34 MISSION OF COLLECTOR TO BRAZIL. 



III.— MISSION OF COLLECTOR TO BRAZIL 



MR. WEIR'S JOURNAL. 



L 



Mr. Weir'3 journal is a daily record of bis proceedings. 



Wh 



lias not been tliongbt necessary to print the passages relating 



to it. 



June 2nd, 1861. — After, a voyage of about twenty-four days, 

 tlie Royal Mail Packet Onleda arrived in the harbour of Eio de 

 Janeiro this morning, The passengers not being allowed to 

 leave the ship until the mails are landed and the passports 

 examined by an official who comes on board for the purpose, the 

 few hours we were thus detained were employed hy all who, like 

 me, had never been to Rio before, in feasting their eyes on the 

 magnificent scenery for w^hich this part gf Brazil is famed. 



It was nearly midday before I got ashore, and having learnt 

 that both Ml"- Miers and Mr. Fry, to whom I had letters, lived 

 at some distance in the country — the day being Sunday they 

 were not at their places of business in the city — I went to an 

 hotel to stay for the night, hoping to be able to see them both in 

 the morning. 



June Qrd. — Called in the morning at Mr. Miers' factory, and 

 ^vas kindly received by both Mr. Jphn Miers, to whom the letter 

 was addressed, and by his brother, Mr. Francis. 



Having effected the release of my baggage — a work of several 

 hours — I proceeded to deliver my letter to Mr, Fry, by whom 

 I was also kindly received. He told me that in compliance with 

 the request of the Secretary of the Royal Horticultural Society, he 

 would advance me such sums of money as I might require, until 

 he heard further from the Society. 



The question of my personal expenses he promised to consider, 

 but he told me that living, and in fact everything else, had 

 doubled, or in most things, tripled, in price within the last few 

 years, 



June Ath. — Started after breakfast to follow Mr Miers' advice, 

 by devoting the flay to the ascent of the Corcovado. Leaving the 



