THE BAY OF RIO JANEIRO. 321 



found quarters in a rather shabby room, not over- 

 clean. The general style of the establishment and 

 the food provided answered the same description. It 

 is generally admitted that the accommodation for 

 strangers in the capital of Brazil does not come up to 

 the reasonable expectations of travellers. 



By quitting the steamer at Santos, and travelling 

 to Rio by land, I had gained some slight acquaintance 

 with a new region, but I was well aware that I had 

 suffered a considerable loss. The view on first enter- 

 ing the Bay of Rio Janeiro is one of those spectacles 

 that leave an ineffaceable impression even on persons 

 not very sensitive to natural beauty, and one on which 

 my fancy from early youth onv\^ards had most often 

 dwelt. The pursuits of a naturalist, besides their own 

 fascination, offer additional rewards to all who worship 

 in the temple of Nature, but they also sometimes 

 exact a sacrifice. Sallying forth on the morning of 

 July 8, a little under the impression of the unattrac- 

 tive quarters of the night, I had but very moderate 

 expectations as to what might be enjoyed of the 

 scenery in the midst of a large city and its surround- 

 ings, but I was speedily disabused. Man has certainly 

 done little to set off the unequalled fascinations of the 

 place, but he has been powerless to conceal them. I 

 passed a delightful day, partly strolling much at 

 random on foot, and occasionally availing myself of 

 the street-cars, which are frequented by all classes, and 

 afford a stranger the best opportunity for seeing some- 

 thing of the very mixed population. 



The famous Bay of Rio Janeiro may properly be 

 described as a salt-water lake, so completely is it 



Y 



