90 Prince Maximilian'» ^ 



open spots, in which the steel-glittering finch, the fringilta 

 nitens of Linngeus, shows itself in great abundance ; an in- 

 offensive large snake of the genus Coluber, which the natives 

 know by the name of Caninana, is frequently to be met with, 

 and which is faithfully described in Merrem's Natural History 

 of amphibious Animals. 



The great forest of Araqetiba presents a frightful wilderness, 

 resounding with the screaming of parrots, and the noise of the 

 Sauassu apes. Cipos and other strikingly peculiar kinds of 

 shrubs interweave their giant-like stems in this impervious 

 thicket ; the splendid flowers of the reed cane, the down hang- 

 ing tendrils, and the tree-embracing fern shrub all flourish here 

 in luxuriant growth ; and every where in moist places the 

 young cocoa palms adorn the underwood, while here and 

 there the Cecropia peltata exhibits its silver-grey slender stem. 

 After pervading this deep embowering gloom so long, the light 

 suddenly burst upon us, and we were most agreeably surprised 

 to find ourselves at the foot of the lofty Morro de Ara9atiba, 

 ■with thick forests, on one side, waving their heads on towering 

 rocks on another side. The eye is relieved from the effects of 

 the broad glare by pleasant verdant plains, whilst in the dis- 

 tance are descried the two small turrets which decorate the 

 seat of the fazenda de Ara9atiba. This estate employs four 

 hundred negro slaves ; in the neighbourhood are two thriving 

 plantations, particularly of sugar-canes. It is the most consider- 

 able fazenda we have observed in our whole journey; the 

 building has an extensive fa9ade two stories high, and a 

 church ; the negro-huts, with the sugar- works and buildings 

 for the husbandmen, lie at a small distance from the house, at 

 the foot of a hill. Somewhat about a league hence, in a wild 

 uncultivated spot encircled with a forest towards the river 

 Jucu, is a second fazenda called Coroaba, belonging to ano- 

 ther proprietor. The government has at St. Agostinho 

 about forty families, which have come to settle here from 

 the islands of Terceira, St. Michael, and some few from Fayal. 

 These people live here in the greatest poverty, and complain 

 bitterly that they had been most cruelly deceived by specious 

 promises, none of which had been fulfilled. 



Gladly would we have remained at Coroaba, but the impos- 

 sibility to accommodate so large a party, made it necessary for 

 the present, to stop at Barra de Jucü. We had also a very 

 important object in view, which we expected at Capitania (so 

 is the district of Espirito Santo commonly called for brevity) 

 viz. to send to Caravellas in order that our travelling compa- 

 nions might not be put to any inconvenience ; to j^'event 

 which, M. Freyreiss and myself determined immediately to 



