We stopped early in the day at the fazenda of Senor Joaquim José de Silva, some two miles from the main road, where every thing needful was provided for us.
We saw here a patch of tea-plants which had evidently grown well, but was now neglected. The seed are round, of the size of a small acorn, and three in each pod.
Cotton which had produced a crop last year was again growing well, after being cut off near the ground.
Corn is also looking vigorous, and promises a good yield. All this land is very steep and hilly.
Wednesday, December 20, 1865.
After our horses and mules came from the pasture this morning, it was observed that some of them had blood upon their necks, caused from the bites of the bat, known as the vampire, that not unfrequently attacks animals at night, and fixes itself upon a vein of the neck.
Being supplied with an early breakfast, we took leave of Senor Silva and his two good-looking daughters, who were seen then for the first and only time during our visit. His son went with us to the Freguezia Avasariquama, or Piedede, avoiding the steep hills by which we had approached on the day previous.
One league beyond this place we reached the margin of the Tieté, and proceeded along it by a very fair road fifteen or sixteen miles, when we turned to the left, and reached the city of Itu at 6 o’clock in the evening.
This region of country is very irregular and even mountainous, yet we found cane growing well, and also a good prospect for corn and rice. The river is not suited for navigation, and the settlements on both sides depend upon the road we travelled for sending their products to market by carts or pack-mules.
We made a halt of three and a half hours during the heat of the day at the inn of Verzinha, getting dinner and refreshing our animals.