This singular lightning-bug is of the size of an ordinary beetle, and has two luminous spots of considerable brilliancy, corresponding to the position of the eyes. It imparts sufficient light to read when held near the printed page; and the time by a watch is told with great facility when it is held near the face.
The brother of Senor Joaquim Lorenço, Senor Francisco Correa de Arruda,[[19]] spent the night with us, and impressed me very favorably as a man of substantial worth and good sense.
After breakfast I joined the old Colonel in a ride of six miles to the farm of Senor Joaquim Correa da Assumpsão, where the best cotton was seen growing that has been encountered in my tour. It had borne a crop last season amounting to 2453 pounds in the seed per acre, with a prospect of an increased yield this year after cutting off the stalks. The limbs have already sprouted out to some distance, and are spreading in such form as to make a good stalk; and the squares, blooms, and forming bolls indicate a most excellent result. This land has not been ploughed at any time, and would certainly be improved by cultivation with the plough.
While we were at the house of Senor Assumpsão, a messenger came to notify the old Colonel of the arrival of General Wood and party at the villa of Araraquara. We rode into the villa and found them in charge of some of the citizens. All took breakfast with Dom Andre Dias da Aguinar, and as it was nearly 12 o’clock, they evidently relished his abundant supplies after a ride of sixteen miles.
Upon asking General Wood to give me a memoranda of the names of those constituting his party, the following list was written and handed to me:
General William Wallace W. Wood, lawyer and editor, of Mississippi, representing seven States.
Dr. James H. Warne, surgeon and physician, from Tennessee.
Robert L. Brown, planter, Alabama.
Aids.—W. C. Kernan, of Florida, architect and builder; Dr. J. P. Wesson, Tennessee, dentist and machinist.
Government Aids.—Major Ernest Street, civil engineer, São Paulo; Henry Snell, interpreter, Campinas.