206 



NOTES OK BRAZIL. 



In travelling Westward, we generally kept along the edge of the 

 bay, thereby avoiding the loose sand, and finding a hard track for the 

 horses. Here we met with*a multitude of birds, continually seeking 

 their prey, by thrusting their long biUs into the sand ; they are of <the 

 Heron tribe, and the most common of them are about the size of a 

 Woodcock, with brown plumage, a short tail, and red legs. The natives 

 call them Gansos or Geese, but they are not web-footed and never swim. 

 After proceeding about ten miles, at no time far from the water, we 

 reached some fine level plains, cut by a few streamlets, and covered with 

 rich grass. Advancing four or five miles over these meadows, and 

 passing a poor village, we arrived at higher ground, a small part of 

 which is cultivated, and produces Abobaras and Milho, — the former a 

 species of Pumpkin, the latter what is elsewhere called Maize, or Indian 

 Corn. The general under stratum of the soil seems to be solid,- for we 

 observed many small pools of water, especially near the town ; and here, 

 too, appeared some attempts to confine the progress of the sand by 

 hedges of Mimosa. 



Before we reached the village of Povo Novo, the setting sun, shining 

 upon its white church and houses, sheltered by a few trees, gave it ^ 

 pleasant appearance. To this spot, it is said, the people have been 

 drawn by the erection of the church, and by some ecclesiastical estab- 

 lishment connected with it. Cazal adds, that they are natives of the 

 Azores, and labourers. On what their labour is bestowed I know not ; 

 there are certainly no marks of it in the culture of the soil. Our Lady 

 of Necessity is their patroness, and liberally has she distributed her 

 favours among them. 



On entering the village we sought the abode of a person whom we 

 had employed as a salesman ; and when found, were constrained to take 

 possession of it without leave, for the master was absent, and there was 

 no one in the house but a female slave. Here we were permitted, and 

 even expected to put up our own horses, and secure the trappings and 

 baggage ; our guide turning out to be a young man, too diffident to be 

 at ease himself, or to be active in promoting our comfort. We took the 

 liberty to search the house, and finding little to supply our wants, sent 



