396 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



mounted his bellows, and established himself for the specified term of 

 fourteen days, or longer if he could find employment. His first business 

 is to cut wood off the estate, and burn it into charcoal; while this is 

 doing, the news becomes spread about the country that such an important 

 artist has arrived in the neighbourhood. If a Sunday, or other rehgious 

 festival, intervene, it promotes his views, for, in these thinly -inhabited 

 districts, the Chapel answers the purposes of an Exchange. Indeed we 

 have not observed a Church since we left Inhomerim, nor have we yet 

 passed the limits of that parish. 



There can be no great danger of losing the road, for there is seldom 

 more than one track, yet when inquiring for the right one, as I was 

 obliged to do to-day, the people of the country tell the traveller to go 

 on a certain distance, and then turn to the rising or setting. With these 

 two points, the East and West, they are accurately acquainted, but 

 seem to consider the North and the South as indefinitely broad spaces 

 between both. Our course has been very uncertain during the last stage, 

 but, by taking the bearing of different heights, I conclude that it has been 

 about N. W. by or N. N. W. We saw as we passed along, some 

 beautiful birds and fine game in the woods, but the difficulty of reaching, 

 and of finding it when killed, has been extreme. 



Full three hundred and fifty mules passed us, going toward the 

 city laden with the products already mentioned, and in addition to them 

 with Saltpetre. This substance is found near Sahara in great abundance, 

 and is collected, and conveyed to the city, on the account of Government; 

 but it seems that the labour and the carriage render it more costly than 

 the expenses of import would do from Europe or from India ; but this 

 Government, like many wiser ones, levies protecting duties ; in other 

 words, expends human labour disadvantageously. 



Next morning at sun rising the thermometer was at 68°, the highest 

 point noted the day before was 15". Our guide left the common road to 

 show me a fine Sugar Estate. It contained a square league of land ; the 

 house belonging to it is a good one, well white-washed and therefore 

 neat ; the mill has a Water-wheel of extraordinary power, but ill-pro- 



