NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



365 



ation has occasioned many natural caverns, which were formerly made 

 use of to secrete contraband goods. On this account it was confiscated, 

 and now, remaining in the crown, is a scene of strange desolation. It 

 possesses, however, what is very uncommon among these islands, two 

 or three springs of good water, and has a small harbour on the Northern 

 side, where art has been called in to the assistance of nature. This is 

 often made a refuge in bad weather, but ought to be approached with 

 caution, for it is surrounded with rocks, among which the current runs 

 violently, and a conical one lies under water, just in front of the 

 harbour's mouth. 



Within the pier, about two months before, I had seen a dead 

 porpoise, then in a very offensive state. The skeleton being now dry 

 and clean, I took up the skull and threw it into the boat, intending to 

 examine it at leisure. When, after a short dispersion, we met to 

 «a*e-enter the boat, it appeared that the skull was an object of superstitious 

 dread to our negroes, who thought it a human one, and imagined that it 

 had belonged to a person of their own colour ; — the resemblance certainly 

 gave some ground for the suspicion. It was in vain that the fact was 

 represented to them ; they persisted in their entreaties that the bone 

 might be thrown overboard. Instead of complying with their wish, 

 the Captain tossed it into the lap of one of them, which so alarmed 

 as to disqualify him for his work, and so offended the rest as to redouble 

 their uninteUigible clamours, which v/ere carried on in their native 

 dialect. We had now only one alternative, either to compel them to 

 proceed by severity, or to give up the obnoxious skull. The latter was 

 decided on, and the men seemed so gratified by having obtained the 

 rites of sepulture for a brother, that they behaved admirably during 

 the remainder of the day. An African born negro, once roused to 

 obstinacy, may be subdued ; but, I believe, never was convinced ; his 

 opinions and resolutions, particularly those of revenge, are unalterable ; 

 —always nourished but seldom executed, because he wants courage to 

 give them effect. 



