32 



RIO DE JANEIRO. May — June^ 1832. 



found, in company with an old Portuguese priest who took 

 me out to hunt with him. The sport consisted in turning 

 into the cover a few dogs, and then patiently waiting to fire 

 at any animal which might appear. We were accompanied 

 by the son of a neighbouring farmer — a good specimen of a 

 wild Brazilian youth. He was dressed in a tattered old shirt 

 and trousers, and had his head uncovered : he carried an 

 old-fashioned gun and a large knife. The habit of carrying 

 the knife is universal ; and in traversing a thick wood it is 

 almost necessary, on account of the creeping plants. The 

 frequent occurrence of murder may be partly attributed to 

 this habit. The Brazilians are so dexterous with the knife, 

 that they can throw it to some distance with precision, and 

 with sufficient force to cause a fatal wound. I have seen a 

 number of little boys practising this art as a game of play, 

 and from their skill in hitting an upright stick, they pro- 

 mised well for more earnest attempts. My companion, the 

 day before, had shot two large bearded monkeys. These 

 animals have prehensile tails, the extremity of which, even 

 after death, can support the whole weight of the body. One 

 of them thus remained fast to a branch, and it was necessary 

 to cut down a large tree to procure it. This was soon 

 effected, and down came tree and monkey with an awful 

 crash. Our day^s sport, besides the monkey, was confined 

 to sundry small green parrots and a few toucans. I pro- 

 fited, however, by my acquaintance with the Portuguese 

 padre, for on another occasion he gave me a fine specimen 

 of the Yaguarundi cat. 



Every one has heard of the beauty of the scenery near 

 Botofogo. The house in which I lived was seated close 

 beneath the well-known mountain of the Corcovado. It has 

 been remarked, with much truth, that abruptly conical hills 

 are characteristic of the formation which Humboldt desig- 

 nates as gneiss -granite. Nothing can be more striking than 

 the effect of these huge rounded masses of naked rock rising 

 out of the most luxuriant vegetation. 



I was often interested by watching the clouds, which. 



