474 



NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



something sacred by the reverence with which the gentleman opened 

 the doors. It was intimated to me, afterwards, that I had been favoured 

 beyond the common class of heretics. 



In some other gardens of this neighbourhood a much better taste 

 prevails, whether we consider it in reference to the ancient or modern 

 principles of culture and ornament : all of them have streams of water, 

 conducted by the sides of parterres, some of which are raised between 

 walls about three feet above the common level of the walks, in the 

 manner of beds in our hot-houses, or rather in imitation of some Eastern 

 gardens. A few of these seats of Flora are ornamented with vases and 

 statues, and planted with trees, which would furnish agreeable retreats 

 were they not cut in the stiff and formal manner of the avenues at 

 Versailles, without considering that the climate here requires the shelter 

 and the shade of wide spreading foliage. Pomona also shares the spot, 

 and the larger fruit-trees flourish with a luxuriance which appeared truly 

 wonderful. Among them the Jabuticaba, Orange, and Coffee, hold 

 conspicuous stations, yield their fruits in the greatest abundance, and 

 while mingling with the Tata or Pine, the Mango, Calabash, Apple, 

 Cherry, and Peach, compose a singular kind of orchard. Beneath the 

 very droppings of these broad spreading trees, and close to their very 

 stems, are seen growing together the esculent and tiie garden pea ; carna- 

 tions mingling with roses, and violets with the poppy and piony ; 

 marjoram, mignionette, rosemary, and thyme, commixing their roots 

 and their perfumes ; while flowers of the torrid and the temperate climes 

 flourish with the greatest luxuriance, under the influence of the same 

 sun, in the same exposure, and upon the same soil. 



At the Vicar's, who resides at Matazinhos, a village two miles from 

 St. John, may be seen something more solid : and systematic. A large 

 piece of land, taken out of the waste about six years before, has, with 

 the assistance of only six slaves, been walled round, and converted into 

 a sort of nursery ; one part of it is planted with vines, which flourish 

 well, another with fruit-trees and shrubs peculiar to Brazil, and a third 

 is appropriated to the productions of Europe. In this division of the 



