16 
RIO JANEIRO. 
It ought always to be kept in mind that the slave-trade, and not 
slavery, has been attempted to be abolished ; that both exist in 
several parts of the world in the full possession of their horrid attri- 
butes ; and, to use the words of an eloquent writer, “ that from 
slavery in its mildest form, oppression, injustice, and cruelty are 
inseparable. These crimes have, from the beginning of it, formed 
its basis, and without them it can no more subsist than a house 
without a foundation.” 
I visited the Sugar-Loaf Mountain by water on the following day, 
and forgot, in the delightful scenery of its vicinage, my previous 
unpleasant reflections. As I approached a small fort near its base, 
I was challenged by a sentry, who ordered me to land, and to satisfy 
his officer respecting my object in visiting the coast. I obeyed, 
and was led into a fortress, strong in itself, but overlooked by the 
adjacent hills. Its commandant questioned me at first rather roughly 
as to my intention in coming there ; but as soon as he ascertained 
the nature of my pursuits, and that I belonged to the British embassy, 
he became very civil, and described to me the nearest way to the 
foot of the mountain. 
The Sugar-Loaf Mountain is a huge entire rock of granite, seven 
hundred feet in height, and owes its name to its conical form. It 
stands by itself, and the side facing the harbour is nearly perpendicular 
throughout. I had hoped to ascend to its summit, but the appearance 
of its precipitous sides effectually prevented my making the attempt. 
The scenery about its base was more pleasing than any other which 
I had an opportunity of seeing while at Rio Janeiro. Other parts of 
the country afforded views more imposing, from the immensity of their 
features ; but they rather disappointed than satisfied the mind, from 
its incapacity to grasp their extent. On the contrary, in the neigh- 
bourhood of this mountain, they are on a scale within the compass 
of the mind’s observation, and yet possess those characters of wild- 
ness, richness, and grandeur, which mark the landscape of this 
country. Standing on the beach, with my back to the sea, I had 
immediately before me the dark face of the mountain rising from a 
