Travels in the Brazils, ^ 

 Strong young trees of this description rose on high with 

 dark brown lEpright trunks surrounded by rings of prickles : 

 their handsome feathered leaves screened the moist ground 

 from the noontide burning sun ; others of less age, and as 

 yet without stems, composed the underwood, over which tlie 

 decayed palms, withered and rotten, inclined like mutilated 

 pillars. On these trees, thus falling into decay, the yellow- 

 crested woodpecker {Picus flavescens, Linn.) or that beautiful 

 species with red head and neck, {Picus robustus *) solitarily 

 flapped its wings. The flowers of the fiery colou^^ed Hehconia 

 covered the lower shrubs, around which a fine cr per (Convol- 

 vulus) bearing the most superb azure blue bells, wound itself. 

 The wood creeping plants presented themselves in this magni- 

 ficent wood, in all their extraordinary windings and forms. 

 Struck with wonder we admired the sublimity of this wilderness, 

 which tucane, Pavos {Pie a gorge ensanglant(fe, Azara), Parrots 

 and other birds alone animated. Our huntsmen shot in all direc- 

 tions of the way, and filled their bags with booty. On the 

 other side of the wood we arrived at the Povoaqao de Ohü, 

 a few fishermen's huts at the distance of 2 leagues from Villa 

 Nova, A Povoaqao (Village without a Church) named 

 MidipS lodged the tropa for the night. We had taken up 

 our quarters in a highly situated house, where there were 

 also other men, who regarded our Puris with astonishment, 

 and observed all his motions. We were well received in 

 this commodious abode, and had a large chamber, on the floor 

 of which a clear fire was lighted, that soon dried our wet 

 apparel. Not far from Miaip^ lies the Filla de Goaraparim, 

 whither a road leads crossing some rocky cliffs projecting into 

 the sea. Near the Villa a narrow arm of the sea flows with 

 salt water up the land, bearing the name of Goaraparim, and 

 generally described as a river. 



The Villa has 1600 inhabitants, the whole district about 

 3000 ; this place is a little larger therefore than Villa Nova de 

 Benevente. The streets are not paved, except at the houses, 

 and there badly ; these small buildings have in general only 

 one story. The place is on the whole poor, yet there are some 

 considerable fazendas in the neighbourhood. One of these 

 having 400 Negroes is called fazendas de Campos; and another 

 with 200 Negroes Engenho Velho. On the death of the pro- 

 prietor of the former, an universal disorder arose ; the slaves 

 revolted and ceased to work. A Priest informed the heir in 

 Portugal of the state of his possession, and offered to restore 



* This name was assigned by the naturalists at Berlin, after Azara 

 described this bird in the 4th Vol. of his travels, p. 6. Where he calls it 

 Charpentier ahuppe etcourouge. 



