night swal- 

 lows, that the season for their activity was come. As the weather 

 was fine and serene, we passed the night without huts, near a good 

 fire, myself covered with a thick blanket, the boatmen with a straw 

 mat : a large dry ox hide served to lie upon. The following day we 

 continued our voyage. From this place the river has rather less fall, 

 but its general appearance remained the same. The water was shal- 

 low, interrupted by large blocks of granite, which were more nume- 

 rous towards the bank, and were the largest at the edge of the ancient 

 forests, where they lay close together. From these pieces of rock, by 

 w hich the river is divided into several channels, we may infer its de- 

 scent from the high ridges of Minas. Many of these blocks are mixed 

 with a quantity of mica ; gold too, and even precious stones are 

 found here in all the rivers, particularly in the small streams that 

 fall into them. The water of the Belmonte, which, at the season 

 when the rivers swell, looks yellow and dirty, was now pure and 

 bright, and we were therefore the better able to steer clear of the 

 rocks that lay below the surface. 



The sides of this valley rise rapidly into hills covered with primeval 

 forests, and the large masses of rock lay in great numbers, extending 

 even into the wood. As many kinds of trees lose their leaves at this 

 season, but the most remain always green, the forest appeared half 

 green and half grey ; towards Minas this appearance is still more 

 striking ; nay, it is said, that in some parts the leaves fall off entirely. 

 The various kinds of young leaves now just budding forth, began to 

 give the landscape new life and beauty. The tapicur6 (bignonia) 

 was completely covered with its beautiful brown red leaves, just 

 shooting out; the summits of the sapuca/a (lecytis) appeared 



