MISSION or COLLECTOR TO BRAZIL. 39 



morning (to-moiTow "being Sunday) and to go to Belem, from 

 wlience I can take a turn up the Serra. 



June 17th, — Left Tijuca tins morning a little before 6 o'clock, 

 in order to get the omnibus that leaves the bottom of the valley 

 at 7. The morning on leaving was clear and cloudless, but this 

 "Was because the clouds were lower than Tijuca, for on reaching 

 the highest point of the road and looking down nothing was 

 visible but a thick stratum of white cloud, stretching aw^ay over 

 and completely hiding from view the plain, the city^ and the 

 harbour of Rio. Nothing of the beautiful view that usually meets 

 the eye here was visible, except the rugged and fantastic-shaped 

 peaks of hills on the other side of the bay. On arriving in the 

 city I called upon Mr. Miers, who on learning my intention of 

 going to Belem, kindly ofifered me a letter to a gentleman, the 

 owner of several fazendas in the Serra, who lives about 80 miles 

 beyond Belem. 



June 18th. — Packed up the few things I intended to take with 

 me. Drew from Messrs. Fry & Co. 150 milreis to meet my ex- 

 penses for the month. Called at Mr. Miers', and received the 

 letter; it was addressed to Senhor Carneiro Leao, Serra das 

 Mendos. Mr. M, informed me that Sr. Leao speaks English 

 well. 



June IQth. — Left the city for Belem by the morning train. 

 The distance from the terminus in the Campo da Sta. Anna to 

 Belem is 39 miles, The railway first traverses some tolerably 

 level land to the north-west of the city, then winds its way in the 

 valleys among numerous hills, there being very little cutting. 

 On the half of it next Belem there is much marshy land between 

 the hills, 



Belem, besides the buildings connected with the railway, con- 

 sists of an hotel, some store-houses for coffee, several vendas, and 

 a number of mud huts. It stands on the edge of the marsh on 

 each side of the railway. To the north, rising immediately from 

 the backs of the houses, is a range of lofty hills running east and 

 west, and thickly covex'ed with forest* To the south of the 

 village, at the distance of about half-a-mile on the other side of 

 the marsh, is the river Sta. Anna. 



In the forest on the hills here I have first seen the Bougain' 

 vUlea spectabilis in its natural habitats. It scrambles up to the 

 tops of the trees in the forest, and falls down over their branches 

 in splendid festoons of its richly-coloured inflorescence. 



I intended to have gone on up the Serra to day, but could 



