LAST DAYS IN BRAZIL. 225 



struction ; all the shafts, on which rest the vaulted brick 

 arches of the roof, are of solid stone. 



Jttly 27. I made my second ascent of the Corcovado ; 

 but this time I was not alone, being accompanied by 

 Mr. Large, Mr. Hector, and the two American gentlemen. 

 Instead of going by the Larangeiras route, we went into 

 town, and then under the celebrated aqueduct, along the 

 Rua do Riachuelo to the Piano Inclinado, or steep tram- 

 way, up the Morro de Sta. Theresa. 



The length of this line is 561 yards, and the steepest 

 grade about i in 7. Besides numerous other bridges, there 

 is one fine lightly constructed lattice bowstring of 120 feet 

 span. The line was opened in 1884. More than two- 

 thirds of the route is double, and the cars, of which one 

 ascends while the other descends, are attached to a wire 

 rope, worked by a stationary engine at the upper end of 

 the line.* 



On leaving the inclined plane at 85 metres (279 feet), we 

 entered a tramcar that proceeded about a mile over a steep 

 and very tortuous road, by the side of the great aqueduct, 

 to the reservoir of Sta. Theresa, at 158 metres (511 feet), 

 enjoying along the whole route beautiful views to the north, 

 over the St. Christovao district, and that portion of the 

 bay which we saw yesterday from the waterworks. As 

 the tramway extends no further, we then walked along the 

 Rua do Aqueducto. Still following the aqueduct, which is 

 entirely covered in over its whole length, but has many 

 gratings to admit the air, we at last reached the place 

 called Mae d'Agua (Mother of the Water), 306 metres (1004 

 feet) above the sea. These are the most ancient reservoirs 

 in the city. It is a little paradise in the midst of the forest. 

 A soldier, apparently on guard, glared at us as we entered 



* Condensed from "Guia do Viajante." 



Q 



