446 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



the most attentive and handsome manner, and now crowned his conduct 

 with cheerful hospitality. 



The Strangers who had joined us intended to start for St. John 

 D' El Rey, at an hour so early as to reach that town before the sun 

 again became hot, and I declared my purpose of accompanying them. 

 The plan, however, gave rise to some debate, brought forward some 

 slight degree of apparent mystery, and was finally over-ruled. Upon 

 this I wished my friends a pleasant journey, and retired to rest. My 

 room, like the other apartments of the house, was formed by walls of 

 watling, roughly overspread with clay, of course unplastered and 

 unwhitened. It was open to the roof, and had no window ; the tiles are 

 so formed and so laid on as to admit light between the chinks, and for 

 the same purpose a small space is left unclosed along the top of the 

 outer wall. My bedstead was one of the plainest sort, without tester or 

 curtains, the bed a large bag, filled with the husks of milho. Such are 

 the rooms, and such the accommodations in the rural parts of Minas 

 Geraes ; no traveller should expect better, and if he should find more 

 splendour he will seldom increase his comforts. On the bed, one of the 

 softest of its kind, I laid myself down satisfied and thankful, and enjoyed 

 luxurious repose, for I heard not the noise made by a wild dog, which 

 entered the adjoining yard and killed a sheep, before the people were 

 sufficiently roused to prevent his depredations. 



In the morning, which to me seemed very cold, the Thermometer 

 stood at 55°. A number of cows had been brought into the yard to 

 suckle their calves ; milk for breakfast was ordered to be taken from the 

 best of them. In doing this a little contrivance was exercised, to impose 

 upon the mother ; the calf was allowed to suck for a little time, and 

 then taken off, and tethered by a cord round its neck to the fore leg of 

 the cow, so that it could just reach but not draw the teat, while she was 

 purloined of the milk. Of this I made a hearty breakfast, but suffered 

 from it severely ; the heat to which 1 had been exposed the preceding 

 day had produced a superabundance of bile, which, combining ill with 

 the milk, converted it to curd, and produced great pain, attended 

 fortunately with sickness. 



