12 



AnutJittt* al Rio. 



HIO JANEIRO. 



ExteJil Of ilic bay. 

 Botanic Harden. 



with natural flowers, ou which were placed two 

 little boys, dressed in blue and pink, with wings to 

 represent angels, each holding a basket of flowers, 

 which they threw on the young monarch as lie 

 passed. The houses in the streets through which 

 the procession moved were hung with satin dajnask 

 draperies of the richest tints. These I understand 

 are kept expressly for such occasions. At short 

 intervals national flags were suspended across the 

 streets. The emperor moved on, receiving the 

 same marks of affection from his subjects until he 

 reached the great square and palace, where he 

 alighted. The troops forming around the square 

 aouii came to order, and a general pause ensued, 

 until the firing of ihe /< u >!<■ jaic began, one of the 

 must deafening I ever heard. He finished this 

 public exhibition by showing himself to the multi- 

 tude below from the balconies of the city palace, 

 mill was received with many riftM, 



Me liien held his levee, which the Rev. Mr. 

 Walsh has so well described, and which etoseh re- 

 sembled the one at which he was present, with thin 

 difference, that this was much more of a farce, in 

 consequence of the boyhood of the emperor. No- 

 thing can be more ridiculous than to see all the 

 dignitaries and old men, the mitred bishop, the 

 Bage diplomatist, and the veteran soldier, ushered 

 into the presence, and out again, without saying a 

 word, or turning their bucks on the young mo- 

 narch. Mr, Walsh hns, however, said nothing 

 about the scene in the anteroom ; to me it whs the 

 most ridiculous of all. The arranging the order of 

 entrance to the presence, with due form and eti- 

 quette; the examination by each diplomatist, that 

 he has his due order of precedence; their anxiety 

 to gather their 9uites around them, not unlike 

 a hen with her chickens, to make the fullest 

 show ; nil prepares one for the ridiculous scene 

 that is to follow. The oldest resident minister 

 always takes the lead. Al night the city was 

 illuminated. 



Win is now well supplied with water. Aqueducts 

 have been finished within the last two years, which 

 bring it from the Curvovado and Tejuca mountains, 

 a distance of six or seven miles. There are a 

 number of public fountains in different parts of the 

 city. All the water for the supply of families iH 

 transported by slaves. These fountains have nu- 

 merous jets, and some have pretty edihees over 

 I hem. During the day, there are seldom less tlian 

 fifty to one hundred, both male and female, water- 

 earners around them, tilling their jars, with which 

 they are seen moving about poised on their beads. 

 Near the large fountain called I lafariz.in the square 

 of Santa Anna, are two large basins, about fifty feet 

 long and twenty-five wide. These are commonly 

 tilled with about two hundred negro women, who 

 daily assemble tn wash. Numtars of them are half 

 naked, standing up to their middle in the water, 

 beating and thrashing the clothes they are em- 

 ployed to clean against the adjoining wall. 



Few articles are transported in any other way 

 than by slaves, and it is extremely rare to see a 

 earl drawn by any beast of burden. Antique 

 looking carriages and two- wheeled calescas are 

 generally seen, 



The museum is open twice a week : it is quite 

 creditable to the city, and well worth seeing. It 

 appears to attract more attention from the inh ibit- 

 ants of Rio titan I should have been Jed to expect. 



It is extremely rich in its native collections, and is 

 well taken care of. 



The theatres, of which there are three, are sel- 

 dom open on week-days, but always on Sunday. 



The bay is very beautiful and is usually covered 

 with small" boats, felucca rigged, w ithout decks, and 

 generally about twelve tons' burden. These boats 

 are rowed by blacks. The oars are large, the men 

 row in a standing posture, and thus add the weight 

 .1 their bodies to their strength. Al limes (lie bay 

 seems alive with the number of these vessels, and 

 of small canoes, each made of a single trunk, which 

 are used in fishing. Many of tbe.se vessels an- ■ J — ■ ■ 

 engaged in the coasting trade. Foreigners are 

 usuaily employed to lake charge of the latter, 

 which sail under the Hrazilian Hug. Steamers are 

 beginning to be used. One plies between IUo and 

 Santos, and during our stay, another left the har- 

 bour for Monte Video. The greater part of ihe ves- 

 sels in the bay are under foreign flags, and J was 

 much surprised to observe how few comparatively 

 are English, and how many are from the north of 

 Europe. 



The harbour of Rio may bo considered as not 

 extending further than Euxados island, above 

 which few vessels lie. The front of the city is not 

 well adapted for wharves, and none consequently 

 exist. There are some stairs, but they are not 

 well protected from the sea, which at times renders 

 landing almost impossible. 



In Rio, the vegetation seems to fix the attention 

 above all other ihiugs, especially of those situated 

 as wo were in the harbour, liaviug it continually 

 before one's eyes. 



Here, as m all tropical climates, the truth of the 

 remark made by a botanist, " that every thing 

 grows into shrubs and trees," iH obvious. Herba- 

 ceous plants are rare, and annuals may be said to 

 be almost wanting. The fruit trees arc generally 

 seen bearing fruit and flowers at tho same time. 

 This wits the ease, as observed by one of our 

 party, even iu the cultivated apple on the Tejuca 

 mountains. 



The botanic garden is in a flat situation, backed 

 by a high ridge of mountainous laud. In front is 

 a lake of brackish water, which forms a consider- 

 abb bay, and communicates with the sea by a 

 narrow inlet. The entrance to the garden has a 

 mean appearance, and does not correspond with 

 tho bread promenades within, which are planted 

 with trees on each side. The whole is laid out in 

 the old Dutch style; seats, arbours, and houses are 

 cut out of arbor vitas {Tlmjn oricnlWi*}. In the 

 centre of the garden was a small fountain, near 

 which grew some fine specimens of the splendid 

 bougainvillea bracteatoa, in full flower. There is 

 also a fine collection of orehideic, which are culti- 

 vated on decayed trunks of trees. The bread-fruit 

 trees {<irt>yjirt>us ineisa and inttyrtfoltot) succeed 

 very well. There were some trees of both kinds 

 forty feet high, and the fruit of the latter as large as 

 an ordinary water-melon. Several groups of bam- 

 boos had a good effect among tho other trees, but 

 their steins bore evidence of a propensity to the 

 carving of names, as a memento of the persons' 

 \i-it. Among them I was glad to see th<- names 

 of many Europeans, which serves to prove that this 

 habit does not exist among Americans alone. Here 

 an attempt was made s,, mi . y n ls since to introduce 

 the tea-plant, with natives of China to cultivate it. 



