311 
Arrival of Friar Jose and Captain Leal. 
their horses as if stuck on with glue, feel too much at ease: 
they could not be blamed for this at all because, as they told us latei, 
they had no inkling of the arrival of the military in i'irara, UU( 1 ^ad 
supposed that only the Boundary Expedition was here. After they had 
been searched for weapons, and had handed over their despatches they 
were allowed to dismount and pick a spot to sleep in among the soldiers 
to whose supervision Lieutenant Bingham handed them, while we over 
another glass of wine had a laugh at the false alarm. 
808. Next morning the two vaqueiros rode back to Sao J oaquim with 
the request to the Commandant to fetch the soldiers and implements he 
had left behind and six days later we received news that Friar Jose dos 
Santos Innocentes would be coming to Pirara. On the day appointed 
all the military had to turn out in uniform and in conformity with their 
visitor’s rank give him a salute of nine shots with our mortars: 
the Friar had formerly held the rank of major in the Brazilian 
army and was known to my brother when previously staying at 
San Joaquim during the rainy season of 1838 just as intimately as the 
Commandant was. Everybody was already in uniform when some 
Indians brought the news that the Friar would soon be here, as they had 
met him in the neighbouring oasis were he was just then engaged over 
his toilette. All our eyes naturally turned towards the boudoir out of 
which the procession emerged not long afterwards on to the top of a small 
rise that had hitherto hidden the caravan from view. At its head, the 
Friar in black vestments and bare-headed, by his side a black Brazilian 
soldier protecting him from the scorching heat with a large sunshade, 
following him several soldiers without weapons, and bringing up the 
rear his horse upon which lie had ridden as far as the little bit of 
forest. In measured tread and slow the little company entered the 
village and amidst the firing of our mortars reached the front of our 
tents' where the pale and gaunt figure was received by my brother and 
the officers. All political matters remained ignored in the speeches: 
these were only to be discussed on arrival of the Commandant which was 
timed for next morning. After Mr. Youd had also waited upon him in 
full canonicals each withdrew to his own quarters. Already by next 
forenoon we saw a troop of horsemen riding at a whizzing gallop over 
the savannah up to the village: at its head we soon recognised Captain 
Leal with a young woman who was riding straddle-back just like the 
men. The escort might have consisted of some forty mounted vaqueiros. 
After galloping also into the settlement the company came to a halt in 
front of the Friar’s house. Captain Leal dismounted and made towards 
us in company with several soldiers. He also was a gaunt man of 
medium size with dark complexion and black piercing eyes. Tn the 
fateful years of Brazil he had served under the Cabanos, lmt later on had 
changed over to the Royalists, and still carried in his left cheek a 
musket-ball : during some fight this had struck the right side of his face 
where by knocking some teeth out it had gone through his mouth and 
remained imbedded in the fleshy part of the left cheek. Although a 
simple incision would have easily effected its removal, he nevertheless 
did not seem to be able to part company with it. 
