488 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



of the journey is accomplished. Leaving the railway station 

 at half-past four p.m., we followed the course of a steep and 

 very tortuous road winding through the mountains. It 

 was a clear bright afternoon, and the evening light shed 

 over the head of the harbour behind us and the richly 

 wooded slopes on either side, before the sun went down, was 

 exquisitely soft and mellow. The drive was thoroughly 

 enjoyable, the air, as we gradually ascended, becoming de- 

 lightfully cool, and the scenery strikingly beautiful. In many 

 spots the high banks were covered with tall Melastoma- 

 ceous shrubs, with large mauve-coloured flowers ; in damp 

 nooks and corners splendid Begonias, with large clusters of 

 pink flowers, and great glossy leaves, dark-green above and 

 deep crimson below, displayed themselves, while ferns and 

 palms of the most exquisite forms everyA\^here abounded. 

 After attaining an elevation of about 3000 feet, we passed 

 through a sort of gateway in the mountains, and then 

 gradually descended to Petropolis, which lies in a narrow 

 valley, and consists of a long principal street, through which 

 a stream flows, with one or two at right angles, and a number 

 of detached houses on the outskirts. It was a lovely moon- 

 light evening when we reached the little town, and the 

 English hotel being shut at this season, owing to the scarcity 

 of visitors, we dismounted at the Hotel Braganza, and on 

 inquiring, as usual, whether English was spoken there, 

 received a brisk reply in the affirmative from a little stout 

 Frenchman, with his hair cropped short on the crown of his 

 head, who proved to be the landlord, and immediately began 

 to talk the desired language with considerable fluency. After 

 being conducted to our room we were informed that dinner 

 would he ready in about half-an-hour, when the coach from 

 St. Juiz da Fora was expected, an event which we anxiously 



