TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 13 



the Austria frigate, which, as well as the Augusta, 

 was built and equipped in the arsenal of Venice, 

 and were destined by the Austrian government to 

 receive on board the greater part of the extraor- 

 dinary embassy, and of the legation to the court 

 of Brazil, the members of the scientific expedition, 

 and some agents for the commercial intercourse to 

 be opened with Brazil, as well as the Austrian 

 mercantile articles intended for that purpose. Some 

 of the officers and crew were Germans, but the 

 greater part Venetians. 



Every thing was ready for sailing, and we too 

 had completed all our preparations, when news 

 was received that it would be above a week before 

 the embassy would arrive. We resolved, there- 

 fore, before we quitted our native land, to view the 

 treasures of art at Venice. A favourable oppor- 

 tunity for this plan was offered by the "return of 

 an imperial brig to Venice, which had brought 

 from the arsenal some stores necessary to com- 

 plete the equipment of our two frigates. We 

 sailed in the night of the 25th of March, and in 

 the morning were already at the entrance of the 

 harbour of Venice. The sea ran high, and the 

 motion of the vessel did not fail to produce in us 

 the usual symptoms of sickness ; we were there- 

 fore doubly rejoiced when we had passed the dan- 

 gerous entrance, and felt ourselves upon terra 

 firma in the square of St. Mark. In order to 

 make ourselves acquainted with the city, we rowed 

 in one of the black gondolas in use here, through 



