Travels in the JBrazUs, 



55 



ous which arose, however, merely from the young leaves of the 

 Sapucaya-tree, which, on their breaking out in the spring, are 

 of a rosy hue. It was now the most favourable season of the 

 year for travelling, as the sprouting foliage every where ex- 

 hibited itself in the most delightful variety of colours 5 a 

 lively verdure adorned the landscape, and the agreeable tem- 

 perature of the air was extremely grateful to us natives of the 

 north, and unaccustomed to much heat. 



After a journey of about three hours we again approached 

 the Paraiba, and were strongly aftected by its beauty at this 

 place. Three islands partly overgrown with old and lofty 

 woods interrupt the smooth course of the water, whence the 

 stream, not inferior in breadth to the German Rhine, glides 

 rapidly along, exchanging, on the green hills which distin- 

 guish its banks, woods and groves with large Fazendds, the 

 red-tiled roofs of which present an agreeable contrast to the 

 green foliage, and around which the huts of the negroes afford 

 an appearance of little villages. One of the plates presents a 

 view of a country-seat of this discription. The valleys which 

 intersect the banks are filled with marshes, in which a high- 

 growing species of Bignonia creates the semblance of a de- 

 cayed forest. Both trunk and branches are of an ashy grey, 

 and their thin dark-green leaves give them a very dull melan- 

 choly aspect ; and the more so, as they always grow crowded 

 together in plots : the flower is however pretty, large, and 

 of a white colour. There is here a mmiber of other beautiful 

 plants ; and, among the rest, a tree-species of Cleome, thickly 

 overspread with very large white and rose-coloured tufts of 

 flowers. The yellow and white Bignonia diversified our road, 

 and the upright stems of the Allamanda Cathartica, {Linn.) with 

 large yellow blossoms, adorned the productions of the bank. 

 When we had accomplished the half of our journey, our 

 guide conducted us to a Fazenda, the master of which, a 

 captain, politely invited us to dinner. In the front of his 

 house, which, from an easy rise commands a most beautiful 

 - prospect of the river, there stands a majestic Bignonia of the 

 species called Ipe Amarello, covered with large yellow flowers, 

 which burst out before the leaves. Its timber is very firm, 

 and may be easily wrought. 



Resuming our journey in the afternoon, we ascended the 

 Mono de Gamba, a steep hill on the bank of the river, and, 

 having ridden along its ridge through a thick wood, we were 

 surprised , when we again entered into open space by a mag- 

 nificent view of the river below. The rerjaarkably rocky emi- 

 nence of the Morro de Sapeteira was particularly conspicuous, 

 and in contrast with the green cheerful hills, on which the inha- 



