On the following morning we returned to the place where the two roads separated, and breakfasted under the shade of a large Sicupíra tree. Fortunately, just as we were about to start, the same old lady and her son whom we met at the fazenda do Rio Claro, now passed us, on her return from the fulfilment of her vow; from her we learned that we were altogether out of our proper course, and that to regain it, it was necessary to return to Espigão, at which place there were also two roads, and that we had been directed to the wrong one; we had, therefore, no alternative but again to retrace our steps, having lost a day and a half by this erroneous information. On reaching Espigão, we took the other road without making any further enquiries, and after travelling about a league and a half, reached the banks of a small river, half an hour after sunset. We passed the night under some trees on the banks of the stream, which is called the Riberão de Area; it is only about twenty yards broad, and shallow enough to allow the horses to pass over with their loads, but as the bottom was very bad, from the great quantity of smooth rounded stones, I thought it safer to have all the luggage conveyed over next morning in a fine large canoe, which we found made fast on the opposite side, by which means we escaped all risk of damage from the slipping of the horses’ feet. The country around this place was very pretty, being flat on each side of the river to a considerable distance, well covered with grass, and thinly wooded; immediately above the ford, there is a long rapid, the rushing of the water over which is heard at a great distance. The canoe being large, we were not long in passing the luggage, and afterwards we made a journey of about two leagues and a half, through a slightly undulating, arid, and barren country, consisting chiefly of bare grassy hills, covered in many places with abundance of ferruginous stones, and flat, sandy, thinly-wooded Taboleiras. We rested by the side of a small stream which flowed from a Buriti swamp, and as there were no large trees, we sheltered ourselves from the burning sun among some bushes which grew on the margin of the rivulet. In the afternoon, another journey of two leagues and a half through a similar country, brought us to a little fazenda called Taboca, which belonged to a mulatto. On starting next, morning, the owner accompanied us for nearly half a mile, in order to put us upon the right road, there being several other paths leading to different places.