310 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



guard against every kind of surprise, and offered me the protection of a 

 soldier. I thankfully declined his Excellency's proposal, and assured him 

 that I should attempt no wild adventures, should have a stout and active 

 companion, that we should be well armed, and return so soon as we 

 experienced any thing unpleasant. When, in consequence of the Minister's 

 admonitions, we examined our pistols and fowling pieces at St. Gonzales, 

 I observed a smile on the countenance of our host ; yet he too advised 

 us not to venture beyond the Parahyba. 



After leaving St. Gonzales, the country becomes varied in its surface, 

 and gently declines to the plains of the Guaxendiba, for whose abundant 

 produce the growing capital furnishes a constant and advantageous market. 

 This latter river, draining the mountains of Caarai, pours a pellucid 

 stream through a narrow rocky channel. Near the ford, where it is 

 crossed, are scattered the ruins of a lofty bridge of hewn stone, which 

 afford a striking proof how deficient Brazil is of mathematical and 

 mechanical knowledge. A well-cleared, populous, and fertile region 

 presents itself for several succeeding miles, gradually exchanging tillage 

 for a large extent of pasture, and afterwards for woods, which seem 

 nearly untouched. Among them we met with many monkies, parrots, 

 and arapongas, birds which make a harsh noise, like that produced by a 

 blacksmith's hammer, when falling on the anvil, rebounding and striking 

 again. The note commonly proceeds from the higher lands and resounds 

 through the forests. The swampy plains which succeed these woods, 

 afford nothing worth notice, but that the road across them is formed of 

 the branches of trees, laid transversely over logs placed longitudinally, 

 Such roads are good, while the timber continues sound, and when partly 

 decayed, the cattle of the country traverse them with safety ; but become 

 dangerous to horses and mules unused to them. 



Amidst these plains arise many vast detached masses of granite, 

 similar to those noticed before, and of the same singular form. We passed 

 close to one, which though several miles in length, and rising to the 

 height of five or six hundred feet, seemed to be an entire stone, without 

 a fractur^ or even a fragment lying at its foot. 



