450 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



the place, and would not be permitted. My hostess also told me that she 

 was sister to one of the Gentlemen whose name I had mentioned, and 

 knew that I was expected at the house of Senhor Auriliano Baptista 

 d' Araujo Magelhaens. Connecting what I now heard with the uniform 

 declaration of my Guide, that he was under engagement to deliver me at 

 a particular house, and with the mystery which appeared about my late 

 fellow travellers, when they refused to admit of my company to the 

 Villa, I began to suspect that though the whole might proceed from 

 the most hospitable and kind intentions on the part of my friends, 

 it would lead to some restraint upon that freedom which I love to 

 possess in every place; and therefore determined when my pro- 

 mise was fulfilled, by riding directly to the house pointed out to me, 

 to remove as soon as possible to a hotel, or to private lodgings. Accord- 

 ingly having given orders to the people who attended me to be ready 

 to proceed at two o'clock in the morning, I committed myself to rest in 

 a well furnished bed room. 



The morning air was unpleasantly cold as we proceeded over some 

 rough ground, by the light of a feeble moon, then in her last quarter, 

 round whose disk was a singularly bright and broad Halo. Again I 

 suffered extremely from thirst, and earnestly wished for the return of 

 day-light, to show us some means of relief, having tried in vain to 

 obtain it by carrying in my mouth a pebble, by chewing pieces of paper 

 and of cloth. As the dawn advanced it appeared that we were travelling 

 on a narrow dry ridge between the heads of steep ravines, down several 

 of which on either hand the people went to seek a draught of water, 

 but none was to be found. At length we dimly saw through the twilight 

 a herd of cattle feeding, and hastened to reach them, but were again disap- 

 pointed, not a drop of milk could be obtained from any one of them. 

 While the sun rose in all its scorching splendour, after dispersing a dense 

 fog, my torment increased beyond description, and was aggravated by 

 the persuasion that we should find nothing to allay it before we 

 reached the town. The cattle too, became so greatly oppressed that I 

 was obliged to change the animal I rode two or three times, and the 



