21 



CHAPTER II. 



Kio de Janeiro — Excursion north of Cape Frio — Great evaporation — 

 Slavery— Botofogo Bay — Terrestrial Planariae — Clouds on Corcovado— 

 Heavy rain — Musical Hyla — Lampyris and its larvae — Elater, springing 

 powers — Blue haze — Noise of butterfly — Entomology — Ants — Wasp- 

 killing spider — Parasitical spider — Artifices of Epeira — Gregarious 

 spider — Spider with imperfect web. 



RIO DE JANEIRO, 



April 4th to July Sth, 1832.- A few days after our 

 arrival I became acquainted with an Englishman who was 

 going to visit his estate situated^, rather more than a 

 hundred miles from the capital^ to the northward of Cape 

 Frio. As I was quite unused to travellings I gladly accepted 

 his kind offer of allowing me to accompany him. 



April 8th. — Our party amounted to seven. The first 

 stage was very interesting. The day was powerfully hot, 

 and as we passed through the woods, every thing was 

 motionless, excepting the large and brilliant butterflies, 

 which lazily fluttered about. The view seen when crossing 

 the hills behind Praia Grande was most beautiful ; the 

 colours were intense, and the prevailing tint a dark blue ; 

 the sky and the calm waters of the bay vied with each 

 other in splendour. After passing through some cultivated 

 country, we entered a forest, which in the grandeur of aU its 

 parts could not be exceeded. We arrived by midday at 

 Ithacaia ; this small village is situated on a plain, and round 

 the central house are the huts of the negroes. These, from 

 their regular form and position, reminded me of the drawings 

 of the Hottentot habitations in Southern Africa. As the 

 moon rose early, we determined to start the same evening for 

 our sleeping-place at the Lagoa Marica. As it was growing 



