1852.] 
ST. John’s day. 389 
no-how.” To which sentiment I did not think it worth 
while to make any objection. 
About two days before, had been St. John’s day, when 
it is the custom to make bonfires and jump over and 
through them, which act is considered by the common 
people as an important religious ceremony. As we were 
talking about it, the old lady gravely asked if we knew 
that animals also passed through the fire? We replied 
that we were not aware of the fact ; upon which she in- 
formed us that we might hereafter believe it, for that she 
had had ocular demonstration of it. It was last year,” 
said she, '' on the day after St. John’s, my son went out to 
hunt, and brought home a cotia and a paca, and both of 
them were completely scorched all along the belly ; they 
had evidently passed through the fire the night before.” 
“ But where do they get the fire from ?” I asked. “ Oh 1 
God prepares it for them,” said she ; and on my hinting 
that fires were not often found in the forest unless lit 
by human hands, she at once silenced my objections by 
triumphantly asking me, if anything was impossible 
with God?” at the same time observing that perhaps I 
was a Protestant, and did not believe in God or the Vir- 
gin. So I was obliged to give up the point ; and though 
I assured her that Protestants did generally believe in 
God and went to church, she replied that she did not 
know, but had always heard to the contrary. 
At length, on the 2nd of July, we reached Para, where 
I was kindy received by my friend Mr. C., and was glad 
to learn that there was a vessel in port that would pro- 
bably sail for London in about a week. Several times 
on the voyage down I had had fits of ague, and was 
