a sound is heard like the clang of an iron bar against a hard,
hollow tree, or a piercing cry rends the air; these are not
repeated, and the succeeding silence tends to heighten the
unpleasant impression which they make on the mind. With the
native it is always the Curupira, the wild man or spirit of the
forest, which produces all noises they are unable to explain. For
myths are the rude theories which mankind, in the infancy of
knowledge, invent to explain natural phenomena. The Curupira is a
mysterious being, whose attributes are uncertain, for they vary
according to locality. Sometimes he is described as a kind of
orangutang, being covered with long, shaggy hair, and living in
trees. At others, he is said to have cloven feet and a bright red
face. He has a wife and children, and sometimes comes down to the
rocas to steal the mandioca. At one time I had a Mameluco youth
in my service, whose head was full of the legends and
superstitions of the country. He always went with me into the
forest; in fact, I could not get him to go alone, and whenever we
heard any of the strange noises mentioned above. he used to
tremble with fear. He would crouch down behind me, and beg of me
to turn back; his alarm ceasing only after he had made a charm to
protect us from the Curupira. For this purpose, he took a young
palm leaf, plaited it, and formed it into a ring, which he hung
to a branch on our track.

At length, after a six hour walk, we arrived at our
destination, the last mile or two having been again through
second-growth forest. The mills formed a large pile of buildings,
pleasantly situated in a cleared tract of land, many acres in
extent, and everywhere surrounded by the perpetual forest. We
were received in the kindest manner by the overseer, Mr. Leavens,