370 Mr Swainson’s Sketch of a Journey thi'ough Brazil. 
paid attention to any proposals made to them, of a similar na- 
ture. For this purpose I wrote to Sir Joseph Banks, who high- 
ly approved of my resolutions, and, I believe, recommended it in 
the warmest manner. The motives of my travels had been, in 
the first instance, only individual gratification and improve- 
ment ; but considering that with very little assistance, and libe- 
ral patronage, my plans might have been enlarged, and the 
sphere of observation more extended, I made the proposal of 
remitting home as extensive collections as possible, in all the 
branches of natural history, for our national museums and gar- 
dens, provided adequate assistance in a pecuniary way, or even 
a nominal patronage as naturalist to the British Government, 
was given me: Both, however, were declined; and thus, from 
being entirely left to myself and my own resources, the results of 
my investigations and travels have been comparatively confined 
within certain limits. 
Instead of following the example of all my fellow-labourers, 
by going in the first instance to Bio de Janeiro, I landed, about 
the end of December, 1816 at Recife, in the province of Per- 
nambuco, 8 degrees south of the line. This province had never 
been visited by any modern naturalist, and I found that it pos- 
sessed features, both in its geography and natural history, 
widely different from the southern provinces. After gaining 
general ideas of the climate, manners, &c. I made preparations 
for a journey into the interior, but these were suddenly render- 
ed useless, by the memorable revolt of the 6tli March 1817, of 
which I Avas an eye witness. This event confined my researches 
to a limited extent of country round the city ; yet so many new 
and striking objects presented themselves, that I was amply em- 
ployed during all the time that the country remained in this 
disturbed state. I had besides made the acquaintance of most 
of the principal men, who were all more or less involved 
in this effort to liberate their country, and I thus possess- 
ed ample means both of narrating the events, and enquiring in- 
to the causes which led to this political convulsion. On the re- 
storation of tranquillity, after remitting all my collections, draw- 
ings, kc. home to England, 1 quitted Pernambuco in June 
1817, and, Avith a small train, directed my course (by a circui- 
tous route towards the interior) for the great river St Francisco. 
