PtiLItlml «Utu of Brazil. 



THE BRAZILS. 



PoTtlicnl time of Brazil. 



15 



noeted with the vessels unci observations, made it 

 impossible forme to spare any officers to make the 

 measurement of their height, or to go myself. 

 These gentlemen set out, having taken passage in 

 the usual freight-boat (felucca rii^ed), for Es- 

 tndla, embarking tlioir horses ami mules in an- 

 other. These boats arc not decked, and are of 

 sufficient tonnage to make them safe and conve- 

 nient freight -boats. They generally have four or 

 five slaves with a padmu to manage them, 



A little incident tliat oceurreJ to these gentle- 

 men will show the difficulties to be encountered in 

 obtaining specimens. They had observed for a 

 Few days a beautiful yellow Hnwering tree, that was 

 very conspicuous in the forest. Believing that it 

 eoulil be easily come at, they math' the attempt to 

 reach it, hut without success, finding it, instead of 

 being low, a high and inaccessible tree. They then 

 directed tin-it* steps to others, but were disnp- 

 |Miiiiiid airain. Ih'lerniined not to be foiled in 

 their pursuit, they again went off in search of 

 others in si^lu; these, to their surprise, were nn 

 the opposite side of a river. Nothing daunted, 

 Mr. Urackeuridgo crossed it, thongh deep, and 

 endeavoured to urale the tr< ■•. What had ap- 

 [ii-ared near the cround. now proved a tree of some 

 sixty feel in height, with a tunooth nud slippery 

 hark; and he returned t<> his eoiupauioii empty- 

 handed* Dr. Pickering next made (he attempt. 

 After crossing the stream with difficulty, ho 

 reached the desired object, and endeavoured to 

 climb, but nfter reaching some forty feet, was 

 obliged to acknowledge himself vanquished. 



A few days before our departure, we mad.- atrip 

 to tho top of the Corcovado. The uaturalwts who 

 were of our party observed that almost a total 

 change had taken place in the plants since their 

 iast vi-ii r about n fortnight before. I took with me 

 the necessary instruments t>> measure its height, 

 and we all amused ourselves with collecting plants, 



insects, lizards, &c. We took the road that turns 

 off near Gloria, and even before wo began to 

 emerge from the city, several novel kinds of ferns 

 were observed growing on the house-tops and walls. 

 We soon entered coffee plantations, groves of bana- 

 nas, tamarinds, mangroves, and oraDge trees. A 

 vast variety of plants were pointed out to me by 

 Mr. Rraekenridge, among them the beautiful 

 vochysia, with its splendid yellow blossoms, show- 

 ing conspicuous among tho rest. After a fatiguing 

 walk we reached the top. The last quarter of a 

 milo, or the last rise to its summit, causes one to 

 become somewhat breathless in a hot day ; but 

 w hen the top is gained, it is worth all the labour of 

 climbing, and amply repays for the exertion. 



The whole of the magnificent harbour, the city 

 and environs, lay beneath our feet. A bird's-eye 

 view is had of every thing, grouped in tho moat 

 phasing variety; and nothing strikes one so for- 

 cibly as the white sandy beaches of Botofogo and 

 Praya Grande, with tho beautiful blue of the sea 

 washing on them. The many lakes, the castellated 



E leaks, and the variously-shaped, craggy, and broken 

 lills, are all softened by the light and airy green 

 vegetation, creeping up their sides so as to melt 

 diem almost into one. The day wan beautifully 

 clear, and the refreshing sea-breeze just what we 

 could desire. To form an idea of the beauty of Rio 

 ami it- environs, ii is necessary to mount to the lop 

 of (he Corcovado, or some high peak in its iieigh- 

 bourhood. 



After finishing our observations, and fully satis- 

 fying ourselves with the beautiful scene, wc de- 

 scended to the LJclle Rue, where we enjoyed a rest 

 and lunch. We returned to the city by the way of 

 the aqueduct late in the afternoon, all greatly de- 

 lighted with our day's jaunt, which, beside the 

 amusement, had proved a profitable one in the way 

 of collections. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE BRAZILS — RIO NEGRO, TERRA DEL FUEGO. 



caAiincK or the dra/imas*— voxjtitptiox or tub empire— rclixo party— elective regbsct— admix i»- 



TRATIOX Of JUSTICE— ELECTIVE F I AM" H IfiE— ADIT- X A V T— H'HOOLA— OJk VERY— FKF.LI NO TO* AHDR rollll-.M 111 



— roPPLATIOX — XATlOWAL DEBT, REVEXtJB, ASP EXFEXD1TIIRM-COMMF.RCE— EVEXTB IX THE iQlFADEOW— 

 DF.PARTIJRK FROM RIO — FA»SAOK TO RIO XEGRD — ARRIVAL T1IEII E— CV XCitOt— DESiRl PTIOX OP THE COVXTHY 



— RIVER ASM Tt&E*— CLIMATE— VEUETATIOS— TRAI1E— H ARBOCR— WJADROX DRIVES TO »EA— DAXOKRi IS »tR- 

 VKYIXO— eONVICT «ETTLEMEST— COMMBR1CATI0E WITH BflXOl AYRER — DEPARTt'l E FROM RIO NEGRO— STATES 

 IAS & -«f R AIM OP LB K A I RE — A PTE ABAXCE or TERRA DEL FVBGO— -ITU B ARBOCR— MEET1X0 WITH TUB 

 RRL! EF — C A FT A IX EIXO's RAILIXO OIBECTIOXt— X ATI VEI— ISTERCIJC BSE WITH THEM— A BBI V A L AT OKAXOK 



DofOM my stay at Rio, I had an opportunity of 

 seeing several intelligent gentlemen who had lone; 

 hern residents of the country; I am indebted to 

 them for much information relative to the political 

 slate of this empire. Brazil, though quiet at the 

 time of our visit, will long be destined to outbreaks 

 and alarms, either from locul oppression or some 

 flight political movements. The people, for the 

 most part, take very little interest in politics, or in 

 the general welfare of the state. As yet, their habits 



make them averse to mental exertions, and they 

 generally prefer their own case, which preclude* 

 them from engaging in political excitement. They 

 are not yet sufficiently advanced in civilization and 

 education, so far as regards the mass of the popu- 

 lation, to rise from the mental degradation which 

 the policy of the mother country entailed upon 

 them. 



The Brazilian*, from the diaracter I have re- 

 ceived of them, are very ceremonious and punc- 



