I here received many visits from the villagers, whose curiosity had been excited by the news of an Englishman having arrived: some of them were upwards of eighty years of age, and, as they had resided here more than fifty, they were able to give many curious accounts of the country, and of the progress and decline of its mines. I was much pleased with the information they communicated, but more so with the attention of the good curate, who corrected every misrepresentation, and seemed anxious that I should not be led into error, either through accident or design. By some means or other, an opinion circulated among them that I was a medical man, and numbers of infirm persons, principally old men, women, and children, were brought to me for advice. In the evening we were entertained with music by some of the younger females, who brought their guitars, and sung several pleasing airs.
I was here shown a Buticudo Indian boy, apparently about nine years of age, who had been taken about six months before. He could not utter a word of Portuguese; but, from the expression of his countenance, his mind seemed capable of receiving any tuition. His eyes had so much vivacity in them that they almost spoke, especially when his attention was attracted by any thing agreeable, as I found by offering him a few sweetmeats, with which he seemed much delighted. I examined his features and the construction of his frame with some curiosity, as exhibiting the characteristics of the singular race of men from whom he sprung. The face was short, the mouth rather wide, the nose broad, the eyes large and black, skin of a dusky copper color, hair jet-black, strong, straight, and of regular length, limbs stout and well-proportioned, feet large, probably from going without shoes. He lived with a poor woman, who clothed and brought him up exactly as one of her family. On enquiring how he came there, I was informed that he belonged to a party of Indians who were surprised at a place about six leagues distant, and all either fell or escaped, except this little fellow, who was taken care of, and brought hither by an officer resident in the village.
Being still too unwell to travel, I remained another day, and met with every attention and care from the good clergyman and his housekeeper. In the course of conversation, he informed me that he studied and had been ordained at S. Paulo; and when he learnt that I had been there so recently, seemed much pleased, and asked me many questions respecting the present state of that city, which showed his attachment to it as the scene of his youthful days.