ARRIVAL AT RIO, AND JOURNEY TO QUELUZ. 25 



early morning, with plantations of sugar-cane, bananas, 

 coffee, orange trees covered with golden fruit, and innumer- 

 able clumps of the lovely bamboo. Then we plunge again 

 into thick masses of virgin forest. 



The chief objection to the journey is the dust which 

 rises in clouds, penetrates everywhere, and covers the 

 paper I am writing on. Dr. Rebougas is with us ; he and 

 all the Brazilians travel in long white cotton coats down to 

 their ankles, or else white ponchos, to keep off the dust. 



At seven we stopped and had a cup of coffee ; and then 

 at eight, arriving at Barra, we had a good substantial break- 

 fast, mostly obnoxious-looking messes, which, however, 

 tasted very good, and were washed down by some good 

 Portuguese red wine, called vinho virgem. 



Most of the villages or small towns that we have passed 

 appear well-built, neat, and pretty. The highest point on 

 the line was in a tunnel, when the aneroid showed about 

 one thousand metres above sea level ; this was in the Man- 

 tiqueira range, one of the most important watersheds of 

 Brazil. The railway in many places is a triumph of 

 engineering skill ; but it is evident that it is a government 

 line, and has been built regardless of expense. 



We reached Carandahy,* Minas Geraes, at 5.30, having 

 been twelve and a half hours travelling 420 kilometres, or 

 an average of just 20^ miles per hour. We then walked up 

 the hill to the hotel, which is quite close, and were about 

 ready for the dinner, which did not delay to appear, after 

 having had nothing except a few cups of coffee since 8 a.m- 

 The air felt very cold, and yet the thermometer was 50. 

 The accommodation, of course, was not very extensive, and 

 an arrival of a dozen travellers more than the average was 



* Carandahy is a Tupy (Indian) name, derived from Cara-andahy, the 

 hawk's hook or curve, the name of the river (Captain Burton). 



