11 



Rio Janeiro on the 23d of April, and Professor Agassiz says in his 

 Report to the Trustees of the Museum : — 



" The Brazilian Expedition, fitted out and sustained by individual gener- 

 osity, was treated as a national undertaking, and welcomed by a national 

 hospitality. From the moment of our landing in Rio de Janeiro the govern- 

 ment offered me every facility for my undertaking. Nor was this an empty 

 civility. We found ourselves guests in every public conveyance, and our 

 large collections were constantly transported free of freight. On our arrival 

 at Para the Amazonian Steamship Company placed a fine steamer, furnished 

 with everything needed by the whole party, at my disposition for one month. 

 Returning somewhat later from the Upper Amazons, I found a steamer of 

 war awaiting me at the mouth of the Rio Negro, which had been sent up by 

 order of the Emperor for my use during the remainder of my stay in the 

 waters of the Amazons. Nor was this ail. Canoes and men were provided for 

 me whenever I required them ; and wherever I arrived, I found that direc- 

 tions had been given to the local authorities to furnish me with whatever I 

 required for my scientifio objects. With such facilities, it is not strange 

 that we should have made larger collections than have ever been got together 

 in the same time before. With a corps of six assistants, already trained in 

 the work of the Museum, and our party being also strengthened by the 

 addition of six volunteer assistants, I was able to lay out a scheme for a thor- 

 ough exploration of large tracts of country in Brazil, parts of which had not 

 yet been visited by zoologists." 



We have not space to follow Professor Agassiz and his party 

 through all their wanderings in Brazil. During the few weeks passed 

 in and about Rio Janeiro, on first arriving, all the members of the ex- 

 pedition were engaged in collecting the natural products of the sea and 

 adjoining country, — making excursions in various directions to obtain 

 as complete a knowledge as possible of the characteristic fauna of the 

 province of Rio de Janeiro, — following the Dom Pedro Railroad, and 

 making geological surveys along its route, — collecting fishes in the 

 Rio Parahyba, and visiting the more accessible portions of the adjoin- 

 ing province of Minas Geraes. In the mean time Professor Agassiz 

 was making preparations for the expeditions he intended to send into 

 the interior. This was no light task ; for in a country where there are 

 no established means of internal communication, and where mules, 

 guides, camaradas, and even an armed escort, may be necessary, and 

 must be provided for in advance, the preparation for a journey through 

 the interior requires a vast deal of forethought. 



One of the principal objects during the whole journey was to secure 

 accurate information concerning the geographical distribution of the 

 aquatic animals throughout the regions that were visited. Upon this 



