THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE 31 



senger may sleep as comfortably as he can, on a wooden 

 platform, covered by a thin straw mat. The venda stands 

 in a courtyard, where the horses are fed. On first arriving 

 it was our custom to unsaddle the horses and give them 

 their Indian corn; then, with a low bow, to ask the senhor 

 to do us the favour to give us something to eat. " Anything 

 you choose, sir," was his usual answer. For the few first 

 times, vainly I thanked providence for having guided us 

 to so good a man. The conversation proceeding, the case 

 universally became deplorable. " Any fish can you do us the 

 favour of giving ? "— " Oh ! no, sir. "— " Any soup ? " No, 

 sir."— "Any bread?"— "Oh! no, sir."— "Any dried meat?" 

 *— " Oh ! no, sir." If we were lucky, by waiting a couple of 

 hours, we obtained fowls, rice, and farinha. It not unfre- 

 quently happened, that we were obliged to kill, with stones, 

 the poultry for our own supper. When, thoroughly exhausted 

 by fatigue and hunger, we timorously hinted that we should 

 be glad of our meal, the pompous, and (though true) most 

 unsatisfactory answer was, "It will be ready when it is 

 ready." If we had dared to remonstrate any further, we 

 should have been told to proceed on our journey, as being 

 too impertinent. The hosts are most ungracious' and dis- 

 agreeable in their manners; their houses and their persons 

 are often filthily dirty; the want of the accommodation of 

 forks, knives, and spoons is common ; and I am sure no cot- 

 tage or hovel in England could be found in a state so utterly 

 destitute of every comfort. At Campos Novos, however, we 

 fared sumptuously; having rice and fowls, biscuit, wine/ and 

 spirits, for dinner ; coffee in the evening, and fish with coffee 

 for breakfast. All this, with good food for the horses, only 

 cost 2s. 6d. per head. Yet the host of this venda, being 

 asked if he knew anything of a whip which one of the party 

 had lost, gruffly answered, "How should I know? why did 

 you not take care of it ?— I suppose the dogs have eaten it." 



Leaving Mandetiba, we continued to pass through an in- 

 tricate wilderness of lakes; in some of which were fresh 

 in others salt water shells. Of the former kinds, I found 

 a Limnaea in great numbers in a lake, into which, the in- 

 habitants assured me that the sea enters once a year, and 

 sometimes oftener, and makes the water quite salt. I have 



