322 NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



sufficient to procure them tobacco and a few other trifling luxuries. 

 Afterwards, in passing a thicket, we started an animal, called here a 

 Gato do Mato, which 1 suspect to be no other than a young Ounce, 

 though generally said to belong to a different species. 



Looking round from an elevation, we observed to the North a line 

 of rough and pointed mountains, rising from four to six thousand feet in 

 height, and presenting a broken, perpendicular, naked face. The plains 

 which we were approaching seemed to be covered with one continued 

 forest ; but there were really many intervening spots, of a dark coloured 

 soil, thickly clothed with gramma, where the sun and air could reach to 

 nourish it. In one of these open spaces was an irregular square of mud 

 huts, with a chapel of somewhat more respectable materials. A great 

 number of black children were rolling about in a state of complete 

 nudity, filthy, meagre, and seemingly unhealthy. Never did I see 

 slaves, on any great estate, so neglected and forlorn. On inquiry we 

 learned that they and the land belonged to the Convent of St. Bento, in 

 Rio. It was natural to compare the condition of this spot with that of 

 Camorim, and impossible to suppress the disgust arising from the reflec- 

 tion that a body so wealthy, enjoying so much ease, and so peculiarly 

 bound to be careful of the prosperity of the countr}'-, and the moral state 

 of its inhabitants, shovild suffer one of their most considerable estates to 

 be so wretchedly administered. 



The Forest, on which ^ye immediately entered, was composed of 

 tall thin trees, with less underwood than usual, yet sufficient to prevent 

 us from deserting the narrow track, and from seeing many yards around. 

 We here met with several Jacus and other game, but tlie nature of the 

 country, and the great quantity of shot which they carried off, rendered 

 the pursuit of them uninteresting ; and our guns had already provided 

 us with a few Plovers, of much the same appearance and habits as those 

 of Europe. In many places we observed tracks by which Fustic had 

 been carried off, and the sound of the axe occasionally taught us that 

 the work of collecting it was going forward. We stopped in one of the 

 open spaces thus formed to dine, and more easily provided for our own 



