CONTINUATION OF THE JOURNEY. FROM NATAL TO AÇU.
THE governor did all in his power to dissuade me from proceeding
further, the drought being so great as to render it not quite prudent;
but as I had come so far, I was resolved, at any rate, to make the
attempt. If I had been certain of being able to undertake the journey
at a future period, it would have been better to have returned, and
to have waited until a more favourable season; but I am rejoiced that
I went at that time, as, otherwise, I should most probably have been
under the necessity of foregoing my plan altogether. Some of the
disagreeable circumstances which I met with, certainly proceeded from
the rigour of the season.
I received from the governor a letter of introduction to Aracati. He
also insisted upon my leaving my own horse, that he might be in good
condition when I returned. I was to sleep at a place from which Rio
Grande is supplied with _farinha_ during the drought; but, in usual
years, it is too wet to be cultivated, unless it was drained, and
of this operation scarcely any notions are entertained. At Natal, I
purchased another horse. I crossed the river in a canoe, and the horses
and men upon _jangadas_; we were landed upon the new raised road, and
immediately beyond it overtook some persons who were going to the
_Lagoa Seca_, or dry lake above-mentioned, where I was to purchase
maize and _farinha_, for crossing the tract of country through which
runs the river Seara-meirim. We left the usual road, and turned down
a narrow path, which leads to this lake; it was overhung with trees.
I struck my head against a branch of one of these, and found that I
had disturbed a large family which had taken up its residence upon
it; my shoulders were quickly covered with small red ants, and I did
not get rid of them without feeling some of their bites. We arrived
at the dry lake about six o’clock in the evening, and put up at one
of the cottages. In the course of the following morning, I made known
my principal errand, and that I likewise wished to purchase another
horse. The people who were residing here, had removed from high lands
which had on this season proved barren; they had erected small huts,
some of which had not been finished, and the family, therefore, lived
in public; these huts had only a roof to shelter their inhabitants,
who expected that the first heavy rain would drive them back to their
usual habitations, as these lands, after violent rains, are laid under
water. Each man possessed his small field of mandioc and maize. I left
John’s horse here in charge of one of these men, as it began to give
way, and I proceeded with four loaded horses; two as before, and one of
_farinha_, and another of maize. I had provided myself at Rio Grande
with leathern bags, for carrying water, and several other necessary
things which I had not been instructed to bring, but which experience
had taught me the necessity of possessing.
We remained at this place during one entire day, and the next morning
set off, intending to sleep at a hamlet, called Pai Paulo. We rested
at mid-day near to a well, and in the afternoon proceeded. Wells are
generally formed in these parts by digging a hole in the ground, to the
depth of two or three feet, until the water appears; if a person in
the neighbourhood of one of them, who takes water from it, should be
nice about these matters, a fence is made round it, but if not, as is
oftener the case, the well remains open, and the cattle come down to
drink at it. These pits or wells are called _caçimbas_. The grass was
much burnt up, but still there was plenty of it. In the afternoon we
passed over some stony ground,—it was the first I had met with, and
it was very painful to the horses which had come from the sandy soil
of Pernambuco; but we soon entered upon a long though narrow plain,
bounded by brushwood, over which the road was clear, and the grass
burnt up entirely on each side. We overtook a white man on foot, with
twelve loaded horses, and a very small poney which carried a saddle;
the loads were all alike, each horse carrying two skins or bags of some
kind of provisions. I was much surprised at the circumstance of this
man having the management of so many horses, because generally, the
number of men is nearly equal to that of the beasts. I observed that
his horses began to spread upon the plain, and seemed inclined to take
to the brushwood; I called to my guide to ride to the right, whilst I
did the same to the left, and go in quickly between them and the wood,
to prevent the animals from separating. The man thanked me, which
brought on further conversation; he asked the guide where we intended
to sleep, and was answered, “at Pai Paulo.” The wells at Pai Paulo,
he told us, were all dried up, and the inhabitants had deserted their
houses. What was to be done: he said, that he intended to remain upon
a plain two leagues distant from where we then were, that no water was
to be had there, but that for our party and himself, his slave would
bring a sufficient quantity, who had remained behind to fill a skin at
a well which we had passed. There was no alternative; to remain here
was impossible, for there was no grass. Therefore I ordered Julio and
his companion to let our horses and those of our new friend remain
together, and to look to them equally. The slave soon joined us with
the water, gave the skin to my guide, and went on to assist Julio,
whilst I advanced very slowly, that I might have some more conversation
with the owner of the _comboio_, or convoy, which we had thus joined.
He was the son of a man of property, who resided upon the banks of
the Açu, and possessed several cattle estates in those parts; the old
man was a colonel of militia, and he with whom I conversed, was the
major of the same regiment. The drought had been so severe with them,
that they feared a famine, and he had been sent down to the coast to
purchase _farinha_ for the family, which the skins contained, with
the exception of one load consisting of maize for his horses. After
he had purchased his _farinha_ he heard of the prohibition of the
governor respecting it, and understood that a guard of soldiers was
to be sent down to the lake to take it from him; he had, therefore,
stolen a march, and that nothing might be suspected, he had left all
his people, excepting this one slave, and had even left his cloaths.
His saddle horse carried a heavy load, and he set off a day before he
had intended; the animal upon which he had placed his saddle was a colt
and too young to bear any further weight. Thus was this major, in true
Brazilian campaigning style, in his shirt and drawers, his _alpargatas_
or sandals, upon his feet, his musquet upon his shoulder, his sword by
his side, hanging from a belt over one shoulder, and his long knife in
his girdle. He was a stout, handsome man, about forty years of age, and
where his skin was not exposed, it was as white as that of a European,
but his face, neck, and legs were of a dark brown colour. This man, who
at other times enjoyed all the comforts that his country affords, who
was respected for his rank and wealth, was obliged to make this journey
absolutely to save the lives of his family. True it is, that he is not
to be considered as we should persons of his situation in Europe; like
most of these people, he had been from his infancy daily accustomed to
what men in a more civilised state would account very great hardships.
The _alpargatas_ are pieces of leather, of a size rather larger than
the soles of the feet of the person for whom they are intended. Two
loops are fastened in front of each, through which two of the toes are
placed; there is a ring of leather round each ankle, through which are
drawn and tied two thongs, which proceed from each side of the hinder
part. These are the shoes of the Brazilians, who live removed from
great and improving towns. Julio was now provided with a pair of them,
else I hardly know how he could have proceeded.
We halted at the place appointed, upon an immense plain; the grass was
all gone, and even the hardy trees, the acaju and mangaba, seemed to
feel the want of water, for their leaves had begun to fall. The two
parties took up their stations under separate clumps of trees; but
upon these plains, the trees scarcely ever grow sufficiently near to
each other, to enable the traveller to hang his hammock between two of
them. The poor horses were taken to a dell at some distance, to try
to pick up what they could find, that had escaped the drought and the
traveller. Our allowance of water was not large, and therefore we were
afraid of eating much salt meat; we did not pass the night comfortably,
for the wind rose, and scattered our fires, nor did we sleep much, and
at four o’clock the horses were fetched to give to each of them a feed
of maize. One of them refused to eat his portion.
The following morning we advanced to Pai Paulo, three leagues further,
still crossing the same plain, at the extremity of which we first
approached the Seara-meirim, and on the opposite side from that on
which we were, stands the village of Pai Paulo, upon rising ground.
This was, without exception, the most desolate place I ever beheld;
the roofs of some of the cottages were falling in, the walls of others
had fallen, but the roofs remained. The course of the river was only
marked by the depth of its bed, for the soil around was a loose sand,
destitute of any covering, and nothing differing from that in the
channel of the river. The trees had mostly lost their leaves. I had now
entered upon the Sertam, and surely it deserves the name. We passed Pai
Paulo, and about noon reached an open well of brackish water, dug in
the bed of the river; our Pernambuco horses at first refused to drink,
but the dirt was cleared away, as much as possible, for them, and the
water left to settle; however, even then, they did little more than
taste it. Here we were to rest, and to give our horses some maize, for
there was no grass. The same horse again refused his feed; the guide
said that he supposed he was not accustomed to it, and therefore must
be taught to like it, otherwise he could not possibly get over this
barren track of country. The first operation was to soak the maize
in water, until it softened,—then the guide forced some of it down
the animal’s throat, closing forcibly its mouth. Whether this had the
effect, or hunger, I know not; but at night he performed his part
pretty well, taking rather more time than the others to finish his
feed. I drank a small portion of the water, mixing it with lemon juice
and sugar, which I had with me. We carried some of this water on with
us, for at night we should find none. The country presented the same
appearance; we crossed the Seara-meirim several times, which in some
parts had large rocks in the centre of the bed. At night I was not
much inclined to eat, but I made up by smoking. We found a sheltered
place behind part of the bank of the river, and slung our hammocks
upon sloping ground, as the wind rises about eleven or twelve o’clock
in these parts, and renders shelter very requisite; it sometimes blows
hard: it is a dry wind, but healthy.
The following day, we proceeded again in the same manner. I had by
this time fully entered into the custom of smoking early, and as we
could never get any thing cooked until twelve o’clock, I found that
this prevented any unpleasant sense of hunger. My people could not have
any thing to eat early, as it would have caused delay, therefore it
would not have been proper for me to show a bad example. I had become
very intimate with my friend the major—he learnt from me that we had
horses, and cows, and dogs in England, and he liked me the better for
this; at first, he wondered how it happened that I could ride; he
thought I must be an apt scholar to have learnt since I had gone over
to Brazil. He was also much surprized to hear that we had churches in
England, which he had never understood before. He said he should not
believe henceforwards that the English were _Pagoens_, heathens. I told
him that one chief point upon which our religion differed from his,
was in ours not enjoining us to confess; he thought confession a great
annoyance, but he could not doubt its propriety.
We reached another dirty pool or well of water in the river, which we
had again crossed several times. Our resting-place at mid-day afforded
no shelter, excepting what could be obtained from one small shrub,
which was in full leaf. The leaves or branches of it reached to the
ground. I lay down upon the sand, and pushed my head in among them,
covering the rest of my body with a hide; this was a hot birth, but
better than to be completely exposed to the sun. I was astonished
at the appearance of this shrub. There are two kinds of trees in
certain parts of the Sertam, which are called Pereiro and Yco; both
seem to flourish most when the seasons are the driest, and both are
particularly dangerous to horses; that is, as they do no mischief to
the wild cattle or wild horses, they may be supposed not to possess
any pernicious qualities if the animals which eat their leaves are
not overheated and fatigued; the latter of these plants kills the
travellers’ beasts, and the former has the effect of appearing to
produce intoxication, and sometimes also proves fatal. The major said,
that this part of the country abounded in these trees, and consequently
our horses were tied to those around us, and to each was given a feed
of maize. The plant, of which I have spoken above, was very beautiful,
the green of its leaves was bright and healthy, and I afterwards saw
many more of them upon this _travesia_ or crossing. I particularly
observed them on this track of country, as other plants had lost all
appearance of life.
We were less unpleasantly situated at night, as the water though
brackish was comparatively clear.
The following day we had still the same country and river to cross.
The consciousness of having advanced upon our journey alone caused the
knowledge of a change of situation, so exactly similar was the face of
the country. At mid-day we had again no shelter from the sun. The water
was little different from that of the preceding day. I laid down under
the shady side of a rock, which afforded sufficient shelter until the
sun began to decline, and throw its rays into the quarter under which
I had taken up my station. We had often seen cattle about the pools
or wells—on this occasion, one miserable cow came down to drink; the
major happened to be near the pool at the time. He looked at the mark
she bore, and knew it to be that of the cattle upon his own estates.
“How can this animal,” he exclaimed, “have strayed so far from its
own home?” The want of water had made it stray at least one hundred
leagues. This day we overtook a party of Sertanejos, as the inhabitants
of the Sertam are called, likewise going our way. They were at the
mid-day resting-place, and one of their horses was, at the time of our
coming up, tottering from having eaten of the Yco; they were trying to
give it maize, in the hope of recovering it, as this is said to have
the effect, if it is taken soon after; but at the time we left them,
the animal, when he fell, was with difficulty raised, and the major
said that he thought him too far gone. I never heard whether these
persons returned, or still advanced after this misfortune. I observed
in the afternoon several heaps of rocks in the bed of the river, which
must form beautiful falls of water when the stream is rapid.
Towards evening my guide began to try me. I found that there had
been some conversation between him and the two Indians respecting
the journey, and now he sounded me about returning. I told him I had
perfectly determined to go on, and that I would most certainly shoot
the man who attempted to go back, and that even if he then escaped
me, I would follow him until I overtook him. He had not said that he
would return, but had hinted at the danger of the undertaking at this
season, and that the two lads were afraid of proceeding, but I knew him
to be the mover. At night he could not have found his way back, as the
only mark of a road that was to be perceived, proceeded from the sand
being more worn away, and the banks of the river being broken down at
the proper crossings. In fact, the marks were such, that even in the
day-time, a man accustomed to this description of road could alone find
it out—therefore I was certain that desertion could only take place in
the day-time, which was almost impossible, as I always rode in the rear
of the whole party. The guide had no fire-arms of his own; besides he
never would have made any attempt to murder me, as he knew how little I
slept, and that my pistols were always with me in my hammock, besides
any thing of this sort could only have been done in concert with Julio,
who, in the sequel, proved worthy of the greatest confidence. I found
more necessity to be on my guard in returning, when John was no longer
with me; however, although this man had sufficient courage he had no
watchfulness. The summary manner in which I threatened to treat the
guide, can only be justified by the necessity of the case, for had he
returned, the two Indians would most probably likewise have deserted
me. If a man suffers himself to be trifled with, he cannot possibly
succeed under circumstances such as these; however, I made the threat
under the conviction of that being sufficient.
We carried water from the resting-place at mid-day, and, as usual,
fixed our quarters at night upon the banks of the river.
The next day we advanced again exactly in the same manner, but at
noon, to our dismay, there was no water; the pool had dried up, but
we rested the horses for a short time, notwithstanding this dreadful
disappointment. My thirst was great, for I had not drank the night
before. We had still some lemons left, which were distributed, and
these afforded much relief. In the afternoon the major told me to
follow his example, and put a pebble into my mouth, which was the usual
resource of the Sertanejos on these occasions. I did so, and certainly
found that it produced considerable moisture. This was a dismal day,
and we knew not whether we should be able to reach a well before some
of our horses failed. One of those belonging to the major, already ran
loose among the others, as he was weak, and his load had been changed
to the horse which had carried the maize, the remainder of this being
distributed in small portions, that it might be carried by the rest.
My horses bore it very well, as those which had been loaded with
provisions were, of course, in part relieved, and the largest load,
that of my trunk and case of bottles, was carried by each of them in
turn, that the hard work might be equally divided. This day we passed
some deserted cottages. Our night was very miserable, for some of the
horses refused to finish their feeds of maize; the danger of their
failing prevented our thinking so much of our own inconvenience—my
spirits were kept up by the necessity I felt of keeping up those of
others. John was not quite well, and this made me uneasy, as it was as
much as we could do to carry ourselves; indeed, had any of the party
fallen sick, I know not how we should have proceeded.
The next morning, about nine o’clock, we reached a well to our great
joy, but, fortunately for us, the water was so bad, that we could
not drink much; it was as usual dirty and brackish, but of the first
draught I shall never forget the delight;—when I tried a second, I
could not take it, the taste was so very nauseous. On looking round,
we saw some goats, Julio went towards them, and then discovered some
fowls, proceeded a little farther and found an inhabited cottage. He
came and gave us the joyful intelligence; we determined to remain here
to rest, if the people could give us any hopes of food for our horses.
I found an elderly woman and her two daughters in the hut; the father
was not at home. The old woman seemed quite astonished to hear that
we had crossed the Seara-Meirim; she said, she did not know how soon
she and her family might be obliged to leave their cottage, as many
others had done. She directed the major and my people to a dell at some
distance, where dry grass and leaves might perhaps still be picked
up; she said, that it was the last place which could have any, for
travellers did not in general know of it, and she and her husband made
a point of not discovering it. But I paved the way, by making her a
present of some _farinha_, throwing maize to the fowls, and by pouring
in an immense number of _minhas Senhoras_. I had purchased a kid and
a fowl, and laid down the money immediately. Persons circumstanced
as these were, are sometimes robbed in a most unpardonable manner by
travellers, who take advantage of their houses, eat their poultry, and
leave them without paying; but considering the entire non-existence
of law in these regions, I am only surprized that greater enormities
are not committed; however, every man feels it to be his own case,
if he has a house and family; he is aware that on going from home,
those he may leave are in the same helpless state. These persons
and their property were at the mercy of any travellers; if they had
been murdered, and the cottage from being deserted began to fall, it
would have been supposed that its inhabitants, like many others, had
decamped, and no enquiry would be made about the direction they had
taken, such is the rambling disposition of the people in general, and
the state of this part of the country, at the period of which I speak.
They have nothing to make them remain upon one spot, neither comfort
nor security.
In the afternoon we advanced as usual, and passed some deserted
cottages, but towards the close of the day arrived at some that were
inhabited, and at dusk put up near to two or three that stood together,
after having crossed the Seara-Meirim for the last and forty-second
time. This river takes its sources from the mountains to the northward,
in the same direction as those of the river Açu, of which I shall
have occasion to speak. The Seara-Meirim falls into the Potengi, and
perhaps some branches of it bend their course as far as the Paraiba.
The face of the country presents one continued flat, from Pai Paulo
to the place at which we left the river; the soil is a loose sand,
which is sometimes, though rarely, intermixed with black earth. The
trees are thinly scattered, and, at the time that I travelled, were
without leaves. The river winds like the coils of a serpent, to have
followed them would have been endless; it sometimes fills after heavy
rain, in the course of a very short time, the water coming down in a
torrent, delayed only by the inequality of the depth of the channel,
and the walls with which the rocks in some parts oppose its progress.
The sand in the bed of the river is little different from that of
which the banks are composed, being however on the whole thicker, and
approaching nearer to gravel. The water which oozes from it, on digging
into the sand, is in all parts brackish, and in some places is too salt
for any use to be made of it. This is not, however, peculiar to the
Seara-Meirim, for I found that all the beds of the rivers which become
dry in the summer contained more or less salt; at best, the water taken
from them was never quite sweet.
The place at which we had arrived is reckoned to be distant forty
leagues from Natal; the league of the Sertam is never less than four
miles, and is often much more; there are _legoas grandes_, _legoas
pequenas_, and _legoas de nada_, or nothing leagues, which I have
found quite long enough, notwithstanding their encouraging name.
Pai Paulo may be about eight or ten leagues from Natal, which makes
the _travesia_ or barren-crossing, thirty or thirty-two leagues.
We advanced at about three miles within the hour or rather more,
and travelled from half-past five to ten in the morning, and in the
afternoon from two, or half-past two, to six o’clock.
We had now reached again the habitations of man; there was still
the same burnt-up appearance, but the wells were taken care of,
the water was better, and grass, although it was dry, was still to
be had. I intended to accompany the Major, part of the way to his
home, or the whole, but it was necessary that I should be guided
by circumstances,—by the accounts we heard of the state of the
country;—we advanced in our usual manner, resting more at mid-day,
traversing a dead flat, and passing two or three _Fazendas_, or cattle
estates, each day, of which the live stock was looking very miserable,
and the people half starved.
After being with the Major four days, since we had left the
Seara-Meirim, I saw that it would not be prudent to proceed farther;
the accounts from the interior were bad, and we arrived at one estate,
of which the cattle were all dying, and the people intending, if there
was no rain very soon, to leave their houses. I now judged myself to be
distant from the coast not less than two hundred miles. We had advanced
northward and westward, and were therefore not far to the southward of
Açu, but were to the westward of it. I now resolved to make for it,
for my horses might fail, and all the country was in so bad a state,
that we might not have found others in a proper condition to go on with
us; in fact, as I was not acting from orders, but merely for my own
amusement, and as the guide was afraid of proceeding, I did not think
I was authorized in persevering; if I had had orders for the purpose,
the case would have been altered, and I must have run all hazards.
Here, also, desertion was easier in the night, as the country was
comparatively inhabited towards Açu—the difficulty was in advancing,
and not in retreating.
Each cattle estate has a tolerably decent house, in which the owner or
herdsman resides, and usually a few smaller habitations are scattered
about upon the plain around it. The pens stand near to the principal
house, and enable the travellers to distinguish immediately, although
at some distance, the site of a _Fazenda_.
I heard of a strange custom existing in these parts of the country
that are so thinly inhabited, which arises from this state of things.
Certain priests obtain a licence from the bishop (of Pernambuco,) and
travel through these regions with a small altar constructed for the
purpose; of a size to be placed upon one side of a pack-saddle, and
they have with them all their apparatus for saying mass. Thus with a
horse conveying the necessary paraphernalia, and a boy to drive it, who
likewise assists in saying mass, and another horse on which the priest
himself rides, and carries his own small portmanteau, these men make
in the course of the year between 150 and 200_l._—a large income in
Brazil, but hardly earned, if the inconveniences and privations which
they must undergo to obtain it are taken into consideration. They stop
and erect the altar wherever a sufficient number of persons who are
willing to pay for the mass is collected. This will sometimes be said
for three or four shillings, but at other times, if a rich man takes
a fancy to a priest, or has a fit of extreme devotion upon him, he
will give eight or ten _mil reis_, two or three pounds, and it does
happen, that one hundred _mil reis_ are received for saying a mass,
but this is very rare;—at times an ox or an horse, or two or three,
are given. These men have their use in the world; if this custom did
not exist, all form of worship would be completely out of the reach
of the inhabitants of many districts, or at any rate they would not
be able to attend more than once or twice in the course of the year,
for it must be remembered that there is no church within twenty or
thirty leagues of some parts; besides, where there is no law, nor real,
rational religion, any thing is better than nothing. They christen and
marry, and thus preserve these necessary forms of religion, and prevent
a total forgetfulness of the established rules of civilised society; a
sufficient link is kept up to make any of these people, if they removed
into more populous districts, conform to received ideas.
I left the Major[36] to pursue his journey homewards, whilst I
retreated, or rather advanced, in a contrary direction, but a retreat
it was from this inhospitable region. We found no change during that
day, and if we had not met with a good natured herdsman, should have
fared very badly for want of water, unless we had seen some other
person equally well disposed. I asked him the way to the nearest
estate, which he told me, and then I made enquiries about water, to
which he answered, that unless I was acquainted with the place, I
should not find the well, and this part of our conversation ended by
his turning back to show it to me, regardless of thus increasing his
journey four or five miles. I asked him when we arrived at the well to
stay and dine with me, for although I had no great dainties to offer,
still he carried only what provision his _boroacas_ contained. These
are small leathern bags, one of which hangs on each side of the saddle.
He would not, however, dismount, and immediately turned his horse and
went his way. My guide had remained behind, as his horse was rather
lame, and now he joined us. We passed over some stony ground, and the
well itself was situated among rocks, between two of which the horses
passed and descended to it.
[Illustration: _A Sertanejo._]
I may give some description of my friend, who turned back to shew me
the well, and this may be taken as the usual appearance of a travelling
Sertanejo. He rode a small horse with a long tail and mane; his saddle
was rather raised before and behind; his stirrups were of rusty iron,
and his bit was of the same; the reins were two very narrow thongs. His
dress consisted of long pantaloons or leggings, of tanned but undressed
leather, of a rusty brown colour, which were tied tight round his
waist, and under these are worn a pair of cotton drawers or trowsers,
as the seat is left unprotected by the leather. He had a tanned goat
skin over his breast, which was tied behind by four strings, and
a jacket also made of leather, which is generally thrown over one
shoulder; his hat was of the same, with a very shallow crown, and small
brim; he had slip-shod slippers of the same colour, and iron spurs upon
his naked heels,—the straps which go under the feet prevent the risk
of losing the slippers. A long whip of twisted thongs hung from his
right wrist; he had a sword by his side, hanging from a belt over one
shoulder; his knife was in his girdle, and his short dirty pipe in his
mouth. Fastened to his saddle behind, was a piece of red baize, rolled
up in the form of a great coat, and this usually contains a hammock
and a change of linen,—a shirt, and drawers, and perhaps a pair of
nankeen pantaloons; his _boroacas_ hung also on each side of the back
of his saddle, and these generally contain _farinha_ and dried meat
on one side, and on the other, a flint and steel, (dried leaves serve
as tinder) tobacco, and a spare pipe. To this equipment is sometimes
added, a large pistol, thrust partly under the left thigh, and thus
secured. The usual pace of the Sertanejo’s horse is a walk, approaching
to a short trot; so that the horses of these people often have acquired
the habit of dragging their hind legs, and throwing up the dust. The
usual colour of the Sertanejos is a dark brown; for even those who are
born white, soon become as completely tanned as the dress which they
wear, from exposure to the sun. The annexed print will give some idea
of the Sertanejo, as he is daily seen in Recife. The colour of the
leather, as it is represented in the print, is brighter than that of
the dresses which are usually to be met with, which is owing to the
drawing having been made from a dress that had not been much used.
At one of the estates I heard an anecdote, which is illustrative of
the neglect or the impossibility, on all occasions, of conforming to
religious duties. A priest, on passing, was requested by the wife of
the owner of the place to stay, for the purpose of baptizing her son;
he consented to this, but after waiting some time, said, that he wished
to proceed upon his journey, and therefore desired that the child might
be brought to him; the woman answered, “Pray, wait a short time longer,
as the boy has taken the horses to water, and will soon return.” The
priest was surprised, but was still more astonished, when he was
required to christen a fellow of thirteen or fourteen years of age.
The next day we still proceeded over the same sort of ground, in parts
stony, and where stony, it was rather hilly; but not sufficiently so
to form a decided ridge of hills. John was, at night, taken suddenly
ill; he had drank too much water, and would not mix any spirit with
it, neither would he smoke. I considered smoking as almost absolutely
necessary for the preservation of health on these occasions; it is
generally practised among the people of the country, and indeed many of
the women are as fond of it as their husbands. Towards the morning, the
man recovered.
The following day we reached, at ten o’clock, the estate of St.
Luzia; it is situated upon a wide plain, similar to those upon which
we had been travelling for many days. This is a _campina_, and not a
_taboleiro_. There were no trees upon it, excepting a few near to the
well. The sight of this place raised our spirits, for there was no
want of water, nor of grass, though it was completely dry. The lots,
_lotes_, of mares came down to drink, all in fine condition, followed
and protected by the master horse of each lot; the cattle, the sheep,
and every other living thing, seemed to enjoy and to be conscious of
the abundance of which they were reaping the advantage. We unloaded
near to the well under the trees. The house of the chief herdsman stood
before us, distant about one hundred yards, upon rather higher ground;
it was a low white washed cottage, with the stables, pens, &c. on each
side. About twelve o’clock, I saw some men employed in milking the
goats; I sent Julio with a half-gourd for some milk, desiring him to
offer payment; the guide cautioned me not, but still I ordered Julio
to present the money. The milk came, but the money was not taken, and
soon afterwards, three of the men, came down towards us; I thanked
them for the milk; and they addressed me saying, that they wished to
know if I had intended to insult them, by offering payment, as such
things were not customary in their country:—the guide had told me I
should affront them, and therefore I had brought this upon myself; but
I put them into good humour by answering that they would pardon my
mistake, when I told them, that I belonged to a country, in which we
were obliged to purchase the sand with which we scoured our houses.
They then said, that the boy, on going for the milk, had mentioned that
there was an Englishman in company, whom they wished much to see, as
it was a _bicho_, an animal, they had never seen. I said that he was
gone with the horses, and would soon return. I meant John,—however
the guide soon told them that I was an Englishman. Their countenances
shewed much disappointment, when they were persuaded that this was
true; they had expected to see some strange beast. John soon came, and
he certainly was a curiosity, for he did not speak Portugueze; and when
any thing went wrong, he swore away in English, at which they were
all astonishment: they said, “He speaks the negro language[37].” They
sat upon the ground near to my hammock, and asked me of the news from
Pernambuco, for they cared about nothing more distant. I was acquainted
at Recife with the owner of the place, which I made them confident was
the case, by describing his house and garden, and they asked me after
him, &c. The conversation concluded by an offer of horses to proceed,
and, on their return to the house, a present of dried meat was sent.
Thus I was in the end a gainer, by offering to pay for the milk; but I
was more careful ever after.
From St. Luzia, we proceeded across the plain, expecting to reach a
lake, of which the guide had some recollection; but when the night had
already closed in, we were still upon the same endless plain, over
which the track was only marked by the sand upon it being more worn
away, consequently, it might easily be lost at night. The lake at which
we had entertained hopes of arriving, never becomes entirely dry in
the summer; but there was only one place at which it could be crossed,
therefore it would be dangerous to reach its borders in the dark. The
plain presented no tempting lodging; there were several rocks upon it
of different sizes, but no trees, and the wind blew hard. The guide
dismounted, to feel if there was any of the long dry grass where we
were; on not finding any, he walked to the left of the road, but was
not successful; he then tried to the right, and found some. We only
discovered his situation by the sound of his voice; he called, and
we answered, several times, until at last we joined him; he had also
discovered a large rock, under the lee of which we unloaded, and then
lighted our fire, and fettered the horses to feed. We soon found, that
to cook any victuals was impossible, for the wind scattered our fire,
which was only formed of the branches of the small shrubs and briars
that grow upon these plains. Water we had by accident, as the guide had
brought a small skin of it, in case he should be thirsty during the
afternoon, for we had made ourselves quite certain of reaching the lake
by night. I slept upon two of our packages, under the lee of the rock,
and the whole party did the same, sharing, as equally as possible, our
scanty means of accommodation. This afternoon I had seen many rocks of
remarkable forms; one, particularly, struck me as extraordinary: it was
placed upon another, of much smaller dimensions, and the resting-point
was so small, as to render its removal apparently easy; but, on trial,
it had not the slightest motion. The discomfort of this night was
great, caused chiefly by the violence of the wind; we had, at last, no
fire,—all was dark around us, and we could scarcely make ourselves
heard. The horses seemed to feel as much as we did, the unsheltered
situation; they were near to us during the whole of the night.
On continuing our journey the following morning, we discovered that we
had halted within half a league of the lake. The water was all gone;
but the ground was boggy, and not to be crossed, excepting at the
place over which is the usual path. It extends to the right and left
to a considerable distance, but is not broad. If the mud was cleared
away, it might, perhaps, afford an inexhaustible source of water to
the neighbourhood; but Brazil is not in a state for such works; hands,
in these parts, are not yet sufficiently numerous. In the afternoon,
we crossed some stony hills, and passed by two _fazendas_. This day, I
observed, at some distance, a high hill, of a circular form, standing
quite alone, and unconnected with any other high ground. Its sides
appeared to be too steep for horses to ascend; and I much regret not
being so situated as to be enabled to delay, for the purpose of taking
a nearer and more exact view of it. The guide was surprised at my
curiosity about it, and told me that horses could not go up its sides,
that there were snakes upon it, &c. All this might be true; but it was
evidently said, to prevent any intention I might have had of delaying
to see it more correctly. The plain appeared in many parts, as if the
sea had at some time covered it;—the dead flat, the sand in places
mixed with particles of a substance which looked like broken shells,
and the rocks worn away in such parts, as, from their situation, could
not have been acted upon by rain. We slept this night at an estate,
where there were several houses forming a hamlet, having passed through
a considerable quantity of wooded land.
The next morning we again proceeded over some lands that were covered
with wood; and, near twelve o’clock, reached the town of Açu. Oh, the
joy of again seeing a church! of the sight of a regular village, and
civilized persons; if even these can be called civilized, according to
European ideas.
The country I passed over from Natal, never can, in any state of
civilization, or from any increase of population, be rendered a fertile
track; but it might be, without doubt, much improved, if proper wells
were sunk, reservoirs made for rain water, and trees planted; much
might be done. The plains I crossed are of three kinds; those of which
the soil is a loose sand, producing the acaju, the mangaba and several
kinds of palm or cabbage trees; upon them the grass is short, and
of a kind which is not reckoned nourishing; in these situations are
likewise produced several creeping plants, similar to those growing
upon the common lands, near the sea-shore, in England, and the trees
are thinly scattered. The fruit of the acaju or cashew tree, and of the
mangaba, are most delightful, and are doubly acceptable in crossing
the sands upon which they are to be met with. The former has been
often described; the latter is a small round fruit, and is not unlike
a crab-apple in appearance, but it is sweet, and is unfit to be eaten
until it drops from the tree; the pulp is fibrous but soft, and three
seeds or kernels are contained in it, of which the taste approaches
that of almonds. The palm or cabbage trees[38] also afford fruits,
which are eaten when other food fails; but these are insipid.
These plains are the _taboleiros_, of which there exists also another
kind, which are covered with brushwood, of stinted height, from the
nature of the soil, but it is close and higher than a man on horseback.
The road lies, in many places, through it; but as it does not afford
any shade, and prevents the wind from alleviating the intenseness of
the heat; it is here that the power of the sun is fully felt. This
brushwood is, however, not too thick to prevent cattle from breaking
their way through it, and feeding among it. The third description
of plains are those of a better kind of soil, which produce good
nourishing grass, but upon these no trees grow; small shrubs and
briars alone are to be seen, and oftentimes not even these. They
are, in parts, stony, and have rising ground upon them, which is not
sufficiently high to deserve the name of a ridge of hills; but is
enough to break the ocean-like flatness and immensity which these
plains sometimes present to the traveller; after proceeding for hours,
the same distance still seems to remain for him to traverse. These are
the _campinas_. I passed over some spots covered with high trees, which
in our own country would be called woods of considerable extent; but in
Brazil, they could not be accounted of sufficient magnitude to compose
a distinguishing feature in the naked regions which I traversed. The
impression which a recollection of this portion of land left upon my
mind, is of a flat uncovered country.
I heard very little of beasts of prey; they had removed to better
districts, I suppose; nor were we much troubled with snakes. But my
people never failed, in taking up our quarters, to look well around,
which proves their frequent appearance, else this cautious behaviour
would not have become habitual with them. I merely say, that they are
not plentiful in this barren part; for elsewhere, near lakes and large
pools of water, in fertile districts, the rattle of the snake, of which
this is the distinguishing mark, is often heard. We saw a small kind
of rabbit, near rocky ground, which is called _moco_. The _carapato_
or tick, and the _chigua_ had entirely disappeared, since we left the
dry lake, near Natal. The _chigua_ has been so often described, that a
minute account of it in this place is unnecessary; it is a very small
insect, which lodges itself principally under the nails of the feet. In
the country, bordering upon the sea, it is to be found most abundantly
in sandy districts; and yet, although the plains of the Sertam appear
to be formed of the same kind of sand, the insect is not to be met with
in the whole track of country between Natal and Aracati.
We arrived at Açu on the 1st December, having travelled about 340
miles in 19 days. The continual anxiety in which I was kept, prevented
me from keeping any regular journal of my proceedings. From Açu to
Aracati, I have preserved the names of the places through which I
passed. The country is more inhabited, and I was nearer to the coast;
I travelled also with more ease; but, between Natal and Açu, excepting
the deserted Pai Paulo, I did not pass any settlement which deserved
even the name of village; single cottages, much separated from each
other, and often uninhabited, contained the whole population of this
district. It is a miserable, desolate country.
The town of Açu is built in a square, and consists of about three
hundred inhabitants; it has two churches, and a town-hall and prison,
at that time building; the governor was the promoter of the work. The
place stands upon the great river of Açu, where it runs in two channels
for a short distance; it is situated upon the northern bank of the
smaller branch. There is an island of sand between the two branches,
and the distance from whence the river is divided to where it is again
united, is about two or perhaps three miles. We crossed their dry beds,
and entered the square, which is not paved, and the sand is deep. Many
of the inhabitants were at their doors, for all travellers are objects
of curiosity, and our appearance increased it. I rode upon an English
saddle, and this particularly attracted the notice of an equestrian
people. The houses have only the ground floor; some of them are
plastered, and white-washed, but the mud of which others are composed,
remains in its natural colour, both within and without, and the floors
also are of earth; so that in spite of the greatest care, when water
is scarce, their inhabitants cannot keep themselves clean. Though the
lower class of Brazilians, of all casts, have many dirty customs,
allied to those of savage life, still they are remarkably clean in
their persons; one of the greatest inconveniences of a situation, when
a Brazilian complains of the place he happens to reside in, is the want
of a river or pool of water in the neighbourhood, for the purpose of
bathing.
We enquired for the house of a man of colour, a saddler by trade, with
whom my guide was acquainted. This person, like many others, had come
to his door to see the travellers; he soon recognised his friend, and
came forwards to speak to him. He procured a house for us during our
stay; it was a small place, upon which neither plaster nor white wash
had been bestowed, with two rooms, one opening to the square, and the
other to the river. When we were a little settled, and I had dressed
myself, I sallied forth to visit the vicar, who resided in the best,
or rather least miserable looking habitation in the town; it was about
the size of the cottages of labourers, or small farmers in England,
but not nearly so comfortable, though the floors were bricked. It is
true, that this climate does not demand, as much as those of bleaker
regions, that necessary of an English dwelling, of English growth,
that undefinable something, called comfort. I told him, I had called
upon him, as the first person of the neighbourhood, and that I should
always be happy in my proceedings to have the prayers and good wishes
of his order, and particularly his, as the governor had spoken so very
highly of him. Some further conversation passed between us; but I did
not stay long, for I was much tired. I made arrangements for sending my
horses towards Piatô, where grass was to be had, and the green stalks
of maize, sugar cane, and other plants; but the guide recommended that
we should not stay here longer than was necessary. He said, that whilst
the horses continued on their journey, they would bear up very well;
but if they were suffered to rest, they would become stiff, lose flesh,
and be rendered entirely unfit for service, for a considerable time. I
did not then quite believe him, but as there was no object in staying,
I desired Julio to return with them to Açu the next day at two o’clock,
that we and they might have, at any rate, a rest of twenty-four hours.
I afterwards learnt, by experience, that the guide was quite right
regarding the horses; that regular work is better than a rest of more
than one whole day.
Our friend, the saddler, among other stories, mentioned having passed
over the same ground which we had traversed from St. Luzia, only a
short time before us. He was in company with another man and a boy, and
had also a dog with him; they had put up for the night under shelter of
one of the rocks, in the vicinity of the lake of which I have spoken.
His companion had taken the horses to some little distance to graze;
the boy and the dog remained with him; he had made a fire, and was in
the act of preparing some dried meat to be cooked, when the boy called
out “where is the dog,”—the man answered “here he is, why what is
the matter?” the boy said, “what eyes, then, are those?” pointing, at
the same time, to the corner of the rock; the man looked, and saw the
eyes, for nothing else was to be seen; he called to the dog, took up
his fowling-piece, and fired, whilst the dog started up, and darted
towards the spot. A jaguar rushed out, and made off; it had been partly
concealed under the rock, which, with the dazzle of the fire had
prevented its body from being seen; it had crouched, and was ready for
a spring, when every thing was quiet, and unprepared.
I learnt, that there are some extensive salt-works at the mouth of
the Açu, and that small craft come from different parts of the coast
occasionally, to carry away the overplus.
I took an additional guide here, as the man I had brought with me from
Goiana was not acquainted with the remainder of the road; but I kept
him with me, for although he was not a person I liked, still he was
master of his employment; he managed the horses well, for they had,
through his attention and knowledge of this business, all arrived here
without sore backs, which I found, from the surprise expressed by all
those who saw them, was not a usual piece of good fortune, or good
management. He was, however, a great bully, when we quartered ourselves
in the houses of poor people, with whom he found he could so act
with impunity: he was also continually reporting, that I was a great
personage, that he might increase his own importance. Of this I said
nothing; but on our return, whilst I was unwell, he gave himself out as
the chief of the party, which I once caught him in the act of doing;
I disconcerted him, by threatening to turn him out of my service; and
when I recovered, he took care to draw in, and be more careful who
overheard him. The additional man I took with me, was a dark-coloured
mulatto, young and stout; his father lived at Açu, and this son had a
fair character. He brought with him a beautiful dog, which I afterwards
possessed.
The next day, Julio came with the horses; and between three and four
o’clock in the afternoon, we left Açu.