.Brazilians Desert to the British. 
361 
tidiness and cleanliness that now prevailed; it seemed a different spot 
altogether. The military in the meantime had also left the village 
and retired within their defences, a small entrenchment guarded by 
barracks built of palm-fronds, to which the officers’ quarters as well as 
the magazine, also covered with palm-leaves, were attached. The fortifica- 
tion was encircled by a ditch several feet wide and deep as well as by a 
five-foot high wall. Of what use such a fort would really prove if it 
came to a question of serious fighting with the Brazilians 1 could not 
rightly appreciate, even with my naturally slight tactical knowledge. 
The military had to fetch their water from a tolerable distance and, 
owing to the tropical heat, the Brazilians could have very easily forced 
the garrison to capitulate by cutting off the supply, even if they had not 
wanted to drive them out of their stronghold by setting fire to the 
magazine and barracks with fire-arrows, in the shooting of which they 
are unusually proficient. The Fort received the name of New Guinea. 
971. On my first visit to it, I met the three deserters who had caused 
such an uproar at Nappi: the officers had received them with open arms 
and gladly gave them all they wanted, because it would now be possible 
to supply the military with fresh meat twice weekly. The horses that 
Mr. Youcl as well as the officers had bought from Captain Leal enabled 
them to make use of their lassoes. Even if the captain had come to 
Pirara immediately after their flight and confirmed his opinion that the 
deserters would probably have made their way here, his demand for their 
surrender would have been met with anything but a favourable hearing, 
for with the extradition of the turncoats it would have been good-bye to 
the fresh meat. Captain Leal had accordingly to be satisfied with pro- 
claiming them outlaws and return to Sao Joaquim with nothing" done. 
Although many of their old comrades would gladly have earned the price 
set upon their heads, the deserters were nevertheless too wide awake and 
so far had fortunately known how to avoid all the traps cunningly set 
for them. 
972. The cattle caught with the lasso was every time driven by the 
vaqueiros to the Fort and then shot. Hardly was one killed and 
slaughtered than the carrion-kites ( Cathartcs aura and foetens 111.), 
Carrion-crows of the Colonists, flew down from all quarters of the wind, 
so that often within an hour 300 to 400 of these voracious birds had 
come to swallow the remnants and offal, — to their own disadvantage, 
however, because the officers usually dispelled the ennui that had set in 
by loading one of the cannon with musket ball, turning this upon the 
thickest swarm and firing, when from 40 to 50 specimens would be left 
behind at the spot picked on. 
973. The many conflicting accounts found in (he different natural 
history books concerning the mode of life of the Cathartcs aura and 
foetens (the skin of the head is of a dirty flesh colour in the former, but 
blackened in the latter) led me to pay special attention to tlie bird, with 
a view fo sifting the true from the false by personal observation. The 
contradictions just mentioned have also prompted me to describe the 
experiences gained, especially as they might be of more general interest. 
