Recollections of my life

RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE

BY

MAXIMILIAN I,

EMPEROR OF MEXICO.
NEW EDITION, WITH A PREFACE.

IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. III.

LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET.

w in (Drbimtru to J.JM
1808.

F

CONTENTS

OF

THE THIRD VOLUME.

PACK

ACROSS THE LINE— continued ... 1

BAHIA 97

MATO VIRGEM . 295

ACROSS THE LINE

CONTINUED.

VOL. III.

ACEOSS THE LINE.

H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' December 15.

AT six o'clock we were under weigh, and had left Madeira
behind us, veiled in rain. The sea was quiet throughout
the day, the broad ocean was spread around us in a hue
of leaden grey, light clouds covered the sun and sky. A
fresh south-east wind filled the sails, and assisted the steam
in carrying the old ship along. With the exception of a
two-masted vessel, which was on the opposite tack, we be-
held no sign of life on the whole wide plain. To-day, for
the first time, I enter in mare incognitum; may Neptune
be favourable to us, and may we speedily reach the long-
desired tropics !

H.M.S. « Elizabeth,' December 16.

To-day again the sea rolled in large billows, which
swelled around the s Elizabeth ; ' the clouds formed them-
selves into grey masses, and it was only beneath a dusky
veil that, about eight o'clock, we could distinguish the
lofty island of Palma, the most westerly of the seven
Canary Isles, lying close to us. By the aid of our steam
we hoped that a few days might take us through the east
passage from this to S. Vincent, but all in vain, — quite the
contrary occurred ; a strong southerly wind, with a heavy
sea, continued to freshen from hour to hour, and the num-
ber of knots made by our rolling and pitching ship dimi-
nished in proportion ; so that we were obliged to relinquish
the hope of reaching S. Vincent with our present supply
of coal.

B 2

4 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

In the worst of tempers, and with that feeling of gloom
which involuntarily creeps over the sailor from hope de-
ceived, we altered our course and steamed back to the
Canary Islands. The south wind also brought us an
abundance of rain, throwing the sea-sick people into a
most pitiable condition. They alone received the intelli-
gence of the ominous return movement with true enthu-
siastic delight ; whilst the belief in the bird of ill omen
took deeper and deeper root among the seaman portion of
our party. According to mediaeval custom, a council, for
the discovery of the real bird by ordeal of either fire or
candle, was held by us at breakfast time. A burning
candle is taken into the closing mouth : whoever can do
this courageously is a child of good fortune ; but he whose
nature is averse to this operation is one of those who are
persecuted by the storms of fate. The trial ended without
a decision ; but for all that, each one heard, in his inner-
most heart, a whisper which betrayed him as the un-
fortunate man.

Towards evening we ran past the northern heights of
Palma. We could distinguish only the shadowy outline of
this lofty island, and some fires on the mountains. The
sky was dark; heavy clouds made the air oppressive, a
more than summer sultriness lay on the foaming sea,
lightning played around the clouds breaking through
them with its bright rays, and illuming the raging ocean
in a weird manner ; squalls came down wailing and snort-
ing from the lofty Pico de los Muchachos. The poor
' Elizabeth ' laboured heavily, sighing and groaning amid
the worse than unkind elements. As we entered the pas-
sage between Palma and Teneriffe, open to the south
wind, the storm roared in the pitch-dark night, and shook
and rattled the masts and cordage with dismal pertinacity,
so that even in the cabins on the lower deck one could
hear its howling and whistling.

ACROSS THE LINE. 5

The uproar summoned me again on deck during the
night. The ship rolled so heavily that it was almost im-
possible to keep one's feet. The strong light on the foam,
and the continuing heat, were very remarkable.

Puerto de Orotava: December 17.

This morning found us off the lofty, far-extending
ridges of Teneriffe. Although the day was cloudy, the
panorama that presented itself was very interesting, and
new in its features. Picturesquely did the long serrated
ridge of the volcanic mountain display itself, with its sharp
angular summit, its pointed Needles which, springing as it-
were from an extraneous nature, gazed up towards heaven
from among the dark clouds, sometimes like the menacing
finger of a giant, sometimes like the tower of a lofty ruin.
Various deep rifts of volcanic origin extend down the
heights, casting their deep shadows over the picture, even
to the boiling sea. Between these, and flowing gently
down from the black peaks of rock to the ocean, are the
layers of cold lava. Thousands of years ago they caused
death ; now victorious nature (as on the ridges of
Vesuvius) pursues her upward course over the vanquished
lava.

That the volcano has long been silent one may see by
the fresh turf which creeps over the red earth almost to
the top of the highest summit ; by the pine woods, which
force a way for themselves among the picturesque masses
of rock ; and finally by the numerous houses and hamlets
which, scattered among fields of well-ordered husbandry,
enliven the sombre scene in a cheerful manner far up the
height. The whole resembles the northern coast of
Madeira : one finds the same red-coloured soil, the same
turf growing on the mountains, the same dusky colouring
in the masses of rock ; only, in addition to these,
Madeira is deliciously fragrant — is enamelled, as it were,

6 RECOLLECTIONS OP MY LIFE.

by the fresh green of the sugar-cane and of the banana.
It is the land of vines and of flowers, the rocks are merely
the pedestal or picturesque bordering of the enchant-
ing world of plants. Teneriffe, on the contrary, is large,
grand, staring, and chilling with fog. Here the elements
contended during a longer period; the triumph of peaceful
nature came later, and the black jagged rocks still form
the focus of the scene. Living nature is secondary ; she
is insipid ; her poetic fragrance is wanting ; and if Madeira
be the botanic garden of heaven, one may term Teneriffe
its mineralogical cabinet. He who possesses a real taste
for the third kingdom might delight in this country : my
taste is for fruit and flowers.

We endeavoured to sail round the eastern point, with
its Needles standing out from the sea like those of the Isle
of Wight ; but the south wind blew too strongly. We saw
a French steamer, and a brig with double-reefed topsails
flying before it. Under these circumstances, Santa Cruz
could not be reached on account of its open roadstead.
Repeated disappointments ! Fate must be grasped with a
powerful hand. In short, I resolved to steer to Puerto de
Orotava, and to get my little party and myself on shore
there, coute qui coute. The ladies and the new hands of
our party must either be conducted to Santa Cruz with
the calm weather under the guidance of the commander,
or must begin the voyage back to delightful Funchal.
Yet once more did the grand coastline unfold itself before
us on our way back beneath the rays of the sun now burst-
ing through the clouds, whose thick heavy masses were
lifting, so that the greater portion of the snow-capped
giant Peak, the father of the seven islands, appeared in
view ; but under the prosaic form of a gigantic sugar-loaf
covered with coal-dust — a cold vision of the North, which
gave one a freezing reminiscence of December, without

ACROSS THE LINE. 7

being able to boast the grandeur of our snowy mountains,
as the peak lacks the glaciers.

In front of the little town of Puerto de Orotava, con-
taining 3,000 inhabitants, lay the harbour. This town
extends from the scorched basalt rocks of the coast
around it, on which its lower buildings rest, up the gentle
acclivity of the peopled mountain-slope. High above it
on the mountain stands Villa de Orotava, a pretty town
numbering 4,000 inhabitants ; around and between both
towns lie useful but uninteresting fields which are wanting
in the fantastic impress of the South, and in the enlivening
adornment of trees. Some few boulders of rock, with cacti
and euphorbias, have forced their way into the cultivated
ground, and break the monotony in a pleasing manner.
Some palms, and the peculiar, irregular style of build-
ing of the houses, together with their trellised bal-
conies and carving, and the perishable nature of the
material, gave to Puerto de Orotava, at first sight, the look
of an oriental seaport town One was conscious of the
proximity of Africa. A mouldering battery in the midst
of the foaming sea, mounted by a cannon and a half that
looked weary of life, together with strange groups of
wild street boys, who romped around the rocks on the
shore, screaming and making a great noise, completed the
Mahomedan-like picture.

We hastily collected our little baggage, arranged our
passports and bill of health, and got into the tossing boat,
in which, now mounted on the crests of the waves, now
sunk in their depths, we with toil and difficulty made our
way to the small town. The farewell to the f Elizabeth '
was painful to me, since it was impossible to calculate for
how long a time the parting might continue. The ocean
is not a lake on which o$e can almost reckon upon the
very hour for meeting again : it is ruled by other powers,
to which man must submit, however unwillingly; and

8 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

measured by a different standard, to which one only be-
comes accustomed slowly and with difficulty. The islands
on the ocean are, for the most part, without harbours or
safe means of communication, and therefore appear like
isolated sentinels. High mountain billows and deep
valleys of water in countless throng must separate me for
an indefinite time from those who are dearest to me upon
earth. How, then, should my heart, once so cheerful, be
otherwise than heavy and filled with anxiety, whilst even
the warm tears could almost rise from it to my eyes ?

On our way we were stopped by a boat in which the eye
of the law was keeping watch, and we were obliged to show
our bill of health. We could with difficulty repress our
smiles when the foreign man of office declared, with an
important air, that he saw plainly that our certificate
(which was written in Italian) was German ; we probably
had this mistake to thank for our being enabled to reach
the shore of the Canary Isles unmolested either by law or
caprice. In the meantime the island official went on to
the < Elizabeth.'

Through black rifted rocks, which stood forth above the
troubled waves like hollow teeth, our boat landed us on
the sand at the foot of an old decayed battery, in the midst
of the screaming and chattering people, who stared at us
with amazement as the Mexicans once did at Cortez.
Inquisitive senoritas appeared on the balconies, and some
of the astonished islanders had even mounted on the roofs.
Figures of hideous beggars pressed around us, and an
especial abundance of withered old women thrust them-
selves forward, who wore a handkerchief like a mantle
upon their heads; and, placed over that, an old grey
straw hat. We were conducted across the customary
Almeida (which here is covered with black lava sand, and
is surrounded by dismal, broom-like plane-trees, together
with grand canopies of basalt, naturally suggesting the

ACROSS THE LINE. 9

name s Placa de la Constitucion ') to the fonda, which again
reminded one of the East and of its caravansaries. It was
a rickety dirty building, with a few cold rooms, and some
sulky idle servants.

This was no Spanish fonda, with its airy courtyard, with
its fountain, its little balcony, and cheerful apartments.
Yet all this might have been overcome, but not the repulsive
face of the mother of the family — mother is truly an im-
proper expression, for nothing human ever could have
been nourished by her withered breast : we might more
appropriately term her the house-dragon. A small,
parched-up, high-shouldered body supported • a head, with
a peaked nose which would have done honour to the beak
of a bittern, and from this nose depended worn-out looking
spectacles, whose frame, bound round by a string, a large
white handkerchief held upon her head, which was thinly
covered with hair. But the perfection of this vision of
dark dreams, this bundle of horrors, lay in the squinting
looks cast over the spectacles, which contributed de-
cidedly to her advantage in housekeeping: for whoso-
ever looked at these differing eyes, his appetite sank to
nothing ; he paid forthwith, and fled the table. In this
personage, fate showed herself provokingly insulting ; for
she was the owner of the solitary fonda, and no stranger
could escape from her dominions. The painter had the
misfortune to meet her at night in the dark passage ; he
believed himself not yet freed from the burden of an evil
dream, and mistook the approaching form for a snorting
steamer; for one eye was of poisonous green, the other
glowed fiery red like the lanterns on the paddleboxes of a
steamer. The whole host of old women around her de-
clared war against our unfortunate cook.

The only bright thing in the house was the most charm-
ing, silky Lima poodle, with its fine snow-white curly
hair, its coal-back eyes, and its nose, which in grace and

10 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

dignity resembled that of a bewitched princess. In a so-
called casino, which belonged to the building, and whose
halls formed the place of union of the grandees of Orotava,
we found some Spanish newspapers of a tolerably late date ;
they, however, fortunately brought us very little worthy
of note.

After we had, at breakfast, tasted the noted < Canarie
sec,' which we found rather inferior and physic-like in its
taste, like the Greek wines, we undertook a pilgrimage,
surrounded by a troop of inquisitive street boys, who came
round us in swarms, and were a great annoyance to us.
We first went through the town, which, like Pompeii — or
Herrnhut — bears a stamp of melancholy : one meets not a
single soul ; the grass grows in the streets and squares as in
the meadows ; and, which is the most remarkable thing of
all (especially in this climate), all the windows are her-
metically sealed ; while, to complete the mournful aspect,
they are furnished with strangely carved but rather pretty
wooden slides, instead of panes of glass, which are only
opened sideways in haste and mysteriously, and then
quickly shut again. In the superior houses one for the
most part finds glass in the windows : but the doors, which
are carved in the same way as the slides, are no less firmly
closed. The rooms seem to be lighted only from the
courtyard.

Throughout the whole island one finds this Oriental mode
of shutting up everything : it is only on Sundays and on
feast-days that the wainscot slides are opened, and that the
senoritas permit themselves to be admired as in a box at
the theatre. Almost every house that is one storey high
boasts a prettily-carved closely-trellised balcony, similar
to those which I admired in the streets of Cairo. The
larger houses have the front very smooth, generally tinted
yellow, and resembling those in Southern Italy, with the
flat Neapolitan roof; many, as if to compensate for the

ACEOSS THE LINE. 11

want of windows, have, on the garden side, large long
verandahed galleries ; of what use these can be is incom-
prehensible to me, unless to be turned into baking ovens.

Another sombre peculiarity of Teneriffe is the number
of crosses on the fronts of the houses, and the number of
small crosses on the entrance and garden doors. In this,
the houses remind one of hospitals, the gardens of church-
yards. The crosses are without the figure of our Saviour :
the custom must have originated in ancient times. Also
many spots are named Santa Cruz. We now mounted
the hill towards Villa de Orotava ; the road, paved with
round basalt stones, wound up to the Upper Town between
monotonous fields of potatoes and cochineal fields, and
was bordered with byony and weeds, which flourished as in
summer. A strong hot wind whistled and raised the
dust with the force of a Bora changed into a warm wind :
the ocean was covered with white foam, and dashed its
spray around us as beneath the loved winds of Trieste.

In the distance we still saw the ' Elizabeth,' on her
course back to Madeira. The diminishing forms on board
filled me with melancholy and confirmed my heart's gloom,
which, in the hot oppressive wind, increased to a complete
fit of spleen. Everything wore a dismal hue ; nature was
veiled in her grey garb, as though she were sympathising
with the grief of my soul. We felt ourselves forsaken,
forgotten, without means of communication, in the midst
of the broad ocean, on an island which seemed to have but
little to offer.

We halted halfway at a once noted botanic garden, now
neglected and quickly falling more and more into ruin — a
possession of the Government, established with a benevolent
and scientific intent. It covers a large space, and still pre-
sents beautiful objects and very interesting specimens of
plants, relics of former times ; but everything in it is now
in wild disorder, in confused disarrangement : rank weeds

12 RECOLLECTIONS OP MY LIFE.

from all known countries are growing in a chaos ; the grass
forces itself through the sandy paths ; gnarled roots break
the stone steps; damp weed presses itself out of the moulder-
ing walls ; and only some few venerable trees remain
mournful evidences of past greatness ; while even in their
summits the storms have ruthlessly made themselves a
home. Cypresses, weary of life, extend their meagre arms
disconsolately towards heaven ; the fantastic dragon-tree
gazes down sorrowfully on all the waste growth which
twines around its roots ; the oranges mournfully drop their
fruit ; and even the stately palms from divers zones, the
graceful Fie us elastica, the beautiful blossoming Panda nus
sylvestris, must be content to stand in the midst of
useful potatoes. The superb fountains are sealed ; and
over the waters of the ponds, which were formerly alive
with gay gold fish, heavy green coverings of weeds now
spread themselves.

The old deserted garden, especially under the sad gloomy
sky of this day, resembled a churchyard ; the gardener, an
aged Frenchman, who has already spun out thirty years of
weary life in Orotava, glided among the lifeless paths and
fields like the gravedigger, and pointed out to us some
plants of former times, as one points out the tombs of
remarkable personages. He complained bitterly of the
rough wind which only, under peculiar circumstances, blows
down from the Peak over the mountain-slopes of*0rotava.
The worthy man was delighted to be able to hear French
spoken once more, and paid me the compliment of taking
me for a Frenchman ; it is true that he had been far from
his country for full thirty years. He reconciled me in
some degree to the gloomy day and to the melancholy
churchyard of flowers ; for he brought me splendid blossoms
of Plumiera, that fabulously lovely flower, which gleams
like the morning dawn, and whose perfume breathed upon
us like a dream from the shores of the Ganges. Last

ACROSS THE LINE. 13

autumn, my last sight of it, I — one of .a happy merry com-
pany— had carried off some from a cool rippling brook in
the beautiful, Paradise-like garden of the Princess But era
in Palermo. With the fragrant scent, the full tide of
remembrance of that time of peaceful happiness, of un-
fettered gaiety, returned upon me.

The old Frenchman lived alone in the deserted garden :
his wife, whom he had brought from France, had long been
dead ; and when, in order myself to shed a gleam of
cheering consolation over the dull mournful picture, I
asked him whether he had not some children with him, he
answered me, smiling sadly, ' Oh, non ; mes enfants sont
des cavaliers.' There lay something of bitterness and yet
of pride in these words.

With hasty steps we now ascended the second, and
rather fatiguing, half of the road. A beautiful group of
old broad-stemmed palms, which bent in the wind, excited
our attention. Villa de Orotava is a cheerful little town,
with clean white houses, whose windows and doors are
bordered with basalt; with proud palaces of bygone
centuries, having beautifully carved stonework, ancient
sculptured coats of arms, and similar devices ; and with
the Oriental trellised balconies already mentioned.

Orotava is the seat of the old nobility, some of whom
date back to the time of the Conquest. The more antique
buildings belong to the exquisite, pure Renaissance style,
which the grave-coloured basalt suits admirably. Here
also the houses were almost universally closed, in the
Herrnhut fashion ; and the streets, in which the grass was
growing, were lifeless and empty. The Church of the
Dominicans is a severe, interesting edifice, replete with
dark memories. The large spacious Cathedral also
belongs to the Renaissance period ; the pillars of basalt and
the ribbed arches give it a rather imposing appearance ;
high altars, with richly gilded carving, bore evidence

14 KECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

that the powerful Spanish Church knew how to provide
for her colonists. The facade displays the heavy style of
the Rococo period.

We first rode to the garden of the Marquis Bernado
Cologal y Tanzal (sprung from an ancient Irish stock),
who possesses the great wonder of the island already de-
scribed by Humboldt. We were conducted through a court,
with a very striking and beautiful avenue of oranges,
into the garden, enriched with flowers, which stands on a
terrace on the oblique declivity, with an extensive view
over land and ocean ; on the left of the large house, en-
circled with cypresses and bright green shrubs, stands the
marvel of many thousand years, the most ancient monu-
ment known of the botanic world, the venerable dragon-
tree, which the Gruanches, in the grandeur of their day,
honoured as sacred, and in whose hollow the first Christian
conquerors must have celebrated Mass. Humboldt, who
measured the tree in the year 1799, attributed to it an age
of about four thousand years ; others even speak of the
fabulous tale of six thousand years. In what manner its
age is calculated is not known to me ; but it is historically
certain that in the fifteenth century it had the same
dimensions as in Humboldt's time. Unfortunately, a
violent storm on the 21st of July in the year 1819
broke off half the head ; the opposite side is supported by
props.

The appearance of the much-lauded tree is irregular, and
offends the eye, the circumference of the gnarled snake-
skinned stem in its lower portion almost equals the extreme
altitude of the tree itself: from the base upwards the
trunk diminishes like an irregular ninepin, and terminates
in a crest which appears merely like some few small plants
tied together. The various portions of this crest — boughs
one cannot call them — look like large untied Bologna
sausages, at whose extremity are clustered meagre tufts of

ACROSS THE LINE. 15

leaves. These leafy posies one must suppose to be para-
sites upon a dead tree ; for, according to the laws of nature,
one can hardly convince oneself that they flourish upon
this stem and obtain life from its antediluvian growth.

As in the animal kingdom the camel is found in devia-
tion from nature's laws of beauty, so is it in the botanic
kingdom with the dragon-tree. One can class it with
nothing seen before, and its appearance has only a disturb-
ing effect ; if the dragon-tree were to commit the crime of
uniting with its fellows in a forest, only the hippopotamus,
Hungarian swine, and the corpulent old negro could
shamble beneath its shades ; one dreams of such trees when
in hot weather one has been partaking in the evening of
too much meat and beer. That the Guanches should have
worshipped such an object does not say much for them ;
among the naked, brown, ill-odoured South Sea Islanders
such a tree might perhaps have served as a deity in whose
honour even fatted human flesh might be eaten. The large
decayed hollow in the trunk is now filled with stones and
brickwork, which the beautiful creepers in vain try to cover.
The unwieldy hoary monster cannot stand much longer ;
one violent storm, and the patriarch of the botanic world,
who is the prophet of his own end, will be self-swallowed.*
The height of the tree amounts to sixty feet (Vienna) ; the
circumference at the base we measured at forty-eight feet ;
Humboldt must have measured it somewhat higher up, for
he gives forty-five feet.

We peeled off some bark, and found beneath it a white
mark, to which the red blood was sticking. This blood-red
thick sap also oozes from many rents in the tree ; and
becomes, in the air, firm as old rosin. In former days the
dragon's-blood, for medicinal purposes, was taken -from
the DracaBna draco ; at the present time it is the Calamus

* The Emperor's prediction was verified ; the remaining portion of this
tree fell in the heavy storm of the autumn of 1867.

16 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

draco which is used. In ancient times this rosin was an
important article of export from the island.

To my eye, a much more beautiful, and indeed more
interesting, object in the same garden was a gigantic date-
palm, perhaps the highest in the world : the stem bowed
gracefully, bending to the wind, whilst the large bright sum-
mit, rearing high in the air, pointed clearly and distinctly
towards the golden evening sky. This palm standing
alone in the foreground of the extensive panorama, with
the cloud-covered peak, with the broad green and cultivated
mountain declivity, with the houses and villages strewn
hither and thither, and finally, with the wide blue ocean
tinted by parting day — all these formed an embodiment of
poesy, whilst the vast dragon-tree belonged to the most
commonplace prose. The inhabitants of Orotava, ac-
customed to large calculations, munificently bestowed on
the palm-tree two thousand years of life : in any case,
it is the highest that I ever beheld ; in Egypt, the land of
palms, there are none that can compare with it.

Great was our surprise to find in the garden a Swiss, with
the peculiar name of Wildbrett : he was pleased to see
German fellow-countrymen ; and, in his unconcealed joy,
he loaded us with a multitude of civilities ; for he not only
gave us the most ready information about everything, but
also presented us with some seeds of exotic plants. The
good man, with true German tenderness of heart, had, on
his arrival in the island, fallen in love with a lovely damsel
of the country : but had been near not being able to marry
her, as no clergyman could be found who would venture
to bring the dignity of religion into jeopardy by publish-
ing the name of Wildbrett.

In a bower in the garden we saw a beautiful creeper,
Legendera molissima, whose spiral stem has the colour,
shape, and strength of a ship's cable : it had completely
taken up within it the supports of a balustrade around

ACEOSS THE LINE. 17

which it was twining ; the rich leaves, which afford a plea-
sant shade, are always green ; the blossom is like that of
our convolvulus ; the plant bears seed only on the southern
half of the island, in the more genial climate of Santa
Cruz.

With approaching night we went back, rather tired
and hungry, by way of the unused road, to our fonda in
Puerto de Orotava. Hunger was necessary to give a
seasoning to our meal, which was in no way attractive.
Laughing and joking, we smoked our cigars in the grand
casino, and were speedily surrounded by the inquisitive
nobles of Orotava and by the flower of its youth. At their
head was seated the puffing officer of health, who boasted
of his acquaintance with us ; he turned up his nose more
than ever, and did the honours of the splendid place to us
with all the delight of a roue. No one knew who we
were; for which reason our position, especially amid the
numerous questions of the young people, presented many
comical aspects. But these people were in truth very kindly
disposed ; we mangled Italian words by adding Spanish
terminations, and the bloom of Orotava tried their skill
by interlarding French in their sentences. Guitars were
brought, and our genial painter sang to the astonished in-
habitants of the Canary Isles the wildest and liveliest of
ballads in the gayest of moods ; the Spaniards responded
with charming national songs ; indeed, even the officer of
health, who was every moment becoming more youthful,
blinked his little eyes merrily, and, in a very nasal tone,
sang some broad strophes which were received by the is-
landers with shouts of laughter. Thus the evening passed
in gay jokes, and it was only at a late hour that we sought
our uncomfortable couches.

December 18.

The strong excitement of yesterday had thrown us
all into a sound sleep, which was the more fortunate on

VOL. III. C

18 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

account of the peculiarities of the fonda. About eight
o'clock we heard Mass in the Cathedral, a large edifice in
an open square, which is built of the dark basalt stone, in
the Eenaissance style. As in Spain, the people sat and
knelt on the ground in earnest devotion.

Throughout the island the women wear very ugly man-
tillas of white cachmire, with white satin ribbons, which
give them the appearance of nuns, and contrast very un-
favourably with their dusky complexions. The peasants
wear the Spanish gaiters, short black breeches slashed
high up at the side, an ordinary shirt, and round their
shoulders a long, wide, white flannel cloak, with a canary-
coloured falling cape, also a black hat, like that of our
Austrian peasants. After the rather long Mass we took a
walk (which was almost dangerous) over the precipitously
shelving lava rocks of the coast, the romantic and strangely
shaped masses of which, of a black or dark-red colour,
sometimes overhung us like a canopy, sometimes formed
ravines and caves, and sometimes rose in bold peaks,
which were picturesquely reflected in the deep billowy
sea. Both the specimens of Euphorbia canariensis grew
wild among the rifts and clefts of the volcanic rock. One
of these is so full of poisonous milk that the burning white
fluid streams forth upon the slightest incision. The plant
looks like the cactus, and reminds one of a colossal chan-
delier bearing gigantic candles. The stiff, grey, faded,
crystallised plant, in its cheerless form and colour, accords
admirably with this scene of volcanic ruin. The other
species is shrublike, with perfectly shaped leaves, but it is
also of scanty foliage, similar to that of its sister in
colour.

We made this our chamois-like promenade among the
rocks with the intention of seeking for the caves in which,
according to the statement of the Spaniards, the Guanches
must have dwelt. We found volcanic caverns, which we

ACKOSS THE LINE. 19

searched thoroughly with a dark lantern ; but I can hardly
believe that the aborigines could have used them as dwell-
ings ; now they evidently serve as places of retreat for the
peaceful race of goats.

With a tolerably well-filled botanical box, we returned
to the fonda, and were greeted cordially by a lawyer, who
had already yesterday evening imparted to us some very
interesting particulars respecting the island : and who now,
with unusual willingness, gave us two letters of recom-
mendation to owners of scientific collections. He break-
fasted with us, and was lively and easy in manner, with
that becoming grace which is peculiar to the bearing of
Spaniards towards strangers; to my gastronomic horror,
he exceedingly enjoyed, as an addition to his fowl and rice,
eggs beaten up with milk and sugar. Incited by his in-
formation, we resolved to depart from Puerto de Orotava
with bag and baggage, and to go to Villa de Orotava, and
try our fortune there. Hack-horses and pack-asses were
procured, which occupied an eternal Spanish time.

Whilst we were occupied in the balcony and in the dirty
courtyard in arranging our boxes and bags, and whilst
they were being packed with difficulty upon the few ani-
mals that had arrived, amid cries and brawls of the drivers,
honour came unexpectedly to our house : the wide door of
the fonda creaked, the bells pealed, the drivers of the
beasts of burden became respectfully mute, Orotava's
nobility saluted from the balcony ; for behold the ruler of
their destiny approaching, the glorious source of power,
the Governor of Puerto de Orotava, in the plenitude of his
dazzling splendour, was coming, with unusual condescen-
sion, to return T 's visit of yesterday !

He was the most extraordinary specimen of the colonial
race to be found over all the wide ocean : evidently born
in the Canary Isles, nurtured and brought up to man's
estate upon the ideas of the Canary Isles ; but yet the

c 2

20 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

epithet f extraordinary ' is incorrectly chosen : for though
the Governor might, perhaps, have possessed the greatest
amount of intellect, he was, at all events, . the smallest
man in the seven islands : his hump alone was disgustingly
large, and beneath it, his Highness bowed low, as if per-
petually returning salutes. At home, one only sees such
figures during the exceptional days of jesting ; for instance,
during the last days of the carnival, when the jokes of the
mummers are at their zenith, and a company of strolling
players act a comedy by Kotzebue in some small town, and
the best paid actor, the grandfather of the company, in his
faded uniform (which formerly served for Ferdinand in
6 Cabale und Liebe '), plays the part of the commandant
of a town, moving superior to the rest of the players.
Orotava's highest state functionary wore a dark blue over-
coat like a dressing gown; a scarlet garment, richly
trimmed with gold, over his breast ; large epaulettes, a
bright sword, a saucy little hat, like that of the great Fritz,
arid an absurd Spanish cane as tall as himself, the token
of despotic power which made many shoulders to shake.
In days when the governor, wearied with the weight of
business, follows out his system of taking care of himself,
and enjoys his season of recreation in the private apart-
ments of his palace, and in the society of those most dear
to him, he does but plant his Spanish cane in the ground,
set up the three caps, and OrotaVa trembles, whilst its
Gessler is taking his repose. This was the second figure
in Orotava which might have belonged to the ' Fliegenden
Blatter.' I thanked fortune that he turned his attention

to T , for my risible muscles were working in so

dangerous a manner that I was compelled to take to a
hasty flight. Happy land of innocence, in which autho-
rity in such a form can meet with obedience !

Stared at by the crowd, cordially greeted once more by
our companions of yesterday as we passed through the

ACROSS THE LINE. 21

little town (in which, this being Sunday, the balconies
and windows were opened), we departed, amid the clatter
of hoofs, cries, and songs of the donkey-drivers, for Villa
de Orotava. The view of the country repaid us; the
peak showed itself unclouded for a moment in the course
of the day, looking like a gigantic sugar-loaf; the verdant
slopes, covered with dwellings, presented a smiling aspect ;
the palm-trees glittered in the clear light ; the strange
forms of the dark-tinted rocks were outlined more sharply,
the ocean disclosed its azure glow ; whilst the chain of
mountains stretching around Villa de Orotava with their
clear tracery, their sombre pine-forests, and snow-flakes
scattered here and there (reminding me of home), recalled
the dear, beautiful Alps.

To-day a different spirit pervaded our company. It
was the conviction that the evil spell which had followed
us until now, had departed. We stayed at the only fonda
which Villa de Orotava has to offer; a small, confined
building, perhaps even more dirty than its sister in
Puerto; the inevitable Casino also shone resplendent
here; and within its walls, the nobility of the Canary
Isles. To our luck, good or bad, the few rooms in the
house were full ; we were forced to come to the resolution
of going on farther towards Santa Cruz. A crowd of Sunday
holiday-makers had, in the meantime, posted themselves
around our caravan, and never ceased gaping and staring.
One lawyer had assured us that in this little town we
should find relics of the Gruanches, and also ancient coins ;
we were especially eager about the latter ; hoping that, by
their means, we might possibly arrive at some discoveries
respecting the mysterious origin of this people. We did
indeed, at the outset, find, in the house of the landlord of
the fonda, three skulls of Guancho mummies, one of
which had long dark-brown hair, and displayed its beau-
tiful teeth. This hair, as also the form of the head,

22 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

afforded a proof that the Guanches could not have been a
negro race. In addition, we found here a lance similar in
shape to those which I have in my ethnographical collec-
tions from Africa ; together with skilfully worked goat-
skins in which the Guanches arrayed themselves, and clad
in which their mummies are still found in the caves of
the Peak ; likewise clay vessels exactly similar to those
used in Africa. I purchased the prettiest of the heads,
which are daily becoming more rare, and the clay vessels
for thirty gulden.

Our letters of introduction now conducted us to one of
the most important nobles of the island, Don Diego
Benitez y Benitez, the most perfect cavalier, and the most
cordial man whom I have seen for a long time. This
polished gentleman, with his noble Spanish cast of coun-
tenance, received us, although unacquainted with us, with
a tact and affability that would have done honour to the
first diplomatist in Europe. He made us take seats,
offered us cigars, and himself escorted us, as our cicerone,
through his native town. He merely enquired to what
nation we belonged, and then showed us the portrait of
the Emperor which he had in a collection of coloured litho-
graphs. We had received an introduction to this interesting,
amiable, and polished man that we might see the old coins
at his house ; he produced them most willingly ; they had
been washed down from the cliffs of the mountains by floods
of rain ; but they were all of the period of the conquest by
the Christians, and were either Spanish or Portuguese ; the
Guanches, as we learned, had no knowledge of metals.
Benitez, who spoke French very well, compelled us by his
friendly entreaties to accept the coins, and also the jaw-
bone of a Guancho. He then accompanied us to the
owner of another collection, who also received us very
kindly and cordially.

In the last apartment we beheld, as with Doctor Faust,

ACROSS THE LIXE. 23

the most refreshing ethnographical confusion with samples
of everything, but nothing perfect in any one compart-
ment ; at the same time the room was dark and vault-
like : the thick dust of years .lay upon every object, and
the tropical spiders had spun their webs, and thick nets
over everything without remorse ; the appearance of the
whole was almost spectral. Here also the coins belonged
to the Christian era. Amongst the hundreds and hundreds
of objects, the only one new to me was an Indian hat
made of ivory. At length, about four o'clock, we took
our departure ; our goal was Sanzal, a small place on the
road to Santa Cruz ; at the extreme end of Orotava
we came to a real Almeida, boldly situated on a terrace at
a dizzy height from which, as from the edge of a bastion,
there is a beautiful view over the whole of the back of
the island, and also of the many villages from Icod east-
ward to Santa Ursula : the extensive and interesting
panorama is bounded in the background by lofty chains of
mountains, in the foreground by the ocean.

Our road conducted us along the mountain side at a
considerable elevation above the shore, and lay for the
most part among bramble bushes, and other wild shrubs.
Trees Teneriffe had none, except some palms, some few
Dragon-trees, and the still more rare, but beautiful Pinus
canariensis ; a want which gives an appearance of insipid
uniformity to the open, cultivated ground. Farther on,
towards Santa Ursula, the palms multiply till they almost
form an extensive grove ; the isolated specimens are hand-
some, full of sap, lofty, and with tall stems, and rich,
bright green crowns. This tree is much more beautiful
in this island than in Egypt, where the stem of the palm
winds up from the arid sand like a snake, while the
scorching sun, before which no cloud is ever spread, sucks
the sap from its fading crown. The unusual thickness of
the strong stem was particularly striking.

24 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Santa Ursula is a small, cheerful place of little im-
portance. The women and young girls looked on with
astonishment at the passing of our caravan, but the men,
who were celebrating Sunday evening in joyous troops,
walked through the village singing and playing on their
guitars. Night began to spread her dusky shades more
and more thickly and chillingly over the earth, and we
were soon riding up and down hill, right and left, in deep
darkness, leaving our course to the discretion of our weary
old horses. Often we rushed forward up some ascent
amid the confusing, impenetrable darkness as in an evil
dream. Foremost rode the painter on his shambling
brown horse, singing lays of home, like a troubadour of
ancient days. His songs guided us on the track, and
imparted to us a homelike feeling of security. It is
strange that whenever men are swimming in dangerous
waters, or travelling in the dark, they have an inclination
to become noisy, to shout and sing ; they would, by these
means, drive away the feeling of danger.

After long groping in the darkness we at length arrived,
tired and hungry, at the Fonda Sanzal, a small isolated,
but, thank Heaven ! clean building ; we were received by
a handsome civil host and hostess, who endeavoured to do
all they could to make our quarters for the night com-
fortable. The landlord was a tall, athletic young man
with regular features and a pleasing countenance, fine
black hair, and sparkling eyes ; his whole form bore the
impress of grace ; he was the picture of a true Spaniard.
His wife was slight in form, with the lissomeness of figure
and elastic walk which are so peculiarly the charac-
teristics of Spanish women : her eyes gleamed like black
diamonds, and her delicately curved lips, on which co-
quettishly sat a soupqon of moustache, parted with a
winning smile and displayed a row of glistening pearls;
she looked like a young girl of sixteen ; nevertheless

ACROSS THE LINE. 25

these worthy people already owned a handsome boy of
between two and three years of age, with a fearless, genuine
Murillo-like face.

We partook of an invigorating, but primitive meal,
served by a smart maid-servant, Barbarita by name, with
naive country coquetry. The numerous drivers of our
animals squatted in picturesque groups on the ground in
the entrance hall (which was lighted by the fire) around
a large linen cloth on which lay a complete mountain
of dried figs and bread which were greedily devoured.
In the evening the guitars were again played upon, and
songs were sung ; and the master of the house with his
pretty wife, the coy Barbarita and a muleteer, danced a
national dance, a sort of hopping quadrille to which the
click of the finger adapted the castanets. Fatigue gave
us an excellent sleep.

December 19.

Early in the morning we took some chocolate, the
principal beverage in all countries wherein Spanish blood
flows, and which is only palatable when prepared by
Spaniards : next, a pyramid of figs with the usual beverage
of canary wine, was brought to the drivers: and it was
only after a protracted ceremony of packing that we were
able to proceed, in the unpleasantly chilly morning air.
Even here on the mountain-slopes of the northern side
of the island, we travelled among well-cultivated fields
and amid palms to Tacoronte, a large village, in which we
had been directed by our friendly patron Benitez to the
house of Don Sebastiano Cassilde.

Here also we were received most politely by the old
gentleman, who has been unweariedly making additions to
his collection for the last forty years. He conducted us to
his house, which shows the owner to be in easy circum-
stances; in its lower portion, a well-arranged collection
containing much worth notice was displayed on all sides.

26 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

The room in which were the antiquities of the time of the
Gruanches was especially interesting to us. He had four
mummies of kings, three of which stood leaning in a
chest ; the brown, withered, well-preserved bodies were
wrapped in goats' skins, and reminded me forcibly of the
horrible, grinning figures of the Frati secchi in Palermo ;
they had brown wavy hair, and well-set, dazzlingly white
teeth. The fourth mummy, concealed in skins and ban-
dages, according to Egyptian custom, was placed in a
glass case in the same position in which it had been found
in its cavern grave. At its feet lay the royal seals, plain
stones on which some confused and sloping staves were
engraven ; the Gruanches, as it appears, could not write,
and employed the impression of these seals as the token
of authority.

The Virtuoso had preserved in a phial the substance
with which the regal mummies were embalmed ; it ap-
peared to be composed of dragon's blood and salt water
mixed; and, according to Cassilde's statement, would
naturally become liquid under the influence of great heat
or of great cold. This latter seems to me to be hardly
credible. Don Sebastiano gave us a good-sized piece of
the hard substance, which we accepted with many thanks.
The liquid resembled coffee in appearance.

His collection of the weapons of the conquerors, and
of those of the poor vanquished people, was also very
interesting ; the former naturally belonged to the Spaniards
of the middle ages and consisted of immense swords
and halberds ; the latter were lances with stone points,
staves, and wooden swords. In looking at the opposing
weapons one cannot but admire the courage of the
Gruanches, who defended themselves like lions against
the Spaniards. A collection of the writings of the
first conquerors is not devoid of interest, especially to
Spaniards.

ACROSS THE LINE. 27

Among the house furniture of the ancient inhabitants
we saw hand-grindstones, and vessels for washing made of
basalt and clay, similar to those which I had purchased in
Villa de Orotava; but the most curious object indisputably
was an amphora, quite in the Roman form, with a Roman
XXI graven upon it. It was found in the tomb of a
king, and must probably have been brought hither from
Africa by the first inhabitants. Remarkable also was the
delineation on basalt of an inscription found in a mountain-
cutting in the island of Palma, which had been sent to
the worthy Virtuoso. Our artist, a very accomplished
orientalist, discovered in it clear traces of Arabic writing.
He was indeed nearer the truth than the Bishop of Palma
who took it for Babylonian writing wrought by Chinese
workmen, an opinion which was subjoined. As to the
rest, Cassilde's museum contained something of every-
thing, mineralogical, zoological, from the embryos floating
in spirits of wine up to ill-represented art.

We lingered with most pleasure before the ethnogra-
phical objects, in which even the colonies of the Phi-
lippine Isles and of America had a place. The kindly
old gentleman showed me an interesting work on Mexico,
in which, side by side with weapons and carriages, was
drawn a Zodiac of the ancient Mexicans.

To return to the Gruanches. All the remains of them
which have been discovered, seem to prove that they
sprang from the neighbouring continent of Africa, and
belonged to a Semitic race, with traditions received from
the ancient Egyptians. That they were Semitic, and pro-
bably came from Barbary, is proved by their long, straight
hair : their furniture and weapons remind one, in shape
and material, of those of Abyssinia and the interior of
Barbary. The art of embalming mummies, and the form
of the caves, suggest Egyptian ideas. The stone of
which I spoke before would also furnish proof in favour

28 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

of Eastern origin, and would tend to upset the theory
hazarded, that the inhabitants of the Canary Isles sprang
from those five thousand Carthaginians who, at the time
of the taking of Carthage, saved themselves from the
citadel in ships. Unfortunately, the period at which the
islands became peopled is not known. The Amphora
mentioned above would speak of a time in which the
Komans extended their rule over the principal portion of
Africa. That the immigration must have taken place
from Africa is proved by the facts already narrated, as
well as by the position of the islands, which, indeed, are
so near the continent that from Fuerta Ventura one may
see the coast of Africa ; and, in return, the fires and the
snow of the Peak of Teneriffe must have been seen in
Africa.

The various islands seem to have been peopled at
different periods, even if indisputably by the same
race ; for, although it is true that the conquerors found a
similarity between them of language and customs, yet
they also found great differences. In some of the islands
polygamy prevailed ; in Lanzerota, on the contrary, each
wife was allowed to have three husbands, who took turns
monthly to rule, whilst in the meantime the two others
were servants. Most wives had, it would seem, sufficient
care with one husband. The historian Viera endeavours to
show two distinct races and two languages. As by their
known habits, the Gruanches had not the slightest know-
ledge of navigation, all communication between the islands
was impossible. This ignorance, and the entire absence
of Mohammedan customs, speak in favour of the great
antiquity of this people. Even Pliny in his works indis-
putably speaks of these islands at the time of the Carthago-
Phoanician expedition, and of the ruins of an ancient
temple in one of them, but of the inhabitants he says
nothing at all

ACROSS THE LINE. 29

The G-uanches have disappeared as a race, and, unfor-
tunately, their language with them. Concerning their
manners and customs at the time of the bloody and anni-
hilating conquest, we have Spanish narrations of the most
accurate description recorded by the historians Viera and
Bergeron. Particulars from these are not devoid of in-
terest. In the island of Teneriffe, the GHianches worshipped
Achernan as the supreme God. The representative of the
Prince of Evil, their devil, was named Kuaiota ; popular
belief fixed his residence in a crater belonging to Vulcan.
According to Viera, a crater (now extinguished) played
a part in Gran Canaria, where, as in Palma, idols were
embossed. To one of the rocks, which threatened to
fall, the Canary islanders used continually to bring
offerings of beasts with the cry, f Art thou intending to
fall soon ? ' They had also a spot appropriated to pilgrim-
ages, sought by them at times of approaching famine,
which visited them so frequently that each wife durst
only allow her first-born child to live. At these times
they took their herds of goats with them, separated the
old from the young, and believed, by the cry of the inno-
cent kids and by their own laments, to mollify the aveng-
ing deity.

The Guanches had a special god for men. called Erao-
ranham, and one for the women, called Maraiba. Upon
the introduction of Christianity, the Virgin and her Son
stepped into their places. The two deities sat on two very
high rocks, called Pandaiga, but now named Santillos de
cos Antiguos. The Aranfai, too, was kept in a cave ; it
was a species of little pig, which in times of adversity
was brought with loud cries from the Grotto, and was al-
lowed to run about at liberty until the calamity was ex-
orcised, when it was taken back to its domicile in triumph.
Young girls shared the sacred grotto with the pig ; they
wore clothes made of white skins, and much longer than

30 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

those generally worn by the women. They possessed great
privileges in the councils, as also precedency at all cere-
monies. It was incumbent upon them to bring hither
daily offerings of milk.

The Guanches also reverenced a prophet, Guanamare
by name, and a priestess, Tibabina, with her daughter,
Tamaronte : both of them were related to the deity, and
therefore possessed great power.

A special class of priests was maintained for embalming
the dead. After repeated washings with salt water, they
anointed the bodies with aromatic herbs and goats' milk
butter. Like the Egyptians, they opened the corpses in
the side, with obsidian stones called Tabaros ; then, during
a period of fourteen days, filled them with aromatic herbs
and sawdust, and left them to dry in the sun. During
this time, joy-feasts were held, and eulogists descanted on
the virtues of the deceased. By means of the process of
drying, the body became as light as charcoal, it was then
sewn up with fish-bones in goats' skins and characteristic
signs were added. People of high rank were encased in
particularly fine skins, and were borne in coffins of pine-
wood to the caves situated in the highest parts of the
island. Milk was placed before the bodies that at their
rising again they might find food. Beautifully ornamented
cases were allotted to the kings and nobles ; the rest of
the people were laid in caverns in numbers, and without
embalmment. Viera speaks of such that he has himself
seen, and the largest of which he names Arrico and
Gamar ; in these he discovered about two thousand
dead.

At the beginning of this century many similar tombs
were found in the rocks of Tacoronti and Sanzal which
have furnished the museums of Europe with mummies.
But the people, and especially the conquering Spaniards,
kept these tombs secret : so that even now only a solitary

ACROSS THE LINE. 31

one is occasionally discovered. The male mummies are
distinguished by their outstretched hands, whilst those ot
the women are crossed in front of them ; the feet are
bound firmly to the hips, the knees being bent. It is said
that among the mummies a giant of twenty-two feet in
height, of the name of Mafrai, was found in Fuerta Ven-
tura ; it is also said that the descendants of King Uimar
were often fourteen feet high and had eighty teeth ; but
all the bodies which have been discovered are of ordinary
height ; although characteristically different on the various
islands. When the Guanches felt the approach of death
they called their relations to them and said, ( Vaco quare '
(T shall die) ; they were then carried to a cave, and laid
upon soft skins ; milk and butter were placed beside them,
and the entrance was closed that they might await death
undisturbed.

The form of government of the Guanches was monarchi-
cal, and a powerful band of nobles was assembled round
the king. The last free sovereign of the Guanches was Ben-
como. After a long and glorious resistance, he yielded in the
fifteenth century to the superior force of the Spaniards :
and, together with the last of his offspring, Dacila
(famed for her beauty), allowed himself to be baptised.
Of the island of Teneriffe we know, that for many years it
formed an undivided empire. The last sole ruler who
governed it with despotic authority about one hundred
years before its conquest, was Tenerfe the Great. He left
nine legitimate sons and one illegitimate, Acaimo by name;
these ten men divided the island among them. Disunion
soon arose between those in power, the prince of Tahoro
obtained the ascendancy ; and, being victorious, assumed
the title of Onehilu or Supreme Majesty.

As has been already observed, the Guanches possessed a
nobility ; the remainder of the population were either
common people or slaves. The following tradition explains

£2 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the separation of rank: In the beginning God created
men and women, land and water, and provided fruits and
fish. But when men increased in number, He said to the
later-born, ' Serve them, and they will give you susten-
ance ; ' thus the classes of society became divided.

Installation into the ranks of the nobility was the right
of the Tagean or high-priest, who took the second place
in the kingdom. It was necessary that the candidate
should be born of noble parents, should be rich and
accustomed to the use of arms; and should wear his hair
long flowing when presenting himself before the Faikan
(the council-chamber of the high-priest). The high-priest
then cried with a loud voice,' I conjure you all in the name
of Acorak (God) to declare whether ye have ever seen It,
the son of It, enter a farm ; whether ye have seen him
milk or kill a goat, whether ye have seen him prepare his
dinner with his own hands, whether in time of peace he
has ever committed a robbery, whether he is notorious
among persons of bad repute.' If the reply were favour-
able, he was invested with the spear and his hair was cut
short behind his ears. If the reply were unfavourable, all
his hair was cut off ; and he, having been declared to be
a person of low character, could never attain the rank of
nobility.

Kings and nobles had in front of their dw ellings large
square courts with stone seats round them, called Tagoror ;
in these they held their councils and conferences. They
also made use of these places of honour on all occasions of
grand festivities and at coronations ; and adorned them
with palms, bays, and sweet-scented plants. On the
highest seat sat the king in a garment of choice material,
called Tomarek ; the throne was covered with beautiful
skins of animals.

The ceremony of coronation of the king of the Guanches
took place in the following manner. The oldest of the

ACROSS THE LINE. 33

relations or neighbours of the king brought with reverence
a bone of the old king Tenerfe, and presented it to the new
king, who kissed it, touched his own head with it, and said
in an audible voice : ( I swear, by the bones of my pre-
decessor, the great Tenerfe, to imitate his deeds and to
watch over the welfare of my people.' The vassals then
raised the new sovereign on their shoulders, and cried : f We
swear by the memory of this day of sacred coronation, to
unite as defenders of his kingdom and of that of his suc-
cessors.' Thereupon the people proclaimed the new king.
On the royal journeys a spear with a banner upon it was
carried in front of the sovereign. The Gruanches were a
very cheerful people, and fond of amusements. Even in
time of war hostilities were suspended during their
festivals, a proof of true light-heartedness and of cool
courage. During the dance they accompanied themselves
with little drums and flutes and clapped to the sounds of
these with their hands. In the present day the dance of
the inhabitants of this island resembles in an extraordinary
manner that of the Jews in Tangiers.

All historians represent the aborigines of Grran Canaria
as the handsomest. The men were strong, slight, agile,
brave, and true-hearted ; the women pretty and gentle,
their almond-shaped eyes are described (like those of the
people of northern Africa) as especially fascinating, their
hair was long and fine. As is even still the custom in
Morocco, the Gruancho bride remained for thirty days in a
cave and was fed with Grofio, the Cascussu of the present
natives' of Barbary, until she had attained a certain degree
of fat.

The ornamented stone caves, warm in winter and cool
in summer, were appropriated as dwellings and also as
tombs only for the kings and nobles. These caves, most
of which are now inaccessible, are almost universally
square, with seats running round them and with niches in

VOL. III. D

34 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the walls. The handsomest and most ornamented are
those of the sovereigns of the Gruimar district. The poor
lived in stone huts. The islanders used only a small
amount of furniture; the hand-mills already described
for the preparation of the Grofio, and the clay vessels
(Granigo) mentioned before, which (as in the present day
among the people of Barbary) served chiefly for receptacles
for milk. Dried stems of thistles were used then, as now,
in this island, for the purpose of generating fire by friction.
The instruments for cutting, called Taboras, were entirely
of obsidian, the spoons of sea-shells, the needles of fish-
bones or palm-prickles. Twine was obtained from the sinews
of animals ; the spears were hardened in the fire, as also the
swords ; both, as has been remarked before, were made of
wood ; and the shields were of the bark of the dragon-
tree. The beds were composed of fern covered with skins ;
baskets and boxes were beautifully and skilfully made of
twisted rushes. The basalt-stone of the cave served as
a seat. Torches were prepared (as is even now the case
with us in the Alps) from splints of fir, of which nets for
catching fish were likewise formed.

The clothing of the Gruanches consisted of a shirt of
goats' skin (coloured yellow or red by means of herbs),
without sleeves ; fastened at the side, and girdled around
the waist. The women wore the same dress, only hanging
down lower. Stockings, called Nirmas, were the privilege
of the nobility. The shoes of the Guanches were called
Necros.

These remarkable people were just in their code of law ;
but subscribed to the maxim of the Old Testament, eye
for eye, limb for limb. The manner in which sentence of
death was carried into execution was peculiarly cruel.
The delinquent was usually extended on the ground on the
occasion of one of their festivals of games, his head was
placed on one stone and crushed to pieces with another.

ACROSS THE LINE. 35

We took our leave of the friendly old Virtuoso, thank-
ing him sincerely for his kindness. At the extremity of
Tacoronte we saw a mountain, which to a poetic imagination
resembled Mount Calvary, covered with purely southern
plants, and overshadowed by large palms. Our road from
hence, quitting the ocean, proceeded through the interior
of the island to the high table-land of Laguna. The
character of the hilly country (which continued in one un-
changing green and brown, without any^trees) was fruit-
ful but uninteresting, and reminded me vividly of the
Heaven-blessed but monotonous districts of Moravia and
Bohemia.

Amid this wearying, unvarying landscape, I hailed with
joy a symbol of the East, a loaded camel, toiling slowly
and wearily along, yet treading surely. Egypt and Syria
came forcibly to my memory, and the broad, endless deserts,
with their sunny glow, with their indescribably beautiful
moonlight nights, floated before my mind. I beheld proud
Cairo, with her gleaming mosques, with her minarets rising
towards heaven, with her bazaars in which all the nations of
the East moved to and fro ; I beheld steaming Suez, with
her coffee ships on the burning golden waters of the Eed
Sea ; I heard the sighing of the Sakyes on the vast, sacred
Nile, as they pour forth their lament under the purple
glow of the setting sun sinking behind the desert ; I
beheld the Holy City in the land of Judah. It is in-
credible how this ugly beast has power to call up such
beautiful images ; but the camel is associated with all the
charms of the East, and is interwoven with all Arabian
poetry, which gratefully lauds it as the most useful of
animals. The palm and the camel seem to have wandered
to the Canary Isles from Africa.

In the centre of the high table-land the towers of La-
guna became visible — the ancient capital of the group of
islands. A broad, excellent road, Strada real, leads to the

D 2

36 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

town. At a villa in its vicinity we found two high
Eretrinas, with lovely, dark-green foliage and splendid
blossoms, red as coral. The town of Laguna is large ;
it has a spacious cathedral, with a facade similar to that
of Santa Maria Maggiore in Kome, but already bearing
marks of neglect and decay. The capital has been trans-
ferred to Santa Cruz ; for although Laguna lies in a rich
beautiful plain, yet it lacks the neighbourhood to the sea,
and thus the open road for trade.

Eather fatigued by our long and very tedious ride, we
halted at a fonda in the principal street, and partook of a
miserable lunch. After resting for a time, we proceeded
to Santa Cruz. At the extremity of Laguna we found
a number of most beautiful and varied fowls, confined in
baskets ; a collection such as I had never before seen for
gigantic size and for beauty of colour. There were among
them birds which glittered like macaws and were more
than three feet in height. The Canary Isles are localities
much to be recommended to the poultry fanciers whom
one now meets so frequently.

A little beyond Laguna, the country again slopes in a
southerly direction to the ocean. We met numerous
peasants, and trains of camels, which were returning with
fruits and goods from Santa Cruz. After several windings
of the road we hailed with delight the goal of our journey,
extensive, friendly Santa Cruz. Within a crescent of
jagged, volcanic mountains, a slope of fertile fields runs
gently down to the gleaming bank of sand on the wide
sea-coast. The gleaming, white-washed town, with its
gigantic, old, grey tower as a protector, is bordered by a
rapid stream, and rests on the spur of the mountain to the
left ; on the mountain side it is surrounded by smiling
meadows, while on the other side its extreme line of houses
fringes the blue ocean.

In front of the town is the roadstead, which is gaily

ACROSS THE LINE. 37

enlivened by a due proportion of vessels. A small har-
bour, with an artificial embankment, serves for lading and
unlading, and also as a refuge for boats. Beyond it, the
clear, blue, boundless sea gleamed beneath the golden
sunlight of this brilliant day, mingling on the horizon
with the sky, and melting into silvery mist. Single
breakers now and again made their foam to glitter on the
vast plain ; large, lost waves, wandering without plan over
the broad expanse. The scene which presented itself to
our rejoicing eyes possessed no longer the characteristics
of Europe ; it bore an impress of its own ; it appeared a
forerunner of distant America — the first glimpse of a new
world. There were no longer the tints, shapes, dimensions
of our continent ; this was no sea such as dashes over our
coasts, no sun such as shines upon our valleys ; and even
the town and its environs had a new, and not European
aspect. Only once before, in Suez, had I viewed scenery
so entirely novel in character ; the bare town extending to
the sea, the two grand lines of mountain, the clear, trans-
parent hue of the waves, the dazzling sky, the unusual
form of the vessels, the half-clad, giant natives ; but there,
the whole picture partook more of the Oriental character ;
it was the first step towards India, as this of Santa Cruz
was the entrance into the New World.

That the appearance of the town was so respectable, was
very agreeable to us poor pilgrims : for we were already
very tired and downcast, and were longing in our hearts
for food and shelter. We spurred our sleepy horses and
were quickly in the streets of the hospitable town, all
having the most pompous names, as de la Gloria, del
Castillo. Traversing a long street filled with cheerful
shops, we crossed a large and magnificent square to the
Riva, on which, and behind the Almeida, stands the Hotel
Richardson, conducted by an Englishman. At it we joy-
fully alighted, and with it we, later on, had every reason
to be satisfied.

38 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

We carefully maintained the strictest incognito. The
doctor continued to play the part of uncle ; and I, that of
his dutiful nephew. We arrived exactly at the hour for the
table d'hote, and shared the table with a party of amiable
Spaniards who did the honours to the new guests with
much grace. An officer of rank, who carved in the English
fashion, and took care of the company, acted as president.
He was a travelled and polished man who spoke French
well, and also some German ; and who now, as a genuine
epicure, remains quiescent in Paris and Brussels during
the summer, and passes the winter in his house in genial
Santa Cruz. We often had opportunities afterwards of
meeting him and of conversing with him. He perceived
readily enough with whom he was talking ; but with tact,
always respected our incognito, so convenient and so
necessary on such a journey.

The Almeida in front of the house was enclosed' with
imposing railings and gates, and contained a miserable
little avenue of melancholy plane-trees. Oh ! that man
should ever long for that which is out of place ! Instead
of selecting palms, they must needs here plant European
trees with endless labour. In the evening we strolled
through a portion of the town, visited a raree showman
who, amid real janissary music, promised marvels; yet
offered nothing but the most wretched trash, which had
chiefly been cut from the ( Illustrated News.' At length
we sought our much desired and well-earned repose.

Santa Cruz, December 20.

The day was foggy and grey : from my large window I
could see the leaden-coloured ocean rolling wearily against
the embankment. The vessels in the roads pitched heavily
back and forwards ; and even the atmosphere wore an
aspect of languor and tedium. I employed the forenoon
in writing some letters and my journal, that true torment

ACROSS THE LINE. 39

on distant travel, which can only be endured from a
feeling of duty. We had intended to set out this morning
on a grand excursion of two days into the interior of the
island : but the gloomy weather and a secret feeling of
weariness prevented us. It was not until afternoon that
we ordered our horses to be brought; wretched beasts,
that could hardly drag themselves along ; but that never-
theless took us to the Villa de Buona Vista standing on the
eminence over which we passed yesterday in coming from
Laguna. From the unimportant building on the terrace
which is surrounded by a garden, laid out for use and not
for pleasure, the panorama of the town, the coast, and the
ocean was on this day gloomy to behold. Magnificent
palms and fruit-laden orange trees were standing in plan-
tations for cochineal, now a chief product of the island.
We here found the cherry-trees all in bloom. In this
garden I saw one of the greatest absurdities that I ever
beheld in horticulture : namely, an avenue of young trees
with their stems completely built into a low enclosure of
wall, which must be as injurious to the plants as to the
wall-work. This was no favourable token of the intelli-
gence of the owner.

Near by, we saw the pretty villa of an Englishman in
whose garden, among some beautiful orange trees laden
with dark-red fruit, we found several plants worthy of
notice : a very beautiful acacia, an algerobia, with scarlet
flowers and golden-yellow stamina ; another species of the
same family with a pale, yellow, globe-like blossom ; and
a lovely, yellow plumiera large as a tree. At the lower
end of the garden the dreadful ravages of an inundation
which had taken place some days ago, were visible. This,
as the owner told us, had been the consequence of a water-
spout, confined within a small space, which had only lasted
for half-an-hour. During that time the water had risen
to more than four feet in height, and had carried away

40 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

with it whatever it found in its path. Five men had been
drowned by it in the town. Had the deluge lasted for an
hour, probably a large portion of Santa Cruz would have
fallen to the ground.

We next visited the garden of a rich Spanish merchant,
Juan Manuel de Foronda. Its arrangement is formal, like
that of a fruit garden in our own country ; but among its
interesting treasures, it contains the greater number of
American tropical fruit-trees with their delicious produce,
which we did not omit to taste : other very remarkable
plants of the tropical world are also to be found here.
Whilst we were occupied in pilfering fruit and flowers to the
best advantage, and just as we were plundering the Agen-
dera molissima which was ripening here, the owner appeared.
He knew how to dispel our embarrassment immediately
by giving us the most cordial invitation to taste and take
whatever we wished. Indeed he himself conducted us to
all the trees and flowers and plucked for us the most aro-
matic fruits. One could see that he was a lover of nature
and was proud of his garden ; and he had a right to be so :
for, as a whole, this extensive bower was scientifically
arranged, and displayed a purpose in the manner in which
it was disposed. His father laid out this garden many
years ago with much trouble and perseverance ; he could
not have had a more worthy successor than the present
owner.

When, richly-laden, we were quitting the garden in the
highest state of botanic content and with quiet satisfaction,
the amiable Spaniard gathered for us yet one more mag-
nificent anone, adding that this was the queen of fruits, of
which fact he could judge impartially, since he had
tasted all the fruits of both Europe and America. It was
indeed the most delicious that I had ever eaten ; for it was
bitter, yet sweet ; melting but firm ; and its taste reminded

ACROSS THE LINE. , 41

me more nearly of that of well-made punch a la romaine
than of anything else.

We came home with the approach of twilight, proud of
our treasures, and arranged them coquettishly to show to
our botanist who had been spending the day climbing
about the mountains. He also brought home a rich cargo ;
but envious astonishment took possession of him when he
beheld our wealth. He had, in his expedition, chiefly
occupied himself with the Euphorbia, the characteristic
plant of the volcanic Canary Isles ; he had also brought
a wondrously beautiful dragon-fly of a scarlet colour as if
made of sealing wax, a gigantic scolopendra, a large scor-
pion, and a black salamander, like velvet to the touch.
When he was going to exhibit this last to us in the large
dining-hall, the beast sprang like lightning to the ground,
and, alas ! vanished with the speed of a mouse, leaving
not a trace behind.

In the Canary Isles, and even in Madeira, we observed
a curious and immense spider ; it was marked with bright
stripes of white and black ; wove a web strong as a thread
of silk, and worked a funnel-shaped bag in the centre of
this web, which formed its dwelling.

Santa Cruz, December 21.

The rain fell in torrents, with tropical pertinacity:
notwithstanding which it was pleasant, even quite early in
the morning, to sit in a dressing-gown at the widely-opened
window. The world outside was gloomy and distressing,
and the sky grey. The mountains were steaming in the
damp fog, the ocean heaved and sank ; and only the view
of it and of the vessels in the roads marked the difference
between our present prospect and that on a summer's day
in our own Ischl. There were even standing before our
inn the stereotyped ornaments of the Ischl landscape, the
oxen coupled under the yoke, finding the true philosophy

42 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

of life in ruminating ; rain trickling from them, but they
unmoved like the mysterious sphinxes of ancient Egypt.
I almost had an attack of home sickness, as, reflecting
thus, I watched them long and thoughtfully. The stoical
repose, the fixed gazing eye, the lifeless-looking form, the
stillness only broken by the sleepy chewing of the animal,
it was the genuine, perfect prototype of the plains of my
fatherland.

Though India have the handsomely-striped tiger as
her emblem ; though Africa select the swift-running,
richly-plumaged ostrich, Ceylon the sagacious elephant,
Arabia her fiery courser, the natives of the Andes the
broad-winged condor soaring high as heaven, Australia
the strong-tailed, bounding kangaroo. New Zealand the
strange, outlandish cassowary, and Algiers the proud regal
lion, yet who would rob our calm, peaceful, unexcitable,
contemplative fatherland of the useful ox ? The two are
closely associated in my heart : hence the melancholy with
which I gazed on these rain-bedewed animals.

The rain would not stop : one must needs take courage ;
and therefore in the afternoon we sallied forth boldly,
fortified with all possible means of defence against wet
weather. We first examined the large Square more
closely. It is oblong in form ; and is surrounded on its
three inland sides by houses several stories in height,
regularly built, with flat roofs. On the fourth side, which
faces the sea, it is shut in by a rather low, strangely-
shaped old fort with broad ramparts. In the row of
houses on the right, stands the smaller, but handsome
residence of the Capitan-Greneral of the seven islands;
two houses screened by something like the canvas of a
tent, and having a flagstaff, gave evidence of the importance
of the building, where, however, all must go on in a very
sleepy manner, for the windows were fast closed with
jalousies, and the large clock pointed invariably to a

ACKOSS THE LINE. 43

quarter to five, an hour of the twenty- four at which people
are always either eating or sleeping.

The high road runs round the Square, the centre of
which is raised, and is kept level and in good order, almost
like a drawing-room, reminding one of St. Mark's. At the
two extremities of the Square stand two monuments of
white marble. That on the side towards the sea is a lofty
column on which are the Virgin and Child, both of whom
are crowned. On the handsome pedestal one sees the
figures of four Guancho kings, wreathed, according to
ancient custom, with garlands of flowers, and holding in
their hands, for a sceptre, a bone of their great ancestor, the
renowned King Tenerfe. The four inscriptions inform us
that a pious Capitan- General of olden time caused this
piece of statuary to be erected in honour of the picture of
the Mother of God, which is to be found in the Church
of the Conception, and is said, in some incredible way, to
have been worshipped by the heathen princes and their
people one hundred and four years before the conquest of
the island. The other monument is a simple cross
erected by the same pious Capitan-General, with reference
to the name of his capital.

To-day, amid tropical rain, we went again with our
botanist to the merchant's fruit garden, and there dabbled
about merrily in the mud, among the dripping bushes.
The owner was not there, and we were able to make our
collection systematically. Once only were we disturbed
by the rough, shrill tones of the gardener. At first we
feared mischief, but quickly perceived that the unfortunate
man merely had a horrible voice, and that he was address-
ing us in most encouraging words in these discordant
sounds.

The trees most worthy of notice that we found, and the
fruits of which we collected, were as follows : the lambro
with its red or light-yellow sour fruit, in shape like the
forbidden fruit, and leaves and blossoms like those of the

44 RECOLLECTIONS OF MJ LIFE.

myrtle ; nogales de la India, a tree with ivy-shaped leaves
dirty-white blossoms, and nuts that grow in clusters and
have the delicate flavour of a hazel nut ; three kinds of
anones, the choicest of which is the Chirimoya, another
species bears its large wartlike fruit close to the stem, which
is as hard as stone ; a tree with leaves like those of the
cocolaba, the name of which we should not discover, its
fruit looks, and tastes like the dark-red cherry ; the mango
(Psidium pomiferum) ; the Poma rosa, called by the
Portuguese lambro, of which I have already spoken in
Madeira ; a Perseia, a tree with leaves like those of the
magnolia and having a brown, leather-coloured, heavy
spherical fruit, with a sour pulp as yellow as an egg ; the
pimento (Myrtus pineta) ; the rarest species of orange-
trees ; several kinds of banana, called in Spanish platanos,
bearing a fruit which I disliked at first, but which has now
become quite a necessary of life to me; beside various
other trees, and plants, the names of which we either did
not hear, or they have escaped my memory.

Our botanist was in ecstasies ; his love of plunder
increased from minute to minute; he shook the trees,
climbed up to the highest bough like a monkey, crammed
the famous botanic box, almost as large as himself, to the
brim and over it ; filled all his own pockets, and some of
ours ; and, in his praiseworthy eagerness, lamented the want
of space for more. Once again, the voice of the gardener
resounded dismally, shaking our nerves ; in order to
permit us to make our raid in peace, our painter went
into the house with the proud old islander, who was
wrapped up closely in his flannel cloak, to keep him
occupied, and indeed, if need be, even to dance a polka
with him.

Santa Cruz, December 22.

Tropical nature claims her rights. Thus to-day it
rained unceasingly. During the day, some large screw-

ACEOSS THE LINE. 45

propelled transports, packed full of troops under orders
for China, brought signs of life into the otherwise mono-
tonous roadstead. I made all sorts of purchases, and
ordered some native canary birds to be bought, which
here, in their own country, are much dearer than in
our respectable bird-shops. I also purchased some very
beautiful, and immensely large, cocks of the richest
colours. The breed of fowls in the Canary Isles is larger,
and handsomer in point of colour, than I have ever seen
elsewhere. But it is remarkable that, in general, almost
all animals here are of various colours ; thus one often sees
tri-coloured goats, and even tri-coloured dogs.

In my apartment there was a wonderful, vaulted ceil-
ing, ribbed in dark brown and black wood ; the doors were
of cedar wood and ornamented in various mathematical
figures ; presenting a happy medium between the most
gorgeous Renaissance style and the Moorish. I wished
to purchase one of these doors to send to Europe as a
pattern ; and applied to Mr. Eichardson, the master
of the hotel, on the subject : but learned that many
other travellers had already made similar applications
to him in vain, inasmuch as the house does not belong
to him, but to several different owners living scattered
about in the island, to whom it has passed by inheritance
from the hands of the Inquisition which occupied this
building as its head-quarters in the island. Probably,
then, the cruel sentences of those benighted times had
been pronounced in my chamber. In this same room,
before which the nobles and people of the seven islands
once trembled, defenceless, unfettered travellers now
dwell whilst in pursuit either of scientific objects or
of pleasure. Thus everything in this world changes.
Yet assuredly no century has a right to throw a stone at
another. We call our age that of enlightenment ; but its
shadowy side will also be commented upon. In very

46 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

many cities of Europe posterity will regard with amaze-
ment and horror the chambers in which without any
question of law, mere force has, under the influence of
hateful revenge, condemned people to death at the notice
of a few short hours ; perhaps because they desired
something different from that desired by the power that
stands above law.

In the centre of civilisation, in free Paris ; in the seat
of intelligence, in enlightened Berlin ; in the cheerful city
of Faaken, indeed even down to Sicily, in the Indies
belonging to free England, such inquisitions have rule ; on
their hands lie the same stains of warm blood as those of
the days of Philip and Alba.

In the afternoon we visited the two churches of Santa
Cruz, San Francisco and the Conception ; both are ancient
but are possessed of little merit, they are exactly similar
in style, with the same richly-gilded altars. In San
Francisco one sees on all sides, instead of pictures, red
damask curtains, arranged so as to be drawn back;
behind these are seated gorgeously clad, wooden figures
painted according to Spanish custom. In the church of
the Conception is a side chapel well worthy of notice. It
is in the heavy, Rococo style, composed entirely of wood
richly carved, and then either painted or gilded.

To-day there was some fearful music in the vicinity
of our fonda ; the show and the noise, both of which
seemed as if they would never come to an end, originated
in a coffee-house among some Italian emigrants who
were on their way to South America, voyaging in a
Piedmontese bark. Amongst them was a handsome young
man with classical features ; he wore the Lombardy spencer
and the Barabba hat. The sight of him pierced me to
the heart. What could have befallen him, that he should
leave Lombardy, lovely, glorious Brianza with its chain
of rich green mountains by the Lake of Como, with its

ACKOSS THE LINE. 47

deep-blue Alps, on whose highest summits the eternal
snow glows in rosy tints, its populous plains with their
fields of emerald green, its joyous, ever unclouded, and
smiling sky, that land with which none in the whole wide
world may compare, in which the fresh vigour of the
North is united amid festive joy with the melting softness
of the South ? What a dream must have been ruthlessly
dispelled that he could give up such realities !

Santa Cruz, December 23.

Glorious spring weather, the air balmy and genial,
filled with fragrance ; the sky clear, and the ocean of a
deep sapphire blue. Everything invited us to undertake
a grand exploring expedition that might aid us to struggle
against the impatience with which we had already during
two days been expecting the 'Elizabeth.' We selected
for our excursion the left side of the extensive panorama
of Santa Cruz, the shore at the foot of the black mountain
jagged like the teeth of a saw, and to-day outlined in
fantastic forms against the unclouded sky ; on which
nothing but the hardy Euphorbia can find nutrition.
Past a picturesque fort, the old age of which is being
strengthened by repairs, we travelled during the first part
of our way between extraordinary cliffs of basalt and a
shingly shore, on which the surf was dashing gaily.

At a little bay called Insaltero the gnawing sea has
hollowed out a subterranean passage, and now breaks forth
into view hissing and foaming from a wide fissure which
presents a very picturesque appearance, as does every
scene in nature in which the sea bears a part. We
crept and slid about the rocks ; and in the caves in
which the sea- water remained, we collected all kinds
of marine animals, which afforded us many interesting
discoveries and also much joking. To my taste, there is
in the whole kingdom of nature nothing more interesting

48 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

than from the sunny coast, quietly and in calm repose,
to watch the mysterious sea with its strange bringings
and leavings, its life and its works. One is continually
learning something new and finding fresh treasures ; and
thus is doubly rewarded.

On the coast road we met numerous trains of lively
and even pretty girls with short aprons, who, with their
proud, elastic walk, either carried baskets of oranges on
their heads, or drove asses laden with a similar burden.
They all bent their way to the coast from a valley, and
thus induced us to proceed to this valley notwithstanding
the considerable distance and the increasing heat. We
refreshed ourselves with some excellent oranges, and then
advanced gaily and merrily on our way to the valley
opening picturesquely before us, which, formed by volcanic
mountains, afforded a bed for the rapid river in its small
verdant plain. In isolated spots, cheerful houses stood
almost buried amid the golden loads of orange trees.
The sides of the mountains were rent by torrents of lava,
blocks of basalt and volcanic caverns ; all around were
dark, gloomy masses of colour, stiff unnatural forms, over
which the two species of Euphorbia were scattered in
amazing quantities.

In the interior of the island, in the land-locked landscape,
this winding valley presents quite a novel character;
hues dull and gloomy, bare forms of ruin, not a tree,
not a variety of shrub, not a flower. The black mountain
sides looked like the walls and remains of a large building
that had been burnt down, the grey dried-up Euphorbias
like the scorched plants of the garden. And thus it went
on and on ; always grand, always unique, but melancholy
and monotonous even to despair, a region for the dry
geologist. The only consolation amid this scene of
destruction was to be found (so long as by turning round

ACROSS THE LINE. 49

we were still able to see it) in the dark blue and kindly
eye of Ocean.

We had scarcely begun our journey into the valley
when, revivingly and full of perfume, a shower of silvery
drops fell upon us in the midst of the unbroken sunshine
as if in fairy jest, and at last it drove us into a cavern.
A cheerful herd of goats climbed about the rocks like
chamois. Milk was freshly drawn for us ; it was white
as the jasmine-blossoms, foamed like champagne, and had
a deliciously primitive and refreshing taste. The goat-
herd, hideous as an ourang-outang, grumbled when a
piece of silver was given to him, and with half-imploring,
half-threatening words, tried to compel us to give him
double the amount. This I thought insolent. I pro-
posed to annihilate the man by a vigorous ' Schnaderhipf 1 '
in choro et unisono. With grave faces we poured forth
a volume of sound resembling that of a mountain torrent,
singing with all our might. The effect was magical.
The victim to German song crouched at our feet, gentle
as a lamb.

Whilst we were sitting in the cave, a magnificent
rainbow of unusual beauty of hue was to be seen spanning
the narrow valley. The rain favoured us frequently during
the day, but in the warm sunshine it was not more
unpleasant than the sprinkling of a fountain. We were
obliged to cross the river at least ten times, hopping from
stone to stone ; which (what with the botanic box and
tools, and the various differences in the length of our
legs) brought us into many comical situations. The brave-
hearted girls who were going or returning between distant
Tagalana and the town held their short dresses up rather
high ; and strode laughing, with bare calves, through the
foaming flood. *It was not till afternoon that we returned
home along the coast in the scorching heat. The health-
ful walk had done us good, both in body and mind ; and

VOL. III. E

50 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

our good spirits rose to their height when, near the fort
on the eastern side of Teneriffe, I descried a cloud of
smoke, and joyfully recognised the long-looked-for ' Eliza-
beth.'

Evening reunited us happily with our warm-hearted
commander, at our repast in the fonda. He brought the
best intelligence of those who had remained behind in
Madeira; but as the bird of ill omen was among their
number, so just before their arrival on the north side of
Madeira, they had encountered a fearful storm. It was a
great comfort to me to know that they were now in safety
in the peaceful paradise of that island.

Santa Cruz, December 24.

We spent half of this day in our fonda, half on board
the ( Elizabeth.' Our national feeling bade us pass part
of it in Santa Cruz, and devote it to the benefit of an
Austrian merchantman. This unfortunate Austrian brig
had arrived fifteen months ago at Santa Cruz, her destina-
tion being Monte Video. A Piedmontese, who had been
indiscreetly brought with him by the captain, had secretly
excited a mutiny, so that the entire crew, excepting a
clerk and one sailor, had absconded on reaching land. The
captain solicited an armed force from the Spanish magis-
trate, that with its help he might bring back the
mutineers on board. The Spaniard, certainly to all ap-
pearance, sent some soldiers ; but they allowed the sailors
under their escort to escape on the quay ; and the captain-
general immediately, on his own authority, sent them
away to other trading-vessels; .among them, to one in
which typhus fever had carried off part of the crew. The
poor captain, deserted and helpless, not having the support
of an Austrian consul, applied in vain to the magistrates
to give him a Spanish crew.

Thus a year passed away, the vessel became damaged in

ACROSS THE LINE. 51

the bad roadstead, and the unhappy man was obliged to
sell the cargo in order to live. At last he resolved to go
to Madrid, when again he was tossed from post to pillar,
and months passed over. The Prussian consul, who
ought to transact our business, is now absent on a pleasure
excursion, and thus not even the documents bearing
reference to Madrid can be found. Throwing off my
hitherto strictly preserved incognito, I sent our discreet
commander to the captain-general in the course of the
forenoon; and with all possible diplomatic energy made
a requisition for a Spanish crew, in order to restore the
honour of our flag in the eyes of the Spaniards. . Pressed
by every kind of urgent argument, the captain-general
yielded, sailors were procured, an honest boatswain from
the ' Elizabeth ' was sent on board, and in a few days the
brig, rescued from durance, sailed for Cadiz. There still
remained to the captain the further duty and anxiety of
obtaining a suitable sum, as compensation, from the Spanish
Government.

Late in the evening we once more went on shore, to
hear the misa del nino, as the Spaniards term the
midnight service, in the cathedral. We drank tea at the
Hotel Eichardson, and then, in the warm lovely night,
crossed the square and passed through the streets which
branch from it to the church of the Conception. All was
life in the town ; everywhere merry groups were standing
or walking, and singing lively songs to the guitar, castanets,
or tambourines. It was a joyous celebration of Christmas
in the genial atmosphere of a summer night.

This favoured clime knows nothing of the painfully
rapid hurry beloaging to a freezing northern congregation,
as, enveloped in furs, they press into church, over the
crisp snow, by the flickering light of their lanterns.
Cheerful fires were burning near the church, and women
were offering oranges and other southern fruits for sale.

E2

52 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

The cathedral was brilliantly lighted; and when we
entered, the service had already commenced to the sound
of the organ. We found room among the fathers of the
church, who wore medals suspended by red or blue ribbons.
When the singing was finished, a procession, with numerous
torches and censers of incense, advanced through the nave
of the church. The clergy struck up a chant, whilst a
rich canopy worked with gold and silver was carried over
those clergymen who were officiating, and who were
arrayed in ancient and really beautiful vestments. At
first, I did not rightly know what was signified by this
procession as introduced into the ritual of Christendom.
The people who pressed around it seemed to be astonished,
and testified their satisfaction in tones that were becoming
loud.

I was shocked. I perceived that the ])echant in a heavy
gold pluvial (the picture of true hierarchical dignity, tall
and aged, with grave, handsome features resembling the
portrait of Gregory XVI.) was with composed, thought-
ful, anxious mien, carrying the naked image of a child
carved in wood of the size of life, with arms and legs
extended in the air. There was something heathenish in
this show and parade, which offended my religious feelings.
Evidently it was to be understood that the birth had taken
place behind the altar, and that the aged Dechant, as a
sort of St. Joseph, was exhibiting the child to us, the
shepherds. The children, who had assembled in numbers
in the church, seemed to be specially delighted with this
procession. Such appeals to the senses in a church, do
more harm than they can possibly do good. The procession
aroused me for the moment from an oppressive drowsiness
which had overpowered me within this heated church.
High mass was celebrated with much devotion ; the music
was wonderful ; and the behaviour of the people, as also
their devout appearance, served to elevate the soul, and

ACROSS THE LINE. 53

to obliterate the painful impression of that unnecessary
appeal to the senses which the clergy, with good intent
undoubtedly, but with very limited discretion, had pre-
sented in this holy place.

As we returned to the harbour, a band of troubadours
on a balcony pealed forth their wondrous lays beneath the
glittering, starry vault of heaven.

The f Elizabeth ' weighed anchor, and we steamed away
towards Gran Canaria.

Ciudad de las Palmas in Gran Canaria, December 25.

By daybreak we had reached the northern side of this
island, which in shape, colouring, and general features
resembles its sister isle Teneriffe ; but its forms are less
rugged, and less fantastic. The mountains present softer
outlines, are not so high, and are covered with the products
of earth, and with cultivation. Towards eight o'clock we
sailed round the eastern point Isletta, a detached, insular
cape, which, like Gibraltar, is united to the land merely
by a sandbank. This passed, the extensive roadstead of
Ciudad de las Palmas, or Palmas as it is more shortly
called, lay spread before our view, forming, together with
the hills and mountain country, an amphitheatre. On the
right, are the massive heights of Isletta, with their tints
of bluish grey and green ; next gleams the golden glow of
the spit of sand, broken only by an old black fort.

The range of hills (the principal cultivation of which
consists of dull, green, cochineal plantations) rises gently
up to the mountain heights, which again elevate themselves
in a pyramidal form up to the distant peak, the lofty
summit of which is mysteriously shrouded in cloud. The
first range of hills runs parallel with the undulating coast,
in retreating forms. As in an amphitheatre so here,
recesses of considerable size (like the boxes at a theatre)
have been made. These are the dwellings of the ancient

54 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Guanches, and still serve as the abodes of the Troglodytes,
like the cuevas del sacro monte in Granada.

At the foot of this city of caves, on the yellow sandy
coast, stands Ciudad de las Palmas, with its brightly-
coloured, flat-roofed houses; and reminding one vividly
of Malaga by its large mediaeval cathedral. Some lofty
palms which wave over the town explain its name.
On the left, of the town the coast rises into extensive,
precipitously ascending, dark ramparts of basalt, against
which the ocean foam dashes, and behind which the
mountains rear themselves in layers of various strata.

The ' Elizabeth ' anchored in the roads among some
merchant vessels. We landed at a quay for boats, formed
by a dam and some heaps of stones. Groups of the
inhabitants, in broad-brimmed Panama hats, stared at us
in astonishment. An amiable young man was so good-
natured as to offer his services as guide. We went through
the streets to the Fonda Inglesa. The houses are of the
same description as those in Teneriffe ; the same mysterious
windows, the same ornamental balconies. The woman also
wear the white mantilla, the men the flannel cloak, but the
whole town displays more of the character of a civilised,
prosperous metropolis. One feels that one is really in a
capital; and in deed, until lately, this town held precedence
above Santa Cruz. The entire scene tells of wealth and
prosperity.

On our entrance into the courtyard of the Fonda Inglesa,
a frightful old lady, the noted Peppa, made her appearance
in the act of washing her hands. She addressed us as
roughly as though we had been intruders into a private
house, and sent us off with the assurance that she had
neither room nor breakfast prepared ; and when we went
away laughing, she made faces after us. It was quite a
novel spectacle, such as I had never before witnessed to a
similar extent in all my wanderings.

ACROSS THE LINE. 55

We visited the beautifully situated Almeida, which
raised according to true Spanish taste, stands in the
centre of the town surrounded by terraces with balus-
trades. Notwithstanding the numbers of exotic plants,
it has, owing to the regularity of their arrangement,
rather the appearance of a drawing-room than that of a
garden. Close to it are the Casino and the theatre, both
contained in one large edifice. Beyond the Plaza del
Principe Alfonso, named after the little prince of Asturias,
we came to a stone bridge leading over a wide river that
divides this large town into two parts, and flows from the
mountains to the ocean. Some rather artistic marble
statues representing the Seasons (almost unknown to the
Canary Islanders), adorn the bridge: from its centre there
is a striking view of the two portions of the town, and of
the receding heights. On the left, one sees the towers
standing far apart, the flat, richly-ornamented roof of the
cathedral, the extensive and imposing palace of the
Ajutamente, the dome of the college, and the bishop's
residence. On the right, the terraces of houses mount up
one above another, until they are lost in the hollows of the
amphitheatre.

From out a narrow valley in the centre of the panorama
the river pours down its waters, fringed by terraced
gardens, in which giant palms, centuries old, raise their
gently waving crowns to the clear sky from amid the
bright green of bananas and Arums. Behind us were
murmuring the broad blue waves of the sapphire sea. I
had not beheld so perfect and romantic a picture for a long
time. I began to be reconciled to the Canary Isles, with
which, until now, I had not been much prepossessed.

A second surprise, and also a great one in its way, was
afforded us by the cathedral, a spacious, handsome edifice
of the latter part of the fifteenth century. The large
ancient fapades, begun, like the interior, in the later Gothic
style, have unfortunately received the addition of a modern

56 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

screen after the style of S. Peter's ; this is still in progress.
The interior of the church is spacious and lofty ; the
columns of basalt rise tall and slender, uniting themselves
with the beautifully traced groined work ; and, like palms
with broad crowns, gracefully and lightly supporting the
high, and rather flattened, but not heavy, vaulted roof.
The exquisitely twined basalt branches, clearly outlined in
their dark hues on the white ground, present a simple,
solemn, and yet cheering effect ; whilst the entire build-
ing suggests one pervading thought of harmony, infusing a
spirit of genuine and vigorous faith.

Beyond the high altar, with its wealth of silver and of
relics, a handsome crucifix, placed beneath a large velvet
canopy, stands exalted within view of every part of the
spacious church. The arrangements in the interior of the
cathedral are made in accordance with Spanish custom,
therefore there is a space of considerable size in the
centre of the nave enclosed for the choir : before the high
altar hangs an immense silver lamp, a present from the
celebrated Cardinal Ximenes. A colossal St. Christopher,
painted in fresco on the wall, reminded me of our village
churches in Upper Austria, and recalled home.

We climbed the heights and visited that portion of the
town which stands in their hollows. The latter are simple
incisions in the calcareous rock and contain rooms which,
when white-washed and provided with rush mats, appear
very habitable. Beds, with high pillows and white hangings,
testified to the cleanliness of the Troglodytes who could not
.have been aware of our coming, and who, laughing, ex-
pressed their surprise that anyone should visit such humble
abodes. These people possess two treasures for which
many European kingdoms might well envy them ; their
lovely climate of perpetual spring, and their extensive,
magnificent prospect over the lofty city of palms and the
ocean.

ACROSS THE LTNE. 57

Our amiable companion, with whom we were able to
make ourselves very well understood, called our attention
to the numerous cochineal plantations which (though only
introduced within the last ten or twelve years) have given
considerable importance to the island, and have proved a
remunerative speculation much to be valued. The cactus
opuntia flourishes everywhere in this genial climate with-
out culture ; on it thrives the insect which, simply col-
lected in bottles., yields its rich produce almost without
labour or trouble. The only thing that must not be
neglected is, to cover the old insects so completely with
linen rags that the eggs may rest on them, and in this
way, may be carried to fresh plants.

The introduction of these insects into southern Dalinatia
would, I believe, be of great service to that needy country ;
all the more so, because the people smoke long pipes, and
no people who smoke long pipes can do much work. One
yoke of land in the Canary Isles brings in a net return
of 1,500 thalers a year, by feeding these remunerative
insects.

Our guide, who belonged to the fashionable world of
Palma, took us to the Casino and theatre. We were sur-
prised to see a very fine dancing saloon, and another large
and spacious apartment, as well as a select library. On
our way we met, in the town, men with a sort of cap of
blue and red cloth, looking in front, like the prow of a
ship ; behind, having a long point like a pigtail which hung
far down the back, and from the extreme end of which
depended a red tassel. This national article of dress is
worthy to stand side by side with the lightning-conductor
caps of Madeira ; for if the latter be a protection against
the rays of the sun, the former may serve as weather-cocks.

We were conducted to a new fonda, a dirty, wretched
house, with a landlord who gave us as rough a reception as
Peppa had done, and who looked as though he would fain

58 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

annihilate us with his round, piercing eyes ; but who con-
descended to promise us some refreshment. I never in
my life met with such a race of innkeepers as those in this
city of palms. In their eyes, travellers come under the
category of slaves who are first to be ill-treated, and must
then yield to the demand for tribute. That they them-
selves are the servants of the public appears never yet to
have been brought home to them, and they need to go
through a regular course of English discipline.

We waited an endless time in a place abounding in dirt,
and when we modestly enquired for our refreshments, and
for the horses which had been ordered, we were snubbed.
The master of the house, the mistress, the children, the
servants, all walked about in the balcony and courtyard
before our eyes, looking good-humoured, but not troubling
themselves in the least about anything. Mother and
daughter ogled at the fashionable young gentlemen who
came to pay them visits in the court ; the father seemed,
dressed in his speckled pantaloons, to be doing honour to
the holiday ; immense cats and fat dogs jumped around
us ; turtle doves cooed their melancholy lays ; a lawyer
near us carried on a disputation respecting the code penal
with a gentleman in a rich dressing-gown who looked like
an old roue ; and we, poor neglected beings, sat like lepers
or beggars, forgotten and unnoticed, in our humble
corner.

But patience overcomes difficulties ; and thus at length
our modest meal appeared, and sounds of the hoofs of
horses and asses were heard as they clattered on the pave-
ment in front of the fonda. Our silent, mysterious, pro-
tector, who wrought in our behalf like the Armenian of the
ghost-seer, and whose powers only failed before the un-
conquerable tyranny of the landlord, had reserved for me
a bestia particolare, as he termed it ; in plain Grerman, a
very special animal, a racer, belonging to a private gen-

ACROSS THE LINE. 59

tleman. It was an excellent grey mare, which went at a
swift and easy pace, and on which one sat as comfortably
as though on a couch, borne along by a twelve-mile pro-
peller.

Our road to-day lay towards Atalaja, a valley distant
three leagues from Palma; at first it led us along the
course of the river that intersects the town, past beautiful
mansions, an immense hospital for foundlings, and then
again to that end of the town which extends to the
hollows. On our right we saw the river (which turns
some mills), bordered by splendid palms, we then ascended
to a barren, volcanic ridge of hill, along which we rode for
a long time, enjoying the extensive view on both sides ;
over the ocean with the blue gleaming islands of Lan-
cerota, Delizias, and Fuerta Ventura, and over the deep
valleys, in whose depths were twinkling lovely villas and
groves of palms.

The form of the hills (skirted by bright green fields
destitute of trees), the colour of the sky, and the cool sea
breeze, were all northern ; and it was only deep down in
the valleys, among the palms and orange trees, that the
charms of the south were to be found.

Our party rode quickly through the frosty air, a power-
ful influence urging us continually to press forwards ; none
other than that of the vehement, fiery, uncontrollable ass
which rushed on in a wild career, hurrying along with it
our unwilling botanist. Fate so willed it, that this scien-
tific man should take with him on the donkey his enormous
botanical box, which he carried on his shoulders, and into
which he had put an orange in case of feeling thirsty.
The more this rattled against the tin, the more madly did
the ass rush on. The despairing botanist flew, like Ma-
zeppa, over stock and stone ; our wild troop dashed on
behind him ; till at last, fortunately without any injury,
he kissed his mother earth, and thus regained his wonted
stability.

60 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

As we continued to ride along the ridge of hill, fresh
and picturesque valleys opened unceasingly before our
gaze. The vegetation became more luxuriant, and even
groups of trees of different kinds were visible, mixed with
blossoming shrubs at the farms, and by the side of the
tolerably well-kept roads. Everywhere the people were'
in their Sunday attire, and were enjoying their time of
rest, greeting each other in a friendly manner, and nodding
to the passers-by.

On our way we visited a small villa, completely covered
with myrtles in bloom, and in the little garden of which
we found some splendid araucarias. We had still one
more hill to mount ; and then, opening towards the ocean,
there lay before us the clearly-defined, deep, rocky valley
of Alataja, and at its extremity (rising in a semi-circle
like an amphitheatre, large and commanding as the
gigantic ruin of an ancient theatre), the imposing Troglo-
dyte city of the Guanches of olden time, which even at
the present day conceals within its stony mysteries, its
rocky caverns, 2,000 inhabitants with their possessions and
goods.

This picture is one of the most astounding and most
impressive that rude nature and primitive human in-
dustry combined could present to the gaze of the asto-
nished traveller. At the sight of this rocky territory
thus hollowed out, and animated by human life, memory
recalls the monuments of the vigorous days of remote
antiquity, when man, chained down to the rough earth,
worked its materials with talent, and with an unflagging
arm. We admire the Necropolis at Thebes, the rocky
halls of Petra, the pierced mountains of India, the giant
theatre of ancient Home ; and if the Canary Isles pos-
sessed nothing but the rocky town of Atalaja, it would
be well worth all the trouble of crossing the ocean to
visit them.

ACKOSS THE LINE. 61

An additional attraction is imparted to these rocks with
their numerous dark openings, their burnished fapades^
their terraces, their narrow paths of communication and
steps, by the fact that they are still the haunts and abodes
of men. Each of these countless hollows has its own
history, its own tale of throbbing emotions, of joy and
sorrow, of birth and death. The eye rests on one im-
mense, impressive monument ; imagination pictures a gay,
merry beehive with innumerable cells, and the buzzing,
humming activity of the inhabitants passing to and fro.

We had left our horses in a stable of tufifstone at the
first hollow, and were ourselves reclining on a jutting rock,
from which we had a' view of the whole town, together
with the valley beneath. Scarcely had some few of the
inhabitants become aware of our presence, than all was
excitement in the bee-like life of the city. People, dressed
in gay colours, bustled forth from every dusky opening ;
the children, filled with curiosity, came down laughing and
shouting from ledge to ledge, from story to story, to the
place in which we were; with graver steps, the men
emerged from their stone houses, along their accustomed
path, anxious to see what had thrown the town into such
commotion ; the women and young girls dressed in their
gay Sunday clothes, screaming, chattering, and enjoying
the merry tattle, assembled on the narrow terraces in front
of their hollows, or on the rocky roofs of the dwellings on
the lower stories. It was like a play when all the be-
decked puppets come out gaily from rocks made of cork
and pasteboard ; and was quite in harmony with the festi-
vities of the day.

Immense mirth and applause were excited among the
people by our nimble little botanist, who, in his search for
plants, ran around the rocks and leaped here and there
with his large box, just like a weasel. The primitive
people evidently took him for a lunatic, who had escaped

62 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

from our care ; one could read this in their laughing and
astonished countenances. They who believe that the Tro-
glodytes are all thieves, are quite wrong. We went into
their caves, and found in them a certain degree of comfort.
Clean white curtains surrounded the recesses where they
slept ; nice, clean linen was on the beds ; some articles of
furniture, and prettily arranged earthenware, adorned the
walls, which were well whitened, and frequently covered
with plaited rushes ; the people were well clad and well
fed : that they all called out for a Pezzelto was unfortu-
nately only characteristic of all southern countries.

The chief means of support of this large population is
potter's work, which they execute with great skill, and
even on a gigantic scale. Unceasingly surrounded by the
inquisitive crowd, we went from story to story, over the
dangerous paths of these rocky terraces, up which even
the youngest children clamber like goats. My bestia par-
ticolare, notwithstanding the advancing night, brought me
back to Palma, as if she were flying ; and we were already
merrily seated at the dinner-table of the ( Elizabeth,' when
after a long, long time, the poor doctor and botanist
returned, exhausted with fatigue.

R M. S. ' Elizabeth,' December 26.

Early in the morning we again went on shore ; but on
this occasion only the younger members of our party, who
were prepared for a fast ride. The doctor nursed his
wearied limbs at home.

Our first visit was to the cathedral, where we found that
no mass would be celebrated, and we were directed to the
college chapel. There, the whole of the clerical students,
with pointed, Chinese-looking, priests' caps, were seated in
rows in the middle of the chapel, executing prescribed in-
tonations according to the matutinal chant. The poor young
boys in their surplices had more inclination to laugh than
to drawl through the solemn psalm, like machines.

ACROSS THE LINE. 63

Such institutions, in which the clergy are made accord-
ing to rule, are contrary to my feelings; and, in my
opinion, are very prejudicial to religion. Children who
are much too young and too unformed in intellect to have
an idea respecting the sacred calling which awaits them,
receive a false bias even in their infancy, they never learn
to know the world by experience, and are imbued with
an unjust, bitter, repulsive spirit of bigotry which does
not at all tend to increase their influence or superiority
in the eyes of their flock. The greatest saints and most
persuasive teachers of Christianity, all selected their office
from the conviction that it was their vocation, after ma-
ture reflection on their future position ; and from St. Paul
down to St. Augustine and Ignatius Loyola, these mighty
spirits never could have done such grand deeds in the
battle-field of Christianity, had they not first become ac-
quainted with the world and with its darker side.
Modern zealots maintain that these seminaries for boys
are necessary, because that otherwise no clergy could be
provided. It seems to me that, by this very assertion,
sentence is passed against a compulsory preparation. Free
choice must be the guide to everything that is good in
this world ; the heart must impart light, and its first
glimmer ought not to be shut up in imprisonment. All
these human institutions for military, scientific, and re-
ligious training are alike productive of miserable results.
The stiff military academies of Eastern Europe have no
other use than to enable the troops to go through some
parade manoeuvres ; and, as in the ass's comedy, to teach
them how to wheel and deploy. And have our modern
scientific plans of education ever produced any great
men? They have taught the rudiments of science, it is
true, but genius has ever been born beyond the walls of
the academy; and the great spirits in the Church
have not grown up within seminaries. He who has seen

64 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

nothing of the world, cannot understand, much less in-
struct, the world.

After we had been enduring this practising for nearly,
an hour, a priest came up to us, and said that they were
waiting for the arrival of the prince, before beginning
mass. I assured him of the presence of the prince ; and,
to our rather disagreeable surprise, instead of a quiet
service, High Mass was begun. But our season of trial
was not over at its conclusion ; the two directors of the
seminary, in their misguided zeal, want of tact, and mis-
taken politeness, insisted on accompanying me through
the town, like a criminal who is being led to execution. I
deprecated, I protested,' I assured them that I must hurry,
for that people were waiting for me ; they, in return, as-
sured me that they also would hurry on ; I said that I was
going to the inn where my horses were standing ; they
replied that the inn lay also in their road. In short,
nothing would induce them to retire, and, indeed, it
appeared to be their intention to accompany us on our
excursion. At last, on reaching the cathedral I dismissed
them in very plain words ; but, when I returned from the
country in the afternoon, I found them again posted in
the street ready to greet me anew.

The remainder of our party were already waiting at the
fonda ; we mounted our horses, among which there were
to-day some excellent pacers, and dashed forwards along
a broad and very good road. At first, our course lay along
the green coast, covered with palms; then upwards, as-
cending to the dark ramparts of basalt, from the curves in
which we obtained magnificent views of the picturesque
city of palms, and of the bright, gay, blue waters of the
roadstead. Like the grave monarch of the sea of houses
the grand cathedral, with its dusky towers, was clearly out-
lined against the sunny sky, whilst giant palms waved
poetically around it. But the effect was even more mag-

ACROSS THE LINE. 65

nificent when, looking down from the lofty, perpendicular
ramparts, one beheld the sparkling waves of ocean dashing
their foam on the golden sand of the lovely and irregular
shore. The charm of these picturesque and soul-satisfying
scenes was increased a hundredfold by the truly glorious
weather. To-day, for the first time, the breath of the
trade wind stirred the air, and our glad hearts revelled in
sweet anticipations of spring. The whole of the warm,
bright atmosphere was redolent of the fragrance of violets.
My bestia particolare flew along like Mahomet's mare,
and after her came the rest of the party, who were
pouring forth joyous, gleesome songs to the azure sky.
The turns in the road were sharp; the horses spirited,
the riders bad; and thus it was, that one of our little
band was twice hurled suddenly from the high regions
down to the hard realities of earth ; fortunately he man-
aged his falls with peculiar skill, and rose from them
unhurt.

When we quitted the shore, we advanced into the vol-
canic hill-country, which, however, we found richly culti-
vated ; except that in one valley there was still the barren
bed of a stream of lava, as at Naples, in which some
solitary Euphorbias stood like phantoms with outstretched
arms. On our way, we saw in a valley on one side an
enormous pump, which, worked by oxen and camels, feeds
the entire of the fertile district. Beautiful cinerarias in
the fullest and richest bloom, white tipped with violet and
deep purple, grew on the wall of rock near the spring.
The camels, which by reason of the feast day were
making holiday and were ruminating near the pump,
were, of all their hideous race, the most hideous speci-
mens that I ever beheld, and one coul'd not but marvel
that such monsters should exist in the kingdom of na-
ture. We had yet one more chain of hills to cross, and
then we reached the goal of our enjoyable journey. In

VOL. in. F

66 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

an extensive valley, on the peaceful banks of a mountain
stream, amid lovely gardens and well-cultivated fields,
were grouped the flat-roofed, brightly-tinted houses of the
little town of Telde ; scattered amid them stood numer-
ous large palms rich in foliage and with luxuriant crowns,
which spread themselves like a canopy over the whole of
the oriental-like town, and cast a beneficent shade : be-
tween the hills one could catch the twinkling smiles of
the blue ocean. This panoramic view reminded me vividly
of Ramleh in the plains of Sharon on the road from Jaffa
to Jerusalem.

Festive mirth reigned in the town ; and in the square
in front of the church, men were singing gaily to the
music of the guitar and tambourine. On the Almeida in
the centre of the town, beneath the shade of an oleander
tree, seated on a stony bank, and surrounded by the as-
tonished crowd, our German party partook of a cheerful
repast, at which our thirst proved itself specially of Ger-
man origin. Rendered doubly mirthful by this rest, we
galloped back at full speed to Ciudad de las Palmas.
The citizens who were sunning themselves in their Sunday
attire in front of their houses, stared at us with astonish-
ment, as they saw us clattering over the resounding pave-
ment.

At the Fonda, we were present at one of the cockfights,
so popular here ; the plumage of the cocks was brilliant,
as it has universally been with all those that I have seen
in the Canary Isles ; but the contest was not nearly so
exciting as at a fight at which I was present some years
ago in Valencia. The cocks attacked each other fiercely,
but did not gain much thereby, and the struggle ended by
one of them breaking his beak.

All was life and excitement to-day in the streets of
Palma, and the loveliest of lovely women, with Andalusian
features, raven hair, and sparkling black eyes, gazed down

ACROSS THE LINE. 67

from the mysterious windows, or strolled about the streets
in picturesque mantillas and with their graceful fans.

On quitting the town, we offered a considerable douceur
to our amiable volunteer guide ; he, however, declined it,
with cordial thanks ; and simply made the request that, in
recognition of his services, he might be allowed to see the
f Elizabeth.' We took him on board, and I presented him
with a ring, which gave him sincere pleasure.

At five o'clock we weighed anchor and steered for the
Cape de Verd islands.

H.M.S. 'Elizabeth,' December 27.

The morning was brilliant; the sun shone on the deep
blue rippling ocean ; the trade-wind had set in, and filled
the broad, swelling sails. The barometer stood unusually
high, performing its office in the regions of the trade-winds.
The air was warm and mild as on our summer days, the
colouring likewise. A feeling of gladness pervaded the whole
ship. After storm and rough weather, we were approach-
ing the safer tract of the tropics. Towards evening the
wind fell, the sea became rougher, clouds overspread the
sky, and a soft, mild rain fell. Not a sail, not a living
object broke in upon the grand yet not wearisome mo-
notony of the ocean.

H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' December 28.

The 28th of December stands forth as a red-letter day in
my reminiscences of travel, for to-day at a quarter before
ten o'clock in the morning, with a bright sun, a calm blue
sea, and fresh trade-wind we entered the Tropic of Cancer,
and with proud bearing and feelings joyfully excited, I
found myself for the first time within the equinoctial zone.
This is an important event in the life of a sailor, as in that
of a traveller ; some will say, that this is a mere fanciful
idea, but similar ideas govern the world. We were enter-
ing that portion of the earth in which there is no winter,
in which cold has no power, the golden path of the sun

F2

'68 EECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

enthroned in the zenith above us. To me, who am the
bitterest of foes to cold, an entrance into the tropics was a
spe'cial cause for rejoicing, and more particularly so in the
usually dismal month of December. Now no frost can
touch me, making my poor bones shake with cold ; this
happy truth, this great gain, was ever present in my mind.
Man's life is short and even one winter is long, so that
the annihilation of one solitary winter season is a great
gain that cannot be over-estimated.

The sun shone with powerful warmth ; and therefore, for
the worthy celebration of the day, we all, with amusing
unanimity, appeared in white caps and trowsers, and com-
plete midsummer dress. As the day advanced, the light
clouds gradually vanished, until, at last, the sky glowed in
the perfection of its clear brilliance.

The sunset was very beautiful; the tints in the west
had, immediately over the sea, a green hue ; above them,
the sky was of the most wondrous rosy red. In the late
evening, the scene was magnificent; the sky was com-
pletely changed : in the deep blue of the mighty firmament
the stars were gleaming with redoubled splendour, like
glittering jewels; but owing to the speed of our voyage,
their position was already quite altered. The Great Bear,
which I have gazed at so long as I can remember anything,
and which only once (in Cairo) had lost two stars, had now
disappeared, and the polar star stood low down in the
horizon, almost dethroned. The small crescent moon shone
with vivid light, and cast shadows deep as that of our full
moon. The scene afforded me inexpressible delight, and
elevated my mind ; I had arrived at a new point in the
history of my life. These innocent triumphs are more in
harmony with my struggles and aspirations than all of
splendour that my native country can offer.

I was the first of my house who ever wandered to the
tropics, and even now did so with the feeling that I had
not yet arrived at my ultimate destination.

ACROSS THE LIXE. 69

H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' December 29.

The earliest hours of morning found me already on
deck, that I might see the much lauded, oft-described
Southern Cross : the starry image was there, just over the
horizon, the five brilliant specks distorted into a cross as
crooked as those that at dinner one makes in play of
crumbs of bread.

Although the lowest star is said to be the largest, yet
we could not perceive that it was especially bright or
sparkling. No enthusiasm was awakened in my heart at
the sight of this constellation, and I am unable to sym-
pathise in the delight of the many travellers who de-
scribe this wonder in rapturous terms. My friend Ida
PfeifTer — that energetic lady whom I esteem so highly,
and who has accomplished more, as a traveller, than the
strongest men — was the first person who, possessed of
praiseworthy courage, ventured by plain, sober truth to
destroy the artificial halo surrounding this simple con-
stellation. But I am pleased to have seen this wonder in
the gallery of nature, only visible in these regions. We
also could see the constellation of the ship in its full
extent. But, triumphant over all, the Great Bear stood
once more high in the heavens, more beautiful, more
perfect than any other starry image. Jupiter was so
bright that one could see his disc.

In these tropical nights, the light on the sea is also
wonderful ; it is not merely that one sees the usual glitter
in a thousand twinkling sparkles ; not that ; some of
the waves actually break in a flood of light, and, darting
phosphoric rays, play on the foam like lightning among
the summer clouds.

The day was hot and cloudless — a pavilion for the sun ;
but the trade wind, with a high barometer, afforded a soft
gentle air, delicious to inhale. The sky gleamed brightly,
like a vast canopy bright with diamonds, without the

70 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

slightest tint of blue, and the sun at the time of its
setting was of a light, pale gold colour, such as is never
seen in our country. The sea also was on the whole calm,
yet towards evening, broad masses of wave, like large, soft
hills, with shell-shaped valleys, heaved up and down, in
dimensions such as I had never beheld : whilst our vessel
rose and sank with them so gently that her motion was
imperceptible, I might indeed say she was undisturbed.

During the day four sea swallows, with brown wings
and backs and white breasts, faithfully followed our wake,
together with shoals of flying fish ; these pretty creatures,
with their winged fins of sapphire blue, sped from wave
to wave often over a space many feet in extent. I saw this
graceful fish for the first time off Cape Matapan when on
my voyage to Greece. In August of this year, it had
again appeared before me in an extraordinary manner at
lovely, sunny Abbazia on the shores of the gulf of Fiume.

St. Vincent, December 30.

I again came on deck with early dawn ; and to-day
indeed that I might see a sunrise in the tropics. Twilight
lasts a very short time, and is quite unlike our twilight.
The sky is of a clear transparent colour before the sun has
risen, whilst its approach and the direction from which it
is rising are unmarked by any red hues, any glowing
clouds: the magnificent and varying tints which are so
enchanting in our latitudes and which have such an effect
on the heart, are all wanting here ; in vain does one seek
for those changing tones of colour gradually passing from
purple into molten gold. Suddenly, one sees a light on
the horizon, a portion of the sun is visible ; the appear-
ance is as if the sun rose by jerks, and as if it were much
larger than our sun ; an illusion which is caused by the
large broad waves and by the nature of the atmosphere.
The sun pours forth its golden rays over the whole of

ACROSS THE LINE. 71

the white gleaming sky, and illumines it unchangingly
throughout the whole day.

It was still early when we sighted the Cape de Verd
Islands ; we could distinguish St. Antonio, St. Vincent, and
Santa Lucia. The first was nearest to us : a mighty for-
tress of rock, the bold forms of which were beautifully
traced; quite without vegetation, nature's architecture,
grand as the heights of Greece or the noble, ancient
mountains of Arabia. Their outlines were displayed
clearly, sharply, and boldly against the gaily gleaming sky ;
a bright light played on the loftiest peaks and on the pro-
jecting masses of rock, whilst deep red and violet tinted
shadows lay mysteriously in the refts, rents, and ravines :
and all around, as the foreground to this foreign picture
of enchantment was spread the cerulean sea, whose white
foam laved the rocky coast.

We were now approaching St. Vincent, at present the
object of our voyage. It displayed similar characteristics;
but the mountains towered aloft even more boldly, the
jagged peaks rose to a greater height, the pyramidical
rocks were more sharply pointed, the obelisks more
angular, the refts wider, the ravines broader and darker.
We were advancing into a new realm, a new kingdom of
nature, in which are gigantic forms such as the wildest
fancy cannot conceive, hues of a brightness and trans-
parency such as our sunlight may not paint, whilst over
all is cast a perfumed haze which imparts the character of
a fairy dream.

Sailing round a black conical rock of basalt, which rose
like a giant's finger from the blue waters, a true monolith
we entered the large and fine harbour of St. Vincent ;
which, enclosed by the island whose name it bears, and by
the neighbouring island St. Antonio, has the appearance
of an island sea.

A few houses and a magazine lie on the level sand like

72 EECOLLECTIOKS OF MY LIFE.

shells thrown up by the waves ; in the two valleys which
open upon the harbour one sees the sombre green of
some shrubs which glisten like freshly cast-up seaweed.
On an eminence stands a small and ancient fort, with a
dirty, faded, Portuguese flag ; with these exceptions, there
is not a sign of life on the whole broad expanse of coast,
not a stalk of vegetation, and yet it is one of the grandest,
most impressive scenes I have ever beheld ; it resembles a
picture which has been painted by a great imaginative
genius with limited means at command ; and the charm
of which lies in the outlines full of character, and in the
warm tints compounded of but few colours, in which vege-
tation, strewn with a sparing hand, can only find a place
as it were by force. In harmony with these gigantic
forms were the dreamy shimmer over the brilliant sky,
and the blue-green sea lying in the gleaming page like a
sapphire among unpolished stones, and here assuming a
hue such as I have never seen except in mysterious blue
grottoes ; and similar to that which in the north one sees
on the sun-lit chasms of the glaciers.

To visit St. Vincent is one of the most interesting plea-
sures in the world of nature; to live here would be to
endure purgatory on earth. We were very much sur-
prised to see two large French steam-transports with
troops on board, amid a fleet of dirty colliers. Boats,
rowed by negroes, swarmed around our steamer ; some
brought English coal-merchants, another the libera pra-
tica. The coal -merchants are the princes of the place,
for the excellent harbour of St. Vincent is nothing but an
immense coal depot for the transatlantic steamers; the
greater part of the little wooden houses on shore serve
exclusively as dwellings for the merchants and their work-
people. Beyond the coal trade there is nothing worth
seeing in St. Vincent : the sole representative of European
civilisation is a billiard-table in a wretched hut. Not a

ACEOSS THE LINE. 73

bush, not a flower, grows near the houses, which reminded
me vividly of the stations between Cairo and Suez. The
heat was as great as it is with us in an overpowering July.
Towards noon we went on shore in the lightest clothes
that we could find, with umbrellas, and hats covered in the
Indian fashion. Our boat lay to at the wooden quay, on
which are laid iron rails leading to the coal stores. Oar
first impression on landing on the white fine sand which
consists merely of the remains of very small shells, was
strange and thoroughly foreign ; we were transported, as
it were at a blow, into the midst of the uncontrolled pro-
ceedings of a black population, and found ourselves in
the midst of negroes who are the aborigines of the
island ; white people are rare, and even the Portuguese
guard, who here seem to be compelled, from some absurd
notion, to adopt the buttoned-up cloth uniform of the
European, consist of large, tall, and slender-limbed blacks.
On the strand, and around the boats which were coming
and going, these unbridled people in their primitive con-
dition nearly approaching to that of nature, moved about
and danced with cries of delight. Men with woolly hair,
broad noses, and cunning, squinting eyes, were advancing
to the shore with sacks of coal as though their colour had
been given them expressly for this office. Women, with
tall, slight figures, leather-like, wrinkled skin, their loose
calico dress enveloping their slender forms, the blue cloak
picturesquely thrown over their shoulders, glass beads of
various colours round their slender throats, long gold ear-
rings in their ears, and the saucy kerchief twisted around
their heads, were either standing in noisy groups haggling
over fruit with the sailors, or else were moving about
singly, like mutes, on the plains of sand, holding their
pitchers on their heads with their bare arms. Most of
them were quite young mothers who were carrying their
merry little chocolate-coloured children in a cotton sling.

74 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

which either rested on their hips or hung far down their
backs, and from which the little animals sprawled out
their legs as if they were riding. It was most amusing to
stand in front of the dusky mother when one could only
see two little feet peeping out on the right and left of her
waist. Round and among these groups, sometimes in the
water, sometimes on dry land, thronged a host of children,
running, crawling, swimming, all quite naked, with an
unconcern that would have done honour to the most un-
sophisticated nature. Here, one of these black beetles
disported itself pleasantly on the hot sand ; there, a troop
of independent youngsters rushed round a boat where an
unskilful negro had let the golden oranges fall out of his
sack into the briny flood. On the right, a little child of
two years old, having taken a bath, was walking back with
proud, measured steps to his father's mansion ; on the left,
a very pretty little black girl, whose only clothing consisted
of her sparkling beads, from which hung a little cross, per-
formed the most graceful gymnastics on the rails of the
coal tramway. Untrained nature, joyous, unrestrained
mirth, prevailed everywhere.

We looked for a long time at these black people with
astonishment ; then we turned along the coast to the right
of the village, hoping to find some botanical and geological
specimens on a red-coloured eminence in a wide plain,
whither the pale-green vegetation attracted us. On the
sea-coast, at the opening of the plain, we found an obelisk
consecrated to the memory of an unfortunate English lady
who had died on her voyage, and had been buried here.
The monument has only been standing for five years, and 1
already the sea-wind has quite corroded the iron railing.
In its vicinity we met a troop of negroes, who, with hurried
steps, were carrying on two poles a dead body, quite con-
cealed, like a mummy, in linen cloths. The monument
and this spectacle accorded well with the silent, desert,

ACKOSS THE LIXE. 75

flowerless country, with the giant rocks gazing in still
loneliness towards heaven, with the atmosphere steaming
with burning heat, through which only some few ospreys
noiselessly dragged their wearied wings.

From the shore inland, the dry hot plain was scantily
covered with tamarisk bushes, which were just unfolding
their insignificant blossoms. Beneath parching heat we
pursued our way along the plain to a miserable little house
lying at the foot of a mountain-slope — the ruinous cottage
of the governor. In front of this cottage, surrounded by
a wall made of stones laid one upon another without
mortar, were some unhappy-looking foreign shrubs, some
small trees, and one larger one, slender in circumference,
which afforded some shade, the only one we found in the
whole island ; beneath it were three Frenchmen in fan-
tastic hunting-dress. Under the shrubs and small trees
we discovered a species of cytisus, covered with fragrant,
canary-coloured blossoms ; the poisonous jatropha with its
bright yellow fruit and fig-like leaves : also various kinds
of acacia, the seeds of which we collected. The solitary
shade-giving tree had large green leaves, beautifully
glossy ; a stem like that of a Magnolia, and fruit resembling
the figs on a wild fig-tree ; but of its name we are still
in ignorance. We found an interesting species of gourd
creeping along the arid earth, the Cucurbita propketarum ;
it is of the size of an orange, and is very inviting in this
thirsty land ; but, according to the report of our botanist
who tasted one, its bitterness made him irremediably un-
comfortable for the whole day. On the mountain slope
bloomed a handsome ipomea with large flowers, the white
of which was slightly tinged with a shade of lilac.

So far as the animal kingdom was concerned our sports-
men shot one solitary specimen of the bright brown
sparrows that hopped about confidingly on the shrubs,
twittering gaily, and flew, as one might say, into the

76 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

muzzle of the gun. Of insects, we only saw a swarm of
common grasshoppers, and a large sort of wasp with
yellow head, dark blue wings, and bright blue back,
which we caught. A negro boy who had voluntarily
accompanied us from the village was loaded with these
treasures from the various kingdoms of nature.

At the suggestion of our artist, and notwithstanding the
heat and total absence of any path, we climbed up a steep
mountain, from the summit of which, as a reward for our
labour, we had a magnificent view over the grand pano-
rama formed by the harbour and the chains of mountains
in the distance. Only in the exquisitely beautiful bay of
Suez had I ever seen anything resembling this. All lay
extended before us like a wondrous vision, purposeless,
devoid of life, and yet most bright, most exhilarating. It
seemed like the fantastic scenery of a pantomime. I
thought to myself that possibly it might look like such
from the gleaming worlds above. On our return, we
collected shells on the soft, white shore, and one of our
party took his first sea-bath in the blue merrily-dancing
waves. In one's astonishment one can scarcely credit the
delight of a soft, genial summer air in the middle of the
winter months : one rather suspects the calendar and the
seasons to be quite in the wrong ; one cannot trust oneself
to yield with full enjoyment to unexpected warmth such
as that of our summer ; the change of seasons is wanting
and all ordinary reckonings cease. More than once I
spoke of the approaching time of year at home as of winter,
and on this supposition made plans for my return. Man
has to become accustomed even to that which is pleasur-
able.

St. Vincent, December 31.

In a veritable simoon of coal-dust, occasioned by the
shipment of an immense quantity of coal necessary for our
transatlantic voyage, we spent an uncomfortable morning

ACROSS THE LIXE. 77

on board : followed everywhere, even down to the lowest
cabins, by the black powder, which rested on everything
and penetrated through every crevice. The laborious duty
of writing detained me on board ; and it was only towards
evening, when the heights were kissed by the last rays of
the setting sun, that the whole of our floating colony, bag
and baggage, preceded by lively music, went on shore to
pass New Year's Eve on the sands of the principal square.
Some handy seamen had formed an excellent saloon with
sails ; flags of various colours, unfolding themselves in the
light evening breeze, adorned the walls ; signal lanterns
were substitutes for blazing chandeliers; carpets from
Persia and Tetuan were spread on the soft ground ; downy
cushions of purple velvet were picturesquely disposed to
form a divan, the active cook set up his caboose, batteries
of bottles were brought to rejoice our hearts; whilst
trooping in numbers round and about this lively scene of
camp life, the dusky inhabitants of St. Vincent were
hovering in excited groups. Every one brought to our
feast that which was most needed, good humour and
merriment; and notwithstanding our foreign ground of
operations, these speedily reigned uncontrolled. In the
course of the day we discovered that Governor Greral, the
governor of the island, was at present living on these
sands, and indeed was our neighbour in the adjoining hut,
We therefore, being monarchical in our principles, began
our proceedings on the approach of night by stationing
our musicians in front of the governor's mansion, and by
ordering the Portuguese hymn to be played (which rather
reminds one of a circus tune than of a national air) ; and
then by shouting a thundering ' Hurrah for all Portuguese
authorities ! ' up towards the balcony on which Governor
Greral had made his appearance, with other persons of
rank : the chorus reached its loudest pitch in honour of
the illustrious presence of Governor Geral. All parties

78 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

were gratified ; the governor was both pleased and touched
by this ebullition of Austrian feeling of goodwill ; whilst
we, in the vanity of our mock modesty, thought we
should burst out laughing on the sands below, and were
in hopes that the delighted governor would growl forth
some expressive words from the balcony in Portuguese.
However, the statesman did not accord us this satisfaction,
but, as will be seen hereafter, adopted a better mode of
returning his thanks : even in St. Vincent it will be seen
that people know how to strike the right nail on the head.

Rockets whizzed, crackling and sparkling in the air, over-
powering for a moment even the bright moonlight.
The ear of authority was next greeted by the lively music
of two dances ; during which the negroes began to execute
some saltatory movements. Their gratification was com-
plete ; for the band played before our pavilion during all
the night ; and behold 1 the lissom, full-bosomed negresses
moved their limbs in exact time, and performed most
gracefully in the polka, waltz, polka-mazurka, and
schottisch.

There was something striking in the scene, as, on the
moonlit banks of sand these black people, scarcely distin-
guishable from night herself, yet skilled in European art,
flew swiftly past each other to enchanting strains of music
with a precision which left nothing to be desired. Many
of the negresses danced with their children on their backs ;
others with meerschaum pipes stuck saucily in their mouths;
others, again, cut capers in fun as if they had been in the
school of the noted Milanese Veglione. Our whole party
looked on at these proceedings with amusement. At length
a sailor ventured shyly to begin a dance with one of the
swarthy daughters of Eve, others followed the example ;

then Cadet J joined the dancers, next our bridegroom,

forgetful of his little bride languishing for love of him ; the
officers followed, and even the Paterfamilias, the digni-

ACROSS THE LIXE. 79

fied doctor, dashed into the wild dance ; the Tarantula had
stung them all ; at last — my pen struggles ere it can record
the fact — the entire party, casting aside all etiquette, obli-
vious of the sacred laws of colour, with wild, tumultuous
mirth demanded a quadrille ! Each of the dignitaries of
our band seized a negress ; the crowd were pushed back ;
Stranss's all-conquering strains swelled through the warm
moonlight night, a delicious summer breeze fanned the
mild New Year's Eve with its breath ; and the pranked
quadrille d'honneur, half white, half black, was gone
through on the sea-shore with the same propriety as
though in the marble halls of the Tuileries ; and, whatever
the ladies may say, these black beetles danced with an
accuracy and a grace that excited both our mirth and our
admiration.

The contrasts of this day were overpowering ; a ball on
these sandbanks, the moon the only torch for these people
black as pitch, the gentlemen in their graceful travelling
dresses, the ladies in cotton rags with beads round their
throats; the night December 31, and yet the air such
as even one of our July nights can hardly afford. To have
witnessed such a dance at such a season and under such
circumstances, I look upon as one of the most interesting
occurrences of my travels. At its conclusion we again es-
tablished ourselves in our tent, surrounded by the inquisi-
tive crowd, among whom the pretty, friendly children
were not lacking. An aide-de-camp of the governor
appeared in uniform, and enquired whether we were
Austrians ; vanished, and reappeared, requesting us in the
Governor's name, to play our national hymn, with which
request we willingly complied. Portugal then burst forth
with her ' Hurrah ! ' and a complete storm of rockets rose
crackling to the clear sky ; this was the graceful reply of
the Lusitanian statesman.

A supper with champagne and sherry formed a mirth-

80 KECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

ful point of reunion for us all; wit sparkled like the
rockets, brilliant ideas were interchanged, and flashed in
their encounter like flames of fire ; cheerful reminiscen-
ces arose ; in short, our little party were merry and happy,
although a shade of melancholy clouded the evening when
I rose, together with the commandant and the doctor, to
drink a health to the welfare of our wives ; something of
sadness stole into our hearts, the tears and the champagne
were near each other, and we each thought silently of the
family circle whose head was so far distant.

Midnight drew near, activity increased in the tent and on
the square, the cook hastily prepared the punch in his im-
provised kitchen, the required lead was heated over a coal
fire, sailors went down to the shore with blue lights,
numbers of rockets were in readiness, the musicians held
themselves prepared to chime in instantaneously with their
clang ; every one was watching for the hour ; the venerable
ship-bell was brought as a sacro sanctum, and it struck
one, two, three, till at length the anxiously looked-for
twelfth stroke resounded in the warm tropical air, and for
us the

1st of January, 1860,

was born. Musket shots rattled through the air, rockets
whizzed to the sky, announcing far and wide the birth of
the new year, a fairy-like sea of blue lights shed a radiance
like that of day over the elevated land and the gently
rippling ocean ; the sublime and inspiring strains of the
national hymn swelled forth in full, majestic tones, and,,
united in sentiment, we stood with uncovered heads to
empty our foaming glasses to the welfare of the Emperor
and of dear old Austria, and also of those whom we
cherished most. It was an overpowering moment, never
to be forgotten, from the extraordinary scenery, the pecu-
liarity of the climate, our very foreign surroundings, the
ardour and unanimity of our feelings.

ACROSS THE LINE. 81

With the punch, special healths were proposed, the
nuggets of lead, according to the custom of our Father-
land, were taken up and, amid many jests, dropped again.
We then formed ourselves in rank ; the musicians in front,
the exultant crowd in our rear, and thus we marched
through the astonished village to the beautifully-marked
time of the Radetzky March. The negroes derived so
much enjoyment from this triumphal procession that, as
the road was unfamiliar to us in the dark, they took us
round and round for a long time, and St. Vincent seemed
to us to be as large as immense Paris itself. We passed a
hut where the black people were at that moment engaged
in a dance to the sound of tambourines. The small
space, most uncomfortable, owing to the heat, was thickly
crowded: and black syrens with golden beads around
their pliant throats were, with sparkling eyes, performing
a sort of quadrille. In the midst of this dusky company
we beheld, to our no small astonishment, the governor's
aide-de-camp in full uniform, with his bright epaulettes ;
and also several other officials of rank. I hastened back
as quickly as possible into the fresh air, and at length
peremptorily ordered the natives to conduct us back to
our tent. The order was obeyed ; we disposed of our-
selves as well as we could, retired to rest one by one,
the last strains of music ceased, and night spread her
broad shadows over us.

In the morning we went on board, where we passed the
entire day in repose. A delicious sea bath in the lovely
blue water, clear and warm as the air, refreshed me much
in the afternoon. It is not very likely to happen soon
again in the course of my life to take a sea bath an the
first day of January.

H.M.S. < Elizabeth,' January 2.

The day was spent in making the last preparations for
our transatlantic voyage, and in arranging the mail and

VOL. III. G

82 [RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

my journal, which, when travelling, I regard as a painful
duty, often more wearisome than the most fatiguing expe-
dition. At length, towards evening, we steamed out to
sea in good spirits, pleasantly greeted by the cool trade-
wind. I admire persistency, and even to a certain degree
of obstinacy on all occasions; and therefore I may be
forgiven if I were secretly glad, that notwithstanding all
difficulties, notwithstanding all apparent insurmountable
obstacles, notwithstanding all the ill fortune which had
attended us as seafarers at the outset, we were neverthe-
less proceeding on the track which I, as a thorough sailor,
had for years been longing to pursue. A seaman who has
never made his way across the line is but a novice, as he
who has never landed on American soil is but a tyro.

Before our departure, to the great amusement of the
whole vessel, I threw our poor botanist into a state of
terrible alarm ; for I told him that in order to make an offer-
ing to science, he would be obliged to relinquish the voyage
to America, so long looked for ; and to remain during our
absence on the Cape de Verd Islands to botanise and to
search on the sunburnt rocks for some new weed. The
good innocent man, looked as though he were struck by
lightning, and his little sharp eyes blinked piteously ; but
he was obedient ; he packed his knapsack, took his ' Genera
Plantarum ' on his back, and came on deck like a quondam
Staberl ready for his journey of adventure. He looked as
though he had received a new life when he became aware
that it was a joke, and blessed the moment of our safe
departure.

H.M.S. < Elizabeth,' January 3.

The day was fine and cloudless. It passed quickly for
us in the work of writing accounts of the delay in our
voyage, and in the numerous preparations already be-
ginning for our life and doings in the New World. The
freshly blowing trade-wind enabled us to make nearly

ACROSS THE LINE. 83

twelve knots an hour ; and revived by it, we found the
heat endurable. The sea was rather rough, and we felt it
so all the more because the 'Elizabeth' has a habit of
dancing unnecessarily. The only living objects were the
faithful sea-swallows which followed unweariedly in our
wake; these birds must possess a peculiar organisation,
for apparently their unceasing flight leaves them no time
for sleep.

H.M.S. 'Elizabeth,' January 4.

The horizon was slightly overcast; the air in conse-
quence heavier; and the heat oppressive, especially
towards evening. We were approaching the regions of
calms in which the beneficent trade-wind would forsake us.
To-day the sea was animated by numerous shoals of flying
fish. We could clearly distinguish two classes ; the older
fish, flying singly and often rising two hundred yards above
the mirror of the ocean, had dark, almost black wings, and
allowed their bodies to droop : the young ones always
moved in dense shoals, did not rise so I igh above the
water, and had clear, glistening wings. They were often
frightened by the rudder of our vessel, and this showed
them to advantage. A pretty Swedish barque in full
sail was the first vessel we had met since leaving St.
Vincent. In the evening the clouds were of a golden
colour and shed a warm glimmer over the lightly-stirred
waves.

H.M.S. « Elizabeth,' January 5.

With morning, a flying fish came on deck, so that we
were able to examine the pretty animal at our leisure. I
was astonished to see how small its winged floats were,
and cannot understand how the fish can keep itself so
long above water by these means. We preserved the
curiosity carefully in spirits of wine. In the course of the
day the trade-wind sprang up from the south-east and the
heat increased in intensity. In the evening a tropical

G 2

84 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

shower fell, of which the crew, taking advantage of the
opportunity, made use to obtain a cooling, purifying, and
very necessary bath.

H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' January 6.

It was evident to-day that we were advancing into
equatorial regions; the heat was at intervals really in-
tolerable, although it did not amount to that of our dog-
days. At noon the thermometer showed a temperature of
35° (Reaumur) in the sun ; and in the shade 22° 4', which
is certainly moderate in comparison with Mirarmar, where
during the summer of last year it stood at rather above
29° in the shade.

During the day preparations were already begun for the
grand historical festival of the morrow : some scraps of
uniform peeped out, and some tools of martyrdom for the
work of torture were to be seen. Apprehension and
conscious qualms might already be read in various faces
expressive of anxiety about the morrow. The evening
was lovely, and the moon shone brightly in the deep
blue sky.

With the exception of a multitude of flying-fish that
flitted back and forwards, we were the only living beings
on the whole vast expanse. The larger fish that one so
frequently sees on a voyage were, I imagine, scared out of
sight by the rushing of our paddle wheels.

H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' January 7.

The whole forenoon was spent in making preparations,
the lively activity, characteristic of a joyous festival, reigned
everywhere, together with that eagerness of combination
with which everyone, no matter what his age or rank, finds
pleasure in working when a common object is in view.
The crew had already had their dinner about eleven o'clock,
that they might be in readiness at the right moment.
Towards noon everyone put on an appropriate costume ;

ACROSS THE LINE. 85

the principal actors in the coming ceremony vanished
behind a linen screen stretched before the forecastle, that
they might put on their showy garments at leisure.
Although jocularity pervaded the whole of the enlivened
vessel, and the festival almost exclusively monopolised
every thought, yet my heart was chiefly absorbed by a
sort of consciousness of victory, tempered with real grati-
tude that, notwithstanding all obstacles and difficulties, I
had attained this position, and could now graduate as a
sailor on the line that divides the two hemispheres. At
the same time I heartily enjoyed the celebration of the
day, and as a sailor, honestly complied with all the old
sea customs.

It was half-past eleven o'clock when suddenly the
mighty voice of Neptune thundered from the forecastle.
The sea-god enquired of the first lieutenant whether he
could visit the vessel. His wish, thus haughtily and
terrifically roared forth, was answered in the affirmative,
and we hove to on the plain of waters. The curtain
fell, and the grand train of the water-god moved aft with
majestic, measured steps. In advance, and first in the
glittering procession, came the grand master of the cere-
monies, a tall, strong, broad-shouldered sailor of Herculean
build ; on his head an immense cocked hat of black paste-
board with gilt ornaments, and a monstrous wig made of
horsehair, yellow bathing trowsers, and his whole body
painted so skilfully with lampblack and vinegar, that he
might have vied with the handsomest negro of Darfur. In
his hand he carried a large porter's staff. The musicians,
dressed fantastically, followed him, playing lively airs :
then came the god in his triumphal car, drawn by eight
demons with gilded horns, also attired in bathing trowsers
— they likewise shone in perfect ebony : a gun-carriage,
bedecked with flags and gewgaws, formed the triumphal
car. But in the family of the god was found the centre

86 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

of attraction, composed of his majesty Neptune, the queenly
Amphitrite, and their first-born, nurtured in heaven. The
point of the joke consisted in this, that the monarch of the
ocean and his wife were two stokers from the engine-room,
and therefore rather belonging to Pluto. The sea-god was
a sturdy fellow with a gilt crown and flowing white beard ;
his athletic form clad in a sailor's dress; hold ing a harpoon
in his strong right hand, to represent the ocean-ruling
trident; in his left, the thundering-speaking trumpet.
But gigantic beyond measure, large beyond description,
the paragon of the non-existent, the superlative of colossal
charmers, the pearl of the ocean, the image of a sea-
enchantress, was foam-bedewed, wave-rocked Amphitrite;
an old lean being, six feet in height, from Southern
Dalmatia, with flowing wefts of horsehair encircling the
bald, crowned head, throat and breast bare as those of a
goddess, enveloped in a crinoline thirty yards in circum-
ference, carrying the child of ocean-love, our youngest
cabin-boy wrapped in swaddling clothes, a coronet on his
head, and a prince's mantle thrown round his shoulders, a
charming little creature who was made to utter dismal
baby-cries by a series of continual pinches. But whoever
fancies that the brown leather- skinned Amphitrite was
not altogether feminine is quite in the wrong. She
was a languid princess grown old in ambition and evil
passions, a mother of many children ; yet the characteristic
of woman, undying coquetry, still to be seen in these
haggard features, this tottering frame. In my experience
of the court and the world I have met such women, and
well recollect a princess who exactly resembled this Am-
phitrite from Southern Dalmatia. Neptune's retinue
were gaily and showily dressed, and presented more or less
a witty parody on my own household. There was a
physician with his prescriptions ; an apothecary, wearing a
pair of large spectacles to aid his penetration ; a secretary

ACROSS THE LINE. 87

with Neptune's orders ; a treasurer imitating the original
in dress and demeanour ; an artist, with an enormous
palette and brush, who roguishly offered a picture of the
' Elizabeth ' in a storm, caricatured from its prototype ; a
master of the horse in a rich uniform, on a stalking horse,
with bells hung on it; and a private cook, in clothes
borrowed from Clerc, with a gigantic punch-bowl ; besides
some admirable masks represented with much humour.

When Neptune approached us, he made us poor crea-
tures, who were in an agony of apprehension, a speech
that had been prepared for him, and this also was not
deficient in wit and point. He enquired for the comman-
dant, and presented his followers with piquant remarks, in
which a little poetical satire was not wanting, and which
were received with peals of laughter. For instance, when
the boatswain, dressed in fantastic uniform, was presented
as ' colonello dei morti ' (colonel of the dead men), the
water-god added, e che scampa subito quando la guerra
incomincia' (who runs away directly a fight begins).
Next came our turn ; we were, to the agreeable surprise
of Neptune, presented to him as neophytes by our com-
mandant, who had himself already crossed the line, and
were invited to receive baptism. We approached in the
appropriate white dress. I bowed my head ; the com-
mandant took a sessula of salt water and bestowed on me
a seaman's baptism, accompanied by the following words :
4 Al primo arciduca che traversa i regni del Nettuno, il bat-
tesimo del marinaro ! (To the first archduke who has sailed
into the kingdom of Neptune, a sailor's baptism !) The
whole proceeding was so kindly, the words were responded
to by such a thundering ' hurrah ! ' that I felt this a
thousandfold dearer to my heart than many other ova-
tions. We all understood each other's feelings at this
moment ; it was a bond of sailorhood twining around all
alike. The commandant then turned towards Neptune

88 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and addressed him in the following words : f 0 re dei pro-
fondi abissi, ordina ai tuoi venti, ordina ai tuoi mari abbian
ad essere propizj al Principe marinaro ! (0 king of the
fathomless abyss, command thy winds, command thy waves,
to be propitious to the sailor Prince !) The old boatswain
of the * Elizabeth,' with whom I had for years made so
many voyages, was selected to be my godfather. Dressed
in an enormous white cravat and long blue coat, and car-
rying a cylinder hat, he laid his sinewy right hand upon
my shoulder during the ceremony of baptism. I then

resigned him as godfather to T and to the doctor,

who were likewise clad in the robe of innocence. As I did
not desire to subject myself to the process of shaving, I
ordered my tribute in liquidation to be handed to the
water-god. The treasurer in a white robe, its long train
borne by a page, and with an enormous pasteboard shirt-
collar, approached for the purpose of taking it, with all the
gravity suitable to his exalted office, and received the gold
and silver for the crew in a large bowl. Behind him
came a gaily ornamented wine-cask, drawn along on
barrels, and on the cask, to complete the joke, sat the
short, broad-shouldered, large-headed, flat-nosed professor
of botany in red bathing trowsers, a garland of vine leaves
twined around his head and shoulders, the smoking bowl
of a pipe at his sweetly smiling lips, a well-filled flagon in
his right hand — the representative of Bacchus. I have
never seen so perfect and so successfully depicted a character
at any masquerade. The treasurer said a few feeling words
to the god Neptune, and then knelt for baptism; but
scarce had he bent his head, when all at once the hose
poured forth a pitiless flood of salt water over him till,
like the Leda at Versailles, he was utterly lost in foam and
clouds of water. This was evidently the signal for the
real jokes of the sailors to begin, and now the mad, wild,
watery war commenced with full energy and with reckless,

ACROSS THE LINE. 89

even-handed justice and disregard of rank. A confused
assemblage rushed to and fro, struggling against the
torrents ; from the admiral to the lowest ship-boy, no one
had a dry thread upon him. The barber's shop presented
the most pitiable scene. The smallest of the ship's boats
had been turned into a lavatory, and Neptune's barber, a
non-commissioned officer who had taken the voyage round
the world in the ' Novara,' covered the various victims with
a lather of lampblack or tar ; and then, holding a tin
plate, shaved them with an enormous knife for a razor.
The first persons on whom the operation was performed
were the three innocent cadets. All three sat, objects of
compassion, immersed in salt water, blackened with tar,
in the amply-filled boat ; their clothes clinging to them
like those of the ancient statues, their once well-curled
and well-oiled locks hanging dishevelled and looking like
skewers ; these three youths formed a companion picture
to that of the three Jewish youths in the fiery furnace.
With the exception of those who had purchased their free-
dom at the right time, almost everyone was shaved ; but
for those who had the imprudence to hide, special search
was made. They were dragged from their lurking-places
with joyous triumph ; and, if possible, increased torments
were inflicted on them. When the external man of every
one on board was thoroughly drenched, the crew began
to think of refreshing the inner man, and punch and wine
were called for with energy. Although towards evening
some of the sailors were considerably elated, yet one cannot
but say in terms of praise, that during this period of author-
ised lawlessness, no one drank too much; the men invariably
confined themselves within their self-imposed bounds, and
evinced a general feeling of gaiety and good-humour.
With Englishmen such a day is always dangerous, and
seldom closes without some rough and unpleasant scene.
The northern is an admirable seaman, but he is also a

90 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

man of vigorous nature, as one might perceive on this day
among our excellent Grerman sailors, who indisputably
approach most nearly to English hardiness. The Germans
are also mighty in their powers of drinking, and can take
a good long draught.

I invited the whole staff to dinner, and to spend the
evening of this interesting day in sociable mirth. The
4 Elizabeth ' is the first Austrian steamer that has crossed
the line since steam has ruled the world ; and though a
lady of my country has shown us the road to the New
World, I can rejoice in being the first man of my house
to enter the southern hemisphere.

% H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' January 8.

Our first night south of the equator was so oppressively
hot, that all peaceful sleep was disturbed. The day was
bright and clear, the glistening blue sea rather rough. In
the course of the morning we noticed a large flock of
stormy petrels flying with rapidity around one spot on the
ocean. In the afternoon the first sea-gull made its appear-
ance, that true citizen of the world, that, as civis orbis, may
take, in its fullest sense, the motto, Ubi mare, ibi patria.

About four o'clock we again met with an object of in-
terest. We beheld, for the first time, land geographically
considered to be a part of America, and belonging to the
Emperor of Brazil, the island S. Fernando di Noronha.
This large island seemed to be distant about twenty miles,
and presented a very picturesque appearance ; the confor-
mations of the blue mountains possessed no longer the
characteristics of the Old World ; we already saw sharp
pyramids and sugar-loaf hills, from the centre of which
the celebrated pillar-like cone ascended to the sky like a
fantastic monument. Never before had I seen so strange,
so unusual a form of rock; and I regretted very much
that I was unable to examine this marvel of nature more

ACROSS THE LINE. 91

closely. The island of S. Fernando (which possesses its
own governor, much to be pitied) serves the Brazilian
empire for a convict colony. The men employed in the
whale fisheries assemble in this bad roadstead to take in
water and fresh provisions. In the evening, a most re-
splendent, beautiful full-moon reigned supreme in the
firmament, shedding her silvery rays over air and ocean.

H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' January 9.

After a shower of rain had, in the morning, brought
with it a cool freshness, we rejoiced in a lovely day bright
as summer. The air was mild and balmy, the billowy
sea of a heavenly blue. By the large vessels which
during the day cut merrily and swiftly through the azure
waters with their full-spread sails, we perceived that we
were approaching the continent and its ever animated and
extensive track of commerce. These meetings on the
high seas always excite pleasing emotions ; one feels that
one is not alone and deserted, and delights in conjuring
up a whole chain of adventures with the appearance of
each sail. That which is unknown and far-off interests
man, and when he views life from a distant point, he is
immediately attracted thither. It was a grief to me not
to greet one Austrian vessel among all those of various
other nations.

H.M.S. ' Elizabeth,' January 10.

Land ! land ! resounded like a song of triumph from
the freely, deeply drawn breathings of my heart, when,
with early morning, I came on deck, and beheld the sun-
lit, wave-washed shore of the new continent, of that quarter
of the globe discovered by the power of science, extended
in the distance before me. It is nearly four hundred years
since the same rapturous cry, ' Land ! land ! ' burst for
the first time from the mast of a small, fragile vessel, on
which moved one noble, ardent spirit; since after the

92 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

lapse of thousands of years the iron persistency of one
man gave to three united sisters, a fourth, and she the
greatest, the most important of them all ; since, by the
struggles of one mighty genius, the cradle of the future
was presented to the human race. It seems now like a
fable that Europe should already have made such advances
in the arts and sciences, that the invention of printing
should already have diffused light, that the first thunder
of guns should have resounded, that so many of the
greatest men should have passed away, whilst one-half of
the globe still remained undiscovered. It seems to me to
be a legend that I should be the first lineal descendant of
Ferdinand and Isabella, to whom from childhood upwards
it has been a daydream to visit this Continent, now hold-
ing so important a place in the history of mankind.

The coast appeared to be extensive and flat : some few
pyramidal mountain forms alone were visible in grey tints
in the far distance : dark foliage gave evidence of rich
vegetation, and with the glass one could distinguish the
straight bare stems of the palm forest as they stood closely
together. This forest extended down to the sea, consisting
apparently of the cocoa-nut palm which strikes its roots
even through the salt water. Gigantic specimens were to
be seen rearing themselves above the rest ; and the crowns
of these palms were clearly outlined against the sky.

At about half-past nine o'clock we passed the town of
Maccio. We had already seen its large, dazzlingly white
churches with their lofty towers gleaming in the distance ;
next, the houses below became visible — neat, pretty build-
ings, between which palm trees were waving. In front of
the little town, in the harbour surrounded by cocoa-nut
trees, lay some fine merchant vessels and two steamers ;
immediately on the coast we saw long rows of huts, which
must have been either the dwellings of slaves or warehouses
for goods. On the blue waters near the town, the noted

ACROSS THE LINE. 93

Sangada were cutting through the waves. These little
craft made of bark, with lateen sails and a primitive rudder,
and managed by one man who sits on a sort of stool, are
the sole means of communication on the coast of Brazil.
The Sangada rather lies in the waves than floats on them,
and is sa d to be very dangerous : passengers use these
boats for short transits. Navigation is rendered difficult,
even for. small craft, by reason that around the entire shore
there is a girdle of coral rocks, called by the Brazilians
Eecife.

Amid the verdure of the monotonous, continuous shore
we could see frequent levels of a glowing red or of a vel-
low hue ; these must have formed the termination of plains
of stone or sand. Here and there columns of smoke as-
cended from the primeval forest, giving evidence either of
settlements or of districts brought under cultivation. We
could also distinguish the place at which the river San
Francisco runs into the sea by the extensive sandbanks, and
by the colour of the water which suddenly becomes green.
The long banks of golden yellow reminded me vividly of
the wastes extending to the sea round Alexandria. Towards
evening the first American island gradually faded from
our view. The brilliai ce of the stars on this genial night
was more beautiful than I had ever beheld before : they
sparkled like diamonds in the dark blue heavens, in
countless multitudes ; and for the first time I admired
the clouds, which, against the glittering sky, appeared like
a ghostly vapour or a fog of starry exhalation.

Bahia, January 11.

At sunrise, the long, streaked coast and its banks covered
with vegetation, were quite close. With the telescope, and,
indeed, even with the naked eye, we could clearly distin-
guish the regularly-trained cocoa-nut trees, which grew
side by side as if in artistically-planted avenues.

B A H I A.

97

BAHIA.

Bahia, January 11, 1860.

BENEATH a rich blaze of golden sunlight, and a blue and
gleaming sky, we entered the large, extensive Bahia de
todos os Santos at about ten o'clock in the morning, in
high and cheerful spirits.

This was one of those happy moments in which a new
world, in the fullest sense of the word, opens before one ;
when one. would wish to have a hundred eyes to take in the
unknown wonders which are continually unfolding them-
selves on all sides, when in the midst of delight a feeling
of sorrow arises that one cannot grasp everything, cannot
preserve everything in remembrance. The mind, alas !
can only transiently enjoy the beautiful picture ; thus its
reflection in written words is but as a faint photograph,
founded indeed on truth, but weak and colourless com-
pared with the original. This is especially true in a new
quarter of the globe where nature in her wild luxuriance
reigns supreme, where nothing created by the hand of
man, nothing trained by him, attracts attention to itself.
Architectural beauties, works of art, imprint themselves
on the memory, and admit of being described with some
accuracy; but wherever nature wields her sceptre in
solitude, there she permits herself to be hailed with rapture
a.t the moment at which the eye rests upon her beauties,
but does not permit them to be repeated either by memory
or description. The exact sciences can indeed dissect them
anatomically, and can describe or model a dead body as
well as a dried flower ; but the living wealth of nature, as

VOL. III. H

98 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE

it lavishes its profusion of beauty on the soil of Brazil, is
indescribable. Therefore no one has yet been able to
depict its marvels ; even the brush of the painter is at a
loss when attempting to paint pictures from these latitudes.
Brazil stands yet fresh from the hands of the .Creator ; on
the day of creation, the primeval forest was the same as it
now is, even in the vicinity of the capital. Man has not
yet vanquished this land : true, he has begun the conflict,
but he has not yet conquered nor formed the estimate for
this great undertaking. Rome, with all her marvels of
art," with her monuments of human intellect, is more easy
to describe intelligibly than is a glimpse into a real
primeval forest. I write these words that they may
obtain pardon for me if I fail fully to attain my object;
for this first day on the soil of America has already
impressed me with her grandeur.

But to return to the ( Elizabeth.' We sailed round the
lighthouse with its battery ; vegetation was to be seen in
masses ; from the bright verdant ground rose columns of
palm, rich forms of giant-leaved trees, together with all
the wondrous plants with which we had until now only
been acquainted in the pining, languishing specimens of
our vaunted hot-houses ; at the sight of each new plant,
here a picture of unrestrained luxuriance and vigour, we
joyfully shouted its name, with a feeling of triumph at
having made a new conquest. There were two moments
in which my expectations were surpassed, even at my first
glance. One, when I beheld the fresh green like that of
May, so grateful to the eye, which prevailed everywhere ;
and which, notwithstanding the high temperature of the
hottest months of the year, shone in unprecedented brilliance
beneath the burning rays of the sun : the other, when I
beheld the profuse vegetation which poured down like the
waves of a giant waterfall to the deep blue briny flood.
As the steamer proceeded, the walls of hill parallel to the

BAHIA. 99

sea displayed themselves ; on their heights and slopes the
large, gleaming buildings of this commercial town lay
extended like a panorama. At the extreme point, behind
the lighthouse, surrounded by palms and by an immense
pine, that looked like a large umbrella, and bordered by a
terrace in good architectural taste, we saw one of the most
ancient churches of Bahia, with two ornamental towers, the
walls of which were of dazzling whiteness, whilst the walls
of the edifice were of dark granite. Next, upon the
elevated plain, we saw the handsomest portion of the
town, called Vittoria. The roofs peeped cheerily from
among the shady gardens, whilst a number of flagstaff's,
amounting to the ludicrous, gave evidence that in this spot
exclusively, as though united in one settlement, dwelled
the Consulate body. On every part of the steep declivity,
from Vittoria down to the bay, luxuriant vegetation was to
be seen in all the wild profusion of its pristine growth.
Crests of palm reared their graceful forms above the dark
sea of foliage; and groups of bamboos, with their deep
shadows and bright lights, com pact, yet of feathery lightness,
fringed the shore like clouds : whilst detached houses,
together with boats and small coasting vessels, gave a
very animated character to the scene at this point. The
air was bright, pure, and clear, as though one looked
through crystal; so that, to us Europeans, every object
was presented in outlines of peculiar sharpness, and in
unusually clear perspective, while the colouring in its ex-
treme brilliance glowed, and indeed one might say reflected
dazzlingly the beams of the equatorial sun. The whiteness
of the houses glittered from amid the foliage of the leafy
crowns, whilst again the turf contrasted like a bed of
sparkling emeralds with the red and yellow tints of the
soil, and the sky glistened like an enormous diamond tinged
with azure, but the waters of the bay were blue as the
sapphire.

H -2

100 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Between Vittoria and the houses in the actual town, on
a high terrace which looks as though supported by the
crowns of the trees beneath it, stands the celebrated
Passeo publico, with its obelisk and its statues of pure white
marble, beneath groups of gigantic trees. The town itself is
wide-spread and presents an imposing appearance ; one per-
ceives its great age, its solidity, its prosperity ; the numerous
houses are of a bright, cheerful colour, so that all looks
smiling and gay; there are also some buildings of con-
siderable importance, but they lack architectural beauty :
however, various towers and domes give character to the
scene. The town is divided into upper and lower. The
lower fringes the sea-shore; the upper crowns the ridge
of hill that runs parallel to the sea ; at different points the
steep hill-terrace communicates with the mass of houses
below. The gardens and fields which are mingled with
these, present, with their proud groups of trees and grace-
ful palms, all the foreign attractions of the tropics. In
the lower town, the eye is caught by the works of the
Marine Arsenal, and also by an ancient church with rich,
dark, granite ornaments; as in the upper town by the
Theatre Square. The theatre, a very lofty, spacious
edifice, overlooks an immense terrace adorned with trees,
around which rise large buildings ; a broad steep street,
like a Jacob's ladder, leads up the precipitous hill. Amid
the blue waters in front of the town stands a semicircular
fort, bristling with numerous guns: around and far out
towards the west into the bay was grouped a forest of
masts.

The town on this side terminates gradually amid the
bright green of the tropical forest, with the exception of
one strip of houses extending along the curve of the shore,
until at length that portion of territory peculiarly belong-
ing to Bahia finishes with the luxuriantly overgrown spit
of Bomfin, and with the loftily situated and resplendently

BAHIA. 101

white church of Nossa Senora di Bomfin. From this
point to the entrance to the bay, the panorama is very
extensive ; the immense bay reminds one of the expanse
of the Bodensee ; only in the far distance can one discern
the blue hilly coast and confused outlines of detached
islands. Nearer to the shore lies the island of Itaparica,
forming the opposite coast at the entrance to the bay.

The panorama of the town reminds one vividly of
Lisbon, as does also the character of the buildings, es-
pecially that of the numerous churches and monastic
edifices. One clearly recognises the endeavour of the
architect to impress a stamp of home on the colony. In
its full official title, the town is properly called, ( A Cidado
de San Salvador na Bahia de todos os Santos.' The
tendency to lengthen names endlessly is a genuine charac-
teristic of Brazil, and extends to both persons and places.
I know people who have four or five surnames, and at least
twenty Christian names ; in my opinion it is the true sign
of a small mind ; bombastic names are meant to put meagre
intellect out of remembrance. The town is now shortly
called Bahia, and certainly the least appropriate among its
many names has been selected.

Bahia was founded about the year 1549, by King John
III. of Portugal. A short time previously, the same King
had enfeoffed Don Francisco Pereira Cutinho with the
whole of the country from Cape San Antonio to the river
San Francisco. The custom of bestowing boundless terri-
tories on the nobles and favourites of the court was certainly
both generous and cheap, but the development of the soil
of Brazil is even yet suffering in consequence. The owners,
who in olden times had whole kingdoms at command, have
only energy and inclination to cultivate a portion for them-
selves ; yet are too proud to divide and sell the remainder
of the land inherited from father to son. This serves in
part to explain why the primeval forest is still so extensive

102 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE,

and reaches as far as the very gates of Rio. Cutinho, the
first owner, crossed the ocean to take possession of his new
country with its uncertain limits. In the Bay of Todos os
Santos (which probably derived its name from this, that
the saints of all countries and centuries might find space to
swim in it at the same time) our hero found, to his no small
surprise, a Portuguese, Alvares Correa by name, who had
remained on shore there after a shipwreck and had married
the daughter of a chief of the powerful tribe of the Tubin-
ambas. Correa had, through his wife, the lovely Paraguasu,
great influence over the Indians of the district, and resisted
the claims of his Christian countryman ; the dispute was
decided in favour of the transatlantic claim by the arbitra-
tors, and Correa was captured. The youthful Paraguasu,
mindful of her duty and of her warlike descent, summoned
her red-skinned people and attacked Cutinho so valiantly
that he was compelled to retire to Itheos with his Portu-
guese followers. But he carried the captive with him.
The Tubinambas now took refuge in diplomacy, and in-
vited Cutinho to quit his strong position in Itheos and to
return to the bay. Cutinho accepted the invitation, was
wrecked on the island of Itaparica and was, with his com-
panions, destroyed by the lovely Paraguasu and her friends
the Tubinambas. Correa was free. As to the source by
which intelligence of these events reached King John III,
history and her authorities are silent ; but it is an histo-
rical fact that upon hearing of them, John resolved to
establish the capital of all Brazil in the Bay of Todos os
Santos. He sent five large vessels with 500 volunteers and
1,500 criminals to the colony, under the command of the
Viceroy Tome de Souza. Correa was still alive at the
period of this expedition, and proved himself very useful
in arranging friendly relations between his country people
and the Tubinambas. For her rapid advance, Bahia has
to thank the Jesuits, who exerted only too energetic an

BAHIA 103

influence in the colonisation of the vast empire of Brazil.
In the year 1588, the Order defended the town successfully
against the English. At the close of the sixteenth century
Brazil, in which the work of colonisation had, in the mean-
time, made rapid progress, became divided into two
provinces, Bahia and Eio Janeiro. The Portuguese spread
themselves more and more widely around Bahia, so that
the warlike Tubinambas were forced to retire to the inte-
rior ; other tribes in the country were either gradually
annihilated, or became merged by degrees among the
colonists and negroes.

When, after the fabulous disappearance of the brave
King Sebastian, the haughty and calculating Philip
seized on the Portuguese throne for himself, a bitter
period of neglect arose for Brazil, still in her infancy : so
that it was an easy thing for that active enemy of Spain,
the Dutch Willekins, to expel the kindred race so hated by
the Brazilians. But the Dutchmen behaved like the
Spaniards, oppressing one foreigner by means of another,
and the egotistical greed of the cold mercantile people
was so detested by the now more civilised Brazilians, that
they rose in a mass ; and the Spanish Admiral Don Fre-
derique de Toledos succeeded in reconquering Bahia in
the year 1625 ; this was a circle of events such as is com-
mon in history.

The renewed independence of Portugal under the house
of Braganza was hailed with joy by this important colony ;
and with it the rule of the Spaniards came to an end for
ever. The bitter hatred of race, so deeply implanted in
the Iberian peninsula, which has excited a mortal enmity
between the Spaniards and the Portuguese, took root
with redoubled strength in the lands on the opposite
side of the ocean. Bahia quickly increased in extent,
population, and importance. The great Pombal, who
possessed a genius for pressing on reform, as well as a

:04 RECOLLECTIONS OP MY LIFE.

spirit of restlessness and love of change, and who, like all
upstarts, pushed ancient tradition on one side because he
was in a hurry to make an historical name for himself,
decreed, with the thoughtless hate of an innovator, the
removal of the original historical capital of this immense
colony from Bahia de todos os Santos to the distant shores
of the quiet river called Rio Janeiro, to whose banks the
primeval forest extended. In Bahia this measure gave
rise to extreme discontent, which shows itself even in the
present day in an invincible antagonism towards the im-
perial city.

If we examine Pombal's measure in a political point of
view, we see it to have been a mistake ; for, besides that
a statesman ought never to cast aside old traditions, but
rather to make use of them, Eio lies much too near the
southern boundary to serve as the metropolis of so im-
mense an empire. To the present day, Bahia and her
provinces will not acknowledge the supremacy of Eio.
This jealousy could not have been displayed more strongly
than it was at the moment of independence, when regal
majesty in the elder city held out for three years against
the rising empire. Since then, the wishes of the northern
provinces, with Bahia as their centre, have tended rather
towards republicanism; and Eio is too weak and too
remote to make her authority felt. It was, therefore, a
wise resolution of the Emperor to visit Bahia and her pro-
vinces ; and, by his personal presence, at least to defer
the foreshadowed catastrophe. Whilst still on the subject
of history, I must mention another peril which threatens
Bahia and her free, white population. It is told in a few
words, but it has produced an uncomfortable feeling of
depression, which weighs mysteriously upon the town like
a visitation of yellow fever. Bahia numbers 80,000
negroes among her inhabitants, and only 40,000 whites.
In these words an arithmetical problem is contained, which

BAHIA. 105

finds its answer in the disquietude recurring from time to
time. I say nothing of the germs of decay which slavery
inevitably brings with it. On this point I could at this
moment adduce particulars, and therefore proofs, close at
hand.

But let us leave historical data, and return to the reali-
ties which smiled their welcome to us by the fulness of
their beauty. The whole vessel was in a state of feverish
excitement. We were standing at the gates of Paradise,
and yearning for admission with an indescribable, almost
childish, impatience : for this was the very day on which
that dream of years, the treading on the tropical soil of
America, was to become a reality. In making my arrange-
ments, I felt anxious to escape all the ceremony and eti-
quette appropriate to my rank, and to be left to myself to
enjoy my first visit to the tropics in freedom, with im-
pressions undisturbed by the presence of a gold stick in
waiting, acting as guide. For this purpose it was necessary
to leave the ' Elizabeth ' early, and before the announce-
ment of the arrival of a prince should have penetrated
within the confines of the government circle.

At length the boat of the health officer, rowed by dirty
mulattoes, made its appearance, and the first Brazilian
stepped on board in the form of a European dandy,
bringing us the much-desired permission to go on
shore. The amiable youth looked as though he were
employed as a sort of sample of Brazilian capability for
civilisation, and for the purpose of giving a favourable
impression to transatlantic travellers. He spoke French
fluently, could twist and turn about, and was dressed
almost exactly like one of the figures in the patterns of
Paris fashions ; only the youngster was oblivious of the
seasons. He adhered strictly to the costume for the
month of January, and was therefore dressed in cloth and
velvet, with the sombre cylindrical hat on his well-curled

JOG RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and well-oiled locks. That the January of Brazil falls in
July our fashion-figure had quite forgotten.

From a want of regard to heat and cold, an utter con-
fusion as to dress reigns in the tropics ; which among the
upper classes is productive of complete slavery. In the
burning heat of the dog-days, the ladies sweep the dust
off the streets with their heavy velvet dresses ; and the
gentlemen imagine that they can make no pretensions to
civilisation, if they do not pant beneath the scorching rays
of the sun in black coats and Parisian hats. The European,
who has fortunately reached the happy point of acknow-
ledging comfort to be the first and only law in dress, is
guided by the thermometer, and breaks through the bonds
which would keep him in slavery. Notwithstanding Bra-
zilian etiquette, we were dressed in light white clothes ;
on our heads, the plebeian Panama hat ; in our hands, the
protecting umbrella.

In a fever of impatience we sprang into our boat ; and,
with beating hearts, made our way amid ships and barques,
over the azure waves, to the transatlantic shore. To
express my feelings in words would be impossible. This
was one of those happy days so rare in the life of man ; the
enthusiastic feeling of triumph in grasping securely that
which has been attained with difficulty, is combined with
the indescribable delight of investigating and contem-
plating an entirely new world. My soul and intellect
were quickened for the reception of all that was new and
wonderful with an eagerness of happiness which, until
now, I had only known in imagination, or from books.
My heart throbbed with anxiety, and with the sweet
uncertainty whether the reality would come up to my
previously-formed ideas, or even surpass them. To a
lover of nature, and an enthusiastic traveller like myself,
that moment is never to be forgotten in wrhich we enter
a new world ; in which all that we have learned from

BAHIA. 107

books becomes imbued with life; in which the objects
contained in our limited and laboriously- formed collections
stand before us in the fresh vigour of existence ; in which
the pigmy growth of our confined glass-houses becomes
expanded into forests and giant forms, and the animals
with which we are only acquainted through the forlorn
specimens in zoological gardens, or as stuffed objects in
museums, surround us in the freedom of life, in beauty of
colour, and gladness of existence ; that moment in which
the book gains life, the dream reality.

We had selected for our place of landing a green spot
on the coast to the right of the town beyond Vittoria,
where bamboos grew in luxuriant profusion down to the
shore. I could not summon resolution to mix with the
throng in this noisy American town. In moments of
deep feeling, the excited soul ever flees from the troubling
hum of man. Does not the bridegroom desire to see his
destined bride for the first time in the stillness of solitude ?
Does not the son who hopes, after years of separation, to
press his mother again to his heart hasten in advance of
his friends and acquaintances? In moments of excite-
ment, the overcharged heart needs seclusion, because, in
order to grasp his full happiness, man must be able to
concentrate his powers.

At a quarter to eleven, on January 11, our boat grounded
on the shingle, and it had scarcely touched the landing-
place, when, with feelings of joy rarely experienced, I
sprang on the soil of the new continent. With a stroke
of the magic wand I was placed in a new world ; all around
breathed life and beauty. If during our voyage we had
in those winter months found spring, now the warm,
delicious, perfumed air of luxuriant summer was shed
around us. The atmosphere had that elasticity, that fra-
grance of vegetation, that balmy softness, which is only
accorded to us Europeans in the very height of summer.

108 EECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

It was necessary to strain every nerve, in order, beneath
the blissful influences of the glowing sun, in the sudden
reawakening to life and warmth, to leave nothing unseen,
nothing unappreciated, among the wonders presented by
nature.

At the landing-place, we saw on our right, on the
threshold of a ruined house, a troop of negroes and
negresses, who in their light cotton garments were mauling
the linen of the Bahians, by way of washing it, amid noise
and jokes ; whilst on our left the profuse verdure of the
tropics surrounded our ascending steps in wild growth of
weeds, impenetrable thickets overspread with numberless
creepers, green of every shade and hue through which
brilliant blossoms pressed themselves ; all was in the full
vigour of nature up to and over the hilly streets. The
bamboos overhanging the mountain-slope formed dark,
shadowy masses like thunder-clouds. By means of the
knowledge we had gained in our hot-houses, we every
moment recognised some fresh plant or bright blossom
which had here grown to the size of those in the fabled
gardens of the giants. Our company carried on an eager
war of bets as to who would be the first to discover some
marvel of the tropics and proudly announce his discovery
to his comrades. The air was filled with the hum of
insects peculiar to the soft, warm south; grasshoppers
revelled in the sunlight, and the ardour with which they
played on their winged instruments seemed to increase as
the sun advanced to the zenith ; timid lizards of unfamiliar
form glided into the shelter of their dark-green leafy
homes at our northern appearance ; from amid wondrous
masses of emerald plants, giant butterflies with indented
wings of gaily gleaming hues fluttered gently like the
visions in a peaceful dream. And all this burst upon us
during our first five minutes of life in America !

In order to give a little information, as becomes a

BAHIA. 109

pupil of Nature, I will here mention that the butterflies
which we admired during these first moments, were
the golden Papilio Thoas, and the Papilio Dardanus,
which was black, ornamented with red and light yellow
spots.

With ever-increasing rapture, we ascended the heights
up to the plateau on which Vittoria is situated. A broad
straight street brought us to the large square of Vittoria.
In front of the very first villa on the right, we saw some
tall specimens of the cocoa-nut palm (Cocos nucifera),
the genuine type of the tropical American world. It
ranks next to the date palm in beauty ; and, as this
latter, with its straight stem, and proud perfect crown, is
the picture of symmetry, and the model followed by grave
art in Egypt, and glowing art in Greece, so is the cocoa-
nut palm the untrained representative of the uncultivated
hemisphere. It lacks the beautiful proportions and the
symmetry of the date-palm ; its stem is thin as though
stunted, it does not rise straightly, and only becomes
large towards the crown ; and, while the golden fruit of
the date palm gleams in wondrous beauty of form, the
far-famed cocoa-nuts hang irregularly, like excrescences ;
the crown is ragged, and bent in all directions by the
wind. How magnificently, on the contrary, do the palms
of Memphis and Kamleh rear their forms !

The large square of Vittoria is like an immense parade-
ground ; a broad, level space, round which are some few
melancholy trees, and on which the grass peeps out in
patches. The squares in all the towns of Brazil are of a
similar description, and might with more justice be
named Campo, than the Campo of Venice. Vienna has
a similar Campo in the celebrated Lerehenfelder ; as in it
boys, tramps, and hucksters, gain a living, so dirty negro
children, and screeching negro washerwomen scuffle in
dusky confusion over the Brazilian field. The Campo of

110 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Vittoria is surrounded by pretty and cheerful villas, with
lovely little gardens : these villas are built for the most
part in the graceful Grecian or Italian style, and are
so slight and fragile that they 'look like pretty toys,
and bear the impress of dwellings hurriedly erected by
migratory upstarts. Numerous little pillars, statues,
and all sorts of ornamental work, are intended to prove
the importance of the owner; the thin pasteboard walls
testify to the short occupancy of the possessor; the
numerous windows, verandahs, and terraces, are tokens of
unbroken summer.

The inevitable flag-staff, pointing towards heaven, stands
before every house in Vittoria which shelters a consul ;
and, whenever a feast day recurs, all the banners of
Europe and America may be seen floating merrily to-
gether. There is no prince, nor the smallest pigmy re-
public, that has not an official representative at Bahia de
todos os Santos. It might not be uninteresting to en-
deavour to discover who in Bahia is not a consul. All
these consuls are Germans, and either from their own
birth, or from the gradations of rank among the two-and-
thirty states, are tenacious of their position ; it may be
imagined what a nest of chattering daws fair Vittoria
presents.

The lovely little gardens that border the square and
the neighbouring streets, and cluster round, and almost
within, the houses, are truly fairy-like. One sees luxuriant
plants behind richly worked lattices, their splendid colours
bathed in the golden sunlight, their thousand varied
blossoms glowing and gleaming ; the appearance that of
baskets of flowers, or caskets of jewels. Well arranged,
and contained within narrow limits, these parterres seem
to be so many winter gardens, aroused into the life of
summer ; the sun develops and warms them, brightening
the pale colours into a glow which would charm an artist.

BAHIA. 1 1 1

Here, in this world of flowers, all is true life, overpowering
delight : indeed, nature seems to have exerted herself to
find something distinctive of a garden; she has succeeded
in placing side by side the rarest specimens of all that is
rare, and in causing every colour of the rainbow to gleam
within a narrow space. For the benefit of those who
possess some knowledge of botany, I will mention a few of
the plants. The lovely and fragrant Plumera, growing in
this tropical climate to the size of a large shrub, with its
splendid blossoms, which unite a silvery shimmer and
golden glow with tints subdued as those of the even-
ing twilight ; the Bougainvillea, which showers its red or
violet blossoms in brilliant cascades over wall and terrace ;
the Lagerstromia, with which Europe has indeed some
acquaintance, but only as it were in a pale photographic
copy of the splendid original ; the deep-blue Petrea
volubilis ; the Poinsettia, with its coronet of leaves glow-
ing like tongues of flame ; besides numerous Bignonias,
acacias, cassias, and others. The astonishment of new-
comers in beholding this world of brilliance and of tropical
light may be imagined. And all blooms and flourishes
throughout the entire year ; and, when one colour fades,
a yet brighter succeeds. It is a pity that these gardens
have been disfigured by numerous banks, paths, and walls
covered over with glazed coloured tiles, supporting sta-
tuettes of similar material.

The low state of Brazilian art, resembling a childish
toying with things not yet understood, is evinced by the
way in which Hebe, Cupid, and Apollo are grouped in
countless repetition in the alleys and parterres ; this
absence of taste runs like a red thread throughout the
whole empire of Brazil, giving it an unpleasing stamp of
parvenuship. Immediately in front of the windows of the
Sardinian consulate, we saw the first palanquin hurrying
past — a Brazilian means of locomotion that owes its

112 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

existence to slavery. Viewed as a mode of conveyance, it
has a very comical appearance. Two powerful blacks,
dressed, horribile dictu, in heavy gold or silver em-
broidered antique livery, with pitch-black leathern hats
and cockades on their heads, barefooted (for such is the
official mark of these human beasts of burden), and
moving at a quick trot, were carrying, slung on a pole
upon their shoulders, a sofa that hung close to the ground,
and was surrounded by a dark-blue curtain worked with
gold. As one sees so imposing a mass approach, one is
tempted to suppose that something sacred is borne within
this mysterious waving curtain ; presently the curtain
moves, and one sees a large stout senhor, in black dress and
hat, flirting his fan, and thus becomes aware that the
exertions of the liveried negroes are bestowed on some-
thing much less sublime.

Each house has its own palanquin, for which these
inexpensive and intelligent black horses are not wanting.
There are also, in addition, palanquins for hire, which
stand in readiness in certain parts of the city, but these
are not the property of free negroes ; they are let out as
a means of making money for the impoverished owners
who have no property but negroes. Their master feeds
them ; therefore their gains belong exclusively to him.
With an inheritance of two or three negroes, a free, con-
stitutional Brazilian citizen can remain idle, can obtain a
respectable competence, and can talk of the rights of man ;
for, be it understood, the Brazilian makes a distinction
between the rights of white, and working, men. This
is but a gleam of light shed upon the hideous question
of slavery, of which I shall have opportunity to speak
further.

Passing through the square, in which the noonday heat
was by no means so intolerable as one might have ex-
pected, we bent our steps round the old granite fort, in

BAHIA. 113

the street leading up the heights to the original town of
Bahia. On the right we perceived a large garden, from
which the first casuarina stared at us amid palms and all
manner of trees. Man everywhere loves that which is
peculiar, and is never satisfied with that which nature
lavishes so profusely upon him ; and thus the Brazilians,
with great want of taste, send to Australia to fetch these
frightful plants, these withered flowers, to their own country.
The casuarina rises in the air like an immense witch's
broom, or like an old dusty bunch of rosemary, with parched
leaves and blossomless boughs, planted out of reverence
for the dead. Like the dragon-tree and the camel, it is
an extravagance of nature ; the most fanciful imagination
cannot call it pretty.

Along the garden wall by the side of the trottoir, a
group of negresses was squatted, selling fruit — an in-
teresting group to strangers — among which were most
original specimens for size and age. Old negresses in light
loose garments, complete hags in their rough sturdiness
and horrible ugliness ; their black leathery skin wrinkled
into a thousand folds, like a piece of india-rubber ; with
dark grey hands, and feet baboon-like in their lissomeness ;
their small heads, like those of tortoises, covered with
short white wool ; their long white teeth, and, as a con-
trast, their piercing eyes swimming in the redness pro-
duced by spirits, were shouting with jeering glibness at every
stranger, offering him bargains of guavas, bananas, cocoa-
nuts, and all manner of other fruits with which I was still
unacquainted.

Close by, sunk in calm repose, lay prodigies of black
youthful rotundity, the dark flesh exposed to the gaze of
passers-by, in soft masses that might truly seem impossible,
and that were truly enormous in circumference. One
woman especially attracted our notice, from her remarkable
figure. She wore the peculiar and picturesque costume of

YOL. IIL I

114 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the Brazilian negresses, which bears some resemblance to
that of their more eastern native country. A grey,
flowered, calico gown hung carelessly around her slender,
delicate form ; a white chemise without sleeves floated, as
an accidental supplement, around the upper portion of
her person ; a shawl worked in gay colours, fell in pic-
turesque folds over her shoulders as an addition when
walking in the town; beads with a heathenish amulet
hung over her breast : while her head was encircled by a
turban of white or pale-blue gauze. Bright colours are
very becoming to the bronze hue of the skin, whilst the
figure is still young and rounded ; and therefore even in
this country, and with this dress, coquetry is possible.

The woman of whom I speak, and who sat complacently
enthroned in the centre of the group, had a neck and
throat that would have done honour to the Emperor
Vitellius ; and her bared bosom was in perfect harmony
with them ; whilst, owing to the velvet texture and bronze
colour of the skin, there was a certain degree of splendour
in her foreign appearance. The lady evinced her own.
conviction of this fact by a very self-satisfied smile.

The thing that struck me particularly in the group was
that the negresses should have snow-white hair, which had
an indescribably hideous effect ; also that even among the
women the hair should be like short wool ; we are so
accustomed to consider the length of the hair to form one
of the differences between the sexes, that at first it seems
very strange to see the sparsely covered heads of these ne-
gresses. As among the various tribes of animals we keep
the principal features in our eye, and scarcely notice the
different peculiarities of their individual members, so that
all ostriches, asses, pheasants, look to us alike ; so (sad to
confess) is it with our black neighbours who, as one may
perceive, are merely considered as belonging to the genus
man.

BAHIA. 115

One finds almost universally among negroes the same
type of face, merely differing in shape and size. The
figure of the negro is generally slender and well-formed,
and nature never produces a cripple. Among the men,
splendidly athletic figures may be found, especially among
the noted porters, who remind one of antique bronzes;
the neck and shoulder-blades are strikingly well-shaped ;
the legs, on the contrary, are universally slight, and the
calf entirely wanting, as with the baboon. The women
are also for the most part slender as the pine, have a
remarkably beautiful walk, very pretty, small hands, and
exquisite busts ; but the pendant bosom, pressed nearly as
flat as a board, is a hideous characteristic of the race.

Both men and women have universally bright eyes, in
which lurks a sly humour, but in which one may also read
the easily excited tiger nature ; in vain does one seek in
the dark orbs for any sign of high intellect.

The black children are like pretty toys, and in their
movements remind one of the free forost and the graceful
cocoa-nut tree. The old people, on the contrary, are
frightful ; they lack all that renders old age venerable and
beautiful ; and in looking at them, I involuntarily recalled
to mind the hoary apes that I saw lamenting in the Jardin
des Plantes. In childhood and old age, the blacks resemble
wild beasts ; it is only in the season of youth and of full
strength that they seem to rise temporarily to the level of
humanity. The negroes generally wear nothing but white
trowsers, and an open white shirt, on their heads a tattered,
round, straw hat. The slaves of a higher class add a
spencer of blue cloth.

Proceeding along the trottoir our road led us alon a
path raised like a rampart, and parallel to the fort men-
tioned before. Looking down from the height on our
right, a wonderful scene, far surpassing description, pre-
sented itself to us. Far out into the country at the back

I 2

116 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

of the town behind the hill skirting the bay, was a deep
valley which displayed the perfect splendour of primitive
tropical vegetation in a wondrous vision of loveliness.
As though by a stroke of enchantment, we beheld the
emerald richness, the impenetrable and fantastic wreaths
of flowers of a paradise. A green sea of leaves, its
sunlit waves undisturbed by any trace of man, was
spread before us beneath the deep-blue, equatorial sky ;
brilliant yet calm, strange and mysterious in form and
feature. If, on the one hand, we looked with feelings of
astonishment and gratitude at the grand, overpowering
whole, on the other hand we sought, though for the most
part in vain, with that strange curiosity peculiar to man,
for familiar forms, and sought to divide the wondrous
picture into isolated groups. We could indeed distin-
guish gigantic trees with dark, rich crowns ; could see lianas
creeping from bough to bough, and we also discovered and
welcomed various orchids; but ever again lost sight of indi-
vidual objects in our rapture at the grandeur of the scene.
Whilst we were thus standing like strangers at the gates
of Paradise, revelling in this vision of beauty, we suddenly
heard something rumbling and clattering behind us ; the
rapid trot of a pair of horses in double harness resounded
on the dusty road. They were two lean greys, driven by
an old negro in a silver-embroidered coat who rode pant-
ing upon one of them ; behind these horses a dust-covered
box, with a pale white cross painted on it, rolled along on
two large cabriolet wheels. It was grim death who held
his course and whose black jockey was thus merrily con-
ducting the empty casket of the soul to its last rest. Thus
are the dead borne to the grave in Bahia, thus rapidly and
gaily are the victims of the scourge, yellow fever, that
carries them off with so little warning, taken to the grave.
We remained standingon the dusty road in astonishmentand
with outraged feelings ; Paradise on our right, on our left

BAHIA. 117

Death, and his equipage a la Daumont. The little vehicle
driven by the black livery servant rolled past, and we
pursued our way.

At the gate of the fort whence Turkish music was sound-
ing, we saw a small triumphal arch, erected by the faith-
ful garrison to their Emperor ; it was a work which would
scarcely have done credit to a village schoolmaster. Be-
neath the large trees in the square we met with some
soldiers of the imperial army ; large black clowns or mon-
key-like mulattoes who were lounging about in a melan-
choly manner in their gay uniforms which had evidently
(in consequence of the impoverished state of the treasury)
not been made for them ; they seemed to have got into them
by accident, and their dress hung about them as though
put on hap-hazard ; on their woolly heads they had caps
like the tent of Soliman Pacha, the oppressor of Vienna ;
and in order to make this headgear more useful and
becoming, two scarlet baubles, like signal lanterns, were
suspended from the crown, which dangling back and for-
wards, made, when the sun was in the zenith, a sort of
shadow dance over the noses of those who wore them. In
wet weather these ornaments would serve to quench the
thirst of the warrior, for he need only open his mouth to
receive the concentrated stream. These men, springing
up like rockets, with these tent-like hats on their sleepy
heads, with their dark-blue spencers and red facings, for
which, to judge from the shape and scantiness of material,
they must have been measured in their sixth or seventh
birthday, with their tight white trowsers, and feet bare of
any constraint, present a very ludicrous appearance.

These soldiers carry no arms ; what need has a soldier
of arms ? his appearance and military bearing are sufficient.
I commend all military men, and all in Europe who have to
do with soldiers, to reflect seriously on the advantages of the
Brazilian spencer. P^or the rest, the Brazilian army looks

118 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

like a body of civilians practising on the sly ; yet even in
this point of view there is a bright side to the picture.
Brazil is, thank Heaven ! still so uncivilised as to need no
array ; with the exception of the little garrison in the town
pro forma, there is but an insignificant number of soldiers
in Kio Grande do Sul, just to watch the adjacent republic,
and to fight in case of need.

We now entered the original town, and advanced to-
wards the rows of houses which extend along the shore on
the height, running parallel to the bay. The farther I
penetrated into the town, the more was I surprised at its
striking resemblance to the mother city, Lisbon. There is
the same disposition of the streets, the same description of
houses, with numerous glass doors and iron balconies, the
same irregularity of ground, the same primitive shops and
signboards, even the churches are in the same style, having
similar proportions, though less of luxury and ornament.
At each step, at each turn, we recognise the Portuguese
model. It is interesting when travelling abroad, to notice
how every nation impresses its own stamp on its colonies,
and seeks to imprint on them the image of the mother
country. Even in the Moorish city of Algiers, the French
have formed a mimic Paris. Nature alone will not allow
herself and her beauties to be trained into strange forms,
except in a very partial degree.

The population in this country also has its peculiarities.
One sees negroes, and ever negroes ; there are no white
people in Bahia, except on the steep steps, where one
meets sailors from every land. The owners of property
are white, or rather of a pale-yellow complexion. Charac-
teristic figures, such as the towns of Asia and Africa present,
are wanting, for the aborigines have been driven back into
the depths of the primeval forests. They who inhabit Brazil
are strangers, and still bear the impress of an uncertain,
migratory population. From the emperor down to the

BAHIA. 119

lowest negro boy there are very few who can reckon three
generations in the country; therefore the repose of his-
torical association has not yet fallen upon it. The firm
cement of memory is wanting, and no one thinks of quiet,
well-regulated improvement; all are disturbed by the
passions of the moment. Brazil has not yet ceased to be
a colony, has not begun to establish herself as an empire,
firm in her own strength.

The white population in the streets of Bahia are of the
same type as the people of southern Europe ; and never
evince any national characteristics except when, like our
ripe fruit, they hang on the poles of a palanquin, or trot
through the streets on their well-shaped, long-eared mules.
Their dark -coloured, would-be French costume is a proof
of the obstinacy and love of appearance born in our race.

One scarcely ever sees white women in the streets ; only
on the rarest occasions do they tear themselves from their
balcony windows and from the rocking-chairs in their
verandahs. A Brazilian lady in the town is the very im-
personation of weary idleness. There, the stranger only
meets negroes and negresses.

It seemed strange to me to see large monasteries every
five minutes, mysterious buildings looking like prisons, as
in Palermo, the thickly-grated windows of which told of
the durance of their inmates. Lofty towers, like those of
a fortress with latticed galleries, permitted a distant view
of the noisy town, of the broad blue ocean, and of the
green country. One travels to learn ; I could never have
imagined that in the democratic state of Brazil, with its
poverty-stricken government, such numerous monastic
establishments could exist, nor that such could be needed
in the vicinity of primeval forests. In Europe, one might
find personal freedom beneath their calm protection ; the
sacred walls might prove to be the longed-for defence
against intrigue, against evil passions, against temptation ;

120 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the cloister might be the grave enshrining the moral suicide
immuring himself therein from noble motives.

But what need is there of such in America, where the
trackless primeval forest, with its walls of verdure, offers
a secure refuge from the griefs of the world, and affords
repose for the soul ? There were indeed a multitude of
persons in the middle ages who fled to the cloister, but
similar spirits can now emigrate to America. America
presents an admirable asylum, specially for those who have
come to a resolution to break with the stormy past, and to
work their way to a blameless future ; for the ocean is
wide, very wide, a lake of oblivion, and whoever sails
across it can, as by a second baptism, wash even the stains
of blood from his hands. As in a monastery, so also in
America, no one asks a new comer whence or wherefore he
has come ; let him have been ever so wicked in Europe, he
may by diligence and perseverance become in America a
thoroughly respectable man. Useful as monasteries 'may
be and are in other countries, here they are plainly mere
toys, which no one has the courage or the right to suppress.
With the exception of the Franciscans and Capuchins,
who, as we afterwards had occasion to observe, send forth
very low, demoralised missionaries, the monasteries of
Brazil are abodes of luxury which can in no way be
pleasing to the Almighty. Lukewarmness, and a total
want of spiritual activity, prevail within these numerous
edifices ; and the Pope, who has ordered such wise
austerities in the degenerate European monasteries, would
render eternal service to religion if he, for he only can do
it, would suppress the great number of those in Brazil,
and would reform the Capuchin and Franciscan monasteries
and restore them to their original intention. The nu-
merous convents are now merely dirty shrines in which
people lay up old booty : but a more minute description of
these another time.

BAHIA. 121

Our mountain-road now conducted us to a grand church,
near which the rows of houses became more extensive ; the
ground sloped upwards, and led to the central point of
Bahia, and to the large Theatre Square, or rather Terrace.
The buildings were handsome, and resembled those of
Lisbon. Some of them were, like those on the banks of
the Tagus, ornamented with glazed tiles. In front of them,
wherever the space from the street would permit, there
were little terraces, on which various plants, such as rose
and camelia trees, made a droll appearance, springing
from between the tiles like bouquets of flowers on a cake.

The Theatre Square is very remarkable : the declivity of
the hill is raised by an embankment into a wide terrace ;
from this terrace rises the spacious theatre with its
yellow walls and its countless windows, looking like an
immense warehouse ; opposite to it stands a strikingly
large building, containing coffee-houses and shops ; while a
sea of houses is spread over the declivity. In front of the
theatre, the square is adorned by some trees, an exquisitely
clear fountain rising from a basin of Carrara marble, and a
beautiful statue of the great Columbus.

The view from the parapet of the terrace surprises one
by its beauty. Around and below lies the picturesque
town ; before one is the ocean, forming itself into a road-
stead, studded with countless vessels, from mere boats
up to every rig of trading vessel. The hour noon; the
sun in the zenith, casting a brilliant shimmer over the
sea, in whose waves of wondrous blue the reflected light is
condensed into a silvery vapour ; the verdure of the forest
gleams in the haze of the noonday beams ; beyond, the
distant island of Itaparica, the isles and mountains are
dimly outlined far as the Paraguasu. On the right, gleams
the bay with its palm-shaded peninsula of Bomfin, its
smiling villas and bright white churches, all looking
strangely near. Large boats, with enormous sails, merrily

122 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

traverse the azure waters like swans. These bring the
fruits of the island, the sweet superfluities of nature — cut
sugar-canes, bags of coffee, and cocoa — from the distant
plantations to the metropolis of trade. Below us the life
of the harbour is concentrated, midway between the fort
(erected in the midst of the waters of the roadstead) and
the arsenal with the neighbouring custom-house. The
general outlines of this remarkable scene might easily be
met with in Europe ; there is nothing novel in its features ;
but the beauty of colouring, the richness of glow and
glitter, belong to a hot climate only.

It was but natural that amid all our ecstasy we should
feel the necessity of feeding the fire of enthusiasm by
material means, and therefore sought for an hotel. Fol-
lowing some vague directions received on board, we dis-
covered in a side street, by means of the notices on the
shop-windows, something resembling an eating-house. We
rushed towards it, and passing through passages and up
steps we reached a large hall, with a long verandah facing
the sea, from which we again had a beautiful bird's-eye
view. But these continual feasts for the eyes had a very
exhausting effect upon the frame. From our elevated
position we could even see without any special pleasure
butterflies of extraordinary size chasing merrily over the
mounds and [clusters of weeds on the declivity. Little
tables, figures belonging to French romance, and a some-
thing resembling a c&rte-a-manger, showed us that we were
in a place of refreshment. An oppressive silence reigned
everywhere, no attendant sprites appeared, all looked as
though everyone in the house were dead ; could the yellow
fever by possibility have desolated the place? At length
we gave full vent to our impatience, and some mulatto
servants of various shades of colour, who had evidently
been idly taking a siesta and looked like weary spirits
recalled from the grave, made their appearance.

BAHIA. 123

But now our real perplexity began. In the thoughtless
tumult of delight we had brought no interpreter, and no
one could understand us ; so the men only made grim
dismal faces, quite forgetful of their mission as servants of
the public. At length in a strain of heart-rending melan-
choly, I stammered forth ' Cha ! Cha ! ' This word, which
I had read on the shop-windows in Lisbon, aided the
benighted wits of the languid creatures to a glimmer of
light, and other signs borrowed from the monkey tongue
likewise had their effect. Miniature cups appeared with
pale-coloured tea (cha), pounded sugar dingy as the dust
in the streets, and even a sort of beefsteak which, judging
from its dried condition, must have been imported from
England months ago. My poor teeth could not make their
way through this steak. By means of pantomimic milking
we requested milk for our cha, but were only laughed at
by the coloured people. By a similar use of signs they
gave us to understand that the white fluid was only to be
had early in the morning. We were obliged to make a
fight to obtain fruit, or rather a woody pineapple, which
however we received with gratitude as the American fruit
par excellence, bananas, which at least satisfy the appetite,
mangoes, fruit of a greenish-yellow colour, with a pulp
yellow as the yoke of an egg, and the turpentine flavour of
which was not palatable, and finally the celebrated cashew,
that much-lauded fruit which the Brazilians devour in
large quantities.

The form of the cashew is very peculiar ; a soft pulpy
mass in shape like a pear, covered with a shining red and
yellow peel like that of a Borsdorffer apple, hangs from the
stem ; within it lies the strange kernel looking like a large
dark bean. This kernel is called the cashew-nut. The
tree which bears this fruit is of the form and size of a
moderately large cherry-tree, the Latin name isAnacardium
occidentale. The leaves are oval, and of a bright glossy

124 RECOLLECTION'S OF MY LIFE.

green : the pulp has a bitter-sweet taste, is astringent, and
is said to be very quenching to the thirst. Without any
addition the juice affords a beverage, in colour white tinged
with yellow ; it tastes like bad orangeade, consequently is
not palatable. An oil is extracted from the cashew-nut.
What will one not eat when tormented by hunger and
when entering inexperienced into a new hemisphere ?

In the course of his voyages round the world our artist
had eaten the cashew-nuts roasted, and he maintained that
they tasted like sweet almonds. On the strength of this
information, he and T., from thirst for scientific knowledge
and love of discovery, ate the fresh juicy beans with
eagerness. But repentance followed upon the act with
lightning speed; for the bitter caustic oil exuding from
the roasted nuts burned their inquisitive tongues and
curious mouths to such a degree that they broke forth into
moans and laments ; and the artist, who had evinced the
greatest eagerness, felt the pain for some days, and was
annoyed by little blisters in his mouth. These two pioneers
of the road of science were often tormented afterwards by
the rest of our party about these cashew-nuts, and the
artist would be attacked with St. Vitus' dance if he did
but see a cashew-tree in the distance, or descry the
ominous fruit in the basket of a negress. Setting aside
jokes, we were really surprised at the vigour attained by
everything beneath the tropical sun; not only in the
brilliancy of colour, but also in the strength of poisonous
effect developed by it.

It will easily be understood that our party were, in a culi-
nary point of view, very much irritated against the hotel,
so-called. My poor teeth trembled in their sockets from
their efforts upon the beefsteak ; the mouths and tongues
of the others were burning at the remembrance of the
cashew-nuts, and all appetites acknowledged themselves un-
appeased. But our just indignation reached its climax

BAHIA. 125

when some Brazilians entered the dining-saloon and ordered
choice and savoury dishes before our eyes. Boiling over with
anger, we quitted this hotel, in which, though in a large
commercial town, no human being spoke either French,
English, German, or Italian. There was something both
naive and conciliatory in the obliging disposition of one of
the waiters who stammered to us the name of a better hotel
where foreign languages were spoken. Native courtesy
prompted him to give us this information.

Fortune now guided us to a real and consolatory blessing
in the Hotel Fevrier, which, however, presents a very insig-
nificant front in the Theatre Square, and bears a very un-
attractive sign. But here we were in Abraham's bosom.
Delicious iced-water ; splendid fruit ; the choicest dishes,
adapted to the climate by a judicious use of the spice-box ;
everything prepared in a clean and tasteful manner ; at-
tentive and respectful servants ; European ideas, and, above
all, two grand personages, the manager of the hotel (a quaint
old Frenchman of the good old stamp, a true republican
figure with a white beard, and a short clay pipe in his
loquacious mouth), and the super-excellent Henry, the first
and only garcon, who came in at every door at the same
moment, waited upon everyone at once and left nothing
undone.

The old man was a genuine French 'blagueur' of
humble rank, such as I greatly prefer to the self-important
charlatan. He was possessed of a peculiar rough but re-
spectful good humour, behaved like a benignant father to
his family, had seen everything, knew how to advise every-
one, was full of sound original ideas, and, which was of es-
pecial importance to us, knew the country from end to end
owing to his long residence in it. He was one of those
characters moulded by circumstances with which we had in
America so many opportunities of becoming acquainted.
Born years ago in the Isle of France, he had led a life

i26 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

of continual excitement in the world, and had formed his
opinions from the practical realities of life ; a self-taught
man, he had for long years traversed the forests of Brazil in
botanical and hunting excursions. He now seems to have
cast anchor for life in the Bay of All Saints, manages his
hotel thoroughly well, and is at the head of a lively French
society who gladly assemble around him. Such is the
history of the man to whom Fate sent us, and to whose
sound advice we were indebted for the pleasantest part of
our expedition.

At first, like all new-comers, we besieged him with
childish questions ; enquired where parrots were to be seen,
where mo'nkeys could be found, where we could meet with
humming-birds, where penetrate into the forest, where
find wild beasts, real wild beasts ? It was our first day in
America, and he who asks nothing never makes any pro-
gress. He gave us information as to where we could find
some humming-birds ; he mentioned the celebrated lake
of Bahia, already spoken of by other travellers, near which
there is a spot where one may see their nests. An excur-
sion to the lake was resolved upon for the next day.
Things looked less promising for the moment as regarded
the primeval forest. He said that it would be necessary
to travel far, far away from Bahia to see a real, undese-
crated, virgin forest. In the country around Bahia every
forest is what the Brazilians term Capoeira; namely, already
cut : man has already built therein. Inexperienced tra-
vellers find virgin forests everywhere ; but few Europeans
have ever seen one. It was chiefly for the sake of seeing
these that I had crossed the ocean, and therefore I would not
give up my enquiries, which at last elicited the information
that, on the coasts of Brazil, there is only one point at
which a virgin forest extends to the sea. This locality
was then the sole and single goal of my most eager desires.
The old man frequently laughed at our questions. How

BAHIA. 127

often before must he not have been teased by similar mere
book-learned Europeans ! But he was a man of sense and
of practical knowledge, and gave willing replies : for to
bestow information is ever pleasant.

Whilst we were sitting in his cheerful verandah (a long
gallery, one side of which consisted of windows always
open) and were refreshing ourselves with fragrant and de-
liciously sweet pineapples, and enjoying the magnificent
and animated view over the broad blue bay, he related to
us a number of interesting facts respecting the Imperial
journey which had just caused great excitement through-
out the whole of Brazil. He could not sufficiently, in his
quiet way, laud the affability of the Emperor ; how he was
a beau garqon ; how unweariedly, in exact contrast to his
country people, he had wandered about from early morn-
ing until evening ; how he had walked and ridden alone in
the streets in plain clothes, and thus had seen everything
like any other man : how the poor Empress was f une bonne
femme; mais, ma foi ! ni belle, ni jeune, et boiteuse.'
He described to us, from the elevation of his verandah, the
entrance of the Imperial cortege ; but remarked, with a
satirical laugh, that it had been made in a very disorderly
manner ; and altogether his observations on the subject
were uttered in the tone of compassion employed by the
children of elder civilisation in allusion to that which is
Transatlantic. But when his glance, in wandering over
the bay, fell upon our ' Elizabeth ' that made a royal figure
amid the other vessels, he enquired of us about the Prince,
whether he had arrived, or whether he would come in
some other vessel, or would not come at all, as it was said
that he was afraid of the yellow fever.

This conversation in the third person about my humble
self delighted me much. Altogether we derived great
pleasure from our intercourse with the intelligent old man
who had traversed the world in so many different directions,

128 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and had struggled so long with the storms of life, and
had freed himself at last from all that was useless, and
had formed for himself a pure, practical, all-sufficing world
from which he looks down with a pitying smile on the
petty life and doings of the ambitious. Men, who like our
old Frenchman, have by time and perseverance weathered
the tempests of human passions, may be frequently found
in America : they are the most agreeable and most interest-
ing companions. With them frank and intellectual con-
versation may be held : they belong to no party, but create
a self-sufficing existence for themselves. The various ex-
periences of the irretrievable past have given them a keen
insight into political and social relations. One seldom
meets men of this class in Europe, where no man possesses
perfect individuality ; but owing to the necessity of work-
ing for his livelihood, to political, religious, and social
causes, is, even under the most favourable circumstances,
only a cipher, merely a spring- wheel in a machine. Here
one finds the complete machinery united in one individual
who, unchained by any enthralling notions to his fellow-
men, is in himself an entire state, a power worthy of
respect.

Amid the interesting and attractive scenery of Brazil
one ever finds that all that is historical is carefully pre-
served. One has not occasion to weigh one's words as in
older Europe ; for here the rough angles of men's minds
have been smoothed by their having made the circuit of
the earth : they have been rendered reasonable, an excellent
quality which one seldom meets with in civilised coun-
tries.

Some of the rooms in the Hotel Fevrier look out upon
the Theatre Square ; and from the balcony of the billiard-
room there is a view of the more inland portion of the
lovely bay, and uf the streets which lead straight from the
Square in the direction of the Arsenal to the lower portion

BAHIA. 129

of the town. This view has many attractions, as these
steep streets form the principal arteries of Bahia, and the
disposition of the ground affords time for those looking
down them to study each individual figure.

In the afternoon, the German colonists make the chief
stir in returning from their business to Vittoria: one
then sees white faces, already rendered sallow by the
climate, and sturdy forms that come panting up the
hill, finishing off their business by the way. A solitary
palanquin passes swiftly through the crowd of Germans :
it contains some Brazilian of importance, who is being
carried to his siesta. Ere long he will rest peacefully on
his gains, and sink into slumber in his network hammock
in his cool verandah, the balmy sea-air playing around
him ; and be encircled by faithful slaves. Do you ask
how he has obtained his riches ? how he has amassed the
millions that have purchased the downy couch on which he
reposes ? The answer meets you in the public street : by
trading in human flesh ; by measures heaped up and over-
flowing of black men ; by coining false money.

Notwithstanding this, the man passes for a very respect-
able person, bears some grand title of nobility, goes to
Court, and attends the Emperor on state occasions ; and
sleeps as tranquilly as the saints in Paradise. Why should
he not ? Conscience is altogether wanting in these warm
climates : in this ever-genial temperature this monitor
seems to be unknown. In consequence of its absence, no
true religion can exist; though that the want is quite
unfelt is a self-evident truth. But one thing these rich
Brazilian nabobs cannot abolish ; that is, the gloomy, evil
impression of their hard, restless, black eyes, beneath
whose glance one shudders uncomfortably.

It is interesting to see the black people passing through
the streets with baskets full of the most splendid fruit,
always crying it for sale as they go. They evince a comic,

VOL. III. K

ISO RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

prating disposition, and a cheerfulness that contrasts
strangely with the notion of slavery. The blacks possess
a remarkable feature not easily to be described, their
uniform nose ; through which their hoarse tones roll forth
without intermission like those* of a rough mill-wheel.
The women have universally such deep voices that one can
scarcely distinguish their sex by them. It is not to be
denied that, even in their voices, there is among the
blacks something very animal. The voice does not come
naturally and in full tones from the chest, but appears
rather to be an artificial acquirement, lacking modulation.
From our balcony we could also see, by looking down a
straight street, a number of officers of the National Gruard
and of the Line going to parade. I could not resist a
smile, nor avoid a feeling of curiosity. I had already left
my conscience on the other side of the tropic, or I should
have been compelled to feel only regret and compassion at
this scene ; for all the unfortunate officials were assembled
on the glowing sand, beneath a noonday sun, to give me a
state reception. Whilst they were panting at the landing-
place in their laced and buttoned uniforms, the President
at the head of his officials went on board the ' Elizabeth '
to welcome the Transatlantic Prince in the name of the
Brazilian Empire. They found the casket empty; and
the President had, to no purpose, sought in his French
dictionary for complimentary phrases. I felt myself un-
commonly comfortable on the balcony of the hotel ;
although, according to Brazilian notions, dressed in an ex-
ceedingly plebeian manner. The officials of Brazil seemed
to be very much annoyed at the disappointment; and
shortly afterwards the newspaper of Bahia issued some
biting articles which amused me exceedingly. The good
people ought to have felt flattered that the impulse to rush
to their shore should have been so strong ; such haste was,
in itself, a sort of ovation.

BAIIIA. 131

Whilst we were still making our observations from the
balcony, delighted with the wooden temple erected by the
Bahians out of compliment to the Emperor, we suddenly
heard a fearful clatter, and saw the heads, as it were, of
eight lances making their appearance : we soon recognised
these to be the immense ears of mules drawing a carriage.
Four mules in rich trappings, driven by a negro in livery,
dashed proudly over the ground. They were drawing a
caleche at full speed ; and in the caleche was enthroned
the Commander of the { Elizabeth,' together with a German
in a black coat who introduced himself as our Consul.
Both were engaged in the chase after the Prince, and (not-
withstanding the heat of Brazilian noon) had, in this mule
equipage, been scouring the town in all directions. At
length, in the course of their adventurous chase, the com-
mander had come upon the track of the fox, and a shout
of joy concluded the hot pursuit. What must the Consul,
a native of Hamburg, have thought of such a rococo Euro-
pean Prince ? On beholding me in the tobacco-scented
billiard-room he was completely thunderstruck. He had
expected some sign of the ermine ; some little adornment,
at least, upon the princely brow : he had hoped to find
somewhere the shadow of a large cross : he sought timidly
for a golden key among the inferior portion of the suite,
or for some sash which might, like Ariadne's thread, be a
guide to him in the princely atmosphere. Instead of all
this, he found himself suddenly bec-a-bec with the object
of his search, who was surrounded by a circle of men
attired in a costume which would render it very trying to
the feelings of a precise consul to have them for his
companions in the streets of Bahia.

Herr L , a native of Hamburg, twenty-nine years of

age, the son of wealthy parents, already, owing to his own
diligence and energy of mind, become a highly respected
merchant, was presented to me by the Commander as the

K2

132 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Austrian Consul. In him I became acquainted wth one
of those estimable men who unite the characteristics of an
English man of business, his active industry in trade, and
composed and determined air, with the kindliness and the
joyous temperament of an honest German. At nineteen

years of age L was well-portioned by his parents, and

crossed the ocean ; at twenty-one he might already have
been deemed wealthy ; two years ago, he brought a rich
and very amiable wife from England ; and now, at twenty-
nine, he is what merchants call a made man. His large
business is thriving, his position in the commercial world
of Brazil is high, and he is much esteemed. It would be
quite possible even now for him to retire into private
life.

At his last visit to Europe, he selected Vienna as his
future haven of rest. He affords a pleasing example of
the way in which a man may, on this side the ocean, by
energy and indefatigable industry, speedily become fabu-
lously rich. But this success proves that he could not
originally have been poor. He who travels to America
with some capital, and brings with it also intelligence,
energy, and perseverance, may always reckon with cer-
tainty on a golden future beneath this beneficent sky.
But he who has been in trouble at home, and who enters
on his travels from despair, may as certainly reckon on
being even more miserable than in his own country;
forsaken by Grod and man, he becomes ruined. In-
stances of adventurers with empty pockets who have
in a short time risen to be nabobs, are very rare ;
and as in Europe, their successes may be attributed to
underhand means. One might advise strong young men
with small fortunes to take the voyage to America ; but
could not do less than warn those who are poor (so-called
emigrants) against so foolish a step. Later on, I shall
have frequent opportunity to speak of the melancholy,

BAHIA. 133

pitiable specimens of this class whom I have beheld with
feelings of compassion.

When our Consul had recovered from his first feelings
of astonishment at the sight of the prince and his court, and
we, in return, had bid him never more appear in a black
coat and black hat (which merely served to concentrate
the rays of the sun), we resolved forthwith to make use of
the grand mule-carriage for an excursion. With wise
foresight, and wits sharpened by the horrors of a Brazilian
breakfast, we ordered an excellent repast of our old
Frenchman for the evening ; took with us the botanist,
who was burning with scientific ardour, and at a merry
pace passed back, along the same road by which we had
come, to the Passeo Publico in the neighbourhood of the
fort.

The public promenade of Bahia consists of two large
terraces on the oft-mentioned slope of the hill, erected in
the southern style of architecture in which nature and art
are happily mingled. The terraces are adorned with
balustrades, vases, and statues of Carrara marble in quaint
Italian taste. Fountains and terraces with sloping banks
adorn the central point of attraction ; flower-beds filled
with the most fragrant flowers of all brilliant hues fringe
the paths and open spaces, whilst the choicest of creepers
twine themselves over the balustrades and steps. But to
the eye of a stranger the most striking ornaments are the
immense Jacca trees (Artocarpus incisa), with their lofty,
mysterious, leafy domes, with their thick giant stems, on
the bark of which the colossal fruits hang like rough-
skinned melons, and with their profusion of branches, so
great that a single tree suffices to arch over a vast extent
of ground, and to bestow a shade such as no eye ever
beheld in Europe, its mysterious depths forming a perfect
protection from the rays of the tropical sun.

The mango tree, which is very similar to the Jacca,

134 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

presents the same appearance in this respect, that the
intensity of its shade is so great as to be like that of a
sharply-printed photograph. Just as the sunlight has a
peculiar shimmer of its own, so this depth of shadow has
its own peculiar haze : in twilight such as this, Sakuntala
was rocked during her exquisite dreams. Surrounded by
architectural beauty, and admitting occasional, exquisite
views of blue, sparkling ocean, these trees appear to
double advantage on this spot; whilst beneath their
shelter one forgets the oppressive heat of the tropical air.
The fruits that I have mentioned contain a white, mealy
pulp and numerous flat pips, like those of the melon,
which, when lightly roasted, the negroes use as a principal
article of food. They may be very nutritious, but remind
one of tasteless bread ; just as the much -lauded milk of
the cocoa-nut does of tepid and much-diluted milk of
almonds. .

The view from the Passeo is, like all the views from the
heights around Bahia, very beautiful in the rich glow of
the warm sunlight ; but it also possesses a peculiar interest
because one looks at it from amid a bower of flowers set
in a framework of most luxuriant verdure. I regretted
that we had not time during our stay in Bahia to see the
promenade by moonlight. When the moon sheds her
silvery rays over the broad bay from distant Itaparica;
wlien her beams dance along the marble balustrades, play
upon the statues, and peep into the fragrant cups of the
flowers ; when dark, cool night is only permitted to linger
within the leafy vaults ; to wander here at such an hour
must be like wandering in a dream of the thousand and
one nights.

Our mule-carriage conveyed us from the Passeo, past
the extreme outskirts of the town, to the immense Fran-
ciscan Monastery. This enormous building is a complete
fortress, quadrangular in form and with two towers. Three

BAHIA. 135

of its fronts, erected on deep foundations, face the sea,
whilst the fourth looks towards the town. The sombre,
grey colour of the ancient building is in harmony with the
gravity of the cloister. Its extent would suffice to contain
a complete army of monks : its position is admirably
chosen. In this new country, where all the works of man
have existed but for so short a time, this edifice, with its
stamp of venerable antiquity, aroused within me a pecu-
liarly homelike feeling, and awoke the consolatory reflec-
tion that even here the landmarks of time, the corner-
stones of memory, have begun to exist. This monastery
was evidently founded in the early days of the Portuguese
conquest, when various orders were richly endowed, with
the double intent of promoting spiritual and agricultural
progress. They are even yet among the chief landowners
of the country. These monasteries are admirable as
models of domestic management, and as nurseries for the
cultivation of fruits and other horticultural products. The
religious orders, with their views of improvement, attend
to the clearing of extensive districts.

We quitted the town by the declivity which we had
already traversed, and now luxuriant, genial nature gave
us a cordial welcome. Mango trees spread their cool
shade over the sloping road; bamboo branches pressed
over the paths; thick vegetation and graceful creepers
formed picturesque groups; and thus, by her ever-increasing
splendour, did nature entice us from Bahia to the shores
of the justly-famed Tich. Our first view of the extreme
portion of this lake was, I might almost say, European in
character. We beheld it in its every-day garb. It winds
very much, as I afterwards had occasion to observe ; and
therefore, at the first glance, looked to us merely like a pond
surrounded by swamps, in which the negroes swim their
horses, and in which the gentler portion of the black race
labour, partly in and partly out of the water, amid fearful

136 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

chattering and noise, at washing linen. But we did not allow
ourselves to be frightened by these domestic scenes, which
would have done credit to a Bohemian village, but sprang
from the carriage with the intention, notwithstanding the
heat of the noonday sun, of wandering along at least some
poriion of the Tich.

Herr L ordered our black muleteer to go to the

other end of the lake. Wherever water is to be found, be
it fresh or salt, there I am ever in my element. I have
always had a passion for ponds, lakes, and rivers, not to
speak of the sea. In the water, nature developes fully,
and in unbounded richness and splendour, her mysterious
attractions, her wondrous might. Even in my own country
I was always attracted by brooks, by the trees around the
waterfalls, by the verdant shores of our lakes. What
inward rapture, what absorbing curiosity, must not have
taken possession of me on the wooded shores of the
Brazilian lake, where every plant was new, every tree
wonderful, every flight of birds a subject for admiration,
every insect a novelty ; where behind each glossy leaf of
the water-plants a snake lay concealed : where any hurried
motion of the waves might disturb an alligator (Jaccare) !

I strained every nerve with renewed energy, and was
all eagerness of eye and ear whilst listening attentively for
the slightest sound. The farther we proceeded along the
bank by a narrow footpath fringed with brilliant green, the
more completely did we, to my delight, lose sight of the
human adjuncts of washing and bathing negresses with
their appendages of soldiers and lazy, swarthy street-boys.
With increased eagerness we penetrated farther and far-
ther into the treasures of tropical nature. On the right
were the banks with their green, mysterious water-flowers ;
and numerous plants, among them the immense Arum,
and the rare Aubinga, which our little botanist greeted
with veritable feelings of delight as though it formed the

BAHIA. 137

goal of his aspirations, the wondrous flower of legendary
lore. On our left, we saw on the neighbouring declivity
lofty trees and thick shrubs of every kind. In front of us,
the reaches of the large lake and the heights that sur-
rounded them lay extended before us in their full beauty.

The impression conveyed by the scene was that of a
large pool situated in a park ; such as the imagination of
a painter might create, taking merely his outlines from
nature: the delicious perfumes, the tropical brilliance,
were rather those of dreamland than of this world. The
hilly ridges, the outline of the lake, the colour of the
ground, might have been borrowed from those English
parks where art so judiciously aids nature ; the splendour
of hue, the gigantic forms, the deep shadows, the impene-
trable density of the vegetation, were all such as one could
only suppose to exist in imagination. Examined indivi-
dually, everything is new, all is found to belong to a
different world. The plants of the forest press down the
declivity into the lake like waves of various colours ; the
enormous groups of mango and jacca trees form as it were
swelling billows ; the tall, bending palms seem like lofty
waves amid the sea of green ; whilst the dancing, sparkling
foam is represented by the countless creepers which, now
rising, now falling, play among the trees. The little
creeks of the lake wind amid this wealth of vegetation ;
here and there one sees the palm-leaf roof of a negro hut
among mangoes or amid a group of green branches.

On the hilly boundary towards the south, outlines of
towers and roofs of houses are visible behind the thick
green of the forest, telling of the vicinity of the large
town and yet not marring the picture of natural beauty.
Some few houses are scattered at intervals on the heights
and slopes ; around them the forest is cleared for the com-
mencement of cultivation. But for these tokens of life
one might fancy oneself transported into an enchanted

139 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

island far from the tumult of the world. The only thing
which does not correspond with such a paradise is the
dirty, brown, earth-coloured water, which one finds every-
where in the tropics and which is ascribed to the rankness
of the vegetation. One can easily understand that alli-
gators may live in these brown floods ; their number in the
Tich is said to be very considerable ; and from time to
time they prove their presence by the disappearance of
some negro child whilst bathing, or by a bite in the foot
bestowed on some foolhardy washerwoman. But such
accidents seldom occur ; and hence the fearlessness of the
people who disport themselves in the Tich. With our
botanist, thirst for knowledge was stronger than dread of
the alligators : every moment he would insist upon going
into the water to fish up an Arum for his lord and master
in Schonbrunn.

Filled with wonder, we proceeded along the path on the
bank. Now it was a Lantane of glowing hue that charmed
us ; now the picturesque form of a tree dipping into the
water, on the boughs of which the creepers were hanging
in festoons : or again we observed lovely little birds, with
black bodies and exquisitely white heads, catching insects
on the water-plants. Behind a perfect forest of Arums on
the banks of one of the creeks, we discovered by the side
of a brook which wound its way to the lake amid a grove
of mangoes, a group of black washerwomen in a costume
which, from its scantiness, defied description. They were
occupied, amid jests and hoarse chattering, in washing
linen, and flourished their broad wooden implements in
their strong right hands. They were true Amazons of
their race, whom one might have taken rather for demons
than for harmless washerwomen. There was something
disgusting, although comical, in their manners and appear-
ance. They had with them two pretty children, black as
beetles, with large sparkling eyes, and scarcely two years

BAHIA. 138

of age. One of them came to meet us in a friendly
manner, and, smiling, passed his little jokes with us;
whilst the other fled from us howling and lamenting,
carrying his complaints to his athletic mother. It was
' Fenfant qui rit ' and ' 1'enfant qui pleure ' translated into
black characters. The crying child excited universal
laughter from the black Amazons, who made even more
friendly noises to us in their guttural tones than they
had done before. These blacks are certainly very good-
humoured, and, by their almost dog-like dispositions,
acknowledge the superiority of the white man. The whole
scene, including the primitive black forms by the side of
the cool brook shaded by the dark mango trees and sur-
rounded by vegetation of a thousand brilliant colours,
presented a truly southern and foreign appearance.

Farther on, our path led us to a deep creek where the
vegetation grew in profusion down to the water's brink.
I, as the youngest and most impatient of our party, was
the first pioneer in this expedition. With shouts of joy
and in an ecstasy of triumph, I hailed the most lovely
wonder of the animal world now presenting itself to our
view. Was it an hallucination ? an illusion of my over-
strained eyes? A scarlet object flew out from amid the
sea of leaves, glistened like a jewel against the sunny sky,
and then vanished again behind the shadowy fantastic
plants. The apparition was of such astonishing beauty,
was so new to European eyes, that at first I could not
permit myself to believe in the reality of what I had seen.
Yet it was no dream; it was in very truth that enchanting
bird to which I give precedence above all the winged
inhabitants of earth. The rough Brazilians, with their
practical turn of mind, name it, with reference to its colour,
Sangue do boi (ox's blood). Its scientific name is Rham-
phopis brasilicus. It is of the size of a starling, and has a
lovely and well-proportioned body ; its head is small ; its

140 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

wings are broad and beautifully formed ; its feet are tiny
and pretty. But its great beauty is in its colour, the
intense red of which almost deepens into purple ; its
wings are tipped with black ; its beautiful beak is sur-
rounded by white down ; its little eyes sparkle like black
diamonds. Whether flying across the deep-blue sky, or
diving amid the tender leaves of the palm, it alike re-
sembles a gleaming ruby. All colours that the tropical
sun can kindle as everything is illumined by its glow,
exist in this lovely bird, which no one has ever yet suc-
ceeded in catching and bringing to Europe. It would be
the gem of any aviary, and the exquisite ibis alone could
approach it in beauty of hue though not in that of form.

In the female birds of the Sangue do boi the red is
strongly intermixed with brown ; they are therefore, though
more to be admired, much less brilliant. This strange bird
allured us into the copse in the neighbouring ravine. We
pressed on our way beneath trees with giant crowns, through
thick underwood, amid Musacea, Scitaminea, and all man-
ner of luxuriant creepers, to a lovely spring which welled
forth at the foot of a tall handsome tree. In its branches
numerous pretty Passarina were fluttering and twittering ;
their lovely bodies were sometimes of a blue-black, sometimes
varied with brown, grey, and white ; but they threaded the
green labyrinths so quickly that there was unfortunately no
time to examine them closely. As I broke a path through
the underwood some immense grey moths, measuring a
foot from wing to wing, aroused themselves from their mid-
day repose, only to disappear again as quickly with a flight
like that of a bat.

There was a complete rivalry among us who should be
the first to draw the attention of his friends to some marvel
or to some brilliant apparition in this new world. We were
still unable to arrange our ideas ; all was so new, so over-
powering ; and as the tropical sun gleamed and sparkled

BAHIA. 141

amid the countless plants, so did the images called by it
into life chase each other through our excited brains. We
were very happy by the side of the clear cool stream. The
heat was intense and some moments of rest indispensable.
A calabash was lying by the natural basin formed by this
stream, one of those gourds used as drinking cups by negroes
and savages of all kinds : we preferred to form our cups
from the soft green leaves of the Musacea, and to sip from
them the delicious, pearly drops

In the neighbourhood of the stream we saw a beauti-
ful specimen of the clove tree (Caryophillus aromatic us)
similar in form to the Lagerstromia : the leaf reminded
me by its gloss of that of the myrtle ; the jasmine-like
blossoms are red as coral outside and are white inside.
The scent of the flowers is the same as that of our clove.
Mounting an enclosure of bamboo, we at last again reached
the bank, and soon afterwards came to a field of manioc. In
its centre stood a large tree with a thick, dark crown;
the first from which the cries of parrots resounded : un-
fortunately, however, we could not distinguish the forms
of the chatterers : they were concealed too closely in the
dense foliage of the lofty crown. We now quitted the path
by the shores of the lake and climbed the height through
fields of manioc and yams. The plant of the manioc resem-
bles our flax in form and colour ; the portion that is used is
the knotted root, which is in its natural state a rank poison,
whilst when ground, soaked, and lightly roasted, it affords a
nourishing, farinaceous food, the chief diet of the negro
race. The yam is a species of the familiar Arum with large
green leaves ; its bulb is eaten as a sort of potato.

An eminence which we now ascended was cultivated ;
and the clearing hand of man had only left some large
specimens of the Jacca, or here and there some lofty palms
and broad-leaved bananas. The view over the cairn lake,
with its creeks bordered with verdure, its palms, and its spits

142 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

of land covered with shrubs, was so striking from this point
that our artist sketched it with the rapidity of lightning.
The waving leaves of a banana and the yelping of dogs gave
unmistakeable tokens of a human habitation at hand. We
soon discovered, in the midst of fields shaded by large trees,
one of those wretched negro huts which are made of brush-
wood, mud, and palm-leaves ; and found ourselves sur-
rounded by a host of miserable, howling dogs.

A black hag with a little child made her appearance at
the door of the hut, which was filled with a collection of do-
mestic utensils, or, one might rather say, trash. L ,

who had become a little tired by so unwonted a walk, en-
quired of this black woman, who was employed in silencing
the dogs, in what direction we ought to turn; for we had
been walking at random, guided only by our own fancy,
and the worthy Consul, like all the resident merchants of
the place, was merely acquainted with the Exchange and
the streets of Vittoria.

The woman directed us back from her hut to the lake ;
and thus we had to thank our ignorance for the pleasure of
being obliged again to force our way through the brush-
wood, and of obtaining a foretaste of the primeval forest
with its wild mass of vegetation. We found ourselves in the
midst of the world of nature as it sprang fresh from the
hand of the Creator in vigorous profusion, without a road,
without a path, in the heart of the forest, surrounded by
flowers, where all grows, blooms, and dies uncared for; where
every plant and every tree thrives in peace, according to its
will and undisturbed ; neither stem nor fruit touched by
child of man.

The forests of Brazil are the free republics of the vegetable
world, in which the despot Man only appears as guest, and
has not yet brought his iron sceptre. They are the true
emblems of Paradise, where every child of the Creator may
live and labour for itself, where all may nourish side by

BAHIA. 143

side, where nature knows no restraint. It were vain to try
to give a description even of the smallest of one of these
forests, although it might possess none of the oppressive,
overpowering influence of those that still remain in their
primeval state. No author has had courage to make the
attempt ; none could succeed. Photographs may be made
of St. Peter's or of the Louvre ; and authors can build up
these edifices pillar by pillar, stone by stone, for the satis-
faction of the inquisitive reader ; he can sketch the colours
of the buildings ; he can relate who lives and who has lived
therein ; but neither a photograph of the Brazilian forest (I
possess some feeble attempts at one), nor any description,
can present at all a satisfactory likeness of it to a stranger :
both lack grandeur. He who wishes to obtain any idea of
it must pack up and travel thither.

That which we beheld and enjoyed in such rich profu-
sion, that which our eyes sought to devour, that which we
strove to imprint on our memories, was an ever-changing
and most brilliant kaleidoscope in which new colours and
forms unceasingly appeared, only to vanish again in the
surrounding verdure. Eegarded in a botanical point of
view, we had before our eyes a most gorgeously arranged
hothouse; but it had outgrown all European size; the
blue sky formed the glass roof, and the rays of the tropical
sun cast their shimmer upon the gloss of the leaves.

The component parts of a forest are naturally numerous :
there are slender trees striving to rise towards heaven,
with fantastic branches and lofty crowns, consisting gene-
rally of glossy leaves in shape like those of the laurel or
camelia, whilst the stems are slight and almost always
smooth : pushing their way among these groups of trees and
towering above them are some old giants of the forest,
with tall, thick, firm stems and immense limbs, monarch s
of the wood, patriarchs of centuries, colossal mementos of
antediluvian vigour. Around and among these (as ever

144 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

happens with the lofty ones of earth) are entwined a world
of parasites — those wonders of tropical nature that ever
excite one's astonishment anew.

The beautiful broad-leaved Broraeliacea hang among
the branches of these forest-monarchs as in a nest formed
for them by nature : sometimes their coral-like roots suck
a wound in the venerable weather-beaten stem; sometimes
a coquettish orchid (that gay denizen of the vegetable
world) smiles from the lofty crown as it seeks the sunlight
that is to give a rich glow to its brilliant hues, or casts its
bright blossoms to the earth, in order to draw the atten-
tion of the traveller to its joyous existence. Then the
delicate Tilandsia cradle themselves in the slender lower
branches, or the Philodendron with its sharply-indented
leaves climbs up the thick trunk to an immense height.
Though the tops of the trees are the portions preferred by
parasites, as struggling towards heaven they drink in
the warm beams of the sun, yet every portion, down even
to the ground, has its own share of vegetation. Below
the crown, and around the stem of the patriarch, the
smaller Lianas twine their entangled tendrils. The under-
wood consists of large shrubs with oval-shaped leaves, also
of young trees which cannot reach higher. Below these,
on the damp leaf-bestrewn ground, are ferns, aroidea, and
a hundred other luxuriant plants.

But the most beautiful spots are those where an opening
in the forest permits the sun to enter, and nature rejoices
in the life-giving light. Here the turf gleams with double
beauty; here a wondrous growth of plants blooms and
thrives, and the graceful palm bends beneath the blue sky ;
here the lovely leaves of the Musacea unfold themselves ;
here the regal Scitaminea gleam and glow ; here the
rattan luxuriates ; here the bamboos, gently sighing, rise
like fairies from the virgin soil, and the sun in the azure
vault greets his free, joyous children with warm kisses.

BAHIA. 145

Man alone stands an astonished stranger ; and while ad-
miring this paradise in rapturous excitement, feels that he
does not belong to it. He is like a child who has made
his way stealthily into a strange garden.

The delight of our little botanist at these specimens of
tropical growth was indescribable : his rapture was as
great in a scientific point of view as ours in the mere
pleasure of gazing ; in his excitement he did not know
what to seize upon first ; he rushed about in all directions ;
he cut or tore every plant, and was sometimes so com-
pletely lost in the thicket that the luxuriant vegetation
closed over the little man like waves. He would then
reappear gaily from the verdant flood, bearing with him
some new prize. When one remembers that (ever since
he had begun to reflect) this man had worshipped all these
plants only in isolated specimens of stunted growth, and
had guarded even these like jewels, and that (all at once
transported into the midst of their full, luxuriant, natural
growth) he became intoxicated by the effects of the lavish
profusion of nature, and revelled in all that to him was
most enchanting, then one may understand how (notwith-
standing the tropical summer which makes its heat power-
fully felt even when it does not actually enervate) he
pursued his way laden like a reaper returning from an
Alpine harvest. Lianas, palms, the green fan-like leaves
of the Musacea and Scitaminea were drawn by him through
the bushes like a train, whilst his pockets were filled with
seeds and fruits ; even his crumpled hat which had seen
so many storms must needs serve as a receptable for his
tropical collections. To me, such zeal in the pursuit of
scientific objects is praiseworthy; it is the first step to im-
portant successes.

When we had made our way out of this portion of the
forest, we found ourselves in a lonely valley in which was
a stream (overshadowed by splendid bananas) that turned

VOL. III. L

146 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

a mill. Black figures, with no garments but their trowsers
and high straw hat, whose athletic forms, like antique
bronzes, shone from the exertions of labour beneath the
scorching rays of the sun, were occupied in agricultural
work. It was a Brazilian idyll, so calm, so peaceful, so
verdant ; whilst the warm balmy atmosphere was filled
with a delicious perfume.

The glassy lake was visible in the distance ; the forest
covered the peaceful heights that surrounded the valley.
Notwithstanding their variety, these masses of vegetation
presented an unbroken harmony of outline : they mingled
exquisitely with each other ; were linked together by
Lianas; and produced, in the brilliant sunshine, most
magnificent and really enchaDting shadows. By the side
of the cool brook in the valley we saw green meadows,
worthy of notice because one does not expect to see such
in the tropics. On the other side of the valley we found
the path mentioned by the Consul ; a tolerably broad road
conducted us past a little deserted villa, up a hill into the
opposite forest, the trees of which arched over the road.

The beautiful and mysterious path led, as it were, into
the depths of the grotto. At the entrance some beautiful
Scitaminea were in bloom ; scarlet blossoms, such as
one may occasionally see in the bouquet of a lady of rank
or at a flower-show. We plundered a whole bush in our
delight, and then dived into the forest-path which (with
the exception of its wonderful details) reminded me
forcibly of our quiet wood-walks in the heights above
Vienna. This was a forest fresh and green like one in
Germany, the trees arching over and meeting ; but, on
closer examination, it seemed to be a wood of laurel
showing us in what quarter of the globe we were.

That which struck me much was the very withered un-
derwood with its lack of foliage, unable, from want of
sunshine, to thrive even in this zone. The very Lianas
are bare until high up in the crowns of the trees, and look

BAHIA. 147

more like cords than like creepers. Owing to the false
impressions conveyed by ill-compiled books, we, in our
country, imagine that they are twisted round the boughs
like wreaths of leaves. Thus also, until now, I imagined
the palm to be the principal tree of Brazil ; instead of
which one but rarely sees it, although then the specimens
are particularly fine. Foliage trees, with bare sterns and
small, dark green, glossy leaves, are the most common.
In this dim shady path we found it as fresh and cool as
in our groves in summer. We found some very beautiful
Philodendrons.

As I was hurrying through the green avenue in advance
of the rest of our party, suddenly a vision passed before
my eyes. In the eager excitement of this day nothing
escaped me, not a sound, not a movement ; and again I
beheld it flash through the air, rising and falling with the
speed of an arrow. At last the wondrous apparition settled
on a liana, quite close to me, fluttering with strange and
wondrous rapidity. This floating, trembling form seemed
to be an embodiment of happy thoughts. I had not
deceived myself: I saw it with my own eyes and recog-
nised it at once. I stood still in surprise and admiration,
gazing at this first humming-bird, named by the Brazilians
in one of their rare poetic moods, Beja-flor (Flower-kisser).
I was able to make a sign to my companions, and imme-
diately we stood in a circle around this marvel of beauty,
enjoying to the full this much-longed-for and oft-talked-
of vision. Ihe reality surpasses every description, every
expectation ; and its attractions are enhanced because the
little bird cannot be caught nor its motions described, and
because it is impossible to keep it in captivity, so that one
can but speak of it as of a vision that vanishes in a
moment. Only in death may it be touched by the hand
of man, when it has lost the real charm that makes it so
lovely in a bed of flowers.

L 2

148 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

The humminor-bird defies all prosaic examination ; like
the perfume of flowers, like the breath of poetry, like the
vibrating tones of the ^Eolian harp, may not be de-
scribed. It is so small, so lovely, so swift, that it cannot
be included in ideas of corporeal matter. It seems absurd
to class it in any one kingdom of nature ; one would rather
deem it a relic of Paradise accidentally left in the forests
of Brazil. As though combined in some rare essence, the
three kingdoms of nature are blended in this exquisite
creation ; the vigorous life of the animal kingdom, the
form and hues of a flower, with a spirit breathed into it,
and the sparkling, mysterious brilliance of a jewel gleam-
ing from its own inherent light. Even the heavy Portu-
guese language has a wonderfully lovely name for this
being, and has adopted the poetical idea of the legend,
which supposes the Beja-flores to be the souls of departed
children : thus even this unimaginative people could not
banish the idea that the humming-bird was a higher and
supernatural creation of Heaven. In its domestic habits,
its flowery nest, its pearly eggs, it seems to have discarded
all that is material, and to live in a world of poetry.

The movements of this bird as it floats in the air and
sips the fragrance of the flowers, are peculiarly gay and
belonging to itself alone. Wherever an aromatic blossom
gleams, there suddenly, as by enchantment, how and
whence no one knows, this winged being appears, flies
merrily hither and thither some few times, flutters in the
sunbeams surrounded by the sparkle of its jewelled hues,
searches out with its diamond eyes the flower that it will
kiss, and trembling, and poising its gleaming body, lights
on the chosen bud, dips its head in the purple cup, and
sucks thence the honey. One now fancies that one could
examine it quietly ; but hush ! it is off again, and soaring
playfully in the blue ether. Yet it soon returns to the
fragrant flower, repeats its merry game again and again ;

BAHIA. 149

and then, satisfied, vanishes in the green sea of leaves,
gone home to its nest.

The bird that enchanted us at this moment was so
tame, and remained so long at its frugal meal, that we
were able to enjoy the beautiful sight in some degree at
our leisure. It was green as an emerald, with throat and
breast gleaming like that exquisite stone, a white body
and dark-brown back. Its body was at most two
inches long; its wings measured about three inches, its
long beak was sharp as a needle. When it fluttered, its
movements exactly resembled those of our honey-sucking
moths. I look upon it as most fortunate that we should
have seen a humming-bird on the very first day that we
passed on Brazilian soil, for they are not so common as
people in Europe suppose.

The view from the deep, dark forest out into the country
brilliantly illumined by the noon-day sun, was unusually
beautiful. From the duskiness of our forest twilight we
saw the golden beams of day dancing on the fantastic
plants, whilst some rays penetrated even into the dark-
ness.

We mounted the ridge of a hill in the open ground.
Far below in the banana wood on our right, flowed the
last tributary of the Tich ; on our left, was a green valley,
the entrance to which we had previously crossed near the
mill. Beyond the valley, in the clear distance, stretched the
hills with their thick, richly gleaming masses of vegetation.
In front of us, the hills extended to the town. Some
immense Jacca trees and cocoa-nut palms, richly laden
with fruit, and their crowns covered with creepers, grew
around a cool shady spot encirclirg a villa, the verandah
of which faced the green valley, catching the sea breeze,
whilst the front towards the lake was covered by blooming
shrubs and fragrant flowers. The owner, a Frenchman,
(who is said to have come up here from interested motives,

150 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and is now as a punishment obliged to descend again,) had
the good taste not to enclose his villa too much, and
therefore can contemplate the whole surrounding country
as though it were his own property. Nature here combines
her beauties to form an immense park ; the waters of the
lake complete the prospect. The hand of art could not have
planted the groups of trees at the entrance of the forest
more picturesquely, nor have opened the views into the
green valley with more taste. One is tempted to believe
that the English must have learnt in the tropics how to lay
out their gardens and parks so artistically ; for these have
only attained perfection (in the disregard of original
formation, and in the use made of tropical adornments)
since the great spread of the English into foreign climes.

The first ' tropical ' garden in Vienna was planted by
Baron Hugel ; his villa presented, in the height of sum-
mer, a charming miniature picture of the luxuriance of
tropical vegetation. Fairy-like as is the beauty of the
villa near Bahia, enchanted as the eye cannot but be by
the profuse verdure of nature, yet a breath of melancholy,
sweet though poisonous, pervades the whole scene ; this
melancholy, which often overwhelmed me, first took a
decided form in after days. It floated around me in
strains of sorrow which only swelled into chords of sadness
when the time came 'for reflection upon the past ; that
time in which their distant echo resounded in my ears in
old and much-abused Europe.

At the villa we at length found the mule-carriage so

much longed for by L , which took us to Vittoria at

the pace peculiar to these animals. To-day, to the credit
of our botanist, the carriage was more than full with the
verdure of our rich harvest. The road was excellent,
broad and park-like, fringed for the most part with over-
hanging bamboos and mango trees mingled with palms
and araucarias, from amid which villas occasionally gleamed.

BAHIA. 151

The houses increased in number, were placed in rows, and
this was the entrance into gay Vittoria. This spot, with
its villas and gardens, with its surrounding park-like roads,
its masses of bright green, its gigantic trees, its luxuries
of both nature and art, reminded me of the charming-
country round Kichmond on the banks of the Thames, and
of the numerous cottages, covered with flowers, in Clare-
mont and Twickenham.

It may cause surprise that I, who wage a crusade against
the countries of the North, should make such a comparison ;
but in order to do me justice, it would be necessary to see
the luxuriant vegetation of England on a bright sunny
day, to see the profusion of foreign plants carefully
collected around the cottages, and also to see the wonder-
fully good taste displayed in aiding nature. England
forms an exception to northern countries in general ; the
comfort which exists there causes the cold weather to be
unfelt, and the strong principle of vitality compensates for
the genial influences of the South. Vittoria now became
endeared to me, since it recalled to my mind the loved
country around Olaremont. In the houses, and especially
in those of the street at the extremity of which our Consul
resides, one sees (in the attempt at a superior style of
architecture) much that is German, and even an occasional
Swiss gable.

L , like most of those who make the pilgrimage to

America, has not built his own house, but hires a hand-
some, spacious villa. We proceeded to his residence : it
is situated, as has been mentioned before, at the western
extremity of Vittoria, having one front towards the bay,
and the other facing the wooded hill. This house bears
the stamp of a luxurious modern Brazilian dwelling ; white-
washed walls ; lofty, cheerful rooms with walls of light,
simple colours ; and numerous windows opening to every
point of the compass ; thus producing a fearful draught,

152 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

which the Brazilians recklessly allow to blow over their
heated persons, but which threw me into a state of silent
despair. The boarded floor is covered here and there
with rush mats ; the furniture is of solid and handsome
wood with spring seats on which one may be comfortable
in English style, but generally plaited over with reeds in
adaptation to the tropical climate : here and there is a
mirror in a golden frame, or a bright sparkling chan-
delier.

The idea of a little, secluded world within itself is un-
known in a Brazilian home : the climate is opposed to it ;
there is nothing rough to be guarded against and no
illusions to be created ; the climate and vegetation present
so many fascinations that no one thinks of the home attrac-
tions so much needed in those countries in which the
difference between summer and winter is marked. Thus
the home of the Brazilian is no centre around which his
world is grouped, it is merely a place of refuge alternately
from sun and rain ; a couch where at night he may,
undisturbed, disencumber himself of his clothes and enjoy
the cool, invigorating breeze. That a man's home can
never, from the very nature of circumstances, possess
any memories, is the curse of tropical countries ; impart-
ing, as it does, an inconstancy and love of change to the
character which are destructive of all notions of real
domestic life. For when the home is a transitory one,
the family ties formed in it are also of a fleeting nature.

There are four causes, three of which may be termed
negative, that contribute to destroy domestic life and
society in Brazil : the want of an old long-established
home belonging to the head of the family in which gene-
ration after generation lives in the same style and with
the same habits : the total absence of all idea and all feel-
ing of conscience ; a peculiarity which has arisen from the
equable climate and the luxuriance of nature, and from

BAHIA. Io3

which has sprung the third cause, namely, the entire want
of a religious principle, yearning for something higher
than mere nature — (nature is, alas ! on]y too beautiful); the
fourth, and the most hideous and never-sufficientl3T-to-be
deprecated, is that of slavery, which it is the duty of every
Christian man, be his nation and his rank what it may, to
wage war against, both by word and deed. Slavery unites
within herself, and, alas ! reproduces the three former evils.
How can the blessings of home dwell side by side with
slavery ? How can conscience exist when there are men
beyond the pale of the law, when beings who have souls
depend exclusively on the arbitrary power and caprices of
some few of their fellow-creatures ? Is not religion a
mockery, an empty jest, when the white man arrogates the
right to treat those who are, equally with himself, born in
the image of the Creator, like beasts of burden or like
bales of goods ? How can he deem religion to be true and
necessary for man when he excludes a portion of mankind
from any individual rights in it, and makes of flesh and
blood an object for ill-treatment ?

How a Catholic priest can have the courage to preach
the Grospel in Brazil I cannot understand : he must reduce
it ad usum Delphini. As I afterwards became convinced,
there are no true Catholic clergy in Brazil, except the
excellent Nuncio, who, in his holy zeal, is mortifying
himself in vain. There are only substitutes, who wear a
black coat, and read Mass just because it is the custom.
Foreigners in Brazil are, unfortunately, only passing guests,
imbued with the natural longing to sail back again across
the ocean as soon as possible.

L — - conducted us to his house, where a Brazilian
rocking-chair proved .very acceptable, and even more so
was some excellent champagne frappe a la glace, the real
value of which one only learns in the tropics; we were
delighted to refresh our wearied spirits with it. Whilst we

154 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

were thus resting, and were becoming invigorated in mind
and body, we for the first time saw the Brazilian sun set-
ting, in a sea of purple and gold, behind the leafy masses
of the primeval forest. This is the most beautiful sight
of the tropics ; the clear firmament is still illuminated
with golden light by the parting orb of day ; the hues of
the luxuriant vegetation are still gleaming brightly; whilst
already the mysterious fragrance of evening is rising from
the deep cups of the flowers ; already the sweet cool breath
of night floats on the air, the repose of night has begun ;
the leaves flutter gently in a delicious tremour ; the dark-
ening shadows fall more deeply ; whilst in Heaven's opal
vault star after star peeps forth, and, with advancing night,
all brilliant insects flit from flower to flower.

Every house is now opened wide ; the pale Brazilian
ladies, in their light muslin dresses, their black hair fall-
ing unrestrained, glide out on the balconies and terraces,
and rock themselves in their rocking-chairs, looking like
wearied flowers, and guarded and attended upon by charm-
ing men.

Champagne raises the spirits, but it does not restore
strength to the bodily powers, when fatigued with the labour
of traversing a tropical forest. We therefore threw ourselves
once more on the cushions of our carriage ; and, in the
cool evening air, we proceeded to the Hotel Fevrier. Our
Frenchman now knew the rank of his guests ; but had
sufficient good sense and tact to evince this knowledge
merely by the excellence of the repast prepared in the
saloon adjoining the verandah. The table was adorned by
a basket of most beautiful fruit, with the regal pineapple
in the centre, and a number of savoury dishes, to which
we addressed ourselves with unusual satisfaction : for, in
the first place, the expedition, which had lasted for some
hours, had sharpened our appetites ; and, in the second,
owing to all sorts of culinary misfortunes, we had for a

BAIIIA. 155

long time had nothing on board that was very palatable.
The dishes at our present repast were (following the
French plan) adapted to the climate, and were therefore
strongly flavoured with spices. I remember with special
gratitude an exceedingly savoury lobster, which afforded
confirmation of the assertion that the sea is alike every-
where ; for it was in no way behind its Adriatic brother in
excellence. I must also note a dish of delicate crevettes,
bright as rose-leaves, that surpassed all imagination, and
tasted no longer like fish, but like a sweet fruit of the al-
mond species. The Brazilian pickles, however, made of a
bitter-sweet fruit, with a taste of turpentine, did not at all
meet my approbation ; they reminded me vividly of cer-
tain medicines that were given to us when children.

The conversation during dinner was cheerful and plea-
sant ; we related our various doings, and L — - gave us
many interesting and instructive particulars respecting this
remarkable Empire, of which so little is known. He assured
us that it was high time for the Emperor (so affable and
so winning in manner) to come to Bahia and the pro-
vinces. Dissensions are said to have been very rife at that
time, and a revolution on the point of breaking out.
L is satisfied that all danger is past for the mo-
ment ; since the Emperor excited great enthusiasm, and
his energy and kindliness of heart made a very favourable
impression. He was always the first person astir, and
therefore was the dread of the officials. One morning, at
sunrise, he made his appearance, quite unattended, at the
Custom-house, one of the most important institutions in
a commercial metropolis, most important of all to the Go-
vernment, since all the receipts of the imperial revenue
arise solely and entirely from the duties levied here. He
knocked energetically with his own hand at the door ; was
forced to wait for an hour ; made a great stir, and was
heartily cheered by the public.

156 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Whether it be in general wise for the Sovereign himself
to act the police sergeant without any aid from the execu-
tive, we will leave an open question. In my opinion, a
man should only take notice of faults when he has in his
own hands the power of prompt and rigorous punishment :
not when, like the Emperor of Brazil, he can neither
change the rank of nor quietly dismiss his officials. This
being exclusively the prerogative of the Minister, and one
that is but too often exercised, the people must soon see
through the farce, and those who are found fault with, but
are left unpunished, will even laugh. It was certainly
very wise of the Emperor to visit the manufactories
frequently, and to examine them carefully, and thus to
evince his interest in this source of national wealth : his
diligent and assiduous attendance at the schools and at
their examinations was also judicious. The visits to each
individual monastery and presence at the numerous pro-
cessions and Te Deums were not in accordance with the
character of the Emperor, and were merely traditional
customs, handed down from the ostentatious time of King
Joao VI., which would have been better omitted.

The progress of the Monarch had, amid all its cere-
monies, a tinge of poverty ; the exchequer is so ill supplied
in Bahia that the Emperor is often obliged to contract
debts which however, unlike those of other mortals, have
in them nothing dishonourable. For the expenses of this
journey the Emperor had already for years been setting
aside a small sum. His Majesty, being president of every
possible scientific institution, and having regard to the
thirst for title (which is here, as in all new countries,
insatiable), hit upon the inexpensive and wise expedient
of bestowing scientific titles of honour upon all those who
incurred expense on his account during his progress, or
who rendered him personal service. This new substitute
for more costly acknowledgments may well be commended

BAHIA. 157

to the attention of European Princes, for they exempt the
royal donor from the expense, the tinsel, and gilding
occasioned by splendid decorations, fti Europe, the cus-
tomary taxes cover all outlay of this kind, but the Prince
of the primeval forest probably asks for nothing in addition
to his empty title.

The Emperor, ever mindful of the wild primitive state
of his Empire, disclaimed every unnecessary comfort whilst
oh his journey ; and thus on his entrance into Bahia his
consort gaily ascended the steep path from the shore to the
Theatre Square on foot, beneath the scorching rays of the
noonday sun (a path reminding one rather of the Eighi
than of a principal thoroughfare inacommercial metropolis),
which exploit threw the lazy Brazilians into a state of
blank astonishment; whilst the Europeans felt that it
would have been a pleasure to have lent her one of the
palanquins that were following. But no especial attention
was paid to the Empress ; for she is looked upon as a
foreigner by the Brazilians.

The moon stood high in the tropical sky, and the stars
were sparkling like gems when we strolled down the
street to the shore. The botanist remained in the rear,
dragging along his prizes, the boughs of which rustled like
the branches of a wood. In our eagerness to get on shore
in the morning, we had forgotten to order a boat for the

evening. L , as Deus ex machina, helped us in our

need : he conducted us to the gate of the arsenal, which
was opened (after we had been a long time hammering at
it) by some sleepy soldiers. An old porter, who smelled
of brandy, stared at us in astonishment, and gazed at the
bush-clad botanist with genuine curiosity. L — - spoke
to the Captain of the Guard, a very polite old gentleman,
who (notwithstanding the lateness of the hour) threw on
his blue coat, put his cocked hat on his head, and welcomed
us invaders into his dominions. He immediately ordered

1.-58 KECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

a boat to be manned, and most politely endeavoured to
amuse us during the intervening time before the boat
should be ready. * According to custom in this Brazilian
climate, we were invited by him to seat ourselves on the
jetty (on which was a pavilion intended for guests of rank
on occasions of launches) and to inhale the sea-breeze.
Beneath the moonbeams the cool air blew from the broad
ocean over the calm bay, rising and falling like the regular
breathing of a peaceful sleeper ; it was most deliciously
refreshing.

This delay had its advantages ; for in the arsenal we
had an opportunity of seeing the first large firefly — no
longer a glowing speck, a floating gem, but possessing the
dimensions and brilliance of a small lamp. It flew quietly
round and round, but baffled every attempt to catch it.
It was sufficiently remarkable that one should see even
this denizen of the air in the very centre of a town : but it
is said that even Beja flores have been seen in the gardens
in the town, gracing them with their lovely ethereal
forms. But these airy forms, these exquisite ornaments
of Bahian life, have their fearful contrast in the snakes

that creep everywhere. L told us that a few weeks

ago he discovered a cobra capella close by his child, who
was at play on his terrace ; this is the most poisonous of
all the tropical snakes. A few days ago a cry attracted
him to the window, and he saw, beneath the shrubs
opposite, a large snake that had just been killed by some
blacks. Snakes, alligators, and yellow fever, are unplea-
sant adjuncts to this paradise : but ' one becomes hardened
to them,' as Bauernfeld truly says in his ' Deutschen
Krieger ; ' and this hardening is one of the first principles
of existence when one is travelling.

The boat was now ready; we floated over the silvery
waves, bearing with us a rich freight of pleasant memories
in addition to our flowery spoils ; and at length, safely,

BAHIA. 159

though very tired, we reached our old tub, which, despite
all our grumbling, had conveyed us so surely across the
ocean.

One of the happiest days of my life had passed away ;
a new world had opened its beauties before my eyes ; and
even on this first day its choicest wonders had been
displayed to me. As I lay on my couch in luxurious
languor I mentally recounted all that I had seen ; the
gleaming forests rose mistily before me; lovely palms
waved in the distance ; the silvery sea encircled me ; large
butterflies beat the air with their downy wings ; wondrous
flowers emitted a delicious perfume from their purple
cups ; I was on the point of grasping one when I saw the
sparkling eyes of a gold-streaked poisonous snake glaring
at me ; I shrank back, and tried to utter a cry ; but once
more the beauteous palms waved peacefully over me,
lianas drew their green network around me, the leaves of
the anone and banana rose above me like swelling waves,
and from amid a distant wreath of orchids, a humming-
bird fluttered its emerald wings, and poured forth a lay of
such thrilling beauty that it was to my ear as an echo
from a far-off land, while softly and yet more softly its
tones were borne on the summer air

The brilliant morning sun rose from the ocean waves,
and shed its rays into our cabins. The travellers awoke
from their blissful dreams to yet more blissful realities.

It was the 12th January, and one of the bright summer
days of the tropics, where one can always reckon on days
of equal length. There is something satisfactory in this
equal division of twelve hours : and if the daytime be
rather short, yet it never becomes shorter ; thus the in-
habitants of tropical regions are spared that season which
to me (perhaps with some little exaggeration of feeling)
seems to be an annually recurring misfortune. October,
November, and December, are three months to which I

160 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

have an antipathy ; they fill me with feelings of melancholy
and of sorrow, for they are the parting months of the
dying year. The fortunate Brazilians are spared these
pangs of adieu, and the chill cold of winter. To see the
sun rise in a genial atmosphere at six o'clock in the
morning on January 12, is a real heaven-sent blessing;
and I can but think with emotions of mingled horror and
compassion of cold, snowy Europe.

Man is only really happy in a climate in which he could
dispense with clothing if he wished, for there alone is the
body free ; there his intellect and his dress have a refining
influence. But how is the soul chilled, how sickly and
dejected does it become in those countries in which dress,
instead of being a pleasing ornament, is a sad necessity !
There, the soul does indeed become frozen ; for fur and
wadding are unavailing to warm it. When I think of
these poor chilled spirits, a picture rises before me that I
saw some years ago in the Schwartzenberg Grallery in the
feudal Castle of Kruman. It represented the soul as em-
bodied in the form of a little misty miniature man, a
photograph, so to speak, of the fleshly covering. But as the
dress of a man can never clothe his spirit, how must this
suffer in a cold climate ; and how bright and happy must
it not be, on the contrary, in the tropics I

That which foreigners relate respecting the rapid coming
and departure of day in the tropics is quite wanting in
truth. Travellers delight in exaggeration, although in
that which really exists they have ample material for
exciting interest in the minds of men. Before steam
lessened the distances of different parts of the globe from
each other, one little lie still found its account in the
astrological mysteries with which the few who had tra-
velled delighted to shroud their mystic tales of wonder, in
the pious hope that no one would come after them to test
what they said by the standard of truth. There was a

BAHIA. 161

secret bond between those who were travellers, and a sort
of esprit de corps forbade them to unmask each other.
Now all is altered, and no one, in any part of the world,
is safe from detection. According to the general account
given by visitors to the tropics, one must believe that the
sun suddenly illumines the darkness of night like an electric
light, and is extinguished with equal rapidity : yet there is
in the tropics a period of twilight ; and this twilight is very
beautiful, and its gradually fading very perceptible. Still
a Northern cannot fail to be struck by one important dif-
ference between these countries and his own : for in the
North, and especially in the north of Germany, there is a
perpetual twilight, not to speak of Kussia, where the light
can never become really bright.

With early morning we went to the arsenal, which we
selected as the most convenient spot for landing. It
stands between the Custom-house and some large ware-
houses that have iron roofs in the English style, and
serves principally as a place for the repair of Northern
shipping ; it is small and has no dock, merely the most
unsightly, old-fashioned wharves. In former times, be-
fore steam and machinery were in vogue, this arsenal was
probably one of importance ; but it is much too small for
present requirements, and its arrangements are imperfect.
The entire establishment is kept in good order ; and I was
particularly pleased with the idea of interweaving natural
vegetation, wherever space would permit, with the artificial
stiffness of order.

There are pretty gardens in the midst of the iron and
wood-work, and lofty trees afford an agreeable shade.
Among these shrubs I for the first time examined closely
the Flor dalndependencia ( Codiaeum chrysostictum, Spr.).
It grows like a laurel, and its leaves are of light yellow
and bright green, the colours of the national flag; thus in
civil tumults, the branches serve as party tokens ; hence

VOL. III. JI

162 KECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

the name of the plant, which I have never seen in
Europe. Whether the shrub derives its name from its
colours being those of the modern flag, or whether the
colours of the flag were originally taken from the plant, I
do not know. For the credit of the free Brazilians as re-
gards good taste, I will hope the latter ; for the frightful
combination of colours in the Brazilian flag could only be
excused on the ground of some association of ideas. Such
combinations of colour are possible in nature, but should
be carefully avoided in all works of art. The colours pre-
sented a very gaudy appearance on the Brazilian corvette
stationed in the roads as guard-ship. On a field of
spinach-green was a canary-coloured cube, in which was a
blood-red cross, with a blue globe and a tall imperial
crown (looking like a nightcap) above it. On each side
of the globe (the proper Imperial arms) was a bough of
the coffee plant and one of the tobacco plant, both in
bloom, emblems of native wealth. These symbols, chosen
from the botanical world, were derived from the primitive
country which had no historical memorials to show ; and
they may serve as a type of all that is American.

The Empire makes no pretence" in its arms ; but the
republics of Central and Southern America adorn their
standards with a complete rebus, not easy to decipher, and
better adapted to the signboard of a travelling menagerie,
or the door of a cabinet of curiosities. The globe in the
Brazilian arms has (as I had an opportunity of observing
when in Lisbon) an historical origin. It is the proud and
venerated symbol of the great Portuguese King Em-
manuel. When the Brazilian flag is new, it is gaudy and
Chinese in its appearance ; when it becomes old and faded
it reminds one of a bad egg in colour. The guard-ship of
which I spoke carries at its mizen, as the flag of the Ghefe
d'Esquadra do Bahia, a dark-blue standard, with the
Southern Cross picked out in white stars, fantastic but

BAH [A. 16.J

not unpleasing. The corvette, an old bark, does not look
out of kelter so far as one can judge by her exterior; but
the crew were not smart-looking men, on the contrary,
they were dirty and unseamanlike, and were also, for the
most part, very plain, even ugly men ; reminding one of
the monkeys in the forest, and (like the soldiers) strongly
tinctured with black. The Chefe cTEsquadra in Bahia at
this time is William Parker, an Englishman who has
served the Brazilian Government for thirty years, and is
much lauded as a clever and estimable man.

On leaving the arsenal on the land side, we immediately
enter the most lively street in the town ; in it are the Custom-
house and all the best shops ; it extends along the shore
as far as the uncleared country. Here also issues the cele-
brated hilly street which slopes from the Theatre Square.
At the junction of these two streets, on a terrace on the side
of the hill, stands the handsomest and probably also the
oldest church in Bahia. The fapade, with its two towers, is
of white marble, and is built in that ornamental style in-
tervening between the Eenaissance and the Periwig period.
One recognises the hand of the Portuguese master ; and is
pleased, amid all the new modern buildings, and all the
luxuriance of nature, to find at least one monument ren-
dered grey by time. Those peculiar treasures in which
Venice is so rich, and around which the aroma of history
hangs, are sorely missed in Brazil, which has only be-
longed to the world for three centuries and a half, and
whose people are still in their infancy.

Hard by the arsenal, in front of the gate of the Custom-
house, is the grand place of rendezvous of the noted Ba
hian porters ; these are characteristic figures that must
not be left unnoticed. They are stalwart negro slaves, who
(so long as their strength lasts) are let out for hire by
their owners ; thus forming a source of wealth that brings
in a larger return than does the letting out of oxen. These

M 2

164 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

black beasts of burden, whom their master provides
merely with food, are scarcely covered by their linen rags ;
they go barefoot and bare-headed, and carry the heaviest
loads on their broad shoulders by means of long poles.
They work in gangs of four, six, and even eight. The
burdens are slung on the poles ; the bearers proceed with
a swinging, and always rapid motion ; and they hum, or
rather howl, a melancholy ditty as they toil along at their
quick trot. Their eyes sparkle with excitement; their
muscles swell ; their monotonous chant is accompanied by
a regular motion of the body, which nothing disturbs.

One involuntarily shrinks with horror from these sad
trains of human beasts of burden ; the sight of them sends
a thrill through the heart of an European, and makes his
thoughts turn from this paradise back over the broad
waves of ocean. I saw trains of these porters, panting
beneath the scorching noonday sun, and softly murmuring
their monotonous song, as they mounted the hill at an
even trot. I could not but stand still to watch them;
long after they had disappeared I could still hear the echo
of their melancholy tones, coming from the mountains ;
and these were men ! And they who thus degrade their
fellow-men call themselves free citizens, of a free country,
which is said to prosper with such institutions ; and they
never suspect the disgrace, the shame, that lie in these
words!

The songs of the negroes are deserving of notice. They
are improvised upon a melody that runs throughout;
and though, for the most part, they treat of farinha or
cachapa, yet they often throw a very remarkable light upon
the relations of master and slave, and upon the treatment
received; mingled sometimes with laments for the free
home on the other side of the broad terrible ocean, that
insurmountable wall which stands between the rights of
man and the sale of souls. When they have improvised a

BAHIA. 165

stanza, it is repeated continuously, in a regular rhythm.
The following lines will serve as a sample of one of these
songs :

'Men Senhor me da paneadas
Isto nao esta na sua razao :
Com gosto he beijaria a mao
Se so me desse bofetadas.'

These few words tell a tale of arbitrary power ; and one
might imagine that such complaints could not fail to have
an effect : but slave-owners have rhinoceros hides, and are
utterly impervious to shame ; and to them the language of
blacks is only that of beasts, possessing nothing intelligible
to their ears. .

At the gate of the arsenal a fashionable equipage was
waiting to conduct us to a religious festival, which is annu-
ally solemnised on this day by the negroes, at the shrine
of Nossa Senhora do Bom Fin. I drew back on seeing the

carriage, and all L 's persuasions were needed to induce

me to enter it. It was a light and very handsome caleche,
with four greys, that pranced as though this were a state
coach. On the box sat two men, black as ink, but dressed
in handsome green coats, with silver lace and embroidery,
in velvet breeches, and white gaiters, cravats, and gloves ;
large whiskers surrounded their grinning faces, and on
their woolly heads they wore black hats with long silver
tassels, which flapped now against their backs, now in
their faces. The carriage with its concomitant luxuries
reminded me of that of Madame Pompadour in the play.
In this carriage was I to exhibit myself to the inquisitive
mob of Bahia ! Many countries, many customs !

By all accounts, I got through it very well ; the desire
of the Bahians, who delight in sights, had been to prepare
a sort of triumphal procession for me ; and an Austrian, who
had become a wealthy man in Bahia, in his patriotic loyalty
himself ordered this gilt carriage expressly for my use.
This showy equipage, and especially the silver-bedecked,

166 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

liveried negroes, were most distasteful to me, and I wished
myself back in my mule-carriage.

We went at a quick pace down the long street on the
coast, in which I could have fancied myself again in
Lisbon, and even in the very street leading to Necessidades.
I saw the same houses and balconies, the same disorderly
shops, the same vehicles in the street, yes ! even the
same Southern odours ; — all was like Lisbon. I saw far
more portraits of the King of Portugal in the print-shops
than of the Emperor of distant Kio. This appeared the
more remarkable, because the Emperor was said to have
been so well received here only a few days ago.

The eating-shops of the negroes struck me particularly.
Old negro women kneaded farinha in large metal vessels
or in the calibashes before mentioned ; while sometimes
beans disappeared in the meal, or grains of rice rose to the
surface. The usual substitute for bread is found in the
bread-fruit, or in the fruit of the jacca, roasted. When the
repast is to be luxurious according to the notions of the
poor slave, it is increased by the addition of carne secca,
pressed meat from Buenos Ayres, of the consistency of old
leather ; it is softened with hot water, but can only be
bitten by the thirty-two teeth of a negro. The ragged
negroes squat like monkeys round these improvised
kitchens ; and dive with their long paws into the mass of
farinha of which they proceed to eat their fill, and which
they afterwards digest, amid hoarse chatterings. with the
heavy appearance of a camel when ruminating. When
their means will permit, all, young and old, men and
women, pass on to the corner of the street to the old white-
headed negro who sells the fiery cachaca, that burning
poison which excites such a grateful, pleasant feeling of
semi-intoxication in these unhappy beings that, under its
influence, they can more easily bear the blows of their
masters. «

BAHIA. 167

Another curious spectacle in the streets of Bahia is
presented by the negresses who offer their wares for sale
in long, large, glass cases, which they carry on their heads.
The first time that I saw one of these glass cases, I supposed
it to contain either the body of a child or some relics. In
these transparent receptacles are offered for sale pastry,
ribbons, thread, linen, and all other requisites for domestic
purposes. What the object of this excessive care is, I
cannot tell. The origin of these little boxes is ancient ;
probably they are intended as protection against flies, for
dust there is none in Brazil. The skill with which the
strong negresses balance the glass cases on their heads is
astonishing ; they traverse every portion of the town with
their burdens.

The long street through which we passed was close to
the sea ; on our left, the houses gradually diminished, and
we proceeded along the edge of the coast. On our right
the town rose on the slope of the hill; but already we
perceived how the profuse vegetation pressed on all sides
of the houses, and among them. This drive reminded me
forcibly of Posilippo. Here, as there, the road is washed
by the peaceful waters of the bay ; the houses peep forth
from among moist verdure ; the view extends far over the
gleaming sea with its vessels to the houses on the other
side : and as in the Parthenopean gulf, so here the town, en-
circled by the blue waves and the green vegetation, melts
away into a suburb of villas, with brilliant gardens, in which
are exquisite specimens of the jacca and orange. An old
mango tree in front of a villa is an inestimable treasure ;
one obtains from it, in the open air, the shade and cool-
ness of a second house. In these gardens we found some
large and beautiful Plumieras.

L ordered the carriage to stop in front of a pretty

villa ; and the negro coachman, with unusual dexterity,
turned it, and drove us, over some planks and between

168 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

wooden huts, to a roughly cleared piece of land, where heaps
of earth and hollow paths were intermixed, and where the
rich yellow of the original soil lay exposed to the light of
day. In this scene of confusion were some iron rails and
trucks, giving evidence of the commencement of a railway.
The Bahians show these pigmy beginnings with immense
pride, and talk of nothing but the Caminho do ferro.
However, at present, it makes but a ridiculous appearance
and is a disgrace to these tropical people, who think too
highly of themselves. They lack two things to make
them resemble their European brethren of the Northern
continent — energy and money. They hold grand discus-
sions in their Chambers, fill their newspapers with articles
on the necessity for an iron road of communication, and
their grandiloquent expressions are applauded by the
public : but whilst in North America enormous distances
are really traversed by the locomotive, in Brazil all ends
as it began, in a multitude of words and a quantity of
scribbling. The Bahians labour at their railway arrange-
ments as though they had ten Semmeringe to steam over ;
yet they never advance beyond one spot ; but lose year
after year and spend untold millions of money.

Meanwhile the wealth afforded by the vigour of nature
decays in the interior of the country for want of means of
communication. Brazil, above all countries, needs rail-
ways. A few iron rails laid down wisely and expeditiously
in this magnificent country would bring every material
blessing, and with but little trouble ; as the plough prepares
the earth for produce, so would colonisation on a grand
scale, communication and intercourse between isolated
parts of the country, the building of towns, extensive
trade, an immense increase of revenue and increased
wealth of private individuals, all follow the track of the
steam engine. Railwa}7s would even alleviate slavery,
that ruin and curse of Brazil. Money is wanting ;»but

BAHIA. 169

why is money wanting in a land thus abounding in wealth?
Because the government is weak, and those who are
governed possess an undue amount of self-esteem ; because
freedom in Brazil really conceals within it excessive des-
potism. The constitutional, chattering oligarchy under-
stand by freedom, protection from any attacks upon
slavery ; and by government, non-payment of taxes for the
good of the empire. If a requisition were made for an
exceptional tax for laying down the railway, it would
bring a return of a hundred per cent. ; and indeed would
make the Brazilians rich, those who now retire from the
coast into the forest would cease to do so, and a solid
empire would be established. Up to the present time the
railways have been merely fashionable amusements,
expensive toys, serving as hobbies for men to talk over in
their chambers.

So long as Peter II. cannot proceed by railway into the
interior of his empire, so long will he remain not an
emperor, but only the master of some custom-houses in
a few seaports and lord of the small districts around them.
For, in the interior of the provinces of St. Paul and Minas
(only a day's journey from the coast) no more is known of
the Emperor and of the great Empire of Brazil, than we
know of Dalailama and its cloud-covered theocracy.
Peter II. might have made many discoveries on these
subjects if the slave-oligarchy that surrounded him had
allowed him to investigate for himself. In vain do
English engineers trouble themselves about the direction
the railway should take.

As regards the currency also all goes on badly : and I
experienced a feeling of melancholy when I saw the whole
of Bahia overwhelmed with paper, and that even these
splendidly illustrated bank notes with their handsome
pictures were taken from this drowsy empire to England.

After we had, for the amusement of the Bahians,

170 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

mounted a few mole-hills and admired the ballast waggons,
we re-seated ourselves in the carriage, quitted the coast,
and drove through a lovely country, in which nature and
cultivation go hand in hand, in the direction of Bom Fin.
The wide, level, well-kept road was bordered sometimes
by fields of sugar-cane or of velvet-leaved yams, sometimes
by little gardens with a profusion of flowers, sometimes by
groups of large trees with an undergrowth of bushes and
shrubs. The sky was slightly overcast ; and small genial
rain for a short time refreshed the grateful earth. Though
Dr. Wirrer maintains that in Ischl the rain is an infusion
of lime-blossom, that is merely an imaginative illusion of
the old enthusiast; and he would have found it diffi-
cult to say exactly on what three days in the year it
does not pour down in hogsheads. But in the tropics one
really learns that rain may be a genial greeting, and a
positively agreeable sight. Here, one scarcely defends
oneself against it; people pursue their way quietly and
undisturbed ; and even if one should get wet through,
one takes no cold, and has no uncomfortable sensations to
dread from it ; for the warm air of this delicious climate
dries one rapidly, and destroys all unpleasant feelings.

There is none of the chill produced by rain in our
own country, and especially in Ischl, which is so pecu-
liarly painful to sensitive persons. Here the moisture
evaporates like the drops of a perfume, and therefore no
protection is required against them. However, we Euro-
peans put up the hood of our caleche, which I should very
much have regretted, on account of the beautiful scenery,
only that, as in Egypt, the hinder portion of the carriage
was completely open ; which is a pleasant arrangement for
the admission of air, and one that was particularly appre-
ciated by me on this day, as it enabled me to see the
country behind us, as though I were at the window of a
balcony ; and just now the view was especially beautiful.

BAHIA. 171

We were passing through an avenue of tall, slender, cocoa-
nut palms, whose feathery crowns waved over the road ;
the most exquisite creepers were twined around them and
hung from them in light festoons ; round the stems was a
thick undergrowth of lovely shrubs, and on the grass the
pretty Vinea rosea bloomed profusely. This flower seemed
to smile its greeting like an old friend from our home
hothouses where the plants bear beautiful white and red
blossoms ; and here, the much-prized flower was to be seen
blooming, wild and unnoticed, by the side of a country
road.

The view through the avenue of cocoa-nut palms with
the ever-changing lights that gleamed behind the silvery
veil of genial rain, the green outlines vanishing in per-
spective, and the fresh glow of the bedewed plants and
flowers was enchanting, and mysterious as the sacred halls
of flowers which lead through the groves of the Brahmins
to the mystic Indian temple.

The road brought us to the hill of Nossa Senhora do
Bom Fin, which is surrounded by palms and watered by the
spray of the sea. Our four horses dashed across the square
in front of a church of brilliant whiteness in the rococo
style, standing on a broad handsome terrace, up to which
was a wide flight of steps, and on which were some houses.
In the square and round the church all was confusion, as
though it were a fair-day ; black people in their gayest
holiday attire were passing to and fro, and chattering
noisily ; carriages filled with well-dressed senhoras and
inquisitive citizens were endeavouring to steer a path
through the human waves to the terrace near the church ;
glass cases, filled with eatables, hovered above the heads of
the crowd ; little groups of people selling cachapa formed,
as it were, islands in the sea of people ; a wooden stage
similar to that erected in the Theatre Square for the Em-
peror, announced marvels for the coming afternoon.

172 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Our chariot was drawn safely by its four foaming steeds
through the thronging crowd ; we alighted and were
borne along by the stream to the large building; we
pressed through a side door as though passing the lock of a
canal, and found ourselves in a long, cheerful, handsomely
ornamented gallery; beautiful copper engravings in gilt
frames were suspended against the walls, and the light
which streamed in through the large windows danced on the
sparkling lustres. Mirth and gaiety pervaded the hall.
Many young damsels were seated in rows by the wall ;
their dusky charms not concealed, but enhanced by
kerchiefs of transparent light-coloured gauze. In the
most graceful and becoming attitudes, and amid incessant
chattering, they were selling all kinds of reliques, amulets,
torches, and eatables, partly from their baskets and partly
from glass cases. To a good Catholic the whole of this
proceeding could not but appear most blasphemous ; for
at this festival the blacks mingled heathen notions to a
most improper extent with their ideas of pilgrimage. All
went on merrily in the hall : the negro crowd pressed
round the saleswomen, laughing and joking ; the latter
jested in return, behaved in a very coquettish manner,
and ogled at the black clowns. The whole scene presented
a wild, oriental appearance, though mixed with a certain
amount of civilisation. That must have been a very simi-
lar scene in the temple when our Lord took the scourge
and for the first time destroyed the profane trafficking of his
country-people. To any one who could forget his righteous
indignation, the picture would have been both cheerful
and pleasing ; and an artist might have found many beau-
tiful studies from nature.

We fought our way on, and reached a spacious apart-
ment filled with rich ornaments ; the furniture of which
showed it to be a sacristy. A jovial, yellow-faced clergy-
man was leaning on a chest, with a chasuble and chalice

BAHIA. 173

close beside him, and was talking to some senhoras in a
lively and agreeable strain. It was indeed a most comfort-
able, pleasant sacristy.

The stream of people again carried us on, driving us
forward, and pressing us with ever-increasing force, into
a spacious hall, from the ceiling of which various chan-
deliers were hanging, filled with lighted tapers ; the walls
were of white and gold and were adorned with gay
pictures. An atmosphere of festivity seemed to pervade
the place ; a joyous expectation ; as though nothing
were wanting in this brilliant hall but the drums and
fiddles for the dance. It was crammed with black,
brown, yellow figures: with lovely women, sometimes
complete giantesses, whose bare necks and beautifully
formed shoulders were ornamented with beads, coral,
gold chains, and amulets. These women all had shrill
voices, rendered mirthful by the influence of cachapa ; and
for festal trophies, they carried ornamented brooms.

This was an excellent opportunity for studying dusky
complexions and negro costume. The negroes were hold-
ing their saturnalia ; slavery had ceased for the moment ;
and by the unrestrained movements and the wild merri-
ment of both blacks and mulattoes, by their rich and
picturesque attire, one could see that they were, for this
day, perfectly happy. There were specimens of every size,
every form of the negro race : from the matron, with her
gilt ornaments, her almost portly figure and proud gait, to
the graceful, joyous, gazelle-like maiden, scarce yet deve-
loped : from the white-headed, ape-like, good-tempered
old negro, to the roguish chattering boy.

All moved hither and thither in a confused mass. Here,
were two acquaintances greeting and kissing each other ;
there, two negro slaves from distant parts of the town
were shaking hands ; here a matron shouted ' Good day,'
over the heads of those around her, to an approaching

174 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Amazon ; there groups of people had collected and were
chattering merrily over the events and love-adventures of
this happy day. Mirth and unrestrained happiness reigned
everywhere : one could see that it was a long-looked-for
festival, at which the negroes felt quite at home. The
whole company were unanimous on one point ; namely,
the pleasure of keeping up a loud unceasing chatter.

We pushed forward into the hall in gay spirits, and
likewise talking loudly. I was gazing here and there with
curiosity, anxious to impress on my mind, as clearly as
possible, all the scenes of this black witches' sabbath ;
when at the farther end of the hall my eye was attracted
to a figure on a dai's, who continually looked anxiously
up and down in a book, then cast a glance around him,
vanished, and re-appeared again. I could not believe
my eyes ; I fixed them on him once more and saw him in
the same place. Suddenly a light flashed across my mind
and a thrill of horror succeeded. It was the yellow-com-
plexioned priest, who was going through the ceremony of
the mass (I cannot call it celebrating mass), as though he
were giving an oration at this public festival. I could no
longer doubt; we were in the church ; the large, mirthful,
dancing-hall was a Brazilian temple of Grod, the chattering
negroes were baptized Christians, were supposed to be
Catholics, and were attending mass.

The Brazilian priests maintain that it is necessary to
lead the negroes into the paths of religion by these means :
that they understand nothing higher, and can only be
brought to the church by mirth and gaiety and when
plied with cachaca. This is certainly a very convenient
view of the question for slave-owners to take ; for it
stamps the negro as being half a beast, and gives a sort of
sanction to slavery. We spent only the morning in the
church ; but in the afternoon, and especially towards
evening, when the cachaca has raised hilarity to its height,

BAHIA. 175

every bound of pious reverence is said to be broken
through, and a wild bacchanalia celebrated, in which vice
remains victor of the day.

The proper object of this festival is a pilgrimage of the
women to this church in order that by washing the en-
trance on the terrace and the stone pavement, they may
obtain the blessing of children; hence the ornamented
broom that each woman brings with her, and the emptying
of water and careful sweeping which, to our amusement,
we noticed everywhere among the crowd. Whether this
washing and sweeping be of much avail, I do not know.
In any case the miracle is not always worked, but appears
to be confined to some isolated instances ; for (to the des-
pair of the slave oligarchy) the statistics show that the
negro population diminishes considerably every year. The
principal reasons probably are the ill-treatment of the
slaves, their immorality, the necessity laid upon the expec-
tant mother to continue her work as long as possible, and
the excessive use of cacha9a. There are also the fearful
instances of slave women committing child-murder in
order to revenge themselves on their cruel masters, and to
rob him of valuable capital. These saturnalia are really
only occasions of public rejoicing, like that of the dearly-
prized feast of St. Bridget in Vienna.

Whilst listening to these joyous exclamations from the
mob, we were attracted by two large frescoes below
the choir ; one representing the death of the sinner, A
morte do peccador ; the other, the death of the just, A
morte do justo. 0 peccador is rolling on his couch of
pain in all the agonies of sickness, and horned messengers
are waiting to take his departing soul to eternal flames ;
whilst 0 justo is passing away calmly and peacefully,
and angels are ministering to the soul on the point of its
new birth to a life of happiness. The pictures were so
absurd that they would have suited a punch-bowl better
than a church.

176 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

We made our way from this wild bacchanalian orgy to
the broad terrace, whence there is a splendid prospect.
We stood on a peninsula formed by the terminations of
the roads near the town ; hence the name ( Bom Fin,' good
end. From this spot there is a fine view of the large,
wide-spread, commercial metropolis, of the broad, beauti-
ful bay, of the numerous gaily-dressed vessels, of the
grand masses of vegetation which border the town ; of the
groups of magnificent trees in the immediate neighbour-
hood, of the verdant hill, and also an extensive prospect
of the distant heights and islands which surround the bay
like a fringe of green. The sun was now shining with
tropical warmth and splendour, and imparted to the hues
of nature the brilliant glow, peculiar to this zone.

With some difficulty we regained our carriage which
was standing in the midst of the crowd. The horses had
become restive, for the stupid people (I may be forgiven
for using this appropriate epithet) were continually
sending up rockets though it was noonday, according to
Portugo-Brazilian custom. To carry coals to Newcastle
would hardly be so senseless as thus to let off fireworks in
the very face of a tropical sun. One hears a crackling
and whizzing, scarce sees the smoke, hears the shouts of
the crowd, and then sees a broomstick fall ! But it is not
left to negroes only to amuse themselves in this way ; it is
a genuine, national pastime.

On our return, we saw unceasing streams of negroes and
negresses carrying glass cases on their heads, of carriages
filled with white people, and of white men riding on mules
whom curiosity had attracted to Bom Fin. So long as
the negresses wear their own peculiar costume with its
gay, picturesque colours, they look very well; but woe
betide them when they adopt European dress ; they are
then exactly like monkeys. Crinolines that catch the
dust, mantillas of brightest hue, and exquisite Parisian

BAHIA. 177

parasols to protect the ebony of their complexions ; and
with all this, bare feet! The sight is too comical. A
slave woman may by some chance perhaps obtain permis-
sion to wear silk and velvet; but I never saw her feet
covered. The negro gentlemen in black hats and coats also
look most absurd, and yet one cannot but feel melancholy
when looking at them. The mulattoes have longer hair,
but it is still woolly ; their ill-advised ladies wear it
dressed in the modern style, and remind one of curly
poodles.

As the procession of pilgrims passed through the street
the windows and balconies of the villas were crowded with
spectators. Most of the ladies had their heads dressed.
On this occasion I became acquainted with a lady's toy
that was quite new to me, a most beautiful live vistiti
which, tied by a silken cord, played gracefully in the
street by the side of its coquettish mistress. These pretty
Lilliputian monkeys are so tiny and so clean that it is
impossible to connect the idea of anything that is disgust-
ing with them. But these pretty animals, with their
small faces, sharp teeth, sparkling eyes, and glossy fur, are
rare even in Brazil. The vistiti, like the humming-bird,
defies all description.

From the town we wended our way into a green valley,
where L — - showed us the large building, erected by
shareholders, for the new waterworks. The water is
pumped up by steam engines, and is conveyed to the most
distant parts of the town, situated on all the various hills.
An inscription is placed on a white marble tablet in the
house to inform posterity of the visit paid by Peter II. and
his consort. Such inscriptions, in commemoration of
events so unimportant, are absurd ; since their origin can-
not always be explained, as in this case, to have arisen
from the novelty and rarity of an Imperial progress, and
to the exuberant spirits of a romantic people.

VOL. III. N

178 RECOLLECTIONS OP MY LIFE.

From the waterworks we proceeded to the more distant
portion of the town, lying on the hill. Our horses could
have told of the un evenness of the streets ; for sometimes
we descended into the very depths, sometimes mounted to
the skies ; our eyes and noses could have told of Portuguese
dust and dirt : in the town itself there is nothing worthy of
notice. Numerous monasteries, various churches, frequent
and very pretty fountains from the new waterworks, with
alligators, fish, and young boys as water-gods, irregular
streets, dirty houses and poor shops, form the component
parts -of this thickly-populated town. Near the houses I
found a number of Carica papaya, the mealy fruit of which
provides nourishment for the poorer inhabitants. The
town is devoid of interest, except in the squares ; in the
square in front of the theatre all the principal buildings
are grouped. Here are the fapades of the gigantic
Franciscan Monastery and of the Jesuits' Church before
described ; here also is the large, new, iron fountain (on
which all the rivers of the Empire are represented in
allegorical figures) and the old cathedral with its
ornamented exterior ; this is, also, the square on which
stand the imperial palace and the town-hall, which has
really an historical appearance.

We went to- the Hotel Fevrier to order our breakfast,
and again found a merry and noisy group of strangers in
the verandah. A small live deer with a dark, glossy coat,
and gazelle:like eyes, was offered to us in the name of a
French traveller ; also a water-bird, resembling a cormo-
rant, with dark-green plumage ; both of which the owner
had brought with him from the forest. I contented myself
with examining the interesting animals, but declined them
with many thanks.

Here we found our botanist surrounded by bushes and
flowers ; he had taken with him some sailors with large
bags, and had spent the whole morning at the lake, botan-

BAHIA. 179

ising with great success. Tbe sportsman of our party had
gone with him, and had likewise brought back rich booty;
with natural pride he emptied before us the brilliant and
glowing contents of his game bag. Here were treasures
with which a mere closet naturalist would weary himself
for years, and which, though mangled and dirty, he would
preserve in glass cases. Here were specimens from almost
every kingdom of animal nature; beautiful emerald-
coloured, and still more beautiful topaz-coloured humming-
birds, whose throats and chests gleamed with a golden
glow like that of jewels, whilst in the sunlight the small
head and neck emitted rays like those of a ruby. Here
were lovely little doves of the size of a quail, of a soft,
glossy grey, with spots of blue like lapis lazuli on their
wings ; a species of blackbird which lives by the side of
streams ; a brilliant kingfisher, an immense green lizard,
together with butterflies of exquisite hues, admirable con-
tributions to my increasing museum.

To European eyes such spoils thrown down carelessly in
rich profusion appeared like lavish waste; whilst a murdered
humming-bird formed subject for repentance. The trophies
of the botanist and of the zoologist were so brilliant on
this their first attempt, that they might well be pardoned
for endeavouring to magnify the value of their expedition,
and to excite our envy by their wonderful stories. They
had already held conversations with parrots ; the botanist
had greeted the monkeys in the forest as equals ; they had
saluted snakes with hisses and claps, and indeed the
botanist maintained that in his hunt for the famous annga
he had even seen the tears of a hungry crocodile. But the
greatest treasure that the eager man of science had brought
with him was a beautiful humming-bird's nest, fastened
by slender fibres to a tender bough, and lined with soft
wool ; two lovely eggs lay within. That such a marvel of
beauty should spring from so tiny an egg is one of those

N 2

180 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

metamorphoses of nature that we wonder at but cannot
understand.

When we had ordered our breakfast, and had held a
long conversation with Monsieur Henry respecting the
purchase of some live animals, I left my travelling com-
panions to rest, hired a negro as my guide, and employed
the spare time in looking leisurely with the Doctor at the
principal buildings in the neighbourhood. The imperial
palace has one front in the adjoining street; its principal
facade is in the square in which is the town-hall, and the
third side fronts the bay. The building looks like a
hospital, and is of the greatest simplicity. It displays
none of the luxury of a private mansion, and is only
remarkable for its size and situation. The numerous
windows are all made to open like doors, and have iron
balustrades. In the entrance-hall there was, as I after-
wards found out, a guard of honour placed at my disposal :
and, notwithstanding all my protestations, and my desire
for the strictest incognito, all possible officials and servants
were awaiting my arrival. The town-hall is a large,
ancient, venerable building of the bye-gone days of the
Portuguese kings, and is raised above the level of the
ground on short, massive pillars.

On proceeding a little farther we arrived at the cathe-
dral, a sombre building, bearing the grey marks of time,
and affording proof that, in the early days of colonisation,
a certain regard was felt for beauty and art. Unfortunately
our old grey-headed negro (who did not very well under-
stand our language of signs) could not obtain admission
for us. The principal gate of the Jesuits' church was
likewise closed. At the Franciscan monastery opposite, we
made our way into a sort of vestibule, on the walls of
which the miracles of the saints of the Seraphic order
were immortalised in genuine rococo taste on white and
blue tablets. One finds similar pictures in all the rnonas-

BAHIA. 181

teries and churches in Brazil : they remind one of the
edifices of southern Italy and of Sicily. The cool, dimly-
lighted vestibule, into which all the old beggar-people
glided, also awoke recollections of Italy. But here again
we could not penetrate farther ; for it was the hour for
the siesta, doubly needed in this tropical climate. I
regretted very much that I was unable, during my stay in
Bahia, to examine this Franciscan fortress.

In the square we again looked at the large bronze-
coloured fountains before mentioned, which appear to
fulfil their real destiny only on festive occasions. To-day
the water gods did not pour forth their treasures, nor was
there a drop of water in all the broad channel within the
grating. From one solitary pipe^ dirty, untidy negroes
were drawing water; and, to judge from the appearance of
a little house close by, they were obliged to pay even for
this. That each nymph and water god should bear the
name of the river whicii he or she is intended to represent
is an instructive and very necessary arrangement. Certainly
the people might by this means be led to expect water of
a different taste from each river; but without such re-
corded names who could guess the deep meaning of these
lightly-clad figures? One now has the opportunity of
learning that these are the modern servants of the gods,
Para, S. Francisco, Paraguasu and Parana, who stand
thus broiling in the sun.

We once more tried to storm the Jesuits' church, and
at last succeeded in rousing a mulatto bellringer or sexton,
who led us up some very rotten and steep steps through
the bell-tower to the choir. The gorgeously gilded high-
altar and a handsome flat roof of cedar wood alone deserved
notice. Our guide, a comical fellow, did the honours of
his church in the drollest manner possible. He painted in
glowing colours and with very amusing vehemence the
hatred of the Brazilians towards the Jesuits, and told us

182 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

in hoarse tones of approbation how the great and wise
Pedro I. had ordered them to be flogged. This heathenish
act, recorded in the history of his country, he thought
very grand, and he only lamented that the venerable
Fathers should have buried large treasures in their
church before their departure. The fact is very well
known, though the spot has not yet been found. His
indignation against the Jesuits was most absurd, the ex-
pression of genuine Brazilian sentiments.

But whether the people were gainers by the sudden
removal of the Jesuits, is quite another question. Casting
aside all prejudices, one must arrive at the conviction that
the weak, intolerant government of Portugal permitted
them to hold the reins of power much too exclusively and
too completely : but, on the other hand, they were in the
far west the guardians of knowledge and of all culture,
now fast disappearing. They carried roads deep into the
forest, erected model buildings far in the interior, and by
their powers of self-adaptation knew how to attach the
wild Indian tribes. All this has vanished with the Fathers.
Had the government but understood the difficult art of
upholding its own authority over the Jesuits, and of
making use of their activity, tact, and scientific know-
ledge for the spread of cultivation, probably the present
wild state of things would never have existed. Whether
religion is now more zealously practised than formerly, the
Archbishop of Bahia can best decide. But the narrow-
minded government has cast from it a useful instrument,
and now stands powerless before the primeval forest, not
knowing how to advance, and seeing itself deserted by one
tribe of Indians after another.

I received these details partly from Protestants, partly
from some old Brazilian atheists who show themselves in
this point to be more impartial, more discriminating, than
those who call themselves Catholics. Little as the habits

BAHIA. 183

and manners of the Jesuits and other religious orders are
adapted to the steam-machinery of modern Europe, the
more for that very reason they are, when skilfully led,
and when incited to action by proper supervision, useful
in countries that are but semi-civilised.

The portion of the town that slopes down to the sea by
the fruit market rewards one for the trouble of inspection.
An entire town of booths, looking like a bazaar, with
streets intersecting each other and encircling the whole,
forms the fruit market of Bahia, which resembles exceed-
ingly that of Gibraltar, but it is larger, and the interior
incomparably more interesting. To European travellers
there is indeed a real, scientific interest in the fruit
market at Bahia, because here rich specimens of the mar-
vellous products of the soil are collected within a small space.
London has a similar town of booths in the neighbourhood
of London Bridge, in which I have wandered with interest,
but it is still larger, and there both earth and sea lay their
tribute at the feet of the Queen of the Ocean. Yet even
this lacks the marked, foreign characteristics that dis-
tinguish the fruit market immediately on the shore of the
Bay of All Saints.

Civilised life and the inner life of the forest find here,
on the quay before this town of booths, a point of unLon.
Here, boats in full sail come down the giant river from
lands uncleared by man to discharge the rich cargoes sup-
plied by the hand of beneficent nature. On entering this
peculiar town one feels (as in the bazaar at Cairo) con-
fused, bewildered. One does not know what to look at
first, whether at those who are selling or at what they sell ;
whether to devote one's attention first to the plants or to
the animals. If one wish to linger for a little while
before any object, one is immediately surrounded by a
crowd of negroes, who, by their hoarse chattering, render
it impossible to examine anything minutely. Here also,

184 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

on pressing through the streets, one sees, instead of Ceres
and Pomona, the most hideous n egresses, mulattoes, and
white people all mixed up together in confused groups,
sitting on the bare ground behind their piles of fruit. On
the right is a heap of rose-coloured yams ; near by, are
baskets filled with manioc, just fresh from the ground,
and therefore still poisonous; on the left, the juicy, aro-
matic, golden pineapple ; by its side the famous tropical
oranges, varying in colour from green to deep yellow,
large as cannon-balls, and without pips, delicious in taste
and having a well-marked eye opposite to the stalk.

Here also are long branches of bananas lying regularly
side by side, presenting every degree of ripeness, from
green to yellow ; the negro who is selling these bananas
has also before him a heap of cocoa-nuts of the colour of
brown wood, some of which are already opened, in order
to attract the public ; the kernel sparkles like saltpetre,
and the whey-like milk has not yet fermented, for the
fruit was only cut this morning from the tree near the
negro's hut. Farther on we see a plaited basket filled
with cashews, which shine with red and gold, like our
Borsdorffer apples at home ; within it, like a poisonous
insect, lies the treacherous cashew-nut. Near by, were
some guavas, which fruit had become familiar to us in
Madeira, and some anones, a fruit that I praised when
writing of the Canary Islands. Among these we perceived
the fiery glow of the pimento, the principal spice of
Brazil, of which I shall unfortunately have further occa-
sion to speak.

The cry of parrots attracts us to the next booth ; it is a
complete nest of beautiful parroquets, green as emeralds,
but that can scarcely be tamed ; close by, the large green
and yellow parrot (Psittacus ochrocephalus), already com-
mon in Europe, chatters to us in rough Portuguese. Now
shrill, sharp tones draw our attention to a group of lovely

BAHIA. 185

vistiti (Hapale lacckus) of which we find two species ; the
finest and most delicately formed is streaked brown and
grey, and has little eyes that sparkle like a topaz ; the
commoner species is also very pretty, with dark ears, and
dusky, grey fur. These have only just been brought from
the forest, and still crouch closely together, with their
little heads stretched out from the mass of fur with looks
of curiosity ; whilst in their Lilliputian anger they show
their dazzlingly white teeth, the bite of which scarcely
leaves a mark the size of one's nail. In other booths we see
exposed for sale grey cardinals with red heads ; canaries
with red spots on their heads ; blue, white, black, brown,
large and small fancy birds, and various sorts of shaded
plumaged blackbirds which are common in Brazil.

We saw an old red and blue arra sitting among the
fruit, and on the ground a beautiful guati (Nasua rufa)
was disporting itself; it resembles a badger, has a long,
projecting, flexible snout, little piercing eyes, thick, glossy,
brown fur, and a long ringed tail of brown and yellow.
This animal is also a denizen of the forest, and destroys
everything that he meets, be it fruit, flesh, or plant. He
is especially fond of eggs, which he brings from the trees
with great dexterity. The guati can be made as tame as
a dog ; but even then, if provoked, one is not safe from
the sharp bite of his pointed teeth. His fits of anger are
very comical to those who escape being bitten ; he puts
up his tail, bristles his fur, and utters a shrill cry, whilst
his little eyes sparkle and look as green as those of a cat.
This pretty creature unites the droll dexterity of the
monkey with all the grace of the feline tribe. On my first
voyage to Cadiz, in the year 1851, I purchased an intelli-
gent little guati which lived in my house for years ; but
at length, through the carelessness of his keeper was un-
happily frozen to death one night in the garden ; and
notwithstanding the warm fomentations applied by a

186 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

tender-hearted domestic, and most careful nursing in the
arms of the much-afflicted cook, he expired, peacefully,
but, according to human calculation, prematurely. Thus
we see that the fruit market at Bahia affords perfect speci-
mens from the zoological and botanical world ; and dis-
plays an excellent field of study to the student.

Hunger now drove us to the Hotel Fevrier, to our excel-
lent lunch. Our old Frenchman seasoned the repast with
interesting stories and instructive observations. From
him, indeed, one might glean many clear and useful
statistics regarding the country and people. He it was
who had advised our interesting excursion to Bomfin ; and
now he laughed at our astonishment and surprise; but
he also regretted that we should have quitted the spot
where we saw the black Bacchanalians, so much too soon.

In the hotel there was a constant passing to and fro of
the most varied figures, chiefly European. The verandah
was the favourite resort of these noisy visitants ; there were
also some few European ladies ; who, being rarities, were
always surrounded by a troop of lions, so-called. These
exiled Europeans strive to banish the feeling of banish-
ment, and to fill up the blank which the yearning for
home makes them feel keenly, by this public, hotel life ; it
would seem that they have a great deal of time at their
disposal. But all these people were more or less deficient
in an appearance of respectability for which they sought
to make amends by noise and boasting ; however, to us,
they served to enliven the scene. By adopting the wise
maxim of the English (who have elevated travelling to a
science), always to remain a stranger among strangers, to
take care of oneself and no trouble about one's neigh-
bours, to pass through all circumstances with the frigid
composure of a somnambulist, one may live peaceably
and undisturbed even in the midst of eccentric, trans-
atlantic society.

BAHIA. 187

After we had refreshed ourselves, we proceeded again to
the lovely Tich. The afternoon was magnificent ; and this
day had already taught us that the beauties of nature
form the sole and all-sufficing charm of Brazil ; and that
all that has been brought hither by the hand of man
(more especially by the hand of European man) has little
to offer that is either interesting or instructive when com-
pared with the luxuriance of nature.

We began to-day where we had left off yesterday, and
ordered our carriage to convey us direct to the house of
the Frenchman, where it was to wait for us. Although
the first excitement of tropical enjoyment had by no means
passed away, we were able to-day to examine everything
with more method, and to introduce a certain amount of
plan into our arrangements. Whilst still in Europe, and
also in the course of our journey, we had laid down the
following rules of duties in America : — Each of the party
to be bound to collect for the common object ; each bound
to recount to the others everything that he may see ;
everything collected to be delivered to the assembled
body of travellers, and to be for the common good.

Each of the travellers also had his own duties assigned
to him ; and was obliged to contribute, according to his
abilities, something (however small) for the public benefit.
Our amiable painter possessed his art which he practised
with great affection and equal skill, flashes of genius ever
appearing in all that he did. The doctor undertook to
direct our efforts, to check all undue zeal, and to arrange
everything systematically ; also, from his superior know-
ledge, to give us explanations of many of the mysteries of
nature ; and, above all, to make researches into various
works on Brazil.

As I could not resolve to take away life for the purpose
of examining and admiring nature, and thus throw myself
into a state of mental excitement, the master-hand of our

188 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

sportsman was deputed to kill the animals destined for my
museum, with my weapons, and generally under my
directions. Firearms were given to all the chivalrous
young men, even down to the youngest cadet, that every-
one might be able to lay some offering upon the altar of
our expedition. To me fell the onerous task to examine
minutely all that we should see, as far as possible to seize
upon the most just view of everything, to make notes of
all, and to arrange the sketches of travel now presented to
the reader. If the result be feeble, yet the will was strong
and my industry unflagging. But the palm is due to the
assistant-surgeon of our vessel and to the botanist, who
were unwearied and beyond all praise in their diligence and
ardour in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. The results
of the botanist's labours afford brilliant proof of what
a man may accomplish by means of a strong will and
steady perseverance, even in a short time and when
making merely hurried excursions.

We separated, taking different directions so that we
might find the more prizes. The sportsman advanced
with gentle steps into the forest ; the doctor, the artist, and
I prepared ourselves for but slow progress, as we wished
to admire the wonders of nature in individual specimens.

But before we quit the house of the Frenchman, I
may observe that there were in his gardens, rich with
flowers and fragrance (or, I might rather say, in the
grove of blossoms in front of his house) two species of
plumiera : the bracteata, which (as has been already men-
tioned) seems to have borrowed its rosy hues from the
dawn ; and the alba, similar to the bracteata in its bushy
appearance and in form of blossom, but the colour is
that of pure ivory, and its delicious scent is, if possible,
even more fragrant than that of the bracteata.

Among the luxuriant plants in this charming garden,
I must also mention the beautiful Petrsea volubilis, that

BAHIA. 189

half-creeping, half- twining plant with exquisite clusters of
deep-blue blossoms growing like those of our elder. As I
have mentioned some Latin names, I may be permitted
also to mention some of the principal flowers of Bahia
which I am unwilling to notice too often in my descrip-
tions of the scenery as a whole, lest I should by these Latin
appellations cause too many interruptions. I have already
spoken of the thick, wild hedges bordering the roads in
tne country round Bahia and growing in profusion ; but
without any individual or generic names, such as, according
to the etiquette of science, they ought to possess.

In my researches into botanical works, I find the fami-
lies of Myrtacea, Bamboo, and Malvacca cited as the
principal representatives of these plants ; the last, with its
white and yellow blossoms, is frequently found in our
botanic gardens. Twined among and over these shrubs
we continually find the momordica with its large, red,
gourdlike fruit of the size of a pigeon's egg, an exquisite
creeper for a garden : abrus praccatorius with a red and
black seed, in shape like a bean, which is much prized by
the Brazilians as an ornament: beautiful and graceful
thuiibergia, the strawcoloured blossoms of which have a
black eye of soft down.

Among the oft-mentioned Scitaminea I must yet spe-
cially note the heliconia with leaves like those of a
plaintain, and lovely scarlet flowers. The foucroya,
which much resembles the aloe, is also a striking object
amid the beautiful vegetation of Bahia. The artocarpus,
under its Brazilian name of jacca, has already been men-
tioned ; we found here two species of this tree — the inte-
grifolia and the incisa. The latter is properly the bread-
fruit tree, it never attains either the size or beauty of its
extraordinary brother, but is much more useful on account
of its fruit : this is like an egg-shaped gourd in appearance,
with a rough peel, and affords an excellent and nutritious

190 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

food, which is used especially by the slaves. It is not
indigenous to Brazil, its native home is in the South Sea
Islands, where it serves almost as the only food of the
degenerate people.

Among the palms, next to the cocos nucifera, I must
mention the tall and lovely elaeis ; for form it ranks
between the former and the phcenix ; the fruit grows in
clusters close to the stalk, and often attains the size of a
man's head. This palm is particularly remarkable for its
regularity of form, and possesses a double interest for the
botanist, because in its large, luxuriant crown he finds the
most exquisite orchids embosomed as in a soft nest, while
around its ribbed stem are the most interesting parasites.
Among these last we discovered a vanilla with bright-
green J eaves and light-yellow blossoms, and a licaste also
with large yellow flowers, having an aromatic perfume
and long, thick, bulbous root.

Apropos of the vanilla, I must narrate a joke of our
botanist. He promised an immense quantity of the rare
vanilla fruit to the party whom we had brought to carry
the plants, if they would help him to obtain some.
Scarcely had the heated sailors heard the promises of the
facetious rogue than a giant among them placed himself
beneath the palm, and made an active ship-boy mount by
his aid to the region so alluring to the botanist. But as
soon as the poor boy began to detach the fruit from the
crown of the tree with his knife, the whole mass of
splendour, together with a quantity of primeval dust,
descended upon the face of the sailor acting as ladder.
He loosed his hold, and the boy slid down the prickly
stem of the palm, tearing his hands as he went. The
botanist seized upon the only two ripe fruits and put them
into his sacred box, and the sailors were obliged to pocket
their disappointment.

We again took the forest path, the beauty of which

BAHIA. 191

brought to my mind the conviction that theologians puzzle
themselves in vain respecting the condition of our lost
paradise. What need is there to indulge in subtle en-
quiries when we have evidence to teach us ? Let them
take one single walk in the maiden forests of Brazil, and
they will no longer have any doubts on the subject.
Beneath a similar sky, surrounded by the perfumes of
similar flowers, in a similar scene of verdure and of peace,
our father Adam lived unfettered and free during his
period of happiness, without anxiety and without clothes.
The choicest fruits, luscious anones, cooling bananas,
golden apples, hung on the boughs to satisfy his hunger ;
the poisonous reptiles which now make the forest danger-
ous had not yet suffered beneath the tyrannical power of
man, and therefore left their weapons against him unused.
Peace reigned over wood and plain. Adam revelled in
the unconscious happiness of freedom from care and en-
joyed the privilege of being untroubled by his fellow-crea-
tures, and undisturbed in his repose. Yet, since he was
human, there slumbered in his soul the ruinous instinct of
love of progress, suggesting the idea that the world around
him might be improved. From that moment began the
strife between the Creator and the creature. The woman
at his side was sent to fill the blank ; and in the anxiety
to gratify her, lay concealed the ambition close upon which
followed sorrow. With Adam's first sensation of weari-
ness entered the thirst for knowledge. Eve at once drew
his attention to the necessity for a covering ; and now
the gastronomic idea occurred to him that the fruits
might be improved upon. Freedom from anxiety had
now given place to wishes for something unknown ; the
good people began to speculate ; nothing went on as
formerly ; godless thoughts of change, and longings for
something better succeeded ; they went to districts where
fruits no longer dropped into their mouths ; where the air

192 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

played coldly over their unclad bodies ; with the increas-
ing number of their family came the care of providing
for them ; in a word, misery had entered, their paradise
had vanished, and a state of society, with all its require-
ments, had begun. Yet paradise still exists in all its
pristine beauty, blooming in the forests of the magnifi-
cent tropics. Man alone has overstepped his bounds and
has plunged into the strife of the elements, into the
feverish life of human passions ; he has closed the door of
untroubled peace behind him and now wanders restlessly
on, perpetually at warfare with himself and his fellows.

We took the cool, shady path to the mill, as we did
yesterday. In the tall trees, covered with lianas, the
merry inhabitants were carolling their evening song in
melodious tones ; and, although the voice of each indi-
vidual songster differed from those of the birds of our
bush and fir-woods, yet they were all chanting the same
wondrous song of praise that grateful nature suggests
throughout the whole wide world to greet the warming,
vivifying sun on his coming and departure. As in music
there is a difference between stringed and wind instru-
ments, so one is tempted to seek for a similar difference
between the songs of the European and South American
birds. Every tone here has a ring like that of metal,
and vibrates with the sharpness and clearness of a
bell, or of brass resounding beneath blows. Everything
in the tropics has more vigour, a greater depth of colour
and tone ; just as the humming-bird has the brilliance of
a jewel, so in Brazil one finds even the smallest bird
endowed with a wonderful power of voice. One may often
hear powerful tones echoing through the wood : one seeks
in astonishment for the songster, searches amid bush and
tree for a length of time in vain, and at last finds a pretty
little passerin, from whose throat pours forth this stream
of sound. Here again we come on the track of falsehoods,

BAHIA. 193

in which travellers so much delight ; it is generally said
that the forests in South America are indeed large and
beautiful, but are perfectly silent by day, and that it is
only at night that they are animated, and then by hideous
sights and fearful sounds. The latter, as we shall see, is
partially true ; but the fores^ of Brazil has its exquisite
songsters, who trill their cheerful notes as well as our
birds, only much more loudly and more continuously.
The markets in the towns also prove my assertion, for
there one can buy the most beautiful singing birds in
little bamboo cages ; the gem of them is the tinagra vio-
lacea, a small, pretty passerin with canary- coloured body
and blue-black back and wings. I brought a specimen of
this bird back to Europe in its bamboo cage. I fed it
with bananas, and afterwards with oranges.

The forest which we traversed conceals a wonder of
another kind, namely, as people say, a large number of
rattlesnakes. This most poisonous of all reptiles is a new
visitor to the country round Bahia, for this much-feared
reptile has wandered from North America, its proper
home, ever farther and farther south, and has now pene-
trated some little distance beyond Bahia. Naturally, no
obstacle lies in the way of the progress of this murderous
creature, and the more southern regions of Brazil tremble
before the new invader. We saw on our journey, thank
Heaven, no member of this awful family. To-day I felt
very glad that I had in Schonbrunn killed two of these
beasts, brought thither by a traveller for a menagerie ;
since, if by any want of care they had escaped, which might
easily have happened at their feeding time, we might, in
consequence of the rapidity with which their numbers
increase, have had a settlement of them in my own
country.

Past the mill we pressed through the thick grass to the
sea-shore, where we found a narrow path but little used,

VOL. III. 0

194 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

which, following the windings of the beach, led from the
shore to the hill. We were obliged to force our way
through the splendid plants which overgrew our track ; how-
ever we obtained a view of the real home of nature where
it grows and thrives, where whole woods are developed in
a small space, where the sun can scarcely break through
the verdure, and the insects buzz from bough to bough,
where brilliant beetles rock themselves on the leaves, and
shy caterpillars creep on the grass, where everything beams
in the sunlight, and nature carries on her works at her
own sweet will and undisturbed. The wealth of turf and
shrubs, the cheerful play of gay little animals, the soft
motion of the rushes, the hum cf the gleaming dragon-
flies on the mirror of the waves, afforded me, who am
such a worshipper of nature, no common pleasure.

On the cool, damp shore we found generally the bright
green vegetation of herbs and shrubs ; the trees rose step
by step in ever-increasing height and thickness, until at
last, towering over the world of plants, they no longer
stood alone or in groups, but became massed into a forest.
Some few trees dipped into the water, and, as though the
union'of water and air were doubly genial, they were always
peculiarly richly covered with parasites of all kinds; in
this tract between the path and the sea we saw (its broad
crown picturesquely hanging over the waves in which it
was mirrored) a splendid specimen of the elseis, and a
ficus with large branches and rich foliage thickly over-
spread with lianas. Such specimens of trees, with their
parasites from the world of flowers, are perhaps the most-
interesting objects offered by Brazil. What value would
not attach to a winter garden in our own country if it
were possible to place within its artificial space one such
specimen of tropical splendour ! Eound the roots of the
giants grew ferns, lycopodia, and all manner of grasses
unfamiliar to me ; the stems, to the height of a fathom,

BAHIA. 195

were surrounded by the clinging philodendron ; on the
boughs were the tendrils of the blooming liana, reaching
high up into the* crowns; at the junction of the boughs
with the trunk, one might say at the joints, where the
moisture and dust collects, were bromelicea with their stiff
yet graceful stalks, and wondrous flowers ; on the boughs
themselves hung lovely tilandsia, whilst the net of lianas
covered the whole of the branches, and connected them by
graceful festoons ; and, last of all, high up in the crown
gleamed the luxuriant colours of fantastic orchids, which
have the privilege of appearing foreign even in the tropics.

The insect world also presented some interesting speci-
mens to us in the course of this afternoon ; we found a
large caterpillar, spotted with various colours of beautiful
hue ; wonderful black and brilliant wasps ; some exquisite
moths and beautiful beetles. In the neighbourhood of
the Frenchman's villa, we, with the parting daylight,
pressed up through bushes and green fields to the edge of
the forest. The sun had already sunk behind the moun-
tain range of Minas into the vast primeval forest, and a
lingering light, such as seems in the tropics to be doubly
melancholy, filled its place ; the masses of plants gleamed
in tints of peculiar sadness, the shadows became deeper
and overcame the daylight ; a sweet melancholy took pos-
session of nature, which, but a few moments ago, was
rejoicing so gaily. The last beam of parting day presented
to our view a wonderfully beautiful, violet orchid. We
looked at it for a long time with greedy eyes, but to obtain
it was impossible, so securely was it surrounded by an
impenetrable phalanx of plants. This impenetrability is
the principal reason why the numerous botanical treasures
of America, and most of the trees of the primeval forest,
have not yet been scientifically arranged.

We were obliged to wait rather long at the house of
the Frenchman. Our carriage was not at the place

o 2

196 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

appointed, and the ardour for research, had led our friends
so far that all calls for them were useless. The splendid
evening had collected a gay company on the green turf
from the villa which yesterday had appeared uninhabited ;
ladies dressed in white moved about gaily, and a very
pretty child, white as a lily, was carried about in the
cool evening air by a black nurse. Our artist rapidly
drew a beautiful sketch of a jacca. At last the rovers
returned ; their trophies consisted of a passerin they had
'shot ; the greatest marvels of their prowess had been left
in the copse. We got into our carriage and sped back up
and down hill in the cool, balmy air, through green
valleys and over verdure-covered hills to Campo Santo.
The sky had a deep-orange hue, the green of the vege-
tation was, in the twilight, doubly rich but more sombre
and darker. The outlines melted away by degrees in
mysterious shadows ; in a deep, park-like valley the masses
of bamboo had a weird and yet lovely motion as though
rolling like waves towards us ; the light was changed into
a melancholy twilight filling our souls with that painful
enjoyment, partaking of both fear and sadness, in which the
heart feels itself enraptured yet subdued. That incom-
prehensible feeling of pain stole over me which in such
moments of anticipation one cannot shake off.

As we descended into the valley a procession met us.
It was a gilt car with four black horses and a velvet
canopy of golden tassels and black ostrich feathers ; on the
handsome box sat an old negro in Spanish livery ; in the
triumphal car lay a black and golden covering ; behind
rolled a procession of state carriages ; this time it was a
rich man who had been laid to rest in his dreamless sleep;
and the heirs were returning home at full gallop to a
merry feast. Other carriages, sometimes full, sometimes
empty, sometimes meanly, sometimes richly appointed,
traversed the verdure of nature on this lovely evening.

BAHIA. 197

My thoughts became more and more anxious, more wild ;
we crossed yet one more hill and then stood before
the city of the dead. The last ray of parting day, the
last broken gleam of light stole over the gardens of the
dead. We entered a large space with regular avenues of
beautiful plants amid the quaint and cold marble graves ;
among them were parterres of fragrant flowers, little paths
and large pools of water. It seemed as though these
empty, silent gardens, in which no monuments are put up
were intended as pleasure-grounds for the dead. No jet of
water played from the fountains in the marble basins ; per-
chance even the motion of the water would have disturbed
the mute forms around. For do not the attendants often
miss roses, and are not these plucked by the dead and
carried back by them into the grave with the first grey of
morning?

This contrast of death with rich pleasure-grounds and
with the fresh influence of nature made one shudder, and
the overpowering effect was increased by the entrance of
one of the guardians of the place, a merry priest in a
loose robe (with a square, high cap, and long white ends
to the cravat below his yellow, distorted face) who de-
scended upon us shouting and gesticulating with an energy
that became greater every moment. He informed us in a
self-congratulatory tone that he did the honours of this
place of his own creation ; during a visitation of yellow
fever some few years ago an inspiration came upon him to
make this pretty cemetery ; he tormented the Bahians with
his shrill tones until he succeeded in obtaining the com-
pletion of this expensive work, and he himself, as he assured
us, passes his days cheerfully and happily in the midst of
this scene of his labours. He lives in the house in the
centre of the gardens. With tones ever becoming louder,
and with vehement gestures, he related to us the details
of the imperial visit to Campo Santo and how his Majesty

198 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

had expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the arrange-
ments: The thought of ever being obliged to rest here
became particularly disgusting to me, on account of the
annoyance caused by this excited man, who seemed to have
been drinking. With horror I quitted this pretty place,
the marble graves and gardens of which, though arranged
with so much want of skill, reminded me of the beautiful
cemetery at Naples, lovely beyond description. Over the
whole country there now lay the heavy, oppressive vapour
of yellow fever ; and with a shudder I turned away from the
jovial guardian of the dead and all the coarse appendages
of his cemetery.

On the other side of the road they showed us con-
temptuously the wall of the churchyard in which the poor
German heretics lie ; thrust out from the religion of love,
they have been obliged to buy a piece of ground for them-
selves, on the gate of which they have often tried to plant
a token of peace and of reconciliation, but it has always
been torn down again in the night by the mob. Yet this is
a nation professing to be ' mui illuminada,' and wishing
for the immigration of Germans. Whether the slaves also
have a cemetery of their own I could not learn. This
separation among the dead is the most loveless and sense-
less thing that religious zeal has ever suggested ; how will
all wonder when on the day of judgment in the valley of
Jehoshaphat no wall or partition shall be erected, but all
men side by side will tremble alike, without difference of
rank, before the stern Judge ! These thoughts increased
the deep melancholy which had fallen upon my heart ;
and it seemed to me as though amid the deepening
shadows the poisonous breath of the yellow fever was
spreading its vapour alike over plain and valley.

But the incubus fled before the sharp trot of our lively
horses, although my freshness and elasticity were not fully
restored until our merry banquet at the Hotel Fevrier

BAIIIA. 199

brought back all my old spirits. This was one of those
pleasant moments when, in the friendly circle and amid
lively conversation, the wonders and experiences of the
day are recounted. We also found our good commander and

the amiable L at the table ; the former had remained

true to his resolution of joining in no excursion, for our
youthful and rapid pace of locomotion alarmed him ; the
latter had not accompanied us in the afternoon, partly
because I had expressed a wish that he should attend to
his affairs, partly that he might hire a steamer to take us
to the very interesting and little-known island of Itaparica
and to a celebrated sugar plantation on the Paraguasu.

According to L 's account, the whole of Bahia was

in excitement to-day; it was the great day dreamed of
by every one, which makes hearts beat, which places every
mind in a fever of excitement ; for which Europeans look
in a storm of agitation, and which shakes even the heavy
Brazilians out of their apathy ; in which conversation
receives a new impetus, in which the activity of the
merchant reaches its summit, and the politician anxiously
hopes to collect something new ; it was the day for the
European mail, which only arrives once a month, and
which, by the revolution it causes in all the seaport towns,
affords the most convincing proof that old, much-abused
Europe is still the centre, still the ruling continent of
the world ; that all other countries on the wide globe,
China and Japan excepted, are but colonies ; in China and
Japan alone has the human race succeeded in attaining
an independent, self-sufficing state of development. Hence
the indignation of the proud European against these pru-
dent Chinese who need nothing from Europe, but who
prove that man can build a fortune for himself within
himself and can exist by himself. How much America
leans upon Europe is shown by the inland newspapers
which give an account of the news received by each

200 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

4

European mail with every possible minuteness of detail,
whilst our newspapers scarcely make mention of the
colonial continent.

Again loaded with a rich booty of plants and animals,
although in some cases with torn clothes and forlorn
appearance, our merry party went to rest on board our
floating palace.

January 13.

The sun stood high, our impatience yet higher ; we had
already been long on deck in travelling dress, with fire-
arms, hunting-knives, pouches, boxes of flowers, nets for
catching butterflies, instruments for killing beetles, pro-
visions for our own refreshment and for the moistening of
our throats, counting the moments in anxious expectation,
when, at length, a little steamer, the ( Cachoeciras,' worked
her way out of the forest of masts and neared the
e Elizabeth.' Boats were lowered and the steamer, which
had made her appearance late (in Brazil, where so many
casualties take place, the word punctually is quite un-
known), was boarded by us in due form. The deck was
soon filled with men and provisions. On board the little

vessel we found our good L , and a rich planter, Senhor

Gr , whose property we were to visit in the course of

the day. It was not our fault that at first the modest and
retiring man was little noticed ; we did not know his
rank, we had no idea of his princely position, and it was
only on his own territories that his importance became
manifest We also took with us several officers, cadets,
and sailors, from the ship, all armed to the teeth, and all
bent on accomplishing great things in the hunting field.
We quickly traversed the broad bay, we seemed to our-
selves to be like conquerors ; it was as though we passed
from victory to victory, for every moment we encountered
new wonders. As the coast of Bahia, with its sun-kissed
town and green Bomfin, vanished in the blue distance, so the

BAHIA. 201

form of the richly-wooded island of Itaparica became more
clear. Before us on the blue ocean lay a panorama such
as imagination might anticipate in America ; a landscape
taken as it were from ' Paul and Virginia,' the glowing
descriptions in which foster youthful imagination so
pleasingly. Long chains of hills were outlined against
the blue sky, their heights covered with forests from
which some giant trees here and there raised themselves
above the rest ; on the glowing sand, cocoa-nut palms
reared themselves aloft like phantoms ; white spots like
gleaming pearls betokened the presence of villas and huts,
which were surrounded by green fields of sugar-cane.
Imparting to the scene a still stronger impress of a
foreign country, little islands on the right of the long-
coast appeared above the waves (like the play of the Fata
Morgana) with lofty, waving cocoa-nut palms, among them
Sta. Barbara, a powder-magazine, and S. Eoque; whilst
barques richly laden with the products of nature (the
morning breeze swelling their tall, lateen sails) passed us
merrily. Boatmen of all shades of colour, crammed in
gay groups in the boats, gazed with curiosity at our
steamer proceeding in so unusual a direction and at so
unusual an hour.

The whalers make large and extensive captures on the
coast of Itaparica, and present to the Bahians the stimu-
lating sight of sea-conflicts carried on with intelligence
and vigour ; the monsters when caught are immediately
drawn up on the sandy shore, and used for various purposes.
We found in and around the little town of Itaparica,
remains of the bones of thes$ useful leviathans. A different
characteristic of Itaparica is degrading to the human race.
At a remote, little-inhabited, and little- watched portion of
the coast, a smuggling trade in human beings is carried on,
notwithstanding the law. A short time ago, a mysterious
vessel, of a build and rig easy to recognise, sailed suspi-

202 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

ciously round the coast ; it was not until after a considerable
time that the eyes of the lazy authorities were opened,
and the heavy guard-ship sailed in the direction of the
island. All the telescopes in Bahia accompanied it, the
exciting sea-fight quickly came to an end; the slaver
threw 300 of its living cargo overboard, and being well
acquainted with the navigation of these waters, slipped like
an eel out to sea. The poor slaves, with their aptitude for
swimming, soon reached the neighbouring coast, and became
the property of his Brazilian Majesty's Government, and
to the secret joy of the rich owners of Bahia they were
employed on the new railway works. And now a strange
thing occurred. Government had taken possession of 300
strong, young, fine slaves of both sexes, but in a few weeks
the party was transformed into old men, cripples, and
invalids ; a wonder in a negative sense. The affair may
be easily explained thus ; all the proprietors of the neigh-
bourhood exchanged their worn-out slaves for the younger
people on the railway ; the number of heads remained the
same on the government lists, and the slave-proprietors
replenished their property admirably; similar secret ex-
changes of slaves are not uncommon. The government is
too weak, and has also too little inclination, really to make
way against this evil ; most of the officials are themselves
large slave-owners. It is true that many, influenced ' per
P honor della firma,' will hold a little enquiry on the
subject of smuggled slaves, but it leads to no results.
The slave-owners compel the suspected individuals (who
naturally do not yet speak Portuguese intelligibly, either for
good or evil) to answer every question of the judge by the
word ( Minas.' ' What is your name ? ' Answer, ' Minas,'
which is a very common name among slaves. ' Where
were you born ? ' Answer, ' Minas,' one of the chief
provinces of Brazil, but also an important negro tribe of
Africa which provides the Brazilians with the best slaves.

BAHIA. 203

( Where do you work ? ' Answer, ' Minas.' Minas are
the diamond and gold mines from which is derived a
principal source of wealth of the country. The judge,
who is naturally also a slave-owner, notes the three ' Minas,'
shuts the protocol, and the affair is settled to the satis-
faction of all parties.

Our steamer stopped at the town of Itaparica, and our
party hastened into the small and very slight boats to
proceed quickly on shore. Town ! a small town ! — village
is the real word that describes this place, but in Brazil
everything is called villa. I can therefore place no faith
even in the best German and English maps ; we ourselves
found an inconsiderable group of houses on a little creek
marked as a considerable seaport, and some Indian huts
in the forest represented with the pompous Portuguese
name of a city. On these geographical points, the Brazilians
have imitated their northern republican brethren, but they
find much more bombastic names than the Yankees ; still
they lack the wonderful energy of the northerns, that
supernatural activity which (in districts where only the
stag and the Redskin had since the Creation striven together
free and undisturbed beneath giant pines), in the short
period of twelve years, a period almost unparalleled in the
history of the world, has created the large nourishing town
of San Francisco with its wealth of luxury and refinement,
now filled with beautiful churches and gay theatres, where
the richest warehouses afford all the luxuries of ancient
Europe, where large hotels accommodate visitors in English
style ; where the iron will of man, which knows no obstacle,
works wonders. One does not find such works in
Brazil. The races inhabiting this country lack energy
and activity ; they cover it with their population and live
here in idleness ; they lack the vigour and inclination
necessary to develope and increase its treasures; indeed
they are obliged to call in the aid of another race of men

204 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

to work for them. Itaparica presents a genuine picture
of Brazilian negligence. Some unmounted fortifications
of granite show that the town existed long before the
independence, but it is still only a collection of little houses
all built on the ground-floor, without any distinctive
character; not unlike the houses of the peasants in our
villages, forming streets which become lost partly in
gardens, partly in wild country, and in which the grass
grows undisturbed, affording forage for mules and asses.
There is on the shore a solitary, one-storied, ruinous house,
a sort of seat of authority, These Brazilian towns look as
though a child had sought out for itself a spot in a
garden, had cut and torn away the grass with vehement
impatience, and then had taken its little wooden house
out of its basket of toys, and ,had, in its childish obstinacy,
put it down straight or crooked, right or wrong, in the
midst of the grass and reeds, with a little church and a
little tower in the centre of the best cleared spot, ex-
claiming, ' Now I have my town, and all that it requires.'
The chaos of vegetation, the romantic confusion of plants,
begin close to the town ; cultivation is only to be found
in isolated spots, and this large island, which might form
a principality in itself, is overgrown with wood, is scarcely
known by the neighbouring inhabitants of Bahia, and in
certain portions is still unexplored ; so that here, in the
immediate vicinity of the commercial metropolis, we suc-
ceeded in finding a completely new species of plant.

We wandered through the deserted little town, and
hastened into the kingdom of nature. Here and there we
saw some mulatto faces gazing with curiosity after the
strange cavalcade. As we approached the garden sur-
rounding the town, a little man appeared in a sort of
comical uniform of the National Guard with his staff of
office in his right hand. Full of eager zeal, he buzzed
around us like a bee, and did not know rightly how or on

BAHIA. 205

whom he ought to bestow his attentions. At length he

devoted himself to L , for he knew that he was the

principal officer of police, and deputed by our chief to be
our guide and companion, and to undertake the office of
our protector and Mentor, Oh, unhappy century in which
we live ! Police even in the primeval forest ; the watchful
eye of the law even on this side of the ocean ; patriarchal
protection against snakes and tarantulas; watchful eye
over monkeys and parrots ! Unhappy Brazil, canst thou
copy nothing better from our civilised Europe ? Police
in uniform in the forest ! I could scarcely help laughing,
but made the strongest protest, as a citizen of the world,

against this pressing guardian. L , in his German

good-humour, brought up in the school of the thirty-seven
paternal governments, was quite uneasy, and thought we
should be obliged to submit to the city official with the
Spanish cane ; but I let loose my whole eloquence in
English fashion, our party joined in chorus, and we
staunchly declared we would not proceed a step farther
until the eye of the law should have vanished. To go
into the free forest on a search for parrots and butterflies
followed by one of the imperial police, would indeed have
been impossible. After a long discussion, our firmness
gained the day ; our protest was accepted, and the liveried
servant of the law disappeared.

Immediately on reaching the termination of the village
the vegetation became interesting; they were indeed only
weeds which grew in the streets and squares ; but they
were Brazilian weeds, such as we preserve in hothouses ;
the despised food of mules, here trodden down by hoofs,
or, in an excess of industry, rooted up by the inhabitants,
adorn many a bouquet at home, and are nurtured and
admired by the fair sex. The idea of what is unusual is
then the real charm which ever allures man, who always
sighs for what is new ; in order really to understand this
one must scale the partition wall of ocean and pass from

206 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

one continent to another. Why does the Brazilian, sur-
rounded by the most beautiful forests, spend labour and
money on faded roses and stiff dahlias ? If he succeed in
obtaining the luxury of a languishing apple-tree or a sickly
vine, the whole country talks of it. How many of the
princely hot-houses of Europe might one not fill with
plants here daily trodden under foot, or burnt in making
new gardens ? What fabulous sums of money would not
be paid for the palms cut down in these forests to build a
hut to last for a few hours ? And yet even this desire for
that which is new is a source of happiness to the human
race ; it is the regenerator which gives a zest to life, though
it has its ludicrous side.

Before we left the houses our botanist already began to
tear up plants, and manoeuvring with the butterfly nets
went on in all directions. The gardens were marked by
wonderful palm trees thickly grouped, and by high im-
penetrable hedges, amid which rare creepers bloomed.
Among them we found a half-climbing papillonacea with
violet blossoms, scarcely inferior in colour to the bougain-
villea spectabilis ; there was also a large, fine grey vinea
growing at the foot of this hedge which would have done
honour to the most carefully-kept English park. When
we had left behind us the last house of Itaparica, a long
low building lying near the road, and belonging to a French
settler, the wild country began ; cultivation only appearing
in some few spots. The beginnings of future clearings were
indeed perceptible, for the forest was in places almost cut
down and the earth lay ready for the service of man. This
country has its peculiar characteristics throughout, some
of the hills are covered merely with weeds and low bushes ;
on others the new forest is again rising ; here and there large
trees of ancient date rear their forms ; wondrous groups
of creepers and bushes surround them and look like pictures
arranged by an artistic hand ; amid them the arid earth

BAHIA. 207

peeps forth, parched into dust by the scorching sun. This
was the real land for the botanist and the sportsman, it was
indeed adapted in some way to all, one might see this even
from the distance ; it swarmed with birds, and almost every-
where there was opportunity for shooting.

Our large party now dispersed over the undulating
country : the sportsmen turned in all directions, like skirm-
ishers on a night-post attack ; the botanist made a battle-
sound on his leaden box, and quickly disappeared with his
attendant sailors into bush and grove, like the diver who
plunges into the waves to bring up their pearly treasures.
The artist also vanished with his sketch-book, on his
search for prospects and picturesque effects. I joined the
doctor, and the interesting amiable L from whose intel-
ligent stories of land and people so much was to be learnt.
The sportsmen remained with us during the first part of
the way ; whilst like a faithful hound, earnest and attentive
in his silent admiration, followed the noted Spatz, by birth
a tough Styrian, by office a cabin-boy in His Majesty's
steamer ( Elizabeth,' four feet high but broad-shouldered
as a little Hercules, and full of delight and eagerness to
see far-famed America. Among people without education
the thirst for knowledge is doubly praiseworthy.

We had scarcely advanced a few steps into the country
over a cool, thickly-wooded hill, when the view-halloa was
heard on all sides and at all distances, as though a conflict
were going to begin. To count the numerous shots that
the light-hearted young men fired in their eagerness would
be an impossibility; but it was by no means much noise
about nothing, for even the report of the powder and the
shouts of the sabbath-day sportsmen had the effect of
exciting a rebellion among all the creeping and flying
animals in Itaparica, and of gratifying our inquisitive
eyes, as the sportsmen drove out many interesting speci-
mens. The shots which rattled through the leaves, only a

208 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

few steps from us, were indeed profuse. Providence had
compassion on the tyros ; but at this moment I wonder
how we all escaped with whole skins during this onslaught
in Itaparica. We went straight to a pool, richly overgrown
with shrubs and creepers, and were standing beneath a
lofty palm when our best sportsman delivered his first
well-directed shot; it brought down a bird like a black-
bird, with an orange breast, a brown back and the inside
of the feathers of the head of a bright red ; when, oh, mis-
fortune ! the feathered booty so well hit fell straight into
the pool ; there was no dog on the spot, but the courageous
Spatz undertook the commission of saving the rare game ;
at first it appeared to him to be a rather critical undertaking,
the brown water excited in him suspicions of alligators, and
besides he was afraid of sinking. By persuasive arts, pro-
mises of devoted sacrifices to save him, and advice to
inform us of the moment when the first alligator should
grip him, we at length got the worthy Alpine boy to venture
into the water, which he only entered after he had taken
off his long boots.

Whilst we were occupied with this water hunt, in which
our faithful Spatz really secured the prize, the scattered
members of our party, with new expenditure of powder,
were killing on all sides, and shouts of triumph echoed
from hill to hill. But my strained ear, now doubly atten-
tive to every sound, caught the shrill scream, the sharp,
piercing tones of parrots ; as I glanced up I saw the novel
spectacle of a flight of bright emerald parroquets, which,
scared by the mad chase from the crowns of the trees, were
traversing the dazzlingly bright sky with cries both shrill
and deep, of every tone and cadence, and were endeavour-
ing to reach some thick foliage at a distance. Thus again
a new link was formed in the chain of American conquests ;
real parrots flying in the open air, as sparrows do at home,
this was a great step in advance. How many hundred

BAHIA. 209

times had I, in my warm room at home, read descriptions
of these flights of brilliant birds, and each time with a
silent longing to see them with my own eyes. Now they
were here, and our joy at the sight may easily be under-
stood and pardoned. The appearance of these flights is,
owing to the splendour of colour, most brilliant ; the bright
green of the plumage of these birds has a wonderfully
good effect against the deep-blue sky, and not less beau-
tiful are the movements of the birds. The motion of their
wings is short, quick, and eager ; they only fly in flocks,
and never without giving notice of their presence by
piercing cries. One would like to oil their throats to
soften their harsh tones. A heavy discharge followed the
poor frightened flock, and amid the numerous shots one or
two took effect : the bird that lay before us was one of
those small green parrots with long tails, that are gene-
rally seen in European rooms, and which of all parrots is
the most easily tamed.

As we passed on, we continually scared away every
description of passerin. To describe these would be im-
possible, on account of their variety and speed; they
were for the most part dark in colour ; either black with
white heads, or brown and black, or entirely of a blue
black ; more than this one could not not distinguish. In
this profuse vegetation, in which everything vanishes,
leaving no track behind, one can only describe that which
one either kills or is able to retain in captivity. Our path
now led us up a hill overgrown with low weeds. We soon
repented the direction we had taken, for both our clothes
and our skins came into most unpleasant collision with
hideous thorns, and strong, tropical, stinging nettles. We
took to flight, and turned towards a broad plain in the
midst of which stood one solitary hill, like a throne,
crowned by immense trees of splendid form ; to this
interesting spot we bent our steps beneath the scorching

VOL. III. P

210 RECOLLECTIONS OP MY LIFE.

heat. The plain was uncultivated and uninhabited, and
was bordered by palm-crowned woods ; it extended so far
as the eye could reach. We now perceived how large this
island must be. Itaparica, if well cultivated, and its rich
soil made to yield adequately, would form a little empire ;
it now remains fallow, like almost all the excellent soil of
Brazil, because this chosen country has too extensive
territories, and too few occupants ; lacking the poor to
cultivate them, the finest and best-situated countries
become neglected and rank. The Brazilians try in vain to
help themselves by hired labour ; but now that an open
traffic in slaves is forbidden, even this precarious means is
becoming exhausted ; the negroes diminish in number
considerably every year. Then Brazil is also fast retro-
grading, and if the government does not soon organise a
system of immigration, if it does not give up its hatred of
foreigners, and does not trample over the slave-party, this
large empire will fall in pieces, and the primeval forest
will become victorious, and will again cover the country.
It sounds very well to say that Brazil is larger than
Europe, ten times as large as Austria; they may puff
themselves up with this proud idea, but how far does the
authority of the Emperor extend ? Not even so far as the
axe of the colonist has cleared the forest ; for the more
important colonists live much more unfettered in their
little states and possess much more power than the great
Emperor in Rio.

If one were to count the square miles in Brazil that are
really under cultivation, this giant empire would be found
to shrink considerably. True progress and real prosperity
can never be spoken of in it so long as slavery exists ;
slaves and respectable immigrants cannot live side by side ;
slave-owners cannot be just. To break through slavery,
therefore, should be the first act of modern Brazil ; it
could not be done without some pain, but all natural

BAHIA. 211

vigour begins in pain ; and certainly it is preferable to
idleness and sickliness. What revolting reasons do not
cold-hearted sophists give for a continuance of slavery,
sanctioned by the State; they maintain that if slavery
were abolished by law a large number of owners would be
ruined, as they could not till their immense territories
without their human machines ; in order to leave the idle
luxury, the moral indolence, of a large number of pro-
prietors untouched, generations of unhappy beings must
pine away in slavery. The blacks are men and Christians,
and by the law of God they are born free ; that they are
regarded as such is proved by their being baptised, also by
the fact that their owners frequently have negro wives and
children, whom they themselves sell again in the market.
What an insult to morality and logic ; what a denial of
every human principle lies in this circumstance ? Why
do not liberal newspapers, the courageous champions of
right, comment upon such deeds? Perhaps because the
traffic in slaves is concealed in a liberal, democratic
constitution ; and the government by pure force of re-
petition is deemed enlightened. But who compose this
government ? The owners of black slaves; and the Emperor
himself possesses a large establishment of them in Santa
Cruz, near Eio.

Why do not the people who uphold such institutions at
once return to the worship of heathen gods ? It would be
much more consistent and convenient ; slavery might then
be more easily established, as a pious right, and heaven be
provided with a saloon and a vestibule ; the saloon for
white people, the outmost hall for the blacks. I begin
now to understand why slaveholders retain in their demo-
cratic constitution the article, that the Emperor and the
heir to the throne shall never leave Brazil : outside the
empire, some different light might dawn upon them. That
immigration should take place under such laws, that free

p 2

212 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

whites should be able to convert their toilsome labour into
money, when the neighbouring landowner makes his black
machine work gratis, or at least only repays him with
blows, is impossible ; if Brazil would thrive and prosper
among the empires of the world as an equal, it must have
an iron-handed regenerator, a white despot basing his
principles on justice, who will treat with no party, and who
will interfere with iron austerity in case of need. His
would be the melancholy lot not to be understood by the
men of his time, to be hated by his Brazilian contem-
poraries ; but history would accord him a high rank among
those who work for the future ; his name would be inter-
woven with the advanced opinions of Brazil, and would
be blessed by future generations. Article 1, in his consti-
tution, should run thus : ' All men in a free empire are
born free.' Article 2, ( The heir to the throne must travel
for several years in the civilised world in order by his own
observation, and by comparison with foreign countries, to
learn statesmanship.'

We approached the height with the giant trees ; it rose
softly and regularly from the broad plain like an immense
grave. It was thickly covered with brilliant scitaminea,
from the beautifully-formed leaves of which the glowing
blossoms gleamed brightly. From this thick covering,
growing as closely as rushes, and through the rustling
leaves of which one was obliged actually to break a path,
rose the sacred banana, the sign of colonisation, with its
large leaves. We hastened over the green carpet to the
plateau of the hill and stood in astonishment at one of the
greatest wonders of nature; for even nature erects her
monuments, and when she erects them they are grand and
sublime, far grander than those of men. Thus she per-
mitted the plane tree of Hippocrates to remain for centu-
ries a witness of the period of the greatest, most flourishing
cultivation, of the triumph of human intellect and human

BAHIA. 213

harmony, as also of the period of most melancholy decay ;
thus she placed the dragon tree of Octavia as a mysterious
monument of times which have already passed away into
the fog of fable. Thus on the square in Brunswick stands
the oak of a thousand years as a monument to prove to
living generations that G-erman oaks existed before Ger-
mans lived. Thus in California the Wellingtonias take
heaven as it were by storm to prove to those who go thither
the vigour of their new country: not to speak of the holy
cedars of Solomon and the sacred olives of Grethsemane.

The six mangueiras of Itaparica are monuments of
nature such as in all my travels I have never seen. They
are trees of dimensions for which we have no measure ; a
little world, if arched over by these six colossal forms,
would be shaded in a cool, sacred twilight. The stems
spring forth from the damp, fragrant earth, strong and
healthy as the swelling form of an athlete. Of immense
extent, sometimes horizontal as a bridge, sometimes
bending to the earth in gentle curves, sometimes rearing
themselves to heaven, these strong shady boughs extend,
each in itself a large tree. The human eye is neither keen
enough nor sufficiently skilled to grasp the full density of
such immense forms. One moves far from the stem in
quite a different direction and is astonished by one of
these colossal boughs bending to the ground and imagines
it separate, with an existence of its own, but looking at it
more nearly and following the sinewy limbs and the inter-
secting boughs, discovers that it is only a branch from the
distant trunk. What power, what vigour of sap, must not
such a tree possess to be able to support such heavy boughs
in a horizontal position and at such a distance ! We build
tubular bridges and are astonished at the adhesion of the
iron over so broad a span ; how much more wonderful is
one of these trees, the main support of which is only in
its centre. The height of the tree corresponds with its

214 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

circumference; beneath it men dwindle to dwarfs: all
measurements fail, all that generally appears large is
surpassed, surrounded, concealed. A whole population
could lie beneath the shadow of this tree, unseen from the
plain.

Beneath this leafy vault I experienced that sensation of
desolation, that pleasing awe which overpowers one in the
twilight of an immense cathedral ; that feeling of sacred
surprise that one feels in standing before monuments
which tower over the usual visions of the imagination.
And this extensive hall of nature's forming was only
supported by six pillars, by six massive stems : one was
tempted to speak in whispers as within the sacred precincts
of a church. It was natural that instinct should lure art
into this temple of nature, and that in its centre we should
discover our artist engaged in some pretty sketches. The
world would not quickly again afford such beauties. —
Numerous bromelia and tilandsia hung on the boughs high
and low, large and small, like lamps in a cathedral, or like
banners from the lofty beams of a knightly hall. Several
of the boughs were bent so close to the ground that one
might use them as seats or as ladders.

Alarmed by our approach some negro children rushed
through the scitaminea ; it was not until after some time
that we discovered in a side hall of this temple a complete
farm-yard. Lofty carica papaya surrounded the huts
concealed amid the thick foliage like signals or flagstaffs
in a camp ; their straight stems, their leafy crowns, the
fruit which hung below, gave to the whole scene a beauty
all the greater from being in the immediate neighbourhood
of human habitations. The houses were mere shells made
of wood, clay, and palm leaves, only used from incli-
nation in this equable warm climate, in which one knows
neither rheumatism nor frost. Black pigs, plainly the
negroes among the bristly herd, disported themselves

BAHIA. 215

gaily amid the picturesque disorder of the fazenda. Let
us devote a few words to these animals, deemed lowest in
the category of beasts. The blessing of the pig, gem
among the beasts of the farm-yard, is said to have been
first brought to the new continent by us Europeans, proof
of the pride of the European. But this useful domestic
animal must at the period of the conquest have made
acquaintance with an antediluvian companion ; wiser than
man, he must have entered into an alliance with the
primitive race, the free and venerable peccary, and must
have improved his characteristics by the historical tradition
of the natives ; in this way alone can the shape and merits
of the present race be explained. The Brazilian pig is
much smaller but much more active and pretty than the
European pig, its colour is darker, it is more lively : both
remind one of the free life of the forest. The flavour of
the meat also far surpasses that of European pork ; whether
owing to the food or to the cross in the breed, or to the
balmy air, the meat is here more than excellent. A rich
merchant in Frankfort, who spent his apprenticeship in
Brazil, is said always to send hither for the pigs to supply
his luxurious table.

We found it cool and shady beneath the large trees ;
beyond, on the plain, the sun was scorching ; a light
breeze stirred the air within the green dome like a breath
of peace. From beneath the boughs the eye could gaze
far and wide over the picturesque plain, over the verdant
forests, over the distant, sparkling ocean softly blending
with the sky on the horizon. High in the leafy crown,
removed from sight, the parrots which had been so rudely
scared a little while before were now chattering again
in calm security. A spirit of blissful, calm serenity per-
vaded the sacred temple of nature, stones for an altar of
incense were alone wanting on which to present an offering
of gratitude and wonder from the creature to the Creator :

•216 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

thus even here one meets with disappointments and im-
perfections. Where now are the priests of this sanctuary ?
The poor negro slaves of the fazenda, where were they?
According to what our artist said, they were lying in
their huts all attacked by a malignant fever. Thus even
on this hill, in this secluded paradise, wasting sickness
intrudes itself. The causes of this are, above all, misery ;
next the chill of the shade side by side with the most fear-
ful heat of sun ; and also the evaporation, which rising to
the hill from the swamps, is engendered by the waters
encroaching on the island.

Our investigations allowed us no long repose ; we left
the painter at his interesting work and went down to the
plain in the interior of the island. In a short time the
activity of the sportsmen began anew; in the woodless
plain, amid the confused masses of bush, large black birds
hopped about on the withered boughs merrily and uncon-
cerned ; in form and size they were like the magpie, in
their glossy, black plumage they resembled the raven ; the
motion of their long tails was like that of the water wag-
tail ; the pretty creatures uttered that varied cry which
belongs to the peculiarities of Brazil, and meets the tra-
veller at every turn, and which he hears long afterwards
resounding in his ears. One generally finds these useful
birds in the neighbourhood of the fazendas, where they sit
quietly pecking the horses and killing the noxious insects
which are in these countries destructive of life. The scien-
tific name of this bird, which really belongs to the same
family as that of our raven, is Ootophago anu. We knew
the customs of the country too little to be aware how
sacred this useful bird is to the Brazilian, and that, from the
position it holds in society, it obtains confidence and ap-
proaches man fearlessly. The men with the rifles relent-
lessly fired in the direction of the bushes and two of these
poor birds fell, whilst a troop of other birds, amongst them

BAHIA. 217

the beautiful doves with which we were already familiar, a
handsome woodpecker, and various sorts of passerine, flew
forth ; we should have liked to have brought them home
for my museum, but they fell into the thorny bushes and
we did not know how to obtain them : behold ! suddenly
there appeared unexpected help; the police officer re-
turned, this time in plain citizen's dress ; probably attracted
by the continual fire ; as the police have especial skill in
bringing to light that which is concealed, we requested
their representative to seek our prize for us. He certainly
showed some degree of aptitude for his new office ; but
after he had vanished a little time in the interior of the
thorn bushes, an enemy appeared over whom his rank had
no influence ; an angry swarm of yellow, unamiable bees
compelled him hastily to vacate the field, without having
found the birds; yet, like a genuine police officer, who
when he cannot attain one object immediately discovers
another, he brought with him a trophy in the shape of the
pretty nest of the dove mentioned before ; ample remu-
neration rewarded him for his trouble and for his semi-
success. The nest was unusually small; prettily and
artistically filled with light twigs and soft feathers ; two
pretty little eggs lay in the warm, downy bed. I must
further mention regarding these black birds that, probably
in consequence of their mode of life, they are said to pos-
sess a very unpleasant odour.

The plain now narrowed and was covered with rich
verdure ; groups of palms raised themselves aloft and even
some tokens of cultivation were to be seen here and there.
As we sauntered along the picturesque road, soft rain drew
a cool, fragrant veil over the fresh green of the earth. I

was delighted; but our friend L , an old resident

in the tropics, insisted that we should seek shelter in a
neighbouring hut ; for, he observed, that one never could
tell how heavy tropical rain might not become ; and as he

218 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

was really pressing, we went across the fields at a fast trot,
and soon reached a lonely hut which stood among cocoa-
nut and bread-fruit trees, overshadowed by a large mango.
The walls were made of dark wood ; the interstices scantily
filled with clay and earth ; the roof consisted of dried palm
leaves, the floor was of earth firmly trodden down.

At our approach we frightened some thin fowls from the
silent hut, which showed us that it was inhabited ; we
stepped beneath a projecting roof, a sort of rough veran-
dah ; very soon a clean, little negro boy in a loose shirt,
appeared from the inner network of the house ; he opened
his large eyes at us in astonishment and then disappeared
again in the interior, to fetch his black great-grandpapa ;
a hideous and almost naked negro, with white woolly hair,
tottered from his dark corner to meet us ; it was a miser-
able sight, a figure weary of life, bent to that of an animal,
and still more disfigured by elephantiasis, that fearful
disease which so frequently attacks the negroes, and which
had swelled his feet into shapeless masses of really ele-
phantine proportions ; he could scarcely move and could
only push himself along by the help of a great stick as
far as the trunk of a tree which was bent over ; on it, as
master of the house he seated himself between us. The
hut was but a refuge for the moment ; its furniture con-
sisted of some blocks of wood, some hurdles and some
calabashes ; more primitive it could not have been, and a
worse could not have been found among the huts in the
distant native country of the blacks. Poor old man ! alone
and forsaken ; no one near him but a little child, beneath
such a roof as this, he ends his miserable life of slavery like
an old dog that has become useless and that they have for-
gotten to kill. To judge by the age of the old negro he
must have been one of those who had known home and free-
dom ; and who had traversed the ocean packed like a bale
of goods. Nature is kinder and more just than her degene-

BAHIA. 219

rate children ; and she at least bestows on the poor slave
trees to surround his hut and to give him nutritious food
throughout the year. Besides, the old man was, notwith-
standing his lonely and miserable existence, in a position,
even in the midst of his poverty, to show us hospitality in
what, according to European ideas, was a regal fashion.
He disappeared for a moment into the inner portion of his
airy dwelling, and returned with an old, torn basket full of
splendid pineapples for our refreshment ; according to
our home ideas, it was an extraordinary contrast to receive
the regal pineapple, in a miserable hut from one of the
poorest of men. But here it was only as though a peasant
in Germany were to offer one a basketful of sour pears.
We threw ourselves like harpies on the golden gift, and
revelled in the delicious fruits.

Among the fables that my predecessors in the trade
have related in their descriptions of travels is this, that
the pineapple of European hothouses, artificially grown
and ripened by artificial heat, is sweeter, more juicy and
better than the natural fruit of the tropics ; I cannot
agree to this ; one may find hard, sour pineapples in
America, but none of the artificially grown, European
fruit possesses the aroma, the fresh perfume, and the
delicious taste of the Brazilian pineapple; the comparison
between nature and art is incomparably more favourable
to the former in the case of the pineapple than in that of
the strawberry ; and yet every one will allow that garden
strawberries, with all their excellence, have not the natural
aroma of the wood strawberry. Since I have enjoyed the
pine-apple in its original state, the artificial European
fruit has seemed like a sweet prepared by a confectioner.
The pulp here is of a pale straw colour almost white,
whilst that of the hothouse pineapple is almost of the
colour of ochre ; I might say that it is of a gloomy hue
throughout ; which probably may be attributed to the

220 RECOLLECTIONS OP MY LIFE.

extreme artificial warmth used in Europe which also causes
the juice to have a taste like a liqueur, or as if it were
fermented.

Thanks to the hospitality of the slave, the short time
during which the rain lasted could not have been more
pleasantly spent ; with patriarchal composure and not
without some of that apathetic nonchalance peculiar to all
old slaves, our host seated himself by our side, extending
his afflicted feet ; the boy and the clucking hens looked on
in astonishment to see how the pale men from the distant
East devoured the refreshing fruits. The rain now had
shed small gleaming pearls on the revived grass, and we
cheerfully pursued our researches, accompanied by the
heartfelt thanks and congratulations of the black patriarch.
The ground fell gently, and the soil changed into an
alluvial sand ; the path which was pointed out to us con-
ducted us to new marvels in this land so rich in natural
beauties. The usual vegetation ceased and extended in a
wide circle to the left into the interior of the island, whilst
near us a different sort of vegetation prevailed. Thickly
pressed together, half dancing, half floating, half like a
stork or a heron standing in calm repose on their spindle
legs, half like a fata morgana, hovering by enchantment in
the air, rose this new vegetation, spreading itself over
a broad plain of fine, firm, white sand which the sea (as
at high tide the foam dashes over it) makes level and
shining.

We were standing before a mangle swamp, one of
those tracts where the fresh water running from the
shore blends with the inmost line of sea water, where
frequently the whole marsh lies under water; or where
the sand is frequently visible and the water only re-
mains in isolated spots and in small interstices. On the
brink between the bright fresh verdure, bathed by the
fresh water and the salt territories of the foaming sea this

BAHIA. 221

extraordinary mangle bush reigns exclusively. The mangle
wood that here overspread the broad basin of water was
still young and consisted rather of shrubs than of trees ;
such a landscape is to an eye through which imagination
looks as through a window, delightful in the extreme ; this
confused growth of boughs and of roots, this eagerness of
lofty stems to bedaub themselves in the damp mud ; this
wonderful intertwining, this moistened picture of the forest
with its mysterious comers ; this life in various stages from
the marshy cave inhabited by crabs to a bed like that of
the Venetian pilot-fish ; with the green splendour beyond,
where the merry passerine and the shy kingfisher lead
their free sunlit existence, how could I describe it all to a
European? Imagine an alder wood in our German
meadows taking root in black earth, gravel, and streams ;
imagine these modest bushes swollen with pride and
transplanted into the tropics ; imagine our good alders
attacked by an anxiety to touch the mud, learning
how to walk on stilts from the water-birds, raising their
stems in the air and shooting forth their roots into the damp
earth ; but in order not to lose their equilibrium, and
well aware that pride goes before a fall, anxiously extend-
ing their branches, balancing themselves on either side,
and casting forth fresh roots into the moist ground. Thus
we see a grove of alders, by a stroke of enchantment,
hovering suspended some feet in the air.

The mangle tree, Ehizophora mangle, spreads over the
whole tropical world. At every spot where the tropical
sea kisses the land, in America, in India, on all the
thousands of islands, this amphibious plant is found, and
fever with her poison is generally its companion. To press
through a group of mangle presents one of the greatest
difficulties that the traveller has to overcome ; for already,
in the middle of the water, without any sure footing,
must he begin his work. To this green girdle which en-

222 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

compasses so many islands may be attributed the fact that
many districts are still unexplored by science. Thus in
the Nicobars, the walls of mangle form the principal
obstacles to research.

This floating forest has its own animal world, as we also
discovered on our first entrance into it. There are here
three species of crabs of different sizes, according to age,
and varying from an inch to half a foot in diameter. The
three species that we saw here, and later on in the
course of our journey, differ decidedly and manifestly in
colour. One is bright red, shining like the most beautiful
sealing-wax ; another is bright yellow, and the third (of
which we found the largest number) is blue, becoming
lilac at the extremities. These animals are the lords of
the mangle forests, and lead therein a most delightful
existence. Well protected, in deep holes beneath the
roots, they make their cool, roomy dwellings ; again by
these roots they mount up as by a convenient staircase,
and find pleasant banks and terraces on the trunks and
boughs, from which in their noon-day repose, sunk in
philosophic dreams, they can contemplate the country and
rejoice in the sun and light. But should anything un-
usual or new approach their vicinity, an extraordinary
excitement arises in these pleasure-grounds, and with a
sidelong amble the wise epicureans retire during the short
period of danger to the doors of their secure dwellings ;
there they seat themselves, I might almost say provokingly,
on the bank at the entrance, rear themselves often aloft,
and with eager curiosity await for the monster. When
the dreadful object approaches, the prudent master of the
house vanishes like lightning behind the door, and con-
ceals himself in the bosom of his family. But sometimes
it happens that one of these old philosophers falls into a
peaceful sleep on some of the high mangle balconies, in
consequence of a sumptuous repast, and that the sun has

BAHIA. 223

not had time to waken him before the noise of the coming
danger suddenly startles the sleeper. Help him, ye gods !
What is now to be done ? The old gentleman sees no
way of escape ; his sidelong amble is no longer of use ;
steps and bridges are cut off; all his friends are fled from
the park and have retired to their inner and safe apart-
ments. He sighs so deeply that his tones of anguish are
heard from a distance ; stretches out his fat limbs, makes
a desperate resolve, and throws himself over the balus-
trade of his gloriette, headforemost down below ; from the
distance one hears the splash as the fat animal strikes the
watery plain ; but, Fortuna audaces juvat, like a flash
of lightning the patriarch has disappeared, and much
frightened, but saved, returns in peace to his family. It
is true that the old crab who no longer has strength to
hobble up to the gloriette on a fine afternoon, grumbles
with just jealousy at the youthful tricks of the venturous
grandfather ; but grandpapa is safe, and the youthful crabs
are rejoicing and triumphant. The danger past, the
young masters of society carefully put forth their heads
from their holes, look about them far and wide for some
time, give information to the ladies and the children, and
again they emerge into the lively park, until late in the
evening, when the moon has risen, they relate with shud-
dering feelings of congratulation how great the danger
was, how they were hardly able to drag the children
along, how the cramp had fearfully cut short the amble of
one of the ladies, and how even grandpapa, to the anguish
of all, was obliged to save himself in an unseemly
manner which had disturbed his digestion, and how
grandmamma was not yet without apprehension.

Is not this a sweet existence ? These little animals live
free and unfettered as in an Arcadian republic ; they have
near their rooty homes plenty of oysters for food, and
disappear so cleverly, so boldly, so quickly into their holes

224 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

that we wearied ourselves in vain for a long time in the
heat before we could obtain any specimens for my museum.
However, we succeeded, but only with trouble and imper-
fectly ; for we merely obtained some heedless young ones,
and those not of every variety of colour. One fat old
grandfather we could not catch in spite of our most des-
perate exertions. It was not until afterwards that I learnt
that these animals are killed with small shot. It is said
that they are often found at some distance in the
interior of the country, far away from the marshes. Their
colour is always bright, and may be seen shining at a
distance in brilliant hues amid the green of the mangle
woods which swarm with these creatures. The speed of
their movement at the approach of danger is the more
remarkable, because up to that moment they have been
lying stiff and motionless ; their flavour is excellent when
eaten, thus they are consumed in large quantities by the
inhabitants of the neighbourhood.

Among the mangle trees which extend over the tracks
where the salt and fresh water unites, numberless small
oysters are found, which serve as food for the crabs, and
are also, and very rightly, much eaten by human beings.
The strange life and habits of these animals detained us
longer than was reasonable. The heat on the white sand
was considerable, yet not more oppressive than at noonday
in July with us. At the other extremity of the swamp
there stood as a sentinel on the boundary on which the
forest vegetation began again, a large and very picturesque
tree with wide-spread boughs hanging down to the ground
surrounded by almost impenetrable bushes, from which
was climbing a beautiful liliacea, unknown to me, and a
sort of bean with deep purple blossoms, and brown, hairy
pods ; we made a struggle to obtain some of them in the
hope of seeing them thrive again in our garden. On the
knotted stem beneath the boughs and between the bared

BAHIA. 225

roots on the worn earth, some really gigantic specimens of
the blue crab were sitting in crowds like gnomes. In the
distance they looked as though they were fossilised; but
we had scarcely approached them, before they disappeared.
With them, some large lizards also took fright, and were
lost with the speed of lightning among the bushes.

There are certain things that always imprint them-
selves especially on the retentive memory of a traveller ;
and this tree of crabs, with its surrounding flowers, and
the beautiful inhabitants of the animal world, was of this
number. Could one take everywhere with one a photo-
grapher, which unfortunately is still impossible, he would
have been obliged to make a shadow picture of this group
(with the spot in which the gnomes disport themselves) for
my album ; it would make a very pretty illustration for a
legend of the primeval forest. From this tree the path
took a bend directly into the forest, the edge of which
derived increased interest from an unusual number of
palms. No gardener in* the world, no Hiigel, nor science
supported by wealth, though even that of the Duke of
Devonshire, could produce such a group as nature here
offers with her lavish profusion, in this place which is
scarcely ever visited ; scitaminea and aroidea, with delicate
bamboo, form the light and airy fringe ; beyond them, the
myrtacea and capparidea rise with their mysterious sha-
dows and dark glossy leaves ; among them the gay children
of the sun, the bright palms with their lofty outspread
crowns, and golden wreaths of blossom, rise proudly and
majestically. Their summits appear to attract the sun's
rays with special power, so brightly do they gleam, like
favoured beings, on the dark background of the forest.
The lower portion of the wood was so impenetrable that,
for the first time, I received some idea of a primeval
forest ; and I began to understand that, amid such a class
of plants, the bright axe alone can be of any assistance,

YOL. III. Q

226 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

while even that would involve difficulty, and labour in-
describable.

The outer edge is magnificent beyond conception. I
might call it the outside of the forest ; where the crowns
of plants meet the sun, the forms increase and extend,
and the colours receive a warm and glowing light.
Beneath these rows of trees all is dark and confused ; the
eye must be satisfied with bare stems, with shrubs that are
intertwined together, with branches closely pressed, and
with coils of leafless lianas. Some solitary slight gleam
from the more sunny region can alone make a track for
itself through the twilight.

This wood is like a dream : its first visions are sweet
and golden; the transition between falling asleep and
sinking into the fantastic mysteries of night is delicious ;
but the light fades, and with dark wings sleep draws on,
and all becomes less bright and more confused ; memory
loses itself; while only now and then, from the far
distance, does the sun of life shine upon the leaden un-
consciousness.

On this occasion we were fortunate. We had no need
of the clearing axe. The path which we were following
led us between impassable walls which spread their boughs
and crowns over us in rich arches ; the fantastic adorn-
ments of the tropics grew in profusion in the dusky vaults
which enclosed our path, and we might have imagined
ourselves in a silent track in our own home woods. With
us also, tnere is the same impenetrable bush in which the
leafless tendrils of our clematis are entwined; also with
us there is the perfume of moist vegetation thick and
green, as here ; through the leaves play the beams of the
same sun, shining in our beloved home, as in free Ita-
parica ; the earth on the silent path, the slopes of the
hollow way are brown, mingled with vegetation ; the
breaks in the wood have the same form, the same degrees
of shade as at home ; I turned to L and exclaimed,

BAHIA. 227

6 Here in the thick forest shades, beneath the green arches,
all has the same appearance as at Thiergarten.' I ex-
pected to hear a crackling and breaking of the trunks of
the trees, a rolling noise on the damp earth, and the
sudden appearance of a defiant boar, so completely did it
seem to me like home in the heat of a summer's day.
Suddenly there was a flicker, as of phosphoric light, in the
twilight ; a second nicker, and with the speed of thought,
noiseless, fairylike, now rising, now falling, now gleaming in
the splendour of colour, now lost again in shadow, touched
by the inquisitive rays of the sun, flew two immense butter-
flies, indescribably beautiful specimens of the morpho merie-
laus ; their backs were light blue, the lower portion of the
body dove colour ; sometimes they looked like night-birds
speeding wearily through the twilight, sometimes the
beaming rays from the sky were reflected in them in the
midst of the darkness of the forest, like a vision of beauty.
It seemed as though the silent forest had understood my
words, had felt itself aggrieved by the comparison with
Germany, and had suddenly sent forth two of its most
beautiful children to instruct the new-comers. We were
enchanted, and so lost in astonishment that we unfortu-
nately only took up our butterfly net when, notwith-
standing all our exertions and wild pursuit, it was too late
to catch these visions of the fairy world ; they disappeared
noiselessly as they had come, in the fathomless depth of
the forest ; but the remembrance of this lovely scene, of
this exquisite surprise from tropical nature, will ever
remain imprinted on my heart.

The beautiful sort of palm of which I have just spoken
is the attalea funifera ; its slender stem attains a height of
from twenty to thirty feet ; the crown is composed of
large feathery leaves. The fibres of this plant are used for
various purposes. To the envy and delight of the bota-
nist, our sportsman found a wonderfully beautiful orchid

Q2

228 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

(epidendrum), with deep orange flowers. In the under-
wood was growing the pretty anthurium affine, with its
large, stiff, glossy leaves. On the more marshy ground
our delighted botanist discovered, amid attalea and astro-
caryum, the rare aroidea, urospatha desciscens with its
pointed, wedge-shaped, long, glossy leaves, together with
many other flowers. We were the first people to bring this
plant alive to Europe. The forest path conducted us to a
roca (a broad, open space, here forming portion of a de-
clivity) on which the forest, with a view to cultivation,
has been partly burnt and partly felled ; it was a wild scene,
but has its counterpart with us in the Alps among the
woodcutters and charcoal-kilns. The ground layvbare.
Scattered around were some few trees ; on various spots on
the barren ground we saw the broad giant stumps of the
monsters that had been felled ; on other places lay some
stems from which the branches had been cut ; among them,
ashes from fires. In spite of man's efforts, nature endea-
vours again to become mistress of the soil, but in many
places man has gained the victory, and the manioca or
some bananas (here called plantains) would suffice to
announce the beginning of his rule, even if there were no
deeper marks.

In the centre of this roca, on a declivity, a negro-hut
already rose amid the palm branches and wood. Dirty
slaves were sitting round a large pot filled with manioca,
and were devouring their scanty meal. On the edge of the
roca along which our path led, and by the side of a little
stream, grew a profusion of beautiful grasses and weeds, in
which green lizards were gliding hither and thither, to-
gether with myriads of buzzing insects. A slender negress
in light attire came with a graceful walk along the path ;
in a large basket on her head she was carrying plantains
and oranges in the direction of the harbour. We stopped
the merry-hearted girl, and purchased some of her fruit to

BAIIIA. 229

our very necessary refreshment, and to her joy, which she
evinced by a gurgling sort of chatter. Never had a plan-
tain tasted to me so delicious, and after this forced march
in the heat of a tropical noon-day I learned to bless the
reviving and refreshing fruit. Each of us put some in his
pocket for consumption at a future time.

We had still a portion of the ropa to traverse, but we
were compelled, owing to the advancing hours, and out of
consideration for the rest of our companions, to halt at a
most beautiful spot of the valley, and to think of return.
We stood half in the forest, half on the open hill ; the
golden sun shone majestically in the open scenery. The
valley was still and uninhabited, no trace of the hand of
man had imprinted on it the stamp of common life ; in
its calm, unchanging splendour, it appeared to be a de-
serted fairy garden ; amid luxuriant grass and rashes shaded
with flowers and weeds one could hear the cool babbling of
a brook. To increase the beauty of this wonderful land-
scape, some exquisite plants rose from the fragrant turf
towards the azure sky. In the distance, various breaks in
the valley, shady openings in the forest, gave irresistible
invitations to the enchanted beholder to make further
journeys of discovery.

To complete the scene of this fairy garden, beautiful and
unknown birds flew unconcernedly around us from the
copse, and carried on their merry but noiseless game from
bough to bough by the side of the stream. There was one
of golden yellow and black; near to him soared a large
brown bird, like a cuckoo, with a long beak like that of a
water-wagtail: another was a most splendid blue: all
these flew joyously in their native paradise, free and unre-
strained, unconscious of the dangers with which man would
threaten them. Fortunately for these birds our sportsman
had taken another direction; we could therefore watch their
games and their various colours quietly and undisturbed,

230 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

without troubling ourselves about their names, which were
unknown even to L .

With longing eyes we gazed down into the valley,
beautiful beyond description : so peaceful, so rich in variety
of colour, and yet so still. How willingly would we not
have penetrated farther into this dreamland of tropical
nature ! but necessity compelled our return.

We took the same road back, and it was only now, when
the excitement was not so great, that we began to perceive
how tired we were, and how extreme was the heat of the
unclouded sun. But in general the sky in the tropics is
not cloudless and blue: this favour belongs only to the
privileged coast of the Mediterranean. The horizon in
the tropics is generally cloudy, and there are places, like
Petropolis, where scarcely a day passes in the year without
rain. The clouds are caused by the moisture of the vege-
tation, the moisture by the clouds; they form together
cause and effect. According to my taste, which has been
formed in South Italy, in Spain, in the sacred land of
Egypt, and in the classic land of Greece, these clouds in the
true sense of the word form a shady side to the beauty of
the tropics ; it is only beneath a perfectly cloudless sky
that the soul is elevated and attuned to the pure enjoy-
ment of true beauty. The clearness of the heavens, the
unclouded brilliance of the sun in all its beauty of colour,
is to me above all things necessary. Only one feeling can
make the sadness of a grey country to be forgotten in the
soul of man, and that is quiet domestic comfort.

The English, who know and appreciate the south in all
its splendour of sunlight, also know how to represent the
idea of comfort artificially at home ; therefore England is,
in my opinion, the only northern country in which one can
for a moment forget the south. In Germany, in gloomy
Holland, and in France, so deficient in natural beauty, one
is miserable: these countries offer nothing which can

BAH I A. 231

compensate for the discomfort of a bad climate, or give
that tone to the body which produces an enlivening effect
on the mind. I shall never forget the overpoweringly
melancholy impression that I once received at the end of
June on the Scheldt, We were sailing in the yacht of his
Majesty the King of Holland : the sun sank red in the
steaming fog; a cold, comfortless wind blew over the deck.
I had just put a thick Scotch plaid over my winter

dress, when my good friend Admiral T came up to me

and said, with patriotic enthusiasm, how delighted he was
that fate had just accorded me such a beautiful summer
evening in this country, such as they saw at most once in
four or five years. I was frozen in every limb, and replied
with a melancholy dubious smile and a languid nod of the
head, and immediately sought the protection of the cabin.

In Amsterdam, called by the Dutch the northern Venice,
to my great joy, I found on my arrival a cheering fire in
the large chimney of the magnificent castle ; this was the
end of June ! In the last days of July, I travelled to my
good uncle, the Emperor, to his summer residence at
Reich stadt, in 1;he fertile fields of Bohemia ; and here
again, on my arrival, a fire was blazing in the large stove ;
this was the beginning of August ! In far-famed Ischl
(where I must acknowledge, in justice, that there are
three or perhaps four completely fine days in the year) I
remember very well having once gone out in a sledge in
the middle of July, which the Germans call their hay-
making month. In England all these wretched feelings
of internal discomfort are obliterated by the arts of comfort
displayed in every-day life ; but happy are those countries
where one has no occasion to cultivate such an art, where
life is passed in unceasing harmony and in an unchanging
climate. On our return, we did not forget to collect both
flowers and animals as far as possible.

As I have already said, Itaparica afforded us severa

232 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

new species for our botanical collections, and various
specimens the names of which were known to us in
Europe, though we had never seen them. All this afforded
a proof that Itaparica is still a tewa incognita, and that
most travellers, in their desire to penetrate quickly to the
interior, leave this beautiful and interesting island un-
noticed. When we had again passed the mangle swamp,
we examined one of the primitive negro-huts more closely.
It was round ; the wails consisted of branches closely
woven together ; a roof of palm-straw like a sugarloaf,
together with the circular shape, gave it the appearance of
a large beehive; one solitary opening served for door,,
window, and chimney. This negro-hut reminded me of
home, because it carried me back vividly to our childish
years when, on our beautiful bowling-green at Schonbrunn,
similar huts were erected for us in a scientific manner ;
for each of us brothers such a primitive hut was built, and
a piece of garden added to it. It is now twenty years
since, on my birthday, my empire, as I called it, was
formed, and the reins of government were given to me. I
see now (as though it were to-day) the thatched hut
standing beneath the shade of large trees, surrounded
with stakes, and adorned with weapons imitated from
those of savages. In front was a sort of forum for councils
of war, and for purposes of worship, ornamented with an
immense idol, and with the skin of a boa-constrictor
which hung from the trees to the ground. On the side,
surrounded by shrubs, and near the waterfall, was a
hammock slung between two strong slender trees, near to
which sat a handsome and intelligent green parrot, pre-
sented to me in those merry days by the widow of
Napoleon. To complete the happiness of a cheerful even-
ing, and in imitation of the scientific sketches in the court
library, there gleamed in the kraal a charcoal fire ; while
there was placed, on an immense spit, a large toad, carved

BAIIIA. 233

in wood, and destined for the repast. This was a childish
amusement, but an omen from destiny. It gave to the
young mind a liking for that which was distant and un-
usual ; and now that I have travelled over the ocean, and
that the gay visions of childhood are changed into reality,
I can rejoice in their fulfilment with the same childlike
pleasure as that with which I formerly rejoiced in my
imaginary scenes. I now see with my own eyes that a
negro family really lives from generation to generation in
one of these airy dwellings, sheltered from the wind by
logs of wood, sheltered from the sun by palm leaves. One
sees how these people have no fear of rheumatism or
toothache; but also that their existence very nearly ap-
proaches that of apes, and, as regards comfort, is far sur-
passed by the sagacious and skilful beaver.

As we drew near the harbour, adhering to the hour
and place appointed for the rendezvous, our numerous
companions emerged from bush and valley in the strangest
condition ; some in parties, some alone. None came with
empty hands ; everyone brought more or less booty with
him, as a proof of good intentions. The harvest was
a rich one, and presented a beautiful and wonderful
appearance when heaped together. There lay all the
wealth and wonders of nature peacefully, side by side,
from the egg still warm from the nest, to the richly
plumaged bird ; from the seed, scarce fallen, f;o the
fragrant flower and ripe fruit. There, in gay confusion,
were parroquets, a love-bird, humming-birds, coloured
woodpeckers, pretty doves, woodcocks, handsome butter-
flies, exquisitely formed beetles, wonderful orchids, bro-
meliacea and philodendrons, new grasses and aroidea, and
countless seeds which will only receive a name at some
future day. We might well be content with this first
grand success of our energy ; the thirst for knowledge, the
proud joy of collecting, had made a path for themselves.

234 RECOLLECTIONS OF MF LIFE.

As I wandered back through the grass-grown streets
which form the town, the inhabitants of this place, pre-
viously so lifeless, had already (probably owing to the
curiosity caused by the continuous sound of our fire) come
to their doors and windows to stare at the strange people
from the civilised world.

At one of the houses I bought a very pretty black and
yellow bird, which had been caught in the forest only four
days before : we kept it on board for a long time, feeding
it with bananas. At the harbour, the principal authorities
of Itaparica were, to my horror, assembled in pleno ;
among them, the clergyman, a dark-brown and very ugly
mulatto. It is not easy to converse for long with the
authorities in this place ; they know no language but
Brazilian, and although strangers might be acquainted
with seven languages, they would never forget themselves
so far as to learn Portuguese. But let us be just. In the
opinion of our sarcastic painter, there is an evident utility
even in Portuguese ; for as one can only speak it through
one's nose, one may at the same time speak in some
Christian-like tongue with one's mouth.

A much greater alarm than any that had gone before
awaited us when we reached the shore, and perceived that
the ebb tide had set in ; indeed, according to the view that
our captain took, there seemed never to have been any-
thing else. Our steamer was stuck fast in the mud, and
on board her, in calm repose and stoical impassiveness, was
Herr G , the wealthy planter, the lord of many sugar-
canes and slaves. In consequence of his extreme modesty
(or rather of his quiet calculation), he had with good-
tempered patience remained in the vessel, unnoticed by
us, knowing well that the time was approaching in
which he should be able to display himself in the pleni-
tude of his princely grandeur. If this complete dis-
appearance from our party were a matter of calculation,

EAHIA. 235

it was a proof of the wise and business-like mind of the
rich Brazilian, who (like a true diplomatist) knew how to
hold back his valuables when nothing was going forward
that concerned him.

In calling Gr a planter, I must, in order to be

understood by Europeans, explain what, in ordinary phrase,
is meant by the expression. Planting (the Brazilians use
the pretty word ' Engenho ') is accompanied by genius, and
this is shown principally in the preparation of that wonder-
fully luxuriant crop, Engenho de Assucar. Thus generally,
when wishing to convey the idea of property, the expression
6tEngenho ' is used, and the name of the landowner is
added. The phrase, as usually connected in Europe with
Brazil, I have never heard here ; perhaps it is confined to
the French colonies.

The French seem to have a particular talent for con-
fusing words and ideas. Thus, in their romances, they
have given quite a different meaning to the word Creole
from that which it had originally. Fashionable people
now suppose a Creole lady to be a fascinating, ethereal
being, with a brunette complexion and gazelle-like eyes,
uniting all the refinements of education with a wild,
excitable temperament: in short, a child of European
parents, whom fate has deemed should be born within the
western tropic, an interesting combination of the refine-
ment of Europe and the untutored nature of America, an
admirable heroine for the unnatural mould of a French
novel. How astonished would these worthy Parisians and
their admirers be if they were to see the real, genuine
Creole ! In the New World the expression refers to all of
the negro race who are born in Brazil. It is applied
exclusively and solely to such persons ; and woe betide the
new-comer who should venture, in the faltering accents of
love, to bestow it upon a white person born in Brazil :
I suspect he would in that very moment be precipitated

236 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

over the verandah, into some thorny bush below, by the
real Creoles.

Senhor Gr— - exactly answered in appearance to the
idea that I had formed of the owner of an c Engenho.'
Small, but strong and muscular, corpulent (a characteristic
of wealth), and with a short bull neck — token of strength,
and of a strong will — he had the round well-set head of
the more intelligent portion of the Roman race, a head
that in form and feature reminded one of the busts
of the Roman Emperors : his smoothly shaved face, and
short, curly hair completed the impression. From his
broad shoulders extended a pair of powerful arms, and,
notwithstanding his fat, two well formed hands of iron
strength. The key to the inner history of this extra-
ordinary man, who is the richest and most prosperous
landowner in the whole of Bahia, the Lord of Brazil in
the fullest sense of the word, was to be found in his deep,
dark eyes. In their restless, unquiet motion lay the whole
history of the Brazilian aristocracy : these eyes could be
soft, intellectual, amiable, and even have a look of
humility; but whilst sparkling with apparent friendliness,
they sought with eager restlessness to spy, from behind
their dark fringes, whether all was going on right,
whether each inferior was doing his duty; and deep
within there seemed to lie tiger-glances ready at any
instant to dart forth in anger upon some victim. At
these moments his firmly clenched hand answered to the
electric flash of his eyes.

The owner of numerous slaves, raising himself to
affluence by their means, must, in order to reign supreme
over such turbulent elements, live in a state of continual
uneasiness ; he must be incessantly on the watch, and be
ready at every moment of day and night (so long as he
lives) to quell the slightest symptom of insubordination
with the lightning flash of his eyes. If this glance fail

BAHIA. 237

of effect, the strong arm must be raised, and the chicoto,
the sole sceptre of Brazilian aristocracy, must do its stern
duty.

Be it observed, in passing, that the chicoto is a long whip
made of two pieces of ox-hide, which the keen observer
may see lying close at hand in the principal apartment of
every Brazilian house.

There is also another instrument which is sometimes
shown jokingly to strangers by the master or children of
the house ; this is the palmatorio, made of wood, in shape
like a kitchen spoon, and with a long handle, with which
they give the slave a certain number of blows, according
to the extent of his crime. I tried the effect of this
instrument several times on my hand, and can therefore
bear witness that the effect is not very pleasant. What is
most repulsive is the shamelessness and the mirth with
which these instruments are shown and talked of. In the
eye of this wealthy man ooe may see (as I have before
said) the necessity for these things at the same moment
that one reads in it the most courteous amiability ; the
searching glance resembles a shuttle ever hurrying from
one extreme to the other.

In the dark mirror of the master's eye one could also
read a history of the past ; a past that concerns the origin
of the empire, telling of times when these black eyes
gazed frequently over the ocean with eager anxiety, as
though their longing looks could hurry the vessels expected

from Africa. Now Senhor Gr is the most amiable of

men, rich as Crcesus, of importance at court, possessing
influence in the province, owner of the handsomest of
country-houses ; in short, a pattern nobleman, a firm sup-
porter of the aristocratic element, and to foreigners the
most agreeable host in the world, one whom in this respect
cannot be praised too highly.

But we have still left our steamer in the mud, and there

238 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

we also sat immovable ; but it was indeed a misfortune to
spend so much valuable time in the mud. The captain
shouted, and hastened hither and thither ; the dirty mulatto
and negro sailors threw out hawsers, manned boats, foamed,
swore, and laboured. At length, after long pulling and
tugging, there came one jerk, then another, and the old
machine slid, creaking and groaning, off the mud. We
were afloat, the rudder worked in the water, and we
crossed the bay to the mouth of the mighty Paraguasu.
We returned from our expedition with a keen appetite, and
levied a contribution on everything that was eatable in
the ' Elizabeth.' The tokens of our expedition were laid on
one side, and the long table on deck was spread with a
luxurious repast of fruits, champagne, and other exhilarating
beverages.

The refreshments began with steaming coffee, the en-
joyment of which is only an act of prudence in strange
and unknown climates; for coffee strengthens, invigorates,
restores the wearied powers of life, and possesses the virtue
of frequently averting many evils. In countries in which
fevers are prevalent, this Arabian beverage is a real,
necessary of life, without which no traveller can exist.
Senhor Gr— - sat beside me, deep in gastronomic study,
and allowed the electric light of his tiger glances to rest,
whilst his black eyes rolled complacently from beef-
steaks to capon, from Strasbourg pasty to veal, instead of
from slave to slave. Our conversation was limited, owing
to the invincible barrier of the Portuguese language, and
thus we were able to devote ourselves entirely to our
gastronomic duties. Suddenly I perceived a certain rest-
lessness in the usually impassive slave-prince ; he moved
about in his seat, and fixed his eyes anxiously on a dish of
pounded sugar that stood not far from him, ready to be
eaten with the excellent, juicy melons. When he thought
me absorbed in a conversation with L , he suddenly

BAHIA. 239

seized like a cat upon the pyramid of sugar, hastily ate
some of the sweet dust, made a still more fortunate essay,
and hurriedly put some of it into a folded paper. Deep
thought now took possession of the great man, a look of
melancholy overspread his features, strong feeling pervaded
his spirit. Such might have been the expression of coun-
tenance of our father Adam after he had eaten his half of
the apple ;. or of Socrates, when he had emptied the cup of
poison.

The sudden change in Gr— - did not escape L ;

and he explained what was to us a mystery. Senhor Gr

had, for the first time in his life, met with his deadly
enemy. That of which he had dreamed during hot
tropical nights, the vision which had caused beads of
agony to stand on his brow, had become a reality. The
owner of broad, unfailing, sugar plantations, whose wealth
consisted in slaves and in the sweet pulp of the green
cane, had tasted of the imperial, free-grown, beetroot
sugar. One may imagine the blow it was to him. That
with which wicked newspapers had so often threatened him
— the hideous nightmare — had sprung into veritable exist-
ence ; and that which endangered his wealth had traversed
the ocean to meet his lips in mockery, and must, indeed,

have tasted to him most bitter. Gr was so skilful in

his business that his eye at once perceived the difference,
and his taste was equally discriminating. He confessed
to us afterwards that this was the first time that he had
ever tasted the imitation article of civilised life; he
thought our beetroot sugar very white, and was aston-
ished at the small size of the powder. Monsieur Alex-
andre le Clerc, our cook, or rather Maitre de bouche,
proved himself a great rogue for having provided this
dish of beetroot sugar expressly as a satire on Gr .

During lunch our steamer glided quietly over the
broad, beautiful bay, past the enchanting islands of Santa

240 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Barbara and San Roque. The dazzling mirror of the
sea was continually traversed by gay canoes and larger
boats. The soft, blue lines of the coast drew nearer ; the
undefined colours of the distant prospect changed their
misty hues for an ever-brightening green, the unceasing
spring attire of the tropics ; a small hamlet amid gently
waving palms, gleamed on the lagoon, reminding one of
the island of Lido at Venice. On the south and west the
lines of coast extended to the horizon, our steamer passed
in safety the bar so much dreaded by the captain on
account of the shallowness of the water at ebb tide, and
we gaily entered the mouth of the great river, the grand
Paraguasu.

These bars play a sad part in the history of Brazilian
rivers, and prevent their navigation by large vessels, so
necessary for the development of the country. What the
bars are to the rivers, so are the rocks, or rather reefs, to
the coasts of the empire. A line of breakers runs uninter-
ruptedly along the coast at a little distance from the shore,
leaving only in some few places narrow, and unfortunately
too often but shallow, passages to the excellent and well-
protected harbours. The extensive view of the immense
bay, bounded by a broad bright horizon, vanished gradually
like a picture on a folding fan, and we were enclosed within
the banks of the mighty river. We glided tranquilly up
the wide solitary stream, with its wooded shores, and a
new and overpowering vision rose before my mind. I was
sailing upon one of the rivers of America, gigantic in its
proportions as are her forests. I had dreamed of this
scene just as it now lay before me. We were moving along
one of those lonely tracks which lead to the mysterious
centre of this wondrous continent ; following one of those
arteries which extend noiselessly from the unexplored, un-
desecrated interior of the boundless forests to the glad ocean.

This river, broad as the Danube, with banks verdant as

BAHIA. 241

those of the Po, has continued its undisturbed and silent
flow for thousands of years ; its waters, coloured by rich
contributions from the primeval forest, have rippled on
untroubled and noiselessly between their still and lofty
banks, on which no dwellings smile, no cheerful village
gives a friendly greeting, but nature in her wild grandeur
sits enthroned in impenetrable forests, and groups of palms.
All was a dense mass of green so far as the eye could
reach ; the imposing uniformity which nature has set, like
a ponderous seal, upon this land was only broken by the
palms on the banks, by the crowns of gigantic trees, and
by some projecting masses of granite. On the waters of
such a river one cannot feel gay, or in a mood for conver-
sation. The individual unit becomes dumb before the
sublimity of nature, and can scarce resist a feeling of
complete isolation. But the sun was still high in the
heavens, and where he sheds his golden rays man cannot
be utterly forsaken by life and warmth.

We proceeded up the river, filled with these overpower-
ing emotions excited by nature ; at every fresh turn she
seemed to admit us into new mysteries. The general
features of the scene reminded me vividly of the Danube ;
that river must have presented a similar appearance when
the Germans first traversed its oak forests, a wild though
free people. What will be that of the Paraguasu some
centuries hence, when civilised man, with his levelling
propensities, shall have hewn down the trees on the banks,
and have built houses on the bared heights ?

During the first part of our voyage, the only trace of the
existence of man consisted of a ruinous granite fort, which
has remained unused, a pretty ruin, since the days of the
War of Independence. After we had sailed for some
distance between two silent banks, the river widened, and
was broken into various streams by green islands. It was
a picture such as might be seen in some splendid park,

VOL. III. R

242 RECOLLECTIONS OP MY LIFE.

arranged by a master-hand. The first real sign of life
gleamed from amid the foliage on the high bank on the

left; it was the Engenho of Gr , his charming villa

standing in the centre of his extensive plantations ; below
it the sugar manufactory appeared from behind the rocks
immediately on the shore. The situation of the house
could not have been better chosen ; the rocks, which formed
a terrace, and were overspread with bright green, rose
straight from the water. On this natural foundation, and
commanding the river like a watchtower, stood the pretty
house, covered with roses and a hundred other flowering
shrubs. The terrace widened behind, and on each side of
the house, into a broad, fertile plain, extending to the
ridge of hills, on which were situated the farm buildings,
the large garden, the coffee and cotton fields. There were
some few groups of palms and avenues of jacca near the
house, and o mato (the Brazilian for the forest) formed an
impervious boundary to the lovely scene, as it does in every
part of America.

The situation of the house recalled the Lake of Como
to my mind, its form and its large verandah reminded me
of the east ; but the brilliant light and the bright hues
of the tropics admit of no comparison with those of other
places. At the foot of the rocks to the right, as one
approaches, and in front of the sugar- mill, a sort of harbour
has been formed, and a wooden quay has been made for
trading purposes.

The impression was striking, for we here made ac-
quaintance with quite a new phase of Brazilian life,
our notions having been only of the Fazenda and its
master.

In silence Gr effected a transformation. He has-
tened to his harbour in one of the boats of the steamer,
which had now anchored, in order, as a prince to receive
a prince in his own barge. It was true that we still had

BAHIA. 243

confused notions about the Empire of Brazil, but we
entered with surprise into the unlimited territories of

GT , an unfettered, independent prince. On the bank

all was activity and motion. The stern master had arrived,
and, with natural pride, wished to have honour done to his
guests. The negroes pressed forward in gay crowds and
with joyous expressions ; flags and pendants waved merrily
in the gentle breeze ; everyone hurried to the quay to
look at the visitors ; but yet everywhere order prevailed,
and a certain decorum was maintained by two or three

unpleasing white figures, who exercised in Gr 's name

the harsh duties of slave-drivers.

In a beautiful barge (in which a rich carpet was laid
down, and which carried the flag of the empire), rowed
by six stalwart blacks in a rather theatrical costume, we

wrere conveyed from the steamer by Gr with the calm

composure and self-possession of one used to authority.
A few vigorous strokes of the oars, a graceful turn, and we
lay alongside the quay, and were received by the white

members of Gr 's household. To the left of the ascent

stood the large sugar-mill, which is worked by steam, the
only factory of the kind in the whole empire ; on the
right stood a large warehouse for the precious products of
nature, which were already packed ; it also serves as an
arsenal for the whole colony, or rather, I should say, for
the little kingdom. The steep road to the house and
farm lay between these two buildings.

Gr took us first to the sugar-mill, a large enclosed

space. Here the wheels of the engines whirled and clapped,
the water roared, the boilers hissed and steamed, the over-
seer shouted his words of command ; the feverish excite-
ment, the bewildering noise of these modern days of
steam, prevailed everywhere. Large numbers of negroes,
chiefly women and children, were divided into gangs ;
some competent negroes were placed as overseers; the

244 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

men of the colony were for the most part at work out in
the fields. As the dog comes fawning to meet his master,
when expecting either bread or blows from his hand, so
these negroes grinned at the appearance of their owner.

G— - seems to be very popular with the blacks of all
ages, who, dressed in light loose gowns, and with a kerchief
wound round their woolly heads, looked hideously ugly,
and very like monkeys. Among the young men there
were some well-set, powerful figures ; but the old men, with
their short white woolly hair on their little round heads,
were repulsive. The chocolate-coloured children who were
grouped round the noisy wheels looked very comical;
but, droll as they may be, there is something very melan-
choly in the sight of them, when one reflects that their
only protection and defence is in the capital that they
represent.

The operation of refining sugar is interesting to wit-
ness. The cane is put up in heaps, and is crushed by the
machine ; the husk falls on one side, and is used as food
for the pigs, whilst on the other side the thick syrup
pours forth in a stream into the boiler. This grey mass
is then carefully washed, is passed through various ducts of
water in the building, then heated and boiled so that the
water may evaporate, and at length a sort of partially
refined sugar is obtained from the molasses ; but the chief
refining, and that which gives it its beautiful appearance,
takes place after it is taken to Europe.

But Senhor Gr also extracts two injurious articles

from his canes : rum, and the strong, unwholesome cahaca.
With this latter he keeps his slaves in good humour. The
principal power employed in this factory is water power ;
the splendid stream flows from the neighbouring forest
through an aqueduct, and even the sound of its cool
babbling quenches one's thirst. The steam-engine, of
which the owner is so proud, is only used as an auxiliary.

BAHIA. 245

The sugar is packed in the mill, and is either stored in
the warehouse, or placed by means of a crane on board
one of the vessels which ply between the Engeuho and
the seaports of Bahia. The activity, the order, the specu-
lative talent, the sagacious calculation, all would afford
pleasure, but for the compulsory labour exacted from the
negroes.

We climbed the hill in the scorching heat. The steep
path was bordered by an avenue of the broad-leaved,
dark-green bread-fruit tree (artocarpus incisa). On the
right were the cowsheds, like those in our farmyards ; and
on the hill were the negroes' cabins, with their little par-
titions inside ; in front of these walked a large black sow,
with a dozen of pretty little pigs that seemed to be
merrily enjoying the pleasures of existence.

Half-way up we crossed the aqueduct, and saw a
delightful bath-house with three large marble baths
overshadowed by cool trees ; a luxury and also a necessity
which cleanliness demands, and which, to their praise be it
spoken, one finds in every fazenda in Brazil.

The Brazilian is generally very cleanly in his habits,
quite unlike his Portuguese ancestors ; he seldom goes to
his midday meal without having taken his cold bath ; and
the custom of bathing is so natural to him, that the first
offer made to a guest is to conduct him to the bath-house.
The theory peculiar to the southern countries of Europe,
that bathing produces fever, is not in vogue here. It
would appear that this wholesome practice was adopted
from the Indians, who never partook of a meal without

first dipping themselves in the river. Why Senhor Gr

has placed three baths side by side I cannot tell.

At length, passing a spacious court, we reached the
house. Traversing a hall in which stood the gilded palan-
quin of its lord, and mounting a beautiful, antique, wooden
staircase, we came to a sort of gallery where the palma-

2i6 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

torio before mentioned lay on a prayer-book. From this
we went into the light, airy verandah, the centre of attrac-
tion in every Brazilian house. This is a long, lofty
apartment, resembling a gallery, with a floor of choice
wood, and with walls painted with some light colour.
When I use this expression I do so only in a partial sense,
for the chief charm of the Brazilian verandah consists in
this, that according to European notions the back wall, so
to speak, can alone be called a wall, in it are the doors
of communication with the rest of the house, and also a
sort of window communication with the kitchen. The
other three sides consist entirely of large windows, sup-
ported and divided by wooden pillars, with wooden lattices
as a protection against the sun, and for the admission of
fresh air, and supported only at the corners with a small
portion of the wall-work. Thus, in this delicious, climate,
where the curse of different seasons does not exist, the
room is merely an immense sunshade. The fresh air and
the perfume of the flowers are admitted everywhere, and
the rippling of the water lulls the soul into pleasant
dreams.

If the style of building give one delightful impressions
of tropical life, these are still enhanced by the comfort of
all the arrangements within. A light hammock finely
worked with a gay fringe, and an enticing pillow, is slung
between pillars, serving as an airy cradle for its occupant ;
rocking chairs of fine cane stand ready to rock him gently
in the dolce far niente ; comfortable although uncushioned
furniture is arranged tastefully in the hall ; in the centre
is the dining table, continually tempting the guests with
its dainties. An excellent telescope, and the engravings on
the wall, chiefly sea-pieces, remind one of the ocean, and
of Gr— — 's former profession. One generally finds French
pictures in the Fazenda, and usually also the portrait of a
wealthy senator, or of the head of some party. An old piano

BAHIA. 247

gave tokens of a dawning love of art, and a large sideboard
near the glass door through which the dinner was brought
bore evidence of good living. Some slaves of a higher
class, dressed in white inexpressibles ' and blue cloth
spensers, but barefooted, like all of their race, moved to
and fro in this part of the room, as quietly as cats.
Everything betokened a well-arranged strictly-ruled estab-
lishment, abounding in solid luxury.

The good taste of the owner was proved by the fact
that everything was adapted to the climate, and that
there were no useless additions. The Brazilian houses in
the Mato are suited to the requirements of active life;
they are spots for repose after a day of labour, and contain
none of those objects of art or science which excite an
intellectual mind, and which could only have a troubling
effect upon one in a primitive life. The house is a
delightful resting-place, where one can rest almost in the
freedom of the open air. There is in this arrangement
something healthful and refreshing, contrasting agreeably
with the effects of a European house. Our Senhor owns
many such residences in the coffee and sugar districts
round Bahia.

But turning from the apartment to the large window,
and gazing through it at the prospect, the beautiful
panorama fills us with surprise. The giant river, its source
in the mysterious depths of the forest in the far west,
flows past the rocks on which our verandah is placed,
calmly and untroubled, on its way to the ocean ; at our feet
the waters extend themselves into a large, still lake;
richly wooded islands rise in beauteous forms upon its
silvery mirror ; the masses of green, ever verdant as in our
springtime, are only varied by occasional blocks of granite,
or by the sharply outlined crowns of the palms. No
human dwelling with its cheerful column of smoke breaks
in among the green forms of the vast forest, no sail gleams

248 KECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

on the distant waters, no sound of life echoes through the
wide expanse of country. Far as the eye can reach, it meets
only the majestic repose of nature, except on one spot,
on the opposite coast, where the outlines of the lonely
old monastery of St. Francis rise amid the world of green.
Vegetation is everywhere, and in picturesque forms presses
down even into the water : it also climbs to our elevated
verandah, wreathing it with a garland of fragrant roses
and jasmine.

I remained in silent delight, in that state of blissful
peace which nothing but the sublime wonders of God, in
His world of silent nature, can bestow. I could have
remained for hours, sunk in reverie, my limbs rocked to
repose, my heart satisfied, my thoughts wandering to the

fair and distant horizon. The verandah in Gr 's house

is a spot that I can never forget : and I shall ever think
it a proof of good feeling in the owner that he should have
selected such a spot for the central point of his home. For
the verandah is the principal apartment of the Brazilian :
here he eats his meals with his family and guests ; here he
takes his rest after the fatigues of the scorching day.

Our party again separated. The botanist and the sports-
man were struggling through the forest for spoil. Gr

now invited us to walk round his property. Engaged in
lively talk, chiefly regarding life in the Fazenda, we
began with the garden. Here, as in Vittoria, we were
astonished at the richness of the flowering shrubs.
Plumiera, lagerstromia, roses, jasmines, and, which was
the most interesting of all, tall coffee plants in full bloom
with blossoms white as snow, filled the garden. Two
humming-birds danced in the air, sucking honey, and
seeking for midges from the cups of the flowers. The
botanist was surprised by finding large trees, with long
eggshaped leaves, and fruit like a palm, with a sour taste :
he called them Terminalia catalpa.

BAHIA. 249

But, with all its wealth of beauty, G 's garden has

left one painful remembrance behind. Its master showed
us the famous pimento, a shrub resembling our paprika.
In my misguided curiosity, I seized one of the scarlet
fruits which the Brazilians use largely in their dishes, and
bit off a small piece. Oh ! if I could have foreseen the pain
it would give me ! A fire had begun in my throat ; only
small sparks at first, but the glow quickly increased, and it
burnt wildly, till it made me dizzy, and took away my
breath. It was one of the most miserable feelings I ever

experienced. If Senhor Gr had not, with a mischievous

laugh, offered me a glass of water, I believe my very
heart would have been burned away. Now at least I
know that in purgatory there will be American cooking,
pimento and cashew nuts.

A gate in the shady garden led into the fields — they
were chiefly cotton fields : in the trees I saw with delight
how the finest cotton was hanging on the husks; the
fields and paths were bordered in regular lines with orange
trees, and various European fruit trees, and the boundaries
were formed by avenues of jacca. Every part of the
grounds displayed great order and industry. The extreme
limit was formed, as usual, by the forest.

The sun was near setting, and as we were strolling along
with the master of the place (gaining instruction from his
industry, and feeling overpowered by the amount of his
wealth), suddenly a brilliant flock of parroquets whirred
in the air, as though they had come to scream their fare-
well to the parting orb of day ; soaring now higher, now
lower. Pursuit was immediate; the young men came
panting from all directions with their guns, and delivered
a fire as though they were in action. But the birds were
quicker than their pursuers ; and half from fear, half from
fun, made most graceful evolutions in the air, and a terrible
noise. They then vanished in the thick crowns of the

250 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

trees, to escape their persecutors ; but again rose gaily in
the golden sunbeams, in which their plumage sparkled
like jewels. A second flock appeared, and now the air was
filled with them, and their wild shouts of joy resounded
everywhere. The air seemed to be filled with rockets ;
but our Nimrods could only fire salvoes, not murderous
shots. How must the parroquets have laughed in the
midst of their evening chatter, at the Europeans, who
might fire at them, but were unable to do them any harm !
Some small humming-birds were frightened from the
crowns of the jaccas, the favourite tree of the Brazilians.
There should be a strict prohibition against shooting
this pretty little bird ; as a relic from Paradise, the preser-
vation of its life should be included among the laws of
religion. But it would be difficult to control the sports-
man in the primeval forest.

The doctor and the botanist made search for rare beetles
and wasps : but were not more successful than the sports-
men, and the insects escaped merrily from them. Bevelling

in the enjoyment of tropical life, I wandered with Gr

and L beneath the jacca trees (the fruit of which is

gathered throughout the whole year) to the ruins of a
little chapel standing on the rocky bank of the river to
the east of the farm ; it was shaded by palms, and over-
grown with creepers.

The sun sank in the depths of the forest, but its last
beams still painted the broad mirror of the water in purple
and gold ; cloudless and bright was the sky, far as the
broad horizon ; the outlines of the silent, uninhabited
islands were clearly marked ; each palm stood out from the
background with its feathery crown. Just as the ebb tide
recedes noiselessly but surely from the sandy shore, so
did the sunlight little by little fade away from the forest
and hilly ridges ; the golden hues softly tinged the green
plains, then rested on the lofty crowns of the palms, yet ere

BAHIA. 251

long the golden tints vanished, and twilight shed her mantle
over the broad plains and vast forest. The river shone like
silver, every sound was hushed, no oar plashed in the
waters, no voice of man was heard ; the stars lighted up
their gleaming rays, but no hut sought to rival them with
its beaming light. Far as the eye could reach, far as the
ear could hear, there was no sight or sound of aught to
make the heart thrill with human woe ; and I was over-
come with a feeling of the awfulness of the solitude and of
the desolation of Nature's paradise. I could never have
supposed that I should have felt such yearning for some-
thing like home, such oppression amid beautiful and
magnificent scenes ; and it gave me the key to the sensa-
tions of weariness common to American life, yet this was
only the third day of my stay in a continent separated by
the wide ocean from Europe.

I gazed for a long time at the water and at the forest,
and sought again and again for some sign of human life ;
and again and again my eye fell only on the dimly gleaming
walls of the distant, solitary monastery.

Our young sportsmen returned, but without success :
parroquets and humming-birds had alike escaped the
dangers of European invaders. In the boughs of the
jacca tree near the ruins, we found a large nest made by a
small bird : it looked like a bagpipe filled with air, and
was formed of thousands of little twigs and broken pieces
of plants. Some of our party broke off the bough to
which the nest was attached, and thus bore away the
curiosity for our museum.

The Senhor invited us to a repast, in the course of
which my melancholy was dispelled. A princely table
was spread in the verandah with every sort of gastronomic
luxury that Brazilian art could invent. All the dishes
(and the Brazilians always have a great many) were,
according to the custom of the country, placed on the

252 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

table : there were also delicious fruits, from the delicate
juicy melon to the royal pineapple, and an array of the
choicest wines. Kespectable-looking slaves of all ages
(who might vie with any garpon in Paris for skill) were in
attendance, but, according to the old patriarchal style, it
was the Senhor himself who, in the pleasantest and most
amiable manner, really did the honours of the table, and
who took especial care to refresh the weary traveller with
large draughts of champagne. It was painful to me to be

served by him with his own hands, for Gr was no

longer the little insignificant man that he had appeared to
us in the morning, but a man of the world, and a personage
of position and importance. The Brazilian dishes were
all very delicate and well-prepared, and rendered savoury
with pimento and all manner of spices ; their strong
flavour is admirably adapted to the hot and enervating
climate : the spices are reviving and invigorating.

The strong point of the Brazilian lies in dressing
meat and fish, particularly in making savoury ragouts, and
other dishes of crabs and similar fish. At our luxurious
banquet of this evening I enjoyed especially a dish of
minced meat, crab, and other fish flavoured with pimento ;
also a dish of stewed fresh-water oysters. This fish does

not naturally thrive in fresh water : near Or 's house it

is found in the mangle bushes. The tide rises nearly to his
property, so that the water at this point may be said to be
brackish. Of this fish is made the most delicious dish that
I ever tasted in the whole course of my gastronomic ex-
perience in the two hemispheres, especially when, accord-
ing to Brazilian custom, it is mixed with roasted farinha.

The farinha is dry but well tasted, the oysters are juicy,
so that the two form a combination such as I can recom-
mend strongly to any connoisseur whom fate may send to
this country. Farinha plays an important part here : it is
continually placed on the table in one or two forms. In

BAHIA. 2.53

its roasted state it serves as an excellent adjunct to all
rich dishes, and is especially excellent with pork ; it is also
made into a jelly, which in my opinion reminds one of
millet, and has a very insipid taste. In both forms it
serves in Brazil as a substitute for bread, which is unknown
at the tables of those who live in the country, and is eaten
with satisfaction by high and low, rich and poor. It is
much to be regretted that farinha will not keep long, and
will not bear a sea voyage ; otherwise, in its dried state, it
would be a desirable addition in European symposia.

As there is no bread on the table of a Brazilian, so also
there are no dishes that require wheat flour; neither is
there a very good supply of vegetables. However, on this
occasion, there were two that were interesting to us : yams,
already spoken of, which to my taste are rather dry and
insipid ; and a plate of excellent palm-cabbages, a luxu-
rious dish worthy of Lucullus. In order to place this dish
on his master's table in mats, the negro must kill at least
from ten to twelve cabbage palms ; the tender heart in the
centre of the crown, when boiled, forms this delicious dish.
But the Brazilians will not be able much longer to indulge
in this favourite vegetable, which costs them a dozen trees
on each occasion ; it is a luxury that must die away with
the progress of colonisation : it has a flavour something
between asparagus and cauliflower. The negroes, who
attended admirably upon us, took a secret delight in our
good appetites, and in our admiration of all that was new
to us.

When seated in the cool verandah, at this well spread
table, Freiligrath's song ' Scipio ' occurred to my mind,
and as I looked at the Senhor, and then at his head slave,
with his grey woolly hair, involuntarily I seemed to hear
the words,

Massa, du bist sehr reich ! -wer zahlte die Geri elite,
Womit man dich bedient, den Wein, die saft'^eu Fruclite

254 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Axis deiner Kiiche tont den ganzer Tag Gerausch,

Doch ein Gericht, o Herr, fehlt dir dein Mahl zu kronen :

Kein anderes kommt ihm gleich an Wohlgeschmack ; die Sehnen

Starkt es ; o ziirne nicht ! ich meine Menschenfleisch !

Whilst we were at dinner, the botanist and sportsman
returned. Their diligence had been rewarded. The bo-
tanist had, deeper in the forest, found a feather palm with
large green nuts that hung in clusters, in numbers of from
forty to fifty, and were of the size of a goose's egg ; but,
notwithstanding all his wisdom, he could not tell the name
of the tree ; he also brought a large bromeliacea, the balls
of which glowed bright red like hot iron.

The sportsman's bag was well filled : four kinds of
humming-birds, topaz-coloured, amethyst, and two little
birds of emerald green ; a small pipra, snow-white, with a
black head ; parroquets, green, with red wings and yellow
heads ; love-birds, tiny little things, green, with blue spots
at the beak and on the tips of the wings (of these last,

Cadet J killed two with one shot, and, in his pride and

delight on the occasion, fell into the aqueduct) ; two species
of snipe, long-beaked and dingy as their European
brothers ; the female of a wonderful kind of pipra, which
gleamed with the colours of the tricolor, and a paraoria
cucullata, grey and white, with a scarlet tuft. They had
shot a black water-hen with scarlet feet, but had not been
able to find it ; and had seen a Brazilian witwe, a pretty
bird with long feathers. The deepening twilight, and the
restlessness of our captain, compelled us unfortunately to
return. I cast one more glance over the magnificent
panorama, so majestic in its repose; and then went down
to the shore with the rest of our merry party, accompanied
by our friendly Amphitryon.

At his arsenal, Gr— - showed us a large handsome
canoe, fifty feet in length, which had been hollowed in
the Indian manner from the trunk of one immense tree.

BAHIA. 255

These canoes are the best and indeed only craft for use on
the river, which abounds everywhere with dangerous rapids
and rocks. Twelve persons can be accommodated in one
of these canoes, by sitting one behind the other : but the
width is only sufficient for one person, and even he must
not be very stout. The cost of such a canoe is consider-
able, for even in the primeval forest there are not many
trees to be found large enough to make one.

The inhabitants of the Fazenda crowded down to the
landing-place to witness the departure of their master's
guests. We were much struck by only seeing three, or at
most four, white faces among all this assemblage. The
entire management of the slaves, and the whole of the
arrangement of the work of all their families, are
carried on by two white men. What strength of character
must not these possess, to be able to keep such a number
of these dark spirits under control by means of their
moral influence, which can receive but slight aid from the
palmatorio and chicoto. Woe to the whites if their black
brethren should once eat of the tree of knowledge, and
thus raise themselves to the rank and privileges of thinking
men ! The black does not know his own power, nor suspect
the strength given to him by Heaven, fortunately for the
owners of property here. Emancipation of the negroes,
and an exertion of self-help on the part of these oppressed
beings, would ruin all these rich nabobs, for their property
is only a burden to them, and it would very soon be again
overgrown by the surrrounding forest.

Among the dark faces, scarcely to be seen in the twilight,
I was struck by the appearance of two pretty boys,
mulattoes, or rather half-castes : they wore fine blue
spensers, and even shoes. In their chocolate complexions
I detected a strange mixture of white and black, and
their shoes afforded me subject for all sorts of speculations.
If it be that high and low, freedom and slavery, can be

256 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

united, why should not Senhor Gr have formed such

ties ? When I, naturally enough, asked the boys about
their parentage, their answers were rather confused. Such
mixtures of colour are only too frequent in the fazendas.
What hideous pages in the history of slavery are opened
to us in this, that the children of white and black parent-
age are half slaves, half free, according to the discretion
of the father and owner !

The Senhor accompanied us in his state barge to our
impatient, snorting steamer ; and then sent us, with patri-
archal hospitality, an abundance of cocoa-nuts, sugar-
canes, refined sugar, rum, cahapa, and a bag of farinha
and fruit from his own gardens.

With feelings of heartfelt gratitude for the warmth with
which we had been received, and delighted with the
interesting scenes which the Fazenda had presented to us,

we parted from the amiable Gr with cordial farewells.

If this man had no slaves in the present, and no dark
story of slavery belonging to the past, I should esteem
myself fortunate in numbering him among my friends.

Our steamer pursued her course down the river amid
the shades of night. The wooded banks on our right and
left now looked doubly imposing ; brilliant stars shone in
the firmament ; and when we reached the broad bay the
moon was already rising from the ocean. A fresh breeze
blew over the sea, and a heavy dew watered the earth.
Stretched on a bench on deck, I covered myself with my
plaid, and half dreaming, half waking, returned, after a
happy and eventful day, to the seaport. The gravel-
portion of the party slumbered soundly surrounded by
their sporting gear, and their rich booty of fruit and
flowers. The never-wearied youngsters took advantage of
this moment of freedom (under pretext of scientific ex-
periments) to begin a mad chase between the decks for
moths, and for such moths as the most glowing imagi-

BAHIA. 257

nation in Europe could not picture. Some of these were
an inch and a half in length. Fortunately some of them
were caught for our museum.

It was not until late in the evening that we returned to
our secure sea-castle and to our downy beds.

Bahia: January 14, 1860.

When travelling, even in a new continent, beneath a
tropical sun, and in the confines of the primeval forest,
one must (although possessed of the most eager zeal and
curiosity as a tourist) have leisure days in which no
special object presents itself, in which one wanders about
in town and country : lost days, so to speak, which one
spends in all sorts of trifling occupations, such as executing
commissions, making purchases, and strolling about. Yet
one frequently sees more during these seasons of repose
than when hurrying to and fro. Such a day was this.

We began by beating up our quarters in the Hotel
Fevrier. Our old Frenchman and the talented Monsieur
Henry had been commissioned to bring some of the curi-
osities of the country to the hotel, where we could examine
them closely, and make purchases to take home with us ;
but what could one take from Brazil ? Art does not flourish
here ; industry as little ; therefore nature, living or dead,
must supply the want. If we had wished to follow Bra-
zilian customs, we should have been tempted to purchase
slaves, in preference to anything else. Indeed, for a
moment I had an idea of taking home a little negress as a
surprise ; but reflecting on the difference of climate, and on
the sad effect that it might produce on the health of the
child, I changed my mind.

My old Frenchman brought me a long list of prices of
parrots, monkeys, fancy birds, and all sorts of creatures.
One cannot but be amused in casting one's eye over such
a list, and thinking of the large prices asked in Europe

VOL. in. s •

258 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

for such curiosities — a green parrot, tame and well-taught,
for a gulden, and a pretty vistiti for a gulden and a half
The pipras, with their varied and beautiful colours an(
charming song, are also very cheap, and may very well be
brought to Europe, notwithstanding all that is said to th(
contrary. I bespoke a perfect menagerie, which was to
ready for shipment by the time of my return to Bahia ; th<
Frenchman gave me some interesting information respect
ing all these, animals. Above all, he promised me a tapij
for our menagerie in Schonbrunn, that fine beast peculiar
to the Mato Virgem : an alligator was also to be procured
before our return ; a guati was already named on the list.
Vistiti were bespoken in considerable numbers, and I was
fortunate enough to bring home some fine specimens, to
the great joy of those to whom I gave them ; parrots
belonging to all the principal species in the district were
also included.

I also learned, on this occasion, to correct an error ;
the word f arras,' familiar in Europe, is not correct. The
large bird with the beautiful scarlet-and-blue plumage is
called arra ; its canary-coloured and blue brothers are
called ararun ; their scientific names are Psittacus macao
and Psittacus rauna. To this same family also belongs a
wonderful green bird with red-tipped wings, but the
original bird of the race is the Psittacus hyacinthinus,
the largest of its species, with blue plumage, and canary-
coloured round the eyes and beak ; it is very rare, even in
the forest, and only some two or three specimens have
been brought to Europe alive. It is far superior to all
others in intelligence and docility, and its beauty induced
the Indians to worship it as a god. All these birds build
their nests in hollow trunks of trees, and it is very droll
to see the long tails hanging like a flag from the tree,
whilst the body is completely hidden.

According to Brazilian notions, the name ' parrot ' is only

BAHIA. 259

properly applied to the green-and-yellow species so com-
mon in Europe — the Psittacus ockrocephalus ; all other
species are included in the name 'parroquet.' To enume-
rate all the little birds that belong to the pipra family
would be impossible; they are of every colour and size.
The most beautiful, indisputably, are the azulaos, in shape
like our finches, and of a blue like lapis-lazuli. It is
always said in Europe (probably from a feeling of envy)
that all these lovely feathered beings are mute ; but, as I
have before observed, there are, on the contrary, in Brazil
many exquisite songsters which are much valued, and for
which even here one is obliged to give a high price in the
market. The notes of the American birds are soft and
delicate, but clear and silvery in tone. There are also
Brazilian canaries of a bright yellow with dark orange spots
on the head ; but, like all birds of this species, they moult
once a year, and then become of a dirty green like our
siskin ; most of the canary tribe are brown in colour.

Henry brought some feather-flowers for our inspection,
but these are very roughly made in Bahia, and only suited
to the woolly heads of the blacks. We reserved our pur-
chases in this branch of industry for Rio. Hammocks
also were offered for sale, but they were only of the coarser
kind, and were exceedingly dear.

At length we went through the town down to the street
on the shore, with the intention of looking at the shops
ourselves. There we visited the shop of an old French-
man, who had a large number of insects and stuffed
animals for sale, and who had really brought his traffic
in these goods to perfection. Everything here was well-
arranged ; the animals were in condition for the voyage,
and chests and boxes were prepared in which to pack
them. On entering his shop, one might almost have
fancied himself standing in a jewelled vault, so brilliantly
did everything around gleam and sparkle. It is only

s 2

260 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

in such a place, where there are stuffed humming-birds in
thousands, that one can, by quiet examination, form an
idea of their beauty. They possess every shade of colour,
and a rich brilliance such as one only finds elsewhere in
polished jewels. What it is that imparts the radiance to
the feathers is an unsolved mystery ; and one must deem
it among the greatest of nature's marvels, that these ex-
quisite colours should be developed with such rapidity, as
is the case, from an egg of the size of a pea, and containing
a very fluid yolk. We also saw some fine specimens of
the woodpecker and thrush, with which Brazil everywhere
abounds.

Of mammalia there were very few, as the southern
continent is deficient in these. The only interesting
specimen of this class that we found was an armadillo,
common in all forests — a disgusting beast, which must
have had its origin in the pre- Adamite times, when mons-
trosities ruled the world : notwithstanding its repulsive
exterior, the Brazilians eat it with satisfaction.

Among the insects were many brilliant butterflies and
curious beetles. A large collection of shells formed an
object of interest, and even the vegetable world was
represented by orchid bulbs prepared for travelling. I
was in my element, but could not enjoy these treasures of
nature undisturbed ; for an impertinent and inquisitive
crowd, attracted by our primitive but convenient travelling
costume, began to besiege the shop in large numbers.
Now nothing in the world is more painful to me than to
brt stared at ; the criticising gaze of strange eyes exercises
a magnetic influence over me, and makes me feel uncom-
fortable ; and, notwithstanding my Anglomania, I have not
yet attained the art of receiving this moral cannonade
with proud composure and impassiveness.

I left the Frenchman standing in the middle of his
curiosities, and meanly took to flight, climbed the steep

BAHIA. 261

hill, and took refuge within the cool precincts of the hotel,
where I complained bitterly to its old master. He was
indignant at the want of courtesy shown by his towns-
men.

We had still one other plan for this day. We ordered
our sailors to bring three tropines to the Tich, that we
might traverse its waters. But here an explanation of
the tropine is necessary, in order to make the feasibility
of our undertaking clear. The tropine is used at home
on our beautiful and interesting Marenta, and serves the
people who live on its banks as a means of communication
upon the river, and in the canals branching from it. It is
the very smallest boat that can be constructed ; one inch
smaller or lower, and the man in it must sink. The tropine
is made of the slightest planks possible, is easily carried,
and is most convenient for use if one but know how to sit
still, and possess the art of guiding it ; but a violent
breeze, or the slightest motion of the body, suffices to
make the tropine till with water, and to lead to an inevi-
table upset. To travel in a tropine is certainly venture-
some, but he who ventures wins ; and when once master
of it, one has the advantage of being able to go any-
where where there is water; the narrowest passage, the
most shallow river, becomes navigable, and he who
possesses the art of sitting still may pursue his way very
comfortably ; with his double paddle, he can speed quickly
over the mirror of the water, and has space in his tiny
craft for his gun, his ammunition, and his game.

I saw this pretty little boat for the first time in the
autumn of 1853, when I anchored in the corvette 'Minerva'
at Kleck ; I purchased one, and took it to Trieste. As
time is required for the development of whatever is good,
so years passed on before anyone paid any attention to
this invention. However, all at once, several tropines
made their appearance ; they were to be seen traversing

•262 EECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the roads of Trieste, flying down the Canal Grande ; the
admirable idea was adopted, and the pretty tropine
became the fashion. Improvements were made in
its construction, and a graceful appearance given to it.
Everyone now was eager to possess a tropine — no one
could be content without ; the Saxenburg Lake was
covered with boats, and the astonished Viennese beheld
even the court-ladies with their immense crinolines tra-
velling over the brown mud. The tropines were sent to
all the Italian lakes, and no wealthy Englishman or
American thought of leaving Venice without taking one
home with him ; this southern invention even found its
way to the lakes of the Alps. All hail to the tropine !
But history has not yet disclosed to us how many colds and
fevers have been the result of the use of these graceful
boats. It was exactly suited to our present excursion.

After partaking of some refreshments, we once more
mounted the caleche with its four snorting steeds, and
drove along the familiar road to the Tich. In gay spirits,
and fearing no evil, we were traversing the lively streets,
when suddenly, near Vittoria (just at the spot by the
fort where is the beautiful prospect over the green valley),
we perceived the botanist and sportsman, who had hurried
in advance on foot, engaged in a warm argument with a
mean-looking person in the dress of a civilian. I imme-
diately augured no good ; a mouchard is easily distin-
guished from other people, even beneath the hot sun of
the tropics. When our annoyed countrymen perceived
our four horses galloping towards them, the sportsman
shouted with all his might to our black driver. I gave
orders to stop, and now the mouchard, though burning with
anger, began, in a state of the greatest excitement, to ask
us for our firearms and ammunition. His dispute with our
sportsman had threatened to proceed to extremities. In
his nasal Portuguese, which sounded ten times more ludi-

BAHIA. 263

crous when uttered at this high pitch, he tried to make us
understand that there was a prohibition against carrying
firearms without the permission of the President. Some
of the servants flew into a passion, and said the man was
insulting us, which ought not to be allowed ; the sportsman
snorted with rage — the botanist began to philosophise
about Brazilian civilisation. I took out my ' London-
smoke' spectacles, and looked at the fellow for a long
time with German composure and calm, which seemed to
disconcert him completely. After I had shown him that
he could not succeed in disturbing my equanimity, I
quieted my own people, and told him that law certainly
was law, be it ever so senseless or uncourteous, and that
everyone was bound to submit to give an explanation of
the facts of the case.

Three points presented themselves to my mind. First,
that the Brazilian order did not apply to the present
circumstances ; for in those pails in which the forest
extends to the town, and the monkeys come to pay visits
to the palace of the governor, the arms of every free-
man are required for defence and for the chase. Secondly,
that the institution of the police had found its way from
across the ocean, and therefore there need be no
alarm. Thirdly, that this proceeding was a mean trick
played upon us by the piqued authorities ; they plainly
could not forgive us that, on a point of etiquette, we had
ignored them, and that they had not found us on board
the ' Elizabeth ' on the first day. This measure was plainly
one of petty revenge, for we had already been going in all
directions for three days quite unmolested ; and it was no
secret fron anyone in Bahia.who were the four men, in a
peculiar dress, who drove about the town with four horses ;
the narrow passage by the fort had not been unintention-
ally selected as the post of the mouchard.

As neither our Consul nor a native interpreter was with

264 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

us, and as I did not desire to enter into a longer dis-
cussion with this ignoble placeman of the tropical empire,
I gave orders that the arms should be delivered to him,
once more took measure of the excited mannikin through
my ' London-smoke ; ' and with a benign smile, as a proof
of our entire submission, offered him our butterfly-nets, as
being most dangerous and illegal weapons within the realm
of the democratic empire. The worthy looked ready to
burst with passion, and the people, who had assembled
round us, chuckled with delight at this acknowledgment
by Europeans of American laws. We had the laugh
on our side, and the foreign mouchard, who had ap-
parently calculated upon resistance, went away amid jeers
and jokes.

As there are differences between continents, so also there
exists a feeling of continental patriotism ; and I was really
annoyed that, during this argument, a hot-blooded Italian
entered into the dispute, and unasked, and with ex-
pressions of the greatest indignation, took upon himself to
act as our partisan. He even accompanied the mouchard,
who, with the sportsman and the corpus delicti, proceeded
before the imperial authorities. This solemn promenade
occupied three hours and a half; but the official intelli-
gence reached the Great Mogul earlier than he expected,
or than perhaps he desired : for in the course of the day I
sent the youngest officer of our vessel to the President,
desiring him not so much to express my surprise at the
circumstance, as to demand why we had not been made
acquainted with this law earlier, and why the necessary
permission had not been sent to us, when we had already
passed through the imperial arsenal several times, carrying
our firearms? At the same time, I ordered that he should
be informed of my intention to acquaint the Emperor with
my astonishment at what had passed. This had an electrical
effect ; the Great Mogul laid aside his dignity and his plans

BAHIA. 265

of revenge together, and made the most ample apologies.
Poor mouchard !

We drove to the Frenchman's house, laughing heartily
over the whole affair. The botanist accompanied us in the
carriage.

Our party again separated. The painter found a beau-
tiful little spot, surrounded by arums and bananas, under a
tree, where he could exercise his art in peace ; the doctor
kept him company, enjoying the stillness of tropical life ;
and both, together with an old negro whom we had hired
for the day for fifty kreuzers, kept watch over the pro-
visions which kindness and liberality had provided for us.

T , the botanist, and I went to the shore to seek

for our tropines. We shouted loudly, but no one replied ;
the sailors had evidently passed : at length we found our
three boats among some water-plants in a secluded creek.
A little instruction in the management of the tropine
was given to the botanist, who was courageously occupying
one for the first time ; and then forth darted the three
swans, with the speed of an arrow, into the sunlit flood. It
was indeed delightful to glide over the broad glassy mirror,
we the only travellers on the waters of the vast, gorgeous
lake. The tropine gives one a feeling of free inde-
pendence ; one sits there alone and undisturbed, ruling the
watery element. Except in such a boat as this, it would
be impossible to see the individual beauties of the Tich.

Viewed from the lake, the whole prospect was much
grander and more interesting than when seen from isolated
points on the shore. The outlines appeared more beautiful,
the deep creeks doubly enticing, the hills surrounding the
unequalled panorama more rounded, the expanse of water
larger, and its various branches, overshadowed by the rich
vegetation on the banks, became more plainly visible.
Everywhere this vegetation grew to the very brink of the
water, where it joined the aroidea, canea, and waterlilies.

266 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

Amid all the monotony of these masses of green, there was
such a variety of shade and form, such powerful contrast
between the deep shadows and the brilliant sunlight, that
the eye could not become weary. Besides, in these lay
a grandeur peculiar to nature in the tropics. Man, in
his lonely palm-huts, appears only an object accidentally
placed in the landscape.

After crossing the broad plain a few times, and discover-
ing how one creek ofter another disclosed itself, like fairy
visions in a dream, I began to follow the windings of the
shore, keeping close to the bank, and gliding beneath the
drooping foliage of the overhanging trees, through the
narrow passes between lianas and mangle-bushes. We
were often completely hidden in the leafy grottoes, and
stopped to rest beneath shady boughs, with no eye to see
us save those of the flowers. In these secluded spots one
might fancy himself within the regions of enchantment:
below, was the clear water rippling around the tiny bark ;
overhead, were the waving branches of the palm, or the
drooping boughs of a wide-spreading ficus ; while the
golden sunbeams strayed between the feathered foliage of
the palm, and gleamed upon the leaves of the ficus.
Orchids and Bromeliacea dipped into the lake, and around
the little boat the large leaves of the giant aninga fluttered
with a fan-like movement. Mangle-roots either rose like
natural columns, or were interlaced like lattices, around
which twined the tendrils of the lianas ; brilliant insects
flew hither and thither among the shady groves, dragon-
flies circled over the cool waters, whilst ever and anon
some rare bird would rise from its nest into the air.

I could not tear myself from these scenes of still life,
and whenever I perceived such, I immediately guided my
little bark thither. I discovered several inlets so richly
endowed by nature with a profusion of vegetation, that it
seemed to me that the heart of man could dream of

BAHIA. 267

nothing more delightful than to build a house in such a
spot, on the verge of this lonely lake ; but the Bahians
have no taste for these beauties of nature.

With the exception of a few miserable negro-huts, I
found no human dwellings on the shores of the lake ;
indeed, the majority of the inhabitants of Bahia have never
even seen the Tich. Money, and the means of increasing
it, may be needed in this land, but no addition is wanted
to the splendour of nature.

The Tich lay in the calm repose of noon : not a sound
was to be heard, save the splashing of the washerwomen,
and an occasional exclamation of surprise from the black
labourers on the banks at the sight of our tropines ; or, if
we approached any spot where the hideous women were
employed with their washing, they would begin to chatter
with delight, and to laugh at the unexpected apparitions,
which also caused great delight and excitement among
some negro boys and girls — the former of whom swam as
boldly as fishes, whilst the latter bathed their pretty,
dusky forms more timidly. The daring of the boys con-
vinced me that the alligators cannot here be so ferocious
and dangerous as was said.

As we advanced into the more open portion of the lake,
the view was enchanting, but the heat most intense. I had
been thoughtless enough to shorten my trousers (which
were of white linen) to the knee; and my bared legs
received so severe a sunstroke, that I suffered very much
from it for a long time afterwards, and for a year the
spots on which the sun had struck with the greatest force
were as brown as though I were a gipsy. It was true that I
felt pain during our expedition, and a burning like fire,
but I was too much interested to pay any heed to it. The
sun in this tropic is not so dangerous as in the South of
Europe or in the East, because it is frequently clouded
over ; yet it is very necessary to protect oneself from it ; for

268 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

where it shines it does so with great power, and it is
prudent to follow the maxims of the wise Orientals, and
defend oneself from its beams by thick covering.

We sometimes regretted that the over- watchful eye of
the law had deprived us of our guns on this day's excur-
sion ; for, besides various species of prettily- coloured pipra,
we saw some curious water-birds — among them a peculiarly
large kingfisher (Ceryle torquata), like- our kingfisher in
shape, but as large as a wild duck, with bright-blue back,
reddish-brown breast, and white throat — its head covered
with a long dark plume. As is always the case when one
has no gun, the birds perceived the want, and at every turn
of the creek, from behind every bush, they continually re-
appeared.

The botanist was in ecstasies ; the tropine was a godsend
to him ; notwithstanding the alligators he could make his
way everywhere, and the boat served him also as a recep-
tacle for his collections, which he was usually obliged to
carry in his tin box, or even upon his back. But he was
not always quite successful in the management of his boat.
As an old gentleman who has an attack of paralysis has
not full command over his powers, but must leave his
limbs to their own discretion, so was it continually with
the man of science : some rare plant enticed him to turn
to the right ; he became eager, and a false pull at the
paddle turned the tropine to the left. . I was therefore
obliged constantly to come to the rescue.

The disciple of nature received from my hands, with deep
emotion and sparkling eyes, the large fruit of an aninga,
which, with no small trouble, I succeeded in obtaining for
our respected superintendent of gardens — Schott. If I had
presented the botanist with a nugget of Californian gold, I
do not think he would have felt such delight as at this
fulfilment of his most earnest wishes ; and as for the last
three days he had viewed the mere plant with heartfelt joy,

BAHIA. 269

the obtaining of this large specimen of the fruit formed the
crowning-point of his boldest aspirations. The Montri-
chardia (aninga) with its ivory-white stem, its large heart-
shaped leaves, its yellow blossoms, and its fruit, resembling
the pine-apple, has long been known to scientific men, but
no living specimen has ever been brought into Europe.

Among the aningas we found shrubs of Anona palu-
dosa, with dark-green leaves like the camelia ; the fruit is
much smaller than that of the common pine-apple, and is
not palatable. On the edge of the lake were also a com-
bretum with lovely red flowers, and a schrankia, resembling
the Mimosa pudica, with delicate pink blossoms. Here
and there an exquisite waterliiy lay extended, rising from
the depths of the lake, and its white flowers and large
red-veined leaves floating on the surface of the water.

I was still buried in foliage, when I heard T ex-
claim from the centre of the lake. I glided quickly
from my lurking-place, and distinctly saw him shoot down
the lake, after some object, with all the speed and skill of
a practised sailor ; a few quick strong strokes, and I was
near him. He called out to me that he had seen some-
thing swimming in the water, which, owing to his being
short-sighted, he took for an alligator. What joy ! the
animal was still free : now I perceived that he was making
attempts to catch some object with his paddle, and very
soon he triumphantly raised aloft on this paddle a long
hideous snake, and thoughtfully threw it into the forepart
of his tropine, maintaining that the creature was dead,
although I warned him, and drew his attention to its known
tenacity of life and to its poisonous teeth.

The horror that I have of snakes is, as with most men,
invincible. Whether this arises from the ideas associated
with it in my mind, or from mesmeric causes, I do not
know ; but its restless creeping, its long smooth body, its
icy skin, its hissing noise, the spreading of its head, and

270 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

nervous motion of its cloven tongue — all these give me a
cold shudder. A greeting from such a form must have
been repugnant from the beginning, and one cannot com-
prehend how Adam, or rather Eve, could have allowed
herself to be tempted by a serpent. However, the serpent
would appear to have had a totally different nature at the
beginning, otherwise how could this be recorded in the
Bible : ' Be ye wise as serpents/ a characteristic which, in
modern times, we attribute to the fox. Cleopatra, daughter
of wisdom, far surpassing our first mother in civilisation,
knew how to form a just estimate of the serpent ; this
queen of life and love caused the treacherous poisonous
animal to be brought to her concealed in a basket of
fragrant flowers, and covered with delicious buds, in order
by its bite to find death amid sweet perfumes.

The horrid creature that T drew out of the water

was certainly a fathom in length, if not more, light-brown
with black spots, and must, from what the people said,
have been poisonous. What I foresaw took place : after
a little while the warm rays of the sun revived the snake,
which was only numbed : it began to move, and suddenly

it hissed, and raised its head at T , between whose feet

it was lying in the boat. A few inches, and the poisonous
fangs would have seized the bold fellow ; his position was
an anxious and a critical one ; ninety-nine men out of a
hundred would have precipitated themselves into the

water. But T , endowed with rare courage, did not

for a moment lose the presence of mind so necessary in
foreign travel ; he took a steady aim with his paddle, that
he might crush the head of his foe. We had hastened to
his aid, and the botanist was already so much at home on
the water that he inflicted several blows on the reptile.
At length he was really dead, and was carried off as a
trophy. In such moments as these, a man shows of what
he is really made, and the coolness, composure, and

BAHIA. 271

presence of mind displayed by T , filled me with

astonishment.

The sun and long paddling tried us ; and as soon as we
had explored the whole of the lake, we returned to the
quiet creek around which the aroidea and bananas grew, and
ran our tropines on land, at the spot where the painter
and doctor had remained. Here a large tree afforded us
most agreeable shelter ; and, spreading our plaids on the
grass, we rested amid luxuriant plants. The painter had
been diligent, and had made a lovely sketch. The spot
on which we found ourselves was well chosen. Bordered
in the background and on the right by the forest, the
ground before us (the sun shining full upon it) fell in
gentle undulations to the lake : these, partly cultivated,
partly covered with turf, or with groups of green bananas,
offered a pleasing variety to the eye. The bank was
fringed with the choicest plants ; the lake glowed like
molten metal in the noonday sun, till it was lost in the
soft outline of the distant creeks. On the opposite bank
rose the ridge of hill, richly covered with masses of wood
presenting beautiful lights and shadows ; whilst some
single giant palms rose on the loftiest point against the
deep-blue sky. No park in the world could present so
fair a picture, and the unbroken repose was in harmony
with the scene. The surgeon had been dreaming away the
hours on the turf, calmly philosophising in a reverie of
enjoyment: the negro whom we had hired stood still in
the cool shades, and occupied himself in wondering at the
doings of his masters.

A ' dejeune a la Friihstiick,' as history calls it, was
spread to refresh our exhausted frames ; excellent salmon,
well-seasoned pates de foie gras, and a magnificent pine-
apple, formed a very invigorating repast. The company
were all exceedingly lively and merry. The negro also had
his share, after bringing us some deliciously cool water
from a neighbouring spring.

272 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

It was with some astonishment that I saw skeleton
heads of cattle raised on long poles in the fields near us.
on which were some negro dwellings. They may have
been scarecrows, but I am inclined to think that they
were traditionary relics of the Fetish worship on the
other side of the Atlantic ; which survives strangely and
silently among the imported negroes, and preserves a
mysterious bond between them.

After we had finished our meal, and were revived by
rest, we turned our steps towards the beautiful forest, from
which resounded a long shrill whistle, such as one hears
on the railway ; three times these strange tones are heard
in the tropical forest — at early morning, at noon, and
eveningtide. We called this the ' noonday train.' The
creature that heaves these long sad sighs is the Cicada
manifera, never seen, and never to be discovered ; it gives
its regular and unerring signal, which echoes through the
forest, and troubles the silent air by its harsh discordant
tones. Nothing is to be seen, nothing is audible : not a
bough stirs, not a leaf moves ; yet, on a sudden, the shrill
whistle resounds, now close to one's ear, now in the far
distance like a watchman's call : the stillness of morning,
in which even the hum of insects is scarce heard, is at an
end, and in every variety of tone a gladsome lay is poured
forth, to greet the sun as he rises to the zenith. The long
cry is followed by tones like the notes of an instrument ;
these increase into a melody, until in full accord bursts
forth the volume of sound that fills the halls of the grand
dome of nature. The effect is overpowering. Man has
felt himself isolated amid the solemn beauty of the vege-
table world, and has wandered in silent awe amid its
splendours, when lo! on all sides unseen minstrels pour
forth their lays ! The fragrant forest, the mysterious
shades, beneath which strange plants took their midday
repose, and above all, this wondrous harmony, awakened

BAHIA. 273

again within my breast the rapture of admiration which
had made me happy from the first moment in which I
had placed my foot on the new continent. Hours of
enchantment such as these I had indeed occasionally ex-
perienced before, but never in such perfection.

As I wandered through these verdant halls of nature,
visions of former travel passed before my mind, and I came
to the conclusion that he who admires nature should be-
hold three grand scenes, in order truly to know what there
is of sublime upon earth : namely, an early morning in the
Alps, amid the clear atmosphere of one of their mountain-
chains, far from the noise of the world, surrounded by the
splendour presented by the flora of the Alps — by the deep-
blue gentian, the lovely Alpine rose, by pansies and forget-
me-nots, by pinks and violets — a morning in which the rays
of light beam forth, before which the silvery stars pale one
by one, before which the mists of the valley roll away,
while the eastern glow deepens, the glaciers and snow-
drifts sp«rkle in the rosy dawn, and the boughs of the fir-
trees rustle, when suddenly the sun bursts forth above the
giant mountains, shedding his beams (like glad tidings of
joy) over the green valleys and gleaming lakes ; while from
every hollow rises the grateful cry of birds, the gladsome
sound of matin-bells. Next, the hot noonday in the para-
dise of the tropics, with its wealth of fragrance and of
colour, of life and sound, its joyousness of existence
awakened by the culminating sun, and kindling a feeling
of gratitude, as it ever does within my breast. Again, and
lastly, an evening in the desert, when the fiery ball dis-
appears beneath the vast horizon below a glowing sea of
sand, when the sky is clothed in purple, and the broad
plain in gold and silver sheen, when the tints gradually
fade, when the firmament becomes clear as a diamond,
when the circling vultures float through the shimmering
air, when the camel moves along like a phantom, a

VOL. III. T

274 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

wandering ghost, when the faithful turn towards Mecca
and chant their monotonous hymn, when the star of the
east sheds its light in the deep-blue sky, when a cool
breeze, the balsam of the night, sighs with reviving breath
over the gleaming sand, and when the moon, rising at first
in giant form, shines bright and full in the holy east. To
him who has beheld these three scenes the worship of
nature is no longer merely permissible, it has become his
bounden duty.

To-day we found a very fine specimen of the ficus
dolearia ; the stem is tall and strong, as with all tropical
trees, the large crown so covered with a world of parasites
that one can scarcely distinguish the form of its leaves ;
the large gnarled roots rise above the ground and join the
stem: from these the settlers make wheels, and cut excel-
lent planks. I have never before seen anything like it in
nature ; it is the strangest thing that meets the eye, and
looks as though made expressly for the service of man. It
is impossible for people in Europe to form an* idea of
such wonders of nature ; for what are here large trees, are,
in the specimens in our hothouses, mere petty plants.

We were fortunate to-day in our discoveries of plants ;
we proceeded more systematically ; the botanist had par-
tially recovered from his first excitement, which had pre-
vented him from distinguishing accurately the trees of the
forest. He began to introduce some plan into his in-
vestigations ; in arranging the various families, the names
suggested themselves, and each individual plant became
familiar. Among those which we particularly noticed
to-day was a large buhinia, one of the immense lianas
of South America, of which we afterwards saw beautiful
specimens in the primeval forest.

Among the aroidea we found the moncterea with its
symmetrical dark green leaves and large white blos-
soms. These leaves, which are notched as though cut

BAHIA. 275

with a penknife, have so peculiar an appearance, that one
is tempted to believe that Nature created them as a
fantastic ornament. We also found the philodendron
pedatum, with its slender leaves and long roots, which are
as smooth and bare as the cable of a vessel hung from tree
to tree, from bough to bough— together with anthuria,
some with pointed, some with heart-shaped leaves, true
fairy forms of luxuriant nature.

If science should ever advance into America (which
will not be for some time to come), she will find a pro-
fusion of models for ornamentation, which will leave the
acanthus leaf far behind. Here were grasses of different
kinds, the blades of which were so fine and sharp that one
could not pluck them with the hand — also grasses growing
from one to three feet in height, which would be lovely
ornaments in a winter garden. There were also in the
forest some of a species of palm called desmonus, with a
fragile, thorny stem ; the fan-like crown feathery, and the
leaves te/minating in split points like whip-lashes ; the
fan also has hooks at the extremity, alike dangerous to
one's skin and one's clothes. We also found, here and there,
a morsea with light-blue blossoms like those of the iris.

Botanising as we proceeded, we arrived at the opposite
extreme of the forest, and at the mill. We traversed the
fresh fragrant meadows by the side of the peaceful stream,
went round the hill, and came to a long, large, marshy,
grass plain, forming a pretty valley between the forest and
the wooded declivity opposite, and extending to the house
of the Frenchman. Notwithstanding the scorching heat
of the sun, the grass in the meadows was as fresh and
bright as with us in May, and the entire of the wooded
valley, with its calm, its sweet repose, had the peaceful
character of our native country ; we might have fancied
ourselves in Germany on some open spot in a large forest,
on the boundaries of some ancient chase. The principal

T2

276 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

forms, and indeed the prevailing tone of colour, was Euro-
pean ; the palms alone, and the deep shadows, recalled our
thoughts to the tropical world.

I had often formerly tried to paint in fancy the splen-
dour of the equatorial regions ; I had made some approach
in my imagination to the luxuriance of plants and blossoms ;
but that such beautifully green meadows could exist
beneath the burning heat of a sun that never becomes
less scorching throughout the whole year, was to me quite
a new discovery, and can only be explained by the vigour
of the virgin soil and the moisture produced by the vege-
tation itself.

Beside a stream which we found in the meadows, we
again met some Brazilians ; merry-hearted negro maidens
were busied with their washing, and were joking and
chattering on the bank ; they amiabty presented us tired
wanderers with draughts of fresh water in their calabashes.
Loose horses and mules were galloping about the meadows,
and were so erratic in their movements, that in avoiding
the swampy ground we came into uncomfortable proximity
.to them, and could only proceed on our way by paying the
greatest respect to their rights of freedom. In the marshes
we found some beautiful light-blue angelonia,and some very
interesting insects, which were disporting themselves in
the grass.

The sun was so strong (although not hotter than with us
in the dog days) and we were so tired, that, forcing our way
through everything, we took refuge in a thick part of the
forest, to stretch ourselves like heated dogs after a day's
hunting. It was the first time that I had really felt the
full strength of tropical heat ; even among the shades in
which we were lying it was very enervating. The ex-
pression ' as hot as a baker's oven ' would be correct. In
Egypt and Syria, where the sun strikes upon sand and
bare rock, the heat is dry, but here it rather reminds one

BAHIA. 277

of a hothouse of a high temperature ; there is the same
scent of moist vegetation. We rested among scitaminea
and aroidea, damp ferns and herbaceous plants, reposing
on flowers which would have enraptured a gardener at
home ; and the leafy dome above us was formed by
numerous unfamiliar trees, with here and there a grace-
ful palm. The noisy concert of the birds continued, and
would have been our cradle song if we had had time to
lull ourselves to sleep.

Some of the gentlemen devoured oranges that they had
brought ; I sent the negro to fetch me some water. The
poor old man obeyed all the orders of the men, who were
in his eyes such strange foreigners, with exactness and
punctuality. We felt ashamed to make this white-haired
negro toil in the heat for us. Despite our weariness, his
journeys to and fro gave occasion among us to a dis-
cussion on slavery, the evil to which one involuntarily
recurs. By many it is defended as a necessity ; to me the
sight of our old black was very melancholy. We had hired
him of his owner for fifty kreuzers ; he was for this day our
beast of burden, and we had a full right, by law, to do with
him as we would. He must needs comply with all our
caprices without murmur or hesitation ; and all that would
be allowed him would be to thank Heaven, at the close of
the day, for having sent him kind masters.

In my opinion there is nothing so bad in society as a
contract that supersedes free will. No institutions that
have not free will for their basis can exist for long; they
must produce wounds that will fester, and consume the
strength. Even Europe has some similar contracts, which
have in them too much of moral slavery, and these form
the bases of discord. With us, at least some form of law
is found, and such contracts are with us justified by their
universality and what is termed the common good.

In this capital military service is required, as in the

278 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

old continent. I have ever deemed it one of the greatest
excrescences of our times. But with us at least the lot
decides who shall serve, and the welfare of the state may
almost be held as sufficient excuse for inveigling the mass
of the people out of the best years of their youth. On this
point England appears to have arrived at a better prin-
ciple, owing to her natural energetic instincts. And why
should not the principle of expensive armies be given up,
and be replaced by an universal Landwehr, established by
patriotism, and worked by a few skilful and well-educated
officers? Time and the financial necessities of Europe
will, sooner or later, form something of this kind from the
unnatural state of things at present existing. It is one
of the imperfection^ of men, that they bind themselves to
the faults of their times, and imagine that things cannot
be otherwise, and indeed are alarmed at the mere sugges-
tion of change.

Another grievance in Europe, reminding one much of
slavery, is the manufactories. Steam works according to
mathematical rules, and man becomes secondary ; his ener-
gies are as limited as the involuntary motion of a shuttle ;
he is no longer the controlling power ; he is but a stop-
gap in the great mechanical power, and his intelligence is
kept down. This is but a refined slavery, a separation
between the sort of intelligence of the machine, and the
untutored mass of half-starved subordinates, who transmit
their curse from generation to generation. But here, at
least, it is possible to separate, and the power to rise
exists, even if seldom exercised. This power is completely
absent among slaves, and herein lies the germ of destruc-
tion.

When we had refreshed our wearied spirits with some
oranges, I offered the poor old negro my snuff-box to
cheer his heart. It was strange to see the astonishment
and uneasiness with which he received an act of kindness,

BAHIA. 279

such as probably had never been shown to him before :
after hesitating for some time, he took the box, and
seemed much revived and rejoiced by his prize.

Whilst thus resting, we suddenly heard a cry in the
forest ; the voice sounded familiar. The botanist shouted
in return, to give notice of the direction of our retreat ;
the branches and lianas were parted, and the sportsman
appeared with his gun on his shoulder. We rose and pro-
ceeded to the edge of the forest, and along a well-beaten
path, to the declivity on which stood the charming villa
of the Frenchman. It was the most perfect, park-like
road imaginable, winding and shady. In one of the bushes
we found a pretty little nest, with two eggs buried in the
down ; we were barbarous enough to take it with us for
our collection.

To us accustomed to the regular succession of the
seasons in Europe, it seems strange, that in the tropics,
the birds should build their nests throughout the whole
year, that their song should never cease, and that flowers
also should be ever in bloom, fruit ever ripe. This disre-
gard of seasons exists in everything — all blooms and ripens
according to its own sweet will. In our country man
alone possesses this privilege, because he can warm and
clothe himself, and hence he fancies himself the lord of
the creation. Here, in Nature's home, he ceases to be
supreme, and must share his privileges with all around
him. Thus the tropics bear some resemblance to Para-
dise, and Adam is as suited as in ancient times to the
verdure around him. Why did he ever seek for colder
climes ? Why did pride make him desire raiment ?

The road and valley led to a steep hill, which, owing to
the loftily situated house and some care bestowed on the
ground, had an appearance of civilisation. Here man had
really laboured to some purpose. Yams and cotton trees
were planted in regular rows over a portion of the ground,

280 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and presented that park-like aspect that the English so
well know how to create ; so that one does not know
where art ends and nature begins, beauty and utility are
so artistically combined. The owner of this villa is a man
of taste, as one may see at the first glance ; he has pre-
served all the large trees and has followed the soft and
beautiful outlines of nature. He has also improved nature
by planting flowers and rare and fragrant shrubs around
his house, has strewn buds and perfumes over his daily
existence, has wisely retained the view over the valley and
towards the hills, and has advantageously made use of the
swampy meadow.

A man with a long dark beard and a straw hat was at
work in the field ; he was likewise a Frenchman, a genu-
ine strong-built son of the Faubourg S. Antoine, appa-
rently tamed here by hunger and tropical heat. There
was a peculiar interest in seeing such a figure on this side
of the ocean, and in imagining the circumstances which
had combined to bring such an one, whether voluntarily
or not, to a resolution to emigrate. His blue blouse, his
stern, dark features, plainly indicated him to be a ( cha-
racter ' in the most literal sense of the word. His coun-
tenance wore no expression of cheerfulness or happiness ;
but was that of one who has learned the necessity of
labour. The sight of Europeans was evidently a pleasure
to him ; possibly it reminded him of his loved Paris, and
of the bustling streets of that gay metropolis of the world.
And what could have been the crime which had stamped
his character upon him, and had driven him across the
salt ocean to sun-scorched Brazil ? Born in a wild dis-
trict, brought up in godlessness and ignorance, grown to
man's estate amid cries in favour of the restored republic,
perhaps he forgot himself, and, in some hour of want
and excitement, shouted ' Vive la Republique ! ' in the
Champs Elysees or on the Boulevard des Italiens. Poor

BAHIA. 281

man! He greeted us in a friendly manner, said a few
words, and returned to his work.

We climbed the hill, which was very pretty, and from
which the prospect was fine. The broad expanse along
which the road wound was shaded by a great number of
large jaccazeiros trees. Their giant stems rose like steps
of a ladder against the hill. The moist ground was
covered with ferns and low underwood ; only some occa-
sional sunbeams broke through the leafy roof, and trem-
bled on the verdant carpet below. Above, in the crowns,
waved the bright green tilandsia, that wondrous plant,
which scarce touches the boughs over which it droops, and
which finds in the humid atmosphere sufficient nourish-
ment for its splendid blossoms.

This sight possessed such attractions for the botanist,
that he could not resist the temptation of trying whether
something of the monkey nature were not in his compo-
sition, as, only a few hours before, he had displayed his
amphibious powers so well. Providence seemed to have
formed him to live in the forest, and to have decreed
that the efforts made by his iron will should always be
crowned with success. He mounted the stem with the
skill of a chimpanze, and ran gaily along the flattened
branches, on which he looked like a pigmy. This
manoeuvre succeeded, but the tilandsia are not so easily
obtained as the aroidea, but rear their heads high aloft.
Our botanist is active, but bony and heavy, and, in order
to advance farther, he ought to have had the long tail of a
monkey, to give him some support in addition to his hands
and feet in case of a sudden, break of the boughs. In conse-
quence, therefore, of the imperfection of the formation of
man, the bold pioneer of science was compelled to turn
back, and to leave the sportsman to try to shoot down a
specimen of the plant.

Before the house of the Frenchman a humming-bird

282 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

was fluttering on abignonia ; it was of emerald green, with
a white breast, and one would never have grown weary of
admiring it.

Our four horses brought us back, tired and sunburnt, to
the Hotel Fevrier, the standing rendezvous for the tra-
vellers from the ' Elizabeth.' To-day, after our no small
exertions, we had still to make the greatest that can fall to
the lot of a traveller of rank ; namely, to attend a soiree at
the house of our good Consul, on which occasion I was to
make the acquaintance of all the Germans in Bahia. I
was obliged to summon up all my powers to enable me to
endure this storm with dignity and good temper. There-
fore, knowing my own nature, and that of a southern
climate, I resolved to pass the remaining portion of the
day during which I should be free in the grand dolce far
niente on the one hand ; and on the other, in refreshing my
powers with an excellent repast.

I lay in a balcony looking on the Theatre Square, and
allowed my mind to revel in the magnificent prospect of
the extensive deep-blue bay, with its lively sails, with its
forest of vessels at anchor, with its glow in the evening
sun ; I seemed to myself to be like the ruler of blessed
Samo on the lofty battlements of his palace.

An open view over a broad expanse, when enjoyed un-
disturbed, affords the best refreshment to the mind and
spirits. But that life should not be wanting in the scene,
I also amused myself in my watch-tower by looking at the
coloured people in the Theatre Square. A fat, hideous
old negress, with her turban twisted jauntily round her
head, her bosom, shoulders, and arms bare, gave me quiet
amusement : quiet, because I looked on without speaking ;
but loud, nasal, and unceasing was the chatter of this
dusky daughter of Eve. No brother in colour could stand
or pass near her that she did not overwhelm him with her
jocose hilarity ; it was like a thunder-shower in summer.

BAHIA. 283

She never ceased gabbling for a second, and must have
been esteemed by the blacks as wonderfully witty, for her
husky tones were always interrupted by the laughs of the
bystanders, in which she joined heartily.

She was selling dainties for her lord and master, who
had sent her out to earn money : but in this line she did
not seem to be very successful ; her master would drive a
better trade if he employed her to make public orations or
theatrical representations. If some negro, in passing, pur-
chased a sort of marcipan of the old witch, and some few
coppers fell into her apron, she would waddle like a hippo-
potamus, as quick as her legs would let her, across the
square to old lago the brandy-seller, and pour a glass of
caha9a down her leathern throat. Presently she would
return, and begin her chatter with renewed energy. I
watched her for a long time, both astonished and amused,
and could not repress a regret that I was unable to under-
stand the flashes of wit of this untiring talker. Such
people are very happy, and spend their lives in unbroken
gaiety. Shall not one own, then, that the Brazilians are
right when they call cahapa the balsam of slavery ?

The movements of the rest of the crowd also amused
me. I was struck by the excess of the black population
over the white. The very few white people visible
belonged to the higher classes ; in them one perceived
hurry, and a restless anxiety for gain. Their motto is
here, as everywhere in America, ' Time is money,' an axiom
which I also approve in theory, for it is the foundation of
all effort, the spring of both mental and bodily activity ;
it is that which makes society a possibility, and improves
the human race; for when all agree, jealousy is ba-
nished, and justice is even-handed. But this principle is
not suited to slaves, and thus the subject presents a diffi-
culty which is ridiculed by the people of Southern Europe,
the Italians and Spaniards. According to this practical

284 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

principle, man must labour with unceasing energy in the
sweat of his brow, as the angel at the gate of Paradise com-
manded him ; he must weary himself with work, scarcely
allow himself any recreation, and in restless haste increase
his possessions. But although fortune may smile upon
him, and the bag of gold swell ever more and more under
his hands, yet he can never find the moment for rest and
enjoyment of life ; he only ceases to labour when his back
becomes bent with age, and joy can no longer dwell with
him.

I was struck at seeing scarcely any clergy among the
passers-by ; the appearance of one of the servants of the
church is quite an event. Is this occasioned by the piety
of the good men, who would fain shun the world and its
tumult? Alas! one is not justified in making such an
assertion in Brazil.

It was pleasant to look at the southern fruits carried by
the n egresses in the baskets on their heads. One of these
baskets, filled with pineapples, guavas, cocoa-nuts, and plan-
tains, would, if brought into the market at Vienna, create
a sensation among young and old ; they present, both in
form and colouring, some of the prettiest pictures of still
life that can be imagined.

The arrival of the much-desired dinner hour summoned
me from my post of observation. I passed through the ve-
randah, rendered gay by numerous French ladies and
gentlemen, where champagne was sparkling, and strange
figures were laughing and talking, to the cool dining-room,
where an excellent dinner formed a cheerful point of union
for our vagrant party. All that the ocean, all that civilised
life, all that the forest could offer that was dainty and
delicious, was collected here by the hand of French science,
and set before us with artistic taste.

Whilst we were spending our time very pleasantly in
German fashion, the ' blagueurs ' in the neighbouring hall,

BAHIA. 285

elated by the foaming wine, carried on an unceasing talk
about nothing, genuinely French. Some of the gentlemen,
with their bright watch chains and rings, bore a strong
resemblance to ( chevaliers d'industrie,' whilst the French
ladies present reminded one of the ' dames aux camelias ' of
the Eue Juubert in the Quartier Breda. There was abun-
dance of champagne and ice. To refresh themselves with
these is the principal occupation of the wealthy Brazilians ;
so soon as these languid personages have risen, the Vene-
tians of the verandahs are opened, and the cool sea breeze
brings a fresh air blowing beneath the starry sky.

After dinner it was necessary to make the giant resolve,
and (in spite of the lassitude produced by the tropical day
and the consequent weariness), to dress in a black coat, to
put on a dress waistcoat, and to exclude the air by a stiff
white cravat, en regie. If these inflictions of etiquette are
difficult to endure in ceremonious Europe, they become
real miseries on the borders of the forest, on the free soil
of America. But L had a large party, and the swallow-
tail was indispensable.

But there was a mystical significance in my reluctance

to go to this entertainment. L had told me that I

should meet at his house the representatives of the various
German states and their families, and I fell into a train of
thought too grave to conduce to a comfortable siesta. As
regards individual distinctions and general union, the sons
of the great mother, politically, are as opposed to each
other as cats and dogs. If one touch in general terms
on these peculiarities, wonder is expressed why Germany
has not long ago been one powerful and united country; but
let one touch on personal questions, and all is changed ;
each man thinks his own state the best and most im-
portant, for the interests of which all others ought to be
sacrificed. Whilst other nations fight and struggle, barking
and biting at each other, the German holds sentimental

286 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

discourses, philosophizes, and sings lays of lamentation,
with which, in the end, he lulls himself into the sleep of
patience.

A feeling of grief came over me here on my balcony, a
quiet sorrow, such as I have ever felt when travelling in
various directions in Germany. Such a mosaic of states as
Germany presents needs to be cemented together firmly, in
order to possess a powerful influence over the politics of
this century, in which railways penetrate everywhere, and
the telegraph unites continents. When one travels in the
world, one sees, with regret, how little the German race is
respected, how it lacks everything that has regard to ex-
tended policy, and how the German everywhere plays an
inferior part ; indeed, how often he is the servant of others,
and stands at the footstool of more sagacious men. The
German will never rule fate so long as he remains a mere
philosopher, wearying his spirit with unpractical theories,
and lulling his heart in sickly sentimentality instead of
stirring it up with pride and enthusiasm.

The Germans are the best poets, drawing, as it were, the
most touching strains from the ^Eolian harp of the world's
sorrows. Unsurpassed as musicians and as sages, they
shine in lays of love and in poetic strains, and excel in all
that makes life attractive ; but they neglect higher things,
and, when once they meet in numbers to hold council con-
cerning their political existence, they generally become
purely theoretical. But that Germans, when unfettered
by political conditions, show practical sense, is proved by
the success which has ever attended them in commerce ;
in this school of activity they have always met with
approval. The German merchants in Bahia are great
people, and have raised themselves to a position of
importance.

This being premised, no one will wonder that I went to
L 's party with a beating heart ; a select number of our

BAHIA. 287

travellers accompanied me. It was a fine calm night ; all
was excitement in that part of Vittoria in which the con-
sulates are situated. Palanquins were to be seen in the
streets, gentlemen in black coats were walking, and that
we saw one of the fairest flowers of the aristocracy of
Vittoria, with her waving plumes and large crinoline, also
on foot, shows that manners in Bahia are less stiff than in
Europe. It was the 14th of January, but the degrees of
warmth here must have been high in proportion to the
cold in Europe. Our carriage passed these groups, so
that we were the first to enter the hall.

The lady of the house was charmingly dressed, and
would have graced any company in either London or Paris
by her appearance and fascinating manners. There was
no difficulty in keeping up a conversation until the com-
pany arrived, for the characteristics of Bahia afforded
ample material, although the knowledge that the fashion-
able world possesses of them is very limited, since pro-
bably not one of these fair ladies had ever seen the Tich.

Meanwhile the hall filled ; the men were, for the most
part, well bred and manly specimens of the German race,
who certainly did not spare me on the point of com-
pelling me to listen to all their individual opinions ; but
I heard much that was interesting. The ladies belonged to
the order of fair-haired and blue-eyed beauties, yet one
Brazilian among them took the highest place. She was
pale as ivory; slight as a Hindoo ; her large, dark, sparkling
eyes were veiled with a beautiful expression of melancholy ;
her hair shone like a raven's wing. Her beauty was en-
hanced by the simplicity of her dress, which was without
ornament; her figure was that of a sylph, and she pos-
sessed that lovable timidity bestowed often by nature.

A pair of Brazilian twins, children of a Brazilian father
and a European mother, also interested me much; so
young, that with us they would still have been in the

288 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

schoolroom ; yet the girl was already a bride, and the boy
a gentleman in a black coat and white tie. There was
one most remarkable difference between them. He was
black as night, with all the characteristics of tropical
nature — she fair as a lily, and yet both the offspring of
the same mother, born on the self-same day.

At last, amid the presentations, came the moment when
the musicians from the ( Elizabeth' warned us of the next
duties of the evening. We entered the spacious oval

dancing-room, which L had had tastefully decorated.

The musicians did their best. The ball opened with a 'quad-
rille d'honneur,' which I naturally danced with the lady of
the house ; but instead, as is our custom, of finishing as
it began, it changed into a lively roll of the drum, having
in it something Indian, and presenting some movements
of interest, but never ending without some injury to the
crinolines. But Bahian civilisation has not kept pace
with the speed of our German waltz, which is danced at a
measured pace, and when I led forward the pretty lady
with the ostrich feathers, whom I had seen on my way*
hither, and would have danced a rapid waltz with her in
Viennese style, she remained, almost fainting, in my arms.

I must here notice another fault which I found with
these ladies. I maintained that, according to European
notions, their crinolines were much too small, as large
expanse was esteemed above everything in Europe. If,
by these means, I should have prepared a grievance for
the men of Bahia, yet the modistes will bless me. One of
the ladies immediately seated herself on the sofa with
such dexterity that the air swelled out her crinoline and
made up for all shortcomings. Remarkable, indeed, was
the appearance of a lady, of whom I enquired from what
country she had come to Bahia. She replied, 'From
America.' I heard afterwards that the Bahians do not call
themselves Americans ; but indulge in the belief of be-

BAHIA. 289

longing to a separate continent; just as, on the other
hand, the citizens of the United States claim the exclusive
privilege of being called Americans. One hears America
spoken of here in the same way as Australia or Japan.

It gave me sincere pleasure to make the acquaintance

of Dr. W , among the people assembled here on

this evening, a noble man, in every sense of the word,
whose skilful and successful study of the symptoms of
yellow fever have deprived it of a portion of its terrors ;
and who, last year, with rare self-sacrifice, saved the lives
of the sailors of our corvette ' Caroline.' His amiable
wife, who had the extraordinary courage, when every one
fled from our sick countrymen, to go to their bedsides,
and herself daily to take them food, was also at the ball ;
and I was delighted to dance a quadrille with this bene-
volent and unassuming lady. An incident that occurred
at this moment was interesting to me, as characteristic of

life in Bahia. I remarked to Madame W , that I did

not any longer see her husband among the company ; she
replied, quite gaily and naturally, ' He has been sum-
moned to the harbour, where some sailors are lying at the
point of death from yellow fever ; he will return imme-
diately.' It is with the yellow fever as with snakes :
people become used to it.

A pause took place in the dancing, during which time
a lady played the piano, whilst the others rested them-
selves, and only set their little tongues in motion. The
gentlemen became thirsty, with real German thirst, in-
creased still more by the Brazilian climate. In a side
room was a whole battery of bottles containing inspiriting
beverages, and here the six-and-thirty representatives of
Germany were quite at home, and found occasion for
continual toasts which, according to Brazilian custom,
were proposed unceasingly. My poor treasurer was one of
the victims that Austria was compelled, nolens volens,

VOL. III. U

290 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

to sacrifice at these mighty potations ; his stoical compo-
sure, his cool temperament, aided him in these great
dangers.

The thirst of the Grermans in Bahia is worthy of record.
They would seem to possess some peculiar barometer
marked with degrees of the various grades of hilarity, with
the hundred names which may be found in the German
dictionary to represent the different degrees of excitement.
Even the grand Exchange is only visited for a short time
by the Grermans in order that they may find themselves
all the more speedily in the * sharp corner,' a snug nook
where they can discuss their affairs amid libations of beer
and champagne. This ' corner ' is the peculiar rendezvous
of the Grermans in Bahia, and there they gave a sump-
tuous breakfast to a portion of our wandering colony, to
which all went, though all did not return in gay spirits.
The treasurer, a complete stoic, requested leave to remain
away for a day during our stay in Bahia. I thought the
worthy man wished to go into the forest to gratify himself
with the sight of humming-birds and orchids, and to learn
something of the wonders of the new continent ; but lo
and behold ! he lost his way ! in the ' sharp corner,' where
he passed the hours with his boon companions in a cool
cellar. There must needs be such people.

I sank down upon a soft leather-covered sofa, and had a
very agreeable conversation with a gentleman who wore an
emblem which has found its way even across the ocean, I
mean the oak leaves. This gentleman appeared to have
travelled a great deal and to be a man of talent. True,
he expressed himself in set phrases, and talked of pri-
vileged ideas ; but he also had much that was interesting
and instructive to say respecting Brazil, regarding Grer-
many, and upon commercial subjects. The short time during
which I was talking with him formed an agreeable portion
of the evening, and also aided to bring me to the conclu-

BAHIA. 291

sion that a journey into tropical countries is far from a
disadvantage.

All the windows and doors were opened wide, and warm
as it was, we continued to dance in the fresh evening
breeze. The large hot moon rising from the forest beamed
in through the windows ; and below, in front of the house,
the palanquin-bearers were dancing their wild, primitive
dances, accompanying them with nasal songs. An excel-
lent supper with every kind of luxury, every delicacy that
the five continents of the world can produce, was served
in a large room on the ground floor, and formed the last
portion of the evening's entertainment.

I left the company still occupied in dancing, and
thanked my amiable hostess, in a foaming bumper, for
her cordial hospitality, threw myself into my caleche,
and drove home through the summer air of this January
night, amid the perfume of flowers, and beneath the
gleam of brilliant stars.

Tired to death, and already feeling great pain in my
legs (the uncomfortable consequence of the sun-stroke),
I returned, partly in the carriage, partly on foot, from the
Hotel Fevrier to that spot on the shore on which I had,
three days ago, first set my foot on American soil.

A few hours later, the { Elizabeth ' was steaming and
rolling along the coast towards the south — to the real
home of the sacred, undesecrated, primeval forest.

U 2

MATO VIRGEM

295

MATO VTRGEM.

Sno. Jorge os Itheos: Jan. 15, 1860.

I WAS aroused from a heavy sleep by the uncomfortable
pitching and rolling of my hammock, and by violent pains
in my shins. The disagreeable motion of the hammock
showed me that the old ' Elizabeth ' had taken our place
in the amusements of the previous evening, only that the
dance in which she was engaged on the ocean, was still
more unconstrained than the German waltz of the worthy
Bahians. The intolerable pain, half pricking, half aching,
in which I was, reminded me only too forcibly of my im-
prudence in not having protected myself from the sun ;
and made me feel not only sorrow and repentance,
but even despair; for I feared lest the condition I was
in, should prevent my expedition into the primeval
forest. My visit to America was now to be reckoned by
days and hours, and for one who, like myself, had a
mania for travelling, the slightest loss of time from indis-
position was intolerable. One cannot cross the broad
ocean every day, and when one has once tasted the sweets
of paradise, every hour within it becomes more precious
than gold. A due apportionment of time (such as I have
systematically endeavoured to make) is indispensable in
travelling. If all fits well, then (I speak from experience)
one can see an incredible amount in a short time ; of
course for this, one must, in addition, have energy, nerve,
and will.

296 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE. *

Thus I wandered over Rome — grand, eternal Rome — in
three days ; and in the course of these three days, was three
times in the Coliseum, three times in the Vatican, three
times in St. Peter's, visited all the churches, museums,
and monuments, examined the chief books in the splendid
library at the Vatican, and have now a vivid recollection of
the individual .gems among the statues and pictures.
Some years afterwards, I also enjoyed the triumph, at an
exhibition of photographs, of being able to correct a lady
who had lived in Rome for more than thirty years.
During these three days I visited the holy Father twice,
and received the Holy Communion from his hands ; accom-
panied him twice to mass, and breakfasted with him after-
wards ; attended a long high mass in the Sistine Chapel,
and also went to several large dinner-parties, and found
time to pay and receive a multitude of official visits.
Certainly my labours began about five o'clock in the
morning, and, thanks to the full moon, were continued
until one o'clock in the night.

On the present occasion, even amid my pain and
anxiety, I still had faith in my good star, which has ever
shone kindly upon me during my journeyings. It was
already late in the morning when I came (as well as my
lameness would permit) on deck ; a heavy vapour — such
as the sirocco produces with us — lay upon the broad
surface of the ocean. Grey was the sky, grey the leaden
sea, which rose and fell, not in waves, but with heavy
sobs ; and with that motion which we term mar vecchio,
and which is so peculiarly unpleasant. On our right lay
the coast, which, throughout the whole day, presented one
unbroken appearance of monotony. And yet I felt no
small interest in gazing at it; the never-ending masses of
forest covering the gently-swelling hills; the walls of
cocoa-nut, growing to the very brink of the ocean, all
presented a fascinating picture to a new comer. Occasion-

MATO VIRGEM. 297

ally the colour of the water betokened the presence of
some river which, flowing from the interior of the forest,
and mingling its dark waters with those of the ocean,
renders possible the advance of the lonely settler into the
unexplored country.

Among the rivers (the mouths of which we passed to-
day), the Rio Contas is of some importance ; it flows from
the first chain of mountains, directly behind which lies the
province of Minas. A few towns, as they are called (in
reality nothing more than little settlers' villages), may be
seen at intervals along the shore, as also the following
places ; Cayru, Camaru, Marahu, and Contas. All these
make an imposing figure on the maps; but they are
really, for the most part, only composed of a few miserable
houses, grouped at the mouths of the rivers, which render
trade feasible between the larger seaports, and the settle-
ments in the interior. At home, such towns would be
called fishing- villages. I only mention their names,
because they are generally of Indian origin. It was not
until later times that the names of saints were introduced,
and mixed with those of earlier date. The government is
now endeavouring to search out the ancient names, in
order, as I was told, to avoid the great mistakes that
arise from the too frequent repetitions of those, especi-
ally of favourite saints. The Indian names have a pe-
culiar sound, and are harsh when pronounced by Portu-
guese tongues; their meaning is generally not without
poetry. How pretty is the Indian name Nighteroy (still
waters) for the large town of Kio Janeiro; how absurd,
on the contrary, is the Portuguese name, Rio Janeiro,
which bears, in truth, the meaning of Incus a, non lucendo ;
for at this point no river runs into the bay.

When these hamlets disappeared from view, a long,
green, uninhabited expanse of boundless forest succeeded.
As on the ocean the gleam of a distant sail awakes in

298 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the mind of the sailor a longing desire to reach the spot
where his unknown fellow-men are living and moving ; so
is it also with the white columns of smoke rising high to
heaven from the green sea of forest, and telling the traveller
how yonder, among the distant leafy willows, some fellow-
man is leading a self-sufficing existence, and, unknown,
is fighting the battle of life. The gaze of the passer-by
lingers enquiringly on these signs of lonely existence ; and
not without melancholy does wild imagination paint the life
of those who, far from the world, separated from all whom
they love, thus seek an asylum in the impenetrable forest,
from motives indefinable.

These columns of smoke are the landmarks of civilisa-
tion in the forest ; they are the watchfires of the out-
posts, provided by the though tfulness of courageous
pioneers, who have exchanged the griefs and sorrows of
the old world for the axe of the settler ; and who, though
unconsciously, are the tools of ever-advancing civilisation.
But when we reflect on the causes that have driven so
many of these struggling spirits into the lonely wilder-
ness, the sight of these pillars of smoke fills one's heart
with sorrow, and an involuntary feeling of sympathy turns
the eye once more in the direction of this hidden life ;
and when one has seen these settlers and conversed with
them, this sympathy gives place to a deep melancholy,
which causes one's glance at parting to linger long on
these heavenward directed signs of life.

There are in nature mute and lifeless forms which speak
powerfully to the reflective heart, on which the eye rests
with an enquiring gaze, and which fill the soul with
memories and with poetic imaginings. They who look at
the wonders of nature by rule, and, according to a pre-
scribed plan, never return to these images — they require
constant change of object: they would exclaim at the
monotony of the scene if they did not behold groups of

MATO VIRGEM. 2S9

trees, pretty huts, a church tower (wherever possible), a
stream fringed with flowers and shrubs ; and, to enliven
the whole, some well-dressed and well-fed people. I, on
the contrary, who have not moulded my taste by any set
laws or rules, find these monotonous scenes very inter-
esting and attractive. A pretty landscape of prosperous,
civilised life merely excites in me a sensation of peaceful
enjoyment, gives an impression of prosaic happiness.
But in more extensive pictures, the imagination can exert
itself; in these, everything is not arranged and in order,
but poetry and feeling have a wide field open before
them.

The coasts of Brazil present such a field. Here, an im-
pression of vastness overpowers one, on beholding the
boundless forest, like an ocean, sending forth its mighty
waves into invisible space ; all power of thought is lost in
gazing at the wide expanse, whether the gaze rest on the
foam-covered plain or on its kindred image — both alike
unchanged since the days of creation. Memory travels back
to the world of books, to the descriptions of the splendour
of America, the historical records of the discovery of
the new continent, and the gradual opening of the new
world. Once more the tales arise before us that excited
us in early youth, and that implanted in us the germ of a
desire to travel, and gave a spur to noble aspirations. At
these moments we paint a picture in fancy ; we see the
wearied wanderer following the buffalo, working his way
with his knife through the thick vegetation ; we see the
settler as he fells the giant trees with his axe, and makes
his lonely hut ; the Indians, as with bow and arrow they
traverse the hunting-field which is theirs by long inheri-
tance, bringing down with their poisoned barb every
enemy, from the howling ounce to the white invader.

These visions of the vast, free forest, create a new feel-
ing of immortality in the soul; and the thoughts they

300 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

suggest, serve to elevate and strengthen us in our first
entrance into the world of the Mato Virgem.

Mato Virgem (or, for short, Mato) is the name used by
the Brazilians for the real, virgin forest; and to this we
were now proceeding. As before mentioned, it extends in
this district to the coast. But all that is forest is not
Mato Virgem. properly so called, although the new-comer
is inclined so to name all the forest that he sees ; and not
without reason. There are forests which are so impene-
trable, so netted over with lianas, that the European looks
upon them as virgin forests ; but they are, in reality, only
4 capoeiras ; ' that is, districts which have, at some time,
been cut, but which have in later days become again
overgrown. Long practice alone can distinguish them.
Those who are really well acquainted with both the mato,
and the capoeiras, know the difference. In the virgin forest
there are gigantic trees, thousands of years old, and speci-
mens of underwood of immense size, which are peculiar to
those forests. The practised eye also discerns a great
difference in the age and thickness of the lianas.

Our course, as we proceeded, lay rather more in-shore
than otherwise, until about five o'clock we anchored, by
the direction of the pilot — whom we had brought from
Bahia — in the roads of Sao Jorge dos Itheos, outside the
reefs, near two small islands, and within sight of the town,
which is really nothing more than a village.

The country was of the same character as that which
we bad seen all along the coast; on the gleaming sand
before us stood a group of houses crowded together, with
a church in the centre, and forming a small line of build-
ings along the shore. The coast on the right was undu-
lating, and there were some low groups of rock covered
with verdure. In the distance, the white foaming waves
marked a long, bright line ; above the general mass of
vegetation, some palms reared their graceful crowns,

MATO YIEGEM. 301

whilst near the town, on the hilly ridge, was a small, old
church, half in ruins. On the left was a tongue of land,
covered with beautiful and luxuriant vegetation, which,
with the reefs beyond, formed the enclosure of the har-
bour. The sea broke over these reefs, roaring and foaming.
The islands of which I spoke also terminate in rock ; they
are richly covered with verdure, and crowned with palms.

In Ttheos, a place that looks as though deserted by God
and man, the sudden appearance of our large steamer
made a great sensation ; a white flag, floating from a lofty
flag-staff, greeted us. The moment in which we anchored

was a glad one for our poor friend L . He had

suffered so much during the whole voyage, that he had
not ventured to quit his cabin for an instant. With his
usual kindness he had accompanied us, notwithstanding
his large amount of business, that he might himself con-
duct us to the entrance of the Mato Virgem. He had
entered into our views, and had carefully calculated the
time required. His plan was, to conduct us to the fazenda

of a friend of his, Herr St , a German Swiss, situated

on the confines of the forest. St , a man full of energy

and of talent, who had been living in this part of the
country for fifteen years, was indisputably our fittest
guide in this expedition.

Immediately on our arrival, L took a boat, in order

(accompanied by a local pilot) to enter the inner harbour.

He had two objects in view: one, instigated by his
friendly zeal, to push on this very evening, if possible, to

the fazenda of his friend, St , and to advise him of the

coming of his guests and of their wishes ; the other, to
escape as quickly as he could from the watery element,
so hateful to him. In this latter respect L — - was very
judicious, for the ( Elizabeth ' rolled most relentlessly in
the roadstead.

I passed the evening in my hammock in great pain,

302 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and longing impatiently for coming events. My whole
being was on fire with the desire to begin the adventurous
essay, to push my way into the virgin forest, and thus
attain the chief aim of nay travels. It was not without
vexation that I found how the slightest movement pro-
duced torturing pains in my feet, in consequence of the
sun-stroke ; and it was with feelings of melancholy that I
anticipated the moment when I should probably be obliged
to stop in some settler's hut, or in some corner of the
forest.

Fazendado Vittoria: Jan. 16, 1860.

Already with early morning that feverish excitement
reigned on board which is peculiar to those sons of man
who are endowed with strong nerves, at a time when they
anticipate great events. There was that restlessness which
betrays itself in making all kinds of small preparations for
the expedition. Feelings and hopes then mingle together ;
one image chases away another; one generation follows
close on the other. Each man animates the other; specu-
lates whether anything will be forgotten by his friends ;
reckons up what will be wanted ; bespeaks help in emer-
gencies ; and yet, notwithstanding all this activity, no
one can patiently await the expected moment.

Such seasons of anticipation are, according to circum-
stances, the sweetest or the most dreadful of our lives. If
they precede some great banquet at which one must
appear, and where one will have the misfortune of being
obliged to make a well-expressed speech, or to propose a
toast ; or if they precede a solemn examination, when in
well-chosen words one has to show that one really knows
nothing, then the moments of expectation, the morning
hours, are the most dreadful trial of the nerves to which
a man can be subjected. If, on the contrary, we expect
something pleasant, something that will enrich our store

MATO VIRGEM. 303

of enjoyments, which will add another triumph to our list,
then these moments are above all things sweet, although
they often put our patience severely to the test.

But nowhere does one experience such delightful mo-
ments of expectation as on foreign travel ; and with feel-
ings of gratitude and happiness I now recall such minutes,
standing forth as landmarks on the roads of my experience.
How exciting was my first journey to the sea-coast, my
visit to the sublime Acropolis, to that mountain of the
Gods, where the fire of Greek genius still burns in ever-
enduring memory, living, inextinguishable ; with what
anxious expectation did I climb Vesuvius to view the awe-
inspiring activity of the never-wearied earth ; with what
eagerness did I enter Florence, the sanctuary of immortal
art, to gaze in rapture on all her wonders, from the days
of Phidias down to the brilliant era of Eaphael Sanzio ;
how did I speed me through the woodland, amid bowers
of roses, and amid fountains to the Alhambra, to admire
the dreamy vision of Arabian enchantment ; how did my
heart throb when I passed beneath the Porto del Popolo
of eternal Rome ; when I mounted the steps of St. Peter's ;
when, beneath the beams of an Italian moon, I first en-
tered the Coliseum; what ardour of curiosity burned
within me when I visited the vast desert, and flew on my
courser over the hot, glowing sand, to view the mysterious
Pyramids ; how endless seemed the hours that I spent in
wandering over the mountains of Judah, a pilgrim to the
Sepulchre of the Redeemer ; how overpowering that mo-
ment in which I crossed the last kne of rock, and in which
the domes of Sion first rose before my eyes !

Moments such as these belong exclusively to travel;
they are among the purest, the noblest, in the life of man ;
they are the sweet recompense for fatigue and struggles.
With eager expectation we were thus waiting impatiently
on this morning. All were ready ; everyone was recalling

304 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

to mind what he had read of the primeval forests.
The botanist prepared boxes and baskets, and packed
up blotting-paper for drying his new specimens ; the
sportsman put his gun in order, ready to wage war
on all living creatures, from the humming-bird to the
tapir. Indeed needles, corks, bottles of spirits and chemi-
cal preparations of all sorts, were not forgotten, by means
of which to preserve all that creep and fly. The painter
fresh-pointed his many coloured pencils, arranged his
sketch-book, but took very little with him ; this experi-
enced traveller had been in forests before; the doctor
cleaned his lancet, ready to open a vein ; and mindful of
the bite of the snakes, he put all sorts of antidotes into
his pockets, and arranged a complete little apothecary's
shop, in order to do his best to bring us alive out of the
Mato Virgem.

I employed myself in arranging a store of European con-
trivances, costumes of white merino, light as air, made after
suggestions of my own ; an immense straw hat with a veil,
such as I had seen worn in Egypt by the English ; an
immense knife in a blue case, to cut down lianas, and, if
need be, to scalp some audacious wild-cat ; two revolvers
were loaded, to enable us to fight to the death, and a
pretty toilet cover contained every possible requirement,
from razors to a looking-glass. A lantern was not missing,
books and writing materials were packed, rugs and plaids
rolled up. In addition, we were to take coffee, chocolate,
sugar, biscuits and wine. That which we should need
above everything, experience — the great teacher of all
travellers — was yet to show.

Three of the ship's officers were invited by me to share
in our projected excursion; each had his private stores,
which were principally filled with requisites for the chase.
We limited our servants to the lowest number possible ; in
addition to a sailor who had sailed round the world in the

MATO VIRGEM. 305

( Novara,' and who was said to be acquainted with the
mode of preparing and stuffing animals, and who was
loaded with everything necessary for mummy art, we only
took one man, skilled in shooting, a servant of one of the
gentlemen. European servants are torments in such un-
dertakings ; for it is only when taking the deepest inter-
est in that which he sees, that the traveller can cheerfully
endure the attendant fatigues ; and as these inevitable
hardships are not included in the agreement made with
one's servants, so the principle of never requiring from
anyone that which it is not his duty to do and bear,
becomes grievously violated.

In such expeditions each man is simply a man ; whilst
they last, rank and position must be set aside. Amid the
scenes of primeval nature, man also must return to a
primitive state ; and ardent zeal, not orders, should prompt
those who share in them, to endure their dangers and
toils. He who would attempt these undertakings, must
make it clear to himself that all personal distinctions must
cease, that the individual must depend on his own courage
and prudence, and that cold egotism must reign supreme.
He who will not depend on himself, or protect himself, but
seeks aid from others, should remain at home ; he who
would penetrate into the mysteries of nature, undisturbed
since the creation, must have two strong arms and legs,
and a clear head, must set his object steadily before him,
and trouble himself about nothing on the right hand or
left, ' Forward ! ' must be his watchword, and s I ' his parole.
If a man have the disadvantage of being born in a rank
in which he is, as a necessity, ever surrounded by atten-
dants, in which everything is arranged and prepared for
him from the cradle, in which his movements are regu-
lated by etiquette ; then it is especially pleasant to him,
if he possess freshness of mind, to find himself in circum-
stances in which he has to depend on his own will, and on

VOL. in. x

306 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

his own energies, and to visit countries in which no gen-
tlemen-in-waiting are to be found, in which he must cut
away the lianas with his own hand, and take his chance
of being bitten by poisonous snakes.

In perfumed drawing-rooms this would be termed seek-
ing for adventures ; but I believe that such a life is very
good for the mind, and is indeed that which is needed
to form a strong character. If a man who never has
had opportunities of enduring fatigue and danger, find
himself in some circumstances unusual in ordinary life he
is, without any fault of his own, unable to cope with
them. Europe has unhappily reached such a pitch of
refinement, that a man is seldom in a position to rely upon
himself. Hunting in the inhospitable heights of the
Alps, is perhaps the only way in which to see real hard-
ship and danger. Since the era began in which the pig-
tail emerged from an aureole of powder, and swords
became toys for ladies' drawing-rooms, since tournaments
and passages of arms gave place to pretty speeches and
courtly frivolities, the man who wishes to learn self-
reliance, must himself search for adventure, and thank-
fully embrace every opportunity of meeting with it.

Whilst the final preparations were being made, Cadet

J made his appearance on the shore in front of the

houses of the little town, making signals to us with his
handkerchief. He had been sent on shore on the previous

evening with L , and had been unable to return at

night between the reefs. Everything was quickly stowed
in two boats, and we made our way through the rough sea
to the opening of the harbour, though not without some
difficulty. As we, with some little anxiety, approached
the reefs, the cadet's boat made her appearance with the
local pilot on board. They stationed themselves behind
the reefs, and made signals to us with a flag ; following
their directions, we passed the breakers in safety. It was

MATO VIRGEM. 307

not until, rising and sinking over the large waves, we
entered the harbour, that we became aware (by seeing it
for ourselves) how narrow was the entrance between these
dangerous and deceitful rocks. It was only when close to
them that the weird white foam betrayed their presence ;
and, as the waves retreated, we could see the dark forms
of the granite peaks below. If the pilot had not corne at
the right moment we might very easily have been thrown
by the turbulent waves on one of these rocks, and at least
have had to swim for a considerable distance. We had
scarce passed the breakers before we found a difference ; we
passed into the calm, still waters of a large pool surrounded
by verdure.

The view of the harbour was very pretty; it was the
realisation of one of those quiet pictures which fancy
creates, of tropical bays, into which the discoverer enters
with wonder and admiration. The little town, with its
wealth of human life, covered the peninsula, and was sur-
rounded by palms ; the whole scene was one of fairy en-
chantment. On all sides the rich luxuriant vegetation, of
every shade of colour, dipped into the very water ; lofty
palms, and thick mangle bushes formed the more distant
ornaments of the landscape, in which we tried to trace the
windings of the river that was to guide us to the mysteries
of the interior. As our boat glided round the peninsula,
the houses of Sao Jorge dos Itheos gradually appeared, a
picture of poverty.

We landed on the inland side of the peninsula (where
the vegetation grew in rich, picturesque masses, remind-
ing me vividly of the lovely peninsula of Traunkirchen),
passed by a wooden bridge to the mainland, and then
walked along the sand to the town. At the landng-bridge
we were addressed by a kindly-disposed man in tolerable
German.

Don Pedro K , a sort of manager at the Fazenda

x 2

308 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

St , had been sent to meet us, and to accompany us

up the river to his master's estate. This good man from
the forest spoke with some shyness ; he was not accustomed
to converse with people from the eastern hemisphere ; and,
as he himself said, found considerable difficulty in ex-
pressing himself in German. Don K is a citizen of

the new world; he has already cast aside some of his
German nature. His parents remembered their German
home ; they crossed the ocean and settled in Sao Jorge
dos Itheos, where Pedro was born and brought up. The
German element has died away in him, and his descend-
ants will become completely Brazilian, and will have no
idea of their real origin.

It is interesting to study these changes of nationality.
The transition is perceptible in K — - 's light-brown hair
and dark eyes. He, naturally had no acquaintance with
Germany, or with our connection with Europe. With his
Panama hat, and his light jacket, he is completely the
free son of the Mato Virgem, grown up among palm-trees,
the man of the undeveloped country. Such men are
happy; they have a grand task before them, and their
minds are not agitated by a yearning for the continent
left behind. His parents must certainly have brought a
bad character with them from Europe; their only excuse
for their entire separation from their native country ; and
must have been anxious to avoid arousing suspicion in
their children as to the cause. Therefore the new genera-
tion look with indifference on the old country.

We were much indebted to the kindness of Herr K ;

from him we collected a great deal of information ; and
he related to us with innocent naivete, much about which
many travellers among his people have been silent.
K— - is beginning like all young men in America; he
has to work under a principal for a certain number of
years, and in carrying out orders, seeks for an opportunity

MATO VIRGEM. 309

that he may deem favourable, of making a footing for

himself. K conducted us to the houses fronting the

harbour ; he then took us straight into a sort of watch-
house, for rain was pouring down from the grey sky.

The houses in Itheos resemble very much those in
Itaparica; there are the same unglazed windows, the same
style of building, reminding one of a child's toys. All
the houses in Brazil bear the marks of a migratory people ;
they are merely places of shelter against sun and wet.
The delay caused by the rain was, owing to my burning
impatience to hasten on, very annoying to me ; not so to

the practical K , who employed the time in making

arrangements for the packing of the canoes by some sturdy
slaves.

I occupied myself in looking at the coloured figures on
the shore, and at the houses. The painter repeated them
on his paper. Among the children were every colour of
skin and tribe ; one could perceive every variety of shade,
from the white complexions of our race to the coal-black
of the sons of Africa. There were yellow Brazilians,
hideous mulattoes of every hue ; and, for the first time, we
also saw copper-coloured Indians with broad features, and
black piercing eyes. As in Bahia, so here, though with less
of coquetry, the negresses were dressed in a loose white
boddice, and coloured calico gown, with kerchiefs twisted
round their heads ; they had generally fine figures, but
hideous faces, with white mouths, from which their dazzl-
ing white teeth gleamed with an air of impertinence. The
negro boys wore short linen trowsers, blue shirts, and
finely-plaited straw hats on their woolly heads.

I was particularly struck by the thin, pale children,
with eyes blue as forget-me-nots, and fair yellow hair, who
reminded me of our Grerman villages. I went up to two
big boys, and spoke to them in German ; they looked shyly
at me, and were unable to reply; it was with difficulty

310 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

that they could even pronounce their own German names.
They were the children of German emigrants, of whom
there are many in Itheos. But it was not without a feel-
ing of indignation that I found them complete Brazilians,
who, together with their parents, were quite unable to
speak their mother-tongue. . And yet the Germans wonder
that they cannot anywhere maintain an independent
footing ; that, instead of ruling, they must submit to be
something between slaves and freemen. What a disgrace
to German parents to converse with their children in a
foreign tongue; how must family ties suffer when the
parents have a language unknown to the children, when
the sick mother speaks in unfamiliar accents to her own
offspring !

These ever-prevalent causes may afford one great reason
for the look of melancholy which always overspreads the
countenances of German colonists. I have never, in the
course of my travels, seen a really light-hearted German
emigrant ; there is a look of secret sorrow in all. The
children alone sometimes benefit by the changed exist-
ence of their parents, whose want of individuality confers
on them a different nationality. Such is the source of
the sorrowful expression of these foreigners who prosper
by the dependence of their own children, and see them-
selves surpassed by the new generation. Things are
different when the immigrants marry prudently with the
people of the country ; there is then a warm and close tie
between the races, and the new generation do not then
behave so rudely to their parents.

Amongst the living pictures that here excited our atten-
tion, I was especially struck with a strong negress, as black
as a coal, who was carrying a very pretty, but very pallid
little child, fair as ivory. The contrast was so strange,
that the painter did not fail to sketch them. The whole
place gave evidence of poverty ; it is merely an ephemeral

MATO VIRGEM. . 311

town, built to serve the necessities of the moment. Fate,
and its situation, alike deny it any promise for the future ;
and the people only continue to vegetate here, because the
place exists.

The harbour was discovered, and the river consequently,
which, owing to its numerous rapids, is called Cachoeras ;
intercourse with the interior was then plainly feasible. A
clue was given to the emigrants ; they naturally made their
first settlement at the harbour, and kept it as a depot for
unloading, and a spot from which to make expeditions for
further discoveries. If the colony should nourish, then
there might be another use in the depot ; it would serve as
a mart for the goods from the interior, and might look for-
ward to a bright future. But colonisation has not thus ad-
vanced here ; there is nothing prosperous in Itheos ; merely
some few tradespeople, an apothecary, and some counting-
houses, belonging to the owners of the few fazendas in
the interior, are to be found, and intercourse between
them and the forest is carried on by means of canoes ; whilst
every month a melancholy steamer makes her way into
the harbour, giving the good people the impression that
they hold communication with the great world.

This little place has one church, and one clergyman,
who performs all the duty required, even in the forest ;
but according to the ideas prevalent here, churches and
clergy are only luxuries, not necessaries ; so that the office
of the padre is by no means an onerous one ; indeed, it
may almost be called a sinecure. His sole duty is to
baptise; this is the only sacrament acknowledged, and
it only on this spot, so that the newly-born children in
the districts around are brought down here in canoes for
the purpose. All other religious ordinances have fallen
into disuse, and, indeed, owing to the long distances at
which the people dwell, it would be v,ery difficult to observe
them. It is impossible that religion can exist under such

312 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

circumstances; the mass of the inhabitants have been
collected too much from different parts of the world,
and are too much occupied with their worldly affairs.
The white people from Europe belong to every variety of
creed, or have no creed at all ; the blacks are slaves, in
whose minds their lord and master is the representative of
the ruling spirit, good or bad; the redskins, who are
numerous in these parts, have no religion at all; if an
opportunity offer, they show zeal in receiving baptism
from the hands of the padre ; but this done, they wander
back to the forest, wild as ever. Unfortunately also, the
clergyman here is ignorant, and is employed in trade,
thus rendering any observance of the rites of religion
almost impossible. The distances from the fazendas to
the church are enormous, and the padre himself, from the
moment at which he comes to this station, is, as it were,
lost; and as he can have no assistance from any other
clergy, he can hardly fulfil his duties.

When the canoes were packed and partially pushed off
the shore, our impatience overcame the difficulties of

rain and K 's representations. Armed with umbrellas

we were carried by our sailors and by the negroes to
canoes in which seats from the neighbouring houses had
been placed. Before we start on our journey, and the
last push of the negroes sends us forth on the waters, let me
explain what a canoe is, and how it is worked. To anyone
who knows the Alps and our blue lakes, the explanation
can be quickly given. He has only to recall to mind the
long slender 'Waidzille' and he has before him a true
picture of the Indian canoe. The trunks of immense
trees, such as grow in these forests in full splendour, are
stripped of their bark, and hollowed; and then guided
over the waters of the river with small, short paddles.
The craft is so narrow^that each person has to sit behind
the other, and even so is crowded ; the goods are packed

MATO VIRGEM. 313

in front of, and behind, the passengers; in the larger
canoes two men stand at each end to paddle ; it is under-
stood that those who paddle are not to talk. When the
canoe is heavily laden, the water rises to within a few
inches of the brim, and any hasty movement is (as in our
tropines) much to be avoided; in passing the rapids one
is kissed by the foaming waters. Even when provided
with seats one sits but uncomfortably in a canoe, and
patience is very needful in this mode of travelling.

The canoe is characteristic of the whole of the new conti-
nent, wheresoever the red-skin has penetrated. As I entered
our canoe, the accurate and fascinating descriptions in
Cooper's Novels rose before me, and gave me a feeling
of satisfaction and poetical enjoyment. I was floating in
the slender means of communication between the ocean
and interior, the only one existing in this wild region.
The canoes diminish in size and length the higher one
proceeds up the river, as the rapids become quicker, and
the water more shallow. Though the negroes possess con-
siderable skill in guiding these canoes, the Indians show
very much more dexterity.

A few strong pushes, and the giant trunk that formed
our canoe grated over the sand ; the negroes swung them-
selves into it like cats, dipped their short paddles into
the glassy mirror, and the pale sons of the east started
forth on their voyage to the mysterious forest.

In spite of the rain, I could not help feeling triumphant
and joyous. There we sat under our umbrellas, like mush-
rooms, and looked round us with curious eyes. The air
was hot and humid ; but we scarcely felt either rain or
heat to be a grievance. We only regretted the loss of the
sunshine.

We crossed the harbour quickly, and entered the broad
mouth of the river. The scene which presented itself to
us was one of silent, peaceful nature ; mangle grew around

3!4 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the silvery flood, extending into the water, and only per-
mitting one to imagine the real line of the bank ; behind
the mangle bushes rose slender cocoa-nut palms, with
fruit-laden crowns ; beyond, gently rising hills formed a
basin filled with beautiful, gleaming, and brilliantly green
foliage, on which the lights and shadows were playing, a
picture of solemn repose.

At the mouth of the river there was not a house to be
seen; no open space betokened a settlement, and there
were but two canoes (laden with natural produce) to give
any sign of life. According to the current, the negroes
took a course, sometimes near the right, sometimes near
the left, bank. I was always delighted when we passed
close to the mangle bushes, and I was enabled to admire
the peculiarities that they display, and to glance into
the mysteries of the vegetable world. Following the
course of the river, we looked attentively into the shady
groves, to descry new plants and animals. So long as the
water was brackish, the mangle bushes occupied the banks
almost exclusively, in specimens of various sizes from
bushes to trees. Wherever the roots and stems of the
mangle were bathed in the water, the crabs mentioned
before made their homes in the hollows ; they were of all
three colours, yellow, red, and blue, large and small, old
and young. In many places where the roots beneath the
water were covered over with mud, these animals were in
swarms, and the sight was as interesting as it was droll.
In vain did I peep in the nooks of the mangle wood for
snakes.

Among the Rlryzophora mangle we saw the malpighia,
with its bright yellow flowers, both as a shrub and as a
tree; and here and there were specimens of the inga,
with its long- pointed leaves divided into five, and its
short-stemmed white blossoms, from which the stamina
hung in rich tufts. These flowers, strewn amid the dark

MATO VIRCJEM. 315

foliage, are very pretty and picturesque, and the richest
fancy of a skilful gardener would fail in presenting so
exquisite a combination as nature offers in this tropical
soil.

Advancing up the river, beyond the point to which the
tide rises, the masses of mangle give place to a more
varied and richer vegetation ; shrubs and flowers of all
kinds grow down to the water's edge. These shrubs,
covered with a mass of leaves, bend their boughs into the
very water to participate in its coolness. Above these,
waving palms rear their stately forms, overtopped again by
the giants of a thousand years. The various kinds of vegeta-
tion, from the ground up to the dark foliage of these giants,
were here linked by a profuse growth of lianas. On the
moist green banks, where the water covered the rich soil,
playing with the broad leaves of the aroidea, crabs were
disporting themselves, whilst around the gently-bending
flowers, beneath the leafy groves above, large butterflies
were dancing from blossom to blossom, their beautiful
wings gleaming in the sunbeams. The plash of our canoe
frightened many gaily-plumaged birds, among them a
splendid sangue-do-boy, with its exquisite ruby hues ; also
a considerable number of black and yellow weaver-birds
(Cassicus icteronotus, Brazilian Japu-y\ whose artisti-
cally-formed nests we saw hanging like bags from the
lofty boughs.

As we crossed the centre of the river, in passing from
one bank to the other, we had lovely views of the forest,
which extended to the very banks, and unfolded its beauties
in the bright sunlight. It is -only from the. river that one
can obtain such views. We also beheld, for the first time,
the glowing sea of colour produced by the lavish luxu-
riance of the tropics : there were whole masses of deep,
gorgeous purple ; the brilliance was so great, the colouring
so rich, that even the botanist could not decide whether

316 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the blossoms were those of creepers or of trees. Near
these were silvery masses of cecropia, glistening like snow
in the sunshine. And these beauties of nature have
bloomed and nourished for thousands of years, after their
own wild will, and to the praise of their Creator ; and yet
man imagines himself to be the sole legitimate lord of
creation, and fancies that the Creator's works during the six
days were for him alone. Thoughts such as these vanish
before the primeval forest, and there man feels how he
is but an unit among the thousands and thousands of the
works of Grod, and that, alas ! to him only was given the
power of bringing destruction into the world.

As we pursued our course up the river, gazing around us
from beneath the umbrella which protected us now from
the rain, and now from the sun, we perceived an open
spot ; cocoa-nut palms and banana trees (certain tokens
of the presence of man) rose from the turf. There was
a cut made in the moist earth and among the wild bushes ;
a canoe, drawn halfway up the bank, lay in the shade ;
musk ducks were quacking merrily in the water; the
green wall opened for a moment, and we saw the palm-
leafed roof of a settler's hut. The slaves in our canoe
shouted a joyous greeting towards it, and a pale, white
man, in a plaited straw hat, stepped forward to the open-
ing and nodded gravely to his white brethren from the far
east. In a moment our canoe has shot past, the walls of
the rich vegetation have closed again, and the transient
vision has disappeared.

I have mentioned the musk ducks. We Europeans
have seen them in the gardens of the rich, where they
generally divide with the swan the task of stirring up the
mud in the ponds. By us they are improperly called
Turkish ducks, and it is supposed that they come from the
East. The large musk duck, half white, half dark green,
with scarlet -coloured flesh round its beak, and the same

MATO VIRGEM. 317

round its eyes, is the only domestic duck of Brazil, and is
peculiar to that country. It affords an example of how
various animals may, without trouble, become acclimatised
among us.

The river became narrower, the vpgetation more luxu-
riant ; large trees grew down on the very banks, and their
crowns even waved over the water, bestowing a cool shade;
the bushes became larger, and fell from the high banks into
the water, like cascades ; some beautiful groups of bamboo
climbed again from the water up the bank ; the scarlet
blossoms of the heliconia rose, glowing like fire, from the
grass ; here and there the mucuna urens, depending from
the trees, dipped into the water, and with few blossoms
and as few leaves, and chiefly recognisable by its pods,
like those of the bean, had an appearance like pieces of
rope ; the pods are covered with a quantity of stiff hairs,
which are very prickly, and cause a burning sensation if
touched.

Still as the river narrowed, the more lovely was the
scene that unfolded itself, the greater the feeling of lone-
liness, the more isolated the position of our Indian canoe.
I was more and more struck with the truthfulness of
Cooper's descriptions ; although we were travelling beneath
the sun of the tropics the characteristics were the same as
those described by him. There was the same overpower-
ing sense of loneliness, the same feeling of the supremacy
of nature. Each moment presented something new ; one
picture succeeded the other, an all without the inter-
vention of man, all preserving that wildness of character
presented by the grand work of the Creator when un-
touched by man.

We stopped at a shady portion of the river beneath the
overhanging boughs of trees covered with lianas, and were
resting amid the splendour of Nature and blessing the
shades that protected us from the increasing heat, when a

318 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

little noise attracted our attention ; a small canoe appeared
round the bend of the stream ; a large strong man, in a blue
blouse, with a flowing beard and with the indispensable
straw hat shading his face, was guiding the slender craft
with his sinewy arm ; behind him, sheltered by one of the
large umbrellas of the country, sat a lady, with a fair
complexion and light hair, in a simple blue dress ; amid
the verdure around, the dancing sunbeams, and the perfect
stillness, the picture was one of peculiar beauty. When
they arrived close to u?, the fair lady looked up and fixed
two large, melancholy eyes upon us ; she seemed to be
astonished to see white men amid these dark shades;
astonished at the blue eyes which on the banks of forest
met hers like an echo — she smiled mournfully, nodded in
a friendly manner, and a ' Guten Morgen ' in the purest
German broke from her heaving breast. Its tones as they
floated over the still waters, thrilled through our German
hearts ; a hearty ' Guten Morgen ' burst forth from every
voice in cordial tones of thanks. This interchange of
greeting in our own language on the still waters of the
primeval forest, between people who had never seen each
other before, who would never see each other again, made
a powerful impression on me. Here, far from home, I first
learned the depth of meaning contained in these kindly
words, this homely greeting. And how had this poor grave
lady, this lonely settler in the distant Mato Virgem re-
cognised her countrymen ? By the inexplicable force of
home-sickness; for in the tones of this simple ' Guten
Morgen,' the ear of the heart could distinguish a strain of
joyful recognition mingled with the trembling melancholy
of a spirit broken by fate. The man with the paddle
remained silent, and did not greet us ; one could read in
his grave features that he was overpowered and stupified
by the same feelings. The canoe proceeded, and vanished
behind the thick green walls of the overgrown bank ; it

MATO VIRGEM. 3l9

went towards the colony. But should I live for eighty
years to come I can never forget that ' Gruten Morgen ' in
the forest ; the trembling accents of the poor German
emigrant still vibrate in my soul. Why are all these
emigrants so sad ? To give up one's own country for ever
must then be very painful, that the strongest heart either
breaks or becomes ossified.

After waiting for some time in the pleasant shade, under
the united influence of the breeze and the water, until
the temperature became so cool as to make us forget that
we were in the tropics, we proceeded in our canoe.

Nothing is pleasanter than a river under all circum-
stances. As with the Thames which when near and in
London bears whole fleets of trading vessels on its bosom,
and which above London at pretty, peaceful Eichmond, is
a still, lovely stream fringed with gardens, which charms
us by its gentle windings, by its verdant, shady banks;
and which is looked upon by all the inhabitants of the
cottages on these banks as their own property, so was it
here with the Cachoeras. But a short distance hence it
had flowed a gigantic river ; and though calm, wide as a
lake, imposing in its broad expanse of water as it traversed
a fruitful plain ; now its stream was narrow, winding, its
strong restless currents speeding between lofty banks, and
giving warning of rapids and cataracts.

The banks were no longer green, level boundaries, be-
tween which the water rippled gently; they were now
bolder objects, and the immense plants formed dams com-
pelling the river to flow according to their will, to turn
its course around the large trees and to narrow its track
between the masses of bush and shrub. Lar^e blocks of

O

granite half concealed by vegetation, half covered by spray,
stood on the banks; the water lost its mirror-like appear-
ance, and became of the dark hue peculiar to the Mato
Virgem : that strange dusky brown which one only finds in

320 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the tropics, and which is produced by the fertility of the
.soil and richness of the vegetation. The effects of the
lights and shades on these dark waters are wonderful : the
bright sunbeams dancing on the water, the brilliant green
of the foliage and the colours of the fragrant flowers, all
produce an exquisite glow ; beside and mingled with these,
and deep down in the water, are the trembling shadows of
some magnificent, leafy crown hanging far over the river,
while the cool dark depths of thickets of shrubs press
down the banks and even into the water; here bright,
equatorial day stands side by side with dark, mysterious
night.

He who wishes to study the effects of light and shade
should seek them on the rivers of America ; whether with
his dead colours he could ever succeed in repeating the
glow of the sunny rays, and the brilliance of the colours,
or the weird darkness of the deep shadows, is a question.
I believe that many an artist would fail in the attempt.

One more bend in the river and we reach the first
cataract, which from its regularity of formation looks as if
it were made by the hand of man rather than by that of
nature. The river is here narrowed by blocks of granite,
and a chain of these blocks crosses the stream obliquely like
a barricade. The river runs on each side; it dashes angrily
against the obstacles opposed to it, foams with impatience,
and hurls itself against the blocks of granite, puts forth
its whole strength against the impediments, is here and
there forced unwillingly to retreat, but finds openings and
passages, and forces a passage for itself in roaring, foaming
waves to the bed below. In some places it pours forth with
lightning speed in large troubled masses ; at others it falls
from rock to rock in cascades ; again, at other points, the
lofty granite walls are so high that the waters cannot rise
over them, but divide and flow right and left foaming
beneath the dark barriers, or forming still deep pools

MATO VIRGEM. 321

among them. It is beautiful to see how the luxuriant
vegetation, unchecked by any obstacles, plants its wave-
washed sentinels in the midst of the white foam, and in
the hollows and clefts of the black granite. We see the
most beautiful spots amid the spray of these cataracts ;
small islands, on which large trees have grown up, arching
over the cool flood, linked together by lianas, and their
drooping boughs covered with bromeliacea and orchids.
One sees the most delicate shrubs, fair ornaments of our
hothouses, growing in profusion from the refts in the rocks,
and bathing their boughs in the torrent. In the midst
of this luxuriant vegetation, and amid these leafy groves
in the centre of the stream, brilliantly-plumaged birds
make their nests.

Where the space between the walls of granite is the
broadest, and where the streams flowing around unite in
one, there is sufficient water for the canoes to shoot
through.

At the first and inconsiderable cataract that we passed,
it was not necessary for our conductors to spring into the
water to drag the canoe between the masses of granite ;
the paddles were sufficient, and this first impediment in
our road attracted our attention, particularly for this rea-
son— that, although so skilfully guided, we bumped against
some of the rocks covered by the water. These rocky
passages are great obstacles to all attempts at colonisation
on the Cachoeras, as they naturally render steam-power
useless ; and without the intercourse which this facilitates,
successful colonisation is not to be thought of in our times.
The slender canoes cannot bring the raw produce into the
market in large quantities, or quickly enough, and pro-
ductive agriculture is not practicable here ; the European
settler must make his profits by the export of sugar,
coffee, and cocoa, destined for the European market ; but
as he cannot live in the trees, and feed himself on cocoa,

VOL. III. Y

322 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

he must also, in return, supply his own wants from distant
countries. If, therefore, he have no stearo -power avail-
able, he will be beaten out of the field, by those who have
settled in a district in which the rivers are already navi-
gated by steam, or soon will be so. Emigrants, such as are
to be found beginning a struggle with nature on the banks
of the Cachoeras, may be compared to soldiers in the
front ranks in a bloody conflict, whoni their leader has
called to self-devotion, that over their bodies the advanc-
ing columns may win their way to victory. In this case
Fate is the commander, and the broken spirits of the emi-
grants the corpses. If ever a time should come when, as
in North America, railways shall be laid down, then the
hard labour of these pioneers will be appreciated. In
these districts, in which progress is kept back by want of
means of communication, only the owners of large fa-
zendas can carry on a profitable business. They are able,
with their number of slaves, to trade upon a large scale,
and have the means of triumphing over circumstances.
Such fazendas, with capital laid out upon them, and under
good management, cannot but prosper. But settlers on a
small scale — and such are most of the emigrants — cannot
thrive. One individual can perform but little work ; the
small plantation of coffee or cocoa does not repay the
trouble expended on it ; fields cannot be cultivated here as
in Europe ; and the sad result is that men here drag on as
melancholy an existence as they did in Europe, and in
addition mourn the loss of their beloved country. If
they attempt a trade, their success is still but small, for
trade depends on the numbers and prosperity of inhabi-
tants. These inhabitants must first be provided, and money
there is none in these primitive places ; it is only to be
found in the seaports.

With a few strokes of the paddles we passed the second
rapid ; after this the river became wider and calmer,

MATO VIRGEM. £23

and the thick wall of vegetation on our left less dense ;
a little farther on a broad open green meadow, like one
of our pasture-grounds at home, lay before us. The large
trees, affording shelter and shade to the shepherd, were
not wanting, and the cattle were here wandering peace-
fully over the grass in search of their sweet food. It was
quite a home scene. The expanse of forest in the distance
had an appearance like the dark rounded forms of our
mountain-woods, and it required the signboard on the
landing-place, with the words ' Porto da Vittoria,' to re-
call to us the fact that we were in Brazil.

K — — announced our arrival to his master, the canoe lay
at the landing-place, near to which was a warehouse much
like a cart-shed. We gladly sprang on shore, delighted to
escape from the cramping position necessary in the canoes.
These were drawn halfway up the bank, and our packages
were taken out by the sturdy blacks under the direction of

K . We ourselves proceeded by the pathway through

the meadows to the fazenda. We could have fancied our-
selves in one of those farms which hold a medium position
between a really large farm and an Alpine hut.

Among our beautiful mountains there are loftily-situ-
ated plains, with extensive meadows intersected by streams,
their banks overgrown with rushes, and enclosed by the
high walls of the evergreen fir-woods; these afford a beau-
tiful prospect over the surrounding hills and valleys.
Cattle feed in these meadows, the several graz ing-grounds
being divided by strong fences. The entrance from the
brown muddy road leading to them is formed by the wood,
a bough serving as an archway. This rudely-constructed
gate groans as the traveller opens it, and closes it again
quickly after him, to keep in the cattle and horses that are
roaming about. The farmer to whom the ground belongs pre-
serves some few large trees, such as ash and maple (fine spe-
cimens, which rejoice the lover of nature), when the forest is

Y 2

324 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

cleared ; they serve either as boundary-marks, or for the
cattle to stand under in the heat of the day and during
storms. In places where giants of a similar kind have
been felled, the fibrous roots are still to be seen among
the grass. Higher up on the hill stands the house, built
of stone and wood, together with the stables, granaries, and
sheds. As the farm is some distance from any village, and
is surrounded by thick mountain-forest, there is a peculiar
repose and calm pervading the activity of everyday life,
very invigorating to both mind and body. Assuredly man
should be less wicked when leading so tranquil a life.
Self-reliance here reigns supreme. It is a world within
itself, with its own joys and sorrows, knowing little of
what goes on beyond it. Such is our home-picture ; and
such, transplanted to the tropics and enlarged to a grander
scale, is a picture of the Fazenda da Vittoria. Even the
duplicates of the crows and ravens that frequent the pas-
ture-ground were not wanting; for here there was the
Crotophago anil, which, similar to our crow, also performs
the same useful services for the farmer. As we were
traversing the meadows, admiring the grasses and various
wild flowers, and looking for butterflies and beetles, our

friend L came hastening towards us accompanied by a

gentleman, dressed in white with a large panama hat. It

was St , the fortunate owner of the large fazenda, far

surpassing many German princes in territory and power,
notwithstanding his deficiency in title, etiquette, and court
attendants. He advanced frankly and cordially, and re-
ceived us hospitably. He is a man of merit, and one of
those prepossessing people whose characters one can read
at first sight; of middle height, broad-shouldered, strongly-
built, with well-cut manly features, fresh healthy com-
plexion, fair hair, and honest blue eyes ; his appearance is
imposing, and at the same time pleasing, from its expres-
sion of kindliness. He is one of those men whom in our

MATO VIRGEM. 325

hurrying, bustling, over-refined Europe, one seldom if
ever meets, because it is only in the New World, and in
the struggle with nature, that such characters become

fully developed. St is one of those men whom Cooper

has drawn so well. With such, we quickly become
acquainted, and intercourse with them is ever instructive
and pleasant ; in their society the over-civilised mind
recovers its natural tone. There was a link between us
and St ; he called himself half- Austrian, for his vener-
able father, although having property in Bohemia, had

spent the greater portion of his life in Austria. St 's

elder brother, who served in our army, and who made a
rich and good marriage in Prague, has settled in Bohemia
with an uncle of his, Colonel of the Kaiser-Jager, an excel-
lent and talented soldier I had been well acquainted ;
and a cousin of our host had fallen in the Austrian ranks
on the mournful day of Solferino. There were therefore
sufficient reasons, both of joy and sorrow, why we should

meet as friends ; and St , familiar with the present state

of Austria and all connected with her, evinced an undis-
guised and hearty pleasure in welcoming and extending
his hospitality to natives of the country in which so many
of his relations are residing. St himself was a lieu-
tenant in the Prussian Guard, and he related (pleased at
the remembrance) how he was on duty on the lovely banks
of the Ehine, on the occasion of the visit of Queen Victoria
in August 1845. Shortly afterwards (to th± by no means
agreeable surprise of his father, and excited, as he said, by
Humboldt, to take up the idea), St decided upon quit-
ing civilised Europe, and seeking his fortunes across the
ocean in the New World. His relations, and also numerous
old prigs, shook their heads in disapprobation, and lamented

over the lost son. But who that sees St in the full

vigour of his strength, surrounded by a blooming family,
the owner of a considerable property, possessing authority

326 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and talent ; who that looks attentively, and sees how he
receives deference from all around him, how his word is
respected, how he lives so completely the lord of the
fazenda, how, living in freedom and independence, he is
responsible to none, save to Grod and his own conscience,
how he is, so to speak, a king without the weight of the
purple : who that beholds all this must not applaud the
clever and persevering man for having discarded his uni-
form, changed his shako for a panama, and resigned the
honour of perhaps obtaining the command of a regiment,
after forty or fifty years' service ? Under such circumstances,
it is right to quit one's native country and to form a future
for oneself, by one's own energy, will, and perseverance.
And St has the right, when standing in his own domi-
nions, to ask of astonished strangers how all is going on in
' fossilised ' Europe ? — an admirable expression, which I
learnt from him, and which pleased me by its aptness.

But he has not yet succeeded altogether in giving up

old ways in the school of the New World. When L

announced our sudden visit, to my delight, St could

not find excuses enough for having no black coat or white
tie in which to receive the Prince in proper order on the
boundary of his dominions. Having a misty recollection
of the journey of Queen Victoria, he probably expected
that we were making our visit to the primeval forest, de-
corated with crosses and stars, accompanied by chamber-
lains, plumed adjutants, and a gorgeous retinue. L

reassured him from his own experience ; but it was not
until St actually beheld us walking in our primi-
tive attire that the load was removed from his breast, and
he breathed freely.

Slowly advancing through the unshaded meadows, be-
neath burning heat, he conducted us to his fazenda. Be-
fore we reached the house, we passed through a short but
beautiful avenue of jacaran da-trees, which gave a cool

MATO VIRGEM. 327

shade, and formed the approach to the inner fence of
shrubs. The gate was opened, and we entered a valley in
which the fazenda was situated. On our left, on an open
space on the eminence at the termination of our path,
stood the mansion, with a verandah at the back ; and with
its kitchens and servants' rooms on the edge of the forest,
in front of which the accustomed verandah was not want-
ing. On the right, at the opening of the valley, was an
old disused sugarmill, with its wheels and wooden chan-
nels, reminding one in form of our mountain-forts. The
water for working it was turned on from a pond at the
extremity of the valley, which derived its supply from the
neighbouring forest. On a hill on the left side of the valley,
stood a long narrow row of buildings on the ground floor,
reminding us in form and situation of our cattle-sheds at
home ; these were the abodes of the slaves, partitioned off
according to the size of the families ; all the windows and
doors were placed directly facing the mansion ; at the back
the dwellings were inaccessible, to prevent the escape of the
slaves. Between the mansion and the pond, and forming a
path to the Mato, were some beautiful specimens of cocoa-
nut palms and bread-fruit trees, which over-shadowed a
pretty bath-house, in the cool basins of which flowed a never-
ceasing supply of cool water. The character of this little
log-house was more than simple ; it was utterly devoid of
all ornament, and quite uulike that which I had imagined
would be found attached to the houses in these forests. The
realities of life, with which these men who contend with
nature are occupied, repress all poetry and all ideas of com-
fort. Hence the universal custom of leaving the houses
unencircled by the slightest token of vegetation : no beau-
tiful trees to afford shade, no flowering shrubs, none of the
countless beautiful creepers twining round the supports of
the verandahs, not the slightest possible sign of a garden !
And why should there be this want of taste ? There are

328 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

two reasons for it. The danger of poisonous reptiles,
which might conceal themselves in the shades ; and the con-
stant life out-of-doors, amid the luxuriance of nature which
overpowers the owner by its profusion, and leaves him
only the night-time in which to seek the shelter of his
home.

The fazenda itself, therefore, cannot be described in
anyway as pretty or poetical in appearance, but, on the
contrary, is bare and prosaic. The view of the surrounding
country is, however, magnificent, as are the masses of the
cloud continually towering over the far-extending forest.
The whole atmosphere in this country has in it something of
poetry, as has also the free unfettered life of struggle, the
seclusion from the world at large, the complete dependence
on individual vigour, on individual mind ; all these ele-
vate the soul, even though the details be insipid and
devoid of attraction.

A life of activity prevails among the buildings, with
the bustle inseparable from large property. Overseers go
to and fro ; the mechanics repair the tools and set them in
order ; slaves move in various directions, mutely following
the sharp look of the master ; slave-women carry back and
forwards all that is needed for the kitchen, fetch water, or
wash the linen ; negro boys amuse themselves with the
games allowed ; neighing horses ascend and descend the
hill ; pigs with rings in their snouts poke about in the
ground round the house, looking for food ; everywhere
there is life and activity, with a certain air of prosperity
and good order. Everything is, directly or indirectly, a
part of the great machinery of the fazenda.

Before we reached the mansion, we and St were

the best of friends. In these secluded regions, where all
moves in one groove, where the outer world causes no dis-
traction, acquaintances are quickly formed ; and here, in
the mato, one feels none of that embarrassment which cha-

MATO VIRGEM. 329

racterises a first interview in Europe ; that reserve which
is rendered necessary by the distrust engendered by cir-
cumstances in Europe does not exist in this country
where interests do not clash, where there is room enough
for everyone to move at will and to go his own way
without jostling his neighbour.

Passing through the verandah, St led us into

the principal apartment, the chief room of the house,

and presented his family to us. Senhora St , a

genuine specimen of a Brazilian, refined and delicate in
figure, but endowed with a strong determined spirit,
womanly and retiring when she ought to be so, full of
courage and decision when these are required, is the
daughter of St — — "s neighbour, an old Brazilian, Colonel

Egidio Luiz de S B . Gothic blood flows in her

veins, and she belongs to one of the few families forming
the historical nobility of Brazil ; their ancestors are men-
tioned in connection with the ancient history of Portugal,
and were presented by the Queen with extensive grants of
land on the discovery of the country. But few of these
old families settled in the New World, most of them re-
turned to their native country; of the few that remained,
the larger number are to be found in the province of
St. Paul.

The family S is one of the best among them. I

shall hereafter have occasion to relate the romantic cir-
cumstances under which they came to the virgin forests
of Bahia. Born of high-souled parents at a period of
stormy excitement, the Senhora possesses that firmness,
that calm imperturbable cheerfulness, so indispensably
necessary in life in the Mato. Simple in her habits (as
the wife of a fazendero ought to be), she knows nothing
of the luxuries of the great world, and the whole aim of
her life is to help her husband, by her industry and
activity ; to rule her house well, even to the most minute

330 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

trifles ; and to bring up her children to be useful men in
their position in life. On first glancing at the slight
figure, dressed plainly in a simple cotton dress, one could
never suppose that it was this modest black-eyed lady,

who (during St 's absences on business) lives in the

fazenda, in the midst of the forest, ruling a hundred and
fifty slaves with despotic power; that her strength of
character enables her to keep these blacks diligently at
work, without their uttering one mutinous word. The
Senhora has five fine children, three boys and two girls.
Amalie, the eldest daughter, is a very intelligent child,
and already accompanies her mother when engaged in
household duties. Next to her come the three boys,
Fernando, Alberto, and Gerubino ; the first named after
his father, the two latter after their grandfathers, living at
the Antipodes. The youngest girl (a baby) was carried
about by her black nurse. Little Amalie is like her
mother, and is a complete Brazilian ; in the fresh com-
plexion of the boys, their fair hair and black eyes, one
sees the mixture of German and Lusitanian blood.

The open-hearted children soon made friends with the
strange guests, and showed their undisguised pleasure at
all that was new to them. The one child who causes
anxiety to his parents is the little Gerubino, who, appa-
rently in consequence of intermittent fever, is some-
times quite lively and gay, and full of merriment ; then
suddenly he is seized with convulsions, and hovers for a
certain time between life and death.

Immediately that the Senhora had extended to us her
unembarrassed and cordial welcome, she returned, like a
true housewife and anxious hostess, to her duties, and
especially (to our great joy) to the kitchen department.
Our long journey made her attention in this direction

doubly acceptable. Meanwhile, St took us over his

plain and simple home, to me an interesting type of a real

MATO VIRGEM. 331

Brazilian fazenda. The large apartment, of which I spoke
before, runs across from one front of the house to the
other, dividing the building into two parts, the dwelling-
rooms opening into it. At each end of it doors and win-
dows open into the verandah, which is simply a wooden-
covered passage, supported by pillars like those of our
Swiss houses ; through the verandah, which affords shelter
from the sun and wind, and protection against the en-
trancej of animals, we pass into the house. This
principal apartment is simply whitewashed, without any
ornament ; long wooden couches run along the walls ; a
large clock is placed against the wall on the right ; cup-
boards occupy the space between the windows and the
glass door on the wall opposite to the chief entrance, and
are filled with bottles, cups, and various miscellaneous and
necessary articles ; a long table in the centre of the room
serves the family and guests as a dining-table. More
simple the room could not be ; a healthful tone of fresh-
ness pervaded it, which one might seek in vain in our
Parisian salons. There are three rooms on each side.
The Senhora and her children occupy the first two rooms
on the right ; the third is the special room of the master,
his writing-room, library, collections of seed, little armoury,
receptacle for various tools, in a word, the all-in-all of
this active-minded man. The writing-table was covered
with papers, apparently referring to business connected
with his coffee and sugar plantations ; in the library was a
selection of excellent books, adapted to strengthen his
mind in the solitude which enforces self-help. The col-
lections of seeds consisted of very valuable specimens,
which in these countries promise grand results ; every-
thing affords proof that here man, be he ever so refined,
must attempt everything himself, must manage everything
for himself. The weapons are essential to a secure and
comfortable existence in the Mato. They afford protection

332 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

against wild beasts, are useful in the pursuit of game (so
necessary here), and also are a defence against the Red-
skins, who make their dangerous raids as far as this point.

Only a few days ago, so St told me, to my surprise and

pleasure, the Indians appeared before the fazenda. St—
prudently avoided any altercation with them, but by his
firmness prevented them from carrying anything away
with them. The Redskins are said to be particularly de-
ficient in all clear idea of the difference between meum
and tuum. Such visits naturally throw the whole fazenda
into a state of feverish excitement, for one never can be
sure how they may terminate. On this occasion the free
sons of the forest were very civil, and only asked for
cahaca, the password in South America. St — - ordered
the coveted beverage to be brought, and hilarity speedily
reigned among the elated savages ; the danger evaporated
in a national dance, in which they expressed their thanks,
performing, in a very primitive attire, a pantomime
with their bows and arrows. But these visits do not
always terminate so pleasantly ; and it not unfrequently
happens that the unfortunate white man, when engaged in
hunting, is suddenly disturbed by a poisoned arrow dis-
charged by some man-hunter, and may consider himself
fortunate if, by his prudence and courage, he escape with
a whole skin. In my ardour for adventure these state-
ments excited in me renewed resolutions, as may easily be
supposed.

We were now in the vicinity of the sacred walls of the
real primeval forest ; we were within the haunts of the
Botokudes and the Bataihos, who live here wild and free,
levying their tribute by hunting and fishing. I was by
degrees approaching the full realisation of my traveller's
dreams.

A black table near the entrance-door of St — — 's apart-
ment attracted our attention ; on it were recorded the

MATO VIRGEM. 333

extraordinary and romantic Christian names of his slaves.
This table forms a sort of primitive guide-book, which
must cost him not a little trouble, and make the study of
martyrology essential to him ; for the superstition of the
blacks demands that the name of one who has died shall
never be given to the newborn child. One finds names
such as Ida, Eosalie, Prudentia, and Clementina, which
are in direct opposition to the looks of the hideous owners.
Men and women are placed in different columns, and, in
addition to the name, each has a number, which marks
them at once as saleable goods.

Simple as everything was in this house, yet every step
afforded some fresh object of interest to us newcomers ; on
every side we obtained a glimpse into forest-life, around
which ever lingers the aroma of poetry.

Opposite to St 's apartment, and opening on the

other side of the hall, were two rooms which were prepared
for us. I selected one, with the doctor for my companion.
In accordance with the custom of the country in which we
were, the entire furniture consisted of two low bedsteads, on
which were spread coarse linen instead of mattrasses. Near
these rooms a small staircase led to a room in which were
some other bedsteads. The apartment on the left of the
entrance was our host's dispensary ; amongst his other
acquirements as a settler he is also a surgeon. He has
obtained the very necessary knowledge of this art by his
own diligence and self-dependence, by careful study of
books, and by bold experiment. He had scarcely opened
the door of his dispensary, and shown my doctor all the
yellow, red, and blue bottles, phials, and cups, with their un-
pleasant odours, before the power of habit and the instincts
of the profession led them into conversation, in which the
self-educated surgeon, the man of practical learning, was
able to take his own part. St has so great a reputa-
tion as a surgeon, that he is sent for from great distances,

334 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

and is often obliged at night to mount his horse and
hasten through the Mato, in spite of all difficulties, to
some distant plantation. To a noble-minded man like

St there must be great satisfaction in such labours,

even though sometimes they may be a little severe.

Added to this, by his knowledge of surgery, he possesses a
prestige throughout all the country among the blacks, and
even among the Indians ; this is the privilege of a superior

mind. From his medicines it was easy to see that St 's

is sharp practice. He thinks strong measures the best in
this country.

In front of the verandah, on the spot where the garden
should stand, was an enclosure in which the children had
some of the forest animals as pets. On taking leave,
St presented me with two wondrously pretty phea-
sants, dark-green, with scarlet round the eyes, and with
red feet. I was the first person to bring such birds alive
to Europe, and I placed them in the menagerie at Schon-
brunn. A very lively little pig, which he had brought
home not long ago from a hunting expedition, and a land-
tortoise, were also living happily here. In a cage in the
verandah we saw, for the first time, a native of the Mato,
whose melancholy lay everyone knows who has passed
but twenty-four hours in its sacred groves — namely, the
tukan, or pepper-bird, an extraordinary creature, with a
beak that resembles the snout of a tapir ; it may indeed,
and not improbably, be a remnant left from primeval
times. The family of the tukan (Rhamphastus) is di-
vided into three or four species, and may be found in
almost all parts of South America. In its wild state it
lives almost entirely on the fruit of various sorts of cap-
sicum, and from this it has doubtless derived its name.
In captivity, this bird does honour to its snoutish beak,
and devours food more greedily than any animal I ever
saw ; so that this beak resembles a large sack, in which

MATO VIRGEM. 335

edibles of every kind (for he refuses nothing) disappear.
The bird that we saw here belonged to the species Tem-
minckii, was as large as a jackdaw, and its hooked beak
(which was black, with yellow feathers round its root)
was very sharp, strong, and about half the length of its
whole body. Its back and wings were black, its throat
and breast bright orange, and its short tail purple. The
most remarkable point in this strange bird is its eye,
the large iris of which is of a delicate blue like turquoise,
forming a beautiful combination with its brilliant plumage.
The restless movements of the bird, and its immense beak,
have a curious effect, and, notwithstanding its beauty of
colour, give it a droll appearance. It looked to me as if
masked, and ready to play a part at the carnival. St —
did me the favour to present me with this bird on a future
occasion, and I brought home two of them, alive and
tamed. One of them remained for a long time in Europe,
and when our store of farinha was exhausted, it was fed
with potatoes and oranges. The peculiar cry of the
tukan is (like that of the mountain cock with us) a pleasant
forest-sound to the ear of the traveller ; once heard, it is
always recognised when it resounds amid the solitudes.

But to return to the description of the fazenda. The
situation of the mansion is fine, and has been selected with
an obj ect. From it the whol e establishment, and indeed the
whole portion of the forest around it that has been cleared,
is distinctly visible ; nothing can move in or out without
being seen from this central point. This overlooking is very
necessary under the circumstances in which a man lives
in this country, the owner of so large a number of slaves,
and surrounded by forest, in which both wild men and
wild beasts abound. The first duty of the fazendero is
never to allow himself to be surprised, and never to forget
that he must rely upon himself alone to resist all opposing
events. He is on continual outpost duty, which, however,

336 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

when well-performed, has in it less of danger than one
would suppose. Whilst we were inspecting the house
and its immediate surroundings with some curiosity,

St , ever thoughtful of his guests, ordered beer and

some other invigorating beverages to be brought. Beer
finds its way even into the forest ; indeed, one may say
that, wherever German lips are to be found, thither ex-
tends the empire of the mighty Grambrinus. In Brazil,
however, it is the custom to drink brandy at all hours of
the day, under the idea of modifying heat by heat. No
one ever dreams of using water here for any purpose but
the bath; and I certainly think that to drink a large
quantity of water would be very injurious in these climates.

According to the excellent Brazilian custom, St

offered us the use of his cool bath-house, in which to take
a cold bath before lunch, which I, who am not yet fully
acclimatised, declined with thanks.

The botanist and sportsman, who had followed in the
second canoe with the heavy baggage, now arrived at this
hospitable house ; each, according to his vocation, laden
with booty. The botanist was quite unlike himself in the
silent rapture which he evinced on finding himself so un-
expectedly on ground that seemed peculiarly his own.

Meanwhile the Senhora and her attendant black
maidens were not idle ; and a sumptuous lunch was spread
on the long table in the hall. When all was ready, our
kind host invited jis to be seated; the Senhora, after she
had hastily seen the final arrangements made in the kitchen,
took her seat at the head of the table in the good old
fashion, and with a certain aristocratic dignity of manner.
She summoned me to sit on her right hand, and all the
rest of the company, and every one of the family, great
and small, ranged themselves around the well-spread
table. She then coquettishly addressed some few lively
words of apology to me, in the prettiest manner possible,,

MATO VIEGEM. 337

respecting the repast she had prepared for us. In a
house in which order and good manners prevail — where
each one, from highest to lowest, is obliged to work to
earn his bread — where industry is rewarded by cheerfulness
—where everyone brings a good appetite to the table ; —
in such a house there ever rests the blessing of an atmo-
sphere of peace, of good temper, of contentment, which
cannot fail to refresh and invigorate even a stranger.
Among people who are labouring diligently to maintain
their existence, according to the first principles of nature,
one immediately feels oneself a better man, and also
obtains the blessing of calm and restful happiness. Such
was the case now ; and a tone of gladsomeness pervaded
this company, assembled together from different quarters
of the globe. The merriment of the children was as
enjoyable to us as though we had seen them growing up
from babyhood ; very attractive also was the amiability of
the young mother .of the family ; and everyone was all
attention to the pleasant and instructive words of the
father, who had so much that was interesting to tell to us
new-arrivals.

The Senhora had a right to be proud of her repast.
Primitive, simple, but admirably dressed, it was really
excellent; and our hearty appetites best expressed our
thanks, and gratified her. Every description of bird
was seasoned with pimento and herbs; delicious palm-
cabbages cooled our heated throats; yams appeared as
an excellent vegetable, and the indispensable farinha was
mixed with rich meats. But the crowning achievement,
the best thing of the sort that I ever tasted, was a
tender, fat, sucking-pig, dressed in the old Brazilian
manner. My mouth waters even now when I think of
this delicious dish. It is to be premised that the Brazilian
pig is very superior to the European in excellence. Imagine
then, this animal, quite young, brought up in the fresh
VOL. in. z

338 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

forest air, fed on the delicate roots and plants of the Mato,
and then dressed in a manner worthy of its early nurture.
The inside is filled with spices of every kind, fresh from the
plants ; spices which only find their way into an European
kitchen after having been dried and packed, and after having
undergone a long sea-voyage, are here the natural products
of the forest; to this mixtum compositum is added some
of the useful farinha, which, by its dryness, takes off some
of the richness ; and thus one has the most savoury dish
upon earth, in the enjoyment of which there is but one
cause for regret — that it is only attainable in the primeval
forest, and that all the culinary art of Europe, directed
by the most minute recipes, can never produce anything
at all resembling it — for the fragrance of the Mato would
still be wanting. As this stuffing is roasted with the pig,

the whole of the meat has the delicious flavour. St 's

cellar also was well-stocked; the best European wines
graced the table ; I confined myself to that most popular
in this country — a sort of lisbon, new to me — a deep red
wine, almost black, something like port, which is very
quenching to the thirst, and is a very pleasant beverage.
It is the only home-made wine that one meets with. Some
absinthe was also brought, intended to be mixed with
water ; but I do not like these compositions.

During our repast, plans were arranged for our expedition
into the forest. My object was to make as much as possible
of the short time, to penetrate as far as I could, and to

travel over the greatest possible distance. St would

not comprehend that we wished to explore as much of the
forest as we could : he probably thought that this was the
privilege of the colonists, and that we Europeans had no
claim to it. According to his powerful descriptions, the
labour was indeed not light ; for through the forest one
cannot be said to go — one must jump, vault, and lose half
one's skin. His wish was that we should make short ex-
cursions from his house, taking it as our central point,

MATO VIRGEM. 339

and returning after each to his hospitable roof. I suspect

that the instigator of this plan was our good friend L ,

who, with hib comfortable habits of life, dreaded pressing
his way into the forest. But these walks did not answer
my purpose ; I had already taken such in Bahia, and other
such awaited me, in endless number, in the country round
Eio. I had bent my steps hither in order to see some-
thing of real adventure, and to earn my impressions of the
sublime Mato with toil and hardship. I therefore urged
that a plan of advance should be traced ; but, since no
precedent for. this sort of thing existed, and other Euro-
peans had limited their search for plants and birds to the
vicinity of the settlement, the good people seemed quite
unable to understand what it was that 1 wished to do in
the heart of the forest. Probably this seemed to them as
strange as it would seem to us, if an inhabitant of some
inland country were to come to the seaside for the first
time, and to express his wish to go out many miles to sea
in an open boat : or if, at Cairo, a stranger should ask
to mount a dromedary, and ride out into the desert, with-
out knowing the track, and without any plan, merely for
the sake of seeing the desert.

At length we came to a compromise, and agreed for

to-day to yield to the wishes of St — - and L , and

only to make a short afternoon visit to the entrance of
the Mato Virgem ; and to begin our real excursion on the
morrow, under the direction and guidance of a German
settler, the most noted hunter far and wide. My great
desire was to avoid all inhabited districts — to see the
various portions of the forest, its dry and its swampy soils —
to come on the track of wild beasts, and, if possible, to fall
in with them also.

As soon as we had refreshed ourselves, and the great

heat of noon had subsided, we prepared, under St -'s

directions, and armed with all sorts of murderous instru-

340 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

ments, for our visit to the Mato. Passing down the short
avenue, we went part of the way down the road by which
we had come ; we then turned through a sort of fruit-
garden with the ubiquitous cashew-tree ; the path was
bordered with pine-apples, which make a great impression
on the European eye, as they prove the luxuriance of nature.
The pine-apples were of a reddish colour, and of various
degrees of ripeness. The path led round a wooded hill,
down into a valley, and the fruit-garden terminated in a
coffee-plantation, which covered the whole of the low

ground. Five years had not elapsed since St had

cleared the forest in this part with axe and hammer, and
had made a ' roca ; ' and already coffee-bushes, five feet in
height, were growing thickly in large numbers. There
was nothing of a regular plantation, and it was only by
careful observation that one could discover it to be a field
of coffee-plants ; it looked like a sea of green glossy
leaves, and it was only by the white blossom that one
could recognise the plant. Already wild shoots of the
original vegetation were visible between the coffee-plants,

and in no long time, so St assured us, the ground

will be left to itself; the capoera will be formed, the soil
will put forth its strength, and a fresh piece of forest will
be turned into a ( roca,.' These instances of the immense
power of the soil have in them something almost incredi-
ble to the European.

For cutting the forest the fazenderos generally employ the
half-tamed Indians, whom they hire from time to time, and
who perform their work with wonderful skill and rapidity.
That must be a grand sight when the axe is brought for
the first time into these spots, untouched hitherto since
the days of the Creation — when the giant of the forest
begins to totter, and when its immense crown, as it bends
and falls, brings masses of vegetation with it to the ground.
At first a rushing sound is heard, and then, as with the roar

MATO VIRGEM. 341

of thunder, the monarch of a thousand years lies low, and
in his fall brings down a vast number of flowers, lianas,
shrubs, and palms.

The view which lay before us in the valley was very
beautiful, and brilliantly lighted up by the rays of the
sun. The lowest part was full of coffee-bushes, inter-
spersed with flowering shrubs and bright blossoms. The
boundary of the valley on the hill-side was formed by the
forest. This rose in towering masses, clearly outlined by
the gorgeous sunlight ; in some parts there was a golden
shimmer on the leaves ; in others, the dense foliage pro-
duced deep shadows, among which the silvery cecropia
gleamed in the stray sunbeams. Next might be seen the
giant form of some ancient tree, with its massive crown
ornamented by brilliant bromeliacese, and by lianas hanging
in festoons from bough to bough. Beneath the crowns,
through which the rays of the sun could not penetrate, all
was deep shadow, amid which we could only distinguish
some few silvery stems ; thus there was an endless variety
of light and shade, of darkness and brilliance. Over the
whole scene lay peace and repose. To complete its beauty,
the sky towards evening became cloudless, so that every
outline was marked sharply against it. When we gaze
on these fortresses of forest, we are lost in wonder and
admiration at the grandeur of nature, and at the fertility of
the soil that nourishes so gigantic a mass of vegetable
life; we seem to stand at the entrance of an unknown
world of mystery and enchantment; we are filled with
wondering of what dwells within, of what goes on in
this vast world. We know that trees grow and bloom,
and bear their fruit, within these spacious halls ; that
bright birds with gleaming plumage trill their lays in the
leafy domes; that imperial butterflies of brilliant hues
float in the perfumed air ; that shy lizards and glistening
snakes glide through flower and bush. We know that

342 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

such as these have lived and dwelt here from the days
of Creation, have sung and bloomed, and yet the forest
is a mystery which man wonders at and admires, yet may
not understand.

As we descended into the valley, two different kinds of
pipra flew from the bushes near us. From the way in
which they flew, one might know that they had no fear of
man. Why, indeed, should the inhabitant of the forest
shoot these innocent creatures ? Powder and shot are such
necessaries of life to him, that he reserves them for
moments of danger, or for real use. The practical resident
in the Mato only shoots a fat boar from some herd of
swine, or a woodcock from a bough ; or in firing at a
dangerous ounce, he may perhaps shoot down an Indian
woman. To-day the poor beasts had peace — not so the
birds ; the eager eye of the lover of curiosities was fixed
on them, and many of them fell in their paradise beneath
the fire of the sportsman. In the lower portion of the
valley, where the ground was swampy, the path was over-
laid with loose sticks (as in our Austrian forests), to pre-
vent our sinking. A bridge (made of pieces of wood put
roughly together), over a piece of narrow rush-covered
water, reminded me vividly of the salt districts. These
reminders of the beautiful mountain-country at home
were very pleasant, and awoke in my mind many happy
reminiscences of the peaceful hours that I had spent in
that land of poetry. It is remarkable that, even in the
remotest depths of the primeval forest, I discovered a
similarity to our Alpine scenery. Its districts only, in the
whole of Europe, bear any resemblance to the wildness of
nature in this country. In them only can we find the
same repose, the same half-entrancing, half-awful stillness,
the same brilliancy of vegetation ; and in the beauty of
their wild flowers, the gentian and the liliaceae, something
of that luxuriance which prevails in the primeval forest.

MATO VIRGEM. 343

One finds a hundred trees, which fall merely from old age,
giving nourishment in their decay to new vegetation ; one
sees nature existing for herself, and for the glory of her
God, and not blooming exclusively for man. Thus, in my
wanderings in Brazil, the Alps frequently recurred to my
mind, from the similarity presented in form, in colour,
and in general character. There is a great resemblance
between different portions of the great creation ; and where
the hand of man has not interfered, the likeness is very
marked — only varying in detail, according to the varieties
of climate and soil.

We had scarcely passed the bridge, before we reached
the boundary of the valley. By a cut, which is plainly
intended to be a forest- path, we entered the Mato filled
with that sweet awe which takes possession of a man when
mysteriously surrounded by that which is both new and
grand. When this feeling of reverence and wonder pervades
the expectant soul on entering a large Grothic cathedral,
or in the vast Catacombs, or amid the granite halls and
passages of the Pyramids, when the heart beats more
quickly, then does one ever aspire to press forward more
boldly. If the eye rest in wonder on the bold columns,
the beautiful vaulted arches, the splendour of ornament of
the vast minster, what emotions must not stir the soul
when one enters into the world of giants created thousands
of years ago ! — and when one sees them in their pristine
image, and beholds the living pillars, the green sunlit
vaults, and nature's wealth of form and colour ; as with
the monuments in the interior of the cathedral, so also
with the forest, the view is limited; but although bounded
to the eye, both are replete with suggestive thoughts to the
mind. Here the mass of vegetation rises on all sides of the
spectator in endless variety, and meets high over his head
in a thick shady roof, from which depend lianas and
creepers of every kind. The eye cannot discern whence

344 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

each plant springs, or where it terminates. Around the
roots of the trees is an immense growth of these creepers ;
when the crowns begin to spread, there is again a
fresh world of these plants thickly intertwined ; and the
brilliant sun can scarcely penetrate through the rich
verdure of these vaulted roofs, and only sheds a dim
mysterious light into the halls below, in which the atmo-
sphere is ever cool. The eye, not yet accustomed to this
splendour, is lost among the thousands of individual
plants, and seeks for some arrangement among them;
the impression, as a whole, is overpowering. Here and
there some blossom of more than usual splendour attracts
attention, or some novel form excites admiration ; but one
has scarce gazed at either for a moment, before the waves
of verdure meet above the vision of beauty. These are
moments which cannot be described, and in which one
can only admire in silent joy, not unmixed with reverence.
The space over which the eye can wander is very small ; it
cannot penetrate more than a few fathoms into this chaos.
How vast, how varied, how boundless, must not that world
be, which has the power, even in such a limited space, of
thus affecting the lord of the creation !

St , our kind and talented guide, respecting our

emotion, announced to us, in a subdued tone, that we were
now in the real, genuine, undesecrated, undisturbed virgin
forest, visited by but few Europeans. There was not a
word now of Capoeras ; here the empire of man ceased —
here that of immortal nature began ; here was the grand
reward of my Transatlantic voyage; and with just pride
I, a zealous pilgrim, could enter the sanctuary of which
so many talk, but which so few have visited. Here one
discovers, from the few inhabitants, how many false state-
ments are connected with the Mato Virgem. Every
traveller who has set his foot on the soil of America, and
has seen a couple of palms — who has seen the immediate

MATO VIRGEM. . 345

vicinity of one of the seaports, fancies himself entitled to
talk of this sacred land, and to trumpet forth his raptures
to the world ; but if one question him minutely, as regards
the details, his grand descriptions end in nothing.

St — — did the honours with much tact ; the forest is in
truth his world, in which he carries on the struggle of life,
as though he were its owner. He drew our attention to the
beauty of the vegetable, and to the wonders of the animal
world. It is not until one becomes a little accustomed
to the splendour, that one begins to feel enjoyment ; new
visions of wonder succeed each other with such rapidity.
There were three species of plants, that rose one above the
other in three divisions : on the ground, the luxuriant and
beautiful aroidea, with their variety of form, and beauty
of hue ; the scitaminea, with their gorgeous blossoms ;
the musacese, with their large folding leaves ; graceful
ferns, reminding one of home ; and mingled with these,
rich fantastic philodendrons, which, as their name im-
plies, seek the friendship and support of the trees.
Amid this profusion of luxuriance, there is an immense
growth of plants (thriving and nourishing in the cool
shades, on the moist rich earth), which the eye hardly
notices individually, although in Europe they gleam as
stars of the first magnitude in the firmament of flowers.
I will only name the bignonia (with its exquisitely-formed
and beautifully-tinted leaves) endless varieties of grasses,
and dwarf palms. From this mass of splendour and
richness, peculiarly the home of the insect world, rises
the more slender growth of the next stage. This consists
principally of trees with feathered and broad leaves ; here
large quantities of cecropia are found, and here also some
few light palms unfold their leaves, and expand their
delicate crowns. Above these, the lofty trees with slender
stems, and crowns of laurel-like and camelia-like leaves,
thickly twined around by lianas, form the first portion of

346 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the densely-leaved roof. Philodendrons, or beautiful
creepers, frequently twine in luxuriance around their
stems ; others are bare, displaying the hard, smooth, red
or yellow bark; these are generally trees, the wood of
which is used for dyeing, or is invaluable in shipbuilding.
This region of the vegetable kingdom is the least known
to the botanist ; most of the trees have glossy leaves, and
bear delicious fruit, on which the birds and monkeys feed.
At this stage of vegetation we find, immediately beneath
the leafy roof, beautiful bromeliaceae, those curious plants
which lie on the boughs and stems like birds' nests, and
display some of the most exquisite and perfect blossoms
known in the vegetable creation. Highest of all, the
giants of the forest rear their proud forms ; their growth
of a thousand years has enabled them to force a path
through the leafy world below, and to reach the light,
where, stretching forth their patriarchal arms, they shelter
and protect all beneath them from the rays of the sun.

These are the monuments that give evidence of the
antiquity of the forest ; these great landmarks form the
chief attraction of the Mato ; but, like all that is grand
and sublime, they are removed so far above our everyday
life, that we can only dream of — not fully understand —
these wondrous forms. They are a mystery to the botanist,
for they bloom and bear fruit in a region to which he
cannot approach by any ordinary means ; he is still un-
acquainted with them, and has not ventured to name
them. Just as the ornamentation of the loftiest part of a
building differs from that below, so in this exalted region
there is a new world of plants quite different from ours.
Here it is that the orchids generally unfold their splen-
dour— that the tilandsia bloom and flourish. All these
various stages of vegetation are united by countless lianas,
which, taking root in the earth, twine their bare tendrils
from bough to bough, from stem to stem, often extending

MATO VIRGEM. 347

across considerable spaces, and at length, when attaining
the highest point, and meeting the air and sunlight, burst-
ing forth themselves into leaf and flower. The struggle of
all plants towards the light, throughout the whole forest,
is very remarkable ; hence the straight slender form of
the stems of those trees that support the leafy domes,
through which one sees the sunlight as from a far-off land.
In the cool shades below, the atmosphere is peculiar;
having, from the moisture of the luxuriant vegetation,
a most fragrant perfume, which is quite overpowering.
The earth, never kissed by the rays of the sun, is always
damp and soft, yielding under one's tread ; in the course
of centuries, the withered leaves, the peeled-off bark, the
dropped-off fruit — all these have combined to form a rich
soil ; so that, from the decay of nature, new life is ever
springing. In the limited space between the ground and
the layers of vegetation where man may wander, the air
is ever still ; there is no great heat, }^et no breeze can ever
penetrate. It is this strange twilight of the daytime,
this silence in the air, this absence of sunbeams, these
never-rustling leaves — all this it is that excites in man a
feeling of oppression, of strange loneliness.

As the plants have their world, in which they must
remain, bound by the law of nature, so is it also in the
animal world. On the damp earth, beneath the arches
formed by the large leaves of the aroidea and scitaminea,
amid the various grasses, snails, and a sort of crab have their
abodes ; and here lizards disport themselves, here snakes
lurk, and armadilloes wander. The deer of the forest speed
over the lower vegetation, pursued by the hungry jaguar ;
the heavy tapir noisily breaks a path for himself; whilst
above these, beneath the vaults of the lower growth of
palms, humming-birds fly from flower to flower, and giant
butterflies merrily chase each other ; in the crowns of the
trees, the tukan wets his horny beak, and utters his

348 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

peculiar cry, and the mutun sleeps during the noonday
heat; high in the vast domes above, live the monkey
tribe; lovely vistiti and nimble squirrels bound from
bough to bough, whilst the air is filled with noisy flocks
of parrots. The traveller- can only see the lower and
middle portions of the forest ; that which stirs the loftier
part he can but hear, for his eye cannot reach so far. It
is only near the bed of a river, or on some rare occasion,
that he is able to look at the inhabitants of the heights.
Animals and plants both live free and unrestrained as
they were on the day of their creation.

Pressing on, we came to a spot where the trees grew
less thickly, and we could see to a greater distance ; here
we were able, for the first time, to examine the lianas
more closely ; in both size and strength they greatly sur-
passed our expectations. They sometimes hung in festoons
from tree to tree ; some depended from a single bough,
like ropes for gigantic bells, and sometimes hung down
from some lofty crown to the ground, looking like the
ropes and cables of a vessel. Two kinds particularly
attracted our notice — the first, a species of bauhinia,
which the countrypeople call the ' monkey-ladder,' be-
cause it aids this animal in mounting the immense trees ;
it looks like garlands of roses, is brown in colour, and has
little balls of blossom*; the second, a rope-like creeper,
which was wound round and round like a thick coil of
rope. We obtained specimens of both, which I have
preserved in my museum.

As we proceeded — sometimes speechless from astonish-
ment, sometimes shouting with delight — St— - pointed
out to us a narrow opening — not more than a crevice in
the thick wall of green — looking like the track of a tapir.
This he told us was the Emperor's highway — a track in
the vast forest, by means of which, travellers, following
the instinct of its natives, may avoid going astray. This is

MATO VIRGEM. 349

actually the only means of communication between the
provinces of Brazil; it leads direct to the province of
Minas. Messengers use it when running through the forest
with despatches and imperial orders, perhaps carrying at
the same time a bag of diamonds. Occasionally a small
party of soldiers traverse it, in going from province to pro-
vince ; but usually this royal road is only used by the wild
Indians, or by some bold hunter from a distant fazenda.

We had scarcely turned from this sign of Brazilian
civilisation, when we met with an unwelcome resident in
tropical regions — our first snake : it was not a long one,
its skin was brownish-yellow, and it did not move quickly.

St , who instantly perceived that it was of a poisonous

species, went quietly up to it, and killed it with his stick.
We remained at a respectful distance, remembering that
the snakes of the forest must be treated with deference.
The European, rendered apprehensive by numerous de-
criptions of this animal, cannot repress a shudder, though
the man of the forest looks at it with indifference. Here
again we see the truth of the proverb in Bauernfeld's
'Deutschen Krieger,' 'One becomes used to it.' We
soon began our own experiences. Stories of snakes and
other poisonous reptiles contain great exaggerations.
There are many snakes in this country — that cannot be

denied; but accidents seldom occur. St told me

that in his neighbourhood there are not more than three,
or at most four, cases of persons bitten by snakes in the
year.

We had but just secured the snake, in order to preserve
it in spirits of wine, for the museum, when we perceived
a large odious-looking tarantula (My gale nigra), an im-
mense spider, which, including its legs, measures two
inches and a half in diameter ; the whole of the body is

covered with hair. St wished to catch the horrible

creature, and made several attempts to do so ; but it dis-
appeared hastily among the foliage.

350 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

The path now led us out of the Mato, to one of those
open plains called in this country 'roca,' and which are
prepared for cultivation by burning. The stumps of the
immense trees were visible through the ashes, and already
the young vegetation was springing up in various places ;
plants were everywhere to be seen, and the fertile ground
had within it the germs of future life. It is scarcely a

year since St had this place cleared by fire ; and if

he does not take care, it will soon be covered with what the
Brazilians call ' capoeras.' In this reproductive power of
the soil consists the wealth and beauty of this land ; at
the same time, such fertility gives endless labour to the
colonist.

This open space, bordered by charred trunks of the
forest, and lighted up by the rays of the setting sun,
recalled our Alps to my mind.

We forced our way with difficulty through the sprouting
vegetation, in order to press on farther into the Mato.

On this occasion St had to cut a way for us with his

knife (fa$ao\ a sort of hunting-knife, which the settlers
always carry by their side when making expeditions into
the forest. It was not until the bushes and lianas were
cut that we could follow him. Here, in the thicket, in

the midst of the rank vegetation, St pointed out to

us the calm still waters of a disused canal, flowing be-
neath the eternal shades of the forest. It is a remnant
left from the early days of the colonisation begun by
the Jesuits. When these wise fathers made these distant
lands their own, they set before them a double object —
the salvation of the Indians, and the establishment of
colonies on a large scale. Wiser than the present govern-
ment, and belonging to a disciplined body, they began by
making good roads and canals, the only means by which
to rule a country well, or to develope its resources. By
means of canals, the produce of the country could be con-

MATO VIRGEM. 351

veyed to the rivers, and thence to the sea-coasfc. Pombal's
decree banished the Jesuits, but provided nothing to com-
pensate for their loss; and from that time, it must be
owned, that everything has gone back considerably. That
this is the case, the disused canal, which is now almost
lost in the thick growth of vegetation, affords a proof.

All endeavours after improvement, in the present day,
lack method and good direction ; they are left to the in-
clination of individuals, and will therefore take a much
longer time to carry out.

A fortunate shot of our servant now brought down a
magnificent woodpecker (Picus flavescens), rather larger
than our European woodpecker, with a rich golden crest,
and spotted red back — a handsome and rare specimen for
our increasing collection. During our wanderings on
this day, we often heard, in the lofty crowns of the trees,
the peculiar noise made by a bird called in Brazilian
* rendeira' — a small brown bird, with a white head, whose
powerful voice in no way corresponds with its delicate
form, an anomaly that one often finds in the tropics.
We also heard the cry of the ' nao ten agua,' which follows
the traveller, with its mocking tones, during the hot sunny
hours of the day ; one hears him on all sides, from every
tree, but can never see him. The loud notes of his voice
resemble the sound of the name given to him by the in-
habitants of the Mato, which means, ' Have you no water ?'
— a question often distressingly ironical during the heat
of noon.

Among other insects, we saw a beautiful butterfly of
sapphire-blue ; it escaped our nets, and was soon lost in
the thicket.

The profusion of the vegetation was too great to admit
of any detailed enumeration of plants. I will only name
a few, which have dwelt in my memory from their great
luxuriance. I leave it to some scientific work to mention

352 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

all the new and beautiful objects with which our little
expedition abounded. I have already spoken of the bau-
hinia : in addition, we saw some creeping apocinea, and
splendid cucurbita, besides wreaths of combretacese, and
numerous other creepers not yet named. In the interior
of the Mato we found numerous bombacea trees ; among
them, the lovely carolinia, the anda pisanis — a large tree,
with a smooth slender stem and pointed leaves ; bixacea
trees with heart-shaped leaves ; the jacaranda (the wood
of which is beautiful), with large leaves like those of
the mimosa, from one to two feet in length ; the lecitis,
a sort of small tree, the fruit of which is used for
various purposes ; cacolobea, of the family of the poligonea,
with leather-like leaves ; lasiandra, belonging to the me-
lastomea tribe — a species of tree, the blossoms of which
resemble the rosy blossoms of the Indian azalea or pontin
rhododendron, and which, rising above other trees, at-
tracts one's eye at a distance by its splendour; various
solanea and asclephs, all twining and intertwining in a
bright confusion, which forbade minute inspection.

Here was, indeed, superabundant happiness for our
botanist ; he was in a heaven of rapture, and in an Eden
of flowers ; he had not hands enough to collect, to cut, to
pluck as he wished. He very soon vanished completely
from our sight, and did* not return to the fazenda until
late, laden with treasures.

With the setting-in of twilight we came to an open
space, where the hand of man had already made a track ;
various forest-paths intersected each other near an immense
tree, which the good feeling of the settlers had left un-
molested in its splendour ; straight, firm, and strong, the
giant trunk rose, like a grand column, towards heaven, till
high over the other trees it spread out its giant crown into
a broad vast canopy; in it flourished whole generations
of parasites, and from its summit, hanging from bough

MATO VIRGEM. 353

to bough, parallel with the trunk, and reaching to the
ground, were the smooth tendrils of a liana.

We rested at the root of the giant, and watched the last
rays of the sun as they played in his leafy crown; the
evening was lovely, and the balmy air had the elasticity
peculiar to the twilight hours in the tropics. We were
very happy; we were enjoying that peaceful calm which
is the reward of an eventful day spent among the beauties
of nature. In a short space of time we had become rich
in experience ; our eyes had seen that for which we had
longed. Our friend St was delighted at our happi-
ness, which he was able to understand, because he also
had once crossed the ocean, in the vigour of youth, and
with a soul filled with ardour.

Whilst we were lost in contemplation of the beauties of
nature, the hot blood of the youngest of our party, Marine-
Cadet Gr- , could no longer be restrained ; and suddenly,

thinking of his ship, he seized one of the liana ropes, and,
imitating the monkeys, swung himself up with un-
common dexterity. I turned giddy at this boyish frolic,
for no one knew what was the strength or the toughness
of the plant : a peremptory order brought the youngster
down again. By this acrobatic performance we were able
to form some idea of the immense height of the tropical
vegetation ; and it is no exaggeration when travellers say
that the eye cannot distinguish the form of the leaves on
the separate portions of the crown.

We heard the sound of shots: St listened atten-
tively to them, and then turned to give us the information
that they were probably fired by a runaway negro, a
murderer, who was roving about in the forest, and sup-
porting himself by hunting. The man is known to the
whole neighbourhood ; but as he has not committed any
more murders, and has known how to excite a certain
amount of respect towards himself, so a sort of quiet

VOL. III. A A

354 RECOLLECTION'S OF MY LIFE.

neutrality is preserved towards him,, and a certain social
position has been accorded to him. He is now the wild
hunter par excellence, and affords a striking proof of the
primitive condition of imperial Brazil. Looking candidly
at the existing state of things, one sees that a man may
do what he likes here; no real government exists, still
less any justice ; criminals can only be punished by Lynch
law.

The sole restraint upon a man is the loss of his bodily
strength ; his protection is his personal courage; his
means of protecting his rights, or of persuasion, are on
the one side his rifle, on the other, his bow and arrows ;
with these a man may live very happily, but he must of
necessity possess strength and courage.

As the population of the country is so small, this state
of things may continue; it is a decided advantage to
intelligent and clever men that they should be unmolested
in their undertakings ; the burdensome restraints that
exist in over-populous and over-civilised countries are
unknown here. The power of the government is limited
to the narrow circle in the immediate vicinity of the
towns ; its arm cannot reach into the forest. Here taxes
are unknown; here are no courts of justice, and the
wealthy fazendero, with his army of slaves, is absolute
ruler and master over all his broad lands; the emperor
in distant Kio is to him only the lord of the coast, the
receiver of dues, who has no power to trouble him in any
way. This state of society has its romantic side, and one
can easily understand that it is a good school for forming
strong characters, as well as an excellent scene for exer-
tion to those to whom civilised Europe, with its luxuries,
is too confined.

The shades of evening stole over tree and hill, the sky
looked like opal, and stars were already beginning to
twinkle in the dim light ; the air was soft and cool, and

MATO VIRGEM. 3J5

the calm of night fell over the whole country. We passed
over the same bridge by which we had entered the Mato ;
in the coffee -plantations, and around the golden pine-
apples, lovely humming-birds were dancing, like gleams of
poesy, and were sipping the first sweets from the opening-
buds of night.

The stillness of evening reigned also in the fazenda;
the negroes were already shut up in their own huts ; axe
and saw were silent in the workshops ; the old mechanic
of the fazenda, a venerable man, eighty years of age, who
had come across the ocean from Suabia, a true vassal and
faithful assistant to our energetic friend St , was sit-
ting before his workshop, quietly eating his evening meal ;
and only the lady of the house, and her black hand-
maidens, were still all activity, preparing the evening
repast for the returning travellers, and scarce finding time
to say a word of cordial greeting.

Night had set in ; night in the vast-forest : more and more
fully did the dreams of my youth become realised. I was
now the guest of a fazendero, in the real Mato Virgem ;
far from the civilised world, far from all relations and
friends, surrounded by boundless forests, which stretched
from the foaming ocean far as the snow-capped Andes.

The watchman of the forest-night already made his
voice heard; the fereiro, that extraordinary frog (Hyla
palmata), which is the never-absent companion of Brazilian
night, and which marks the hours with as much regularity
as the cicade, with its railway whistle, before-mentioned.
The people of the Mato call it, on account of its peculiar
tones, the hammersmith. In a short time the forest-lights
began to appear; a large beetle kindled its phosphoric

rays in the open space before St 's house, and with its

brightness illumined the entire space. We went to the
door to look at the phenomenon. I had often heard of

AA2

356 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the phosphoric rays emitted by this insect, but had never
believed that they were so powerful.

At nine o'clock we travellers united in a cheerful meal

with the amiable St family, Consul L , and Herr

K , St 's man of business. The agreeable lady of

the house presided, and, with friendly curiosity, made
enquiries about our wanderings. Like a true daughter of
the Mato, she was delighted with the raptures which it
had excited. The table was again spread with excellent
dishes ; but unfortunately, true to my hygienic system, I
could not indulge in them according to my wishes at so
late an hour of the evening. Among the delicacies, a
savoury dish of red crabs (the lively animals we had seen
in the mangle bushes) especially attracted my attention.
After supper, we sat in the verandah with our fragrant
cigars, and enjoyed some friendly conversation, to which

St 's talent and knowledge mainly contributed. The

night was mild and calm, and refreshing in its coolness.
The principal subjects of our talk were the negroes, with
questions about slavery. None could give us better in-
formation than St , a well-educated man of intellect

and strength of mind, who had now for fifteen years been
toiling in the midst of the primeval forest.

St has made the blacks his study as a philosopher,
from every point of view, which has been the more easy
because of his knowledge of medicine, so that he attends
his own slaves as a doctor. In this way he has a double
interest in the life of the negroes, and also obtains a great
moral influence over these human wares ; indeed, he has
from experience come to the conclusion, that every
fazendero of importance ought (on account of the great
number of his slaves) to be able to act as their doctor on
emergency. To our question whether the negro were

rather man or beast, St answered rationally, that he

was altogether a man. He is a man, but it is evident

MATO VIRGEM. 357

that he stands much lower in the scale of creation than
the other races of .the earth; indeed, the supporters of
slavery maintain that he is born to servitude, and ease
their consciences by recounting the mysterious curse
pronounced upon wicked Hani. This inevitable necessity
for slavery is also proved by the capability of the negro for
labour beneath which the white man would sink ; such
as the cultivation of the sugar-cane, beneath the burning
rays of the sun, in which the white man could neither
bear the heat, nor the sharpness of the canes. That which
goes on on the opposite side of the ocean, does not
enter into the arguments of slave-owners ; they do not
trouble themselves with the source whence the negroes

O

come ; they only think of the useful results. The kidnap-
ping in Africa, the fearful voyage across the ocean, are
not among their responsibilities; they only become an-
swerable for the black after he has set foot upon their
territories. Taken at this point, they maintain that the
negro, properly treated as a slave, is a happier man than
if he had remained free; and that in most cases, those
who are set free, die immediately. But these gentlemen
do not reflect why it is that such an one dies. It is either
because there is some notion of crime connected with his
breaking of his former bonds, so that he wanders into the
forest to support himself by hunting and theft, and is
driven by want to robbing fazendas, and to drinking ; or
else, because suddenly presented with his freedom, and
without any means of subsistence, he does not know how to
provide for himself, and, like a deserted child, falls a prey
to idleness and vice. Two principal causes lead to these
results; known or unknown persecution on the part of
the slave-owners, and also the want of even a very small
amount of education and distinctive character. Were
these remedied, there might be hope for the future ; for
the blacks in Liberia are intelligent people. But it is

358 RECOLLECTIONS OF }IY LIFE.

unhappily true that, under present circumstances (all think-
ing men, from the emperor downwards, are slave-owners),
all negroes who become free are very much to be pitied.
An instance that occurred lately will suffice. A slave
woman in the province of Minas, found an immense
diamond; she brought it honestly to her master, who
obtained a fabulous sum of money for it. The value of
this stone is so great, that a joint-stock company has been
formed, who have hitherto endeavoured in vain to find a
purchaser at a high price in the European market; all
purchasers have been refused, for no one has sufficient
money to buy this costly gem. The owner thought it
incumbent on him to give some substantial token of
acknowledgment to the finder, and presented the unfortu-
nate being who had thus largely contributed to his wealth
with her freedom. The poor woman died a short time
ago, a miserable beggar, a victim to her own incapacity,
and to the heedlessness of her master.

The slaves form the wealth of the fazenderos ; with
their numbers his prosperity increases ; it is therefore to

his interest that these should multiply. St takes

care that his slaves are married as soon as possible.
He performs the ceremony himself; to wait for the
clergyman would make too great a delay. A banquet fol-
lows the ceremony, and appears to possess greater attrac-
tions than the blessing of the church, which, in their
ignorance, is a matter of little importance. The increase
in their numbers is of the greatest consequence to their

owner, and is therefore much encouraged. St gives

considerable premiums to his negresses for every child
after the sixth. Ill-disposed negresses will sometimes kill
their children to spite their master. Such crimes incur
the most severe punishments. The frequent, and often
terrible fights among the negroes and negresses (with
these latter generally arising from jealousy), also bring
serious punishment, as being injurious to the master. On

MATO V1RG!-::-. 350

such occasions the chigota (the ox-hide) acts as the olive-
branch of peace. According to St 's statements, it

not unfrequently happens that the slaves hang themselves,
on purpose to injure their masters. This has happened to
himself. Strict discipline prevails in the fazenda — indeed,
one may say, an unlimited despotism. The master can
punish when and whom he will, the only limit is found in
his own conscience ; the only restraint, consideration for
his own interest. If he should punish, too severely, he
injures himself in his subjects. A negro who is once ill-
treated, becomes weak, or his body is scarred ; and then,
even with the best food (and such generally precedes a
sale), he cannot be brought into good condition. The
lightest (and that almost a daily punishment) is blows
with the palmatorio, on the flattened hand.

More severe punishments are found in chains, labour
on Sundays, and blows with the chigota. The number of
blows amounts to a hundred. On these occasions the
negro is bound to a ladder, which is leaned against a
wall. Very heavy punishments are divided and admin-
istered according to circumstances. A hundred blows
generally costs a man his life, which is a great loss to his
master. The severest punishments are for mutinous con-
duct and insubordination. St said, * What could one,

two, or even three white men do among hundreds of slaves
without moral superiority ? I have often been alone at
such moments, and have either brought out the ringleader,
or ordered the trembling and fearful men around me to
bring him out, and to bind him. I have then made an ex-
ample of him.' The tronc, also, a block of wood in which,
according to circumstances, feet, hands, and head are
made fast, and in which the slave is compelled to lie for
the whole day, is very painful punishment to the black.
If the slaves commit great crimes, their masters are often
the sufferers.

360 KECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

A married couple had two slaves, by whose labour they
lived. These slaves killed their master, and were hanged
for it ; but the widow was charged with the law expenses.
Thus she had to pay the costs, lost both her husband and
her slaves, and was reduced to beggary.

In St 's fazenda, the slaves are all awoke at five

o'clock in the morning, by a shrill call. Herr K , in

his morning deshabille, takes down the chigota from the
peg, puts on his most stern expression, and descends the
stairs with the air of a despot ; at the foot of the staircase
he is respectfully greeted by a tall slave, who accompanies
him. He assembles the slaves beneath a shed, and
apportions their work ; they then go to the door of the
kitchen, where they receive their rations. With the
exception of their time for rest in the middle of the day,
they work as long as they can see; for, according to

St 's practical calculation, one minute of idleness

among one hundred and twenty slaves, is equivalent to two
hours, and that is at the rate of one day in every twelve.
At the end of their day's work, they are again counted,
and defile past their master's house, each humbly extend-
ing his hand towards his owner, with the words ' A ben9ao ; '
the despot then stretches forth his right hand with a
gesture of benediction, and murmurs, ' Deos te ben9ao.'
This custom appears very patriarchal ; the slave asks for
a blessing, and his gracious master replies, ( God bless
you ! ' Only the chigota seemed to me to be out of har-
mony with the scene. So long as I remained in the
Fazenda da Vittoria, I was, according to St 's hos-
pitable notions, the supreme power, and therefore I was
invited by him to speak the words of blessing, which I
did willingly and with all pathos. This benediction is very
convenient, for it stands in the place of our presents, and
is an assistance to the traveller in a hundred ways : at last

MATO VIRGEM. 361

it became a by-word among us, used in Europe on many
occasions, to certain personages.

When this blessing lias been pronounced, men, women,
and children all go again to the door of the kitchen to
receive what is needful for their bodies. Each one has a
definite but ample ration of carne secco, farinha, and
biscuit. The whole of the black community then retire
by divisions to their stable-like cabins, where they cook
their food, and have the evening to themselves. Among
their home occupations, they make little baskets and
spoons, and all sorts of things of cocoa-nut, and these they
are allowed to selL Sunday, the day of rest for man and
beast, is their own entirely.

One can scarcely imagine a more unhappy life than that
of the negroes ; they are treated like convicts. Two things
in their melancholy existence are, and must ever be, fear-
ful. First, the principle that the anger of the owner and
the punishments he inflicts are only mitigated by the
necessity of care not to diminish the value of his slaves ;
and next, the thought that let the man be ever so talented,
he can never rise higher unless by the favour of his master.

A longing for the rest we had so thoroughly earned
terminated our interesting conversation, and each one
retired to the sleeping apartment prepared for him by the

hospitality of St . To novices in forest-life the modest

questions were permissible whether undesired guests,
such as vampires, scorpions and snakes, and mosquitoes
(not to be forgotten) would disturb our rest, and whether
one might venture to sleep with the window open. St —
laughed, and calmed the fears of our European imagina-
tions. He was also so kind as to give me, in his capacity
as a doctor, a zinc lotion for my legs, which were very
painful. Our couches were hard, adapted to the heat of
the climate, but very clean and comfortable. Yet the
doctor and I very much missed our high bolsters. Tired

362 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

with the labours of the day, and lulled Tjy the fresh cool-
ness of the night air, we soon fell asleep, and the noise of
the zealous fereiro became fainter and fainter to our ears.

Im Mato Virgem, Jan. 17, 1860.

Delight at the prospect of pressing more deeply into

this forest, the abode of wild life, and St 's desire that

we should be ready to begin our expedition early, roused
us with the beginning of dawn. We made a rapid toilet
by candlelight. I had scarcely put on my long useful
boots of Eussian leather, and a light linen dress, when our
friendly host appeared, and with a hearty, cheerful ( Good
morning,' brought us a cup of coffee, the exhilarating
beverage with which the Brazilian day always commences.
The travellers assembled by degrees in the verandah at
the back of the house, whilst the careful lady of the house
was engaged in preparing the breakfast of which we were

to partake before beginning our excursion. St and his

black servants were occupied in driving in the horses on
which we were to make the first portion of our journey.
I was lost in contemplation of the magnificent scene
which presented itself to us from the verandah : the silvery
dawn tinted the broad forest that surrounded the fazenda
in verdant circles ; the stars had vanished ; the last night
sounds were dying away in the distance ; a light white
fog hung over the pond and drew its curtain over the
slopes ; a cool air breathed through the still valley, like
the peaceful breathings of the sleeper just ere he awakens ;
the morning silence was only broken in upon by the rush
of the water for the mill, as it poured foaming through
the wooden channels, and by the pensive step of the
cattle as they sought their food among the aromatic wild
flowers. In the east, the golden tints of morning appeared
in the sky, and coloured the highest summit of the
forest ; the twilight brightened by degrees ; the mists

MATO VIRGEM. 363

cleared away ; the buildings gleamed in the opening day ;
the vast picture was divided into light and shade ; the first
sunbeam fell on the crowns of the trees in the green Mato ;
the gladsome day was born, and stillness gave place to
joyous life and activity.

I shall never forget the impression made upon me by
this sunrise in the fazenda ; in its simple grandeur, it
reminded me of our Alps. There we also have pas-
tures through which the mill-stream wanders merrily,
which are surrounded by walls of forest-trees, thousands
of years old, excluding the outer world; there, too, we
have our farm-buildings scattered over the meadows, like
St 's fazenda.

When the sun bursts forth with his bright clear light,
then indeed we behold the marvel of the tropics, and the
green masses form themselves into shapes such as are
unknown in our land. But Nature, wheresoever she may
display her full splendour, is ever grand and sublime ; and
she is so wherever she treads the broad girdle of the beau-
teous earth.

St came to summon me to breakfast. I shared my

thoughts with him, and when I spoke of the Alps, he
smiled with a melancholy pleasure, for his Swiss heart
throbbed at the name. The comparison that I made was very
welcome to him, it gave some consolation in the yearning
for home which ever lingers in the heart of the emigrant.

Our breakfast consisted of fish, meat, and farinha,
flavoured with spices ; the remains of the excellent pig of
yesterday also appeared; and notwithstanding the early
hour, draughts of cahapa and lisbon were indulged in, an
evil practice of tropical life which probably enervates the
system more than does the heat.

Although we had been requested to be ready so early,
it was not until nine o'clock that the horses were ready
and were brought round ; we were obliged to wait for some

364 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

of them to come from the distant fazenda of St 's father-
in-law. Taking a cordial leave of Fran St— - and the
children, we swung ourselves into the saddle, put our feet
into the shoe-stirrups, and started off in high spirits for the

Mato : St in front as our experienced guide. Our road

led us first through some cleared ground, on which were
groups of handsome trees ; this was the hitherto unused
property of our leader.

We heard a melancholy note resounding in the distance

at regular intervals ; St told us that it was the peculiar

cry of the tukan or pepper-bird, which does much mischief
to the planters, especially in the winter months, by its
enormous appetite, which appetite did not fail with the
two tukans that I brought with me to Europe. Next to
it, the greatest eater is the green parrot, which, being
gregarious, causes great devastation in cultivated spots.
Both are birds of passage, and at this season are chiefly to
be found in the interior of the country.

We were able closely to examine another wonder of the
feathered world, a large humming-bird which flew un-
easily from a bush. Of the size of a sparrow, in colour
dark-brown, and with a long sharp beak, it had, notwith-
standing its size, the shape and rapid restless movements
of other humming-birds ; but, so far as I could see, it
seemed to lack their brilliance.

From some dark-coloured water overgrown with green,
close by the path, an Incaris amazonica rose in great
beauty, with exquisitely formed leaves, a tall stem like a
lily, and large white blossoms of delicious fragrance; a
really wonderful flower, which among the many beauties
of the vegetable world that we have seen here, stands pre-
eminent.

Passing an enclosure we came to where the path divided ;
here, among plantations of coffee and manioka, we saw a
little house built of wood. In front of it we were greeted

MATO VIRGEM. 365

by a stately figure in a blue shirt, a high cap on his head,
white linen trowsers fastened in at the knee, bare feet, a
rifle on his shoulder, the never-failing cypo-knife at his
side ; a genuine type of Brazilian forest-life ; he was An-
tonio do N , a vassal of St 's. As in the commence-
ment of our civilisation at the period of the middle ages
the powerful possessors of large territories made grants of
enfeoffment under certain obligations, so is it now in Brazil.

Antonio is, in the fullest sense of the word, St 's vassal ;

St has granted him a piece of ground upon certain

conditions.

Antonio has built a little house for himself, has cleared
a portion of the forest, and now plants his own coffee and
manioka. Antonio do N is the son of a white Brazi-
lian and of a pure Indian woman ; he is of an olive colour,
with rich black hair and a luxuriant beard; he is married
to a mulatto. By this marriage he has one son, who assisted
us afterwards on our journey in taking care of our horses ;
he is seventeen years of age, tall as a pine, with delicate
features and bright eyes. In colour, this young boy is
neither red, nor black, nor olive, nor bronze, nor fair, nor
dark, but all imaginable colours seem to blend in his com-
plexion, which is, nevertheless, a very good one; the
Corinthian metal must have been like it — copper, gold,
and bronze mixed. There was something of each race in
his appearance, perhaps least of our own.

Antonio joined the train of his liege lord, as in duty
bound.

We were now approaching the large river, the Cachue-
ras. The forest became clearer, the path more beaten,
large trees stood alone, the sound of the water was audible.

St — - called our attention to a silver-grey parasite
which, growing on the crown of an old tree, hung down
like a beard, waving in the slightest breeze ; it is called
by the natives Barba di Macacco, or ape's beard.

366 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

In the neighbourhood of Rio it bears the name of
6 Barba velha ; ' its Latin appellation is Tilandsia usne-
oides. On the Lofty pines in our Alps there is a similar
plant used by the peasants as an ornament. We advanced
through plantations to the bank of the river, and for the
first time beheld, amid cocoa-fields, the detached houses
of a German colony.

The cocoa-plantations are very pretty. Tree after
tree rises at a regular distance from the rich black earth
to a height of about eight feet. The crown is round,
like that of the orange tree, with long, glossy, and
rather large leaves ; the fruit, in shape like a pear, and
the pretty yellow blossoms both grow close to the stem ;
and, as with the orange, are both to be seen on the tree
at the same time. The brown kernels are contained in
the pulp of the fruit ; they are called cocoa beans : from
these chocolate is made, and an oil is also pressed. The
plants are compact and well -trained, and the trees, with
the shade they afford, look cool and refreshing. These
trees, which I now saw for the first time, summoned up
visions of my youth. I thought of the cocoa which we
used to drink for breakfast every morning when children ;
and the cocoa cream that was applied to our hands in
winter. Trivial as such incidents are, they remain firmly
fixed in our memories, and when recalled in after years are
pleasant reminiscences.

We arrived at the settlers' houses, little wooden build-
ings partially plastered, and nearly all provided with veran-
dahs. In front of one or two of the houses stood some
large trees left from the forest, but most of the huts were
half-buried in the cocoa-plantations. Two pale men, with
wasted features, were walking along the road. A few

words in German spoken to them by St , told of

their Transatlantic origin. They answered in their native
ton»Tie, but its ring had lost its richness and clearness and
its tones were those of weariness and melancholy ; the

MATO VIRGEM. 367

figures had lost their energy and elasticity; thesemen looked
like people who had missed their vocation, who did not
feel themselves at home, to whom the French 'depayser'
was most applicable. Most of the Grerman settlers present
the same forlorn appearance ; the worm is gnawing at the
root with all. Still more miserable looked the pallid
children, with their flaxen air and clear blue eyes, and
over-rapid growth caused by the hot climate and tropical
air. They wanted a breath of wind from the bright snow-
drifts to tint their cheeks with a rosy hue. 1 spoke to
several of these children who came out from the houses, full
of curiosity, to stare at the travellers, but not one of them
could answer me ; the mother- tongue of their parents was
unfamiliar to them, they could only speak Portuguese.
Unhappy parents, who in the toils of the new existence
they have created for themselves have not even the conso-
lation of being able to talk to their children in their own
language !

Most of the men were absent at work ; some few came to

their doors, and welcomed St with a cordial greeting.

Many of the houses close to the high banks of the river
were prettily situated and well shaded ; but most bore
marks of the uncertainty and unhappiness of the tenants.
The whole colony looked to me like an attempt to plant
where there is no root; and without professing to be a
prophet, I may say I much fear that no good will come of
this Suabian colonisation on the banks of the Cachueras.
At the end of the hamlet next the river, surrounded by
cocoa-plantations, covered with roses and jasmines, and
half-shaded over by fruit-trees, was a little house built of

logs, like our Alpine huts, and to this St turned. It

was the farm of a friend of his, Heinrich B , a very

honest man, and one of the most interesting persons I have
seen on this side of the ocean. Heinrich was born in
Suabia, and at seven years old, crossed the sea with his

368 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

parents; he is one of the few who make themselves as
happy as they can in a Brazilian home, and cultivate the
land judiciously. He does not try to make Brazil Ger-
many; he perceives with a true instinct that here it is
quite necessary to lead a wild, primitive life. He cultivates
his cocoa, his small plot of coffee and farinha, and has
two slaves, whom he compels to work for him. But his
own favourite duties are in the wide Mato ; his delight is
in hunting, his great pleasure in adventures such as the
forest and its dangers afford. He has gained a position
for himself, and has made himself a name far and near by
his skill in hunting, his cool courage, his perseverance,
and his knowledge of the hunting grounds. In him, the
colonists respect a true-hearted, straightforward land-
owner, and the Indians admire the bold man who, fol-
lowing the stars and his little compass, traverses the forest
in all directions as the experienced sailor traverses the ocean.
A thin, sinewy man, in white trowsers, with bare feet, and
a woolly night-cap, he goes out, provided with some farinha,
dried meat, cahapa, a little tobacco, and his compass in
his pocket, his rifle on his shoulder and accompanied
by his dogs (marked with the scars of many a fray) into
the forest for the whole day in the gayest spirits: he
knows none of the wants, the fancies of luxurious life ; but
he is well acquainted with every tree, every bush, and with
the depth of every piece of water ; he understands the noise
made by every animal, from the monkey to the terrible
jaguar ; free and unfettered he follows his own will ; and if
it be a life of excess of independence, yet it is that which

B leads.

Not without reason do I give him the name of the Forest-
king ; for he possesses unbounded influence over man and
beast : the first fazenderos in the land follow his advice ;
negroes and Indians bow to his will. To such a character
I accord my fullest esteem, and I soon formed a friendship

MATO VIRGEM. 369

with Heinrich. St and Hemrich cause the German

name to be honoured in these remote lands ; from them
one may learn how really to live as a free man, relying on
one's own strength, and not depending on any other mortal
for anything; but one would need naturally to possess the
character for such a life. It comes up to the very ideal of
vigorous man.

Heinrich welcomed us joyfully : it flattered him that

St should bring strangers to him, the Forest-king,

to ask his advice, and to request him to act as pilot in this
sea of verdure. Heinrich invited us to make a short halt,

and we gladly refreshed ourselves with some of St 's

cold provisions, on which occasion the indispensable cahaya

once more made its appearance. The inside of B 's

house was more than simple ; it was quite in the style of
our summer-houses, with very little room in it, and with
benches and tables of bare wood ; a pretty clock in a case
of a black wood, which he had brought from home, was the
only ornament. In this little house lived Heinrich, and with
him a female friend — a tall stately woman, of mature age,
who had a peculiar expression of melancholy and a peculiar
power of sympathy. Wilhelmina (for such was her name)
has her history, as indeed have almost all Transatlantic set-
tlers in this strange land. A native of Potsdam, either from
folly or (as she says) from love, she ran away from the house
of her parents when in her sixteenth year, and went to
Hamburg. The love of a captain of a vessel took her from
there ; he brought the pretty young lady with him to
Brazil, but died off the tropical coast from yellow-fever.
Wilhelmina, alone and desolate, separated from home by
the ocean, became the wife of a German doctor; they
were married for some years, and had children ; but one
morning the doctor disappeared for ever, with everything
belonging to Wilhelmina, leaving her and her children
destitute, a prey to misery and despair. She then became

VOL. III. B B

370 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

acquainted with Heinrich, whose wife had died, leaving him
childless, and they now live together as firm friends, help-
ing and encouraging each other.

All these occurrences suffice to account for the melan-
choly expression of the poor woman, who must be a wonder-
ful person, and who still knows how to win regard by her
amiability and pleasing manners. One might write a ro-
mance on the history of the various persons one meets in
the forest, without indulging in poetical license.

According to the decisions of St and B , we

were to leave all needless packages in the house, and
only to take that which was absolutely necessary ; for to
be encumbered even with a little bag in the forest, where
one can sometimes hardly force one's way, is not to be

thought of. In accordance also with B 's suggestions,

an alteration was made in my dress, and I exchanged my
linen coat for a blue woollen blouse from B 's ward-
robe. Even this was but too soon torn by the thorns. Our
horses were sent back, and we proceeded to the bank of
the river, where we were to get into a little boat. At this
point the river is broad, and affords a fine view ; the bank
near the settlement is rather high ; luxuriant shrubs and
a profuse growth of creepers dip down into the water;
large trees with their companion parasites are outlined
against the sky; the undulating ground is ornamented
with cocoa-plantations, amid which houses are scattered ;
here and there a house stands close to the river, and the
busy inhabitants form pleasing and cheerful ornaments
to the landscape. Taking advantage of any favourable
spot close by the water, are chattering groups of black
washerwomen. From the bank the eye wanders over a
broad expanse of water, divided near a waterfall into two
arms by an island, covered with the most exquisite and
luxuriant vegetation. The waterfall breaks over a large
group of granite rocks, the spray dashing over them like

MATO VIRGEM. 271

silver spangles. Numerous little islands of earth are
formed among them, on which most beautiful plants grow
from a bed of green. Peaks of rock near the waterfall
also break the glassy mirror of the water, and form foaming
rapids. The opposite bank rises gently to the height of a
hill ; an extensive pasture-ground, on which are some few
small groups of trees, forms the last vestige of the cleared
forest. On the table-land on the top of the hill, removed

from all vegetation, stands the fazenda of Baron P ,

which it was our intention at this time to visit.

The towering walls of the impenetrable Mato form the
boundary of the beautiful panorama.

When St spoke to me of an Italian settler who had

arrived in the forest some three years ago, when he men-
tioned the familiar name of P , I felt my heart prick me.

Beautiful Milan, the Lake of Como, the yearning for fair
Lombardy, thoughts of exile, of parting, all rose before
my mind in a moment ; the scarce-healed wounds burst
open afresh, sadness overspread my heart, and with keen
emotion I crossed the river to the small plain, accom-
panied by St , and guided by some negroes.

On the opposite bank, on the boundary of his lands, dressed
in a summer dress of the newest fashion, and with his panama
in his right hand, stood a tall aristocratic figure, bowing low;

it was Baron P . It was not without embarrassment

that I approached the emaciated man with long grey beard
and haggard features. Whom, then, was I visiting ? A na-
tive of Lombardy — -an Italian — a republican — an exile ?
Was he a friend or a foe? — a contented or a dissatisfied man?
All was a mystery to me, and remained so for some time ;
but he formed another character in my gallery of strange
personages. I addressed him in Italian ; he answered me
in the purest and best German, greeted me ceremoniously,
but very courteously, and invited me to his fazenda. Be-
neath scorching heat we walked up to his house. In

B B 2

372 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

the verandah we were received by the Baroness, dressed
simply, but also in the newest style, like her husband ;
between forty and fifty years of age, with fair hair and
marked features. She was a Frenchwoman"; therefore, in
addition to a cordial greeting, she made as many pretty
speeches as though we were in the heart of the modern
Babylon. The primeval forest had evidently not become
a home to her ; she had arrived too recently, and would
have liked still to play her part in Europe, and indeed
in France. The interior of the fazenda resembled the
lady. Her •drawing-room was filled with ancestral por-
traits in antique handsome frames, with various other
beautiful pictures and miniatures, and with a multitude
of useless nicknacks. Choice furniture stood in all parts
of the room — a mass of relics of past days of luxury ;
but, with all this, there was no ceiling, and no boarded
floor — nothing but the battened earth — all uncomfortable
— all unpractical. Similar to the drawing-room was the
apartment which served the Baroness for a sleeping-
chamber and boudoir : an ornamental bed, a writing-table
covered with useless trifles, an aristocratic toilette-table —
and all this in the Mato ! The whole thing was mys-
terious ; but at length, thanks to the loquacity of the lady
of the house, the mists cleared off. I was told that they
were not Italians, but a family of the old Swiss nobility ;
on the other hand, they had a portrait hanging against
the wall of an ancestor in a handsome uniform, who was
said to have been Governor of Grenoa. They came here,
with all their effects, from Europe three years ago, the
Baron jsaid, from disgust and anxiety, in consequence of
the increase of democratic principles. They had pur-
chased jthe fazenda, with its extensive domains, and with
about 100 slaves, for 60,000 florins, and wished to play at
aristocracy in the forest. But the lady is already pining
for home, for ( La Belle France,1 and is wasting her life in

MATO VIRGEM. 373

painful reflections and in deep-seated melancholy. She told
me that she would struggle on bravely for another year ;
but that if in that time she cannot overcome her depression,
her husband has promised to take her back to Europe.
They have two fair boys, of thirteen and ten years of age,
full of life and spirits. From another source I heard the
darker portion of the mystery. The Baron had already
been in Brazil some years before, and had, with a com-
panion, made a large clearing, and carried on trade in
timber, but suddenly parted from his companion, winding
up affairs with him. He then became a trader in cattle,
on a large scale, in St. Paolo ; there he is said to have
had a family. This occupation was also given up, and
suddenly this knight of adventure appeared at the Grerman
baths, remained there for some time, lived very expen-
sively, took a house for a while, and next reappeared in
the Brazilian forest with a French wife and two hopeful
heirs.

No one can fathom the mystery, and he is avoided in
the neighbourhood, although he gives himself out to be

St 's cousin. He has the name of being a harsh man.

Madame is said to have been formerly in a convent — hence
it would appear that she herself is part of the mystery.

My sentimental emotions, at the first mention of the
name, were then all wasted ; curiosity would have been the
more appropriate feeling. The poor lady overpowered us
with kindness, and would have given us abundance of
refreshments ; some choice Khine wine we could not refuse.
The joy of the unfortunate lady, at being once more in
a company composed entirely of Europeans, was very
evident. I talked to her of the surroundings among which
she now found herself. She praised the beauty of the
forest, the brilliance of the vegetation. With French
courage she often mounts her horse, and goes alone to all
accessible places to inspect the workmen, or to fetch her

374 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

husband ; but all the while her heart is breaking — she
cannot forget civilised life. For the education of her sons,
whom this wild life suits very well, she has a sort of tutor,
a good-looking young man, but one who does not under-
stand French. Two white servant-maids — a cook and a
parlourmaid — both natives of Germany, render her exist-
ence supportable. The house is prettily situated, with an
extensive view over the river, the edge of the forest, and
the pasture-land on which the cattle graze ; but the entire
want of shade, and of all vegetation near the house, is very
uncomfortable : a dread of insects and reptiles causes these
ornaments to be banished. In the lattice of the wooden
verandah we saw a nest of wild canary-birds, which build
here with the same familiarity as our martins. The Ba-
roness told us that a humming-bird flew into the room a
few days ago, as little alarmed as a butterfly would be. The
Baron was at this time very much occupied in cutting down
a portion of his forest, for which purpose he had, like
other landowners, sent for some Indians, who perform this
labour with great skill. His plantation is quite in its
infancy, but he has grand ideas in his mind, and hopes
with time and .diligence to make it very profitable. I only
fear that the projects and notions which he entertains are
not suited to the circumstances in which he is; and I

imagine that St , with his happy method and calm

energy, and with his power of self-adaptation to the state
of the country, may augur a brighter future for himself.

It cannot be denied that the country possesses an abun-
dant fund of wealth — this one may see from the raw
material ; but two difficulties lie in the way of its cultiva-
tion— the want of hands, and the want of an established
currency. So long as she lacks these, Brazil will profit but
little by her treasures ; the empire is therefore dependent
in every way upon Europe. Thus, as we had opportu-
nity to observe at every step in the Mato, one sees the

MATO VIRGEM. 375

most magnificent trees for shipbuilding purposes — trees of
a size such as the world cannot produce elsewhere, of a
hardness and toughness that defies every sort of worm ; yet
all along the coast there are no dockyards, and even the
men-of-war are all built in England. Means of transport
are also wanting in the country. Brazil has splendid iron-
mines in the province of St. Paolo; magnetic ironstone
with 90 per cent, of iron, so that it needs not to be molten,
but only to be hammered into the requisite form. Not-
withstanding this, nails can be procured more cheaply
from Europe. The paving-stones of Rio, which is sur-
rounded by masses of granite, were all brought ready-cut
from Portland. Coal has been found, but remains un-
worked for want of labourers. Up to the present time, the
Government has taken no pains to promote colonisation,
or any means of communication; and the whole empire, so
far as one can see, consists of coffee, sugar, and cocoa plan-
tations. He who owns an abundance of these natural pro-
ducts (for the cultivation of which he requires a large
number of slaves), and who finds himself in the vicinity
of a river, rendering transport by canoe possible — may
become a rich man. As I have already made mention
of rare woods, I will here observe that P , when prais-
ing the beauty of the different sorts of wood, presented me
with a specimen, of the colour of the finest rosewood ; it
is unknown in Europe, and is the wood of a tree here
named acariba.

I had opportunities in my travels of seeing trunks of
trees that were beautiful in colour, even on the exterior ;
I saw one that was quite yellow, and one of a hue like
porphyry. The smoothness, thickness, and hardness of
the wood also surprised me ; but only of the broad-foliaged
trees, be it remembered, for the palms are always soft.
There are certain woods in Brazil that will not burn; these
are generally used by the negroes for the flooring of their

376 KECOLLECTIOXS OF MY LIFE.

huts, and on these floors they daily make their fires ; even
after the lapse of years, the place where the fires have been
can only be distinguished by a slight mark.

Whilst we were still deep in an interesting conversation
about the country, and whilst various preparations were
going forward for our advance into the forest, a negro

from St 's fazenda appeared in great haste, bringing

to his master the sad intelligence that his favourite child,
little Gerubino, had been suddenly taken very ill. The
father was much alarmed, and we compelled him to return
immediately ; he spoke a few hurried words to our doctor
concerning the best remedies to be applied, and then hast-
ened to the riverside, followed by the sympathy of our
whole party.

Madame P explained to us, with friendly solicitude,

that our panamas would be very inconvenient in walking in
the forest, for that it would be impossible to make way for
them ; she therefore provided us, from among her inex-
haustible stores, with some white woollen nightcaps. We
made a most comical appearance, and even the amiable
Parisienne could not avoid laughing loudly. Imagine my
tall figure in a blue blouse, in white inexpressibles (already
the worse for their adventures), in long red leather boots,
with a flowing beard, and high on my head, like the vane
on a church-tower, a nightcap, like those of the German
peasants, in my right hand a knotted stick — a disreput-
able-looking individual — such I looked to perfection. For-
tunately, there are no gendarmes in the Mato ; otherwise I
and my companions would certainly have been arrested,
for greater vagabonds in appearance one could not see. I
felt very comfortable in this dress ; it aroused a feeling of
self-confidence, a certain honest pride, and I felt as
excited as though going into battle.

We started : the lord of the neighbourhood, Baron
P , was so kind as to accompany us to the portals of

MATO VIRGEM. 377

the vast forest. We had to cross a considerable piece of
'roca' that had only just been burnt, and on which the
trunks of trees were still lying in confusion. The noon-
day sun was intensely hot. We took leave of our mys-
terious host on the borders of the forest, and pressed

forward, Heinrich B , the Forest-king, in front. The

vegetation closed over us like the waves of the sea ; far
behind us lay the world of man's life and strife ; the blue

vault of heaven vanished. The enchanter B led us

into a new world, a very dreamland — into a paradise in
which man could only enter as a guest, with timid and
hesitating steps. Every link with the outer world is
broken here — there exist not so much as the smallest path
by which to communicate with it. The spot on which
the foot of man rests is unmarked, for the vegetation closes
her network over it again immediately ; no imperial
road affords a clue here to the swift-running messen-
ger— no hut sends forth its column of smoke towards
heaven ; and if the bold traveller meet the eye of man, it
is that of an Indian hunter, wriggling his rude body
through the bush like a snake, for we are now in the
regions of Kamakans and Pantachos. The thick bush
compelled us to walk one behind the other like geese;

B (as has been said) foremost, his rifle on his shoulder,

and his hound by his side. I walked immediately behind
him, tormenting him with continual questions. After me
came the rest of our numerous party, most of them with
guns, and looking eagerly for opportunities of enriching
our museum. Notwithstanding the oppressive heat, we
moved at a quick pace, for Heinrich B — - wished to press
forward to a considerable distance before nightfall. To
him this accustomed road was an easy one, and he pro-
ceeded with elastic steps, notwithstanding his bare legs,
and the obstacles in his way. We Europeans were put
severely to the test, and only our enthusiasm and excite-

378 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

meat carried us through it : for in the forest one not only
has to force one's way between trees, to break through
bush, to allow oneself to be torn by thorns, and to make
one's way by force through the lianas ; but one must also
climb over fallen trees that block up the path, clamber
with hands and feet over them, or creep under them on all-
fours — must swing oneself over the large roots, or grope a
way through the branches of the fallen crowns— to say
nothing of the water that one has to wade through, which
is, however, rather refreshing. The forest may be divided
into three portions — the Mato proper with its giant trees,
its undergrowth, and its luxuriant vegetation below —
according to my description of yesterday, and such as we
have wandered through from the first ; the deep and damp
forest, where one constantly meets with streams, pools, and
swamps, and in which the vegetation is the richest, the
most profuse, and the most fantastic — the grass the most
brilliant in colour, and the hues of the flowers the gayest ;
where the immense trees grow with redoubled strength
and beauty, wound around by the richest lianas, and where
there is less of the underwood which bounds the view so
effectually; and, thirdly, the dry hill-forests, growing
on the declivities where the luxuriant vegetation is almost
absent, but where the underwood grows so thickly as
almost to form a bare palisade, so that the traveller not
only finds it most difficult and laborious to pass through it,
but, when he has done so, is less rewarded than elsewhere
for his toil. The damp forest affords the richest field for
the botanist, as also for the collector of insects and hum-
ming-birds ; but one must also take the poisonous animals
into account. In the more open forest the hunter and
the ornithologist are most at home ; the hill-forest is only
adapted to the rare class of wood-fanciers, who seek for
hard and coloured woods.

Every step presented new wonders to our view: we

MATO VIEGEM. 379

pressed on through a host of scitaminea, musaceae, aroidea,
through a thousand species of graminea, among countless
trees unknown and unnamed, around which were twined
philodendrons with their strangely-formed leaves, which
were connected by rattans, and linked by wreaths of liana ;
whilst beautiful bromeliacese and tilandsia rested on them,
looking like birds' nests. There were also some palms of
different species, which drew our attention, sometimes from
the beauty of their form, sometimes from their unpleasant
prickles. Grolden-coloured orchid-blossoms strewn on the
ground, showed us that in the crowns of the lofty trees
there were some rare specimens of this plant. We were
wandering through a sea of verdure ; the golden sunlight
was subdued to a mysterious twilight.

Transported into unknown regions, and severed from all
living beings except my fellow-travellers, I revelled among
the visions of Nature's Eden of enchantment. Some few
objects rose to connect the present with the past, and to
remind me of what I had already seen ; such were those
plants which are brought to our European hothouses, but
which here appeared in their fully-developed beauty. But
there were also many that I had never seen before, and
these among the richest that surrounded us, on which we
gazed with astonishment but could not describe. We be-
come silent with rapture in such scenes ; the impression is
too strange and too overpowering for us to be able give an
account of individual objects. There, where nature dwells
in the plenitude of her beauty and in all her vigour, man
can but gaze in astonishment. Even our botanist could
do nothing else ; he did not know where to begin, or how
to arrange his ideas. Science with him had become dumb;
that which he had reared with careful pride in his hothouse
here grew in vast masses ; but, being a practical man,
he soon recovered himself; he hung his Latin vocabulary
on the peg, and threw himself into bodily exertion. Being

380 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

a pachydermata, he tore the plants, seized the green stems,
and said to himself, ' I can think over everything when
we rest at home.' This was the wisest plan he could
pursue ; he collected courageously everything that he
could, knowing well that here there were no weeds. The
result was brilliant, and Baron Hiigel's advice, 'Put
everything into your pocket,' most excellent.

The zeal of this man of flowers detained us several
times ; for he must needs search every corner, and like a
weasel or a squirrel, creep up every trunk of a tree;
the poor negro who attended us was heavily laden, and
could not understand what was the use of this plunder of
the pale-faces. The botanist himself looked swelled to
the size of a balloon, for his pockets were filled with fruits
and seeds, and he had some specimens even in his shape-
less cap. Among the most beautiful of these that I
remember, was the Xantosoma nigrum, the large leaves
of which spread out like an umbrella, and beneath their
shade we found the lovely marante. There was also the
proud cystus, with its blossoms of purest white ; monstera
and anthuria, with their strange leaves ; beautiful orchids, of
various forms of leaf and flower ; the gay dichorisana,
with its striped leaves ; the Aroidea (zomicarpa), also with
variegated leaves; gesneriaceae sometimes creeping along
the ground, sometimes twining like parasites, often mixed
with paperonia, and winding themselves round the ferns.

In spots where the sun penetrates, the traveller is struck
by the strong sweet perfume of the Clerodendron fragrans ;
the perfume of the blossom is so powerful that it destroys
the unpleasant odour of the leaves. On the high pyra-
midal anthills, which are chiefly found in the dry portions
of the Mato, we found an interesting aroidea (spathi-
carpa) with small pointed leaves and peculiar green blos-
soms ; we were fortunate enough to be the first to bring
these plants, and many others also, to Europe.

MATO VIRGEM. 381

Among the undergrowth, I would especially notice the
Erythrociton brasiliense and the theophrastes, half-trees,
half- shrubs, their crowns formed of strong glossy leaves.
The palm is, and ever must be, the king of the vegetable
world ; it is here less common than other trees, and one
generally finds it standing alone, and rarely among under-
wood ; the stem is never thick. The most useful and, at
the same time, the most graceful palm is the Euterpe
oleracea, with light-green feathery leaves and tall slender
stems ; it is a precious treasure in the primeval forest ; it
affords the palm-cabbage, that most delicate of vegetables ;
the stems and leaves are used in the construction of huts.
Next in usefulness stands the species of palm called Cy-
clanthus, the leaves of which, while young and not yet
divided, are washed and boiled by the settler, and serve as
a substitute for farinha ; and are also even used, like the
papyrus of old, for purposes of writing; the inhabitants
of the Mato call them 'patijoba.'

The least serviceable palm is the beautiful and graceful
Astrocaryum, with its feathered leaves, which are dark-
green above, and silver-white underneath ; its bare, dark-
brown, fibrous stem is armed with fine prickles, as every
visitor to the Mato discovers in the course of events. This
palm never grows to any great height ; it is called ' Espin-
hero.' As we have mentioned the plants by their Brazilian
names, it may be well also to mention the names used in
the forest for some of the most interesting plants, such as
one hears every moment from the lips of the inhabitants.

The cecropia, met with everywhere, is called, in the lan-
guage of the country, Embahuba ; the bamboo, Tacurosu ;
the lovely Caladium brogniarti, Tinherao ; the fern, which
the people think a sign of the dry soil, Sanbambaja; a cu-
rious arum, not yet known or named in Europe, which we
brought home with us as an offering to the scientific
world, is called Tajoba braba; whilst the arum that is good

382 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

to eat, is called Tajoba mansa. The beautiful Chorisandra,
that curious flower with blue blossoms, and dark-green
leaves shaped like those of a lily, which we only found in
the depths of the forest, is called Pia9abeira. The splendid
Melastomea, that I have spoken of by the name of Lisi-
andra, which sheds a violet gleam around it, is called Flor
de quaresima ; whilst a sort of creeper, the choice blossoms
of which are like a bean both in form and colour, is
named Jasmin de Viuva (Widow's Jasmine), a play upon
its sombre hues.

The tree already mentioned by me at Bahia, from the
wood of which carriage-wheels are made, is also found in
this forest and is called, by the Brazilians, Tondaiba. A
very peculiar, rare, and (as I believe) generally unknown
tree, of which I only found one single specimen in the
forest, the immense trunk of which is smooth and hard,
and which bulges out like a flask a little above the roots,

St called Barigud ; it was in form the strangest tree

that I ever beheld ; and, as a curiosity, would rival the
dragon-tree of Orotara,

The ground became more and more heavy ; it began to
rise and fall, and quick walking in the hot, humid atmo-
sphere became very fatiguing. But our love of travel
made us follow Heinrich through all. We now came to
water, and were obliged to jump across or wade through
streams, the still waters of which were overgrown with
vegetation. Often large trees with their wealth of parasites
lay across the water like bridges, and afforded beautiful
studies for the painter. New pictures ever rose before us,
which we were never weary of admiring.

At a point in the forest where the sunbeams broke
through the crowns of leaves, and played over verdant
aroidea, purple scitaminea, and twining * lianas, on an
immense fallen tree lay a large gecko, at least two feet in
length, and green as malachite, sunning himself dreamily.

MATO VIRGEM. 383

The gecko is a sort of lizard, with a body of brilliant
green; its head is like that of the chameleon. One of our
sailors, who had earnestly entreated to be allowed to join
the expedition, courageously seized the apparently lifeless
animal at the back of the head, and put it into his pouch.
Another surprise awaited us, at a dark part of the forest,
in the sudden flying forth of a large nocturnal moth of a
grey colour; it was so large that at first we took it for a
bird, and then, on account of its silent flight, for a bat.
Unfortunately, it did not come within reach of our nets.

As we advanced towards a little eminence where the
forest became lighter, we heard deep, wild tones resound-
ing at intervals through the forest. Heinrich immediately
recognised the cry of the roaring ape, an unmistakeable
sound peculiar to the forest. The sound is half mournful,
half roaring, and at night very wild ; it is caused by a
peculiar formation in the throat; its power is extraordinary,
for one can hear the cry at an almost incredible distance.
I was struck with one characteristic of the animals in the
Mato — that their tones are not at all in accordance with the
size of their bodies. Who would ever expect to find a
shrill whistle proceeding from the delicate cicada ; or a
ringing hammer-like sound from the throat of a frog ; or
the clear echoing note that fills the air from the breast of
the araponga, a sort of thrush ?

Scarcely had the apes begun their chorus before a shot
was heard ; whence it came was the question which sug-
gested itself to us all in a moment, and which was not
without importance. Here in the vast forest, where the
reign of man is unknown — where, like the keel of the
vessel through the waters of the ocean, he treads, but
leaves no track behind — here, any token of the presence of
man excites even more curiosity than does a sail on the
horizon, after a long voyage, in the breast of the sailor. Our
question was destined soon to meet with a reply. We

384 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

heard voices, the thicket opened, the leaves parted, and
there stood before us a group of wild figures ; at their
head, to the by no means agreeable surprise of the Forest-
king, the negro murderer — a proud, savage, stalwart figure,
with piercing eyes, dressed in a fanciful sailor-like style,
a blue shirt, striped white-and-red trowsers, a scarlet
girdle in which was stuck the sharp cipo-knife, a gun on
his shoulder, and his woolly head bare, according to the
custom of the people of the forest. He was accompanied
by another escaped negro (dressed like himself), and by
two Redskins (not at all calculated to inspire confidence
by their appearance), whose little sharp eyes stared at us
with an expression of half-frightened amazement: the
whole group was one quite in keeping with the primeval
forest, and one that it was more agreeable to meet in good
company than alone.

The murderer affected great cordiality ; but in his
demeanour one could read surprise at the unexpected
intrusion of the pale-faced strangers into his forest-haunts,
into the protecting wilds which he shares with the Red-
skins.

Heinrich, the legitimate Forest-king, and this black
usurper exchanged greetings with cold and jealous embar-
rassment. The black had in his arms the animal he had
shot, a handsome ape, which was lying in its last agonies,
and raised its dying eyes to us with such human-like
expression as to excite our sympathy. The dying look of
this poor animal would have afforded Darwin a subject for
one of his instructive lectures.

The ape before us, Mycet es fuscus (in Brazilian Barbado)
measured two feet, was lean and attenuated in form, its
coat of a colour between red and brown, with a dark beard,
long arms, and a very long and sinewy tail, which these
animals use skilfully to aid them in their long leaps from
bough to bough. We purchased it from the dusky hunter

MATO VIRGEM. 385

who then vanished quickly with his companions into the
thicket.

Heinrich B , the celebrated hunter, acknowledged

the skill of the black, and said that his shots rarely
miss. We now halted at a rather more open space on
an eminence, to rest ourselves, and a slave whom we had
brought was desired to bring the basket of provisions.
Some moments of rest were necessary, for the damp, hot
air and the unwonted exertion had exhausted us. My
legs also were very painful, especially my right shin, which
I had bruised very much in climbing over the trunk of a
tree covered with lianas. Our numerous party were now
grouped on the grass ; and, consisting principally of young
and inexperienced travellers, they devoured the provisions
with keen hunger and insatiable thirst ; not reflecting that
in these arduous undertakings, in which a man has to rely
upon himself, he ought to use moderation in all things.
Notwithstanding all my expostulations and representations,
the provisions vanished, even to the last morsel, with
alarming rapidity. What was now to be done during the
coming days, far from any settlement, dependent on our
own rifles ? In this recklessness, in this uncontrollable
greed, I foresaw a speedy aad disappointing termination
to our interesting expedition ; not so the light-hearted,
sanguine young men, who dreamed grand results from our
hunting labours, and who, probably, also hoped to meet
at every ten steps with pine-apples and streams of water.
The needed discipline came surely enough ; and it was
with true prophetic alarm that I witnessed the emptying
of the basket. Painful and unpleasant as it was, I there-
fore proposed (on the true forest principle ' all for self,' or
rather with a very lawful feeling of justifiable egotism)
that the company, who were blessed with such appetites
that to feed and satisfy them without the Mosaic power of
working miracles would be impossible, should be broken

VOL. III. C C

386 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

up into small parties. This apparently uncourteous but
really necessary proposal was accepted. To the wise and

energetic guidance of our friend T we made over the

difficult task of conducting the younger and most hungry
members of our party, leaving them two slaves and all
the remaining provisions, except a flask of lisbon and
a handful of farinha. I, the doctor and painter, the
sportsman and botanist, formed another party, with the

Forest-king for our leader ; with us went Marco, St 's

personal attendant and factotum (now transformed into
valet, cook, and hunter), a negro boy belonging to Hein-

rich, and the bold hound. Our friend L (who had

already tasted quite enough of the pleasures of the forest)
thought it more prudent to return with the sailors men-
tioned before, and with a slave as guide, to St 's fazenda,

where, as we afterwards learned, he arrived at a late hour
of the night, half dead, and almost torn to pieces. Much
as I disliked this separation, much as I wished to retain
the merry companionship of the others, yet this step was
necessary : we therefore parted and took different direc-
tions. The object that each had in view was the same ;
to explore the forest, to see its wonders, and to make the
greatest possible number of additions to our collections : it
was simply that our tastes led us to different spots. Mine
was all for the vegetable world, to admire the luxuriance
of nature, and to collect specimens of still life : the other
party thought more of adventure and of hunting, and pro-
mised to shoot food sufficient for themselves.

Our little company followed Heinrich in silence, but
well-pleased, down the slope to a stream with which he
was acquainted ; while the merry, happy youngsters
ascended the hill. Before parting we engaged to meet at
St 's fazenda after a certain number of days.

When we reached the stream, B , shaking his head

thoughtfully (for he knew by experience the great paucity

MATO VIKGEM. 387

of food in the forest) advised us to select a place in which
to rest. We gladly acceded to the proposal : first, because
we wished to yield to the authority of our leader, and to
show our acknowledgment of him as our chief; and
secondly, because we were thoroughly wearied with the
exertions of the day, and this spot looked exceediogly in-
viting. On the border of the forest, which here covered a
gentle slope, the underwood was thinner, and a cool brook
of crystal water flowed winding down the hill, from its
source in the dark wood ; it was arched over by beautiful
plants, and making a bend it formed a small, cool, lovely
little peninsula, our place of rest. This peninsula was
covered by a copse, not too thick, in which were some
graceful palms, and here and there was a large tree over-
grown with lianas and parasites, beneath the deep shades of
which the glimmer of daylight was visible ; there was also
a profusion of flowers of every form and hue. It was a
little spot redolent of peace and calm, such as I would
willingly have brought with me back across the ocean, that
I might show my friends a fragment of Paradise. The
sparkle of the brook could be seen here and there through
the bushes ; in other places it was completely hidden
among the trees. It had the most picturesque appearance
at one point, where it flowed under a large tree, which bent
over it like a bridge, and was covered with parasites :
among them a magnificent bromeliacea with scarlet blos-
soms ; a beautiful scitaminea, also with red flowers ; there
were besides young, tall palms, with graceful crowns, and
the slender trunks of various other trees, around which
were twined exquisite specimens of philodendrons. On the
opposite side of the stream all was impenetrable forest.
One might have studied natural history to advantage by
the side of this brook.

Whilst we rested on the grass, the Forest-king ordered
preparations to be made for the night ; a place was cleared

C C 2

388 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

for a e rancho;' beautiful specimens of the ' euterpe edulis*
were destroyed by the cipo-knife ; each time that a palm
fell a rushing sound echoed through the forest, for an im-
mense quantity of vegetation always fell with it ; but in the

primeval forest these plants are no rarities. B 's negro

boy made a fire of moss at the foot of the tree beside the
stream ; the palms were dragged to the spot selected for
the * rancho ; ' their stems made side and cross beams ;
their rich crowns a protecting roof, whilst lianas afforded
the necessary means of uniting them ; thus in a short
time the c rancho,' was skilfully completed. Even now, as

St has told me, my halting-place in the forest is

remembered, and is called ' Rancho de Principe.'

The work interested and delighted me ; it bore the im-
press of forest-life, of that unceasing self-reliance which is
so needed in these wild regions. Our house was built, and
it was dearer to me than many a gorgeous palace in which
I have staid during my travels in Europe. A Turkish rug
which I had brought from my Africo- Asiatic wanderings,
was now spread on American ground ; and a very light

hammock which the amiable Baroness P had lent me

was slung between two trees, and served me for a bed.

When we had arranged our quarters and had made them
so far habitable a la sauvage, we quitted them in order to
enjoy the beauties of Nature in the balmy evening air.
The botanist with unwearied industry was again eager to
make his collections; he dashed among the bushes, creeped
up the trees for parasites, and tore and hacked with all his
might ; the painter, with his exquisite talent (almost rival-
ling the photographer in his power of rapid delineation),
made pretty sketches of some of the lovely scenes, and, with
a few masterly strokes, gave to the creations of his pencil
the peculiar characteristics by which anyone familiar with
the forest may at once recognise the fantastic forms and
peculiarities of the various families of plants in this coun-

MATO VIRGEM. 389

try. The sportsman, excited by the continual re-appear-
ance of a black bird with a yellow beak, a species of thrush
or of sparrow, strolled about with his gun. But all his
efforts were in vain ; and who could wish to shoot any
living creature in such a forest, the peculiar territory of
Nature, the rightful home of the lower animals, in which
man is an invader ? The inhabitants of the Mato are pro-
tected on all sides ; neither eye nor shot can pierce the
confused mass of green. To man it is but permitted to
claim a spot of a few feet in extent ; and it is only when
accident favours him that he can attain even this wished-
for spot : to discover it, to make it his, requires great
favour with Fortune.

I sauntered about the grass and rejoiced in the peaceful
luxuriance of Nature. A ' Kef in the forest belongs to the
pleasures of the dolce far niente, and imparts a feeling
of genuine happiness, the memory of which can never fade.

But I was not quite idle. I made an addition to my
museum, of a beautiful specimen of mantis religiosa, four
inches in length ; it is a long, thin insect, of a pale-green
colour, very difficult to distinguish from the plants. Its
name has its origin in the peculiar movement of the front
legs, and of the rocking body, supposed to be like that of
a nurse.

B went with his dog into the thicket, in the hope,

during the evening hours, of finding some animal fit for
food. The negroes, with triumphant looks, brought a
hideous, red, long snake. Marco held it, with his fingers
firmly pressed on the back of its head. The reptile, which
was of a poisonous kind, was still alive, and beat his tail
about violently. The blacks, accustomed to these monsters,
tied it up to a bough near the fire.

We perceived the sun setting over the distant forests of
the west ; the twilight creeped slowly on, the twinkling
stars gleamed through the crowns of the trees, the

390 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

shadows deepened and lengthened, the various hues
of colouring were lighted up for the last time, the
lingering light rested on the leaves of the gently waving
crowns of the palms ; a rosy tint was fading on the grass ;
the cicada sent forth her melancholy cry, and the cool
twilight air played in the forest. In the words of Scripture
we could say, ' It was evening.' Evening in the primeval
forest !

If sunset be everywhere sublime, here its influence is
overpowering; one feels something of what that period
must have been when everything bloomed, flourished, lived,
undisturbed by the presence of man. Far from one's
fellow-men, in a wild forest region that extends over a whole
continent, the heart of the wanderer becomes, at sunset,
filled with a nameless feeling of oppression ; there is some-
thing of desolation and pain mingling with the sense of
unfettered liberty.

Night followed quickly on the footsteps of the twilight.
Our fire, diligently fed by the slaves, burned brightly ;
and by the side of the stream, beneath the leafy vaults,
fire-flies shed their phosphoric rays in the darkness of
night. We caught some of them, and discovered that there
are two points in the body from which they emit light.

The small remnants that remained of our provisions,
including some lisbon, afforded us but a scanty meal ; and
a most unpleasant sense of hunger, which we all felt, justi-
fied my prophetic warnings. Heinrich B came back

with a rueful countenance : he had found nothing ; there
was therefore no very bright prospect for the future.
Fortunately, instinct had suggested to me to bring some
chocolate, which at least mitigated our griefs. .

B— — now took precautions for the night : the fires were
fed, and a watch set over them, in order that we might
have some light in the darkness, and also to frighten away
wild beasts. A large store of wood was collected ; and

MATO VIRGEM. 391

Heinrich's faithful dog stretched himself close to the fire :
arms were inspected and watches were told off. The
duties of the watch consisted in feeding the fire, and in
giving the alarm quickly in case of approaching danger.
We had two special enemies to guard against — wild beasts,
and a raid of wild Indians.

There was something romantic in our position ; and my
thirst for adventure was fully satisfied. I lighted my little
travelling lantern that I might inspect the situation of the
' rancho ' once more, hung my long boots on a palm branch,
drew the woollen night-cap closely over my ears, rolled my-
self in rny plaid in the comfortable hammock, and laid my
head on a pretty little embroidered pillow belonging to
the Baroness, a grand luxury in a Brazilian household,
often covered with the finest battiste with a blue or rose-
coloured covering underneath, and trimmed either with
embroidery or lace. Below me, and protected by me, lay
the representatives of medical science and of the fine arts ;
the rest of the party lay in groups, some within the 'rancho,'
some round the fire.

The night air was cool and pleasant, lulling the wan-
derers into sweet repose.

I gave myself up to pleasant dreams ; sometimes
joying in the great achievements of the day, sometimes
congratulating myself in thought on my first night spent
in the forest, sometimes recalling the past, and delighting
in recollections of similar nights, also passed in a hammock,
on the shores of the Adriatic, in will, distant Albania.
Past and Present mingled in sweet visions, the outlines
became more and more faint, and at last were on the
point of being lost in the mists of sleep, when the exquisite
concert of the forest began. The hammer of the un-
wearied 'fereiro' began its Cyclopean work; the melancholy
note of the wild-fowl was heard; the Uh-uh-uh of the
immense toad, called in Brazilian ( Bufo agua,' resounded

392 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

like a death-knell ; the deep tones of the apes had a
weird effect ; and all these sounds united, amid the dark-
ness of night, to form one grand chorus of threats and
of lamentations, one ghost-like strain, in which each voice
seemed to endeavour to overpower the rest. The whole
forest was, as it were, in a state of mutiny ; and seemed,
for miles and miles round, to be doing battle with the
night. How mournfully must such a chorus ring in the
ears of a lonely and solitary wanderer ! To us, in our
secure ' rancho,' lighted by the flickering fire, this concert
of sounds was replete with interest and pleasure. I
looked upon it as a serenade, welcoming the wanderers
to the New World. It was not until midnight, when the
mutun poured forth his mournful notes, that the noise
suddenly ceased, and a death-like stillness ensued, which
gave place again to re-awakened sounds at the repeated
cry of the mutun an hour before sunrise.

For a few hours we were refreshed by a delicious sleep.

In the Mato Virgem, January 18, 1860.

A light rain dropping through the leaves, and the
freshness of the air, announced that morning had come ;
and the cicada manifera gave the signal for active life.
When I awoke from the sweetest of slumbers, the morning
twilight was gleaming on the crowns, boughs, and trunks
of the trees with a silvery light, such as I had never before
seen. At first I thought it was moonlight, and it was
only by the ever-increasing brightness that I perceived it
to be the dawn of day.

The sleepers awakened by degrees, and recounted their
several impressions of the noisy night. Heinrich gave us
some interesting information on the subject. He said that
the various sounds of the Mato are heard at such regular
hours that they serve to note the exact time of night to the
backwoodsman. The notes of the birds are especially sig-

MATO VIRGEM. 393

nificant to these sons of the forest : thus the peculiar call of
the partridge towards sunset is a sign of rain, and warns
the traveller to erect his ( rancho ' with speed. The flight of
the parrots at regularly returning periods, is also an omen
to be watched. We had an example of this ; for just
before sunrise we heard a rustling in the crowns, and three
large green parrots of the common kind (psittacus guia-
nensis), the first and only specimen of the species that we
saw during our excursion, flew over our heads ; a pleasur-
able proof of the distance that we had travelled from the
scenes of ordinary life.

Heinrich was very much annoyed, and indeed very
anxious, at our entire want of provisions, and railed at our
absent travelling companions for their outrageous appetites
yesterday. He learned from a slave that another party
had erected a 'rancho ' on an eminence not far from us;
he therefore proceeded thither, to try, if it were possible to
get some provisions from them ; and he actually brought
us some farinha, and a part of the poor ape that we
had yesterday seen dying, and which was now roasted.
All the rest of the food was completely gone; indeed,
the reckless boys had even, in their kindness of heart,
abundantly provided for the slaves with the remains of

meat, fruit, and wine, which made the disciplinarian B

exceedingly angry. Marco and B 's little negro boy

gathered some not yet divided leaves of a young palm,
tied them together with blades of grass, in the form of a
kettle; filled these vegetable pans with clear water from
the brook, and hung them on boughs over the fire : in a
time the water and the farinha were both boiling.

On the leaves of the same palm, which were to serve us
for plates, Heinrich presented to us the sticky pap-like
farinha, which, without either salt or spice, was very un-
palatable, hungry as we were ; it had an insipid taste, and
could only be deemed just better than nothing. Some

39.4 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

palm-cabbages, cut down in haste, afforded rolls of pith,
something like stalks of asparagus. We in vain tried our
teeth in attempts to eat some carne secca from Buenos
Ayres, a preparation of the Pampas. Equally tough, and
almost nauseous was the black, dried flesh of the ape (our
cousin, according to Darwin's theory), to eat which seemed
almost wicked ; but to what crimes will not hunger drive
one?

B 's friend Giacchini, a handsome mulatto and ex-
cellent forester, who paid our party a visit, brought us the
result of his search, a heath-cock, which we also ate with
some difficulty, having no salt ; the whole meal was shorter
than short, and was far from satisfying our good appetites.

The doctor and the painter consoled themselves with a
refreshing bath in the clear, cool stream. We were now

to begin our further explorations. B consulted his

faithful friend the compass, in order to determine which
direction we should take.

As I felt myself responsible for my countrymen, and as
the reflection that the reckless party of young men, without
provisions, without any knowledge of hunting, and, above
all, without any skilled guide, might seriously suffer from
hardship, and perhaps meet with even greater calamities,
began to be very painful to me, I begged to have a mes-
senger sent to bring them. Once more, all together again,
we began our goose-like march, crossed the brook, and
entered the thicket towards the west. The ground rose, and
we reached the region of the dry forest ; the profuse vege-
tation, with its interesting forms and colours, disappeared,
and -the middle growth, with its rope-like lianas gained
the ascendancy. On the borders of the damp and the
dry forest, our sportsman shot a lovely humming-bird ;
one of the most beautiful kinds, glowing in colours of
topaz and ruby. We found the ascent of the hilly portion
of the forest particularly tiring; creeping up steep places

MATO YIRGEM. 395

in this damp hot air, frequent sliding along the ground,
strenuous efforts to force a way between the hard stems of
the copse that grew closely together, climbing over the
harsh lianas, — all this was very hard work, and there was
little to repay one for the labour.

The forest was less interesting here ; there was little to
be seen but brown stems twined around with parasites ; the
earth was the colour of common mould ; the vegetable
world offered only one object of interest ; a sort of palm
(which we found here for the first time), the fan of which
grows immediately from the ground, without any stem,
and is thickly covered with sharp prickles. The whole of
this portion of the forest only afforded some ten kinds of
large trees, which we met with again and again, in large
groups. However, the botanist found his account in them,
for they were almost unknown, and had not yet received
scientific names. But it was impossible for him to study
them during our hasty excursion ; as, to make any proper
classification of them, he would have required to examine
leaf, blossom, and fruit. It was necessary, for this, that he
should either have time to have the trees felled, or else,
like his cousins of the forest, first acquire the art of
climbing ; and even then, the seasons for blossom and
fruit are not the same.

An expedition for exclusively botanical purposes, having
for its main object a study of the Brazilian trees, would
be very interesting, and would repay the labour expended.
Many of these trees have magnificent blossoms, others,
choice and delicious fruits, with which the apes are well
acquainted. A considerable number of these trees, as well
as of Brazilian plants with their nutritious fruits, might
with advantage be brought to Europe ; some might live
in hothouses, some, in the southern parts of Europe,
might live in the open air. From this suggestion it may
be perceived, that in the more loftily situated parts of

396 KECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE. .

Brazil, as in New Freiberg and Petropolis, the air is, at
seasons, very cool ; indeed, almost every year there is in
the early morning a slight coat of ice on the water, and
yet in Petropolis one sees Nature in the plenitude of her
luxuriant beauty.

In the animal kingdom the only subjects of interest
were the immense nests of the termites, with their brown
pyramids, and the countless holes of the armadillo. The
former are so numerous and so strong, that it is said that
they are used as baking-places by the people of the country.
The fat armadillo (dasypus, Brazilian tatu) can only be
drawn from his hole with great difficulty, as he is pos-
sessed of immense strength ; he either ensconces himself
in his hole, or holds firmly on to the earth and roots
with his paws. The armadillo, which is very common
in Brazil, is found even in the forests in the vicinity
of Eio Janeiro ; its appearance is repulsive, it is about two
feet in length, half a foot in height, and its sharp head
and upright ears remind one of a rat, its little crooked
legs of a mole, or even of a tortoise, in common with which
it has a sharp pointed tail ; its fat body is covered with
rings, which lie close together, and sparkle like scales ;
in colour it is something between ' cafe au lait' and flesh
colour, and reminds one of an immense bug. The Bra-
zilians think the meat, which has a flavour like that of
pork, a great delicacy.

We found a curiosity on the dark earth — some speci-
mens of bulimus ovatus, from three to four inches in
length, of a spiral form, and of a pretty white and pink
colour. How they came so far from water, on this dry
hill, and on what they can feed, is a mystery.

We were so exhausted from the labours of the ascent,
from want of food, and from the great heat, and, even more,
were so tormented by thirst, that we expressed to the
Forest-king a most earnest desire to rest ourselves. Our

MATO VIKGEM. 397

spirits began to flag, and for the first time, we were
seized with a loss of physical energy. In this hot forest

we longed for something to drink. B consoled us by

telling us of the vicinity of a large river, and compelled us
to mount one more hill. Here he at length yielded to
our importunities, and granted us a short rest. We un-
rolled our rugs and plaids on an open space, and stretched
our wearied limbs. Heinrich would have sent two slaves
down the hill to the river, to obtain a draught of water to
quench our thirst ; but we had neither cups nor bottles ;
suddenly the happy thought suggested itself of making
science subservient to our wishes. The botanist was
obliged to part with his curiosity-box ; the whole of the
choice contents, the germs of future vegetation were
thrown remorselessly together in his knitted cap, and
the blacks brought us the^ longed-for refreshment.

During this time of rest, another terrible event in our
Transatlantic history took place ; a strange pricking caused
the horrible discovery that I was covered with the notorious
Brazilian insect (called by the Brazilians carapatos, by
scientific people ixodes), an acquisition made in forcing a
way through the bush. This was more than I had bar-
gained for ; but I must say it was the only really insuper-
able horror of the forest. I had become accustomed to
the snakes ; I had borne up against heat and fatigue ; I
had never felt any fear of the poisoned arrows of the
Indian : nothing of danger or exertion would have made
an impression on me ; but the dreadful idea of being
covered with insects, and with foreign insects, did fill me
with horror and disgust.

My cup was full. All the terrors of hunger suddenly
stood before me ; I felt real alarm at the scarcity of
provisions; visions of discord among our travelling party
came before my mind ; I longed for the companionship of
St . In a word, my good spirits were gone ; a little

398 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

insect had worked a revolution, and had excited in me a keen
desire to return. In vain did Heinrich try to calm and to
console me; in vain suggested remedies, assured me that the
enemy should be completely banished. All was useless.
Thoroughly out of temper, I declared that I would, at any
rate for the present, quit the Mato, an announcement which,
to my surprise, was received with universal approbation by
all of our party. As in my case the carapatos, so with the
others some annoyance or another, had called forth a feeling
of dissatisfaction. Harmony was gone ; and therefore it was
better to change our position, that we might unite again
under other circumstances, in new exertions. However,
before we started to return, I submitted to one of the
remedies prescribed by the Forest-king for getting rid of
the carapatos. One must either wash oneself in tobacco
water, or call the services of a negro to one's aid. Some
slaves possess wonderful skill in extracting this insect from
the skin. I submitted to this tedious and unpleasant
operation. The great Marco was more skilful than anyone
in this art. The carapatos are really dangerous ; for they
bite deeply into the flesh, and should they chance to lay eggs
there, very poisonous wounds result, which are exceedingly
difficult to cure. The Indians, who are very much afraid
of these insects, say that the wounds are mortal : they
may be so to cattle, which have no means of helping
themselves; to horses also these insects are very prejudicial :
strangely enough, the blood of the ass appears to be too
ignoble for them. They are most troublesome during the
damp spring season. Marco was tolerably successful in
his operation; but some few insects were still left for a few
days, and caused me a great deal of annoyance. The other
members of our company also suffered from these insects
afterwards. But it was remarkable that, during the whole
time of our travels in Brazil, neither in the Mato nor on
the rivers, neither by day nor night, did we ever suffer

MATO VIKGEM. 399

from mosquitoes. From the accounts given by many
travellers, we might have dreaded to have been com-
pelled to live beneath a perpetual cloud of mosquitoes.
In Europe I have often been driven to despair by mos-
quitoes, especially in Italy, and in the south of Spain ;
and also frequently in Schonbrunn and Luxemburg ; but
in the tropics these insects have never stung me.

I afterwards became acquainted with another annoying
insect, the sandfly (pulex penetrans), a little black animal,
scarcely visible, which works its way through one's shoes,
and has an especial fancy for hiding itself under the nail
of the great toe. If it be not quickly expelled, it swells
itself to a considerable size, and lays numberless eggs.
The wound then begins to fester, and instances have been
known, especially among careless and dirty negroes, in
which amputation of the foot has been necessary, lest the
patient should die from the spread of the poison through
his blood. As they are the negro men who are the most
expert in removing the carapatos, so they are the negro
women who are considered the most skilful in the fazendas
in removing the bichos. But although these insects may
produce real injury to those who are careless and uncleanly
in their habits, still, with a little attention, one finds
nothing productive of more annoyance in this way than one
does in European climates. If we remember the bugs and
other insects that are found in our inns (and I must
here remark, that bugs were first brought to Brazil by the
European conquerors), we must allow that civilised Europe
may well hang down her head.

One must regard the annoyance caused by the carapatos
as the toll which the traveller of inquisitive mind must
pay if he will penetrate into the mysteries of the primeval
forest.

Heinrich also appeared to be glad at heart that we had
resolved to return. Our party evidently appeared to him

400 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

to be too large, and the idea of exploring the forest, simply
for the sake of exploring it, he, the hunter par excellence,
could not understand ; besides, the Mato, his second home,
had now no novelties for him.

After we had rested and had refreshed ourselves from
the botanist's case, we returned back in the same manner
and direction in which we had come. We had then made
a march of about a day and a half in the true, vast, virgin

forest ; a grand undertaking. Had I started with B ,

and at most only one or perhaps two friends, nothing
would have deterred me from penetrating farther ; we
should have husbanded St 's store of excellent pro-
visions, and should have had sufficient farinha, bananas,
and lisbon for several more days. My desire to share the
enjoyment with my friends was well-meant, but obviously
not judicious. For an expedition into the forest, the
members should be few, they should be under good guid-
ance and good discipline, possess strong bodily powers,
ardent minds, an enthusiasm for travelling, moderation
and self-control. They who have not these qualities, or
who will not strive to obtain them, had better remain
quietly at home, and enjoy themselves in polished boots
and kid gloves.

When we reached our little Paradise, the ' Rancho de
Principe ' by the lovely stream, our party again separated
and some went to their ' rancho ' on the hill. Heinrich
made improvements in our ' rancho ; ' palms again came
rustling to the ground beneath the cipo-knife, and with
their leaves the roof was made more perfect ; also three
side walls were erected, and that side which was next the
fire was the only one left open. On witnessing the fall of
these palms, this rifling of the treasures of nature, I thought
of our palms at home ; of the delight of our gardeners, if
they could but possess one of these fallen trees in the ful-
ness of its beauty : whilst here these gems of nature are

MATO VIRGEM. 401

cut and hewn, merely to serve the purposes of the moment.
I put our botanist into a state of mixed amusement and
horror, when, on seeing these proceedings, I told him
that, on my return to Schonbrunn, I would (in order to
give my brother some real idea of forest-life) propose that
the cipo-knife should be used among our palms, and a
* rancho ' be built, and that beneath the palm-leaves we
should] enjoy a real forest-dinner of palm-cabbage. The
botanist with secret horror pictured to himself the righteous
indignation that would burn in the breast of the Director
of Gardens, his chief, at such a proposal ; and, although
separated from his master by the wide ocean, our collector
of plants grew pale at the very thought. Thus far can
the influence of a sagacious and energetic mind extend !

To the real salvation of our exhausted frames, a slave

brought some few provisions from the Fazenda P ,

which were hailed with delight : there was some roasted
carne secca, some of the indispensable farinha, and, to
our special joy, some bananas ; also some pimento, very
reviving to our wasted energies. The fire was made up
the palm-leaves again put in requisition, the carne secca
softened, the farinha mixed with pimento, the bananas
partially roasted on little sticks, and scattered over with
farinha ; and, stretched on our rugs and plaids, we partook
of a genuine forest-meal with renewed spirits, this being
the first opportunity we had had, for a long time, of
satisfying our hunger : a flask of cahapa was emptied on
the occasion, with feelings of real gratitude.

True cheerfulness now reigned again in our little circle,
as we lay peacefully among the beauties of Nature, enjoying
the luxury of food, and a sweet sense of satisfaction, which
we seasoned with merry conversation, sometimes of the
forest and forest-life ; sometimes vaulting across the ocean,
we conjured up bright visions of home, doubly delightful
in these solitudes, and at this distance ; and the hardships

VOL. III. D D

402 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

so lately endured now appeared almost in a comical point
of view. When evening set in with her splendid hues,
her balmy air, her peaceful repose, I took my n(*te-book,
wandered amid the luxuriant verdure on the banks of
the stream, and gazed with silent rapture at the individual
beauties of Nature, and the grandeur of the total they
formed. My grateful heart beat high with a delightful
sensation of calm content produced by Nature, as she sur-
rounded me with her vigour, her most wondrous charms,
her all-victorious magnificence.

My feelings of peaceful happiness strove to clothe them-
selves in words ; to break forth into poetry, though that
were but feebly to echo the grand rhythm of Nature's en-
circling voice. If a man have any poetic feeling in him,
the fount of song must well forth in the grand world of the
Mato ; as it will in the Alps, in the exquisite scenery of
golden Italy, in the blue atmosphere of the Greek moun-
tains, on the vast expanse of the boundless ocean : in all
such scenes Nature compels poetic feeling to burst forth
into life.

The primeval forest is worthy of a great poet, such as
Lenau, alas ! too early lost ; for only the majesty of poetry
can give an idea of- those beauties which the brush of the
most skilful artist, checked on all sides by the very rich-
ness of the scene, must ever fail to paint.

During my quiet wanderings through this wood of grasses
and wild flowers, I had an opportunity of watching at my
ease the gay movements of the beautiful beetles, and of the
flies that sparkled with the brilliance of emeralds. The
beetles bear so peculiar a resemblance to jewels that they
form an article of trade at the seaports : whole bottles of
them, green, blue, and red, are offered for sale to the ladies ;
ear-rings, necklaces, and brooches are made of them, and
they are strewn over artificial flowers. I took some of
these bottles back to Europe with me : its contents were

MATO VIRGEM. 403

destined to give to a ball-dress of white tulle the appear-
ance of being covered with stars or with sparks of fire. To
complete the rare costume, I purchased a wreath and bou-
quet of humming-birds' feathers, which have the peculiar
effect of appearing, when viewed from one side, likefeuiUes
mortes, whilst, rapidly turned, they gleam with the splendour
of jewels.

The botanist made diligent use of his time in adding to
his collections, and after great labour brought two giant
specimens of fern (all covered with prickles) back to the
* rancho.' He had long wished to find some of the old tree-
ferns which are not very common even in the virgin forest,
and, if possible, to plant them in our hothouses in Schon-
brunn : this idea pursued him as hotly as the finding of
the aninga ; he wished to achieve these triumphs for him-
self, and for science, and to surprise his master with these
wonderful relics of primeval times. He was now actually
in possession of two large specimens, with stems of from
eight to ten feet in height, quite perfect and regular in
form. Throughout the whole of the rest of the journey,
they were treated like little children, with a care that was
almost touching ; but alas ! they died on our return
voyage across the equator : all that warmth and moisture
could do to revive them was tried in Schonbrunn, but in
vain. Yet, to prove that zeal in the cause of science is
not thrown away, I may here observe, that an immense
quantity of vegetation and some quite new plants grew from
the stems themselves, among the dark wool that covered
them. All that one can collect in this country repays one
for the trouble, so that I would recommend travellers to
bring home with them pieces even of decaying stems and
branches, as in the warmth of the hothouses they will pro-
duce most beautiful parasites. Sacks filled of earth are
also invaluable, for the chance of various plants being
raised from it; our botanist obtained many in this way.

D D 2

404 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

The ferns are among the most interesting plants cha-
racteristic of the vegetable kingdom of Brazil. They
spread their graceful, feathery, green crowns, like large
sunshades over a brown taper stem of twelve feet in
height, and covered with wool and prickles. They are
indisputably among the most picturesque and loveliest of
plants for a winter garden.

The painter again worked assiduously. With immense
labour he transferred studies of all the creepers, lianas
and other parasites, to his paper. He was afterwards
very successful in sketching portraits of us in our forest
costumes. The picture of the little botanist was inimit-
able, in his reflective, philosophic mood ; his knitted cap
(that shapeless article, which had, in the course of our
expedition, served for every imaginable purpose), on his
Socratic head ; his linen blouse, in which every colour of
the rainbow was united, hanging loosely around him, his
turned-up trowsers and high boots, — he was indeed a ve-
ritable antediluvian figure such as Ham, even in his most
hilarious moods, could not have dreamed of.

When we again assembled in the c rancho ' with advancing
twilight, the humming-birds were dancing near us, and
one of these lovely little creatures played round about the
scarlet bromeliacea mentioned in my yesterday's description
of the scene of our ' rancho.'

When evening was beginning to draw her shades around
us, we suddenly heard a noise of rustling and breaking of
branches, and of men's voices descending the hill. The

sounds proceeded from some negroes from St 's fazenda,

who were bringing baskets filled with provisions, a joyful
surprise prepared for us, owing to the representations of

L , by the hospitable and attentive care of St .

We divided the eatables into two portions, and sent one
half up to the hungry youngsters in the ' rancho ' above.
As for ourselves, we soon retired into our palace, to seek,

MATO VIRGEM. 40-5

some on the ground, some raised in the air, the rest we
all so much needed.

The fire blazed merrily, the watches were told off in the
same manner as they had been yesterday, and the palm-
shadowed dwelling seemed quite home-like : now that we
no longer felt the pangs of hunger, our little resting-
place afforded us a feeling of satisfaction, of contentment
with our position, which is perhaps best expressed in the
words of Scripture, f Here let us build our tabernacles.'

At the prescribed moment the sounds of the grand con-
cert again filled the halls of Nature ; but as one becomes
accustomed to anything and everything, I fell asleep
peaceably, amid all. We were, however, disturbed in the
night by the rain which rattled on t*he withered leaves
that covered the ( rancho ; ' and the air became so per-
ceptibly cooler that our plaids were very acceptable : the
fire was extinguished more than once. In giving an
account of a night in the ' rancho,' it may be as well to
remark, for the benefit of those who have a desire to
explore the Mato, that a hammock of fine netting (such as
are made to perfection in Brazil) is a positive necessity.
When folded up tightly, the traveller can easily carry it,
the weight is scarcely felt ; and on arriving at a resting-
place, if even in the middle of the day, he can unroll his
hammock, and sling it for himself between two trees. By
these means he obtains a cool and elastic couch, in which he
is safe from all vermin ; and if he like to rest in the day-
time, he can rock himself gently, enjoying his cigar, and
revelling in comfort of body, and in sweet reverie.

The hammock also serves as a sofa, if he turn on his side ;
his weight presses down the elastic net on one side, whilst
the opposite side rises in proportion, and affords a support
to his back.

406 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

In the German settlement on the Cachueras, January 19, 1860.

I slept well, so that I was refreshed both in mind and
body. I awoke in good spirits, just as the twilight again
shed a silver gleam like that of moonlight into the
' rancho ; ' the rain had ceased, and the drops that were scat-
tered here and there over the leaves sparkled like diamonds
in the morning light. Day quickly chased the shades of
night from the beautiful, leafy masses below, and the beams
of the sun gleamed through the giant vaults of foliage above.

The provisions sent by our good friend St afforded us

a delicious breakfast, in which some excellent cold bacon
played a conspicuous part. Even black coffee was accept-
able; what could one desire more in the forest? Whilst
we were thus according his rights to our inner man, the
little humming-bird of yesterday came again to visit us,
and fluttering gracefully around the blossoms of the bro-
meliacea presented to us an attractive spectacle of beauty.
The large parrots also made their accustomed flight,
chattering and rustling in the air.

B , whose whole thoughts were absorbed in hunting,

whose every talent was concentrated in it, suddenly called
our attention to a noise quite close to our ' rancho.' We
heard a heavy mass breaking through the undergrowth, and
perceived that the aroidea were crackling and snapping

beneath the tread of broad, heavy feet. B , who is

acquainted with every sound made by his prey, commanded
silence; and whispered, in an excited tone, 'They are
tapirs,' and he instantly followed on the track with his rifle
and dog. But unfortunately in vain : the tapirs were
quicker than our Nimrod ; they had a good protection in
the damp forest with the thick vegetation. But Heinrich
showed us the real and true track of the tapir, and the broad
marks of his feet quite close to our hut. We could distin-

MATO VIRGEM. 407

gui&h the footmarks of two tapirs, both going towards the
river.

The tapir (tapirus suillus; in Brazilian, anta) is very
common in these forests; it is favourite game with the
hunter, and is much sought for on account of its excellent
meat. Belonging to the same family as the elephant and
rhinoceros, the tapir is the largest animal of the new
continent, and is peculiar to it : like its kindred, it has an
antediluvian character. In form it reminds one of the pig,
only it is much larger and stronger ; about three feet and
a half in height, its length is from four to five feet: it is
heavy and fat ; and its thick, dark-brown hide is covered
with short, close hair ; its head, which terminates in a sharp,
flexible snout, springs almost immediately from the trunk ;
its eyes are small, like those of a pig, and have a good-
tempered expression ; its sharp ears, like those of a mouse,
as well as its short, smooth tail, are in continual motion,
which has a very droll effect, as every other part of its
body evinces the immovable, phlegmatic temperament of
the pachydermata. Its short feet are like those of a pig.

Heinrich was very much disconcerted at the escape of
these animals. On this occasion he told us, in his broken
German, rendered peculiar by the introduction of the
Portuguese idiom, that only a short time ago he had killed
a strong tapir quite close to our halting- place. Pressed
by the dog and driven to defend itself, it had wounded the
poor dog frightfully with its teeth, an accident that seldom
happens, and indeed never, unless the tapir is so pressed
against some dense portion of the vegetation as to be unable
to find any outlet. In general, the animal is very good-
tempered ; and when caught, is easily tamed.

Though less interested in the success of Heinrich's shot,
yet I was exceedingly sorry to have lost the opportunity of
seeing this animal in its wild state. My eagerness and

408 RECOLLECTIONS OF MY LIFE.

excitement, when B told me the cause of the noise in

the wood, were indescribable. What could the European
sportsman imagine to be more interesting than to see a
genuine member of the family pachydermata breaking
a path through the deep thickets of the primeval forest ?

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1233 Recollections of my life

1868
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