NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



281 



country, to the neighbourhood of Guarativa, a considerable place, 

 pleasantly situated on rising ground. The parish is said to contain thirty 

 square leagues, and upwards of four thousand inhabitants. The ridge, on 

 our left, at the foot of which we had long proceeded, now appeared to stretch 

 across, and to bar up our way. Here our host once more endeavoured to 

 persuade us to abandon the enterprize, but we thought that we could 

 trace a passage up the Serro before us, and determined to proceed. At 

 this moment a stranger made his appearance, on w^hom old Joan opened 

 with great volubility, and was assured by him that he had himself 

 passed that way in the morning, and was now returning to his home on 

 the other side of the hill. In consequence we were formally turned 

 over to a new guide, with a thousand charges to take care of us, backed 

 by highly exaggerated accounts of the importance of our characters, and 

 the extent of our power. We laughed heartily at our sudden advance- 

 ment in the world, which, however, seemed to make no pleasant impres- 

 sion on the mind of our fellow-traveller, perhaps contributed to make 

 him regard us as an encumbrance. 



Entering upon a steep and rugged water-course, we were obliged to 

 dismount, for our horses could barely carry themselves up it. When we 

 reached the summit it was dark, and the wood thickened around us. 

 The road was equally rough in the descent, and one of the horses became 

 completely jaded. Our guide, too, manifested symptoms of impatience ; 

 but, resolved that he should not give us the slip, we placed him in the 

 midst of us, and soon convinced him that, by behaving properly, he was 

 pursuing his own interest no less than his duty. He led us several 

 miles in the dark, over a narrow but seemingly decent road ; and, at 

 length, pointed to a light at a distance, which, he said, proceeded from 

 his own house, with another a little farther off, which came from 

 a Benedictine Convent, where we might find accommodations for 

 the night. 



We were heartily welcomed at the Convent, and supplied with a 



plentiful supper of fish and good beds ; though we saw only one Brother, 



who was now, in his turn, superintending the affairs of the estabhshment, 



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