Audience at San Chrisfojjh. 177 



ence, into which the gentlemen of the Expedition were soon 

 afterwards conducted by a chamberlain. The Austrian minister 

 presented each separately to His Majesty Dom Pedro II., who 

 is the son of an Austrian Archduchess, and received the gentle- 

 men in the uniform of an admiral, surrounded by all his minis- 

 ters. He is a fine-looking man, of some 30 years of age, of 

 stately appearance, but with a voice somewhat too thin for so 

 robust a person. The portrait on the Brazilian coinage is 

 remarkably like. The conversation was carried on in French j 

 it is said, however, that the Emperor speaks German fluently. 

 He conversed very afikbly and graciously with every one, and 

 had something agreeable to say to each, expressing much 

 interest in the Novara Expedition. After several questions, 

 the Emperor wished us success on our future voyage, and 

 retired, upon which the audience w^as at an end. 



After the members of the Expedition had remained a short 

 space in a corner of the audience chamber, they were con- 

 ducted through a narrow boarded passage to the apartments 

 of the Empress. In the ante-chamber we again encountered 

 the Emperor, who had exchanged his admiral's uniform for 

 plain clothes, and now stood before us in the undress black 

 frock he usually wears. 



We were now ushered into the small and very plainly fur- 

 nished reception-room of the Empress, in which there was 

 nothing to attract attention except a couple of highly-finished 

 portraits. Her Majesty, a sister of the late King Ferdi- 

 nand II. of Naples, and of Queen Maria Christina of Spain, 



N 



