Travels in ike BrazUs. 



45 



bourhoo^. We proceeded then through mandiocca-fields, where 

 the plants were placed between the cut and burnt wood, and tlie 

 ground raised round them, as is done with the potatoes in Europe ; 

 farther on we passed through marshy spots, with upright white- 

 flowered little bigniona stems, and high forests. The ruins of a 

 large house, besides other objects, made us conclude that the dis-, 

 trict had been formerly in a better state of cultivation. W e no- 

 ticed an incredible number of uruhiis ( vultur aura, Linn.J which 

 had collected round some carrion, and seemed so little afraid, that 

 they were actually sharing their booty with a large dog, and did 

 notsufter themselves to be disturbed by oqr presence. We also 

 saw here large flights of long-tailed parrots, (maracanna's and pe- 

 rikitto's.) All those that we shot had their beaks dyed blue, frona 

 a certain fruit which was just then ripe. We shot some tiicanesy 

 and commonly perceived, on the highest dry branches, single 

 birds of prey watching for their booty, especially the lead-colour- 

 ed falcon {/hlco plumheus, Linn.) which rushes with a bold swift 

 flight upon its victim. 



Here we also saw the tree, called by the Portuguese tento.* It 

 has dark-green feathers, red leaves, and bears short, broad husks, 

 with fine dark-red beans, which the Portuguese use for counters, 

 (tentos.) We did not see its blossoms. The sand-bushes pro- 

 duce here a great many interesting plants. In marshy places we 

 found a tree from eight to ten feet high, apparently related to the 

 the honnetia palustris, with large white flowers, a fine species of 

 evolvuhis,f a small cassia, with yellow blossoms a pretty blooming 

 creeping ascleinadca (echites) with fine white and rose coloured 

 flowers, a new andromeda, with deep red flowers, and the two spe- 

 cies of andromeda, already found at Caho Frio, with several 

 others. 



Towards evening our caravan reached the sea-shore, where the 

 ruins of an old chapel, in a melancholy, dreary, sandy country, 

 completely harmonized with the wild roarings of the foaming sea, 

 small stunted bushes grew towards the wood, and bore testimony 

 of the strength of the prevailing winds. We continued our jour- 

 ney upon a small neck of land between the sea and a long extend- 

 ed lagoa till night, when we reached a single shepherd's habitation, 

 caWea Paulista, where our hungry stomachs found nothing but a 

 little mandiocca-meal, and some maize for our beasts; luckily we 

 had provided ourselves at Baretto, with some salt-meat canie seca ) 

 and beans (Jei^oes). As the house was pretty large we remained 

 here the foUowmg day, in order that we might rest from our fa- 

 tigue. The Brazilian aysterlaters (hgematopus) ran in crowds about 

 the shore, and many of them were killed by us. In the neighbour- 



•This is the armosia cocciiiea. Jacks, in the Transact, of the Lim. Society. A new spe- 

 cies, which was first found in Guinea. Willienow does not mention it. 



•f- A n^jw^pccies, neither described by Persoon, Willdeno-Wy Ruix, nor Pavon. 



