52 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



and other establishments, when we resumed our voyage in the evening of 

 the 12th towards Eio de Janeiro. From August 12th to 24th, as we 

 approached the Equator, the temperature increased — ^the maximum 76°, 

 minimum 59° ; the greatest height was 84° in the shade on the 21st 

 at 3 P.M. 



The mornings were particularly pleasant and fine. Near to the Cape 

 Verde Islands Exocoetus volansweie skipping from wave to wave and some- 

 times fluttering on board, our vessel being low in the water, more 

 especially in the evenings ; and the screaming noise of Phaethon aethereus, 

 with the never-absent Procellaria 'pelagica, were the only alleviation from 

 sky and water. Ten degrees on each side of the Equator the weather 

 was very variable : calms, thunder and lightning, and sudden gusts of 

 wind, which made this part of our voyage somewhat tedious. 



On September 3rd the south-east trade sprang up, which carried 

 us to within sight of Cape Frio on the 26th. Towards evening the ship 

 was surrounded by a vast variety of sea-birds — Procellaria — and for the first 

 time I saw Diomedea exulans. The magnificent prospect to the harbour 

 of Rio is well known. One feature in Brazilian scenery strikes the Euro- 

 pean eye — that is, the leading one, the palms being larger on the summit 

 of the highest hills. During my stay I had the pleasure to become known 

 to William Harrison, Esq., residing at Botafogo, through whose exertions 

 many beautiful plants have been introduced to England, and who bestows 

 great pains in procuring subjects in other departments of natural history 

 illustrative of Brazil. In company with this gentleman and Mr. Henry 

 Harrison, a relation of his, who afforded me great assistance and showed 

 me every attention which a good ^ can suggest, I made a short 



journey to Tijuca, where I was extremely gratified with the rich luxuriance 

 of the forest (though seen to disadvantage, being too early), and was 

 particularly delighted with the varied and endless forms of OrcMdeae. 



Mr. Harrison cultivated with great success about seventy species of 

 this family of plants by being simply nailed to his garden wall, having 

 the benefit of the bark or wood on which they grew still given them for 

 support. He had also an aviary containing several rare as well as beautiful 

 native birds. I became known also to the late John Dickson, Esq., 

 surgeon iu the Royal Navy, who was never more happy than when he 

 had an opportunity of doing an act of kindness. I left on October 15th 

 this charming place with much regret, more especially having scarcely 

 been able to put myself in possession of any dried plants from the earliness 

 of the season and from the continued rain. For a few days, until we 

 got clear of the land, the weather was changeable, accompanied by rains 

 ia the evem'ngs. 



At 4 A.M. on Tuesday the 19th a fine breeze sprang up and we bore 

 away for the south, gradually leaving the warm weather. Off the Plate, 

 in lat. 37° S., long. 37° W., immense shoals of Fiiaus pyriformis 

 passed the ship, some of which measured 60 feet in length, and a stem 

 at the thickest part 3 inches in diameter. On the root was a variety of 

 Asteria, Beroe and other Molluscae. In this parallel Procellaria capensis 



I Blank left in MS.— Ed. 



