Travels in tJte Brazils^ 



41 



procnia^ {araijongd) was in abundance The road now laj 

 througli deep sand. On a crooked stem I found a serpent of a 

 lead colour, from six to seven feet in length, «which I shall desig- 

 nate under the name of coluber piumbeus, * First shootmg it, we 

 with some difficulty persuaded the negro that had the care of our 

 plants, to carry this harmless creature, wrapped up in a cloth, sus- 

 pended in a pail, over his shoulders. In the meantime, our hunt- 

 ers had shot several iucmies, arassariSy (ramphados aracari. 

 Linn.) surucuas, {trogon,) and the small red sahiiL {simia rosalia^ 

 Linn.) 



Towards evening we reached the banks of the river S. Joao, 

 which runs into the sea near the villa which is built here. It is 

 from 300 to 400 paces wide, and is crossed with canoes ; our 

 beasts, however, forded it a little higher up. We landed on the 

 other side, near the villa da Barr a de S. Joao, a small place with 

 several streets, and tolerably good buildings for the country ; its 

 church, built by the Jesuits, stands on rather a solitary rock, near 

 the sea shore. This villa is one of the spots where travellers and 

 goods coming from Minas Geraes undergo an examination, and 

 are searched, on account of the prohibited exportation of precious 

 stones. We found here five or six brigs at anchor. An Eng- 

 lish smith, who had settled here, told us tliat several English ships 

 had strayed to this remote place, and that he intended to procure 

 for himself the appointment of vice-consul. He repaired some of 

 our guns very much to our satisfaction, as being what is seldom to 

 be met with m this country. The want of men capable of repair- 

 ing guns is severely felt by the naturahst who is travelling in the 

 countries of Brazil. They cultivate, near *S'. Joao^ much rice and 

 mandiocca, and knds hereabouts are said to be very fruitful, par- 

 ticularly up the river; even sandy spots bear plentifully when 

 well watered. 



From the sandy isthmus between the river and the sea, on 

 which the villa is built, we wind along the coast farther north. In 

 a plain we found the scarlet amaryllis^ with a double cup, also 

 yellow-blossomed banisteries, and a fine species of myrtle. On 

 our left we had the Monte de S. Joao, a towering solitary ridge, 

 at the foot of which were high forests, and in front of these 

 marshes covered with copse-wood, stretching toward the sea. 



After traversing several mandiocca plantations, we came to a 

 fine hill, covered with cocoa-palms, and projecting into the sea, 

 which here received a brook, called Rio das Ostras. The waters 

 of this rivulet are clear, and its banks beautiful. A Portuguese 

 married to an Indian woman lives here with his family ; he serves 

 in the militia, and is ferryman at the same time. A bridge is 



• It was 6 feet, 1 i-12ths inch, long, having 224 belly scales, and 79 pairs of tail- 

 scales. The upper parts are of a dark lead colour^ the lower ones of a fine yellowish 

 white, shining like porcelaine. 



