428 



NOTES ON BRAZIL, 



took advantage of the leisure which this new arrangement afforded, to 

 pay a visit to one of the houses, entered into a tedious tale of a full hour 

 in length, and tired my patience completely ; every one else waited 

 for him with the most unperturbed good manners, though fully aware 

 that the delay would render the day's ride unpleasant, from the increased 

 fervour of the sun. In the meantime a furious stallion broke into the 

 troop, and produced a battle among the horses, in which several severe 

 wounds were inflicted. The noise and fury of the animals were to me 

 no less surprising than the resolution and dexterity with which the 

 people seized and secured them. The effects of the fray fell most 

 severely upon the horse belonging to our absentee ; its tumult interrupted 

 his tale, and induced him to mount. 



After advancing a league, by the direct road, we turned off it to 

 the left, at a Rancho, near which is a remarkably fine spring of water, 

 and gladly took refuge from the scorching rays of the sun, tarrying 

 some time to refresh both ourselves and the horses. We then ascended 

 a narrow lane, up a steep and difficult hill, full a thousand feet in per- 

 pendicular height, where the beasts suffered exceedingly, both from the 

 closeness of the atmosphere and the labour which the road required. 

 On. the summit we caught a distant view of mountains toward the 

 South-east, which appeared to stand at the head of a spacious valley, 

 and, as we thought, gave birth to the Western branch of the Rio 

 Pomba. For some time we travelled upon a ridge which divides 

 incipient waters, and again descending, crossed the Parahybuna, now 

 become nothing more than a considerable brook, and re-entered the 

 Province of Rio de Janeiro. A league further we returned to that of 

 Minas Geraes, and entered a narrow dell, whose steep side on the left 

 hand, was prepared for milho upon a large scale. 



At a great distance before us we caught a glimpse of some moving 

 figures which occasionally disappeared, and again came in view nearer 

 to us, as the hills projected or retired. As the distance diminished, we 

 discerned a party dressed in all the gay fashion of the country, in red, 

 white, and blue, with umbrellas of hues as various, or more so than their 



