THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 487 



CHAPTER XV. 



RIO DE JANEIRO— EXCURSION TO PETROPOLIS AND ST. JUIZ DA FORA 



ASCENT OF TIJUCA PEAK VARIETY OF FERNS, ETC. LEAVE 



RIO — SARGASSO SEA THE AZORES — FAYAL RIDE TO CALDERA 



FERNS — LEAVE FAYAL, AND ARRIVE AT SPITHEAD. 



After a rather tedious voyage of about three weeks, during 

 the earlier part of which we experienced much bad weather, 

 we reached Eio de Janeiro at sunset on the 20th of June, and 

 four days later Dr. Campbell and I left the ship on a few 

 days' excursion to Petropolis and St. Juiz da Fora, the former 

 place (thus named from its furnishing a summer residence to 

 the Emperor) being situated in the heart of the Organ 

 mountains, and the latter, separated from it by a distance 

 of a little over a hundred miles, in the district of Minas 

 Geraes. Taking our places on board a steamer which left 

 the city at two p.m., we proceeded rapidly up to the head 

 of the bay, which, with its wooded shores and numerous 

 islands, presented all the appearance of a magnificent lake. 

 Arriving at the Porto de Maua in about an hour and a half, 

 we there found a train waiting to take the passengers on 

 board the steamer to the foot of the mountains. In a few 

 minutes later the train started, and we were whirled along 

 at a speedy rate through a low-lying tract of country, 

 marshy in some parts, and abounding in the most luxuriant 

 vegetation. We reached the foot of the Serra, the terminus 

 of the railway, between four and five, and got into a 

 landau, one of a series of vehicles by which the remainder 



