JOURNEY TO UNINHA.—CONTINUATION OF MY RESIDENCE AT JAGUARIBE.—NEGRO
BROTHERHOOD OF OLINDA.—BLESSING THE SUGAR WORKS.—MANDINGUEIROS AND
VALENTOENS.
ABOUT the middle of January, 1813, I went to stay for some days at the
cottage of an acquaintance, who resided upon the plain of Barbalho,
for the purpose of purchasing a few horses. This place is near to the
village of Monteiro; but it is on the opposite side of the river.
Barbalho is a plain of some extent, upon which cattle are turned out to
feed; the soil of it is a stiff dark-coloured clay, and the grass which
grows upon it is of a coarse species; this becomes quite dry during
the summer months, and when in this state it is set on fire, that the
tender shoots which again spring up may serve as food for the animals
that are to graze upon it. The fire will run along the ground, urged by
a fresh breeze; it will sometimes contract, and at others spread each
way, presenting to the beholders a fiery wall. The sight is grand; it
is upon a large scale, which gives to it a terrific appearance. The
inhabitants of the skirts of this plain carefully preserve a circle
around their houses and gardens, clear of vegetation; apprehensive of
some inconsiderate traveller who may chance to light his pipe as he
goes along, and throw away unextinguished the fire-stick of which he
has made use.
The person with whom I was staying persuaded me to ride with him
to the sugar plantation of Uninha, which is distant six leagues to
the southward of Barbalho; he described the place as being very
beautiful, and I consented. This was the only opportunity which
conveniently offered itself of seeing the country in this direction;
but I much regret not having made greater exertions to visit the
southern districts of Pernambuco. We passed through the hamlet and by
the parish church of the Varzea. A considerable extent of country is
known under this name, containing some of the finest cane lands of the
province, which are owned by men of wealth, who know the value of what
they possess, and consequently the plantations are in a flourishing
condition. The Varzea is famous in Pernambucan history, as the site
of a great deal of fighting. Camaragibe, which is in the vicinity, or
rather a part of the Varzea, and is spoken of by the historian of that
country, is now a flourishing sugar plantation.[94]
We reached the sugar plantation of Camasari, belonging to the Carmelite
friars; it is in high order, that is, the slaves and cattle are in
good condition, and every thing upon it appeared chearful; but it
does not yield so much produce as it might, if the strength of the
labourers was pushed to the utmost. I looked into the mill, which is
turned by water, and saw some handsome mulatto girls feeding the mill
with cane; they were dressed in petticoats of printed cotton, and
smocks of cambric muslin, and they wore upon their necks and in their
ears gold ornaments; they were singing in parts very tolerably. The
difference between the plantations which belong to convents, and those
which are possessed by individuals who reside upon them, and have a
direct interest in every trifling increase or decrease of the gains,
is very striking. The estates of friars are worked almost exclusively
by negroes who have been born upon them; every thing goes on easily
and regularly. If much is made, the better satisfied is the chief for
the time being; but if, on the contrary, little is obtained, still the
affairs of the community go on. We proceeded, and at some distance
beyond, descended from a high hill into a narrow valley, which was
completely embosomed by the eminences around, and so enclosed that we
appeared to intrude upon its inhabitants in crossing this spot of their
retirement. The grass upon the hills was dry; but all below was yet in
full health.
At length we arrived at the plantation of Uninha, which is situated
upon an extensive field, composed of uneven ground and watered
by several springs. The mill is turned by oxen, which is a late
improvement; horses being usually employed where water cannot be
obtained. We dined with the owner, and he returned with us to Barbalho
in the afternoon. I was much delighted with the day’s amusement. This
was the most beautiful part of the country which I visited taken as a
whole. The hills and the vallies are not high or extensive, but they
are decidedly marked. Here cultivation formed a considerable feature
in the country, the cane lands were extensive, and the mills for its
manufacture into sugar numerous.
On my return from Uninha, I wished still to remain at Barbalho for a
few days, and therefore the owner of the cottage at which I was staying
went on to Jaguaribe, to remain there until I could join him. I staid
with Manoel and Simam. One morning Manoel had gone to cut a bundle
of grass, and on his return met with an old acquaintance, a creole
negro; they quarrelled by the way, and as they came near to where I was
residing the matter became serious, and blows were given and received,
both of the men being armed with long poles. Simam saw this, took up
a drawn sword which was lying upon a chair, and ran out to assist his
comrade. I went out to put a stop to the business, and discovered
that Simam had cut an enormous gash in the fellow’s head; the man was
brought into the cottage and his wound was dressed. An acquaintance
of mine happened now to come in, and he took charge of the negro, and
carried him home to his master. The negro was taking a load of grass
for the governor’s horses, who was residing at Monteiro, which is
within half a mile of the site of these transactions. Notice would have
been taken of the affair immediately, owing to the circumstance of the
negro being employed? for the governor, if His Excellency had not been
informed that the offending negroes (for such I consider mine to have
been) belonged to an Englishman, upon which no more enquiry was made;
and as it was discovered that the master had nothing to do with the
affray, no cognizance was taken of the matter by the military power. If
the owner of the wounded slave had chosen so to do, he might have put
me to much expence and trouble, for he might have accused my negroes
of assaulting his; but the law of itself seldom does any thing. Even
in cases of murder the prosecutor, or accuser as he is called, has it
at his option to bring the trial forwards or not; if he can be bribed
or otherwise persuaded to give up the accusation, the matter drops to
the ground. Thus the spirit of law is changed, from the principle of
bringing an offender to justice for the general good of society, to
that of prosecuting in revenge for the crime which he has committed
against an individual.
Soon after my return to Jaguaribe, I was one evening surprised at the
arrival of a white man, who was habited in uniform of blue and red, and
accompanied by a great number of loaded horses, and of men, who were
dressed in leather after the manner of the Sertam; he delivered to me
a letter, which I discovered not to be for me, but for an Englishman
who was occasionally with me; however, I of course requested him to
stay, and gave directions for the accommodation of his followers. He
was a commandant from the interior, distant 130 leagues, in the back
settlements of the province of Paraiba, at the foot of the Serra do
Teixiera. He had put on board of _jangadas_ at Paraiba a considerable
quantity of cotton, which he had brought down from his estate, and he
was now travelling to Recife for the purpose of receiving it, and of
purchasing necessaries or rather luxuries for his family; to which
he appeared to be extremely attached. We soon became intimate, and
when he proceeded to Recife at the close of a few days, he left some
of his men and horses at Jaguaribe. It is among the inhabitants of
places so remote as the district from which he came, that clanship more
particularly exists; he had with him ten persons, most of whom were his
_compadres_, that is, the commandant was sponsor to one of the children
of each. This relationship is accounted very sacred in Brazil, and I
believe in all Roman Catholic countries; it is a bond of brotherhood,
which permits the poor man to speak to his superior with a kind of
endearing familiarity, and unites them in links of union, of which the
non-observance would be sacrilegious. The commandant made me several
visits from Recife, and after a delay of two months, he set off on his
return homewards. He was a man of most determined spirit, whose name
is respected all over the part of the country which he inhabits; and
this respect was produced by his wealth and individual character, which
brooks no insult; and yet there was a natural goodness in his nature,
which broke forth very strongly when he shewed me the letters which he
had received from his children, each of them, even to the youngest,
having written to him. He had lately lost his wife; his manner of
speaking of her was most affectionate. He told me, that he had some
intention of taking orders as a secular priest.
Soon after the commandant left me the following occurrence took place
hard by, which is characteristic of the state of the country, and
similar to what frequently happens; although this of which I am about
to speak, might have been avoided, if the actors in it had been a
little older, and a little less hot-headed. A young man who resided
in this neighbourhood had been lately appointed to hold a military
situation in the district, of which he was proud, and owing to which he
had assumed an additional degree of personal importance. He possessed
a high-spirited horse, and would sometimes turn him loose, although he
had no fenced field into which he could put him. The animal soon found
out the cane land of an adjoining estate, and destroyed, considerably,
the young plants; from hence he would open the gate of the field,
(which from the manner that the gates of plantations are usually made,
it was very easy for him to do) and would come and offer battle to some
of the hard worked horses. This was often repeated, notwithstanding
that the animal had been caught each time, and sent home with a request
that this might not again occur. However, at last one of the beasts of
the estate was lamed by the horse, and rendered unfit for service, at
least for some time. The owner was much vexed, and as one of his slaves
was about to carry a message to some distance, he told him to ride
the officer’s horse. He went,—and the owner was informed of this; he
way-laid the slave, and took the horse from him. The planter heard the
next day, that the officer had expressed to many persons a wish to meet
him, however no notice was taken of this. As he rode on the following
morning to see his workmen, he saw the captain in the path on horseback
talking to a mulatto man. The planter spoke to him, saying that he
wished to pass, which he could not do unless he moved, and mentioning
at the same time that he was informed of his wish to see him. The
captain spurred his horse towards his adversary, attempting at the same
moment to draw his sword; but this he did not do with ease, from some
entanglement of the belt. The other man drew his, which was inclosed
in a walking-stick, and rode up to him, putting the point close to
his breast, thus shewing him how easily he might by this unforeseen
advantage have taken his life. The mulatto man had now recovered from
his astonishment, and ran in between the horses, striking them and
driving them asunder. They still remained for some minutes in high
words; but the captain had not, as was afterwards well known, supposed
that the other was armed, and therefore his ardour for the combat had
now cooled considerably.
The Indians who were in my service, occasionally requested leave to
dance in front of my dwelling; I usually complied, and was often much
amused. A large fire was made, that we might the better see what was
going on; and that the evening might be rendered more entertaining, I
frequently invited some of my neighbours. The dance commenced by two
men stepping forwards, and walking round and round, taking a circuit
of a few yards; one of them singing, or rather reciting in a low voice
some ditty of his own language, and the other playing upon a shrill
pipe; and as they went on, at intervals they gave a hop or a skip;
soon, a woman joined them, and walked after them, and then another man
came forwards, and so forth, until a large ring was formed and the
pace was quickened. It was always expected that some liquor should be
prepared for them, and each of these persons, as they felt inclined
to take any of it, stepped out of the ring, and returned again as
soon as they had drank. They continued dancing as long as any rum was
produced, the women as well as the men relishing this, their means of
inspiration; for as the quantities were increased, some new song was
introduced, the tones became louder, and their articulation more rapid.
The free people of colour too would sometimes dance; but they only
asked permission of me, and held their merry-making at the door of one
of their own huts. Their dances were like those of the African negroes.
A ring was formed; the guitar player sat down in a corner, and began
a simple tune, which was accompanied by some favourite song, of which
the burthen was often repeated, and frequently some of the verses
were extempore, and contained indecent allusions. One man stepped out
into the centre of the ring, and danced for some minutes, making use
of lascivious attitudes, until he singled out a woman, who then came
forwards, and took her turn in movements not less indecent, and thus
the amusement continued sometimes until day-break. The slaves would
also request to be permitted to dance; their musical instruments are
extremely rude: one of them is a sort of drum, which is formed of a
sheep skin, stretched over a piece of the hollowed trunk of a tree; and
another is a large bow with one string, having half of a coco-nut shell
or of a small gourd strung upon it. This is placed against the abdomen,
and the string is struck with the finger, or with a small bit of wood.
When two holidays followed each other uninterruptedly, the slaves would
continue their noise until day-break.
I have now to enter upon an affair which gave me much trouble.
The lands belonging to the negro brotherhood of Olinda were very
conveniently situated for Jaguaribe, and for another plantation not far
distant, which was owned by an old man of colour, who harboured around
him a numerous clan of relations and dependants. It was arranged that
we should rent these lands equally; but to prevent competition, one
of us only was to apply for them, and then they were to be divided.
The owner of the plantation in question was to make the application,
and I rested satisfied; but I was surprised to discover, that I run
much risk of remaining without any part of them; therefore I began to
make arrangements for obtaining them for myself. Whilst the matter
was yet in doubt, a person who was under the protection of the rival
plantation, sent a number of negroes to work upon some land which lay
very near to Jaguaribe. I sent a message to the owner of these men,
purporting that the land was tenanted by a person of my acquaintance,
who yearly rented it from the brotherhood, and therefore I requested
him to direct that his slaves should retire. This he refused to do;
consequently I collected a number of my free workmen, and rode towards
the spot in question; the matter had become serious, and as he was
aware that if a scuffle ensued, he might lose the service of a slave,
whilst I who was accompanied by free men, would not sustain any loss,
he gave the desired directions, and I returned home.
I gained my object of renting the lands through the interest of some
persons who were intimately acquainted with the principal officers
of the brotherhood. I attended at the council table of these black
directors, and heard the arguments for and against the policy of
placing the whole of the property in the hands of one person; however
the matter was decided as soon as one of them rose up, and reminded
the rest that the community was in debt, and that the new tenant was
prepared with one year’s rent in advance. All objection was silenced by
this speech, and the papers were signed without any farther remark. The
black gentlemen came down to Jaguaribe to put me in possession of the
lands. I had invited several of my friends on this occasion, and blacks
and whites all sat down and ate together; the health of our Lady of the
Rosary was drank first; then that of the chief of the brotherhood and
of the new tenant. These fellows amused us much; for their politeness
to each other, and to the white persons who were present sat awkwardly
upon them; but was displayed to shew the importance which they imagined
themselves to possess. The _Juiz_ or chief of the brotherhood was a
shoemaker at Olinda, and the rest were of the same rank in life, more
or less.
Possession was given to me, and every thing unpleasant seemed to have
subsided; when one night late, a mulatto man who resided at Jaguaribe,
knocked at my door, and told me that he had just arrived from a
visit to a neighbouring cottage, and that on the way, three men had
come out upon him, and had commanded him to stop; but on seeing him
alone, they had retreated. I had had some intimation of what I was to
expect, and immediately supposed by whom these persons must have been
sent, and for whom the blow was intended. I called two Indians and my
faithful slave Manoel, and accompanied by these, and the mulatto man
who had given me the information, I set off towards the spot. They
were gone,—but we pursued; however, before we reached the nearest
plantation, we heard the heavy gate of its field shut to; therefore it
was useless to proceed farther, for the persons, whosoever they were,
had reached a place of safety. Upon this path resided the families
of the neighbourhood with whom I was the most intimate, and it was
well known that I sometimes returned home at a late hour. This was
a turbulent district in which I had fixed my residence. Some of the
owners of the plantations around were perpetually squabbling, and I had
been led into the same way of proceeding; indeed, if I had not done so,
I should have been trampled upon. The slaves of Paulistas and of Timbô
were constantly at war; and the owners of the plantations of Timbô and
Jenipapeiro were likewise with law-suits always pending, and their
dependants never easy. Some districts are in a quieter state than
others, but very few are totally without disturbance; and there are few
plantations in any part of the province about the boundaries of the
lands of which more than one law-suit has not been entered into.[95]
I was often reminded by many of my new acquaintances, that every
plantation ought to have a chaplain; and I was told, that without a
doubt all those persons who attended to hear mass, would contribute
towards the payment of the priest, as is customary. I spoke to a young
man of this profession for the purpose, and he attended every Sunday
and holiday; but when he was dismissed, at the time I was preparing to
leave the place, I was left to pay him entirely myself; every one was
poor and unable to assist when the day of payment came. This was only
what I expected; but I thought it was right to follow the usual custom
of having Mass said regularly, on account of the slaves.
In April I arranged with the tenant of the lands which lie to the
eastward of Jaguaribe, and are called Maranguape, to allow me to turn
loose upon them all my cattle during the rainy season; for the field of
the plantation was not sufficiently large to support so great a number
of animals, during the whole year, as the work which was performed
upon it required. The lands upon which I intended the cattle to remain
are about one league in length, and of about half the breadth. Part
of them are under water in the rainy season, and in other places they
were covered with woods; but these were, for the most part to be
entered even on horseback, owing to the cattle feeding in them, and
beating down the brushwood. It was astonishing to see in how short a
period the cattle which had been accustomed to labour, became wild and
comparatively fierce. I was in the habit of going occasionally with
another person, both of us being on horseback, to collect the animals
for the purpose of seeing that none were missing; we had many hard
chaces after them, and got many blows from the branches of the trees,
&c. One of the oxen was in the habit of invariably going into a bog
when we appeared, and after having proceeded to a certain distance,
he would turn round and look at us with apparent unconcern, and as if
he was conscious that we could not reach him. This circumstance makes
me recollect another, which occurred with one of my pack-horses. The
animal escaped from Jaguaribe, and was not for a long time heard of;
but at last, I enquired of an old black man, who said that he saw him
every day. The horse fed upon some lands which produced excellent
grass, but the only water in the neighbourhood was to be obtained
from a well or hole, of which the entrance was narrow, and the water
considerably below the surface. The negro said, that one day he found
the horse near to the well, but unable to reach the water; he gave him
some, out of a half gourd, which the old man carried with him, for the
purpose of throwing water over his own head, in default of a better
bath. The following day the horse was there, and this continued for
weeks; but although he had attempted to put his hand upon his neck, the
horse never allowed him to seize his mane. He was caught at last by two
men, mounted on very swift-going horses, whom I sent for the purpose.
A short time after the cattle had been at Maranguape, I agreed with an
Indian to go and stay there, for the purpose of taking care of them.
This man was in my debt for cloathing, and for a gold chain which he
had given to his wife. He came to me a few days after his removal,
asking leave to go to his former place of residence, which was at some
distance, and to take his family with him. I understood what this
meant; he would never have returned, and therefore I answered that
he might go if he thought proper, but must leave some pledge for the
payment of the debt. This he promised to do. Julio, who had been with
me on my journey to Seara, was again in my service. He now displeased
me exceedingly, for he too, led astray by this fellow, wished to leave
me; Julio had been accused of some petty thefts, with which I now
taxed him; he denied having committed them, and that he was innocent
I verily believe. However I did not think so then, consequently this
circumstance, and his wish to leave me with a man whom I knew to be
very unprincipled, for I had lately had information respecting him
from other quarters; and above all, the suspicion that they had come
at an hour when few persons were about me, under the impression that,
being alone, I should be induced to accede to their demands, caused
us to part on bad terms. They went their way towards Maranguape, and
I had some hopes that all would have continued quiet. However in the
afternoon, about half an hour before the close of day, the manager came
to tell me that Francisco Joze, the Indian who was in my debt, had
passed through the field, accompanied by his wife, Julio, and a number
of other Indians. Thus he had determined to go in defiance of any right
which I might have to his services, or to demand payment of what he
owed me, and in breach of promise given to me only a few hours before.
Several other labourers were also indebted to me, and if this man was,
without remark, permitted to make his own terms, I knew not who might
chuse to do likewise.
My horse was brought out; I beckoned to Manoel, my constant companion,
and calling to some freemen, who had returned from their work, and
were now talking together in a groupe; I said, “who follows me?” A
black carpenter, a white brickmaker, a mulatto carrier, and a labourer
of the same cast, and likewise another slave, stepped forwards. Thus
accompanied by six able men, including Manoel, who were all on foot,
I set off on horseback at a round pace, knowing that in ascending the
hill, they would pass me. The hill being surmounted, I again pushed on,
and when I arrived at the short, but steep declivity which overlooks
the plantation of Inhaman, I saw three men below, and heard the shrill
Indian pipe. I looked back and saw that the carpenter and brickmaker
had alone kept pace with me, and I know not how they were able so to
do. I cried out, “Yonder are some of the party.” At the same moment,
Monte, the brickmaker, fairly leapt down the steep declivity, and
passed my horse; we descended upon the men, but were disappointed in
discovering that although they were Indians, they were not those
which we sought. Now we waited for the remainder of our party, who
soon came up, and we returned quietly by another path towards home. On
our arrival at the gate of Jaguaribe, I was informed that the party
had quartered itself in a corner of the field, in and about the hut
of another Indian; to this place we now directed our steps. Francisco
Joze himself came out to speak to me, and soon several others placed
themselves near to him. I sat on horseback, holding a parley, my men
being on the other side of me, until Antonio, the mulatto carrier,
(he who had been way-laid a long time before) came round and leaned
against the horse’s neck, placing himself between me and the Indian. I
afterwards found out, that he had observed that Francisco Joze held a
drawn knife, and Antonio judged that this was intended against me or my
horse, for the Indian well knew that if he wounded me it would probably
enable him to escape. Several persons belonging to the plantation had
now joined us, and the matter ended by the Indian allowing himself to
be taken without resistance, and to be put into the stocks; a party of
mulattos, or of creole negroes, would not have submitted thus quietly.
Late at night he paid the debt, was released, and I saw no more of him
for a considerable time.
I was now dismissing all those workmen who were not in debt to me, and
at last only a few persons remained, whose services I required, and
upon whose character I could depend. It was very seldom that I visited
Recife, but when there was a necessity for so doing, I took advantage
of moon-light nights in preference to travelling in the day-time, and
was on these occasions accompanied by Manoel. The wood of Merrueira,
through which we usually passed, is famous for the numerous stories
of ghosts that wander, and of murders that have been committed in it.
One night when the moon was not at a sufficient height to afford a
tolerably clear view of the objects around, we were passing through
this wood. I saw a figure before me in the middle of the path, which
bore the appearance of a man standing still. I slackened my pace and
called out, as is customary, “Who comes there;” but before I could
possibly have received an answer, Manoel brushed past me, saying,
“Let me see;” however I desired him to be quiet, as no harm might be
intended. On a nearer approach, we discovered that an old stump of a
tree had caused this alarm. On another occasion I sent this same slave
from Recife to Jaguaribe, on foot, early in the morning, telling him
that I intended to follow him, leaving Recife about eight o’clock in
the evening. I was to be accompanied by Zacharias, another slave,
whose courage was somewhat doubtful. Manoel arrived at Jaguaribe and
immediately prepared one of the pack-horses, saying to the manager
that he was going to meet his master who was on the road alone, for he
said, “Zacharias is nobody[96].” The manager could not persuade him to
give up his intention, and therefore as he knew that the slave was much
tired with his walk, he came himself. I mention these anecdotes for the
purpose of shewing the kind of man, who usually followed me wherever I
went.
Several months now succeeded each other without any disquietude. I had
another attack of ague during the rainy season, which was however much
less violent than that of the preceding year. I likewise met with an
accident which had nearly proved fatal, occasioned by a blow from the
fore feet of a high fed horse; he reared and struck me, but this was
done more in playfulness than with the intent to do mischief.
I had had some intention of leaving Jaguaribe, owing to the turbulence
of the neighbourhood, to my ill-health, and to some disagreeable
occurrences which had taken place between my landlord and myself.
However, as this would have been very inconvenient, I resolved to stay,
notwithstanding all these and other disadvantages.
Preparations were made in the month of August for setting the mill to
work; the cane had not attained this year its accustomed growth, in
most parts of the country, and that which I possessed was particularly
stinted in size, for I had not commenced planting until it was almost
too late. Every thing being ready towards the end of the month, I sent
for a priest to bless the works. Unless this ceremony is performed,
every person who is to be employed about the mill, both freeman and
slave, would be afraid to proceed to his destined labour, and if any
accident happened it would be ascribed to the wrath of heaven, for
this breach of religious observance. The priest arrived and said mass,
after which we breakfasted and then proceeded to the mill. The manager
and several other freemen and the negroes stood around the works; a
quantity of cane was placed ready to be thrust in between the rollers,
and the four negroes whose part it was to feed the mill stood at their
posts. Two lighted candles were placed close to the rollers, upon the
platform which sustains the cane, and a small image of our Saviour upon
the cross stood between them; the priest took his breviary and read
several prayers, and at stated places, with a small bunch of weeds
prepared for the occasion, which he dipped in a jug of holy water, he
sprinkled the mill and the persons present. Some of the negroes sprang
forwards to receive a good quantum of this sanctified water; and then
the master of the sugar boiling-house led the way to the portion of
the works of which he had the direction; and here there was another
sprinkling. When we returned to the part of the mill in which the
rollers stood, the priest took a large cane, and I did the same; then
the signal being given the flood-gate was opened and the works were
soon in motion, and according to rule the two canes which the priest
and I held in our hands were the first to be ground. I had heard much
of this ceremony from persons of the country, and I cannot avoid
saying, that although something of the ridiculous may by many persons
be attached to it, still I could not help feeling much respect for
it. The excitement of devout feelings among the slaves, even of those
feelings which are produced by the Roman Catholic religion, cannot fail
to be serviceable, and if men are to exist as slaves this is doubtless
the religion which is the best adapted to persons in a state of
subjection. Slavery and superstition are however two evils which when
combined, are surely sufficient to cause the misery of any country.
The carts, the oxen, and their drivers had not received the priest’s
benediction; they arrived some time afterwards, bringing loads of
canes, and the carts were ornamented with the longest that could be
picked out placed as flag staffs, and bearing upon them handkerchiefs
and ribbons. Each cart in succession stood before the door of the
dwelling-house, and the priest complied with the wishes of the drivers.
There was a tall, thin mulatto man of about fifty-five years of age, of
the name of Vicente, who lived near to Jaguaribe; he was in the habit,
when he saw me about my own place, of stopping, that we might have some
conversation. I liked much to hear his stories. He said, that now the
country was becoming quieter,—that disturbances were less frequent
than formerly. That there were now no _Valentoens_, valiant ones, nor
any _contas verdes_, green beads[97]. He explained to me the precise
meaning of the former, and the species of beads which were intended to
be described by the latter. These _Valentoens_ were men of all casts,
whose whole business consisted in seeking opportunities of quarrelling;
they attended all festivals and fairs, and their desire was to become
so famous for courage as to render the knowledge of their presence on
these occasions sufficient to keep in awe any other individuals who
might wish to create disturbances, considering themselves privileged
to revenge their own and their friends’ injuries; but they would not
allow of any quarrel in which they were not concerned. Two roads cross
each other at about the distance of one league from Jaguaribe, and
at this spot, Vicente told me, that some of these men often stood,
obliging all passers-by either to fight them or to dismount, take off
their hats, and lead their horses whilst they were in their sight.
These men wore round their necks strings of green beads, which had
either come from the coast of Africa, bearing the wonderful property
of conveying in safety their possessors through all descriptions of
perils, or were charmed by _Mandingueiros_, African sorcerers, who had
been brought over to Brazil as slaves, and in secret continued the
prohibited practice of imparting this virtue to them. The men were
accompanied by dogs of extraordinary size and activity, and possessing
courage equal to that of their masters. These animals had been taught
to drink rum, which they would do at their owner’s command, giving to
all beholders an opinion of some supernatural qualities having been
bestowed upon them. Vicente had been acquainted with some of these men,
and was firmly persuaded of the virtues of the green beads, and that
the dogs imbibed from their masters certain qualities, which made them
superior to all the rest of their species. The expression of the man’s
countenance changed entirely when he commenced the relation of these
stories; it was at all times harsh; but now there was imparted to it a
considerable degree of unpleasant wildness. When I expressed my doubts
of the efficacy of the beads against a musket ball well-directed, his
anger rose, but there was pity mingled with it, for one who had not
seen those times of wonder. He seemed to be glad that they were over,
and that all was now quiet; but yet he cherished a sort of regard for
men whose lives had been passed in deeds of danger; for notwithstanding
the charms, such he considered them to be, as the death of these men
was generally violent, owing, as Vicente said, to some unfortunate
removal of the beads from the person of him whose destined hour was
arrived. It was not, however, from this person alone that I heard
accounts of the _Valentoens_.[98]
There was an old creole negro residing in the neighbourhood of
Jaguaribe, whose disposition led him to explore all the woods for
miles around in search of game; he preferred this manner of obtaining
subsistence to that of daily labour with the hoe or bill hook. He was
acquainted with the situations in which the best timber was to be
found; and could, in many instances, name the exact spot upon which
some particular tree stood, which was required for any given purpose.
This man often came to Jaguaribe, and on these occasions I usually
called him into the house to hear his stories, whilst I sat in my
hammock smoking. He was fond of tales of ghosts and _Mandingueiros_.
The latter are famous, among other feats, for handling poisonous
snakes, and can, according to his account and that of many other
persons, by peculiar noises or tunes, call these reptiles from their
holes, and make them assemble around them. These sorcerers profess to
render innoxious the bites of snakes, to persons who submit to their
charms and ceremonies. One of the modes which is adopted for this
purpose, is that of allowing a tame snake to crawl over the head, face,
and shoulders of the person who is to be _curado de cobras_, cured of
snakes, as they term it. The owner of the snake repeats a number of
words during the operation, of which the meaning, if they contain any,
is only known to the initiated. The rattle-snake is said to be, above
all other species, the most susceptible of attention to the tunes of
the _Mandingueiros_. The above accounts I should not have related upon
the authority of one or two persons. I have heard them repeated by
several individuals, and even some men of education have spoken of the
reputed efficacy of the tame snakes of the _Mandingueiros_, as if they
were somewhat staggered in their disbelief of it; the reputation of the
_contas verdes_ is firmly established in the faith of those persons of
the lower ranks who have heard of them. These men certainly do play
strange tricks very dexterously.
I had not been so much inconvenienced by snakes as I had imagined I
should; I had seen several different kinds in going through the woods,
and particularly in that which leads from Jaguaribe to Paulistas. The
path through it is not much frequented, and therefore the snakes have
become bolder, crossing the road or running up a bank as I passed
along. One afternoon I had a visit with which I could have well
dispensed. I happened to look up whilst sitting in my hammock, and saw
one of these reptiles, lying quite still upon the top of the wall of
the room, in the opening which is formed by the supporters of the roof
that rest upon it. I seized a pike and ran it into the snake, thus
rivetting it to one of the beams of the roof, whilst I called to some
person to assist me in killing it; but its writhing was so violent,
that it soon liberated itself, and fell from the wall on the outside,
where several persons waited for it. The people who were present did
not know whether it was of the _caninana or papa ovo_ (egg eater)
species, as these are much like to each other. The former is accounted
venomous, and the latter is by many persons supposed to be harmless.
Both are of a grey colour above, and yellow underneath. The snake which
we killed was about four feet in length.
The _caninana_ is likewise sometimes called the flying-snake, as it
has the power of springing to a considerable distance. It usually lies
entwining the branch of a tree, and from thence darts down upon those
who may molest it. The _cobra d’agua_, or water snake, was often to
be seen in the rivulet which runs just below the dwelling-house of
Jaguaribe; it is sometimes eight or ten feet in length, and of the
thickness of a man’s arm. The colour of the back is a bright black, and
the belly is of a pale yellow. The lower ranks of people say that it
is poisonous; but I have heard this contradicted. The _jararàca_ snake
is from six to nine feet in length; the back is of a dusky yellow, and
the belly is white; the point of the tail is black, the mouth is red,
and it has two black and white streaks upon the throat. The _çurucucù_
snake is of nearly the same size as the _jararàca_; it is black and
yellow. This reptile is attracted by fire, and on this account would
be more dangerous to travellers than any other description of snake,
if its attention was not so totally directed to the fire, as to give
time and opportunity of killing it. It has, as I was informed by many
persons of credibility, been known to spring off the ground at a person
carrying a flambeau. The _çurucucù_ and the _jararàca_ are known to be
poisonous. The _cypô_ snake is so called from its likeness to the thin
and flexible shoots of the plants which bear this name. It is said to
be poisonous.
Charms are often supposed to destroy the venom of snakes, and to
produce, consequently, the recovery of the person who has been bitten
by one of these reptiles. Oil is sometimes used as a remedy, being
given in considerable quantities, which are increased or diminished
according to the quality of the oil. Rum is likewise administered so as
to produce intoxication. I have also seen a small plant, which is known
under the name of _herva cobreira_; wherever I have seen it, the plant
has been carefully preserved in a pot. This would denote that it is
not indigenous to the part of the country in which I was; and indeed I
was told that it had been brought from Africa. I never saw its flower;
the leaves of it are small and heart-shaped; the stem is of four or
five inches in length, and of a deep red colour, which becomes greenish
towards the points of the branches: these are long, crooked, and
spread horizontally. The leaves and the softer branches are bruised,
and are applied to the wound, and the juice which is extracted from
them, when mixed with rum or water, is drank by the patient. I do not
vouch for its success; but its name must, I should imagine, have been
acquired by its reputation.[99]
The mill was yet at work in September, when the owner of the place
applied to me to leave it, as it was convenient to him to come down
from another plantation of which he was the owner, and reside at
Jaguaribe, from its vicinity to Recife. I agreed to this, but did
not wish that he should remove until I was about to leave Jaguaribe.
However, one morning, a young man who was related to and employed by
him, came to my house, and told me, that by order from his kinsman he
had (accompanied by a gang of negroes) taken possession during the
night of the cottage, which was situated upon the shelf of the hill. I
expressed my surprise at this conduct, and said a good deal upon the
subject. He, of course, returned for answer, that he had only acted
according to the orders which he had received. The principal objection
which I had to this premature removal arose from the general turbulent
character of the slaves of this man, and from the frequency of quarrels
between the dependants of those persons whose dwellings were so near to
each other as ours had now become.
Several extremely disagreeable occurrences took place, as I had feared
would be the case, before I could conveniently remove; but as these
proceeded more particularly from the peculiarity of our situation I do
not think that a minute account of them would be interesting. These
anecdotes could not be given in illustration of the general state of
manners in the country. Suffice it to say, that I made a visit to the
owner of the plantation of Amparo, in the island of Itamaraca, upon
whose lands I agreed to plant sugar-canes, and to share with him their
produce, as is a usual practice upon sugar estates.
In the beginning of November, 1813, I sent my manager to prepare a
residence for me, at the town of Conception in the island; and I
removed to that place in the course of the following month.