1852.] VILLA NOVA. 265 



from childhood. In the interior of the country there is not a 

 road or path out of the towns, along which a person can walk 

 with comfort or pleasure ; all is dense forest, or more impass- 

 able clearings. Here are no flower-bespangled meadows, no 

 turfy glades, or smooth shady walks to tempt the lover of 

 nature ; here are no dry gravelled roads, where, even in the 

 intervals of rain, we may find healthy and agreeable exercise ; 

 here are no field-side paths among golden corn or luxuriant 

 clover. Here are no long summer evenings, to wander in at 

 leisure, and admire the slowly changing glories of the sunset ; 

 nor long winter nights, with the blazing hearth, which, by 

 drawing all the members of a family into close contact, pro- 

 mote a social intercourse and domestic enjoyment, which the 

 inhabitants of a tropical clime can but faintly realise. 



At length the canoe arrived in which I was to go to Para, 

 and I soon agreed for my passage, and set to work getting 

 my things together. I had a great number of cases and boxes, 

 six large ones which I had left with Senhor Henrique the year 

 before, being still in his possession, because the great men of 

 Barra were afraid they might contain contraband articles, and 

 woul^l not let them pass. 



I -how got them embarked, by making a declaration of their 

 contents, and paying a small duty on them. Out of a hundred 

 live animals which I had purchased or had had given to me, 

 there now only remained thirty-four, consisting of five monkeys, 

 two macaws, twenty parrots and paroquets of twelve different 

 species, five small birds, a white-crested Brazilian pheasant, 

 and a toucan. 



On the loth of June we left Barra, commencing our voyage 

 very unfortunately for me ; for, on going on board, after bidding 

 adieu to my friends, I missed my toucan, which had, no doubt, 

 flown overboard, and not being noticed by any one, was 

 drowned. This bird I esteemed very highly, as he was full- 

 grown and very tame, and I had great hopes of bringing him 

 alive to England. 



On the 1 3th we reached Villa Nova, at which place, being 

 the last in the new Province, we had to disembark to show OUT 

 passports, as if entering into another kingdom ; and not content 

 with this, there is another station half a day further down, on 

 the exact boundary-line, where all vessels have to stay a second 

 time, and again present their papers, as if the great object of 



