Travels in the Brazils. 31 



said, in the evening. With cocoa-nuts, and other fruits, we must 

 practise a greater caution. 



Tirica being only three hours journey from Parahi, we soon 

 reached the Fazenda, which had formerly been a convent. Here 

 was a respectable looking new church, near which was a range of 

 large buildings for agricultural purposes. We noticed in these 

 parts, for the first time, a disease common among the negroes in 

 the southern provinces of Brazil, largely swolen feet, covered with 

 a hard skin, as in the case of the elepantiasis. We did not find 

 here the hospitality we had received from other planters, and were 

 obliged to send to different Fazendas, to purchase provisions, the 

 proprietor of this almost refusing us water. i\fter having spent 

 the night under a bad shed which he had assigned to us, we set 

 out early, but first Mr. Capitam rode up to the house to remind 

 the landlord that we should inform the prince regent how well he 

 had fulfilled the kind intentions of government expressed in our 

 papers. This produced a temporary convulsion, but, foaming 

 with rage) he exclaimed, " What is the prince regent to me 



Continuing our journey, we met on the borders of marshes, sur- 

 rounded with high copse-wood, many individuals of the Brasilian 

 lapwings or guer-guer (vanellus cayeneusis) so named from guer ! 

 guer ! being his usual cry, when startled by any thing. He is 

 very common about all the low grounds ; the large swallow, with 

 the white collar, is equally so.* 



The heat had now become oppressive ; not a breath of cooling- 

 air, and the glow of the atmosphere, augmented by the reflection 

 of the sun-beams on the dry deep sand. 



In a fine wood through which M^e passed, our hunters shot a beau- 

 tiful species of maracoiia, (psittacus guianensis. Linn.), here very 

 numerous. On the other side of the forest we found a number of 

 Indians, from St. Pedro, repairing the road. After passing over 

 some hills we had a view of the large Lagoa de Arariiania, or 

 Trariiama, or Aruama, being six legoas long, and very broad ; it 

 communicates with the sea at the distance of about one legoa and 

 a half north from Cabo Feio. 



A forest and some habitations bordered the opposite banks, and 

 the church of the village of St. Pedro appeared on a distant liill. 

 After riding round a part of the lake, we came to the Venda. St. 

 Pedro dos Indios is a village (aldea) which the Jesuits are reported 

 to have formed originally of Goaytaca-Indians ; the village con- 

 sists of several streets, and has a respectable church, but the ha- 

 bitations are clay-built huts, as are all in the most isolated settle- 



* This swallow (hirundo collaris) is of a new fine species, about the size of the Ger- 

 man cypselus. His feathers are of a brownish black, witli green reflexions. The tail- 

 feathers have appendages, projecting about the 12th part of an inch. The heels are un- 

 covered, the toes very strong, compressed and armed with sharp claws, bent down- 

 wards, to fasten on the rocks. I found these species first among the rocks in the 

 vicinity of Rio de Janeiro. 



