After remaining about a fortnight I made preparations to leave Icó, as I wished as soon as possible to get up to Crato, another town about one hundred and twenty miles to the S.W., situated at the foot of the mountains which divide the provinces of Ceará and Piauhy, where I was assured I should meet with abundance to reward my researches, as the general temperature was much cooler, and the country well watered with small streams from the mountains. I purchased two additional horses, engaged an experienced guide, and procured whatever was necessary for the journey, when the following incident occurred to prevent my departure. The day before that fixed for our journey, one of my new horses disappeared from the pasture in which it was feeding, if, indeed, a little dried up grass could be so called; as horse-stealing is a very frequent crime in Brazil, I strongly suspected that some one had made free with my animal, but I was assured it had only strayed into a neighbouring _Catinga_ and would soon be found. I immediately despatched Pedro and another man well acquainted with the country, in quest of it, but after two days’ search they could bring me no satisfactory tidings. Having lost all hopes of regaining it, I was about to purchase another, when a man, who had been searching for two of his own stray animals, told Pedro he had seen one answering the description of mine on the Serra de Pereira, about three leagues distant; upon this Pedro and his companion were again despatched in that direction, when they returned in the evening bringing it with them; they found it on an elevated table land feeding along with an immense number of the American Ostrich (_Rhea Americana_). This was the first of a series of annoyances I met with during my future travels, from my horses either straying or having been stolen; an animal is frequently taken away by some one who wishes to make a short journey, so that after a day or two it will be found in the place whence it was taken; at other times they are removed and hidden for a few days, for the purpose of claiming a reward; and though I was frequently well assured of this imposition, I never refused to pay the money, knowing I should otherwise be worse off. All being now again ready for leaving Icó, I took leave of all my friends, who gave me their hearty wishes for a prosperous journey. The evening before my departure many little presents were sent for my use during the journey, such as little jars of sweet-meats, biscuits of various sorts, prepared from ground rice and Indian corn, roasted fowls, &c.; a custom I found to be almost universal in the north of Brazil.