17^ Voyage of the Novara. 



During our stay at Rio, Commodore Wiillerstorfi accom- 

 panied by Captain Pock, and one of the members of the 

 scientific commission, had the honour of being presented to 

 the Emperor and Empress of Brazil, at a private audience. 

 The reception took place at the winter residence of St. Chris- 

 toph. It is an old unsightly building, and still unfinished, the 

 central part especially having been for some years in a ruinous 

 condition. The Emperor seems not to be partial to display, and 

 a very characteristic anecdote in this respect, which does him 

 great credit, is very generally reported. On the occasion of a 

 visit to the splendid lunatic asylum of Botafogo, one of th6 

 ministers remarked to His Majesty that the inmates of the 

 establishment were better and more elegantly lodged than him- 

 self. " It will always afford me great pleasure," was the reply, 

 " to know that these unfortunate people are better provided for 

 than I am." 



At the entrance of the palace at St. Christoph, the gentlemen 

 of the Expedition were received by an ecclesiastic, who led 

 them into an exceedingly plain ante-chamber, the furniture 

 of which seemed to belong to bygone centuries. Several of 

 the ministers of state, whose servants carried large port- 

 folios, exchanged compliments with the Austrian minister, 

 and entered the contiguous apartments. Chamberlains and 

 domestics of the court looked stealthily at the strangers, and 

 disappeared as rapidly as they had come. It seemed as though 

 these presentations were of infrequent occurrence. At last, 

 about half-past 6 r.M. the door opened, when His Majesty and 

 the ministers walked through the room into the hall of audi- 



