The Fish
River--Cold Lodgings--Fowl Massacre--Bad Ways--Gigantic Ant-hills--The
Campos--Insect Warriors--Insinuating Visitors (Tick)--The Simpleton--
Bertioga--A Drunkard--Cold Shoulders--Mud Church--Feasting and Fasting;
or, the Fate of Tantalus--Method in a Slow March--Gentlemen Hungry and
Angry--No "Accommodation for Man or Horse"--A Practical Bull--Curtomi--
Hospitable Treatment at Grandie--Horse-dealer--A "Chance" Purchase--
Bivouac--Mule Kneeling--Sagacious Animal--Quilos--A Mist--Gold-washing
--Ora Branca--Hazardous Ascent of the Serra D'Ora Banca--Topaz District
--A Colonel the Host--Capoa--Jigger-hunters--Mineralogical Specimens--
Mortality of Animals--Pasturage--Account of Ora Preta--Gold Essayed--
Halt--Journey resumed--Arrival at Gongo Soco

_Monday, August 4, 1828_.--Our muleteers had no small trouble to collect
their animals in readiness for us to start at the appointed time (four
in the morning); indeed, they had been full two hours beating about the
bush to get them together. Fortunately, however, these men go to rest so
early, that they think little of getting up in the middle of the night,
to collect and load their mules, which is a common occurrence, as an
early start is desirable for both man and beast, because two hours
travelling before sunrise, is not half so fatiguing as one hour after
it; the muleteers are also glad to promote any measure that will enable
them to complete their day's journey before sunset, that they may get
their supper and go to rest so soon as it is dark, which, in this
tropical region, is always at an early hour. Between nine and ten we
arrived at a venda, called Funelle, where we breakfasted on eggs and
milk, standing at a counter, there being no other apartments in this
small habitation, except the bed-room of a pretty young black-eyed
widow, who was laughing and flirting with our party the whole time we
remained. Having made but a third of our intended day's journey, we were
obliged to tear ourselves away from the interesting widow's
fascinations, greatly to the annoyance of some of my companions, who
would fain have prolonged the pleasure of her agreeable trifling:--but
_malgre_ the Loves and the Cupids, with the accompaniments of beauty's
witcheries, we were obliged to press forward, towards our quarters for
the night, which we proposed to take up at a house called Rosa Gomez,
six leagues from Funelle, and nine from Villa Preta, making thirty-six
miles to-day. About a