VILLA NOVA, 



from childhood. In the interior of the country there is not a 

 road or path out of the towns, along which a person can walk 

 with comfort or pleasure ; all is dense forest, or more impass- 

 able clearings. Here are no flower-bespangled meadows, no 

 turfy glades, or smooth shady walks to tempt the lover of 

 nature ; here are no dry gravelled roads, where, even in the 

 intervals of rain, we may find healthy and agreeable exercise ; 

 here are no field-side paths among golden corn or luxuriant 

 clover. Here are no long summer evenings, to wander in at 

 leisure, and admire the slowly changing glories of the sunset ; 

 nor long winter nights, with the blazing hearth, which, by 

 drawing all the members of a family into close contact, pro- 

 mote a social intercourse and domestic enjoyment, which the 

 inhabitants of a tropical clime can but faintly realise. 



At length the canoe arrived in which I was to go to Para, 

 and I soon agreed for my passage, and set to work getting 

 my things together. I had a great number of cases and boxes, 

 six large ones which I had left with Senhor Henrique the year 

 before, being still in his possession, because the great men of 

 Barra were afraid they might contain contraband articles, and 

 would not let them pass. 



I -now got them embarked, by making a declaration of their 

 contents, and paying a small duty on them. Out of a hundred 

 live animals which I had purchased or had had given to me, 

 there now only remained thirty-four, consisting of five monkeys, 

 two macaws, twenty parrots and paroquets of twelve different 

 species, five small birds, a white-crested Brazilian pheasant, 

 and a toucan. 



On the loth of June we left Barra, commencing our voyage 

 very unfortunately for me ; for, on going on board, after bidding 

 adieu to my friends, I missed my toucan, which had, no doubt, 

 flown overboard, and not being noticed by any one, was 

 drowned. This bird I esteemed very highly, as he was full- 

 grown and very tame, and I had great hopes of bringing him 

 alive to England. 



On the 13th we reached Villa Nova, at which place, being 

 the last in the new Province, we had to disembark to show our 

 passports, as if entering into another kingdom ; and not content 

 with this, there is another station half a day further down, on 

 the exact boundary-line, where all vessels have to stay a second 

 time, and again present their papers, as if the great object of 



