And the curious thing is that, the more he fell into his Brazilian habits and customs, the more his senses were refined, even if it was to the detriment of his physical strength. He now had the least coarse ear for music, he even understood the poetic intentions of the sertanejos when they sing their unhappy loves on the guitar; his eyes, which had previously only been focused on the hope of returning to earth, now, like those of a sailor, who had become accustomed to the wide horizons of sky and sea, were no longer revolted by the turbulent light, wild and happy, of Brazil, and opened wide in front of the marvelous boundless cliffs and endless mountain ranges » ( Aluísio Azevedo, O Cortiço)