Trade- JVinds, Rio Janeiro, the Polar Ice, &c. 195 



pleasant in the extreme. The fragrance of the vegetable crea- 

 tion of South America is well known, and its influence I must 

 for my own part say I experienced, owing to the moderate breezes 

 that prevailed, tlie pleasantness of the weather, and our proximity 

 to the land. In consequence of the number of bays along this 

 coast, we had occasion on our passage to anchor for a while be- 

 tween the islands of Vittoria and Briseas in this direction, in or- 

 der to ascertain the situation of the bay to which we were bound. 

 The whole of these circumstances were calculated to excite cheer- 

 fulness, and conspired to remind me of that beautiful simile of 

 Milton's, in the fourth book of his Paradisus Perditus, so well 

 known to the Jesuits in Du Halde's time : 



" As when to them who siiii 



Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past 



Mozambic, off at sea north-east winds blow 



Sabean odours from the spicy shore 



Of Aiaby the blest ; with such delay, 



V/ell-])leased they slack their course, and many a league 



Cheer d with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles^ 



There certainly is in this part of the Brasils much left yet for 

 the patient research of the botanist and naturalist : — Here are 

 still on every side, as well as back in the mountains, woods * 



" Where the rude axe with heaved stroke 

 Was never heard the nymphs to daunt. 

 Or fright them from their hallow'd haunt ; " 



or, in reality, where ounces, sloths, black tigers, guanicos, and 

 non-descript animals range at large, without molestation and 

 without danger ; and whence the ravenous ourahoos instinctively 

 wing their way in flights, into distant plains, to devour dead ani- 

 mals and every species of carrion that otherwise would tend to 

 render the air pestiferous. Of these, the low swampy tracts are 

 more particularly the abode of the syrakoora, the natural enemy 

 of noxious insects ; the [range de as.ua and tesoura, unobservant 

 of each other, keep in those parts near the water, and occasionally 

 frequent marshy places ; the syiiamloo is more accustomed to 

 excursion than to aerial flights ; and the wild viakook and shy 

 and rare jakoo keep exclusively to woods situate on hills and 

 mountains. Besides various others of a novel and singular na- 

 ture, there are many hitherto unknown, which from their solitary 

 abodes, circumspective habits, and instinctive dread of ruthless 

 man, are likely to continue so for generations yet to come. In 

 these also are insects of all hues and kinds; some as beautiful 

 as they are harmless, and some as insidious as they are venomous. 



Ut mi hi devio 



Ripax et xmcmim ncinus 

 Mirari libut." 



N 2 Here 



