20£ Mr Scolder's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 



north, Cape Frio is distinctly seen, while the city of Rio and 

 the bay of Botafoga appear like a magnificent chart spread at 

 the feet of the spectator. The fatigue of this journey is 

 amply repaid by the beauty of the view ; and the descent 

 under a meridian sun is one of the most cheerful scenes a 

 naturalist can witness. The numberless variety of insects, dis- 

 playing the most brilliant colours to advantage in the rays of 

 the sun — the serpents and lizards issuing from their holes in 

 quest of their prey,— exhibit an appearance of life and activity 

 that cannot fail to please. 



No excursion in the vicinity of Rio can be more agreeable 

 than exploring the Corcovado, in the vicinity of the aqueduct, 

 where the traveller enjoys its cooling streams, and, for the 

 same reason, finds animals more frequent in such a situation 

 Here one may procure an endless variety of insects,* and of the 

 most curious reptiles, while the strange appearance of toucans, 

 humming-birds, and parrots, pleases the ornithologist. In pro- 

 ceeding further up the hill, the streams which supply the aque- 

 duct spread over a large surface of granite rocks, in the form of 

 gentle cascades. After leaving the cascades of Caryoca, the as- 

 cent became more steep ; but one had little reason to complain, 

 as there was always a supply of cooling water at command, and 

 curiosity was always kept awake by the variety of new objects 

 which attract attention. In this situation the Bignonia Chatn- 

 bclaini grows in great abundance. During this excursion, I 

 was often interrupted by the unfortunate slaves, who seemed 

 to be aware of the nature of my occupations, and brought me 

 many fine insects for a small pecuniary reward; one of them 

 brought me a fine living specimen of a beautiful snake, Coluber 

 venustisshiMS. 



On the 13th October we left Rio, and proceeded on our 

 voyage to Cape Horn, our progress southward was soon in- 

 dicated by a corresponding change of climate. The absence 

 of the tropic bird and man-of-war- bird, (Tachypetes,) and 

 other inhabitants of the torrid zone, was now compensated by 

 the appearance of the petrels and albatrosses of the southern 

 hemisphere. We succeeded in procuring plenty of specimens 

 of the Cape petrel, (Procellaria Capensis,) by means of a fish- 



• Papilio Torquatus, Farulrosus. Evander, Colias, Statira, Thecea, Ga- 

 lathea. 



