12 



AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



Early in the voyage Professor Agassiz began a series of lectures, which 

 was continued almost daily till we reached Rio de Janeiro, dealing in turn 

 with the Gulf Stream, the Sargosso Sea, embryology, and the classification 

 of the animal kingdom. We arrived at Rio April 22, after an exceptionally 

 pleasant voyage. 



Save for a few excursions, by rail or boat, to near points, the whole 

 party remained at Rio for several weeks, but work was organized imme- 

 diately on our arrival and collections of specimens were gathered daily 

 in the surrounding suburbs. At the same time preparations were under 

 way for the various projected expeditions into the interior that were to oc- 

 cupy us the rest of the year. Besides the six trained assistants from the 

 Museum, as many other young men were attached to the expedition as 

 volunteers; all were duly assigned positions on the different exploring 

 parties. 1 



Following several short excursions from Rio, including a two weeks' trip 

 to Mendez and the Barra do Parahyba, on the Dom Pedro II railroad, 

 some 60 miles from Rio, I was assigned to one of the parties that was to 

 visit the northern Provinces of Brazil. We left Rio de Janeiro June 9 for 

 Petropolis, a beautiful mountain suburb of Rio, where we spent the night. 2 

 The following morning we resumed our journey by a mule-drawn stage for 

 Juiz da Fora, over a perfect road, making the 100 miles in ten hours, with 

 relays of mules every ten miles. The road traversed a highly picturesque 

 section of country, parts of it clothed with verdure of almost Amazonian 

 luxuriance, while flocks of toucans and large parrots frequently attracted 

 attention. 



At this point we were to outfit for our long journey into the wilderness; 

 but instead of finding our equipment of mules and camarados awaiting us, 

 as we had expected (it having been ordered in advance), our animals were 

 still at distant ranches and nothing was in readiness. It required five days 

 to assemble the mules and their drivers. It was June 15 when our little 

 cavalcade of 14 mules, 4 horses, and 4 camarados left Juiz da Fora for the 

 headwaters of the Rio das Velhas, some 300 miles distant. 



We reached Barbacena on the third day, where Mr. W^ard with his share 



1 The personnel of the Expedition, in addition to Professor Agassiz, was as follows: Assistants- 

 from the Museum staff: John G. Anthony, conchologist; Charles Frederick Hartt, geologist; Orestes 

 H. St. John, geologist; George Sceva, osteologist; J. Burkhardt, artist. Volunteers: William James,. 

 later the eminent psychologist of Harvard University; Edward Copeland, Newton Dexter, James- 

 Hunnewell, S. V. R. Thayer, and Thomas W. Ward. D. Bourget, a French naturalist, joined the Ex- 

 pedition at Rio de Janeiro. 



2 Our party consisted of Orestes H. St. John (geologist and chief), George Sceva, Thomas W. Ward 

 (mineralogist), and myself. We were to travel together, however, for only a short distance, as Mr. 

 Ward was to leave the party at Barbacena and Mr. Sceva at Lagoa Santa. 



