TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 7 



attention to the different languages, national 

 peculiarities, religious and historical traditions, 

 ancient and modern monuments; such as writings, 

 coins, idols, and, in general, whatever might throw 

 light on the state of society, and the history both 

 of the aboriginal and other inhabitants of Brazil, 

 or which concerned the topography and geography 

 of that hitherto so imperfectly known country. In 

 order to satisfy, to the utmost of their power, these 

 duties and wishes, the two travellers exerted them- 

 selves to provide every requisite for so great an 

 enterprise, and to make, without loss of time, 

 the necessary preparations. After every thing 

 possible was got ready, and the books, instruments, 

 medicine chest, and other travelling equipage, sent 

 off direct to Triest, they set out from Munich on 

 the 6th of February, 181?, for Vienna. 



In this imperial capital, where they arrived on 

 the 10th of February, they were favoured with 

 the most active and generous support, by His 

 Highness Prince Metternich, and by His Ex- 

 cellency Baron Von Stainlein, the Bavarian am- 

 bassador, in the further preparations, and in 

 collecting what was necessary to accomplish the 

 scientific objects proposed by the enlightened 

 sovereigns. M. Von Schreibers, director of the 

 Imperial Museum of Natural History, — as honour- 

 ably distinguished in the learned world by his 

 writings, as amiable in private life, to whom the 

 organization of the Austrian scientific expedition 



B 4 



