330 STAY ON THE RIO GRANDE DE BELMONTE, 



places where the two arms of the Sucurucu (the ancient Indian name 

 of the Rio do Prado) descend, the one in a northerly, the other in a 

 southerly direction : the former bears the name of the Rio do Norte, 

 the latter is called Rio do Sul. In the distance is seen the Serra do 

 Joao de Leao, and de St. Andre, which belong to the Serra dos Ay- 

 mores, a chain of mountains, about four days journey from the sea- 

 coast, not far from the fall in the river, where game and fish are said 

 to abound. The Sucurucu soon becomes narrower when you go up 

 towards its sources ; a proof that its course is not very long. Not far 

 from the place where I now was, the two arms join to form the river: 

 farther up all European settlements suddenly cease; for on the Rio 

 do Norte there is none whatever, and on the Rio do Sul only a single 

 one, which is immediately above the junction of the two arms. 



When I had long enjoyed the beautiful romantic prospect, I went 

 to the bank of the river to the habitations of the Indians. Among 

 these people I found a woman of the tribe of the Machacaris, who 

 perfectly understood the language of the Patachos, which is a very 

 rare circumstance ; for as the latter are of all the savage tribes parti- 

 cularly distrustful and reserved, it is not common for any one not be- 

 longing to their tribe to learn their language. Not far from this spot, 

 but deeper in the recesses of the forest, lies the aldea (village), as it is 

 called, of the Machacaris, which had been frequently mentioned to 

 me, but where only about four families of these people live together 

 in one house. As I was very desirous to make myself acquainted 

 with this tribe also, I went thither with some Indians. The way was 

 very inconvenient, for we had to wade half a league through marshes 

 and water, and to clamber over fallen trunks of trees. 



I found the savages all dwelling together in a spacious house ; they 

 have lived here about ten years, and are tolerably civilized. Some of 

 them are very friendly and sociable, others on the contrary remained 

 shy and reserved : some speak a little Portuguese, but amongst each 



