Ndtuvctl Histo}'y in London. 431 



been on deck to air, and had left a number of small flies (Tyrophaga casei 

 Curt.\ which they soon discovered. It was pleasing to see their quick 

 and varied evolutions, as they darted through the rigging, and not unfre- 

 quently within a few inches of our heads, after the flies. They appeared 

 quite cheerful, and chirped with as much glee as if on the margin of a 

 pond, and at dusk they took up their lodging in th^ rigging. They continued 

 with us till the 16th ; but for the last two or three days appeared much 

 weaker, frequently settling within a few inches of the man at the helm, and 

 suffering themselves to be taken. 



The fruit and vegetable markets of this place are well supplied. Amongst 

 the vegetables I observed excellent cabbage, lettuce, plain parsley, water- 

 cress, white radishes (red radishes, but very small), mint, sage, rosemary ; of 

 capsicums, the C. annuum, C. grossum, and C. baccatum, and another small 

 yellow species, I think new ; of tomatoes, the small red ; fruit of the egg 

 plant, yams, Convolvulus Batatas^ and J'rachis hypogae'a ; of gourds and 

 squashes several of the varieties common in England. The fruit is not in 

 such variety, as many of them are not in season. I observed the following 

 kinds : cocoa-nuts, guavas, jambos (Eugem« Jdmbos)y oranges, very large 

 and sweet, rather scarce at present, bananas, and tamarinds. Pine-apples 

 are just coming in, two thirds of a dollar each ; and of grapes I saw only 

 one basket. In all the gardens round the suburbs, the Coreopsis tinctoria 

 seems as universal a favourite as in England. Some of the gardens are laid 

 out with some taste, but contain fewer species and varieties than might be 

 expected in a country like this. In the public garden, on the road to Ca- 

 teta, are some very fine specimens of the indigenous trees ; the Salvia 

 splendens seems to be a favourite here, and also the //ibiscus ^osa sinen- 

 sis ; the latter is in every garden. On my arrival at Balparays, I hope to 

 be able to send you something of more interest than the present. In the 

 mean time, believe me, Sir, &c. — A. Mnttheivs. Rio de Janeiro^ Nov. 23. 

 1829. 



Art. II. Natural History in London. 



The Geographical Society of London. — This Society seems to have been 

 originated by John Barrow, Esq., of the Admiralty, a gentleman who, dur- 

 ing a long life, seems to have devoted every spare moment of it to the 

 advancement of geography ; perhaps we should rather say chorography j 

 because geography, in the modern sense of the word, includes statistics, 

 more or less of natural history, the general history and present state of the 

 human species; and, in short, the moral and political, no less than the 

 physical state of the earth's surface. At a Meeting held May 24th, John 

 Barrow, Esq., in the chair, the objects of the Geographical Society were 

 declared to be : — 



1. To collect, register, and digest, and to print, for the use of the mem- 

 bers and the public at large, in a cheap form, and at certain intervals, such 

 new, interesting, and useful facts and discoveries as the Society may have 

 in its possession, and may, from time to time, acquu-e. — 2. To accumulate 

 gradually a library of the best books on geography; a selection of the best 

 voyages and travels ; a complete collection of maps and charts, from the 

 earliest period of rude geographical delineations, to the most improved of 

 the present time ; as well as all such documents and materials as may con- 

 vey the best information to persons intending to visit foreign countries ; it 

 being of the greatest utility to a traveller to be aware, previously to his 

 setting out, of what has been already done, and what is still wanting, in the 

 countries he may intend to visit. — 3. To procure specimens of such instru- 

 ments as experience has shown to be most useful, and best adapted to the 



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