the banks of the Murucupi. They have, nevertheless, considerable
plantations of mandioca and Indian corn, besides small plots of
cotton, coffee, and sugarcane; the soil is very fertile, they
have no rent to pay, and no direct taxes. There is, moreover,
always a market in Para, twenty miles distant, for their surplus
produce, and a ready communication with it by water.

In the evening we had more visitors. The sounds of pipe and tabor
were heard, and presently a procession of villagers emerged from
a pathway through the mandioca fields. They were on a begging
expedition for St. Thome, the patron saint of Indians and
Mamelucos. One carried a banner, on which was crudely painted the
figure of St. Thome with a glory round his head. The pipe and
tabor were of the simplest description. The pipe was a reed
pierced with four holes, by means of which a few unmusical notes
were produced, and the tabor was a broad hoop with a skin
stretched over each end. A deformed young man played both the
instruments. Senor Raimundo received them with the quiet
politeness which comes so naturally to the Indian when occupying
the position of host. The visitors, who had come from the Villa
de Conde, five miles through the forest, were invited to rest.

Raimundo then took the image of St. Thome from one of the party,
and placed it by the side of Nossa Senhora in his own oratorio, a
little decorated box in which every family keeps its household
gods, finally lighting a couple of wax candles before it. Shortly
afterwards a cloth was laid on a mat, and all the guests were
invited to supper. The fare was very scanty-- a boiled fowl with
rice, a slice of roasted pirarucu, farinha, and bananas. Each one
partook very sparingly, some of the young men contenting