1 86 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



Now a word about the house. On entering we find 

 ourselves in a gallery, some seventy feet long by twenty 

 wide and fourteen high, with a bedroom at each end. The 

 drawing-room is a fine apartment out of the gallery, with 

 no light except from the six external windows of the said 

 gallery, so it is always cool. On each side of it are pas- 

 sages, off which are several good bedrooms, bathroom with 

 shower bath, etc. On the right side is a wing containing 

 more bedrooms, a splendid dining-room, some seventy feet 

 by thirty, opening on to a lovely garden, and also the 

 apartments of the owners of the mansion. The house is 

 certainjy most comfortable and airy, and has everything 

 needful for the greatest luxury and personal ease, which is 

 so important in this climate. 



After dinner I went down the street and sat on the low 

 wall which surrounds this part of the bay. The view was 

 enchanting. From this point the bay appears to be a lake, 

 as the Morro da Viuva seems to touch the base of the 

 Sugar-loaf; whereas these hills, the one about 200 feet and 

 the other 1283 feet, are the sentries at the entrance, which 

 is half a mile wide. The vast pyramid of the Sugar-loaf 

 stands out magnificently ; to the right appear the white out- 

 lines of the Military College and the Lunatic Asylum ; the 

 row of star-like gas-lamps, extending three-quarters of a 

 circle, were reflected in the scarcely rippled waters, and I 

 watched the fishermen at their work. With bare feet, a 

 large stone on their heads, and a net gathered up in their 

 left hand, they wade up to their waist, and, when they see 

 a likely spot, throw the stone a dozen feet in front, follow- 

 ing it up by skilfully casting their net so as to enclose as 

 large an area as possible, and on drawing the net in they 

 generally catch, at least, one good fish. This process they 

 repeat with great perseverance, sometimes in vain, until 



