i832.] RIO MACAO. 209 



the invertebrate animals will be my chief object of pursuit 

 through the whole voyage. 



We then sailed for Bahia, and touched at the rock of St. 

 Paul. This is a serpentine formation. Is it not the only 

 island in the Atlantic which is not volcanic ? We likewise 

 srayed a few hours at Fernando Noronha ; a tremendous surf 

 was running so that a boat was swamped, and the Captain 

 would not wait. I find my life on board when we are on blue 

 water most delightful, so very comfortable and quiet — it is 

 almost impossible to be idle, and that for me is saying a good 

 deal. Nobody could possibly be better fitted in every respect 

 for collecting than I am ; many cooks have not spoiled the 

 broth this time. Mr, Brown's little hints about microscopes, 

 &c., have been invaluable, I am well off in books, the * Dic- 

 tionnaire Classique ' is most useful. If you should think of 

 any thing or book that would be useful to me, if you would 

 write one line, E. Darwin, Wyndham Club, St. James's Street, 

 he will procure them, and send them with some other things 

 to Monte Video, which for the next year will be my head- 

 quarters. 



Touching at the Abrolhos, we arrived here on April 4th, 

 when amongst others I received your most kind letter. You 

 may rely on it during the evening I thought of the many most 

 happy hours I have spent with you in Cambridge. I am now 

 living at Botofogo, a village about a league from the city, and 

 shall be able to remain a month longer. The Beagleh2iS gone 

 back to Bahia, and will pick me up on its return. There is a 

 most important error in the longitude of South America, to 

 settle which this second trip has been undertaken. Our 

 chronometers, at least sixteen of them, are going superbly ; 

 none on record have ever gone at all like them, 



A few days after arriving I started on an expedition of 

 150 niiles to Rio Macao, which lasted eighteen days. Here I 

 first saw a tropical forest in all its sublime grandeur — nothing 

 but the reality can give any idea how wonderful, how magnifi- 

 cent the scene is. If I was to specify any one thing I should 

 give the pre-eminence to the host of parasitical plants. Your 



