XVIII] THE JOURNEY TO THE AMAZON 267 



we were to sail in was somewhat delayed, I spent some days 

 in the wild district of Charnwood Forest, which I had often 

 wished to visit. At length, everything being ready, and our 

 date of sailing being fixed for April 20, we left Leicester by 

 coach a few days before that date, and stayed, I think, at 

 Bakewell, in order to visit Chatsworth and see the palm and 

 orchid houses, then the finest in England. The next day we 

 went on to Liverpool, where we arrived late, after a cold and 

 rather miserable journey outside a stage-coach. 



The next morning we called upon Mr. J. G. Smith, the 

 gentleman who had collected butterflies at Pernambuco and 

 Para, at his office, and he invited us to dine with him in the 

 evening, when he showed us his collection, and gave us much 

 information about the country, the people, and the beauties 

 of nature. During the day we got our luggage on board, 

 saw our berths, and other accommodation, which was of the 

 scantiest, and heard that the ship was to sail the next day. 

 In the morning, after breakfast at our inn, we made a few 

 final purchases, received a letter of introduction to the con- 

 signee of the vessels, and bade farewell to our native land. 



At that time there were very few steamships, and most of 

 the ocean trade was still carried on in sailing vessels. Ours 

 was one of the smallest, being a barque of 192 tons, named 

 the Mischief, and said to be a very fast sailer. We were told 

 that she was ranked A i at Lloyds, and that we might there- 

 fore be quite sure that she was thoroughly seaworthy. We 

 were the only passengers, and were to have our meals with 

 the captain and mate, both youngish men, but of whom, owing 

 to my deficient individuality, I have not the slightest recol- 

 lection. Soon after we got out to sea the wind rose and 

 increased to a gale in the Bay of Biscay, with waves that 

 flooded our decks, washed away part of our bulwarks, and 

 was very near swamping us altogether. All this time I was 

 in my berth prostrate with sea-sickness, and it was only, I 

 think, on the sixth day, when the weather had become fine 

 and the sea smooth, that I was able to go on deck just as we 

 had a distant sight of Maderia. Shortly afterwards we got 

 into the region of the trade-wind, and had fine, bright weather 



