TRA.VELS IN BRAZIL. 



159 



which he has been made acquainted only by French 

 translations. This general knowledge of the 

 French has not, however, banished the mother 

 tongue in the higher classes of society ; except the 

 court, and those immediately belonging to it, the 

 English and French languages are confined to the 

 men, and are therefore seldom used in company. 

 The fair sex, though they participate in the change 

 which the removal of the court hither has occasioned, 

 and are now more frequently seen in the theatre, 

 and in the open air, have, however, on the whole, 

 retained the same disposition which Barrow repre- 

 sents in his apologetic description in 179^. 



The hospitable residence of Mr. Von Langsdorff 

 was a very agreeable place of resort in th^ evening 

 for many Europeans residing at Rio de Janeiro. 

 A spirit of cheerful and animated conversation 

 prevailed, which was enhanced by the musical 

 talents of the lady of the house, and the co-oper- 

 ation of Neukomm. So great a number of natural- 

 ists, or friends of natural history, had never yet 

 been assembled here, as just at the time of our 

 stay. The mutual communication of the observ- 

 ations and feelings which the luxuriance and the 

 peculiarity of the vegetation inspired, became 

 doubly attractive, through the charms of the envi- 

 rons. Mr. Von Langsdorff inhabited a small 

 country-house, on the declivity of the chain of 

 hills which stretches from the city towards the 

 south-west, and enjoyed from hence, amidst the 



