16^ 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



the body having been forced through an aperture, made by cutting 

 round below the head. The limb is thrust into the skin while quite 

 moist, and serves as a model, on which the stocking is formed, by rubbing 

 it well with the hands, until it adjusts itself exactly to the leg and foot, 

 while the leather becomes thickened, and assumes the colour of a bladder. 

 To the Lumbillio, on which the farmer sate, was fastened his Lasso ; 

 behind him, across it, lay his missile balls ; and at his right knee, in a 

 sheath secured by his garter, was a knife. 



On the way from the sea to Maldonado we found a sandy soil, 

 the ground unenclosed and uncultivated, producing little besides a coarse 

 grass. The immediate vicinity of the town showed us a few Craals, or 

 Corals, as they are here called, — that is, pens for cattle ; and a few 

 patches of ground inclosed for gardens. We noticed also a plot of 

 bearded wheat, about two hundred yards square ; it flourished luxuri- 

 antly, the ear and the straw equally fine ; yet, as far as we could observe, 

 it stood a solitary example of what the land might be made to produce. 

 In other parts of the neighbourhood the widely extended open plain 

 was rich, though dry and sandy, in many places covered with a short, 

 and seemingly sweet grass. Here and there were trees, whose stunted 

 growth seemed to indicate that the winds of the ocean were too rough 

 for them. In the bottoms were shallow pools, but no brooks; and 

 the cattle grazing around looked meagre and hungry. Those on which 

 more care was bestowed seemed to repay the owner's pains. In a 

 Coral, to which we went to purchase an ox for the ship's use, we found 

 nearly two hundred, and selected a fine young one, as large and well 

 shaped as Smithfield usually affords. The flesh was delivered on the 

 beach, in quarters, for a dollar ; the man who slaughtered it retaining 

 the hide and tallow. 



Returning to dinner at the inn, our hostess favoured us with a dish 

 of beef-steaks, of which she had learned the name, and which she 

 supposed to be the favourite food of Englishmen. As in these houses 

 there is no respect of persons, and as in this part of the world there is no 

 notion of the comfort of a party eating by themselves, we had a great 



