On the second day we made a journey of about six leagues; sometimes our route led through dense forests by the side of the river, at other times through open grassy meadows in which grew clusters of the Buriti palms, and at intervals over slightly elevated flat tracts, covered with low bushes, and abundance of a large grotesque-looking tree Lily (_Vellozia_) on which I vainly looked for flowers, as they are only produced in the dry season. We halted during the middle of the day, but only for a short time, at a rude hut of palm leaves, which had been erected by some previous traveller, by the wooded margin of a beautiful grassy meadow about a quarter of a mile square. Late in the afternoon the sky to the westward began to assume a lowering aspect, and shortly presented all the appearance of an approaching thunder storm. We pushed on as quickly as the nature of the road would allow, as our guide assured us we were not far distant from the habitation of an old Indian. The lightning soon commenced, and the rolling of thunder was heard in the distance; gradually it came nearer to us, and the western sky from the horizon to the zenith was from time to time filled with one sheet of bluish flame, which, while it lasted, rendered the close of the twilight almost as bright as day. Thanks to our good fortune, the storm did not then reach us, having been diverted to the northward: passing over a high Serra which lay in that direction, it again altered its course, and followed fast upon our heels. It was quite dark when we arrived at the solitary dwelling, and when I rode to the little gate in front of it, the owner came out with a gun in his hand. He immediately granted us permission to take shelter for the night in an open shed, and as soon as the luggage had been arranged in it, and a few large skins had been hung up on the weather side, the storm broke over the hut in all its fury, accompanied by a gale of wind which quickly extinguished our lights, and we had reason to be thankful that the whole building was not carried away before it: uncomfortable as the place was, we rejoiced in having even such shelter as it afforded.