638 MISSION" TO BRAZIL, 



(Tuesday) to the ascent of the Corcovado Mountain, in order to 

 get a general idea of the vegetation in this part of Brazil, and on 

 Wednesday I visited the Botanical Garden. It is a very poor 

 affair, its chief feature heing a fine avenue of palms, extending 

 from the entrance to the opposite boundary; but for this, 

 and a few hedge-rows of Crotons, Screw-pines and Oleanders, 

 it would be difficult to tell that the whole was not a natural 

 jungle. Mr. Miebs advises me to go first for a short time to 

 Tejuca, till I have collected a little more information about the 

 country, and afterwards to go to Belem if I think it advisable. 

 I have, therefore, decided to go to Tejuca to-morrow, and stay 

 there for a week or two, and then to go to Belem, or some other 

 place in that direction afterwards." 



Mr. Mieks has also written, and in addition to the circum- 

 stances mentioned by "Weir, says, " To-day I took hira to the 

 Minister of Justice, to whom he brought a letter of introduction 

 from the Minister in London. He took the letter, and said he 

 would hand it to the Minister of Agiiculture and ask him to 

 give Weir letters to the Presidents of St. Paul's and Minas, 

 and I will try to get those for him, as they may be useful here- 

 after. Weir seems to be a likely kind of man for his employ- 

 ment, but I do not expect he will get much in his way in this 

 province, where vegetation is generally on too large a scale for 

 horticulture. I advised him to go to Tejuca for a few days, and 

 explore in that direction : then to Belem, but not to remain 

 there, as it is not a healthy spot, but to go on up the Serra, and 

 perhaps to the Parahyba. However, I think he had better soon 

 go into the interior of the province of San Paulo, where he is 

 more likely to find novelties and a better class of plants for bis 

 purpose, than to the province of Santa Catarina, and north of 

 Rio Grande. Here he will do nothing, and he goes to Tejuca 

 to-day. I spoke to Mr. Bennet, who said he would give him a 

 room at the hotel, and next week he will go to Belem. I shall 

 then advise him to go up to Petropolis, and thence to the valley 

 of the Parahyba, Avhere he might remain a month or two pre- 

 viously to going into the interior. I will be of any assistance I 

 can to him, but am sorry I cannot give him much of my time : he 

 will have to depend much on himself, and I think he is the right 

 sort of man." 



Similar advices have also been received from Messrs. Fby & 



