My hammock and poncho were both too wet to sleep in, so I had to lie down on the top of two trunks for my bed, with my saddle for a pillow, near a large fire we had previously kindled. On the following morning, the eighth of September, we continued our journey, and at eleven o’clock halted under some trees by the river side. Our route was through a richer country than any I had yet seen in the province, it being well wooded with large trees, the greater part of which were in leaf; near the houses, which appeared more numerous than hitherto, grew large plantations of cotton, tobacco, sugar-cane, and mandiocca. On the branches of a large tree by the road-side I collected the first Orchideous plant I had seen during the journey; a long round-leaved kind of _Oncidium_. The tree on which it grew was the Umari (_Geoffroya superba_), but only on the under side of the branches, the long leaves hanging down like so many whips, intermingled with its large panicles of yellow flowers. It is called by the natives of the Sertão “Rabo de Tatú,” from the resemblance of the leaves to the tail of the armadillo. Shortly after we halted, I went out with my gun in search of something for my dinner, but could find only parroquets, which were very numerous, flying from tree to tree, and keeping up an almost continual cry of Parroquet—Parroquet. I fired at some which were seated on a tall tree, and one of those which fell being only wounded, kept up a continued scream whenever I attempted to approach it; this being heard by its companions, several hundreds of them again returned to the tree, and having once more fired among them, they were again brought back by the screams of the dying, nor did they cease to re-appear in the same manner till I had killed more than was sufficient for us all to eat. On the afternoon of this day we travelled about two leagues, and rested at a small sugar plantation (Engenho de Rapadura). It being the day of San Gonzalvo, the people were dancing and making merry before the house; I obtained leave from the owner to let me pass the night in the mill, two sides of which were open. On alighting from my horse I laid down my straw hat, containing a silk pocket-handkerchief, on an old log of wood, close to the owner of the mill, but in less than half an hour afterwards, when all my things had been moved inside the boiling-house, the handkerchief had disappeared: no one except my own men and the proprietor had been near us, so that I had every reason to believe the latter had pilfered it, but I did not think proper to take notice of it. This was not the only theft committed here before the morning, for when the horses were being loaded, Pedro discovered that a sack containing my large botanical tin box, and a sheep-skin bag, containing all belonging to him, were not to be found; it had been taken away from my luggage close to my hammock, while we were asleep. The poor fellow, as might be expected, was greatly