KIO DE JANEIRO AND ITS ENVIRONS. 



63 



warmest expressions of sympathy, and is assured that the 

 administration will give him every facility in its power 

 to carry out his plans. To-night finds us established in 

 our rooms, and our Brazilian life begins ; with what suc- 

 cess remains to be seen. While still on board the " Colo- 

 rado" we seemed to have one foot on our own soil. 



April 26th. — This morning Mrs. C and myself 



devoted to the arranging of our little domestic matters, 

 getting out our books, desks, and other knickknacks, and 

 making ourselves at home in our new quarters, where 

 we suppose we are likely to be for some weeks to come. 

 This afternoon we drove out on the Larangeiras road 

 (literally, the "orangery"). Our first drive in Rio left 

 upon my mind an impression of picturesque decay ; things 

 seemed falling to pieces, it is true, but mindful of artistic 

 effect even in their last moments. This impression was 

 quite effaced to-day. Every city has its least becoming 

 aspect, and it seems we had chosen an unfavorable direction 

 for our first tour of observation. The Larangeiras road is 

 lined on either side by a succession of country houses ; 

 low and spreading, often with wide verandas, surrounded 

 by beautiful gardens, glowing at this season with the scarlet 

 leaves of the Poinsettia, or " Estrella do Norte" as they 

 call it here, with blue and yellow Bignonias, and many other 

 shrubs and vines, the names of which we have hardly 

 learned as yet. Often, as we drove along, a wide gateway, 

 opening into an avenue of palms, would give us a glimpse 

 of Brazilian life. Here and there a group of people were 

 sitting in the garden, or children were playing in the 

 grounds under the care of their black nurses. Farther 

 out of town the country houses were less numerous, but 

 the scenery was more picturesque. The road winds im 



