46 



RIO DE JANEIRO* 



bling the beating of a hammer in a blacksmith's 

 forge ; the shrill chirpings of innumerable grass- 

 hoppers ; with other sorts of unknown screech- 

 ings and chatterings, resembling in united sound 

 nothing I ever heard before, except the accom- 

 paniment to the forging of bullets in the incan- 

 tation scene of Der Freischutz. Bats of an 

 enormous size, of the real vampire breed, ever 

 and anon darted across our horses' heads, with 

 their long black wings almost near enough to 

 touch our faces. 



The house of the Viscount has nothing remark- 

 able about it. It has a long open piazza on one 

 side, and has no upper story. It stands in the 

 midst of what, in England, would be taken for 

 a collection of barns ; but, on inspection, they 

 turn out to be a mill for grinding canes, the 

 sugar-baking house, and the negro huts or 

 ©ottages. 



We fared nobly in point of cuisine ; and even 



