TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. ^17 



Camorim, called also Jacarepagua, a brackish mere, 

 is connected to the south with the sea, into which it 

 brings the tribute of many mountain streams, and 

 by which it is swelled in high tides. In the low 

 grounds near the lake, where the thickets of man- 

 groves* do not entirely stifle all other vegetation, 

 grow the most beautiful marsh plants, and large 

 bushes of ferns. Among others, we found, on the 

 cool soil of picturesque rocks, the beautiful blue 

 flowers of the Gloxinia speciosa, which have been 

 brought from this place to Europe by English 

 gardeners. Only a few wretched huts belonging 

 to fishermen, who are all of a mixed race, lie 

 scattered in this solitude, from which the European 

 art of horticulture could produce a creation, infi- 

 nitely rich in variety and novelty of form. This 

 lake produces such abundance of fish, that the in- 

 habitants of this district do not even think of ob- 

 taining the necessary subsistence by cidtivating the 

 fertile forests that surroimd them : they scarcely 

 plant sufficient maize, but a considerable quantity 



* The mangle or mangrove tree [Rhixophora Maiigle, L.), 

 which forms what are called manguesaes, is a low tree which 

 grows on almost all the coasts of the ocean, particularly in 

 America between the tropics, and is remarkable for the pecu- 

 liarity that the seeds begin to shoot before they are detached 

 from the tree, and the roots descend till they strike into the 

 ground, and thus form a thick forest from one tree. On its 

 stem, and under the roots is found the crab Cancer Uca, L. which 

 is considered dangerous to eat, because it feeds on poisonous 

 herbs. 



