1850.] 
COUNTRY QUARTERS. 
167 
covered with a luxuriant vegetation of shrubs and forest- 
trees. We saw several cottages, and a village prettily 
situated on a high, grassy slope, and at length reached 
Castanheiro, the residence of Senhor Balbino, to whom 
1 brought a letter. After reading it he asked me my 
intentions, and then promised to get me a good hunter, 
to kill birds and any other animals I wanted. 
The house of Senhor Balbino is generally known as 
the ‘‘ Sobrado,’' or upper-storied house, being the only 
one of the kind out of Barra. It was however in rather 
a dilapidated condition, the ladder which served for stairs 
wanting two steps, and requiring a great exertion of the 
muscles of the leg to ascend it. This, Senhor Henrique 
afterwards informed me, had been in the same state for 
several years, though Balbino has always a carpenter at 
work making canoes, who might put in a couple of 
boards in an hour. 
An Indian living near now arrived, and we accompa- 
nied him to his house, where I was to find a lodging. It 
was about half a mile further up the river, at the mouth 
of a small stream, where there was a little settlement of 
two or three families. The part which it was proposed I 
should occupy was a small room with a very steep hill 
for a floor, and three doorways, two with palm-leaf mats 
and the other doing duty as a window. No choice 
being offered me, I at once accepted the use of this 
apartment, and, my men having now brought on my 
canoe, I ordered my boxes on shore, hung up my ham- 
mock, and at once took possession. The Indians then 
left me ; but a boy lent me by Senhor Henrique remained 
with me to light a fire and boil my coffee, and prepare 
