Wishing to see the city of Alagoas, the capital of the province, I made arrangements for visiting it, and started from Maceio on the 31st of March. This city is situated on the south side of a large lake, which runs inland about forty miles, and is about twenty miles distant from Maceio. There is a narrow entrance to the lake from the sea, about two leagues to the south of the latter place; but still further to the southward, there is another inlet from the sea, which runs northward to within a mile of the town, and by means of a small canal which has been cut, canoes can now approach within a very short distance of the houses. Accompanied by a young countryman, I embarked in a light canoe about midnight, with the view of reaching Alagoas early in the morning, and thus escape exposure on the water during the heat of the day. My man Pedro was our only navigator, who used a long pole, the mode usually adopted for propelling canoes, as the lake is extremely shallow. As soon as we were fairly afloat on the canal, we laid down in the bottom of the canoe to sleep, but failed to do so, in consequence of the myriads of mosquitos and sand-flies that almost fill the atmosphere among the mangroves which abound along the muddy shores. At eight o’clock in the morning we came in sight of the city, which is built upon a somewhat elevated situation, and as the houses are rather large, and intermingled with numerous churches, and lofty mango trees, it has really an enchanting appearance when seen in the distance. In about an hour afterwards we landed, and as I had brought no letters of recommendation, I despatched Pedro to look out for a house where we could remain till morning, but he returned after being an hour absent, with the intelligence that none was to be obtained. This did not annoy me much, as we found an old house close to where we landed, where I proposed to remain, especially as the weather was fine, the only shelter we required being shade. Just, however, as we were about to remove our luggage thither, the owner of an adjoining house perceiving that we were strangers, invited us to take up our quarters with him, an invitation which we readily accepted, as it would be not only more comfortable, but would allow us greater freedom to walk about. Like most other Brazilian cities in which I have been, Alagoas looks better from a distance than on close inspection; and as in the instance of Penêdo, it has all the appearance of having once been a much more flourishing place than it now is, the expulsion of the Portuguese having given its industry a death blow, from which it is not soon likely to recover. The houses are for the most part built of stone, and many of them are what are called Sobrados, that is, consist of more stories than one, but many of them are falling into decay; even the principal streets are overgrown with grass and other weeds, and have a deserted appearance. The finest buildings are the churches and convents; of the former there are eight, and of the latter two in number. It being the seat of the provincial government, the President resides there, but as Maceio is the chief place of trade, there is also a government house in that town for his accommodation, when he visits it, as he frequently does, for the transaction of business. The population of Alagoas amounts to about 6000. On one or two occasions that I walked through the principal streets I saw very few people, and they for the most part were bare-footed, ragged mulatto and Indian soldiers, two of whom were keeping guard at the house of the President.
The chief productions of the country around Alagoas are sugar, cotton, and a little mandiocca. At the time of my visit great complaints were made of the scarcity of provisions, but it is impossible to feel much commiseration for the starving condition of the poor people, when it is known that it is entirely owing to their own want of industry that sufficient crops of mandiocca are not raised, not only for their own consumption, but for exportation to other parts of the country. There is abundance of ground around the city lying waste, which is well adapted for the growth of this plant, and but little labour suffices for its cultivation, but the indolent disposition of the people is such, that, with all the advantages which the country offers, they are contented to obtain just sufficient for immediate use and seldom look forward to the future. Towards the head of the lake, the country is said to be much richer than it is near the city, and it is in that direction that the largest and most productive sugar and cotton plantations are seen. The lake is not of sufficient depth to admit of vessels of any size, all traffic between the sea and the city is carried on in large canoes, and a small class of flat-bottomed sailing vessels called Lanchas. Opposite the city the lake is about a league broad, the water is quite fresh, and yields abundance of fine fish, which forms the chief part of the animal food of the inhabitants, to whom it is sold at a very cheap rate. Much fine timber is floated down the lake from the upper parts of the country for exportation along the coast; the two wooden bridges at Pernambuco are for the most part constructed of it.
During my rambles in this neighbourhood, I found several species of plants which I had not previously met with. In a small stream of beautifully clear water the curious Cabomba aquatica, Aubl., grows abundantly, which to the Botanist is a most interesting plant, as, both in habit and structure, it forms a transition link between the Ranunculus family and that of the water lilies. In the same stream I likewise collected specimens of a Marsilæa, a pale blue flowered Pontederia, and a large white flowered Nymphæa different from that which grows in the lake at Olinda. In brackish water a little above Maceio, a Potamogeton grows in vast quantities, which on comparison, does not seem to differ from the British P. pectinatus. We returned to Maceio by daylight, and I observed that the shores abound with Mangroves, principally Rhizophora Mangle, which reaches here to a much greater size than I have elsewhere seen it, some of the trees being, at least, thirty feet high, with stems proportionally thick; it presents a curious appearance, the large roots supporting the stems at the height of several feet above the water, and curving outwards and downwards; if the real top were not seen, we could almost fancy that the tree had been reversed; the long pendent radicles of the seeds are also remarkable, as they are thrown down to the ground while the fruit is yet attached to the parent plant. The wood of this tree is very much used as fuel, it burns extremely well in the green state; at Maranham little else is used for this purpose.
On the morning of the 20th of April I left Maceio, in a little vessel loaded with cotton, and arrived at Pernambuco on the evening of the 24th, taking Pedro with me, he having agreed to accompany me on my projected journey into the interior. The only thing which I observed worthy notice on the passage, was a mode of fishing that was new to me. Towards the evening of the third day, while running along between the reef and the shore, the vessel grounded on a sand bank, the tide being then about half ebb. Having laid down to sleep on the deck, I awoke about nine o’clock, and was surprised to see a great number of lights moving quickly between the shore and the reef, and extending as far as I could see. Our boatmen were at this time sound asleep, but as the tide was now out, and the ground around us dry, I made for the nearest lights, and found them to belong to a man and boy, both of whom were naked, each having a lighted torch in his left hand, a long sword-knife in the right, with a small basket suspended round the neck by a thick piece of cord. I soon discovered they were engaged in killing the small fish which the tide had left in the shallow pools of water inside the reef. They walked somewhat quickly along, holding the flaming torch pretty close to the water, by which means the fish, not above three inches long, were very distinctly perceived, and when seen, immediately struck with the sword, quickly picked up, and put into the basket. This man told me that all he expected to get, would scarcely suffice for the supper of the four individuals comprising his family. As the tide came in, the lights were seen receding towards the shore, and gradually becoming extinct. The material of which the torches are made, is the wood of a fine large arborescent species of Bignonia, to which the Brazilians give the name of Pao d’Arco, from the circumstance of its being used by the Indians to make their bows. They split this wood into thin splinters, a number of which are tied together, and when lighted, it burns with a very clear flame. Before castor oil was so much cultivated as it now is, this kind of light was extensively used by the country people, even in their sugar-houses and other works.
CHAPTER V.
CEARA. PERNAMBUCO TO CRATO.
The Author leaves Pernambuco in a Coasting Vessel—Description of the Voyage—Touches at Cape San Roque—Arrives at Aracaty—Seaport of Province of Ceará—Town described—its Trade—Whole Province subject to great droughts—Commencement of Journey into the Interior—Passes Villa de San Bernardo—Arid nature of the Country—Catingas—Arrives at Icó—Town described—Journey continued—Villa da Lavra de Mangabeira—Gold washings abandoned—Country begins to improve—Reaches the Villa do Crato—Town described—Low state of morals among the Inhabitants—Sugar Plantations—Mode of Manufacture—Coarse kind of Sugar formed into Cakes called Rapadura, in which state it is used throughout the Province—State of Cultivation in the Neighbourhood—Productions of the Country—Serra de Araripe—Different kinds of timber—Wild fruits—Wandering Tribes of Gypsies frequent—Great religious Festival—Climate—Diseases.
On my return to Pernambuco from Maceio, Dr. Loudon kindly afforded me the use of his country residence, he having removed into the town, and I remained here from the end of April to the beginning of July. At the time of going there, the rainy season had just set in, when I observed the very striking effect which a few showers had already produced on the vegetation. Three months before, I had left the whole herbage scorched and withered while the trees had a brown and sickly appearance; now all was fresh and verdant; grass and other herbaceous plants were covering the face of the earth, and bursting into bloom; and the shrubs and trees had assumed their summer dress, the deep green of the leaves harmonizing well with their various coloured flowers. The rainy season is here generally expected to commence about the middle or end of April, and continues till about the middle of August. At first, the rains fall in heavy showers, accompanied with thunder and lightning, but ultimately they become more frequent, lasting for half or an entire day, or even several successive days, with but very short intermissions; the longest period I knew it to rain without cessation, being thirty-six hours. At this season from the flatness of the country, the roads are so completely flooded, that it is impossible to move out on foot; and the atmosphere is so thoroughly saturated with moisture, that everything acquires a coating of blue mould; even books get so damp, that, unless exposed to the first sun-shine, they become musty and are spoiled.
As it was impossible to stir much abroad, I occupied myself with arranging and packing my collections from Alagoas, in making preparations for my inland journey, and in dissecting and examining the structure of numerous animals found in the neighbourhood. I also made it my endeavour to ascertain which was the best route for the journey I had in view. Those who had visited the interior strongly recommended me to proceed by sea to Aracaty, a town in the province of Ceará, about two and a half degrees to the North of Pernambuco, and to start inland from that port, the roads being rather better than those leading from other parts of the coast, and horses cheaper. I therefore determined to adopt this plan, and in the end found no cause to repent having done so. I received the best information from two Portuguese merchants, named Pinto, who resided at Icó, a large town in the interior of the province of Ceará, and who had come to Pernambuco to purchase goods, which they are in the habit of doing once in every two or three years: they were the most influential people in that quarter, and I considered myself fortunate in making their acquaintance. In order to convey their goods to Aracaty, they had hired a small schooner, and accordingly I engaged a passage for myself and servant in the same vessel. A few days before we sailed, I called with Mr. Goring, H.B.M. Vice Consul, upon the Vice-President of the province, Senhor Francisco de Paulo Cavalcante d’Albuquerque, (the President being then absent at Rio,) with the view of obtaining my passport; we were kindly received, but with less frankness than when I visited the late President Camargo; Senhor Albuquerque is a man of considerable property, and belongs to one of the first and oldest families in the north of Brazil. Besides the passport, he sent me the next day letters of recommendation to the Presidents of Ceará and Piauhy.