Travels in the Brazils. , 



^ecr, that our tropeiros finall;^ succeeded in catching them. The 

 deer are of two different species ; Agaro describes them under the 

 tiänies o^ guazupita a,nd guazubira, which Mawe erroneously calls 

 . fallow deer. The other has well described the four species of 

 ?tags found in Erazil, and in the greater part of South America. 

 Of these the most common is the veado mateiro of the Portugue3e, 

 the red-deer or g-uazupita. This animal is common, and the flesh 

 much eaten, though very dry and coarse. 



After having marshalled our tropa in the best order we could, 

 we continued our march through high forests, frequently inter- 

 rupted by watery meadows, covered with reed. These, as we ex- 

 pected, were found to be the abode of multitudes of herons, ducks, 

 lapwings, and similar birds. Every Avhere we heard the cry of 

 the quer-quer, and in the forest were often entertained with the 

 melodious voice of the arapon^a. Several species of shrubby 

 eugenia presented their black, ripe, very pleasant fruit, about the 

 size of small cherries. We rode through stately venerable forests, 

 consisting of slender trees, covered with white or red-brown bark, 

 at the foot of which blooming mimosae and justiciae diffused their 

 odoriferous scents. Here we also met with constructions or edifi^ 

 ces of the termita ant, between eight and ten feet high, indicative 

 of their antiquity. Our mules frequently sunk deep into marshy 

 spots, whilst we had to endure the annoyance of the manmhondoSy 

 (erroneously called mirabunde by Mawe,) a kind of noxious wasp, 

 whose stings produce a violent but short pain, and swelling. The 

 baginvillaca Brasiliensis was blooming with the most beautiful red 

 •flowers, and the thickly scattered large yellow flowers of the trom- 

 pet trees bignonia rose high to enliven and embellish tlie dark 

 tops of the other trees. 



In a large marshy meadow the j*abirii, ( ciconia Americana^ or 

 tantalus loculator^ Linn.) and several species of herons, particular- 

 ly the snow-white egretts., were seen stalking about with a sort of 

 careless pride. The cattle here have to wade rather deep in wa- 

 ter where they feed on the marshy grass. A large serpent, the 

 green 9ipo, (colibar bicarinatus,) Detw^een six and eight feet long, 

 did not escape our notice, darting by us, like an arrow, through 

 the high grass, and on the bushes, bordering the meadow, we 

 could see 1 flight of maracanas (psHtacns 7nacavi{ anna, hinu.) 

 settled. Advancing into another forest, the wild oranges, {laran- 

 ja da terra, of a luscious taste, afforded us a sort of cold collation. 

 The sweet scent of their blossoms attracted a number of colibris. * 

 Heaving the forest, we belield, on a gentle declivity, rising from a 

 large meadov/, the large ^fazenda of Campos Novos, or rather Fa- 

 zenda do Re, built, at least in part, by the Jesuits. Near the 



* Oranges must be engrafted even in Bra^H.^ -jtherwise the fruit will contract an insi- 

 -fSld, and rather bitter taste. . . \ 



