30 RIO DE JANEIRO. 



estate was two and a half miles long, and the owner 

 had forgotten how many broad. Only a very small 

 piece had been cleared, yet almost every acre was 

 capable of yielding all the various rich productions 

 of a tropical land. Considering the enormous area 

 of Brazil, the proportion of cultivated ground can 

 scarcely be considered as any thing, compared to 

 that which is left in the state of nature : at some 

 future age, how vast a population it will support ! 

 During the second day's journey we found the road 

 so shut up, that it was necessary that a man should 

 go ahead with a sword to cut away the creepers. 

 The forest abounded with beautiful objects, among 

 which the tree ferns, though not large, were, from 

 their bi'ight green foliage, and tlie elegant curva- 

 ture of their fronds, most worthy of admiration. In 

 the evening it rained very heavily, and although 

 the thermon:|eter stood at 65°, I felt very cold. As 

 soon as the rain ceased, it was curious to observe 

 the extraordinary evaporation Avhich commenced 

 over the whole extent of the forest. At the height 

 of a hundred feet the hills were buried in a dense 

 white vapour, which rose like columns of smoke 

 from the most thickly-wooded parts, and especially 

 from the valleys. I observed this phenomenon on 

 several occasions : I suppose it is owing to the 

 large surface of foliage, previously heated by the 

 sun's rays. 



While staying at this estate, I was very nearly 

 being an eyewitness to one of those atrocious acts 

 which can only take place in a slave country. Ow- 

 ing to a quarrel and a law-suit, the owner was on 

 the point of taking all the women and children 

 from the male slaves, and selling them separately 

 at the public auction at Rio. Interest, and not any 

 feeling of compassion, prevented this act. Indeed, 

 I do not believe the inhumanity of separating thir- 



