RIO DE JANEIRO AND ITS ENVIRONS. 53 
warmest expressions of sympathy, and is assured that the 
administration will give him every facility in its power 
to carry out his plans. To-night finds us established in 
our rooms, and our Brazilian life begins ; with what suc- 
cess remains to be seen. While still on board the " Colo- 
rado v> we seemed to have one foot on our own soil. 
April 2Qth. This morning Mrs. C and myself 
devoted to the arranging of our little domestic matters, 
getting out our books, desks, and other knickknacks, and 
making ourselves at home in our new quarters, where 
we suppose we are likely to be for some weeks to come. 
This afternoon' we drove out on the Larangeiras road 
(literally, the "orangery"). Our first drive in Rio left 
upon my mind an impression of picturesque decay ; things 
seemed falling to pieces, it is true, but mindful of artistic 
effect even in their last moments. This impression was 
quite effaced to-day. Every city has its least becoming 
aspect, and it seems we had chosen an unfavorable direction 
for our first tour of observation. The Larangeiras road is 
lined on either side by a succession of country houses ; 
low and spreading, often with wide verandas, surrounded 
by beautiful gardens, glowing at this season with the scarlet 
leaves of the Poinsettia, or " Estrella do Norte" as they 
call it here, with blue and yellow Bignonias, and many other 
shrubs and vines, the names of which we have hardly 
learned as yet. Often, as we drove along, a wide gateway, 
opening into an avenue of palms, would give us a glimpse 
of Brazilian life. Here and there a group of people were 
sitting in the garden, or children were playing in the 
grounds under the care of their black nurses. Farther 
out of town the country houses were less numerous, but 
the scenery was more picturesque. The road winds im 
