496 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



a handsome bouquet. An adept would have read volumes in the gift; 

 but I was obliged to confess my want of acquaintance with the mystic 

 language of flowers, and to endure from her, and several who were 

 standing by, a good-natured smile at my simplicity. Though in this 

 science I made no progress under her tuition, I learned from the interview 

 what appeared to me of much greater value, — that there was a nearer 

 way from Ouro Branco than that by which we had proceeded, that though 

 much the steeper road of the two, she always made use of it, when she 

 went to mass, and that the Cavalry of Villa Rica had gone by it, without 

 dismounting, when they marched to Rio on duty. 



Our subsequent progress was over dry and barren Downs, to the 

 borders of a narrow stream, flowing Eastward, and, in union with 

 several others, forming the Piranga, one of the sources of the Rio Doce. 

 We observed several establishments for gold-washing, similar to those 

 which have been already described, but had no opportunity of remark- 

 ing the least improvement in the modes of conducting the business. 



At the edge of a coppice in a narrow dell, our guide carefully 

 mustered the whole troop, and desiring that we would keep close toge- 

 ther, spoke fluently of banditti, robberies, and murders. The spot, it 

 must be acknowledged, was peculiarly favourable to the designs of 

 villany, for the ground was much broken by deep gullies, and the 

 track hollow and tortuous. My attention was especially directed to a house 

 on our left-hand, and a mill on the right, both in ruins, which the guide, 

 in an under tone, — not with him a common mode of speaking, — repre- 

 sented as reduced to that state by the Police, on account of the great 

 number of murders committed there. If this were the case, the man 

 in power has acted very injudiciously, for it is difficult to conceive of a 

 fitter harbour for thieves and murderers than that afforded by these 

 ruined walls, and the surrounding woods. We passed, however, unmo- 

 lested, and without the slightest appearance of danger; though the 

 representations of the guide prevailed so far as to make us keep a sharp 

 look-out, as, indeed, had been almost equally the case on the preced- 

 ing day. 



