The moon rose, and
the fireflies flashed about among the palm-trees, as we sat in the
verandah before dinner, while in several places on the distant hills
we could see circles of bright flames, where the forest had been set
on fire in order to make clearings.
We were up next morning in time to see the sun rise from behind the
mountains, and as it gradually became warmer the humming-birds and
butterflies came out and buzzed and flitted among the flowers in front
of our windows. We had planned to devote the day to a visit to Barra,
and it was, therefore, necessary to hurry to the station by eight
o'clock to meet the train, where we stopped twenty minutes to
breakfast at what appeared to be a capital hotel, built above the
station. The rooms were large and lofty, everything was scrupulously
clean, and the dishes most appetising-looking. Our carriage was then
shunted and hooked on to the other train, and we proceeded to the
station of Santa Anna, where Mr. Faro met us with eight mules and
horses, and a large old-fashioned carriage, which held some of us, the
rest of the party galloping on in front. We galloped also, and upset
one unfortunate horse, luckily without doing him any harm. After a
couple of miles of a rough road we arrived at the gates of the Baron's
grounds, where the old negro slave-coachman amused us very much by
_ordering_ his young master to conduct the equestrians round to the
house by another way.
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