Travels in the Brazils, ^ 59 

 appeared in hostilities at Muribecca. This much is at least 

 certain, that they received at S. Fidelis, with incredible 

 rapidity, the account of a murder committed by one of their 

 people on the sea coast, which proves that they have a very 

 near communication across the woods; and it also appears, 

 that they maintain an intercourse from the coast to Minas* 

 The situation of our entertainer's fazenda was extremely 

 agreeable, as it stood on the beautiful Paraiba, which is here 

 in many places as broad as the Rhine. The thick, dark, and 

 lofty forests are diversified by the pleasant verdant hills which 

 compose the bank of the river, and on which numerous /a- 

 zendas are erected. In some parts these wild picturesque 

 woods spread widely out, even on the bank, and extend, with- 

 out interruption, back into the country in all directions. 

 From the higher ranges of the mountains, dark and awful 

 vales are seen intersecting the wilderness, gloomy and thick, 

 and filled with trees of gigantic height ; nor is their stillness 

 often interrupted even by the head of a solitary skulking Puri. 

 Behind the fazenda we ascended a hill, and had there a 

 sublimely beautiful, though terrific view into the vast tre- 

 mendous desert. Scarcely had we rejoined the numerous 

 company assembled at the foot of the height, when we beheld 

 the savages issuing from a side valley, and advancing towards 

 us. They were the first of these men whom we had seen, and 

 our joy at their appearance was equal to our curiosity. We 

 hastened forward to meet them, and stood before them over- 

 come by the novelty of the spectacle. Five men and three or 

 four women had accepted the invitation to come and see us, 

 and were accompanied by their children. They were all of 

 short stature, none being taller than five feet five inches, and 

 generally, women as well as men, broad and thick made.f 

 With the exception of a few, who had clothes bound round 

 their middle, or wore short breeches received from the Portu- 

 guese, they were all perfectly naked. Some had their entire 

 head cropped; while the naturally strong and raven-black 

 hair of others, only cut over the eyes and in the nape, hung 

 down their necks. The beard and eye-brows of some were 

 cut; but in general they have little beard: it forms, with the 

 greater part, only a thin wreath round the mouth, and hangs 



* In Minas they are yet numerous'. It was here attempted to transplant 

 them, and make slaves of them, in order to civilize them; but this purpose 

 completely failed. Eschwege' s Journal. Heft. 1. S. 98. 



f Amon^ all the inhabitants of the East coast whom I saw, I must con- 

 sider the Purls the least. According to Freyreiss, these men are more 

 strongly made in the Capitania of Minas Gardes than the Coroados ; but this 

 I did not find confirmed at S. Fidelis.— Eschwege' s Journal. Heft I. S, 205. ' 



