ides of the low hills in the neighbourhood of Pernambuco.
Here and there a little space is cleared for the growth of mandioc,
which at this season is perfectly green: the wooden huts of the
cultivators are generally on the road-side, and, for the most part, each
has its little grove of mango and orange-trees. At one of these little
homesteads, we found a pretty large guard-house, established where four
roads meet, and there our foot guide left us, and a gentlemanlike young
officer, of the Brazilian Cacadores, rode with us, and entertained us by
calling Luis do Rego a tyrant, and attributing the siege of Pernambuco
entirely to the governor's obstinacy, in not joining the people of the
province in throwing off the dominion of his master. Round the
guard-house a number of negro girls, with broad flat baskets on their
heads, were selling fruit and cold water: they had decked their woolly
hair, and the edges of their baskets, with garlands of the scarlet
althaea; their light blue or white cloaks were thrown gracefully across
their dusky shoulders, and white jackets, so that it was such a picture
as the early Spaniards might have drawn of their Eldorado.

After riding a few miles, we came suddenly to the foot of an abrupt
hill, on whose sides there were scattered groups of the most magnificent
trees I ever beheld. There we were met by a small military party, which,
after a parley with our guide, rather ordered, than invited us to ride
up. In a few seconds, we came to a steep yellow sandstone bank, shaded
on one side by tall trees, and open on the other to a lake surrounded
by woody hills, on the most distant of which, the white buildings of
Olinda sparkled like snow. On the top of the bank, and in the act of
descending, was a group of forty horsemen, one of the foremost of whom
bore a white banner; several were dressed in splendid military habits,
others in the plain costume of the landed proprietors. These were
deputies from Paraiba on their way to propose terms to Luis do Rego;
they had just left the head-quarters of the besieging army, where the
provisional government of Goyana is stationed, and were accompanied by a
guard of honour: after exchanging civilities, part of the guard turned
back with us, and the deputies went on their way. Having reached the top
of the hill, we found about a hundred men, tolerably well armed, but
strangely dressed, awaiting us; and there we were detained till our
guide rode forward to ask leave