After returning from this visit we passed through a body of land lying in a southwest course from the buildings, and about one mile distant. It lies very favorably, and is evidently superior to most of the lands on this place. The soil is that dark red loam which constitutes terra rocha, and the timber is much the same as that of the land described upon the Roque. If there is any considerable extent of these lands they would form an offset to the larger proportion of worthless land belonging to this fazenda. On this point, as on others connected with dimensions, our guide could give me no information, so that I am left to the broad domain of surmise.
In forming an approximate estimate of the lands traversed this morning, I am without any other criterion than the probabilities based upon what I saw and what Senor Antonio supposed to be the outline of the fazenda.
The figures used in my calculation for the other portion of the land will correspond very well to my ideas of the extent of territory here, and we may say it is six miles long by two and a half miles wide, making nine thousand six hundred acres. The land previously spoken of lies westward and northward from the houses, and making a line from the southern end of the serra across by the buildings to the boundary, leaves all the land south and east to be included in the observation of this morning.
This entire area does not perhaps contain over two thousand acres of productive land,[[16]] and the rest is of a quality that cannot be made available for any practical object, save it might be for a glass factory, from the immense beds of sand accumulated on this barren waste.
We left Morro Grande, the fazenda of Senor João, and went twenty miles northwest to the house of Captain Feliciana.
Sunday, October 15, 1865.
Having enjoyed the plain and substantial hospitality of our old friend the Capitão, as men who are hungry and tired always do, we saw no reason for detention during the day, and set out at an early hour, accompanied by our host, to the fazenda of Senor Dom Francisco Antonio de Sonza Queiroz.
A dignified and yet courteous reception was soon followed by the assignment to very comfortable quarters, and the furnishing of a most excellent breakfast.
His own wife, and the wife of Senor Dom Francisco Aguiar de Barros, graced the table with their presence; and the style of every thing indicated the refinement and elegance of the families. The gentlemen were so situated at the table as to separate their wives from the guests, which seems to be one of the relics of the olden times that clings to the people of the best class.
These two gentlemen own lands adjoining each other, and both having recently opened up their fazendas, Dom Barros has not yet got his buildings arranged for his residence; and his wife being a sister of Dom Queiroz the families are living together.