OUR LIFE AT RIO DE JANEIRO. 199 



newer and aristocratic part of the city, which is the south 

 end going to Botafogo ; the very picturesque hill called 

 " Gloria;" the Corcovado, with its lofty forest-clad offshoots, 

 like the arms of a star-fish or an octopus ; the Sugar-loaf ; 

 and then the forts washed by the deep blue waters of the 

 bay, and surrounded by a froth of breakers upon outlying 

 rocks and a white foam from the waves rippling on 

 the islands or peninsulas on which they are built ; and 

 beyond all these the boundless waters of the ocean. And 

 as I gazed, the thought struck me that this water extends 

 to the wavelets of the Thames, rippling upon the banks of 

 Battersea Park and Cheyne Walk, within a mile of home. 

 This led to reflections which you can imagine better than 

 I can describe. 



Reluctantly I at length bent my steps homeward to 

 Botafogo, paying a little visit en route to my favourite 

 Passeio Publico, arid reaching our house at 2.15. After 

 lunch I went with Mr. Large for a walk round the Bay 

 of Botafogo. This is to my mind the most beautiful of 

 all the house-surrounded bays. From the Morro da Viuva, 

 wherein is a reservoir, there is a continuous line of houses 

 bordering the wide road, which is paved with setts through- 

 out, and has a double line of tram-rails. A low wall, as I 

 have said, extends along the bay, bordering a path, at the 

 edge of which is a row of shade-giving trees. On the 

 other side of the road, on the path by the houses, are fine 

 lofty palms and many other trees. The houses are all 

 well built and picturesque, standing in well-kept gardens 

 with fountains, and rich in many kinds of lovely tropical 

 plants and flowers, besides roses, carnations, etc. These 

 houses, among which are the large buildings named Hotel 

 d'Angleterre and Royal Hotel, extend some three-quarters 

 of a mile round the bay, where the street with its tramway 



