With undivided pleasure I received your letter of the second of the current month, in which with great magnanimity you manifest your sentiments of gratitude for the little or no service which I rendered you during your brief stay in the woods of Araraquara.
In returning to your firesides, which in a short time you intend to abandon, choosing for your new home and that of your children the land of the Holy Cross, where it was my fortune to be born, say to your countrymen that in this land there are generous hearts that sympathize much with the southern inhabitants of the United States of North America.
Coming to dwell in these lands, I hope you may be happy, promoting the happiness of yourselves, and the future happiness of your children. And you may be sure of this, that here you will always find one friend, faithful and sincere.
Joaquim Lorenço Correa.
My personal relations to this gentleman inspired a sort of parental regard for him, which makes me cherish this kind memento more perhaps than others of the company, and I have therefore preserved the original, as a souvenir of his friendship and generosity. We all desired to have a likeness of our good friend, by which we might be constantly reminded of that genial expression which springs from his pure heart; but the photographists in this section are very poorly provided with materials, and could not take the impression.
The high appreciation which all of us have for the character of Senor Joaquim Lorenço is only in keeping with the estimate in which he is held by all with whom we have conversed, in the vicinity of Araraquara; and he is, with one accord, regarded as the leading spirit of all that country. His title of Lieutenant-Colonel is by virtue of his position as commandant of the national guard of the district, and from his admirable management for our tour, I should expect him to conduct a campaign very successfully. All was done quietly by him, and in his discipline upon his premises no loud word or confusion ever occurred, but every thing progressed with great regularity.
Friday, November 10, 1865.
Leaving the house of our kind host, Senor Domingos José Carneiro, we descended the Serra de Brotas by a most precipitous route, differing from that of our ascent, which was very steep, in being likewise very rugged and narrow. It was not desirable to remain upon our mules in making this passage down a steep, irregular, and rocky road, so that all but one of the party dismounted, and lead our animals. The father of our host, Senor José Venancio Carneiro, having spent the night with us, they both accompanied us this morning, and upon arriving at the villa of Brotas we found that the elder gentleman had arranged for us to take refreshments at his house, where we had dined in passing through. The table was provided with very fine canned peaches and other fruits, while wine and coffee were also served, thus tempting us to eat, though we had so recently taken a hearty breakfast where we spent the night.
How we parted finally with our true-hearted friend, Senor Joaquim Lorenço Correa, which was quite a touching scene, in the manifestation of deep feeling with him and with all of us.
In company with Senor Domingos we proceeded sixteen miles, for the most part through a dreary campo, to the fazenda of Senor Francisco Antonio Macede, who is a son-in-law of Senor José Venancio, and by whom we were joined at this place in the course of the evening after our arrival.