Pmice Maximilian^& 



greatly waii ted in this place, for no sooner have we loaded our 

 tropa, with trouble enough, at S, Joao, in the morning, than we 

 are obliged, after a few hours, to unload them again on this spot. 



On the opposite bank we took shelter from the rain in some 

 empty loam huts which we found there. Before arriving at the 

 sea-shore, again, on this side, we had to scale hüls covered with a 

 kind of cane, from thirty to forty feet high, called taqiiarussti, or 

 the large cane. Its collosal stems of six inches in diameter, 

 bend gently in their rising, the leaves are feathered, and the 

 branches have strong short thorns, which make this thicket impe- 

 netrable. T hese bambusce are very welcome to the sportsmen, 

 for by cutting them under the knot, the stems of the younger 

 sprouts are found to contain a cool, pleasant, although rather in- 

 sipid, sweetish water, which instantly quenches the burning thirst. 

 This remarkable plant flourishes in mountainous dry, countries, 

 wherefore it is most frequently to be fcMind in the capitania of 

 minas geraes, where they made drinking cups from its stem. Pro- 

 ceeding along the sea-shore, we found, near some scattered habita- 

 tions, another useful plant, the agave foetida. The smooth,, stiff^ 

 leaves, from ; ^^^iit to ten feet long, form^a strong hedge,, from thv? 

 midst of which rises a stem thirty feet high, bearing at the top 

 greenish yellow blossoms, which give a peculiar appearance to the 

 landscape. The marrow of the stem, called jsiWa, is used by the 

 collectors of insects instead of cork. We now reached the faze fida 

 of Tapeb'U(^Uy situated on a hill near the sea, the owner of which, 

 an ensign of the militia (Jlferes)^ received us very well. High 

 forests rise behind the fazenda^ which is only separated from them 

 by a lagoa. From the eminence on which the house is situated, we 

 beheld a plain, covered by an impenetrable wood, in the middle of 

 which stands the serra de Iriri, an isolated chain of mountains con- 

 sisting of four or fine conical heads, crowned with wood. More to 

 the left, in a southern direction, presents itself the solitary monte 

 de S. Joao. 



They cultivate on this estate, mandiocca, maize, and a little cof- 

 fee ; the lagoa contains much fish. The orange trees around the 

 habitations attracted a fresh number of colibris. *Our hunters 

 killed in the neighbouring forests, parrots, maracanas, tucanes, 

 pavos, and other fine birds. Our herbariums too were much en- 

 riclied here. I found many species of cocoa-palms, among others 

 the t ' V)?5 the fruit of which was just ripe, and the prickly marsh- 

 'palms, ticcum, having a stem about fifteen spans high, which, as 

 well as the stalks of the leaves, are covered with sharp prickles. 

 MAWE mentions the plant, but gives it dented leaves of the shape 

 of a lancet, whilst it, in reality, has feaihered^rondes,, the pinnulo! 

 of which are pointed with full borders. AREUDA gives a better 

 description of it, but has not examined the blossoms ; for the rest 



