' Travels in the Brazils, 



more acquainted with Europeans and their arms^ they pre- 

 sently lost all dread. 



The lately deceased minister of state, the Conde de Lin- 

 hares, in consequence of this event formally declared war 

 against them, and under his orders there were erected several 

 military posts, and others were strengthened for the protection 

 of European settlers, and the intercourse with Minas, by way 

 of the river. Since then, the Botocudos have not made their 

 appearance, except children, the whole race, even the aged, 

 being rooted out. This extirpation was conducted with much 

 cruelty, from a belief that whenever an enemy had fallen into 

 their hands, he had been killed and devoured. Notwith- 

 standing a peace was concluded and that the Portuguese 

 showed every where their friendly disposition, yet many were 

 slain by their formidable arrows, so that not the least spark 

 of good faith was looked for in these wild people, who, on 

 every occasion, glut their revenge. 



By the laudable and philanthropic exertions of the Conde des 

 Arcos, the Botocudos in the Rio grande de Belmonte who 

 had held out, were conciliated to terms of peace. In this he 

 so well succeeded, that the traveller in passing through this 

 seat of war to the Rio Do^e, in the neighbourhood of Rio 

 Grande de Belmonte, finds perfect security. We set out 

 early in the morning, accompanied by two soldiers, from the 

 Quartel do Riacho, and crossed the Riacho (brook) from 

 which the Quartel has its name. The road lay for eight 

 leagues through a deep sand, in the glowing heat of De- 

 cember. The country is covered with the dwarf cocoa-palm ; 

 on passing the heights not far from Praya is the Quartel de 

 Comboyos where three soldiers are stationed for keeping up 

 the communication. Here we noticed traces remaining of 

 the large turtles which creep out from the sea to land, and 

 lay their eggs in grooves scratched in the sand. In many 

 places lay parts of the skeleton of this animal, and we were 

 astonished at the hugeness of its skull ; one we found weighed 

 above three pounds. The Indians prize the flesh of this animal 

 and collect a good quantity of fat from it; they are also fond 

 of its eggs, of which from twelve to sixteen dozen are found 

 in a single groove covered over with care. These eggs are 

 round (white) with a leather-like covering, and contain a 

 clear watery albumen and a fine deep yellow yolk ; they have, 

 however, a fishy taste. We were here much distressed for 

 water to assuage the burning thirst of our cattle ; in every 

 part, the ground was so hot that we could find but little re- 

 freshment, until relieved by the experience of our young 

 Indian. He took some casks into the bushes and quickly col- 



