THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 



35 



T suppose it is owing to the large surface of foliage, previ- 

 ously heated by the sun's rays. 



While staying at this estate, I was very nearly being an 

 eye-witness to one of those atrocious acts which can only 

 take place in a slave country. Owing to a quarrel and a 

 lawsuit, the owner was on the point of taking all the women 

 and children from the male slaves, and selling them sepa- 

 rately at the public auction at Rio. Interest, and not any 

 feeling of compassion, prevented this act. Indeed, I do not 

 believe the inhumanity of separating thirty families, who 

 had lived together for many years, even occurred to the 

 owner. Yet I will pledge myself, that in humanity and 

 good feeling he was superior to the common run of men. 

 It may be said there exists no limit to the blindness of inter- 

 est and selfish habit. I may mention one very trifling anec- 

 dote, which at the time struck me more forcibly than any 

 story of cruelty. I was cross'ng a ferry with a negro, who 

 was uncommonly stupid. In endeavouring to make him 

 understand, I talked loud, and made signs, in doing which I 

 passed my hand near his face. He, I suppose, thought I was 

 in a passion, and was going to strike him; for instantly, 

 with a frightened look and half-shut eyes, he dropped his 

 hands. I shall never forget my feelings of surprise, disgust, 

 and shame, at seeing a great powerful man afraid even to 

 ward off a blow, directed, as he thought, at his face. This 

 man had been trained to a degradation lower than the 

 slavery of the most helpless animal. 



April 18th. — In returning we spent two days at Socego, 

 and I employed them in collecting insects in the forest. The 

 greater number of trees, although so lofty, are not more 

 than three or four feet in circumference. There are, of 

 course, a few of much greater dimensions. Senhor Manuel 

 was then making a canoe 70 feet in length from a solid trunk, 

 which had originally been 110 feet long, and of great thick- 

 ness. The contrast of palm trees, growing amidst the com- 

 mon branching kinds, never fails to give the scene an inter- 

 tropical character. Here the woods were ornamented by the 

 Cabbage Palm — one of the most beautiful of its family. With 

 a stem so narrow that it might be clasped with the two 

 hands, it waves its elegant head at the height of forty or 



