Prince Maximilian's 



here some days, in order to range pretty freely through the sur- 

 rounding country. 



This farinha manufactory was one of the most complete we had 

 witnessed. The preparation of the meal is as follows : The roots of 

 the mdndiocca plant, (jatropha manihat, Linn.) are first scraped to 

 free them from the rind ; afterwards they ^re held on a large wheel, 

 which is turned round, by which it is rubbed into a" thin pap. 

 Then the mass is enclosed in long wide bags, made of baric or 

 reeds, which 'are hung up and stretched at length. By ihm ex- 

 tension the bag becomes narrower, and presses out the sap froiii^ 

 the mass. * The remaining consistent part is put into large pans i 

 of copper, or burnt clay, fixed in the wall, in which it is complete- 

 ly dried by the heat, but that the thick mass may not burn, it is 

 continually stirred by a pole, with a small perpendicular board at 

 its fore-end. The meal thus prepared is what goes under the 

 name of farinha. When the weather became damp, we dried our 

 newly prepared natural curiosities on the pans of the mandiocea 

 ovens; but, although they were always watched at night, we, 

 nevertheless, could not prevent some scarce animals from being 

 burnt. 



The weather was now very cold, a strong wind blew on the 

 seacoast, and the thermometer, at noon, was scarce at 13« of 

 Reaumur. The country, in which marshes, meadows, copses and 

 woods are intermixed, abounds with interesting animals. Our 

 hunters brought, for the first time, the jocupemba, (penehpe 

 marail. Linn.) which is very good to eat, and the green tucane or 

 arassaris (ramphosos aracari, Linn.) beautiful birds which have 

 short notes of two syllables. The prospect from the buildings was 

 truly agreeable, and of a considerable extent. A telegraph here 

 corresponded with that at Sagoarema^ which we could distinguish 

 at a distance. Pitanga. had formerly been a convent, and there 

 still remains the old church. About noon our tropa was laden, 

 and after passing through narrow roads, where, in some places, we 

 were obliged to cut down the chumps of trees, which obstructed 

 our progress, we at length reached open meadows, with large 

 marshes, woods, and broad pools of water Through these we were 

 obliged to wade, a disagreeable circumstance to those vvho travelled 

 on foot, particularly the Europeans, who were not accustomed to 

 such waler-journies on foot. Detained by these adverse occur- 

 rences, it was late at night when we reached the Fazenda Tirvirca, 

 whither we had sent a horseman before to procure quarters. Its 

 owner, the Captain now assigned, as at first, his sugar-engents as 

 a sleeping-place, but when we shewed him our portaria (pass from 

 the minister,) he became complaisant, and invited us into his 

 dwelling; this invitation we declined, being desirous to remain 

 with our people. Tirinica is a considerable sugar-manufactory 



* S. Gilii jSa^gio cli Storia Americana, T. II. p. 304, 899, tab. 5. 



