TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 41 



CHAPTER II. 



JOURNEY FROM THE CITY OF S. PAULO TO THE 

 IRON-FOUNDRY OF YPANEMA. 



During the time of our stay at S. Paulo, the 

 rainy season had set in with great regularity. It 

 rained almost without interruption throughout the 

 night, and in the day-time the sky was obscured 

 after mid day with thick clouds, which suddenly 

 descended in torrents of rain, after which the 

 heavens again resumed for a short time their beau- 

 tiful transparent azure ; the air at this time was 

 seldom very sultry ; nay, we found in the night 

 such a rapid change in the temperature, that we 

 were obliged to provide ourselves with warmer 

 covering. The present season was extremely un- 

 favourable to our wish of becoming acquainted 

 with the natural curiosities of the country, for 

 whenever we ventured to extend our excursions 

 beyond the immediate neighbourhood of the city, 

 we always returned home wet through. The ve- 

 getable world began, it is true, to shoot forth with 

 renovated vigour, but the animals showed them- 

 selves in smaller numbers. We resolved, there- 



