298 BAHIA, BRAZIL. 



This Structure is remarkable in a granitic land, but 

 is nearly universal in all those eot'ter formations of 

 which plains are usually composed. The whole 

 surface is covered by various kinds of stately trees, 

 interspersed with patches of cultivated gi'ound, out 

 of which houses, convents, and chapels arise. It 

 must be remembered that within the tropics the 

 wild luxuriance of nature is not lost even in the 

 vicinity of large cities ; for the natural vegetation 

 of the hedges and hillsides overpowers in pictu- 

 resque effect the artificial labour of man. Hence 

 there are only a few sjiots where the bright red 

 soil affords a strong contrast with tlie universal 

 clothing of green. From the edges of the plain 

 there are distant views either of the ocean, or of 

 the gieat Bay with its low-wooded shores, and on 

 which numerous boats and canoes show their white 

 sails. Excepting from these points, the scene is 

 extremely limited ; following the level pathways 

 on each hand, only glimpses into the wooded val- 

 leys below can be obtained. The houses, I may 

 add, and especially the sacred edifices, are built 

 in a jieculiar and rather fantastic style of architec- 

 ture. They are all whitewashed ; so that when il- 

 lumined by the brilliant sun of midday, and as seen 

 against the pale blue sky of the horizon, they stand 

 out more like shadows than real buildings. 



Such are the elements of the scenery, but it is 

 a hopeless attempt to paint the general effect. 

 Learned naturalists describe these scenes of the 

 tropics by naming a multitude of objects, and men- 

 tioning some characteristic feature of each. To a 

 learned traveller this possibly may communicate 

 some definite ideas : but who else, from seeing a 

 plant in an herbarium, can imagine its appearance 

 when growing in its native soil ? Who, from see- 

 ing choice plants in a hot-house, can magnify some 



