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us. At sun-rrise next morning, after diverting myself with shooting 

 a few horned plovers on the beach, I took a survey of the romantic 

 scenery around. Here are a few poor houses, and some plantations 

 of indigo, sugar, and pulse. The beach is lined with fine aloes, and 

 presents an interesting view of several islets in front of the bay, the 

 most conspicuous of which is Madeira, before-mentioned. In ano- 

 ther direction is seen that of Isle Grande. Four leagues distant from 

 Zapitiva is Santa Cruz, formerly the property of the Jesuits, and now 

 the royal farm of the Prince Regent of Portugal, of which I shall 

 have occasion, in the sequel » to speak more at large. 



After settling with our host, we hired mules to carry us to Rio de 

 Janeiro, distant forty miles. Owing to the weight of our bag- 

 gage, we travelled but slowly : this, however, we did not regret, 

 as the fatigues of our coasting-voyage rendered us rather averse to 

 violent exertion. Proceeding through a low sandy country, covered 

 with wood, for about three leagues, we skirted the boundary of the 

 Prince's farm, which encloses some of the finest and most fertile 

 plains in South America, and gives employment to upward of fifteen 

 hundred negroes. We soon afterwards reached the main road, 

 ■which in general is very good, but the lands about it are little 

 cleared, and seem almost destitute of cultivators. In the course of 

 twenty miles, we saw only one house that deserved the name of a 

 plantation ; the only dwellings by the way-side were miserable huts 

 and dram-shops, exhibiting deplorable symptoms of sloth and po- 

 verty. Before sun-set we halted at a kind of inn, where our mules 

 were turned out to grass, and a supper was provided for us of fowls, 

 milk, and coffee. The house, though pleasantly situated on an emi^ 

 nence among orange-groves and coffee-trees, was miserably deficient 

 in those conveniences which its exterior had announced. The room 

 Avhere we supped was lighted by a small poor lamp, (here being no 

 candles,) and the floor was so uneven, that our table stood on only 

 two of its four legs. Tired with this cheerless gloom, we ordered 

 our beds to be unpacked, and retired to rest. The want of candle^ 



