NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



355 



bank, heating it by the introduction of fuel, and covering its mouth with 

 a stone ; or else, like others in their degree of civilization, digging a pit 

 in the ground, carefully spreading leaves over its bottom and sides, 

 placing the meat on them, and drawing the leaves over it, applying 

 fire above the whole, thus keeping in the heat, and stewing the flesh 

 in its own gravey. 



The Gougers near the River Plate adopt a method somewhat similar 

 to this, which consists in wrapping the meat to be roasted in a piece 

 of raw hide, and when thus cooked, I can vouch that its savour is ex- 

 cellent, though I do not recollect ever tasting any dressed after the 

 Indian mode. 



The river Orende, a narrow mountain torrent, ceasing to flow with 

 the cessation of rain, runs about nine miles before it falls into the Igua- 

 pezu. I rode nearlv to its sources, to visit an elderly gentleman, who forty 

 years ago, obtained a grant of three square leagues of land. It was then a 

 perfect wilderness, but is now a rich and profitable estate. His mill for 

 crushing sugar cane, is set in motion by a breast water wheel, about thirty 

 feet in diameter ; it is made of cedar, and is the best constructed thing of its 

 kind which I saw in Brazil • few, I believe, are superior to it in Europe. 



My friend had dined when I arrived ; but another dinner was imme- 

 diately ordered, served up with remarkable speed, and rendered more 

 agreeable by the manners of the host. It was intimated to me afterwards, 

 that he noticed my omission of a grace before I began to eat, which, in 

 his estimation, " placed me on a level with the generality of my country- 

 men, when he hoped to have found me a legitimate Christian." The 

 unpleasant impression however, did not appear in any abatement of his 

 good humour. He was earnest in his inquiries abovit England and 

 English farming, and particularly anxious to learn how cattle were sup- 

 ported when the ground was covered with snow. I explained to him our 

 process of hay-making, and other modes of providing winter food ; men- 

 •tioning also, the distress to which we were sometimes reduced, when the 

 reason proved uncommonly long and severe. At the close of this des- 



■cription, he said ** Thank God, I have always a seed time and always a 



Yy 2 



