304 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



departure of the tender was long past, we at length 

 got under way, and finally reached the Neva steamship 

 of the Royal Mail Company, about fourteen miles 

 below the city, at five o'clock. 



With iron punctuality dinner was served at the 

 regular hour, although none of the passengers were 

 ready, and the luggage was not brought on board till 

 after dinner. There was, in truth, no reason for haste, 

 as we were appointed to call at Monte Video on the 

 following morning. My chief business at that place 

 was to recover possession of the chest containing my 

 botanical collections, which I had deposited at the 

 custom-house. 



Impressed with the attractions of Brazil, and feeling 

 the strict limits of time to which I was bound, I asked 

 myself if I should not have done better to have omitted 

 a visit to the Plata region, and saved nine days by 

 proceeding direct to Brazil in the Iberia, which started 

 on the 22nd of June. I should certainly recommend 

 that course to any naturalist travelling under similar 

 circumstances at the same season ; but I am sure that, 

 if I had done so, I should have felt regret at having 

 missed an opportunity, and should have fancied that 

 I had lost new and interesting experiences. 



At four p.m. on the ist of July the big ship began 

 to move from her moorings opposite Monte Video, and 

 for about sixty miles kept a due easterly course. 

 Somewhere near the port of Maldonado we passed a 

 bright light on an island which shows as a bold head- 

 land. I was told that this is known as Cape Frio, 

 because of the cold often encountered here by those 

 arriving from Brazil. It may be supposed that the 



