Travels in the Brazils. 



IT 



age, and a valuable small colibu. A s the heat now began to be 

 intense, I returned to our tent. Every huntsman then produced 

 what he had caught. Mr. Freyreiss brought among other beauti- 

 ful birds, the blue neciarinea cyanea {certhia cyanea^ Linn.) 



Our iropa was now laden. The road led through hills, in which 

 we beheld the most beautiful vegetation ; plantations of mandiacca, 

 sugar-cane, orange trees, which here form small woods round the 

 dwelling-houses, and small marshy spots presented themselves to 

 the eye of the beholder. Banana trees in thick bushes, mammon 

 trees, and high slender cocoa-palms adorned the solitary houses ; 

 beautiful variegated flowers bloomed under low bushes. We saw 

 also a erythrinu, with its long tubular flowers of a scarlet red, a 

 beautiful light yellow trumpet flower *, to which Mr. Sellow 

 assigned the name of couacea, of a soft yellow colour, with large 

 flowers. - In the middle of this copse rose the cachus agave ßctida 

 and other high trees. By the side of the road grew the Indian 

 cane (canna Indica, Linn.), sometimes to the height of ten or 

 twelve feet, with deep red flowers ; but the sight of the huginoil- 

 loea bracilienses, a prickly bushy tree, of a beautiful light red co- 

 lour, delights the stranger more than all these. It is nevertheless 

 not the flowers, but the large bactrece which cover them, that en- 

 hance the lustre of this beautiful sight. 



The inhabitant? of the country, in light jackets of thin summer 

 cloth, with large round flat hats upon their heads, gazed at us as 

 they rode by. The horses which are used in Brazil, are generally 

 good and hght, cf a raiddhng size, but rather small ; they are of a 

 Spanish breed, and have mostly flne even backs, and beautiful 

 feet. The saddles are still the same as in old times, large and 

 heavy, provided with pads, covered with velvet, and often neatly 

 stitched; to this is affixed a pair of old fashioned stirrups of bronze 

 or iron ; many even use a complete box or wooden shoe, in which 

 the foot rests. The Portuguese are much on horseback, and ma- 

 ny very excellent riders are to be met with among them. They 

 are very fond of an ambling pace, and they bind certain pieces of 

 wood about the feet of their horses, to accustom them to this step. 

 We rode through the little village of S. Gonzalves, which has a 

 small church, and in the afternoon, we arrived at the little river of 

 Guajintibo, where we fixed our camp by the side of asolitary vcnda-f. 



The Guajintibo is a small river which runs through a soft 

 sandy hollow through thick bushes. As the meadows produced 

 good food for our cattle, and the woods were full of birds, we fixed 

 on this place. By daybreak tlie next morning, the huntsmen had 

 divided themselves ; I went to the bank of the river which was 



• Bignonia. 



-j- Vendas are houses on the roads, paths, and even in villages, where various necesta- 

 ries, particularly victuals, are sold. 



Voyages and Travels, No. 3, Vol. III. C 



4 



