RIO JANEIRO. 73 



A good idea will be given of the richness of the Brazilian Flora by 

 the fact, that when mounted in the tree-top, he collected specimens of 

 three flowering trees not before seen, and three species of mistletoes. 



The same afternoon they reached Estrella, but found their guide had 

 not procured any passage for them. They, however, succeeded after 

 some difficulty in procuring one, set out before sunset, and reached Rio 

 the next morning by three o'clock, having been greatly tormented by 

 the musquitoes, and a minute fly, which was even more troublesome. 



Finding that the repairs had not proceeded so rapidly as I anticipated, 

 I readily gave permission for a second jaunt, which they undertook in 

 the direction of Piedade. Piedade is on the eastern side of the bay, 

 nearly opposite to Estrella. On landing, they proceeded to Trexal, at 

 the foot of the mountain, sixteen miles from Piedade, where travellers 

 may get good lodgings, &c, for Brazil. The next day they took the 

 route by the pass to Mr. March's. The summit of this pass commands 

 a magnificent and extensive prospect, and is called Buena Vista. They 

 reached the Fazenda of Mr. March about midday. It is situated in a 

 beautiful valley, immediately behind the main ridge, and between two 

 mountains. The houses w T ere overflowing with visiters, who had 

 assembled to pass the holidays. This estate is large, embracing some 

 thirty miles square, but only a very small proportion of it is cultivated. 

 A large number of negroes were about the establishment, and every 

 thing is kept in perfect order. It is a place of fashionable resort for 

 the inhabitants of Rio, especially the English. The houses were 

 comfortable after the Brazilian style. The garden and grounds are 

 laid out on the English plan, and well stocked with very fine fruits, 

 peaches, apples, pears, plums, gooseberries, all of which come to 

 perfection. Of vegetables, they have potatoes, cabbage, turnips, 

 carrots, beets, onions, parsnips, celery, and lettuce. Bananas will not 

 ripen, the temperature being frequently as low as 40°. Mr. March 

 said his houses were situated three thousand one hundred and fifty feet 

 above the level of the sea, and the peaks in the vicinity are about one 

 thousand feet higher. To the westward he pointed out a peak said to 

 be eight thousand feet in altitude, and which is the highest of the 

 range. So far as is known, no one has gained the summit, although 

 Mr. Gardner, an English botanist, by following the tracks of the tapir, 

 had reached within a few hundred yards of it, after two days' hard 

 labour, and found that the vegetation resembled that of temperate 

 climates. Time did not admit of our gentlemen making the attempt. 

 All that could be done was to ascend the hill pointed out by Mr. 

 March, in the vicinity of his house, as never having been ascended, and 

 which is one thousand two hundred feet above it. This was accom- 



VOL. I G 10 



