AND AMONG THE BOTOCUDOS. 



333 



in the middle, caladium and tUkmchia grew luxuriantly from among 

 various mosses, and ferns and other plants sprung up at its base. 

 The branches of this remarkable tree were loaded with a great num- 

 ber of bag-shaped nests of the guasch, (oriolus hcemorrhous. Linn.) 

 which, like all of that genus, builds in companies. Thus is the active 

 principle of life, diffused every where, and under the most diversified 

 forms, in these tropical climates. In many places small darkly shaded 

 forest streams run into the river, on the banks of which the aninga 

 ( arum Uniferiun, Arruda), which we have already mentioned, grows 

 in abundance. Its conical stem, thick below and tapering above, at- 

 tains the height of six or eight feet. At several places there are 

 fazendas, where the wood has been cleared away, and where some 

 cattle are now kept : great numbers of orange trees have also been 

 planted round the buildings. 



Overtaken by a most violent thunder-shower, I returned to the villa, 

 and then proceeded to Comechatiba. A large boat had lately been 

 cast on shore on this spot, and six persons who were on board, pe- 

 rished : a confirmation of the fact that these coasts are dangerous to 

 navigation ; there are no charts of them, and only light and small 

 coasting vessels are employed. The king is conferring a great benefit 

 on the country, by causing an accurate survey of these coasts to be 

 made. 



At the fazenda of Caledonia I was received in the most hospitable 

 manner, by Mr. Charles Frazer, and found there, to my great joy, 

 newspapers from Europe. I was obliged to pass a long dreary night 

 on the bank of the river Corumbao, because the ebb was already 

 past. It rained incessantly ; to build a hut was quite out of the 

 question, as we had neither branches nor leaves; it was as much as wc 

 could do to keep up a miserable fire. The next morning we looked 

 for crabs ( ciri), which abound in the river and the neighbouring 

 lagoa. Two species live here, one in the sea, the other in the rivers. 



