SOUTH AMERICA. 



129 



me a good ileal of the vicinity of New-Orleans. The 

 day was extremely fine, though rather hot, but not 

 more so than a warm day in June or July in the north- 

 ern parts of the United States. In front of the house, 

 at the distance of a few hundred yards, the mountain 

 rose in bold and rude masses, in some places present^ 

 ing nothing but a naked precipice of granite; in others, 

 covered with a great variety of beautiful shrubs and 

 trees. A naked peak, called the J^arrot Head, inter- 

 cepted the clouds above us. Its height is 2500 feet; 

 there is a path which leads to the top, but so winding, 

 that the ascent is at least five or six miles. 



The whole district of Rio Janeiro is exceedingly 

 mountainous, and its vallies are in general deep and 

 narrow. The mountains are not as lofty as those of 

 Switzerland, but resemble them more than our Allegha- 

 nies. Though not covered with snow, they sometimes 

 let loose upon the vallies, what is even more dreadful 

 than the Avalanche ; huge masses of earth loosening 

 from the rock, by the moisture insinuated between 

 them in the rainy seasons, slip down, and over- 

 whelm every thing below. It is not long since an 

 instance of this kind occg^rred, when more than a hun- 

 dred families were buried alive. In the afternoon, 

 the sun having disappeared behind the mountain, its 

 broad shade was now spread over us, and we seated 

 ourselves on the terrace, in order to enjoy the cool air. 

 It was not long before we discovered a cavalcade com- 

 ing along the road. Mr. Sumpter informed us, it was 

 some of the royal family taking an airing, and that 

 they very frequently passed this way. A couple of 

 Indian looking dragoons gallop up, their swords 

 rattling by their sides. They were followed at a very 



VOL. I. 17 



