56 MISSION OF COLLECTOR TO BRAZIL, 



Sept. 18th. — Still very wet, and I am confined within doors. 



Sept. 19^/t.— Thunder and rain. I begin to fear that fine 

 weather is done with for a season, and that I must not be too 

 particular about a little rain, but the roads are already in such a 

 state as to be all but impassable ; a few fine days, however, would 

 dry them pretty well up again. If I cannot get up the Serra 

 soon I must give up the idea altogether; my object is to collect 

 seeds of Nos. 6 and 7, wliich ought to he getting ripe now. I 

 intended to have left Belem before or about this time, and to 

 have gone on to St. Paul's towards. the end of the month, but 

 must put it off now until after the next mail comes in. 



Sept. ^Oth. — This morning, although gloomy, was dry, and I 

 left by the morning's train for Macacos ; from thence I proceeded 

 on foot up the Scrra. It would be difficult for a person who has 

 never seen it to imagine the state of a Brazilian road in wet 

 weather. For months in the wet season, this one is quite im- 

 passable, and a number of mules and bullocks are annually 

 sacrificed at the commencement of the rains trying to force the 

 passage ; nor have human victims been wanting. Dr. Gunning, 

 with whom I have been obliged to take refuge this afternoon 

 from another thunderstorm and deluge of rain, informs me that 

 there has been more than one instance of a black having 

 perisbed in the mud on this road since he has lived here. 



Sept. 21sf. — The rain still descending in torrents, I am forced 

 to avail myself of the hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. Gunning, who 

 will not hear of me going until the weather is better. 



Sept. 23?u?. — The rain abating a little, I set out for Brandao 

 about the middle of the day, and went out in the afternoon to 

 look through some of the woods in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of that place. 



Sept, 23r{Z. — Went out to the woods again this morning; 

 found that the seeds of Nos. 6 {Heteropterys, sp.) and 7 {Stigma- 

 phjllon rottmdifolmm), to collect which had been one of my chief 

 objects in coming here, were not yet ripe ; made an unsuccessful 

 search for flowering specimens of No. 20. The day was showery 

 and disagreeable, and I was not able to do so much as I had hoped. 



Sept. ^Ath — Heavy rain all day, impossible to go out, and 



there being no signs of a change for the better, I have made . 



up my mind to start to-morrow morning on my way back to 

 Belem. 



Sept. 26th, — Left Brandao and returned to Dr. Gunning's, 

 where I stayed during the afternoon, which was very wet. The 



