CHAPTER IV.

EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR-INCIDENTS ON THE ROAD-BRAZILIAN MULETEERS-A COUNTRY TOWN-PARTY OF ENGLISH-SAFETY OF

THE ROADS-SOCIETY IN RIO.

WHILST at Petropolis I learnt something of the Falls of San Francisco, on a river of that name, which runs into the sea between Bahia and Pernambuco; and though the information was very meagre, I had some idea of visiting them. The report of their grandeur chiefly originated with a German, named Schram, who had a sugar-house near Bahia, and had visited them, and coming to Rio some time before, he gave an extraordinary account of the Falls, which, he said, surpassed Niagara in grandeur, though they were not so large. The height of the fall he calculated to be 500 feet. A German whom I saw at Petropolis, told me that he had been on the river 400 leagues above the Falls, where he was engaged to build a steamer for its navigation, and that it was there a good broad stream. I heard afterwards that his socalled steamer was not worked by steam, but in some other way, by paddles. At Rio I made more inquiries about the

EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR.

41

Falls, and found an Irish doctor named Malet, who, about twelve years before, had descended the whole of the river, starting in the province of the mines, where it rises, passing the Falls, and going down to the sea. He had encountered innumerable dangers and difficulties; had nearly died from a fever; and had been nine months on the voyage. He was given up for lost and dead, but at last made his way down to the sea, and re-appeared at Bahia. He told me, however, that he had never wholly recovered from the fever, and that he thought he should always feel the effects of it. From him I learnt that the Falls, which were called Cachoeira de Paulo Affonso, were very fine, though he did not estimate the height at more than 250 feet. He described the river as being very large-so wide, indeed, some way above the cataract, that he could not see across it. This I could hardly credit, but he showed me his journal written in pencil twelve years before; and I took down the names of all the places, thinking they might be useful, having half made up my mind to pay a visit to this unknown

wonder.

The English packet' Petrel,' now came into Rio, and was to stay a fortnight, when she was to start for Bahia, and I determined to take a passage in her, and see if I could get up to the Falls. I was the more tempted to make this arrangement, as it was too early to go to Buenos Ayres and cross the Andes, on account of their being still blocked with snow. In the meantime, till the packet was ready to sail, I arranged to ride up as far as the Parahyba river, on the road to the province of the mines, which is beyond Petropolis.

Accordingly I started again for the mountains, and having

42

START FOR THE MOUNTAINS.

ordered a mule to be sent on board the steamer, embarked for Porta de Estrella. The steamer sailed at noon; but no mule appeared, and I afterwards found that the man of whom it had been hired forgot all about it. Fortunately there was an English merchant on board also bound for Petropolis, and he agreed to take a gig with me as far as a place called Fregoza at the foot of the mountains, where I could sleep and hire a mule to pursue my journey.

We arrived at Porta de Estrella at 3 P.M., and found a gig ready. It was a sort of cabriolet drawn by two mules, one in the shafts, the other fastened to a splinter bar outside, and carrying the black postilion. The mules appeared to be nearly unbroken, at least to harness, and every now and then we were treated to a bout of kicking and plunging, but we got on very fairly, and after an hour's drive arrived safely at Fregoza. We stopped at the inn, a good-sized house, but my friend soon proceeded on his journey, while I remained for the night, so that I might go up the mountains the next day at my leisure.

I succeeded in hiring a good mule here for two milreis (four shillings) a day, for as long a time as I pleased, of course keeping him on the road; and the next morning, about eight o'clock, throwing my saddle-bags on his back, I started, ascending slowly the steep road, and making a good many sketches on the way to Petropolis, where I arrived about 3 P.M. I put up at the house of Mr. Moss, who has opened a sort of private boarding-house, and I found it a most comfortable and well-arranged one. I stayed here the whole of the next day, merely riding few miles to see the waterfall of Itamyrati, one of the lions of the place. I did not expect much, yet in that little was

ROAD TO THE MINES.

43

rather disappointed. The stream was but small; and although the rock over which it fell was high, yet just around it (a thing uncommon in Brazil) the scenery was not pretty. However, I followed the stream upwards into the forest, and there its course was indeed beautiful. Tumbling over the rocks, or sleeping in deep pools, overshadowed by all sorts of trees and creepers, it presented much prettier aspect in these recesses than at the

fall.

The next morning, I started on my journey towards the Parahyba river. I had no exact object in going, but only rode up there to see the country, and chose that road, as it was one of the main channels of communication in the country, being the chief road to the mines. Several of the other visitors who were staying at Moss's accompanied me for the first two leagues, to a house called Padre Correo, which formerly belonged to a priest of that name. There is a small chapel attached to the dwelling, and in front of it, in the road, stands an enormous tree, the boast of the place. It has five or six huge stems joined together at the base, but separated above, and extends over a large space of ground, affording a most grateful shade to the troops of mules that stop to bait there, as a rancho is now attached to the house. From this point, I continued my journey alone.

The road, which is tolerably wide and good, leads by the side of the Piabanha river, which, at a place called Olaria, is crossed by a wooden bridge. The scenery was pretty, but there was a good deal of sameness in it, consisting always of hills covered with thick forest, and blue mountains rising up behind them. I passed several vendas and ranchos, at

44

BRAZILIAN MULETEERS.

which troops of mules were resting. The troperos, or carriers, answer in some respects to the arrieros of Spain, and, like them, carry all kinds of merchandize into the interior of the country, as the roads for wheel carriages are confined to a few miles round the capital. All other traffic is carried on by means of mules, and thus a carrier's calling becomes very profitable. The troperos are generally very active hard-working men, very honest in their dealings, and anything entrusted to their care will be delivered safely. Many of them are from the province of St. Paul's, the inhabitants of which seem to have more spirit, and more industry and enterprise, than the other Brazilians. A troop generally consists of fifty or a hundred mules under one tropero, and several black slaves, who drive and take care of the mules and of the burdens. Each black has seven mules under his charge. They travel three or four leagues a day, and every mule carries about twelve arrobas-four on each side and four on the the top, called the "sobre cargo"-about 384 lbs., or 27 stone in all.

The troperos will undertake to carry any kind of merchandise, but the principal thing brought down from the interior is coffee. Salt, linen, crockery, millstones, and even chains are sometimes carried up to the mines. The millstones are carried on poles, between two mules, and the chains sometimes require three or four to transport them, a coil being carried between each animal. When they arrive at the resting-place, the mules are unloaded, tied to stakes, which are always stuck in the ground round the ranchos, and the burdens ranged in regular order on the ground, with the packsaddle on the top of each. The ranchos are long open sheds, supported on posts, generally a