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TRAVELS 


IN 


BRAZIL. 


VOL. I. 


Printed by A. & R.Spottiswoode, 
New-Street-Square, 


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TRAVELS 


IN 


eeAazitl. 


IN THE YEARS 


1817—1820. 


UNDERTAKEN BY COMMAND OF 


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF BAVARIA. 


BY 


Dr. JOH. BAPT. VON SPIX, 
anp Dr. C. F. PHIL. VON MARTIUS, 


KNIGHTS OF THE ROYAL ‘BAVARIAN ORDER-OF CIVIL MERIT, 
AND MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF 
SCIENCES AT MUNICH, &c. &c. 


VOLUME THE FIRST. 


LONDON: 


PRINTED FOR 


LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, 
PATERNOSTER-ROW- 


TO 
HIS MAJESTY 


MAXIMILIAN JOSEPH THE FIRST, 


KING OF BAVARIA. 


SIRE, 
Wauer Your Majesty had decided on send- 
ing a literary expedition to Brazil, you 
were pleased to confide to us the execution 


of this royal resolution. 


Attachment to Your Majesty and to the 
sciences was the guardian Genius that guided 
us amidst the dangers and fatigues of so 
extensive a journey, through a part of the 
world so imperfectly known, and brought 

A 3 


vi DEDICATION. 


us back in safety, from that remote hemi- 


sphere, to our native land. 


This undertaking, therefore, which is, per- 
haps, not without importance in the history 
of the Bavarian nation, owes its origin and 
its success to Your Majesty; and whatever 
advantages the sciences may derive from it, 
must be solely ascribed ito the magnanimity 
and favour of a monarch, who, considering 
science as the highest-ornament of humanity, 
founds upon it, by means of the wisest 


institutions, the happiness of his people. 


Penetrated with feelings of the most. pro- 
found gratitude, we, therefore, venture to 
approach Your Majesty’s throne, and most 
respectfully to offer to the best of kings the 


first fruits of our mission. 


Encouraged by Your Majesty's most gra- 
cious assurance, that, in the performance 
of our undertaking, we have -tulfilled Your 


DEDICATION. Vii 


Majesty’s intentions, we are now animated 
by the wish that the literary description of 
its results may likewise be found worthy of 
the approbation of our beloved Sovereign. 


With the most profound respect we are, 
SIRE, 
Your Majesty’s 


Most devoted and 


Most faithful subjects, 


DR. J. B. VON SPIX. 
DR. C. F. P. VON MARTIUS. 


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TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE. 


Ar a period when the peculiar situation of the 
immense countries in America, formerly belonging 
to the crowns of Spain and Portugal, so powerfully 
claims the attention of the politician, the statesman, 
and the merchant, no more can be required to 
recommend a work like that here offered to the 
public, than the assurance that it is not a mere 
compilation, got up to meet the exigencies of the 
‘moment, but a real and authentic narrative, of a 
journey through a great extent of a most interest- 
ing country, hitherto but imperfectly, or not at 
all explored, and performed by persons every 
way qualified to gather ample materials for 
both instruction and entertainment. That such 
a feeling is very general may be inferred from the 
numerous works that have been published of late 
years relating to different parts of South America. 
In exploring this vast continent, peculiar merit 
belongs to the Germans, to whom the illustrious 
name of Von Humboldt alone, secures, without 
dispute, the palm of superiority. The removal of 
the Court of Portugal from Lisbon to Rio de 


x PREFACE. 


Janeiro, opened an extensive field of research, 
of which the Germans amply availed themselves. 
Many men, well-versed in different branches of 
science, especially mineralogy, entered into the 
service of the Court of Rio de Janeiro, and 
very interesting communications, sent by them, 
have been published in the German literary jour- 
nals, though it is to be regretted that few of them 
have become known in this country. The mar- 
riage of an Austrian Princess with the Crown 
Prince of Brazil, gave, however, the most powerful 
stimulus to the German literati, and the fairest op- 
portunity for visiting Brazil with all the advantages 
that the protection of the government could afford. 
Accordingly the Emperor of Austria sent several 
learned men, well skilled in the various depart- 
ments of natural history and natural philosophy, 
in the suite of the Archduchess his daughter, and 
His Majesty the King of Bavaria embraced this 
favourable opportunity to send two members of the 
Academy of Sciences at Munich, who would thus 
be under the protection of the Austrian embassy, 
and enjoy the best recommendation to the Court of 
Rio de Janeiro. The particulars being detailed in 
the first chapter of this work, it is unnecessary to 
dwell on them here; but it may be observed that this 
is the first account yet published by any of the Ger- 
man literati who went to Brazil with the Austrian 
legation, excepting some essays on subjects of natu- 
ral history, as well by the authors of this work, as by 


PREFACE. X1 


some of the Austrian naturalists which have ap- 
peared in different German journals. Professor 
Natterer, one of the most distinguished of the latter, 
has not yet returned to Europe, but may be expected 
in the course of this year. With regard to Messrs. 
Spix and Martius, they have adopted, in a great 
measure, the plan of Baron Von Humboldt, having 
published, besides this personal narrative, three or 
four separate works, each exclusively dedicated to 
some one branch of natural history. 

As the volumes now offered to the public con- 
tain only the first half of the personal narrative, 
(the remaining part being in the press) it. may not 
be irrelevant to acquaint the reader, that notwith- 
standing the interest. which it is hoped will be 
excited by these volumes, it may be justly expected 
that the remaining part will be found to possess 
still greater novelty, and to afford more ample 
information, and more striking incidents. In con- 
firmation of this assurance, I add the following out- 
line of the latter part of their travels in Brazil. 
The fatigues that they had to endure in the 
sequel of their expedition having brought on se- 
vere illness, they rested for a time in the capitania 
of Maranham, whence, as soon as they were suf- 
ficiently recovered, they proceeded to the island of 
St. Louis, and after a six days’ voyage by sea, 
from that place, landed at Para. Having at length 
reached the banks of the majestic and immense 
river of the Amazons, bounded by a lofty and 


Xi PREFACE. 


evergreen forest, they had attained the chief ob- 
ject of their wishes; and setting out on the 21st of 
August, 1819, proceeded along the bank of the 
stream (amidst a chaos of floating islands, falling 
masses of the banks, immense trunks of trees 
carried down by the current, the cries and screams 
of countless multitudes of monkeys and birds, shoals 
of turtles, crocodiles, and fish, gloomy forests full 
of parasite plants and palms, with tribes of wan- 
dering Indians on the banks, marked and dis- 
figured in various manners, according to their 
fancies, ) till they reached the settlement of Panxis, 
where, at the distance of 500 miles up the country, 
the tide of the sea is still visible, and the river, 
confined to the breadth of a quarter of a league, of 
unfathomable depth. They then journeyed to the 
mouth of the Rio Negro. From this place every 
thing becomes more wild, and the river of the 
Amazons resumes its ancient name of Solimoés, 
which it had from a nation now extinct. The 
travellers had chosen the most favourable season of 
the year, when the numerous sandy islands, which 
are at other times covered, rising above the now 
low water, invited the inhabitants of the surround- 
ing tracts, who piled up in heaps the new-laid turtles’ 
eggs, out of which, by the aid of water and rum, they 
prepared the finest oil. 

At the town of Ega on the Rio Teffe the two 
travellers separated. Dr. Martius proceeded up 
the collateral stream, the Japura, overcame, by 


PREFACE. Xiil 


the most painful exertions, the cataracts and the 
rocks on the river, and at length arrived at the 
foot of the mountain Arascoara, in the middle of 
the southern continent, separated from Quito only 
by the Cordilleras. Dr. Spix proceeded up the 
main stream, crossed the broad rivers Jurua and — 
Jurahy, and the Spanish river Ica, and penetrated 
at length, through clouds of poisoned arrows dis- 
charged by the Indians, and of venomous insects, 
through contagious diseases, and threatening moun- 
tain torrents, to the mouth of the river Jupary, 
at the last Portuguese settlement of Tabatiaga, on 
the frontiers of Peru, where he heard the language 
of the Incas. Had the two travellers prosecuted 
their enterprise, a few weeks longer, they would 
have reached the opposite shores of the South 
American continent. But to effect this. they 
needed the permission of the viceroy of Peru, and 
the time allowed them for their journey, would not 
permit them to extend it further. They again 
turned to the east, and the stream carried them 
down. so rapidly that they arrived in five days at 
the place, from which it had cost a full month’s 
exertion to work their way up the river. After 
several lateral excursions, which amply repaid their 
labour, they again reached Para on the 16th of 
April 1820. The object of their mission was com- 
pleted: the continent had been traversed from 24° 
south latitude to the Equator, and under the line, 
from Para to the eastern frontier of Peru; an in- 


XIV PREFACE. 


credible store of natural treasures, and of curious 
information had been acquired. It is a most gratify- 
ing circumstance that all their collections, without a 
single exception, have arrived safe, and in perfect 
preservation at Munich, where His Majesty the King 
of Bavaria has had them all scientifically arranged, 
according to the several divisions of the animal, 
vegetable, and mineral kingdoms, in a noble build- 
ing fitted up expressly for their reception, under 
the appropriate name of the Brazilian Museum, of 
which the indefatigable travellers, to whom it owes 
its existence, are most deservedly appointed con- 
servators. 

With respect to the translation, I do not feel it 
necessary to say more, than that it has been exe- 
cuted with all the care that I could bestow upon 
it, and that in the whole of the mineralogical part, 
especially the notes, I have had the assistance of 
one of the ablest mineralogists in the kingdom, to 
whom, though I do not feel myself authorised to 
mention his name in this place, I cannot refrain 
from returning my acknowledgments for the ad- 
ditional value which the work has derived from his 
liberal assistance. 


H. E. LLOYD. 
London, March 1824. eae 


CONTENTS 


OF 


aN 


THE FIRST VOLUME. 


BOOMER Hae vi; 
CHAPTER I. 


Preparation for the Expedition. — Journey from 
Munich, by way of Vienna, to Triest. 
Page 1—18 


Occasion and object of the journey. — Preparations for 
it. — Stay at Vienna. — Meeting with the Austrian natural- 
ists belonging to the expedition to Brazil. — Journey by 
way of Laibach and Idria to Triest.— Excursion to 
Venice. — Return over land to Triest. — Marine produc- 
tions of this country. — Arrival of the Imperial Austrian 
embassy.— NorEs. 


Xvi CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER II. 


Departure from Triest. — Voyage through -the 
Adriatic and the Mediterranean to Gibraltar. 
Page 19—52. 


Storm in the Adriatic. — Stay at Pola. — Voyage in the 
Adriatic, along the Dalmatian and Italian coasts. — Stay 
at Malta. — Lavalletta. — Citta Vecchia. — Voyage in the 
Mediterranean. — Phosphorescence of the water of that 
sea.—Arrival at Gibraltar. — Notes:— The plants of Pola 
and the vicinity. — The Fauna and Flora of the island of 
Malta. 


CHAPTER III. 


Stay at Gibraltar, and in the vicinity. Page 53—80. 


The town and its inhabitants. — Mount Calpe. — 
Osseous breccia. — St. Roque. — Algesiras. — Tarifa. — 
Observations relative to Natural History. — The Strait of 
Gibraltar, and the currents in it.—Novres:—List of animals 
and plants found about Gibraltar and Algesiras. 


CHAPTER IV. 


Voyage from Gibraltar to Madeira, and thence 
across the Atlantic Ocean, to Rio de Janeiro. 
Page 81—130. 


CONTENTS. XVL 


Passage through the Straits of Gibraltar. — The Atlantic 
Ocean. — Sea-sickness. — Arrival at Madeira, and stay in 
that island. — A description of the island with respect to 
Natural History. — Voyage past the Canary Islands. — 
Observations on Natural Philosophy and Natural History, 
relative to the winds, the temperature of the air, of the 
water at and below the surface, to the barometer, the 
areometer, the hygrometer, the electrometer, the variation 
of the needle, the currents, the lightnings, &c. — The 
Atlantic Ocean to the Tropic of Cancer, from that to the 
Equator, and thence to Riode Janeiro. — Phosphorescence. 
— Flying fish, tunny fish, sharks, sea-fowl, mollusca, 
-&c. — Natural and Mathematical Equator. — Fear | of 
pirates. — Feelings on passing the Equator. —~ A day be- 
tween the tropics. — Communication with a vessel. — The 
coast of Brazil. — The Ilhas Abrolhos. — Rocks and 
shoals. — Trinidad. — Perilous situation of the crew of a 
French vessel. — Arrival. — The harbour of Rio de Janeiro. 
Nores : — The dyer’s lichen. — The vegetation of the 
islands of Canaria and Madeira. — Animals near the 
equator. — Equatorial limits of the north-east and south- 


east trade winds. 


VOL. I. a 


XVI CONTENTS. 


BOOK ILI. 


CHAPTER I. 
Stay in Rio de Janeiro. - - Page 131—205. 


Description of the city. — Population. — Influence of 
the residence of the court. — Library. — The press. — 
Schools. — Foundation of a chirurgical school. — Great 
want of a university. — Academy of arts. — The climate. 
— The mode of living of the people. — Character of 
diseases. — Hospitals. — The public promenade. — Slave 
trade. — Commerce. — Imports and exports of the capital, 
and the interior. —The bank. — Money. — View of the 
duties of customs in Brazil, and of the exportation from Rio 
de Janeiro. — Notes: —A royal passport.—Duties of cus- 
toms, &c. 


CHAPTER II. 


Excursions in the environs of Rio de Janeiro. 
Page 206—268. 


Natural history of the environs. — The aqueduct of 
Caryoca. — Noble prospect from Mount Corcovado. — 
Tijuca. — Lake Camorim. — The coffee plantation of Dr. 
Lesesne. — Lagoa de Rodrigo Freitas. — Botanic garden. 
— Tea plantation. — Gunpowder manufactory. — Islands 
in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro. — Porto de Estrella, on the 
high road to Minas Geraés. — Stay at Mandiocca, the 
country-seat of Mr. Von Langsdorf. — Visit to the Serra 


CONTENTS. xix 


dos Orgaos. — Description of the forest, of the plants, and 
animals. — Rocks, their formation. — Way over the Serra 
to Corrego Seco, and as far as the passage of the river 
Paraiba. — Agriculture, and the obstacles to it.— Con- 
siderations and counsels for European settlers — The 
weather at Rio. — Preparations for the journey into the 
interior. — The arrival of Her Imperial Highness the 
Princess Royal of Brazil. 


CHAPTER IIL 


Journey from Rio de Janeiro, to the city of S. 
Paulo. - - - - Page 269—327. 


Departure to Campinho, and S. Cruz, the estate of 
the Prince Regent. — Chinese settlers. — Taguahy. — 
Last view of the sea-coast from the Serra do Mar. — 
Retiro. — Fazenda dos Negros. — Bananal. — S. Anna 
das Areas, and the Indians there. — Tacasava: — Lorena. 
— The Serra de Mantequeira.— Beginning of the grassy 
Campos. — Rio Paraiba. — Guarantingueté. — Pendam- 
onhangaba.— The different forms of “vegetation. — 'Tau- 
baté, and its inhabitants, the first discoverers of the gold 
mines. — Frequency of goitres, especially in the women. — 
Causes and cure of them. — Jacarehy.— Aldea da Escada. 
— Indians there. — Description of the Cafusos descend- 
ants of Indians and Negroes, with natural perukes a foot 
high. — Mogy das Cruces, 


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DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES 


IN 


THE FIRST VOLUME. 


VILLA VEGETA. siiipetevescatclee te dates oseleee eve Frontispiece. 


A village consisting of scattered houses, a league to the 
south-west of the Villa do Rio de Contas in the interior of 
the capitania of Bahia. The grotesque mica-slate moun- 
tain, Serra do Rio de Contas, or de Brumado, forms the 
back-ground of this luxuriant landscape. In the fore- 
ground are palms, calabash and gum anime trees (Carica, 
Papaja, and Hymenea Courbaril); and negro Slaves are 
employed in gathering cotton. 


A BOTOCUDO and A COROADO ..... . To face page 143. 


We are obliged to His Serene Highness Prince Maximilian 
of Neuwied for this portrait of a Botocudo. 

The Coroado is the portrait of our attendant, Custodio, who 
accompanied us on a great part of our journey through 
the interior. See Vol. II. page 264. 


MANDIOCCA........cccccccsscesccessvesssevens 10 face page 238. 


The farm of M. Von Langsdorff at the foot of the Serra de 
Estrella, the continuation of the Serra dos Orgaos ; on the 
north side of the bay of Rio de Janeiro, and on the road 
to Villa Rica, the capital of the capitania of Minas 
Geraés. 


DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 


A MAMELUCA and A CAFUSA......... To face page 316. 


The Mameluca is a woman of the lowest class in the pro- 
vince of S. Paulo, descended from a father of the Euro- 
pean, and a mother of the American race. The goitre is 
frequent in many parts of this province, and is almost con- 
sidered as an ornament. 

The Cafusa is likewise a female of the lower class in the pro- 
vince of S. Paulo. The Cafusos area middle race, between > 
the American and the Negro. The smooth hair of the 
former and the wool of the latter are modified in their 
mixed descendants into a high curly kind of peruke. The 
custom of smoking is general in this province, especially 
among the lower classes. See page 324. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


BOOK I. 


CHAPTER I. 


PREPARATIONS FOR THE VOYAGE. — DEPARTURE 
FROM MUNICH; JOURNEY BY WAY OF VIENNA 
TO TRIEST. 


America, which was unknown to us till within 
a few centuries, has, from the time of its discovery, 
been the object of the admiration and the regard 
of Europe. ‘The advantages of its situation, the 
fertility and diversified riches of its soil, held out 
equal attractions to the European colonist and 
merchant, and to the scientific inquirer. ‘This new 
country was rapidly peopled, and unfolded to our 
view, by the active intercourse with the mother 
country, and by the exertions of the learned men, 
who, animated by a laudable emulation, endea- 

VOL. I. B 5 


2 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


voured to make themselves acquainted with it by 
extensive journeys into the interior. In this re- 
‘spect we are infinitely indebted to many enter- 
prising travellers of former times, but more par- 
ticularly to those of the last half century, through 
whose immortal labours America has been more 
successfully explored than any of the continents of 
the Old World, Europe alone excepted. Notwith- 
standing, however, the great advances we have 
made in our acquaintance with this part of the 
world, it still offers so wide a field for research and 
discovery as would greatly extend the sphere of 
human knowledge. This observation is peculiarly 
applicable to Brazil, the heart of this new conti- 
nent ; and which, although it is the most beautiful, 
and most richly endowed portion, has been hither- 
to but thinly peopled and imperfectly known. 

His Majesty the King of Bavaria, the generous 
patron of the sciences, sensible of the advantages 
which would accrue to them, and to the interests 
of mankind in general, from a more accurate know- 
ledge of America, directed the Academy of Sciences 
at Munich, about the end of the year 1815, to 
draw up, and lay before him, a plan for a literary 
tour into the interior of South America. Among 
others selected for this expedition, were the two 
academicians, authors of the present narrative, Dr. 
Spix for zoology, and Dr. Martius for botany. The 
original plan was, to proceed from Buenos Ayres, 
by land, to Chili; thence to travel northwards to 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 8 


Quito; and to return by way of Carraccas or 
Mexico to Europe. 

Some difficulties, however, presented themselves, 
which obliged His Majesty’s government to defer the 
execution of this project. But His Majesty’s wish 
for the fitting out of this expedition being again re- 
vived, the marriage of Her Imperial Highness 
Caroline Josepha Leopoldina, Archduchess of Aus- 
tria, with His Royal Highness Don Pedro D’ Al- 
cantara, Crown Prince of Portugal, Algarve, and 
Brazil, presented the most favourable opportunity 
for gratifying it. At the time of the conclusion of 
this alliance, which was to unite Europe more 
closely with the New World, His Majesty the King 
of Bavaria was at Vienna in person; and the Im- 
perial Court having resolved to send some scientific 
men to Brazil, in the suite of the august bride, the 
king made arrangements for some members of' his 
academy to accompany the Austrian expedition, 
with the same views towards the advancement of 
knowledge. The flattering choice fell upon us ; 
and we accordingly received on the 28th of Janu- 
ary, 1817, directions to repair, without loss of’ time, 
to Vienna, and thence to Triest ; there to embark 
on board the frigates, which were already equipped 
for their voyage, to Rio de Janeiro. The Royal 
Academy of Sciences, at the same time, received 
orders to furnish us with instructions, not only re- 
specting the principal departments with which we 
were specially charged, but also, generally, relative 

B 2 


4, TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


to all that might fall within the sphere of our ob- 
servations and researches, and to provide us with 
those instruments, the judicious employment of 
which, during the course of the expedition, might 
be productive of results particularly interesting to 
science. 

In consequence of these commands, the travellers 
were recommended to direct their chief attention 
towards enriching the two departments of zoology 
and botany, and at the same time to keep in view 
the other branches of science, as far as time and 
circumstances should allow. Dr.Spix, as zoologist, 
engaged to make the whole animal kingdom the 
object of his observations and labours. With this 
view he had to observe the inhabitants, whether 
aborigines or colonists; to remark the different 
effects of climate upon them; their physical and 
intellectual powers, &c.: the external and internal 
conformation of all the indigenous animals ; their 
habits and instincts, and the geographical limits in 
which they are found; their migrations: and, 
lastly, to investigate the fossil remains of animals, 
those most authentic records of the past, and most 
convincing proofs of the gradual development of 
the creation. Dr. Martius, as botanist, undertook 
to explore, in its whole extent, the vegetable king- 
dom of the tropics. Besides the study of the 
botanical families peculiar to the country, he was 
particularly to examine those forms which, by their 
affinity or identity with those of other countries, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 5 


lead to conclusions respecting their original coun- 
try, and their gradual diffusion over the surface of 
the globe. He proposed connecting these re- 
searches with climatic and geognostic observations ; 
and to this end to extend them to the most insig- 
nificant members of the vegetable kingdom, such 
as mosses, lichens, and fungi. He was likewise to 
observe the changes which both the native and 
exotic plants undergo, when exposed to certain ex- 
ternal influences ; and to investigate the history of 
the soil, and the method of cultivation there in use. 
An examination of the internal structure, and of 
the development of tropical plants, promised in- 
teresting solutions of the laws of vegetable life in 
general, as the observation of any traces that should 
be discovered of an earlier vegetation, now extinct, 
might afford materials for the foundation of a 
geognostic theory. Lastly, he conceived he should 
promote the object of the mission by an accurate 
investigation of the Brazilian materia medica, 
drawn from the vegetable kingdom, as well as of 
all other vegetable substances, the use of which 
might be interesting to arts and manufaetures, and 
by carefully indicating the manner in which they 
are employed in their native country. But besides 
the observations and researches in the departments 
peculiar to each professor, in which reciprocal 
assistance and support were presupposed, they 
were particularly enjoined to complete, as far as 
possible, the collections of the academy, by send- 
BS 


6 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


ing specimens of all the natural productions of the 
several kingdoms, as the best certificate of the ob- 
servations made. 

In addition to these instructions, each particular 
branch of study at the university had its peculiar 
claims upon the industry and observation of the 
travellers. With respect to mineralogy, they were 
instructed accurately to observe the geognostic rela- 
tions in which the different formations of the moun- 
tain masses in general stand to each other; their 
succession, magnitude, thickness, and particularly 
their dip; and, farther, to examine the hitherto 
problematical production of gold, of diamonds, 
and other precious stones, as well as of all the 
more important fossils. In physics, they were 
to observe the declination and inclination of the 
magnetic needle; its daily variation; the pheno- 
mena of electricity, according to the several de- 
grees of latitude and longitude ; the transparency 
and colour, the phosphorescence, temperature, and 

-saltness of the sea in different regions, and at various 
depths ; the temperature of the atmosphere ; the 
phenomenon of the Fata Morgana; the mean 
temperature and the differences of climate in vari- - 
ous parts of the continent ; the periodical oscillation 
of the barometer; the different elevations of the 
ground; the traces of the gradual receding or 
advancing of the sea, on the coasts ; the currents, 
the local anomalies in the tides; the electricity of 
the fish, &c. The historical and philosophic-philo- 
logical classes of the university recommended 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 7 


attention to the different languages, national 
peculiarities, religious and historical traditions, 
ancient and modern monuments; such as writings, 
coins, idols, and, in general, whatever might throw 
light on the state of society, and the history both 
of the aboriginal and other inhabitants of Brazil, 
or which concerned the topography and geography 
of that hitherto so imperfectly known country. In 
order to satisfy, to the utmost of their power, these 
duties and wishes, the two travellers exerted them- 
selves to provide every requisite for so great an 
enterprise, and to make, without loss of time, 
the necessary preparations. After every thing 
possible was got ready, and the books, instruments, 
medicine chest, and other travelling equipage, sent 
off direct to 'Triest, they set out from Munich on 
the 6th of February, 1817, for Vienna. 

In this imperial capital, where they arrived on 
the 10th of February, they were favoured with 
the most active and generous support, by His 
Highness Prince Metternich, and by His Ex- 

cellency Baron Von Stainlein, the Bavarian am- 
bassador, in the further preparations, and in 
collecting what was necessary to accomplish the 
scientific objects proposed by the enlightened 
sovereigns. M. Von Schreibers, director of the 
Imperial Museum of Natural History, — as honour- 
ably distinguished in the learned world by his 
writings, as amiable in private life, to whom the 
organization of the Austrian scientific expedition 

B 4 


4 


8 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


to Brazil was confided, —had the goodness immedi- 
ately to introduce them to the learned gentlemen 
selected by the Austrian government, who were to 
be their fellow travellers. Professor Mikan, from 
Prague, was appointed for the departments of 
botany and entomology; Mr. Pohl, M.D., for 
mineralogy and botany ; Mr. Natterer, assistant in 
the Imperial Museum of Natural History, for zoo- 
logy ; Mr. Th. Ender, to be landscape painter ; Mr. 
Buchberger, botanical painter; and M. H. Schott, 
son of the worthy superintendent of the University 
Garden, to be gardener ; the two last were assigned 
as assistants to professor Mikan: there were be- 


- sides with the company a huntsman and a working 
miner. 


Rejoiced at the acquaintance with our future 
companions, we longed for orders to set out to- 
gether for Triest. But as several circumstances 
left it doubtful when the two Austrian frigates 
would sail, we employed the time that we had re- 
maining, partly in further preparations for the 
voyage, especially in procuring maps and other 
things which could not be purchased in the New 
World, or only at a very great expence, and partly 
in visiting the learned men residing in the capital. 
Among these were the venerable Baron Von 
Jacquin, the Nestor of German botanists (since 
unfortunately dead), who had himself passed many 
years in the West India islands, and on the Terra 
Firma, with such great advantage to science, and 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 9 


whose counsels were extremely welcome to us; his 
worthy son; Messrs. Prohaska, Trattinik, Host, Por- 
- tenschlag, Bredemeyer, Prechtl, Meissner, &c. ; all 
of whom testified great interest in our enterprise. 
But what particularly animated our courage and en- 
thusiasm was the personal acquaintance of M. Fer- 
dinand Bauer, the painter, who had accompanied 
Captain Flinders on his voyage in the South Sea 
and to New Holland, and was then actually en- 
gaged in pourtraying the strange forms of plants 
and animals of those remote regions. 

We left Vienna on the 4th of March to repair 
to Triest. At Gratz we visited the Johanneum, 
founded by His Imperial Highness the Archduke 
John of Austria. This excellent institution is 
chiefly designed for the propagation of practical 
knowledge in the departments of natural history 
and the arts, and is a noble monument of the 
esteem of its princely founder for the sciences. 
On this occasion we became acquainted with the 
professors Chrys. V. Vest and M. Fr. Mohs, 
and if our time had permitted, would willingly 
have explored the beautiful environs of the capital 
of Styria, in company with those able enquirers ; 
but circumstances were imperious, and we 
hastened away to visit the quicksilver mines of 
Idria. We thought it would be very interesting 
to obtain by personal inspection, a knowledge of 
those mines, the produce of which must prove of 
incalculable benefit to Brazil, rich as it is in gold, 


10 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


when the importance of amalgamation shall be 
understood there as well as it is in Peru and 
Mexico. 

From Laibach, the residence of the aged and 
venerable Baron Von Zoys, who is still ardent in 
the study of natural history, and in possession of 
an admirable collection of the minerals of the 
country, we proceeded to Idria, which lies two 
posts to the side of the high road. The way, 
after many windings, leads into an extremely deep 
valley, in which the little town is situated. We 
passed some days there, in examining the curious 
formation of the slate clay, which forms an ex- 
tensive bed in compact limestone, of the rich 
hepatic mercurial ores, especially the coral ore, 
which represents concentric lamellar, roundish con- 
cretions, resembling petrified bivalves, and, lastly, of 
the extensive smelting-houses, which for many 
years have furnished annually three thousand 
quintals of quicksilver. Returning to the high — 
road, we visited, near Adelsberg, the caves in 
what is called the cavern limestone, in which 
are found not only loose skulls and other human 
bones, together with rosaries, but also remains of 
animals resembling the tapir, imbedded in the 
limestone. We were very desirous of visiting the 
neighbouring lake of Zircknitz, famous for its 
rising and falling; but the object of our journey 
required haste, and we set out immediately, after 
having by a fortunate chance obtained eighteen 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 11 


living specimens of the Proteus anguinus which is 
found here. As it is not yet fully decided whether 
this animal, which in its structure is between lizards 
and fishes, is only a larva or a perfectly developed 
animal, we took half of those we had procured 
to the torrid zone alive, in order, if possible, to 
promote their metamorphosis by the greater heat ; 
the other half we sent to the Royal Academy at 
Munich, that they might be duly examined. Our 
road led.us over the declivity of the Julian lime- 
stone alps, on which many masses of rock con- 
taining petrified shells lie scattered about, down to 
the fine seaport of ‘Triest, where we arrived on 
the 10th of March. From the heights at Obczina, 
we had a noble view of the Adriatic Gulf, ex- 
tending between the Italian and Istrian coasts ; and 
saw the two Austrian frigates, whose masts rose 
above all the rest, lying at anchor, ready to sail. 
The situation of Triest, the capital of Illyria, 
on the Adriatic, renders it one of the most im- 
portant seaports of Italy for the. Levant trade. 
The old town is built along the declivity of a 
mountain, on which the castle stands; the new 
town on the sea shore; the latter consists of some 
handsome streets with large houses, on a canal, by 
means of which the merchants’ goods are con- 
veniently brought from the sea to the interior of 
the town. ‘The inhabitants are partly of Greek, 
Illyrian, and Italian, but principally of German 
origin. ‘The market, amply furnished with the 
finest southern fruits, as well as the rarest produc- 


12 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


tions of the sea, proves, by the union of the pro- 
duce of the north and of the south, the happy 
situation of the city. Though a high mountain 
yises near it, and that on the north side, the har- 
bour is not sufficiently protected against winds, and 
the cold is sometimes severe. ‘The warm sirocco, 
which often blows over from Africa, is very re- 
laxing, and frequently brings on diseases. At the 
time of our arrival the vegetable world was almost 
dead, and excepting Helleborus hyemalis, Crocus 
reticulatus, and Primula acaulis, we found on the 
bare ground scarcely a sign of the approaching 
spring. The sea, however, afforded a more ample 
supply of animals and marine plants ; which, with 
the collections made on our way hither, and the 
insects which we obtained from naturalists here, 
were sent to the cabinet of natural history at 
Munich.* A painful sensation was excited in 
us by the information which we received, some 
days after our arrival, that the room which we oc- 
cupied in the hotel where we put up, was that in 
which Winkelmann met his death from the hand 
of an assassin. We were here neighbours to the 
commander of the two frigates, Signor Nicola de 
Pasqualigo, a noble of Venice ; a seaman, as much 
distinguished by general information and nautical 
knowledge, as by his courage and resolution, of 
which he gave proofs in the last war. He im- 
mediately took us to our future quarters on board 


* See Note, page 17. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 13 


the Austria frigate, which, as well as the Augusta, 
was built and equipped in the arsenal of Venice, 
and were destined by the Austrian government to 
receive on board the greater part of the extraor- 
dinary embassy, and of the legation to the court 
of Brazil, the members of the scientific expedition, 
and some agents for the commercial intercourse to 
be opened with Brazil, as well as the Austrian 
mercantile articles intended for that purpose. Some 
of the officers and crew were Germans, but the 
greater part Venetians. 

Every thing was ready for sailing, and we too 
had completed all our preparations, when news 
was received that it would be above a week before 
the embassy would arrive. We resolved, there- 
fore, before we quitted our native land, to view the 
treasures of art at Venice. A favourable oppor- 
tunity for this plan was offered by the return of 
an imperial brig to Venice, which had brought 
from the arsenal some stores necessary to com- 
plete the equipment of our two frigates. We 
sailed in the night of the 25th of March, and in 
the morning were already at the entrance of the 
harbour of Venice. The sea ran high, and the 
motion of the vessel did not fail to produce in us 
the usual symptoms of sickness ; we were there- 
fore doubly rejoiced when we had passed the dan- 
gerous entrance, and felt ourselves upon terra 
firma in the square of St. Mark. In order to 
make ourselves acquainted with the city, we rowed 
in one of the black gondolas in use here, through 


14: TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the labyrinth of canals, to those noble buildings 
which remain as monuments of the time when 
Venice, in possession of the sovereignty of the 
Mediterranean, brought to the markets of Europe 
all the treasures of the East. Its present state 
bears testimony to the instability of all human 
splendour. But every thing great and glorious that 
the ecommerce of the world could produce, is pre- 
served in the architectural monuments in the square 
of St. Mark; which the art of Tintoret, Paul 
Veronese, and Titian, by their warm and vivid 
colouring, adorned, in: the decline of the republic, 
like the parting beams of the setting sun. 

From the top of St. Mark’s we enjoyed the de- 
lightful prospect of the plain of Lombardy, 
stretched out between the Alps and the Appen- 
nines, and so richly adorned with cities and 
universities. A view of this country involuntarily 
calls to mind the immortal poets and artists whom 
its romantic natural beauties have inspired, and 
fills the soul of the observer with the most pleas- 
ing and sublime sensations. In us it excited a wish, 
to see at least the neighbouring city of Padua, and 
its once celebrated university. Half a day’s jour- 
ney brought us to that antique place, where we had. 
the pleasure of becoming acquainted with pro- 
fessors Brera, Caldani, and Bonato. In the botanic 
garden, which formerly, under Guilandinus, so 
greatly contributed to the reputation of the univer- 
sity, we were struck with some trees, originally 
brought from the East, and which have now grown 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, 15 


to a large size; viz. Laurus Borbonia, L, Benzoin, 
L. Sassafras, Liquidambar Styraciflua, imber be, Pinus 
Cedrus, Acacia Julibrissin, which continue toflourish, 
in undiminished verdure, monuments of the former 
glory of Venice. But beyond the limits of this 
garden, the country, at this season, was still dry 
and bare; only a few liliaceous plants, such as 
Hyacinthus racemosus, Erythronium, Dens Canis, 
Scilla bifolia, Crocus reticulatus, adorning the naked 
limestone hills. With this excursion the time of 
absence allowed us expired, and it was necessary 
to think of returning to Triest. The wind, since 
our arrival-at Venice, had blown so steadily from 
the north, that, to ensure our not being too late, 
we resolved, instead of going by sea, to proceed 
by land, by way of Treviso, to ‘Triest, which we 
reached safe after an agreeable journey of two 
days. 

Some members of the legation and some of the _ 
naturalists had arrived meantime at ‘Triest, and 
the remainder came the following day; so that 
our births on board the frigates were assigned us, 
the baggage embarked, and the whole company 
took up their quarters on board, on the 7th of 
April. Baron Von Neveu, counsellor of legation, 
who was afterwards to be chargé d’affaires at the 
court of Brazil, had the sole direction of the ex- 
pedition; because the ambassador, Count Von Eltz, 
was to embark afterwards, with the august bride, 
at Leghorn. He had with him Count Von Schén- 
feld, and Count Von Palffy, as gentlemen of the 


16 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


embassy. All three were on board the Austria, 
as well as the commander of the two frigates. 
Quarters were assigned on board the same vessel, 
to professor Mikan and his lady; the two Bavarian 
naturalists, Spix and Martius ; the Austrian Jand- 
scape painter Th. Ender; M. Weber, merchant 
of Triest; and to M.Nerini, Austrian consul- 
general at Cadiz, who took the opportunity of this 
conveyance to Gibraltar. The Augusta frigate 
took on board the Austrian naturalist, Natterer ; 
the gardener, Schott; the botanical painter, Buch- 
berger, with some assistants ; a mercantile commis- 
sioner, and his secretary. ‘The command of this 
_ vessel was given to lieutenant-colonel Agurti. 
The Austrian mineralogist Pohl, and the animal 
painter Frick, were to make the voyage on board 
a Portuguese vessel. Count Von Wrbna was to 
proceed from London to Brazil, to bring thither 
the first news of the celebration of the marriage 
by proxy. The two frigates were ordered to sail 
in company to Gibraltar, there to wait for the 
Archduchess ; who, with her retinue and the em- 
bassy, was to embark on board a Portuguese 
squadron ordered to Leghorn. As soon as all 
the travellers were on board, and the preparations 
entirely completed, the governor of. ‘Triest visited 
the two frigates, each of which had forty-four guns, 
and a crew of 260 men, inspected the crews and 
the cargoes, and then, with the most ardent wishes 
for a happy voyage, and amidst the thunder of 
artillery, took his leave. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. i; 


NOTE TO CHAPTER I. 


Aves: Zarus eyanorhynchus, minutus; Anas fuligula, 
acuta, fusca, Tadorna; Hematopus ostralegus; Totanus 
ferrugineus ; Numenius phaeopus, arcuatus; Ardea minuta. 
Pisces: Squalus Zygeena, Acanthias, Catulus, centrinus, 
glaucus, Squatina; Zaja Torpedo, R. torp. nigromaculata, 
Rubus, clavata, spec. nova, ¢runco subtriangulari, mutico, 
supra cinerascente, subtus albo, cauda tenui, longissima, 
znermi, pinna unica supra ad radicem caude ; Accipenser 
Sturio, ruthenus; Syngnuthus Acus, Hippocampus; Lophius 
piscatorius; Murena Anguilla; Uranoscopus _ scaber ; 
Blennius viviparus; Cottus Scorpius; Scorpena horrida ; 
seus Faber; Pleuronectes hippoglossus, maximus, Solen, 
Flesus; Sparus Sargus, auratus; Scarus et Labrus, div. 
spec. Lutianus Linkii; Trigla Cuculus, Hirundo; Scomber 
Thynnus, trachurus; Mug7l, n. sp. Moxiusca: Loligo 
octopus ; Aplysia depilans, fusca; Ascidia mentula, con- 
chylega, n. sp. vestculosa, appendicibus numerosis; Thetis 
coriacea. ConcuyL. Patella sanguinea; Fssurella greca ; 
Murex Haustellum, Brandaris; Turbo rugosus; Strombus 
Pes pelicani; Twurritella Terebra; Pholas costata; Car- 
dium rusticum; Pecten jacobeeum; Pectunculus pilosus ; 
Tellina Remies; Arca Now; Solen Vagina; Anomia Cepa; 
Pinna nobilis, pectinata. Crustacea: Astacus marinus, 
norwegicus; Mantis Squilla; Maja Squinado; Cancer 
Meenas, spinifrons; Dromia Rumphii; Portunus Depurator ; 
Oniscus Armadillo, Asellus; Scorpio italicus. Insect. ELEv- 
THERATA: Scarabeus stercorarius, sylvaticus, autumnalis ; 
Sisyphus Schaefferi ; Copris lunaris, emarginata; Onztzcellus 
flavipes; Onthophagus ‘Taurus, austriacus, nuchicornis, 
Xiphias ; Aphodius fimetarius, Fossor, Scrutator, foetens ; 
Hister 4-maculatus, politus; Necrophorus Vespillo, mor- 
tuorum; Cetonia florentina, marmorata, obscura, hirta, 

VOL. I. Cc 


18 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


aurata; Trichius hemipterus; Carabus catenatus ; Chle- 
nius festivus; Staphylinus hirtus, olens, erythropterus ; 
Buprestis leta; Cantharis fusca, melanura, nigricans ; 
Malachius xneus, bipunctatus; Blaps obtusa, spinimana ; 
Tenebrio obscura; Rhingites populi; Curculio cribrosus, 
sulcirostris; Pachygaster goerzensis, gemmatus ; Cerambyx 
moschatus; Lamia funesta, tristis; Callidium \uridum; 
Dorcadion pedestre, rufipes ; Donacia semicuprea; Galle- 
ruca rustica; Chrysomela nea, Adonides, populi, coriaria ; 
Clythra longimana; Panageus Crux major; Cryptoce- 
phalus auritus. Ruyneota: Ligaeus equestris, apterus ; 
Coreus marginatus; Cydnus violaceus; Cimex brassice ; 
Cercopis fasciata, sanguinolenta; Parnops, carnea. VERM. 
ANNUL.: Aphrodite aculeata; Holothuria pendactes, elegans. 
Astrerotp.: Asterias aurantiaca, membranacea, rubra; 
Ophiurus ciliatus, Caput Medusee; Echinus edulis. 
Zoopuyta: Medusa, Actinia, div. sp.; Alcyon exos, Ficus, 
pulmonarius; Spongia cannabina. Pxianra Marine: 
Fucus vesiculosus, L. et var. spiralis, L., obtusus, Turn. 
mucronatus, T., ovalis, T., ericoides, T.; Spherococcus'Teedii; 
Chondrus crispus, laceratus ; Zonaria Pavonia; Ulva pur- 
purea; Lactuca Linza; Cystoseira (Halidrys Lyngb.) sili- 
quosa, Ag., Hoppii, Ag., ericoides, Ag.; Sporochnus rhizodes, 
Ag.; Plocamium coccineum ; Gelidium pinnatifidium, gigar- 
tinum; Gyvgartina plicata, purpurascens; Scytosiphon 
fistulosus, compressus ; Cladostephus hirsutus, verticillatus ; 
Sphacelaria aciculata, scoparia; Hutchinsia violacea, stricta; 
Ceramium elongatum, rubrum, diaphanum, ciliatum ; Cadlz- 
thamnion coccineum, fruticulosum, corymbosum; Lctocarpus 
siliquosus ; Conferva fructa, (The greater part determined 
after Lyngbye; a few after Agardh.) 


19 


CHAPTER II. 


DEPARTURE FROM TRIEST. — VOYAGE IN THE 
ADRIATIC AND THE MEDITERRANEAN TO GI- 
BRALTAR. 


Ow the 10th of April, at two o’clock in the 
morning, our vessels weighed anchor, and in the 
silent darkness of the night quitted the harbour. 
The sea was calm; and the wind blowing moderately 
from the north, we made four or five Italian 
marine miles in an hour. When the company met 
on deck at sun-rise, the mountains of Friaul were 
already visible in the hazy distance. The greater 
part of our company, who had never been at sea 
before, remained on deck the whole day, and in 
the mingled feeling of regret and pleasure, which 
the departure from home excites, fixed their eyes 
on their native land, as it seemed gradually to. 
recede from their view, till the increasing motion 
of the ship, and the raw cold wind that swept to- 
wards evening over the darkening surface of the 
sea, compelled the greater number to retire to the 
cabin. Thé night passed over quietly ; but in the 
morning we were all awakened from our sleep by 
an uncommonly violent motion of the ship. Those 
whom sea-sickness had not rendered insensible, 
c 2 


20 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


readily perceived, from the tossing, cracking, and 
rolling of the ship, which struggled with the foam- 
ing sea, —from the creaking of the masts, the 
roaring of the wind, the cries of the sailors running 
backwards and forwards, and the whistling of the 
boatswain’s pipes, that we were in a great storm. 
The Bora, a cold, very violent north-east wind, 
which, especially in spring, frequently blows from 
the Istrian mountains, and prevails in the northern 
part of the Adriatic sea, had suddenly assailed the 
two ships. A black cloud, hanging very low, was 
the only indication that the officer on duty had of 
the approach of the gale ; so that there was scarcely 
time to take in the sails. In a few minutes we 
lost sight of the Augusta, which hitherto had kept 
at a small distance from us. A thick fog enveloped 
our ship; a cold rain, mixed with hailstones, 
which the storm furiously drove before it, covered 
the deck with pieces of ice of considerable size, 
and almost froze the crew. ‘The ship was tossed 
violently ; the yards and tackle were torn and 
broken; the waves rushed through the window 
into the forecastle, partly filled the hold with 
water; and at last, when the storm was at its 
height, the bowsprit broke short off The hurri- 
cane raged with the utmost fury till noon, when 
the sea grew calmer, and the bleak Bora being suc- 
ceeded by a mild east wind, we cast anchor in the 
‘middle of the sea, about three miles to the west of 
Rovigno. - In this situation we awaited. the break 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. Qi 


of day, all hands being meantime busily employed 
in repairing the damage that had been done, espe- 
cially among the cordage, which had suffered by 
the breaking of the bowsprit. The fine library of 
Baron Von Neveu was overflowed by the waves, 
which had beat in the windows of the great cabin, 
and almost all the travellers had sustained some 
damage by this furious storm; yet, being now in 
safety, we were less concerned about our own mis- 
fortunes than about the fate of our consort. The 
passengers, to whom this first trial had been very 
severe, gradually assembled on the deck, where the 
view of the great damage so suddenly occasioned, 
and of the exhausted crew, who were benumbed 
with cold, completed the impression of the extent 
of the danger from which we had so providentially 
escaped. 

The gloomy sky having cleared up a little, the 
ship began to proceed slowly towards the south- 
east. At noon we descried the arid coasts of Istria, 
on which the sun, just then breaking from the 
clouds, threw a light strongly contrasted with the 
darkness of the other parts of the scene. At this 
moment no sight could be more welcome to us, 
than that of what might be called a part of our 
own country. We sailed past the little islands co- 
vered with the olive and phillyrea, which lie at the 
entrance of the harbour of Pola, and anchored 
near the town. The passengers went on shore the 
same evening to enjoy the sight of the fine Roman 

c 3 


292 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


antiquities which render this country so interesting. 
The greatest ornament of this poor ‘little town, 
which contains scarcely a thousand inhabitants, 
(though in the time of the Romans it ranked next to 
ZEgida now, Capo d’ Istria, the most important place 
in Istria,) is the circus. It has three stories, each 
of seventy-two arches, and is one of the best pre- 
served monuments of this kind, which is principally 
owing to the material of which it is built ; a solid, 
fine-grained limestone. The temple, which the 
city of Pola dedieated to Rome, under Cesar 
Augustus, in a chaste and noble style, with a pro- 
pyleeum of the Corinthian order, is not so well pre- 
served. The porta aurea, a triumphal arch, with 
columns of the Corinthian order, now serves as a 
gate to the town.* The Venetians, after they 
had separated Pola, and many other seaport towns 
of Istria and Dalmatia, from the dominions of the 
kings of Hungary, erected a fort here, with four 
bastions, which, however, is now in ruins. From 
it there is a fine view of the harbour with its 
verdant islands, of the town and the colossal am- 
phitheatre, which rises above pleasant groves of 
olives and laurels. 

While our frigate was under repair, we had lei- 
sure to make several excursions in the environs of 


* Voyage pittoresque et historique de |'Istrie et Dalmatie, 
rédigé d’apres l’itinéraire de L: F. Cassas, par Joseph Lavallée, 
Paris, 1802. fol. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 23 


Pola, which made us better acquainted with the 
interesting peninsula of Istria. The mountains, 
which run from north to south, consist, like the 
other parts of the country, of floetz lime-stone, 
and are of the same formation as the Karst, that 
desolate ridge of mountains, remarkable for its 
rugged clefts, which runs, several leagues in 
breadth, from the district of Gorz, in the direction 
from W.N. W. to E.S.E., to the shores of the 
gulf of Fiume, and thence southwards to Croatia. 
Large and small caverns and vesicular cavities, 
holes, and ravines, which frequently give the 
mountain the appearance of having been washed 
by the rains; petrifications, such as Ammonites, 
Gryphites, Terebratulites, which, however, are not 
so common in the Istrian peninsula as on the con- 
tinent, and in the islands of the Golfo di Quarnero, 
a compact fine grain, large conchoidal fracture 
fragments, indeterminately angular and sharp-edged, 
absence of metal, and a whitish-yellow or reddish- 
grey colour, characterise this lime-stone, which 
constitutes the chief formation, not only of the 
peninsula, but of all the islands in the gulf of 
Quarnero, and of the mountain chain in the north 
of Croatia. It is said that there are in the penin- 
sula, especially in the northern part, several large 
caverns which have never been explored, an accu- 
rate investigation of which might afford interesting 
results respecting the fossile remains of animals 
found in the islands of Osero and Cherso, and still 
c 4 


ZA, TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


more abundantly in Croatia. About Pola itself the 
limestone is without those fossile bones, indeed 
almost without petrifications ; and towards the sea, 
where it is inhabited and perforated by innumerable 
mytili, frequently shews almost horizontal strata 
from two to three feet thick. In general, only a 
little mould lies over it. In former times, the 
great stone quarries of Pola and Pirano furnished 
materials for building the proud palaces of Venice. 

The vegetation of this dry and rocky soil is by 
no means luxuriant. ‘The charms of the south 
European Flora, to which that of Istria belongs, 
do not consist in those thick and lofty forests, those 
verdant pastures and rich meadows, that distinguish 
the north. On the contrary, we are surprised at 
the nakedness of the hills, and of the plains, desti- 
tute of trees, with hardly any thing growing on 
them but juiceless shrubs ; and, lastly, by the want 
of general cultivation. The Phillyrea latifolia, Erica 
arborea, Burus sempervirens, Cistus Ledon, C. sal- 
vifolius, Juniperus Oxycedrus, Pistacia lentiscus, 
Smilax and Arbutus Unedo, form low, shadowless, 
dry clumps, which cannot bear a comparison even 
with our dry pine forests ; but the many plantations 
of olives and laurels have an appearance of softness 
and lustre, which corresponds with the mildness 
and transparency of a southern climate. This’ 
great transparency, and the beautiful azure of the 
sky, were observed by us with pleasure in some 
sun-shiny days during our stay, as infallible indi- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 95 


cations of more favourable weather, and of the 
approach of spring; some of the harbingers of 
which, belonging to the vegetable kingdom, were 
already in full bloom; such as Anemone hortensis, 
Parietaria judaica, Plantago subulata and Coron- 
opus, Ornithogalum umbellatum, Muscari comosum 
and racemosum, TIvia Bulbocodium, Ranunculus 
muricatus and parviflorus, and some others. ‘The 
season being still so cold, hardly any animals were 
to be found except a Testacella EKuropwa, the 
Scorpio Italicus, and the more common marine 
animals, such as Aplysia depilans, Holothuria 
elegans, some fish and medusze. 

The meteorological phenomena here were not 
very different from those observed at Triest. ‘The 
barometer was at 27° 11’: Reaumur’s thermometer 
in the air was, in the morning, never above 8° ; 
noon, 10°—11°; in the evening, 6°—7°: in the 
water, in the morning, 8°—9°; at noon, 9°—10°; 
in the evening, 8° to 8° 5’. The specific gravity of 

the sea water was 1.0372. The whalebone hy- 
grometer stood between 39° and 48°, 

The naval officer, who had been sent from Pola 
to Venice, to bring a new bowsprit from the arsenal, 
and make inquiry respecting the fate of our con- 
sort, the frigate Augusta, of which we could obtain 
no information on the solitary coast of Istria, re- 
turned in a few days, with the bowsprit, and the 
news that the Augusta, after losing all her masts, 
sails, and boats, had sought shelter in the island of 


26 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Chioggia, and would in all probability be obliged 
to go from that place to Venice, in order to repair 
in the arsenal of that city the great damage she 
had sustained, which was estimated at twenty thou- 
sand francs. The bowsprit was soon put up, and 
on the seventh day the Austria was again ready to 
sail. The embassy, therefore, resolved to proceed 
to Gibraltar alone, and there to wait both the 
Augusta frigate and the royal Portuguese squadron, 
as well as further instructions from the imperial 
court of Vienna. 

On the 2lst of April, at six o’clock in the 
morning, we weighed anchor, and left the harbour 
of Pola with a faint east-north-east wind. By the 
time it was broad daylight we were in the open 
sea. The horizon was covered with thin white 
clouds, but the sky in the zenith was of the purest 
azure, and we indulged in the most pleasing hopes 
as a faint but favourable wind conveyed us to the 
entrance of the Golfo di Quarnero. About ten 
o’clock in the morning we had the south east point 
of Istria before us, about ten leagues distant. 
We took a last look of the Monte Maggiore, the 
highest mountain in the peninsula, the summit of 
which had been covered with snow on the day of 
the storm, and was not yet free from it. When we 
had doubled this southermost promontory, the high 
mountains behind Fiume rose in the distant back 
ground to the north, and before us Il Monte’ 
d’Osero, a steep barren limestone chain, which 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. OT 


runs lengthwise through the greater part of the 
island of the same name, and is a great advantage 
to navigation, as a mark in these seas, where there 
are so many rocks and shoals. In the afternoon 
we passed the island of Sansego. ‘The wind now 
increased, so that during the whole night we never 
sailed less than five leagues in an hour by the 
Illyrian islands of Grossa and Coronata; and the 
following morning we were in the latitude of 
Ortona. 

At sunrise we saw the island of St. Andrea; 
at noon, Brasso; and soon after, the Pomo, an 
insulated rock in the form of a sugar-loaf, with a 
beetling point on the north side; which was an 
agreeable sign to us of the rapid progress of our 
voyage. In the afternoon it was N. N. E. of us; 
and the larger island of Lissa, which concealed 
Lessina from us, appeared afterward, in the mist, 
to the north-east. All these islands still belong to 
the limestone formation of the Golfo di Quarnero. 
On the Italian coast we perceived the most south- 
ern promontory of the Garganus Mons, the Monte 
St. Angelo, which was covered with snow very low 
down, an appearance which agreed with the cold 
observed by us (the thermometer had never risen 
above 8° Reaumur). Manfredonia, the saline 
coasts of Salapia, and the mouths of the renowned 
Aufidus, in the neighbourhood of which Hannibal 
humbled the Roman pride, gradually vanished ; 
while Cuzzola, Cazziol, Agosta, and then in the 


98 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


back ground Meleda, came in sight, as also the 
two rocks, Pelagosa, which stand in the middle of 
the sea, and are inhabited by innumerable flocks 
of gulls. We left the latter to the windward, and 
sailed between them and the Italian continent. 
The appearance of the sky had changed several 
times, and we had some showers; the wind, how- 
ever, remained constant. Monopoli, and the long 
edge of the coast of Apulia, came in sight on the 
morning of the following day ; and towards eleven 
o’clock we were in the vicinity of the ancient 
Brundusium. We clearly distinguished the sea- 
shore, which is covered with pines, the broad 
crowns of which are visible at a great distance. 
’ Two small forts seemed to us to lie to the north, 
and a third to the south of the town, which stands 
rather more in the back ground. Several watch- 
towers, built to observe the Barbary pirates, stand 
along the coast; memorials of a different age 
from that when Brundusium, the eastern station of 
the Roman maritime power, sent formidable fleets 
to sea; and kept Greece subject to Italy.  Cicero’s 
complaints, when, avoiding Rome, he came here to 
pass over to the Peloponnesus, and Cesar’s vast 
efforts when besieging his rival Pompey, rise 
before the mind of the traveller, on seeing this 
ancient maritime town. St. Cataldo and the moun- 
tains of Lezze became visible before we doubled 
Capo della St. Maria, the extreme point of Apulia, 
where, on the steep naked coast which stretched 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 29 


before us to the north-west, we could discover 
nothing but one solitary church. In this latitude, 
where we saw the islands of Merlera and Corfu to 
the south-east, in a grey mist, and nearer to us the 
mountain ridge of the island of Fano and the Mon- 
tagne di Cimara, on the coast of Albania, which 
joins the higher chain of Pegola, the temperature 
remained higher the whole day than we had hi- 
therto observed it. The thermometer stood in the 
morning, in the air, at 9° 50’, R.; in the water, 10°; 
_at noon, in the air, 11°75’; in the evening, in the 
air, 10°; in the water, 11°75’. But the night 
during which we were in the gulf of Tarento, was 
again, however, remarkably cold. ‘The horizon 
was enveloped in dark clouds; and we had fre- 
quent lightnings, succeeded by long-continued 
peals of thunder. ‘The sea in the gulf of Tarento 
is often stormy and very dangerous, particularly 
for small coasting vessels. In the night of the 25th 
we doubled Capo Spartivento, the most southerly 
promontory of Italy, and with a fresh breeze from 
KE. S. E. directed our course towards Malta. Thus 
our voyage through the Adriatic sea was happily 
completed; and we left behind us those countries 
in which, above all others, ancient and modern 
history are blended together. 

The awfully majestic Etna soon came in sight: 
its snow-crowned summits were veiled in a thick 
fog. Soon after we beheld, on the Sicilian coast, 
about ten miles to the north of us, the renowned 


30 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Syracuse, the birthplace of Theocritus and Archi- 
medes. With the assistance of our telescopes, we 
distinguished the walls and towers on the east side 
of the city, and the roofs of several of the principal 
buildings, which, indeed, seem to retain but little 
of the splendour of the opulent Syracuse, which 
Cicero describes as one of the most beautiful cities 
of antiquity. Recollections of the noble-minded 
Timoleon, — of the tyrant Dionysius, — of the 
grandeur and magnificence which Syracuse attained 
after the conquest of its rival Agrigentum, strike 
upon the mind of the observer. 

The sea in this latitude, as well as in the gulf 
of Tarento, is of a light-green colour, which is 
principally owing to its inferior depth. As this 
colour changes according as the rays of the sun 
fall, it is hardly possible accurately to determine 
the various degrees of the blue, green, and grey 
colour ; for the sea apppears in the same place of 
a much brighter hue when it is strongly illuminated 
by the sun, than when the horizon is overspread 
with dark clouds. It is in this place also that we 
first discovered the phosphorescence of the sea. It 
was, however, much fainter and more dispersed 
than we afterwards noticed it on the coasts of Spain, 
at Gibraltar, and in the ocean, and seemed to arise 
chiefly from minute mollusca. 

The stormy weather had driven birds of various 
kinds from the Sicilian coast, which came and 
rested upon the frigate. We caught several turtle- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 31 


doves, a small sparrow-hawk, a goat-sucker, sea- 
swallows, and fly-catchers ; all birds which belong 
to the south European continent, and partly com- 
mence from hence their annual migrations over 
the sea. It is, perhaps, from this circumstance, 
that the neighbouring promontory of Sicily derives 
its name of Capo Passaro. ‘The superstition of the 
Venetian sailors looked upon the doves as a token 
of a happy voyage: the goat-sucker, on the con- 
trary, was pursued by them as a bird of ill omen, 
and it found no secure asylum on the rigging. 

On the following morning we were already forty- 
two leagues to the west of Malta, when the wind 
suddenly settled in the N. N. W. It soon in- 
creased, and the waves ran so high, that it was im- 
possible to keep the course to the south-west. 
The frigate rolled so violently, that in a short time 
the tackling was materially damaged ; every thing 
movable was thrown backwards and forwards ; 
and it seemed dangerous longer to expose the ship 
to the fury of the waves. As the wind besides 
threatened to continue, and the captain, taught 
by former experience in these seas, foresaw that 
perseverance would only cause delay, he resolved 
to put back to Malta, there to wait for a more 
favourable wind. After having been buffetted for 
some hours by the storm, we accordingly changed 
our course, and the wind being now in the right 
quarter, we speedily arrived off Malta, and sailed 
round the little and great Gozzo, and at two o’clock 


Bo) TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


in the afternoon cast anchor in the fine harbour of 
Lavaletta. Scarcely had the frigate announced its 
arrival by the customary salute, when the lofty 
walls of the city were crowded with spectators ; 
but this sight did not surprise us so much as that 
of a number of naked men, who were drying their 
clothes in the hollows of the limestone rocks next 
the beach. They were the crew of a vessel which 
had suffered shipwreck the preceding day in this" 
harbour. We considered ourselves doubly fortu- 
nate in having escaped the danger which threat- 
ened us at the entrance into the harbour, and in 
being able to view this island, whose situation 
between Africa and Europe renders it so remark- 
able. 

Lavaletta is one of the most glorious monuments 
of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, founded 
during the crusades, the grand masters of which 
trom the time of Charles V. to the latest period, 
were established here, after having been driven 
from Palestine farther and farther to the west. 
This celebrated order was the fairest fruit of the 
ancient spirit of chivalry, and its members united 
by the Christian faith and heroic deeds for the 
security of Europe against the infidels, have 
founded in it a monument of general European 
civilization. ‘The entrance into the harbour of 
Lavaletta excites admiration and surprise. At the 
sides of the narrow entrance, steep bastions and 
forts rise above the lofty limestone rocks, which 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 33 


present formidable rows of batteries towards the 
sea. Behind them a broad road leads up the rock 
to the city, the houses of which, with flat roofs, are 
built on terraces one above the other. The palace 
of the governor-general, in the highest part of the 
city, enjoys a fine prospect over the sea. It still 
contains many memorials of the order: among 
others, the portraits of the grand masters; the 
library of the order, which is said to be rich in 
ancient works in theology, antiquities, and juris- 
prudence ; and the arsenal, in which there are many 
trophies taken from the infidels; also the small 
but very heavy armour of the noble grand master, 
Lavalette. The church of St. John, built on a 
small eminence in the city, in bad taste, and over- 
loaded with ornaments, is particularly remarkable 
for its riches in Italian, Greek, and Oriental 
marble, as also in Egyptian porphyry and serpen- 
tine. The paintings, among which those of Mat- 
thew Preti, surnamed II Calabrese, are the best, 
are chiefly. by Neapolitan masters. The separate 
tongues of the order have their own chapels in the 
church, which, as well as the vault, contains many 
fine monuments. 

From Lavaletta the way leads to Citta Vecchia, 
over naked fields, between innumerable little 
country-houses. ‘The first thing shown to stran- 
gers here, in the old town, is the church of Saint 
Paul the Apostle, who, according to the Acts of 
the Apostles, suffered shipwreck in a place where 

VOL. I. D 


84 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


two currents met, according to the tradition of the 
people, close to the island. Hence all the environs 
are looked upon by the inhabitants with religious 
respect. ‘They likewise attribute to the circum- 
stance which occurred upon the apostle’s landing, 
the supposed absence of serpents in the island ; 
contrary to which opinion, we must, however, con- 
fess that we saw a snake in.the fields. ‘The church 
of St. Paul is built in the modern style, but over- 
loaded with all imaginable ornaments, —gilding 
lapis lazuli, and marble. Not far from the church 
is the grotto of St. Paul, where there is an image 
of the apostle as large as life. The stone, of which 
the cavern consists, supposed by the inhabitants to 
possess the miraculous power of curing all kinds of 
fevers, is a marl-like, light, white, brittle lime- 
stone, of recent formation, in which there are traces 
of petrifications of marine shells, still found in the 
adjacent seas, such as the Mytilus esculentus, and 
several species of Cardium. ‘Though thousands of 
chisels have been at work upon this wonder-working 
rock, the pious credulity of the people cannot ob- 
serve any diminution of it. We were not per- 
mitted to leave the old town without seeing the 
celebrated catacombs.. ‘The entrance to them is in 
a garden, very near the church of St. Paul. They 
are extensive intricate passages, hewn in the soft 
rock, sometimes only a few feet broad, and the 
height of a man, and sometimes widened into large 
vaults. Popular tradition ascribes them to the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 35 


first Maltese Christians, who, to escape perse- 
cution, built a subterraneous town; and the inha- 
bitants therefore fancy that they can distinguish 
the church, with the altar and the font, the dwell- 
ings of the families, with the kitchens, cradles, and 
tables, hewn in the rock. Others suppose them to 
have been the repositories of the wounded Christians 
brought hither during the crusades, or the burying- 
places of those who died in that period. They 
place their origin in an earlier age; and consider 
them to have been made partly to procure stones for 
building, and partly in conformity with the custom 
derived from the mother country, Carthage, and still 
practised in the time of the Romans, to dig such 
extensive receptacles for the dead. Those who 
hold this opinion consider the remains of bones 
sometimes found here to belong to that period. 
Some traces still seem to remain in the features 
of the Maltese, of the affinity of Malta with old 
Carthage ; or with the Moors, who possessed the 
island till they were expelled by the Normans. 
The yellow-brown complexion, — the lank black 
slovenly hair, and black beard, — the black oblong 
eyes, — high bushy eyebrows, which give them a ma- 
licious look, —sharp, but not disproportionately high 
cheek-bones, — the high, but blunt nose, — thick 
lips, —the slender, lean, and rather hairy body, 
seem to indicate partly an oriental origin, and 
partly an affinity with the Neapolitans and Sicilians. 
This oriental origin is remarkably confirmed by the 
D2 


36 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


peculiarity of the Maltese language, which essen- 
tially differing from the European, renders it diffi- 
cult for the stranger to understand the Italian | 
dialect of the common people, and according to the 
researches of modern philologists, seems evidently 
to resemble in its elements (both the words and the 
grammatical forms) the ancient Phoenician, and 
still more the Arabian.* The inhabitants seem 
also to resemble in activity and industry that 
ancient commercial people. ‘The common people 
are employed in fishery, including the coral fishery, 
and also in navigation or in agriculture. The 
whole island is most carefully cultivated ; and the 
grounds round the city, as well as round the nu- 
merous villages, bear the appearance of laborious 
industry. On every side you see fields surrounded 
with heaps of stones three feet high, on which the 
American cactus grows abundantly, and between 
them numerous stone country houses, not distin- 
guished either for their size or architecture. In 
the spring the eye dwells with pleasure on the 
fresh generally diffused verdure; but in the height 
of summer, when only the moist valleys remain 
green, the island is said to have a desolate appear- 
ance. ‘The ground does not rise into mountains, 
nor can woods grow in the thin coat of mould upon 


* Bellermann, Pheenicie linguez, vestigiorum in Melitensi 
Specim. I. Berol. 1809. Gesenius, Essay on the Maltese 
Language. Leipzig, 1810. : 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 37 


the rocks, which is often prepared, or fetched from 
a distance, with great labour. 

The most agreeable part of the island is the 
Boschetto, a small valley, cooled by the sea breeze, 
and watered by a stream, with an orange grove, 
which flourishes in all the luxuriance of southern 
vegetation. ‘The adjoining country house, built in 
a chaste style, and belonging to the king, affords a 
delightful prospect of the sea and the environs. 
On our return from Citta Vecchia, we visited the 
country seat of Sir Thomas Maitland, near St. 
Antonio. We here saw a very fine African ostrich 
and a lioness, curiosities which are more common 
here, because the Maltese, as is well known, carry 
on a trade in live animals. His excellency’s gar- 
den, which is laid out in the French style, extends 
on one side to the sea, and is adorned with many 
fine plants from the Levant and from the Cape, 
which thrive as in their native soil. Perhaps no 
part of Europe, even the most southern provinces 
of Spain and Portugal not excepted, affords a more 
favourable climate than Malta, for the establishment 
of a botanic garden, where all the productions of 
the vegetable kingdom might be successfully culti- 
vated. For this reason the public garden of the 
city, which existed when the island was in posses- 
sion of the order, is especially protected by the 
present government. It is under the direction of 
Fra Carlo Giacinto, a very obliging Carmelite, who 
communicated to us much interesting information. 

D3 


38 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


He has paid much attention to the cultivation of 
fine kinds of fruit, and has published a book on the 
agriculture of Malta.* The superiority of the 
Maltese oranges is well known, and they are with 
justice esteemed the finest in Europe. We tasted 
some of these fruits in the garden of Sir Thomas 
Maitland, which might with propriety be called 
apples of the Hesperides. Citrons in the greatest 
variety, and the shaddock (Citrus decumana), are as 
common in the gardens as the carob tree (Ceratonia 
Stliqua); and fine stone fruit, which, though originally 
brought from the Caucasus and Pontus, yet attain 
the highest perfection under this almost African 
sky. This island produces a little wine, but far from 
sufficient for its own consumption ; but they have 
fine Salernian, and the strong wine of the neigh- 
bouring island of Sicily. Besides the vegetables 
common in the north, the love-apple (Solanum 
Lycopersicum) is likewise cultivated. The Indian 
torch-thistle (Cactus Ficus Indica) and C. Opuntia 
are common in the gardens, and on the dry walls, 
and together with the aloe, impart to the landscape 
somewhat of a foreign appearance. ‘The common 
people eat the fruit of the cactus, and the leaves 
are sometimes cut to pieces and given to the cattle. 
These leaves, which contain a great quantity of 
carbonic acid, are used at Zante, as an ex- 
cellent remedy for the stone, and the fleet of 


* Saggio di Agricoltura per le Isole di Malta e Gozo. 
Messina, 1811, small 4to. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 39 


Admiral Collingwood took a stock of them salted 
among their provisions. In the sequel of this nar- 
rative, we shall have occasion.to speak of the im- 
portance of these fleshy plants (which derive 
almost their whole nourishment from the air) to 
the inhabitants of some of the arid districts of 
Brazil, and show how necessity and experience 
direct the most remote nations, to make the same use 
of the productions of nature. Here, as in Calabria, 
a very durable and silky thread is made of the 
fibres of the American aloe. Instead of hay they 
use the Sula (Hedysarumcoronarium), which is sown — 
in fields, and is generally brought to market fresh, 
in bundles, for sale. ‘This fodder would be pre- 
ferable to our sain-foin, but seems not able to bear 
the German winter. A remarkable production of 
Malta is the Fungus melitensis *, a leafless fleshy 
plant, which grows parasitically at the roots of the 
trees on the sea-shore, and was formerly celebrated 
as a favourite remedy for the phthisis. ‘The peo- 
ple regard the peculiar form of this plant as an 
evidence of its wonderful virtues, which, however, 
are not confirmed. Nay, the government itself 
formerly set a high value on this singular plant, 
and had it cultivated at Casal Bingli, not far from 
Boschetto, by two persons, each of whom received 
an annual salary of fifty scudi. We saw in the 
fields maize, oats, barley, buck wheat, and beans. 
The wheat is said to produce, in the worst soil, 


* See Note 2. page 50. 
D 4 


40 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


sixteen fold, and in the best sixty-four fold, a fer- 
tility which exceeds that of Sicily. Cotton too, 
_ which when spun is mostly exported to Spain, the 
carraway seed (Cuminum Cyminum, L.), and the 
aniseed (Pimpinella Anisum, L. Sison Anisum, 
Spreng.), all brought hither from the East, during 
the crusades, are much cultivated in Malta and the 
neighbouring Gozzos; one of which, the Lampas 
of the ancients, even bears*the name of Comino 
from carraway (Cuminum). * 

In general the observer is every where struck 
with the proofs of the extraordinary care with 
which the industrious inhabitants take advantage 
of every spot, however small, that can be obtained 
from the rocky soil, which is almost entirely desti- 
tute of mould. Indeed, were it otherwise, this 
little spot, which does not much exceed six square 
miles in extent, would not be able to maintain a 
population of above seventy thousand souls. It is 
said, however, that the population has decreased 
since the island has been under the dominion of 
the English, especially of late years, both by the 
stagnation of commerce and by diseases. The 
situation of the island is indeed, on the whole, 
healthy; but the S.E. sirocco, which blows fre- 
quently during the summer and autumn, and in the 
short passage over the sea from the coast of Africa 
hither, cannot lose the malignant vapours with 


* See Note 3. page 51. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 41 


which it is impregnated, not only causes in most 
of the inhabitants an unpleasant sensation and 
great lassitude, but sometimes, when it is of long 
continuance, has still more pernicious effects on 
the body, producing great relaxation of the nerves, 
corruption of the juices, dysentery, putrid fevers, 
&c. - The plague, which was brought in 1813 from 
Alexandria to Malta, and continued to rage nearly 
a whole year, carried off a great number of the in- 
habitants, especially of the lower class ; and this 
distemper was found to be no less fatal here than 
in the Levant. Of the last hundred who were 
attacked, only four survived.* During our stay 
the thermometer was at 26° 00’ of Reaumur, which 
with a N.N.W. wind, we did not find oppressive 
when walking out ; but if it had been accompanied 
by the sirocco it would perhaps have obliged us to 
return to the city. Dolomieut observes very justly, 
that the nature of the wind produces a great differ- 
ence in the external warmth and that which is felt 
at Malta. In the harbour the thermometer was, 
at eight o’clock in the morning, in the air 13° of 
Reaumur, in water from the surface of the sea 
12° 5’, and from a depth of twenty-four fathoms 
12°; in the evening at eight o’clock, in the air 
11° 74’; at three in the morning in the air 8°-4’, 
and in the water 12°. The specific gravity of the 

* History of the Plague, as it lately appeared in the islands 


of Malta, Gozzo, Corfu, &c. by Tully. London, 1821. 
+ Voyage aux iles de Lipari. Paris, 1783. 


42 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


sea water was rather less here than in the Adriatic 
sea. 

The formation of the whole island, as far as we 
examined it, has no trace of lava, and consists of a 
recent marl or tufa like limestone of late origin ; 
in some parts very soft, in others firm, and the frac- 
ture showing a fine grain, of a whitish or yellowish 
colour, and mixed both with numerous particles of 
mica, and with small, nay, microscopical shells, 
(now and then a few some lines in length,) or 
with sharks’ teeth. The shells are chiefly of the 
species of Mytilus and Cardium, and seem, if we 
may be allowed to judge from the examination of 
a few specimens, to be of kinds that are still to be 
found alive. Beside these petrifications, which are 
very common in the grotto of St. Paul for instance, 
the island is said to abound in Terebratulites, Be- 
lemnites, &c. The same stone furnishes the ad- 
mirable materials for building used in the island. 
The limestone rock is covered either with loose 
stones, sand, and dust, here and there converted 
by manure into garden ground, or by a good rich 
red clay, and lastly, in part by mould imported 
from Sicily. 

The contrary wind which had hitherto detained 
us at Malta, changed, in the night of the 30th, to 
a faint S.E., and the frigate lost no time in leaving 
the harbour. On the Ist of May, at five in the 
morning, we had the Capo di S. Dimitro to the 
W.N.W., Lavaletta distant ten leagues; at seven 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 43 


o’clock the Capo was S.W. by W.; the wind con- 
tinued to increase during the day, so that at half 
past seven in the morning we already had the 
middle point of Capo Maritimo, the most southerly 
point of Sicily, E. by S., about six leagues distant. 
Here the ship was again visited by many birds, 
sparrowhawks, swallows, turtle doves, gold thrushes 
and motacille. It seems as if these animals, im- 
pelled by instinct to emigrate, resort to points of 
land where two countries approach the most 
nearly to each other, and take advantage of ships 
that sail by, as resting places in their long journey. 
On the 3d of May we came in sight of the Toro, 
_not far from the Sardinian coast, a bare rock rising 
from the sea, and soon afterwards of S. Pietro, 
the most westerly point of that island. Many 
dolphins sported round our vessel, and, according 
to the observations of the crew, announced that 
the wind would abate, as in fact it did soon after- 
wards. 

Several phenomena indicated that we were 
drawing nearer to the great ocean, among which 
we may particularly mention the greater phospho- 
rescence of the sea. On the voyage from Triest, 
we had hitherto seen only detached luminous 
points in the sea, but now the ship seemed in the 
night-time to swim in liquid fire, and as it glided 
along and beat against the waves, the deck was 
illumined by a bright light. The sight of this 
grand and magic nocturnal phenomenon excites the 
admiration of every beholder, especially if it is 


44, TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the first time he had the opportunity of traversing 
the liquid element in such splendour. ‘The sea 
was covered with luminous balls, as large as a hazel- 
nut, and with every wave that dashed against the 
ship in its course, it seemed to throw out sparks 
like hot iron, when it is hammered, or like a cathe- 
rine wheel, and lighted up all the surrounding ob- 
jects. Besides these innumerable balls of’ fire, 
there were other larger insulated luminous bladders, 
most frequently near the ship, but likewise at a 
distance from it, in places where the waves broke 
in foam. The darker the night grew, the more 
beautiful did the phenomenon appear; and on 
moonlight nights it was less visible, and only on 
the side where the shadow of the vessel fell. This 
splendid sight has been an object of investigation 
in the accounts of numerous voyagers. Forster 
explains it partly as a consequence of the electri- 
city excited by the violent friction of the ship, and 
partly as phosphorescence from putrefied animal 
substances or luminous insects. Adanson and the 
later naturalists, as Von Humboldt and Peron, 
ascribe this phenomenon entirely to mollusca, 
zoophytes and other marine animals. We likewise 
did not neglect carefully to investigate this impor- 
tant subject. We had several vessels filled during 
the night with the luminous sea water. The hand, 
or whatever was wetted with this water, shone, and 
the vessels, when shaken, were full of luminous 
particles. ‘The water, when examined the following 
day, by means of an admirable microscope, made 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 45 


by Utzschneider and Fraunhofer, showed a number 
of little bodies, sometimes roundish, sometimes 
oblong, of the size of a poppy seed. Each of 
them had at one end, or on the top of the head, a 
small navel-like opening, having from six to nine 
fine filaments round it, which float within the 
bladder, and with which the little animal seems - 
to attach itself to other bodies, and to take its 
nourishment. In the inside of these bladders we 
sometimes saw many other small darker points 
crowded together on one side, or here and there 
some larger ones, which might be either remains of 
smaller animals which they had swallowed, or the 
spawn. These globular animalculz, which are 
entirely of the nature of meduse, and are mentioned 
by Peron and Lechenault, under the name of 
Arethusa pelagica, and by Savigny under that of 
Noctiluca miharis, swim in greater or less numbers 
in the sea water taken up at night, and appear to 
the naked eye, in the sunshine, like little drops of 
grease. If the water is not changed, or the ex- 
amination continues too long, they do not remain 
in the middle of the glass, but fall dead to the 
bottom. It is remarkable that these globular animal- 
cule, when they come near together, involuntarily 
attract each other, and form whole groups, an effect 
resembling the magnetic phenomena of inanimate 
substances. We observed a similar phenomenon on 
a large scale, in the daytime, here as well as on 
the ocean. Whole masses of these animals‘swam on 


46 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the surface of the water in long yellowish brown 
stripes, and looked like a stream covered with saw- 
dust. This, however, is never seen except when 
the sky is covered with thick clouds, which darken 
the sea. These marine infusoria appear to avoid 
the light of the sun, and to sink in the daytime to 
the bottom, to return to the surface as soon as 
darkness sets in; at least they were not to be found 
in the water which was taken up in the daytime, 
but only in that which we took up at night. ‘The 
mode of life and the social instinct which the above- 
mentioned little arethusee have in common with 
the other zoophytes, salpz, &c. may perhaps be 
the cause that they are met with very frequently in 
some parts of the sea, and in others very rarely, or 
not at all. In the bay of Gibraltar they were so 
abundant, that if we only dipped a hand in the water, 
a furrow of light was immediately seen, and the hand 
when taken out shone in innumerable points. 
All these facts seem therefore to prove that the 
phosphorescence of the sea is principally to be 
attributed to animals. ‘The large fiery balls, often 
a foot in diameter, which rise singly above the 
water, or swim about in it, are probably larger 
mollusca or medusze, or perhaps bladders in the 
water, illumined by the phosphoric light of these 
animals. But, besides this insulated or sparkling 
phosphorescence, there is another, the natural 
characteristics of which seem not to have been yet 
sufficiently distinguished. At some distance from the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 47 


ship, wherever two waves strike together or dash over 
each other, a shallow bluish streak of light, like the 
reflection of the lightning on the water, is seen. This 
light differs from that of the globular animalcule 
in not consisting of single sparks or dazzling masses 
of light, of a bright yellow colour, but being rather 
equally diffused, and resembling the faint light that 
proceeds from burning spirits of wine. We do not 
pretend at present to decide on the nature of this 
faint light. It might be considered either as the com- 
bined reflection of the sparks of light produced by 
the animalcule, or as the process of restoring the 
balance of electricity between the single waves, 
or the sea and the atmosphere, as it appears 
only on the surface of the clashing and breaking 
waves. We are almost inclined to adopt the latter 
opinion, especially when we consider the saltness 
of the sea water, which increases its electricity, 
and the corrupt substances in it, by which it is, as 
it were, rendered more organic and animalised. 
In all kinds of phosphorescence, oxydation and 
disoxydation probably act an essential part. 
Should we be obliged to assume a process of pu- 
trefaction in the sea, this is also an organic act, in 
which the putrefying substance, in the same man- 
ner as what is organic, comes into a relation with 
the atmosphere. But even putting all foreign 
substances out of the question, the sea has always 
a similar relation to the atmosphere, as its water, 
and the salt dissolved in it, become more oxydated 


48 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


by its motion. Whether this phenomenon therefore 
be explained as chemical, physical, or organical, 
this kind of shining appears as an effect of elec- 
tricity, and of the process of oxydation in the sea, 
an effect which is increased and rendered visible 
by the peculiar beating of the waves. We leave 
it to other travellers more accurately to investigate 
and to correct the phenomena which we have 
stated, of the various kinds of phosphorescence and 
their causes. 

The fresh breeze had carried our ship rapidly 
past the dangerous Gulf of Lyons, so that on the 
4th of May we were off the island of Minorca: 
on the following day we passed Majorca and Ivica, 
and on the 6th at noon were off Cape Palos, 
which was eight leagues distant W. by N. The 
air was misty and did not permit us to have a 
distinct view of the land. Many large turtles 
swam past us, sleeping on the surface, as also 
several of the abovementioned large masses of 
zoophytes, which formed yellowish stripes on the 
sea. On the following day the island of Alboran 
appeared to the S.E.° It is a sterile inhospitable 
limestone rock, inhabited only by sea birds, and 
with no other vegetation than the dyers’ lichen 
(Rocella tinctoria, Ach.). Itis said that the Moors 
sometimes land on it to dry fish, or to gather that 
valuable plant for dying. The mountains of 
Barbary were but seldom visible, but on the other 
hand we had almost always the picturesque chain 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 49 


of Granada in sight, which presented a grand 
spectacle when illuminated in the evening by the 
lightning. The wind had abated, and we could 
enjoy for some days the sight of the lovely green 
valleys, adorned with numerous villages and ham- 
lets, extending from the sea towards the mountains. 
We were particularly delighted with the view of 
Velez Malaga, in the vicinity of which we could 
distinguish an aqueduct, and the road of Gibraltar 
winding through the mountains and pleasant gar- 
dens, in which the vine that produces the sweet 
and strong wine is planted near the olive. Variable 
faint winds brought us gradually forward, till on 
the 11th of May ‘we descried the long-extended 
chain of Morabella, and at length were carried by 
a rather brisker wind, on the 12th of May at noon, 
into the bay of Gibraltar, where, amidst the thun- 
der of the cannon, we happily cast anchor in 
safety. 


NOTES TO CHAPTER II. 


Nore 1. 


Tue plants which we observed about Pola, besides 
those already specified, are— Poa annua, trivialis; Bro- 
mus tectorum, sterilis; Hordeum murinum ; Carex extensa, 
capillaris ; Scirpus romanus ; Ophrys fuciflora, Arachnites ; 
Asparagus acutifolius ; Smilax aspera ; Ruscus Hypophyl- 

VOL. I. E 


50 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


lum; Ornithogalum umbellatum ; Carpinus orientalis ; 
Orobanche major; Antirrhinum Cymbalaria; Acanthus 
mollis; Ajuga Chameepitys, genevensis; Glechoma he- 
deracea; Lamium purpureum; Salvia Verbenaca; Ar- 
temisia Absinthium ; Santolina rosmarinifolia ; Leontodon 
taraxacoides Hoppe, Taraxacum; Bellis perennis; Vinca 
major; Plantago subulata, Coronopus ; Globularia vul- 
garis; Brassica Erucastrum; Crambe maritima; Sisym- 
brium asperum, monense ; 'Thlaspi preecox; Arabis verna ; 
Erodium maritimum ; Geranium. rotundifolium; Corydalis 
capnoides ; Paliurus australis; Lathyrus sativus, Nessolza ; 
Hippocrepis comosa; Spartium junceum ; Trifolium incar- 
natum, scabrum, ceespitosum, wniflorun ; Coronilla Emerus; 
Potentilla subacaulis, verna, opaca; Prunus Mahaleb. — 
The great number of species printed in Jtalics, which do 
not belong to the German flora, in a strict sense, but to 
that of the shores of the Mediterranean, may prove how 
much the vegetation, even of Pola, differs from ours. The 
species of the lowest classes are more similar to the vege- 
tation of our German limestone tracts. Thus we observe 
of the fern species, — Scolopendrium officinarum, Adiantum 
Capillus Veneris, Asplenium viride, Pteris aquilina; of 
mosses and lichens, — Hypnum compressum, splendens, 
tamariscinum, abietinum, cupressiforme, rugulosum, Dicra- 
num purpureum, Barbula tortuosa, Tortula apiculata, 
Lecidea athroocarpa, rupestris, Parmelia murorum, phy- 
sodes, glauca. 


Note 2. 


Cynomorium coccineum is said to be also found in several 
places on the coasts of Spain and Morocco, and resembles 
in its form the tropical parasites— Aphyteia Hydnora, 
Cynomorium cayennense Balanophora, and the Langsdorffia 
hypogea, which we discovered at Rio de Janeiro, of which 
we shall speak in the sequel. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 51 


Norte 3. 


We have not yet any Fauna or Flora of the island of 
Malta. Asa contribution towards it, we will enumerate 
the following animals and plants, which came under our 
observation: — Ampuipia: Testudo Mydas; Coluber, in- 
determ. Pisces: Raja clavata; Squalus Canicula; Uran- 
oscopus scaber; Scomber Pelamys; Trigla Cuculus; Esox 
Sphyrzena; Murena Helena. Motxusca: Sepia Loligo, 
octopus; Anomia Cepa. Insecta: Ateuchus sacer; Pi- 
melia bipunctata; Acheta umbraculata; Meloe laevigata. — 
Forskol, in his Flora Aigyptiaco-arabica, p. xii. mentions 
eighty-seven Maltese plants, almost all of which we like- 
wise found. For the convenience of the reader, the German 
species are printed in Roman letters, the south European in 
Italic, and the African in JT4LIC SMALL CAPITALS. Festuca 
pinnata, dzstachyos, pratensis; Bromus madritensis, rubens ; 
Poa annua, rigida; Rottboellia incurvata, Lagurus ovatus ; 
Hordeum murinum ; -4g7lops ovata ; Avena fatua; Crypsis 
scheenoides ; Arum italicum ; Juncus bufonius; Ixia Bulbo- 
codium ; Muscari comosum, racemosum ; Scilla maritima ; 
Asphodelus ramosus; Allium ciliatum, Cyr.— Ruppia mari- 
tima; Zannichellia palustris. —Rumex Bucephalophorus, 
acutus ; Nzbo spinosa, Ménch. — Salsola frutescens ; Cheno- 
podium Bonus Henricus, album; Beta vulgaris; Salicornia 
Sruticosa, — Plantago Coronopus, subulata, lanceolata, Psyl- 
lium. —- Anagallis Monelli, arvensis; Bartschia versicolor ; 
Rhinanthus Crista Galli. — Euphrasia officinalis. — Ros- 
marinus officinalis; Ajuga pyramidalis; Lamium_ pur- 
pureum, amplexicaule; Stachys hiria ; Sideritis montana ; 
Prasium majus ; Glechoma hederacea ; ‘Thymus Serpyllum, 
&ygis ; Salvia Verbenaca, verticillata; Marrubium hispani- 
cum; Clinopodium vulgare ; Origanum vulgare. — Scrophu- 
laria nodosa; Antirrhinum Cymbalaria, Orontium siculum, 
majus. — Hyoscyamus niger, aureus, albus ; Solanum minia- 
tum, Bernh. nigrum, Dulcamara; Datura stramonium ; 

E 2 


oo TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Cynoglossum pictum ; Echium creticum; Anchusa italica ; 
Lycopsisarvensis. — Hyoseris radiata; Hypochceris minima ; 
Seriola cethnensis ; Apargia tuberosa ; SONCHUS TENER- 
Rrimus ; Picridium vulgare ; Cichorium spinosum ; Anthemis 
maritima; Buphthalmum maritimum, spinosum. — Bellis 
annua ; Chrysanthemum coronarium ; Cineraria maritima ; 
Gnaphalium luteo-album; Evax pygmea ; Artemisia Ab- 
sinthium; CNIcUS sYRLACUS: pycnocephalus, \anceolatus ; 
Carduus marianus ; Galactites tomentosa ; Centaurea meli- 
tensis, Calcitrapa, solstitialis. — Valeriana Calcitrapa ; Fedia 
Cornucopie; Scabiosa stellata. — Sherardia arvensis; Valantia 
Aparine.— Hedera Helix; ToRDYLIUM HUMILE; Daucus 
Carota; Crithmum maritimum; Cicuta virosa; Lagacia 
cuminoides.— Adonis autumnalis; Ranunculus muricatus.— 
Papaver Rhoeas; Glancium luteum; Fumaria capreolata, 
officinalis. — Alyssum maritimum; Raphanus Raphanistrum ; 
Thlaspi Bursa pastoris; Brassica campestris; Biscutella 
didyma. — Capparis spinosa; Reseda alba.— Malwa niceensis, 
Stelligera, noy. spec. caule prostrato stellato-piloso scabrido, 
foliis molliter pubescentibus suborbicularibus obsolete quinque 
usque septemlobis dentatis, floribus duobus vel tribus axillar- 
bus, pedunculis quam folia brevioribus, calycibus pubescenti- 
bus, exterioris foliolis lato-ovatis; M. sylvestris; Alcea 
rosea. — Polycarpon tetraphyllum ; Frankenia levis ; SILENE 
ATocion. — Sedum arenarium, Brot. Lotus Tetragonolobus, 
peregrinus, corniculatus; Lathyrus angulatus ; Oxytropis 
montana; Ononis villosa; Trifolium patens,  stellatum, 
scabrum, tomentosum ; Scorpiurus vermiculata, sulcata; Me- 
dicago mollissima, greca, tribuloides, apiculata; Melilotus 
coeruleus, messanensis ; Hedysarum coronarium ; Anthyllis 
Vulneraria, with red blossom.—Urtica pilulifera; Eu- 
phorbia Esula, helioscopia, niceensis, villosa. Of the hun- 
dred and fifty species of the Maltese flora here enumerated, 
fifty-six belong to Germany, ninety to the southern part of 
Europe, and four to the north coast of Africa. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. ao 


CHAPTER III. 


GIBRALTAR AND ITS ENVIRONS. 


‘Tue first part of our voyage was thus concluded, 
and we had reached the Pillars of Hercules, which 
have been usually considered as the limit of the 
boldest enterprises of the ancients. Many of the 
passengers went on shore the same day, desirous of 
viewing a country possessing so many claims to 
our attention. The rock of Gibraltar, Mons Calpe, 
forms the nucleus of a small tongue of land, which 
extends into the sea from north to south, and is 
connected with the continent only by a low sandy 
slip. On the southern point, called Europa Point, 
and upon the west side, it rises in the form of a 
terrace, but towards the north and east its steep 
walls make it absolutely inaccessible. Its highest 
point, the Sugar Loaf, is 1439 English feet above 
the level of the sea, the Rock Battery 1350, the 
Signal House 1276, Windmill-hill 330, and the 
lowest spot, Europa Point, 105 feet. The town 
lies upon the western part, which is the most 
habitable and level. It is protected by the sea- 
batteries, and the formidable rows of cannon pro- 
jecting from the casemates hewn in the upper part 
E 3 


54 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


of the rock. Besides these, batteries occupy the 
whole circle of the rock, and are discontinued only 
where the sides are so steep that every attack of an 
enemy is impossible. The works, which are equally 
excellent in every point, secure to the place the 
reputation of being invincible, which it acquired 
since General Elliot’s heroic defence against the 
combined fleets of France and Spain, in the years 
1779 to 1782. The operations of centuries have 
given its present strength to the northern pillar of 
Hercules. 

The town itself, the greater part of which has 
been rebuilt since the last three years’ siege, con- 
sists of low houses, crowded together in one prin- 
cipal street, and several smaller ones running 
parallel to it, from which the old wall of the 
Moorish castle, built in 725, extends towards the 
summit of the mountain. To the south of the 
town in Red Sands, handsome gardens intended for 
public promenades have lately been made. Under 
the sultry sun of this country the children of the 
Flora of the Fortunate Islands, the North coast of 
Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, and of the East 
and West Indies, thrive with extraordinary luxu- 
riance. ‘The favourite flowers of the Spaniards 
from those countries, Jasmin real, Yerba doncella, 
Arbol del ciclo, Sauzgatillo chino, Pimienta, Arbol 
del coral, Don Drigo de noche *, rival the beau- 


* Jasminum grandiflorum, Vinca rosea, Ailanthus glandu- 
losa, Vitex Negundo, Capsicum fructicosum, Erythrina Coral- 
lodendron, Mirabilis Jalappa. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 5d 


titul flowers of the South of Europe. Here and 
there large stems of the Tuna * grow against the 
garden-wall, as if to give a foretaste of their native 
western clime. The avenues along the sea-bat- 
teries enliven the scene on this side of the moun- 
tain, the upper rocky part of which is invested 
with a scanty verdure, by some shrubs, and the 
dwarf palm.t On the summit of the mountain 
lives an African species of ape (Sima Inuus, L.), 
which several of our party thought they had seen. 
It was probably brought here by the Moors. Pro- 
ceeding farther up the mountain you reach a steep 
eminence, from which there is a surprisingly beau- 
tiful view of the sea, Mount Atlas in the S.W., and 
the mountains of Granada in the N.E. 

The sight of two quarters of the globe, and the 
ocean which separates them, affords to the traveller 
ample matter for reflection. Along the north- 
east side there is a narrow path by the sea-shore, 
by which, however, you cannot go quite round the 
rock, because the most frightful cliffs soon rise per- 
pendicularly from the sea to such a dizzy height 
that any path is impracticable. In the most remote 
accessible part on this side, stands a retired and 
small country house of the governor’s, which is 
peculiarly inviting by the delightful boundless pros- 
pect over the Mediterranean, and by its seclusion 


coal 
* Cactus Tuna, Ficus indica, Opuntia. 
+ Genista linifolia, Spartium junceum, Teucrium yalentinum, 
Phlomis fructicosa, Chamzrops humilis. 


E 4 


56 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


and silence. We were here shown, with patriotic 
pride, the furniture which General Elliot caused 
to be made out of the fragments of the floating 
batteries of the besiegers, which were destroyed by 
his red-hot balls. From this point to the northern 
end of the rock, towards the neutral ground, which 
separates Gibraltar from the Spanish line, there 
is no means of going round the rock but by sea. 
The bold gigantic form of the naked rock warms 
the fancy of the painter with scenery peculiar 
in its kind. The sea breaks with a violent surf 
against the steep shores, which are here and there 
hollowed out into deep caverns, which serve as a 
retreat for wild pigeons. ‘Thousands of little sea- 
crabs, sea-stars, sea-hedgehogs, sea-nettles, and 
edible muscle, animate these barren cliffs, which 
afford asylum to no other living creature. The 
only place where a landing is practicable, and which 
is frequently visited by the inhabitants of Gibraltar 
for their recreation, is occupied by a village of 
fishermen, called La Galetta. A narrow path leads 
from thence round the other part of the rock to 
the northern gate of the town. ‘The wanderer 
going along this path is almost terrified by the 
nearly perpendicular ascent of the rock just at the 
place where it is the highest. From this dangerous 
path on the precipice, you come at length, bya 
paved artificial causeway-over an arm of the seay to 
the town gate. 

General Donn, the governor, gave us leave to 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 57 


visit every part of the rock, even the fortifications, 
and endeavoured besides to procure the embassy 
all the amusements which the insulated sea-port 
could afford. At a ball we saw the light fandango 
-and bolero of the Andalusians, alternate with the 
dances of the north; and in the brilliantly illumi- 
nated avenues round the palace, were heard some- 
times the tender strains of Spanish madrigals, 
sometimes the plaintive song of a northern bard. 
This contrast between the south and north, here 
strikes the traveller at every step. In the mixture 
of Spanish and English inhabitants, there are many 
Genoese and Calabrese, who, for the most part, 
follow the occupation of fishermen and mariners. 
The number of Jews, most of whom speak Spanish, 
is considerable. ‘The possession of this place by 
the English has not yet been able to banish the 
Spanish manners and language; but the abode of 
numerous strangers, and the great trade, give a 
general and comprehensive character to this staple 
place for the commerce of the Mediterranean, But 
what completes the diversified picture which the 
inhabitants of Gibraltar present, is the presence of 
Asiatics and North Africans. Of the latter, there 
are many Moors, particularly from Morocco, who 
sell fruit and fine leather manufactures in the streets. 
The fair North European, and the tawny native 
of the south, are distinguished by striking differ- 
ences in the features of the face, and in their 
whole figure, from these strangers of oriental 


58 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


origin. The physiognomy of the Moors, and other 
Africans who are met with here, is expressive of 
firmness and prudence, yet without that look of 
cunning of which the .people of the Semitic race 
are accused, but rather united with an agreeable 
frankness, content, and tranquillity of mind. A 
lofty forehead, oval countenance, large, expressive 
black eyes, shaded by arched, bushy eyebrows, a 
well-formed, long, but not too pointed nose, rather 
broad lips meeting in an acute angle, thick, smooth 
black hair on the head and beard, brownish yellow 
complexions, muscular neck, firmly knit, and ro- 
bust make, with a stature above the middle size, 
characterise the inhabitants of North Africa as 
they are frequently seen in the streets of Gibraltar. 
Among the most dangerous diseases that occur in 
this bay of the Mediterranean, which, from its 
situation, is very hot, and especially exposed to 
. the south wind, is the yellow fever. Only a short 
time previously to our arrival, many persons fell a 
sacrifice to this disorder. As in Cuba in the Gulf 
of Mexico, this destructive disease appears here 
also, in Cadiz, Barcelona, and other maritime 
towns which do not enjoy a free circulation of air, 
where it is still more favoured by the heat and the 
corrupt and enervating exhalations of the salt 
water. 

The rock of Gibraltar consists of compact lime- 
stone, generally of a light yellow, ash grey, and 
smoke colour, and is often traversed with veins of 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 59 


calcareous spar of a greyish white or yellowish 
brown colour. In single drused cavities, the spar 
is remarkably foliated, and sometimes crystallised 
in pretty large tables. This limestone rock is, es- 
pecially towards the N.W. side, more stratified 
on the surface than deeper down, and contains 
several smaller and larger caves, so that there can 
be no doubt that the prevailing formation belongs 
to that of the Jura, or cavern limestone. In the 
mass of the limestone itself we discovered no shells, 
except a single species of sea-snail resembling the 
Buccinum undatum. The largest of the caves, 
Gruta de 8. Miguel of the Spaniards, or Saint 
George’s cavern of the English, situated almost in 
the middle of the rock, and 1100 feet above the 
level of the sea, contains a beautiful grotto, sixty 
feet high, and two hundred deep, adorned with 
various sparry petrifications, and supported by co- 
lossal stalactical pillars. ‘The limestone in this 
cavern is traversed by vast fragments of a very 
fine brown stalactite, of which there are large 
mantlepieces in the house of the governor. The 
Pocoroca is a similar cavern, but not so deep. 
The tendency to the stalactic formation appears, 
however, not only in the vast pillars of the caverns, 
but also in the outside covering of many pieces 
of rock exposed to the air, which have a coat 
of yellow striped stalactite. On the south side 
of the town we observed, in the red clay of a 
ditch, several considerable pieces of a smoky grey 


60 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


hornstone, such as frequently occurs also in the 
Jura limestone. 

At Europa Point, and on the east side of the 
rock between the extreme fortifications of Cave 
Guard, and the fishing bay of La Galetta, there lies 
over this cavern limestone, the well known and 
remarkable osseous breccia (a limestone breccia), 
which, towards the sea, forms a mantle-shaped 
cavern, and seems here to dip in an angle of about 
30°. In some places, it fills up the rents, clefts, 
and corroded hollows in the limestone rock itself. 
The general cement of this breccia, which is chiefly 
composed of fragments of the same limestone, is a 
stalactic mass of considerable hardness, a reddish 
brown colour, and full of vesicular cavities, which 
occur, without order, from the size of a poppy 
seed to an extent of several lines. Sometimes it is 
itself consolidated into reniform pieces of nearly 
concentric structure: mixed up with it are pieces, 
partly rounded, and partly angular, of a smoky 
grey, and of'a light grey limestone, of which the 
greater part of the M. Calpe consists, and it contains 
kidneys or nodules of a soft very ferruginous, yel- 
lowish brown, fine-grained calcareous marl, and 
rounded grains of quartz of the size of a millet 
seed. Here and there, are wavy stripes and 
streaks of calcareous spar, and in the vesicular 
cavities, druses of a white stalactic limestone. The 
mixture is very hard, and the ingredients, which 
have often a thicker stalactic crust close to them, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. O61 


are thereby cemented in the strongest manner, 
and very difficult to break asunder. Petrified 
bones are very seldom found in this stony mass, 
but they are so much the more frequent in the 
more recent bed of the conglomerate, or breccia, 
immediately over it, which contains the same 
rounded little grains of quartz, and the other in- 
gredients, though of smaller grain, that is, the 
rolled pieces, from the size of a hen’s egg to that 
of a bean, as well as a considerable quantity of the 
light grey limestone, and shows more frequent ve- 
sicular cavities. Besides the fossil bones, we found 
chiefly shells of recent land-snails. They are of 
the size of half a line to half an inch, partly whole, 
partly broken. We observed most frequently and 
clearly the Helix algira; several small white frag- 
ments seem, however, to belong to other kinds, 
perhaps even to sea-shells. The bones and teeth 
of the various animals themselves, lie pretty much 
calcined in the breccia, mingled together, not 
lying in regular strata, without any trace of having 
been rolled in the water, very seldom entire, more 
often sharp-splintery, without any connection or 
orderly .disposition of the parts, which naturally 
belong together. Cuvier*, to whom we are in- 
debted for a very accurate examination of these 
petrifactions, has declared these bones to be those 
of ruminating animals and glzres, and, as he con- 


* Rapport'sur les Breches Osseuses, Annales du Mus. d’Hist. 
Nat. tom. 13. 1809. 


62 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


jectures, antelopes or stags, Siberian hares and rats. 
According to some imperfectly authenticated ac- 
counts *, parts of a human skeleton are said to 
have been found among the remains of those ani- 
mals: we were not so fortunate as to see such 
bones anywhere in Gibraltar, or to find them in 
the stone itself. William and John Hunter cor- 
rected the earlier statements of others, according 
to specimens sent to themselves, and declared the 
supposed human bones to belong to ruminating 
animals. : 

Over the stalactic stratum which we have de- 
scribed, there is a more recent limestone breccia, 
which lies on the surface of the ground, here and 
there rent into separate blocks of rock. It consists 
of a greyish white, or grey limestone, the detritus 
of calcined shells, very few fragments of bones, and 
a rather reddish, grainy, mortar-like cement; the 
pieces of limestone are here smaller, from half a 
line to six lines in diameter, and instead of the 
abovementioned grains of quartz, which are en- 
tirely wanting, there are whitish, pearl-like globules 
of stalactic limestone, resembling the Carlsbad pea- 
stones. The calcined shells are far more numerous 
here, and form in a manner, thin strata in the stone; 
no entire shells indeed are to be found among ; 
them; they seem, however, from their thickness 


* Drinkwater’s History of the Siege of Gibraltar, London, 
1786. Imrie, Transactions of the Royal Society of Edin- 
burgh, vol. iv. 1798. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 63 


and breadth, to belong to the common oyster ; 
others, from their ribbed edge and convexity, per- 
haps, to a cockle (Cardium), that is to say, to 
marine conchylia. The water and air exercise great 
influence on this soft, and probably still forming 
mass, as deep cavities are found in it near the sea. 
The whole of this breccia formation may rise, per- 
haps, only a few hundred feet next the limestone 
mountain, and measure in its greatest thickness 
about fifty fathoms. ‘The appearance of the pe- 
trified bones in it is very limited, as far as the 
country is at present known. ‘They are found 
chiefly in the rock near Rosia Bay, and southward 
of the governor’s country-house; on the sea-shore 
where the waves break violently against the cliffs, 
which in this place are from 30 to 40 feet high. 
We have judged it proper to be more circum- 
stantial in our description of the osseous breccia of 
Gibraltar, because the similar formation in many 
-countries on the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, 
gives it very great interest in a geognostical view. 
For besides Gibraltar, some parts of Corsica, Cette, 
Antibes, Nice* in the south of France, Fustapi- 
dama in Corfu, Nona near Zara, and Ragosnitza 
in Dalmatia, the islands in the Golfo di Quarnero, 
Osero, Cherso, Sansego, &c., offer a perfectly simi- 
lar breccia, which was formed from the fragments 
of the limestone mountains which run in a chain 
along the coasts of the Mediterranean. ‘The late 


* Faujas de St. Fond. Annal. du Mus. tom 10. 


64 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


origin of this formation will, perhaps, be more 
certainly shown, if by continued accurate investi- 
gation it shall be proved to contain human bones, 
as many persons have supposed*, which is not im- 
possible, since the existence of objects of art, such, 
for instance, as Germar mentions{, has been cer- 
tified. But the larger masses of osseous breccia, 
which Spallanzanit describes as heaped up in the 
isle of Cerigo, so as to form a considerable moun- 
tain, and the fossils of Vicentin, Verona, and of 
Concud in Arragon, which are, perhaps, not dis- 
similar, merit, on that account, to be more accu- 
rately investigated by naturalists. It is particu- 
larly important in this extensive maritime formation 
that those remains of bones belong to species of 
animals of the herbivorous kind, which are still 
extant, for the most part domesticated, or at least 
frequently used ; whereas the cavern limestone in 
the interior of the European continent contains only 
those of bears and carnivorous animals enclosed in 
a similar manner. 

The peculiarity of the mountain of Gibraltar 


* James's History of the Herculean Strait. London. 1773. 
Donati, Storia del Mar Adriatico. Forlis, Saggio d’osservazioni 
sopra le Isole di Cherso ed Osero. Venez. 1771. iv. p. 99. 

+ Journey to Dalmatia and Ragusa. Lips. 1817. Where he 
represents the whole formation of this osseous breccia under 
the name of an alluvial mountain. Among the substances 
found in the mass he mentions a piece of glass; iron nails 
have also been found in it. 

{ Observations on the isle of Cerigo. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 65 


appears in a still more striking manner, when we 
consider the country immediately adjacent. About 
half a mile* to the north-west of it, rises another 
mountain called by the English, «The Queen of 
Spain’s Chair,” which extends for many leagues 
almost directly from north to south. On both. its 
sides, which are very gently sloped, it has in some 
places verdant pastures, in others, a scanty vege- 
tation of heaths and cistus roses, and on the ridge 
chiefly bare blocks of rock. This mountain con- 
sists of a coarse-grained, red, and yellowish red 
sandstone. In general it seems not to be regularly 
stratified ; the rare strata run from north-east to 
south-west, and incline in many different angles to 
the south-east. Towards the sea, the mountain 
gradually sinks to the flat sandy tract on the sea- 
shore. Most of the mountains which run west- 
ward of the Queen’s Chair appear to have the 
same direction. Behind the latter mountain, a 
hilly country extends, which is adorned with all 
the charms of luxuriant vegetation and industrious 
cultivation. The little town of St. Roque, stands 
on an eminence opposite the western foot of the 
mountain ; avenues of noble American aloes, and 
flowering bushes of oleander ornament this plea- 
sant hill, the summits of which are crowned by the 
fortifications of the place, which were once consi- 
derable. A low sandy beach not only occupies 


* It is not stated whether we are to understand a German 
mile, which is about four and half English miles. Trans. 


» VOL. I. F 


66 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the neutral ground between the fortress and the 
Spanish lines, which are protected by the two forts 
of St. Barbara and St. Philip, but extends all round 
the bay to the Spanish town of Algesiras, situated 
on the west side of it. The quicksand consists of 
rolled pieces of quartz, flinty slate, a yellowish 
jasper-like stone, and limestone.* 

We crossed this little sandy desert in going from 
Gibraltar to visit the Spanish lines and Algesiras. 
At the frontier posts were a few Spanish troops of the 
line garrisoned in small houses ; and, being unprotect- 
ed from the beams of the sun, have a very disagree- 
able abode during the summer months: we obtain- 
_ed permission to visit the Spanish territory in our 
scientific excursion. Besides a few small gardens 
round the dwellings, we saw nothing on this strand 
except somesingle strand plants, whichbut sparingly 
cover the poverty of this tract, which the wind has 
raised into sandhills. Lizards, several species of 
Pimelia, Copris, and Scarites, are the chief inhabit- 
ants (of the animal kingdom) of this sandy soil. 
Proceeding this way along the coast we passed two 
inconsiderable streams. Nearer to Algesiras we 
entered a little grove of pines. The town itself, a 
well-built pleasant place, enjoys a delightful situa- 
tion. To the west of it, are gently rising hills, 
adorned with lovely verdure, scattered pines and 
cork trees; and from their summits a charming 


* Germar mentions, after Chrysogono, in particular, the 
existence of horns. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 67 


prospect opens into the valley. A lofty aqueduct 
brings water from the mountains, across the plains, 
to the town. ‘The bay of Gibraltar, covered. with 
innumerable vessels, extends here before the eye of 
the traveller, and the lofty Calpe, with its. steep 
cliffs, bounds the prospect in the horizon. The 
hills round Algesiras are composed of the same red 
sandstone as that of which the Queen’s Chair con- 
sists. They are sparingly shaded by the Spanish 
oak and the cork tree (Quercus esculus and suber), 
and diversified by the finest flowering shrubs, 
among which is the Rhododendron ponticum, 
probably a remnant of Moorish horticulture; but 
they are inhabited by the European scorpion and 
the American scolopendra.* 

Near Algesiras, between the town and the 
Cabrita to the south of it, some antiquarians fix the 
place where Karteia, afterwards called Heraclea 
by the Romans, stood, a flourishing trading colony 
of the Phoenicians. Carter t says that he saw the. 
ruins of this city on the banks of the little river 
Guadaranque. 

Southwest of Algesiras lies ‘Tarifa, the most 
southerly point of Andalusia, and of the whole 
European continent. The way to it, through 
meadows and over scantily wooded sandstone hills, 
is very diversified. This little town is, for the most 
part, of ancient construction, and still possesses for- 
tifications erected in the times of the Moors, which, 

* See Note, page 77. 


+ Journey from Gibraltar to Malaga. 
FQ 


68 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


however, are of far less importance at present than 
when the Saracens made this place the chief 
medium of their intercourse with Africa. This 
connection of Tarifa with the Moors, seems to have 
left some traces even in the physiognomy of the 
inhabitants. Their complexion and features are 
said to resemble the Arabian more than those of 
the other inhabitants of Andalusia. The beauty 
of the women of Tarifa is particularly celebrated, 
the charms of which they contrive to heighten, by 
improving theirformwith the black silk garment, and 
increasing the lustre of their ardent eyes by letting 
one of them peep through the veil which envelops 
their face. ‘The Romans were already acquainted 
with the importance of this place, and peopled the 
town, which they called Julia Joza or 'Traducta, 
with colonists of Punic origin from Tingis (Tangier). 
At present the place being thinly peopled and 
without trade, has no general interest, except from 
its situation on the strait, from which it lies about 
a quarter of a league distant, with sandhills and 
sandbanks intervening. 

From the towers of the town may be seen the 
opposite coast of Africa. Alcazar el Ceguer, a 
seaport of some importance under the Moors, but 
now deserted, is only three miles distant from 
Tarifa; to the east and west the strait becomes 
broader. The southern pillar of Hercules, Mons 
Abyla (Kynegetica, in some passages of the an- 
cients), or the Mountain of Monkeys, at the foot 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 69 


of which Ceuta is situated, rises nearly opposite to 
Gibraltar ; towards the west appears the chain of 
mountains which extends behind Tangier, and ter- 
minates in Cape Espartel. ‘The current may be 
easily perceived in the strait, which constantly 
brings water from the ocean into the Mediterranean, 
and gave rise to Halley’s well-known theory, of 
the more rapid evaporation of the water in that sea. 
This current runs about four or five leagues in 
the hour, and is so strong, that even large ships 
cannot sail from the strait to the west without a 
good east wind, for which reason they are frequently 
obliged to remain a long time in the harbour of 
Gibraltar, whereas vessels from the Atlantic can 
enter, even with a contrary wind. In the Medi- 
terranean, the current is perceptible as far as the 
coast of Malaga, twenty leagues, or according 
to others, Cabo de Gata, seventy leagues from 
Gibraltar. Rennel’s observation * is, that the whole 
surface of the ocean, from the 45th to the 30th 
_ degree of latitude, to the distance of a hundred and 
thirty miles westward of the shores of Europe and 
- Africa, is in motion towards the Pillars of Hercules, 
and runs between Cape St. Vincent and Cape 
Cantin, as it were into a funnel, of which the strait 
of Gibraltar is the mouth. ‘This current is con- 
nected with that which goes southward along the 
western coast of Spain and Portugal, is felt beyond 
Madeira, and causes vessels, bound to Madeira or 
* Edinburgh Philosophicai Journal, 1821, vol.iv. p. 241. 
F 3 


70 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the Canary Islands, to deviate from their course, 
to the south-east. Besides the current in the 
strait, from the ocean towards the east, a contrary 
motion of the Mediterranean from east to west, is 
observable below the surface. The existence of 
this lower current is further strengthened by the 
well known reappearance of a ship, sunk in the 
strait, to the west of it.* The greater specific 
gravity of the sea water inthe Mediterranean, may 
be perhaps looked upon as the chief cause of this 
countercurrent. The accounts of travellers agree 
in this difference in the specific gravity, and our 
own observations confirm it, as we found that of 
the Mediterranean to be 1.03384, and that of the 
Atlantic ocean, near the strait, 1.02944.+ The 


* Drinkwater’s History of the late Siege of Gibraltar; 
Waiz, in Schwed. Abhandl. 1757; Marcet, in Phil. Trans. 1819; 
Patton, in Edinb. Phil. Journ. 1821, vol. iv. p.243. It is also 
confirmed by two opposite currents in other straits, as in 
the Dardanelles, in the Sound, &c. Mr. Von Hoff (History of 
the natural Changes of the Surface of the Earth, Gotha, 1822.8.) 
has very lately suggested doubts, not indeed of the existence of a 
sub-marine countercurrent, but of water being conveyed by it 
from the Mediterranean to the ocean, for he supposes that the 
motion towards the west, begins in the middle of the strait 
itself, and therefore proceeds only from the lower parts of the 
water of the ocean, which are hindered, by a supposed dam at 
the bottom of the strait, from entering the more shallow Medi- 
terranean, so that they strike against it, and must return to the 
west. 

+ The observation made by Lalande (Voyage en Italie) that 
the water on the coast of France is lighter than that in the 
middle of the sea, as it contains only .), to ,,, and not ='- to 


9 re 


gy, of its weight of salt, does not contradict our supposition, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 71 


experiments of Marcet*, it is true, do not show the 
specific gravity of the sea water, in the strait, taken 
from a considerable depth, to be greater than that 
of the surface. With respect to this difference, we 
too are unable to state anything positive, on ac- 
count of the quickness of our passage, and for 
want of a convenient opportunity of procuring 
water from a sufficient depth; the certainty, how- 
ever, of the greater specific gravity in the Mediter- 
ranean, may serve as an explanation, whereas, the 
accuracy of the result of Marcet’s experiments 
may be doubted, on account of the difficulty of 
obtaining sea water, from a requisite depth. But 
if there is a difference in the specific gravity of the 
water of both seas, the countercurrent must really 
take place as supposed, because in the collision of 
two fluids of different gravity, the heavier naturally 
flows under the lighter. Besides the most import- 
ant cause of the current in the strait, which we 
have stated, others may contribute. Thus the re- 
volution of our planet round its axis, which com- 
municates to the sea that general motion from east 
to west, probably exercises its influence below 
the surface of the sea. Another cause of the lower 
current towards the west, may be looked for in the 
pressure of the many streams, some of them very 


because the water, which flows out at Gibraltar, can only come 
from a considerable depth, and consequently from the middle 
of the sea. 

- * Phil. Trans. in the place above quoted. 


F 4 


qe TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


considerable, falling into the Mediterranean, and 
that of the Black Sea, entering it from the east; 
this pressure can become sensible only at the 
single, proportionably narrow, issue of the Mediter- 
ranean, where it easily overcomes the counter- 
pressure of the ocean, the force of which is broken 
by the coast of the two continents, by which it is 
bounded. Lastly, in considering the causes of this 
motion of the waters, we must bear in mind the 
possibility of a dam, which when the two seas 
formerly broke through the isthmus which se- 
parated them, still remained, and even now causes 
certain directions in the course of the water. The 
inconsiderable lateral currents, on the surface of 
the strait, towards the west, which Tofino, and 
others before him, have remarked, are perhaps to 
be considered as secondary effects of the main cur- 
rent, such as are observed on the banks of large 
rivers, and as they are chiefly observed at new and 
full moon, partly as caused by that planet. 

It is a general opinion of the Spanish fishermen, 
that the strait grows gradually wider, and this per- 
fectly coincides with the historical accounts of the 
breadth of the strait.* This enlargement of the 


* Thé éarliest statement of Skylax-of Caryanda makes the 
breadth of the strait equal to that of the Thracian Bosphorus, 
that is only a quarter of a geographical mile. The accounts of 
the breadth make it greater as they approach nearer to our 
times. ‘Thus, later than the time of Skylax, it is stated at three= 
fifths of a geographical mile ; still later, at one.geographical 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 73 


channel, may, perhaps, be connected with the subsid- 
ing of the surface of the Mediterranean in general, 
a phenomenon, for which more historical and phy- 
sical testimony may be found, than for the contrary 
one, of its increase, by encroaching on the land in 
some places, which probably may depend upon 
local circumstances. The filling up several har- 
bours with sand, the alluvion of considerable tracts 
upon the coasts, and the union of islands and 
rocks, with the continent, which were formerly sur- 
rounded by the sea, even where there are no rivers 
like the Nile to produce this effect, occur on many 
parts of the coast.* The Black Sea and the Caspian 
offer a phenomenon perfectly similar, very large 
tracts having gradually become uncovered on their 
coasts ; it is therefore probable that these formerly 
great inland seas, began to decrease in depth when 
they became connected with the ocean. But the 
hypothesis, that the great basin which was once 
formed by the Euxine and the Sea of Asoph, and 
perhaps also by the Caspian, after bursting its dam 
in the Bosphorus, flowed westwards into the Medi. 
terranean, but receded on the east, from the 
declivities of the Steppe of Caucasus into the pre: 


mile; by Strabo, one geographical mile and a half; by Pliny; 
almost one geographical mile and two-fifths. At present the 
narrowest part is almost two geographical miles. (See Von 
Hoff’s abovementioned work, p. 150.) 

* The facts are collected with great diligence in Mr: Von 
Hoff’s abovementioned work. 


74: TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


sent level of the Caspian sea, should be combined, 
we think, with the opening of the strait of Gib- 
raltar ; at least, there are not so many physical rea- 
sons for believing that the strait was formed by the 
ocean breaking through. It must be left to future 
investigation, to determine whether a conformation 
like that in the Mediterranean is found in other 
great gulfs, for instance, that of Mexico, which it 
in so many respects resembles. 

The formation of the mountains in the vicinity of 
the town of Tarifa, agrees with that about Gibraltar ; 
the limestone, however, is in thin strata, and the 
slabs are therefore used for domestic purposes. On 
the limestone lies a slaty bluish sandstone, of a finer 
grain than that of St. Roque. On the most south- 
ern point of the continent, which runs out from 
the harbour, towards a small rocky island, on which 
a tower is built, we observe a massy conglomerate 
. of rolled fragments of limestone, and remains of 
still existing sea animals, such as cardium, myti- 
lus, and the large flat edible Ostrea jacobea (the 
Mediterranean scallop), which are sometimes heap- 
ed together in thick layers, united only by a little 
stalactic limestone. There are also petrified alcy- 
onia, corallines, sponges, madrepores, &c. in this 
alluvial land, which has evident traces of a very 
recent origin; it appears to be constantly on the 
increase, as the sea daily brings a sufficient quantity 
of marine animals, and calcareous cement. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 73 


After we had viewed the environs of Tarifa, the 
company, including Baron Von Neveu, resolved to 
return, ina small fishing boat, to Algesiras. We 
all felt ourselves in an agreeable frame of mind, at 
the view of this southern country, and delighted 
with the peculiar romantic: spirit of the Spanish 
people, which is more freely manifested here, as it 
generally is in the warmer countries, and our long- 
ing after the tropical regions was increased. ‘The 
evening was delightful, the night clear and serene, 
and the constellations of the northern hemisphere, 
reflected in the gently agitated waves of the strait, 
appeared to us here at the mouth of the ocean, to 
beam upon us with their friendly rays, as if to bid 
us a last farewell. We had scarcely arrived at 
Algesiras, when the ambassador received orders from 
the Court of Vienna, for the Austria to proceed 
alone to Rio de Janeiro, without waiting for the 
rest of the convoy. As the news of the troubles of 
Pernambuco had just then been received at Gib- 
raltar, we congratulated ourselves on thus escaping 
a further loss of time, which might be caused by 
the continued delay of the Portuguese squadron. 
We had been only one day in Algesiras, when the 
east wind suddenly set in, and we were summoned 
on board by a gun fired from the Austria, and the 
hoisting of the signal flag. ‘Towards noon a boat 
appeared, with the news that the frigate would sail 
in an hour, and immediately conveyed us on board. 


76 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


All was ready for sailing; only our colleague, 
Professor Mikan, who had gone too far from 
Algesiras, on a botanical excursion, had not yet 
returned ; we therefore began to be uneasy on his 
account, when just as the anchor was weighed, and 
the sails spread, he fortunately came on board. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 77 


NOTE TO CHAPTER III. 


Tue animals collected at Gibraltar and Algesiras are 
—AmputBia: Testudo Mydas; Lacerta lepida, viridis, 
ocellata, bosciana, maculata; Sczneus algira; Gecko fasci- 
cularis; Seps tridactylus. Pisces: Murena Anguilla, He- 
lena; Esox Sphyraena, Belone; Pleuronectes Solea; La- 
brus microlepidotus, maculatus, carneus; Hpinephelus 
ruber; Trigla pini; Raja Torpedo; Syngnathus Typhle; 
Blennius viviparus, Pholis; Trichiurus ensiformis. In- 
sEcTA: Scarabeus stercorarius, vernalis; Geotrupes punc- 
tatus; Copris hispana, Paniscus; Onztes Bison, Sphinx; 
Oniticellus flavipes; Onthophagus Taurus, medius, Schreberi ; 
Hister zqualis, bipustulatus, unicolor; Atewchus sacer, 
semipunctatus, variolosus, flagellatus; Zror granulatus; 
Cetonia Morio, stictica, hirta; Omaloplia terricola, ruri- 
cola, brunnea; Anisoplia fruticola, horticola; Hoplia 
argentea; Silpha rugosa, lunata; Scarites Gigas, subterra- 
neus, levigatus; Proscus cephalotes; Staphylinus olens ; 
Zuphium olens; Aptinus Ballista? Buprestris villosa; Akis 
acuminata; Tentyria orbiculata; Erodius gibbus ; Scaurus 
striatus, punctatus ; Pzmelia muricata, bipunctata ; Helops 
caraboides ; Dztomus spherocephalus; Czstela ruficollis ; 
Lagria hirta, leta; Lirus ferrugatus, angustatus; Pachy- 
gaster goerzensis; Chrysomela eumolpa; Colaspis areata ; 
Clythra longimana, humeralis ; Cossyphus Hofftmanseggii ; 
Coccinella mutabilis; Forficula auricularia, Panorpa hal- 
terata; Xylocopa violacea; Andrena plumipes; Scolda flavi- 
frons ; Bombus terrestris ; Sphex spirifex ; Scorpio australis, 
europzus; Scolopendra morsitans ; _Julus Indus, terrestris; 


78 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Cymothon physodes, linearis; Onzscus pustulatus, Asellus, 
Armadillo, sylvestris; Aranea picea; Ligeus equestris, ‘T'a- 
banus bovinus ; Bombylius melanocephalus, fuscus ; Truxalis 
hungaricus ; Papilio D. Hyali; N. Megera; Sat. Pasi- 
phe, Janira, Rumina; Pleb. R. Phlaius. Vermes: Si- 
punculus nudus; Noctiluca miliaris ; Veretillum cynomorium; 
Actinia, div. sp. 

The plants belonging to the Downs of Gibraltar are — 
Scirpus Holoscheenus ; CYPERUS FASCICULARIS; Bromus 
rubens; FESTUCA ALOPECUROS, Calycina, Digitaria, Dac- 
tylon; Juncus maritimus ; Polygonum maritinum; RUMEX 
THYRSOIDEUS ; Plantago Lofflingii, Lagopus; Salicornia 
fructicosa; Convolvulus Soldanella ; Scrophularia frutescens, 
Crucianella maritima ; Cakile maritima; Cheiranthus trilobus ; 
Cachrys Libanotis; Caucalis maritima; DAucUS MURI- 
caTus; Odcenanthe pimpinelloides; Erynerum ILIcI- 
FOLIUM ; Frankenia levis ; Anagallis coerulea, Monelli ; 
Linum maritimum ; Drosophyllum Lusitanicum, Lk.; Corri- 
giola littoralis ; Medicago marina; ONONIS RAMOSISSIM<A, 
viscosa, VARIEGATA, PICTA, HISPIDA ; Euphorbia Paralius. 
— The vegetation of the mostly dry hills about Algesiras 
agrees with that of the Queen’s Chair; we found on both— 
Daphne Gnidium, villosa; PASSERINA CANESCENS; Olea 
europea; Ligustrum officinale ; Thymus vulgaris, Zygis, pa- 
tavinus; Eriostemum Lusitanicum, Lk.; Sideritis romana, 
subspinosa ; Prasium majus ; LAVANDULA MULTIFIDA ; 
Phlomis purpurea ; Teucrium valentinum ; Rosmarinus Ooffi- 
cinalis; Hedera Helix; Erica umbellata, scoparia, australis; 
Cistus populifolius, formosus ; Helianthemum halimifolium, 
Slutinosum, serratum, guttatum ; Tuberaria; Delphinium pe- 
regrinum, PENTAGYNUM ; Rubus fruticosus; Polygala mons- 
peliensis ; Sedum arenarium, Brot.; Ulex europzeus; Genista 
candicans, tridentata ; Trifolium angustifolium ; Spartium 
spinosum ; Pistacia Lentiscus——In the meadows and pastures 
there were—Cyperus longus; Scirpus acicularis; Schenus 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 79 


mucronatus, nigricans; Panicum verticillatum; Cynodon Dac- 
tylon; Agrostis miliacea; Phalaris arundinacea; Festuca 
uniglumis, ciliata, divaricata ; Brachypodium distachyum ; Poa 
annua, trivialis; Briza maxima, minima ; Phleum pratense ; 
_Alopecurus pratensis ; Atgilops ovata ; Chrysurus cynosurocdes ; 
Cenchrus echinatus; Lolium arvense; Elymus europzeus ; 
Andropogon Gryllus; Arundo Donax ; Dactylis hispanica, 
glomerata; Trisetum paniceum ; Danthonia decumbens ; 
Piptatherum (Milium) comosum ; Anthoxanthum odoratum, 
6.minus; Stipa tortilis; Gladiolus communis; Alisma ra- 
nunculoides; Valeriana Calcitrapa, Fedia, Cornucopia, 
Plantago, Psyllium, Bellardi, \anceolata; Chenopodium 
album; Ilecebrum Paronychia, echinatum ; Prunella inter- 
media; Betonica stricta; SALVIA BICOLOR; Orontium 
siculum, calycinum, Asarina, Orobanche minor ; Batschia 
viscosa, versicolor ; Pinguicula lusitanica; Veronica arvensis, 
hedereefolia; Echium violaceum, creticum ; Cerinthe aspera ; 
Lithospermum fruticosum ; Symphytum tuberosum; Myosotis 
scorpioides, arvensis ; Anchusa italica ; Cynoglossum pictum ; 
Hyoscyamus albus ; Solanum nigrum, miniatum ; Convolvulus 
altheoides, sepium arvensis, tricolor ; Anagallis Monellz, 
COLLIN«4, latifolia ; Samolus Valerandi; Hottonia palus- 
tris; Campanula Erinus ; Lobelia urens ; Galium hirsutum 
Nees (ovalifolium, Schott.); Rubia lucida, tinctorum; Valantia 
cruciata; Sherardia arvensis ; Dipsacus sylvestris ; Scabiosa 
Grammuntia, grandiflora, Columbaria; Anthemis arvensis ; 
Scolymus hispanicus ; Centrospermum chrysanthemum Spreng. ; 
Cynara pygm@ea; CHICHORIUM DIVARICATUM ; Sison 
Anisum; O0cnanthe pimpinelloides, prolifera, apiifolia ; 
Viola canina; Lythrum Hyssopifolia; Lychnis leta; Li- 
num usitatissimum, S¢rzctum; Silene gallica, bellidifolia, 
Cerastium dioicum; Erythreea conferta, grandiflora, marztima ; 
STATICE ALLIACEA ; Chlora perfoliata; Hypericum per- 
foratum, ciliatum ; Papaver Rhoeas; Euphorbia segetalis, 
retusa, Esula; Lotus edulis, intermedius, Lois; Medicago 


80 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Terebellum uncinata, orbiculata; Scorpiurus vermiculata ; 
Vicia hirta, sulcata, atropurpurea.—Lastly, the plants which 
we have noticed as most characteristic on the rock of Gib- 
raltar are— Daphne Gnidium ; Anarrhinum tenellum; Pra- 
sium majus ; NEPETA RETICULATA; Phlomis purpurea, Teu- 
crium valentinum ; Lavandula multifida ; Thymus patavinus ; 
Sideritis subspinosa ; Statice cordata, sinuata ; Verbascum 
sinuatum ; Vinea major ; Cotyledon Umbilicus.; Fumaria 
capriolata; Genista candicans ; and lastly, Chamerops hu- 
milis, the European Dwarf Palm, the fruit of which is a 
favourite food of the monkeys.— The species whose names 
are printed in Roman characters belong to the temperate 
part of Europe, those in Italics to the south of Europe, and 
those in JTALIC SMALL CAPITALS to the latter, and par- 
ticularly to the north of Africa. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 81 


CHAPTER IV. 


VOYAGE FROM GIBRALTAR TO MADEIRA, AND 
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO RIO DE 
JANEIRO. 


Ow the 3d of June, at noon, we left the bay of 
Gibraltar, accompanied by above fifty vessels of 
various sizes, which, like ourselves, had waited for 
a favourable wind to proceed from the strait 
into the ocean. ‘There was a fresh east wind, and 
our vessel, which was a remarkably quick sailer, 
soon got the start of all the other ships. In an 
hour we had already doubled the most easterly 
point of Cabo Carnero, and were in the middle of 
the strait where the two continents are only a few 
miles from each other. ‘The current from the 
west is here very remarkable, and every experi- 
enced eye readily perceives its effects on ships 
coming from the ocean. According to the gene- 
ral opinion, it runs from four to five leagues in 
an hour, which are therefore deducted from the 
ship’s reckoning in sailing out. While we pro- 
ceeded over the dark green waters of the strait, 
the Spanish coast appeared in a blue mist; we 
could clearly distinguish two chains of mountains 
running from the E.N.E. to W.S.W. The most 
VOL. I. G 


82 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


distant rises considerably above the nearer verdant 
hills, which gently ascending, rest on the steeper 
and more naked ridges of the others, and inter- 
sected by many little valleys, extend without any 
abrupt declivities towards the sea. On two of 
the extreme points of this cape there are still 
standing some Moorish watch-towers, and further 
to the west, we saw the sandy cape of Trafalgar, 
celebrated for the victory of Nelson. A blue 
streak higher towards the N. W, which terminates 
in the narrow Cabo de S. Sebastian, was the last 
point of the European continent which we were 
able to see. ‘The mountains on the African side 
of the strait were, for the most part, enveloped in 
mist ; they, however, appeared to us in their gene- 
ral outline to resemble those of the Spanish coast. 
At four o’clock we passed Tangiers at a distance 
of three or four leagues; we could clearly dis- 
tinguish the town with its small, flat-roofed houses, 
surrounded with walls, and low square towers, 
behind which are steep limestone hills, and here 
and there detached masses of rock. At five 
o’clock, Cabo Spartel lay about six leagues distant 
in E.S.E.; the thought of leaving two quarters of 
the world to proceed to a third, affected us all. 
The vicinity of ancient Africa, which has remained 
the same for centuries, without improvement, the 
recollections of the boundaries which antiquity 
believed were set by these straits to its enterprises ; 
the tradition of the happy Atlantis, which we 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 83 


hoped to find again in the luxuriant America, so 
rich in the wonders of nature; the idea of bidding 
farewell to Europe, the seat of civilisation and 
intellectual superiority ; every thing combined to 
make the passage between the Pillars of Hercules 
into the ocean, a moment in our lives never to be 
forgotten. 

At six o’clock in the evening the last points of the 
European and African coasts vanished from our eyes, 
and we were in the midst of the ocean; the waves 
rose majestically over each other, andseemed toswal- 
low up the vessels as they glided down into their 
deep hollows ; the ocean itself, like the serene firma- 
ment above it, showed as it were, in its deep blue, 
an image of its unfathomable depth. Each of the 
ships that had sailed with us, henceforth guided 
by the compass, pursued upon the ocean which 
divides and unites all the continents, the way to 
its own destination ; our frigate, which was a-head 
of all the rest, advanced with incredible rapidity to- 
wards the west. The wind still continued to blow 
briskly from the east, and the sails and deck were 
covered with dew; we sailed upon an average 
nine miles an hour. ‘Though the first sight of the 
boundless element, of the rising and setting sun, 
of the moon and the starry heavens, transported 
the imagination of the beholder, the mode of life 
on board offered but little variety and amusement. 
The phosphorescence was very inconsiderable in 
this latitude, and, proceeding from only a few 

GQ 


84 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


single animals, did not present the splendid sight 
which had gratified us in the Mediterranean. The 
greater was our pleasure that the stronger and 
more favourable the wind became, and the more 
rapidly the ship sailed, the sea-sickness, from 
which so many of us had suffered during our pas- 
sage through the Mediterranean, gradually dis- 
appeared, and we were all able to remain upon 
deck without any inconvenience. 

The sea-sickness is extremely troublesome to 
people at sea. All are not attacked in the same 
degree; in general, persons of strong constitution, 
and dwelling on the sea-coast, appear to suffer less 
from it than such as are weakly, and inhabitants 
of inland or mountainous countries. Instances of 
the contrary are, however, to be met with; nay, 
even sailors inured by many voyages, are attacked 
by it during violent storms. It is certain that the 
cause of this disorder is not so much the sight of 
the boundless ocean, the fear of danger excited by 
it, and the disagreeable smell proceeding from the 
water in the hold, which immediately corrupts, 
longing for home, &c. but principally, if not entire- 
ly, the unsteady motion of the ship. The sens- 
ation which the voyager experiences from the 
heaving of the immense fluid element, is exactly 
similar to that which many persons feel from the 
motion of a carriage by land, and many continue - 
to feel it even after they have been several hours 
on shore. This sickness generally commences with 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL: 85 


an oppression and pain in the head, and proceeds 
through a series of the most disagreeable sensations 
to more or less painful contractions in the stomach, 
which terminate in continued and violent vomit- 
ings, which sometimes even cause the bursting of 
a blood-vessel; or it happens that the patients, 
from the disgust excited by the smell or sight of 
food, fall into consumption for want of proper nou- 
rishment, and in long voyages are often in danger 
of their lives. He who has experienced the tor- 
ments of this disorder, knows that a person at- 
tacked by it would willingly exchange all earthly 
happiness, for a single hour on shore; and will 
therefore consider it as no unimportant object in 
in the journal of a voyage. Several remedies have 
been proposed to remove or to alleviate this dis- 
agreeable sickness. Seafaring people especially 
recommend oranges, and the rust of the anchor. 
The most approved means against this evil are 
dietetical, and require above all things to remain 
as much as possible upon deck in the open air, and 
near the main mast, where the rocking of the ves- 
sel is least felt; not to look at the surface of the 
sea at all, or not steadfastly; to accustom yourself, 
instead of fluid, and especially warm nutriment, to 
solid, cold, particularly acid food, and such as re- 
quires good digestion; for instance, salt fish, ham, 
&c., but principally to overcome the first attacks 
of the sickness, and even the disposition to vomit, 
by immediately taking heavy food, however re- 
G 3 


86 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


luctantly, and by pleasing amusement. Above all 
things, you must be careful not to leave the deck, 
or at the first attack of head-ach, to go down into 
the confined air of the cabin. But if, notwith- 
standing, the disease becomes so severe that you 
become quite despondent, and hardly able to move, 
no relief is to be expected but from an entirely 
horizontal position, and from the sleep which then 
ensues. In this position it is advisable, after some 
repose, to take some porter, solid cold food, such 
as ham, and then return into the air. Resolution 
and amusement can do much, whereas meditation 
and mental exertion, particularly in weak persons, 
may excite or prolong the disease. The less peo- 
ple reflect, and the more they divert themselves 
by various employments, by walking about on 
deck, nay, even by fencing, and sailors’ work, the 
more easily do they become accustomed to the 
motion, particularly on a long voyage. In this 
manner we too were gradually more rarely visited 
by this disagreeable disorder, and favoured by fine 
weather, were able to spend the whole day upon 
deck. Only when the sea is very high, and the 
motion of the ship very violent, the first sensations 
return, though only for a time; but the more 
uniform the wind and the movement of the ship 
were, the more easily did we accustom ourselves 
to it, and the more agreeable did a seafaring life 
appear to us. 

The wind continuing to be favourable, we soon 
reached Madeira. On the 5th of June, in the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 87 


evening, when thin clouds began to overspread the 
horizon, we saw several birds, among others the 
Procellaria pelagica, swimming on the surface, which 
were all indications of the vicinity of land. We 
therefore shortened sail during the night. At 
six o’clock the following morning we descried, 
about six miles south of us, the three desert islands, 
Ilhas Desertas, belonging to the group of Madeira, 
rising like ruined portals or immense arches, out of 
the boundless ocean. The most northern of these 
three bare rocks, which has scarcely any inhabit- 
ants but a few sea-gulls, nor any other vegetation 
than the dyers’ lichen *, is the lowest; the mid- 
dle one, the largest in circumference, and the most 
southerly one (Bogia), on the other hand, are 
steeper, and may both be seen at a distance of 
eight or nine miles. The channels between these 
rocks, and between them and Madeira, are safe, 
in very few places less than sixty fathoms deep, 
and here and there from two to five hundred. In 
the summer months, during which the N.E. wind 
regularly prevails, a south-western current of the 
waters is perceived in them. The fog, which 
had hitherto concealed Madeira, which bore S.W., 
dispersed as the sun rose higher, and about nine 
o’clock we clearly distinguished the eastern promon- 
tory, Cabo de S. Lourengo ; the multiform reddish 
cliffs rising steeply above each other, extend far 
into the sea. Leaving it to the north of us, we 


* See Note 1. page 125. 
G 4 


88 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


were delighted with the prospect of the luxu- 
riant valley of Porto Novo; its verdant slopes 
rising out of the sea, are adorned with scat- 
tered habitations of a dazzling white. The brown 
or red walls, and steep sides of the rugged moun- 
tain that traverses the island, form a pleasing 
contrast with the rich green of the flowery val- 
leys, Nothing can be more enchanting than the 
prospect of this island, which seems to float like a 
pleasant garden on the bosom of the ocean. We 
soon descried the town of Funchal to the N.W. 
and the steep Pico da Cruz rising behind it. In 
the evening, when the frigate was not far from the 
shore, the colours were hoisted, and a Portuguese 
boat immediately came from the town to make the 
usual enquiries. A stronger wind arising, which 
made the anchorage on the very steep rocky bot- 
tom still more unsafe and dangerous, the captain 
thought proper to continue under sail ; a boat was 
therefore put out to land the embassy, and the 
naturalists, while the frigate remained in the roads 
during the night. ‘The exposed situation of this 
harbour, where the ships, during high winds, 
particularly from the $.E. and S.W., may easily 
run against the cliffs of the coast, made this pre- 
caution necessary. It was not till the following 
day at noon, when we had already ascended the 
mountainous part of the island, and were enjoying 
the fine prospect of the ocean, that the salute of 
the frigate announced that she had come to an 
anchor. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 89 


Great preparations had been made for the recep- 
tion of the arch-duchess in this beautiful island, 
which was the first of the Portuguese possessions 
which Her Imperial Highness was to visit, and the 
embassy received repeated invitations to spend a 
few days here. It had, however, been determined 
to remain here no longer than was necessary to 
take in a stock of the excellent wine of the island, 
and as this was done on the day of our arrival, the 
naturalists‘ had only one day to visit the immediate 
vicinity of Funchal. We visited the town the 
same evening. ‘The principal street runs near the 
sea coast, the smaller side streets, consisting for 
the most part of old ruinous houses, extend up the 
sides of the mountain. An open square, in the 
middle of the town, opposite the church, is planted 
with rows of exotic trees, with Dracena draco, 
Jasminum azoricum, and Datura arborea, the last 
of which was just then covered with its beautiful 
large blossoms. ‘The governor of the island, who 
has also under him the neighbouring Porto Santo, 
resides in a very spacious and handsome fort, close 
tothe harbour. ‘This fort, as well as the immediate 
vicinity of the principal church, was splendidly 
illuminated during the night, when the governor 
gave a magnificent ball and entertainment in honour 
of the embassy. The ladies were carried to the 
palace in palanquins, richly gilded, and in fine 
veiled nets, fastened to poles; the bearers were 
negroes, the great number of whom surprised us 


90 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the more, as we even saw some ecclesiastics of this 
colour. With respect to the general physiognomi- 
cal character of the common people of Madeira, 
they are lean, muscular, of brown complexion, 
black disordered hair, bushy eyebrows, and dark 
eyes. In their coarse sailor’s dress, with a pointed 
red cap, they excite more fear than confidence. 
The complexion, which very frequently has a tinge 
of dark brown, calls to mind the formerly more 
frequent mixture of whites and negroes, who were 
imported here in great numbers from Guinea. As 
in the countries of southern Europe, the ass is the 
principal domestic animal on which burdens are 
transported from one place to another; waggons, 
made in the shape of sledges, and drawn by many 
oxen, are very rarely seen in this mountainous 
country, and a chaise still more so. 

The naturalists preferred an acquaintance with 
the interior of the island to the pleasures of the en- 
tainment. By daybreak we were already on our 
way to the eminence which rises amphitheatrically 
from the harbour, and is intersected by several val- 
leys, into which streams of the purest water descend. 
Numerous small country houses lie scattered be- 
tween gardens and vineyards, and the wanderer 
meets a pleasing picture of the persevering industry 
of the inhabitants, who have cultivated even steep 
hills, planted them with vines, and watered them 
by extensive canals. Walking by the side of such 
an aqueduct, which was built with bricks, and di- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. O1 


vided into many branches, which conveys several 
springs from the upper part of the island, we 
arrived at a hill in the shape of a dome, opposite 
the north-eastern part of the town, from which there 
is a delightful prospect over the deep valleys, the 
town with its verdant environs, the harbour, and 
the ocean. At the foot of the mountain, planted 
singly about the country houses, are the waving 
date palm, the broad-leafed pisang, the juicy sugar- 
cane, the edible yams *, maize, and melons; higher 
up the mountain are vines trained upon lattices, and 
fenced with aloes and cactus, which. spread as it 
were a green carpet over this beautiful island ; still 
farther up the mountain is a shady wood of sweet 
chesnuts and laurel trees ; lastly, the highest points 
are covered with heath, broom, ferns, and grasses. 
If we take a comprehensive view of the whole, we 
fancy that we have, in these deep mountainous 
defiles, adorned with the juicy verdure of the vine, 
these steep ascending pastures, which lean on lofty 
basalt walls, these beautiful shady woods, diversi- 
fied by limpid streams rushing over the rocks, the 
picture of an European alpine country, which has 
been enriched with all the additional charms of a 
southern clime. ‘The black basalt walls, however, 
impart an air of melancholy to the landscape which, 
at least during the time of our visit, was rendered 
more striking by the remarkably small number of 


* Phoenix dactylifera, Musa sapientum and paradisiaca, 
Saccharum officinarum, Caladium esculentum. 


g2 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL: 


animals, for we scarcely saw any except a few 
European singing birds, waterwagtails, some but 
terflies, and a few other insects (Brachycerus bar- 
barus, Asida coriacea nobis) which inhabit the bar- 
ren rock. The birds, probably, fly backwards and 
forwards between the islands and the European 
and African continents. On the naked shores of 
the island, which are even without sand, there are 
no muscles or sea-stars, and in the adjacent seas 
but few fish, for which reason the dried fish of 
North America meet with a ready sale. ‘This 
scarcity of animals in the island is common to many 
volcanic countries. 

The principal chain of this island extends in 
the direction of W. by N. to E. by S. Its ex- 
treme points are Cabo de Pargo, and Cabo de 5. 
Lourenso. The highest ridge, which rises in the 
Pico Ruivo to the height of 5250 feet, runs nearly 
through the centre of the island, many branches 
diverging from it in several directions towards the 
sea, forming valleys of different depths. ‘The 
mountains are every where found to consist of a 
greyish black basalt, either compact or with 
vesicular cavities, the external characters of which 
entirely correspond with the appearance of other 
basalt mountains, but it does not show those co- 
lumnal forms which are so often seen in basalt. 
Towards the summit we thought we distinguished 
a kind of steps, in more or less massy divisions, 
and also more frequent vesicular cavities in it. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 93 


The latter are irregularly scattered, some of them 
very small, others several lines long and broad, or 
sometimes run together into irregular hollows. 
Near them the colour of the basalt is either quite 
the same, or declines into a yellowish brown, which 
is probably caused by a decomposition, partly of 
the iron, and partly of the olivin; the latter is 
in great quantities, and of different dimensions, im- 
bedded in the mass of the basalt; when fresh 
broken it is shining, and of a light olive green. 
In a weak state of oxydation its imperfectly 
foliated fracture separates, and such pieces are 
iridescent ; it shows then principally a dark yel- 
low or brown colour, in which the lustre and 
transparency are lost. The phenomenon of the 
attraction and repulsion of the magnetic needle 
is very evident in the basalt of Madeira; it 
often approaches the wacke ; its vesicular ca- 
vities are then larger, often above an inch in 
length, and sometimes filled with a bluish earth, 
but generally lined with a pulverulent coating. In 
this softer stone are imbedded grains of olivin, 
often of a yellowish brown colour. At a con- 
siderable elevation, particularly on the surface of 
the ground, the rock consists entirely of wacke. 
It is of an ash and bluish grey colour, mingled 
with small, scaly, black points. ‘The stratification 
is very apparent in it; the layers are generally 
horizontal, and their hardness and weight is less. 
The phenomenon of polarity was more obvious in 


O4 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


this wacke than in the basalt which lay lower, 
which coincides with the observation made by 
Giesecke, according to which the basalt at ele-. 
vated points is more magnetic than that in lower si- 
tuations.* That the basalt sooner acquires polarity 
in elevated places, that is, where it is more insu- 
lated from the soil, is to be ascribed to the same 
cause; in consequence of which every stone sus- 
ceptible of magnetism, even the magnetic iron- 
stone itself, does not become magnetic till it is 
brought up into the air and light; the iron 
weathercock till it is placed on the steeple, and 
every rod in general, till it is set upright. In 
elevated places exposed to the sun, and where the 
basalt is covered with the mould, ferruginous clay 
is found in brownish red masses, with granular 
fracture, sometimes hard, sometimes half hard. 
Friable brown points, probably of clay iron-stone, 
and delicate sparkles of pinchbeck brown mica, 
are scattered in it. The olivin is decomposed 
into a yellowish brown mass, in which, however, 
the cleavage is still to be recognised. These 
red spots of ferruginous clay are distinguish- 
able from the sea, and heighten the variety 
and vivacity of the picture presented by the 
lovely mountain island. For the rest, the consi- 
derable decomposition of the basalt, which is ob- 
servable here also, is only apparently in contra- 


Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, 1821, p. 221. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 95 


diction with the hardness of the stone. ‘The rela- 
lation of its density, together with the natron it 
contains, is the most important cause of the great 
affinity with the water of the atmosphere. It is 
known that no kind of rock attracts the latter so 
strongly and so continually as the basalt, which is 
so remarkably compact; for this reason we so 
often see its summits veiled in thick clouds, and 
marshes in its vicinity. The basalt, too, in conse- 
quence of its disposition to assume columnar flat, 
and spherical forms, is more exposed than any other 
rock, on a thousand points, to the influence of the 
atmosphere. Hence, and still more by its remark- 
able composition of silex, clay, lime, talc, natron, 
oxyd of iron, nay, even muriatic acid, the basalt, 
more than any other kind of rock, appears like a 
great voltaic column. This comparison seems 
more just, if we consider the composition of' the 
single strata of the flotztrap mountain; yet it is 
still worthy of remark, that the massy undetached 
basalt related to the amygdaloid, or the wacke, 
decomposes more readily than that which is se- 
parated into pillars, and which is more crystalline. 

From one of the highest points of the island, 
which is covered with the Pinus canariensis of 
Smith, and with ferns, we descended in the evening 
through several deep ravines, and a thick grove of 
beautiful laurels and chesnuts, to the solitary 


* Kennedy in Gilbert’s Annals, vii. p. 426. 


96 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


church of Nossa Senhora de Monte. A broad flight 
of steps leads to the building, which stands upon a 
projection of the rock between spreading chesnut 
trees. The setting sun gilded the sea, and illumi- 
nated the more remote parts of the island with a 
magic light, while the sound of the church bell 
summoned the wanderer to the shrine. The ground 
round it is planted, by the pious care of the faithful, 
with flowering groups of jessamine and honey- 
suckle, Fuchsia coccinea, Buddleja globosa, and Vinca 
mayor. ‘Those foreign shrubs have here found a new 
country, which they adorn, almost without inter- 
ruption, with their beautiful flowers. The climate 
of this happy island equally favours the productions 
of every zone ; only the European misses his oaks, 
firs, birches, and willows; but, on the other hand, 
he beholds with astonishment the yam, Jnhame, 
(Caladium esculentum,) the egg-plant (Solanum me- 
longena), the cactus, aloe, and the potatoe of Ame- 
rica, flourish near the corn and fruits from Caucasus; 
the fig-tree, the sugar-cane, and the pisang of the 
east; the date-palm, the tomato (Solanum lycoper- 
sicum), and the cultivated cane (Arundo donax) of 
Africa. It is well known that the sugar-cane was 
introduced here from Sicily, by the Infant Don 
Henrique Navegador. If we may depend upon 
ancient accounts, the refining of sugar was carried 
on here with great success at a very early period, 
and at the end of the fifteenth century the greater 
part of the sugar used in Europe came perhaps from 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 97 


Madeira.* According to the historian Lemos Faria 
e Castro, one hundred and fifty sugar-houses (en- 
genhos) furnished annually sixty thousand arrobas 
of sugar as the royal fifth (qguento).t But when the 
far greater fertility of the Portuguese colonies in 
America was known, the cultivation of the sugar- 
cane in Madeira gradually ceased. ‘The yam (zn- 
hama) was brought hither soon after the dicovery 
of the New World, and is now one the most com- 
mon articles of food, which is more planted than 
the potatoe, in sloping grounds, which may easily 
be watered. When the island was given up to the 
family of the Da Camaras, as donataries, they began 
to favour especially the growth of the vine, which 
was likewise first introduced here from the Grecian 
archipelago, by Prince Henry. ‘The culture of the 
vine increased so rapidly, that a hundred and fifty 
years ago, it was the most important occupation of 
the inhabitants of the colony. Mest of the grapes 
are white, of a longish shape; and the most esteemed 
‘is that called Verdelho.t The management of the 
vines is so far different from that in Portugal that 
they are planted on stony ground, exposed to the 
sun, and trained over wooden lattices, several feet 
high; they form an agreeable arcade, under which 


* Hartmann Schedel liber Chronicarum. edit. Anton Ko- 
burger, 1493, p. 390. 

+ Historia geral de Portugal. Lisb. 8vo. tom. vi. p. 184. 

{ John Williams, in Transact. of the London Horticultural 
Society, vol. ii. p. 106. 


H 


98 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


you may often walk from one vintner’s cottage to 
another, In the warm climate of the island, the 
bare black basaltic soil of which imbibes much 
warmth,: and reflects it upon the vines, this mode 
of cultivation seems to be particularly suitable ; 
-whereas it is less successful in colder countries. 
Thus, for instance, in some parts of Italy, the vine- 
arbours (pergole) do not bear so well as those 
plants that are wreathed round poles. The vine 
is cultivated from the sea-coast up to two-fifths of 
the elevation of the island. ‘The annual produce 
is estimated at from twenty-five to thirty thousand 
pipes. The best wine is called malmsey, and is 
made from a vine which came from Greece, 

If our visit to the island had not been limited to 
a single day, we might, perhaps, have been able to 
add several interesting particulars respecting its 
original vegetation, to the excellent observations 
which Von Buch* has published on the Flora of 
the Canary Islands, and which might serve as a 
model for all future investigations into the vegeta- 
tion of islands in general. ‘The present state of 
Madeira does not allow us to form perfectly accu- 
rate ideas respecting its original vegetation. When 
Zarco, the discoverer, first viewed the island from 
Porto Santo, it was covered, from the sea-shore to 
the top of the highest summits, with almost impene- 
trable forests, which were not destroyed till after 


* In the Essays of the Berlin Academy, 1816 and 1817, 
p- 337. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 99 


a conflagration which lasted seven years.* Many of 
the birds peculiar to the island were perhaps de- 
stroyed on this occasion. Dragon trees (Dracena 
draco) of the same kind as the ancient tree at 
Orotava, in ‘Teneriffe, are seldom seen here, and 
only singly in the gardens. Cultivation has since 
contributed to banish the native species, and to 
introduce foreign ones. However, the greatest 
affinity with the plants of the Canary Islands is still 
evident; and the several zones of vegetation may 
be properly characterised, in the same manner as 
-Von Buch has done for those islands. We do not, 
however, distinguish five different zones, above one 
another, but only four, the two lowest of which 
are determined by the peculiarity of the cultivation, 
and the two higher by the natural state of the ve- 
getation. t 

Loaded with the treasures of all kinds which we 
had collected, but exhausted by our great exertions, 
we returned to the town late in the evening, by a 
road made between the vineyards. ‘Though the 
heat, increased by the black basalt rock, had been 
very oppressive during this excursion, the thermo- 


* Lemos Fariae Castro Historia, vol. vi. p. 183. The ancient 
historians all agree that the first donataries, descendants of 
Zarco, took the name of Camaras, from a cave in which he had 
found many sea-wolves (/obos marinhos), and which he there- 
fore called Camara dos lobos. If.they were really sea-lions — 
which then frequented the coast of Madeira, it is remarkable 
that no traces of this animal are now to be found there, _ 

+ See Note 2. page 126. 


H @ 


100 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


meter, at ten o’clock at night, was only 15.5° R. in 
the air, and 16.0° in the water ; the hygrometer was 
42°, and the araeeometer, within the harbour, 2.75°, 
and. afterwards, in the open sea, 3°. The frigate 
having taken on board. a considerable supply of the 
fine wine of the island, and being quite ready to sail, 
we were obliged immediately to return on board. 
The 8th of June, in the morning, we weighed 
anchor, and put out to sea. We were more for- 
tunate on this occasion than the vessel which after- 
wards conveyed Her Imperial Highness the Crown 
Princess hither, and which, being driven too near 
the coast by a sudden squall of wind from the 
south, was obliged to cut both cables, in order to 
get out to sea. The depth round the island is so 
great, that it is only quite close to the shore, in 35 
or 50 fathoms water, that a bottom can be found 
for the anchors, which easily take hold in the basalt 
rock: hence vessels are frequently obliged to go 
to sea with the loss of their anchors, particularly 
from the month of November to February, when 
storms from the S.W. or S.E. threaten to dash 
them against the coast. We left the road of Fun-: 
chal with a faint N. wind, but which soon veered 
to E. and N.E., and remained favourable all theday. 
Atnoon, the centre of the island bore N.E. by N.; 
our longitude was, according to the calculation of 
the officers, 19° 27’ W. of Paris, our latitude 31° 
47’ 17”. The wind increasing during the night, we 
were already off the Canary Islands. The next morn- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 101 


ing Palma appeared, covered with heavy clouds; it is 
almost always seen enveloped in mists, which is a 
consequence of the westerly winds that prevail 
here, and the rains brought by them, which are said 
to be more frequent here than in any of the other 
Canary Islands. At noon we saw the south point 
to the S.E. by E., but thick fogs and a passing 
shower of rain soon concealed it from our view, 
An English brig, which had colonists for New Hol- 
land on board, passed close by us in this latitude, 
There was a great number of women among them, 
who, though banished from their native country, 
appeared to go with good courage to their new 
destination. On the evening of the same day we 
descried the Island of Ferro, but, as usual, enveloped 
in fog. We had now passed the limit of ancient 
navigation, from which the enterprising spirit of 
Bartholomew Diaz, Columbus, Magalhaens, for. 
merly steered to seek a new world; and, confiding 
in human art and science, we proceeded across the 
boundless expanse of the ocean to the destination 
of our voyage. If the sojourner in the small and 
frail vessel feels himself seized with shuddering, at 
the view of the immense agitated element, yet 
when he contemplates the skilfully constructed 
edifice, triumphing over the air and water, steadily 
pursuing its course, he is lost in wonder at the 
greatness and the power of human invention. The 
improvement of navigation and ship-building in our 
times, inspires the voyager with a sense of com- 
H 3 


102 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


fort and security, and banishes every idea of 
danger. In this manner we, too, on board an 
admirably well-built vessel, guided with prudence 
and science, surrounded by a company well calcu- 
lated for mutual pleasure and instruction, became 
acquainted‘ with the most agreeable part of: a 
seafaring life. In the alternate occupations of 
cards, music, and literary employments, the hours 
passed as rapidly as our swift-sailing vessel glided 
over the waves. 

The trifling thunderstorms and gusts of wind, 
quickly rising and passing away, which, from this 
time now and then occurred, appeared merely to 
diversify the uniformity of our mode of life, since, 
at once sublime, and threatening danger, they ex- 
cited various emotions. Exactly in the latitude of 
Ferro, a sudden squall broke and threw down 
several yards, by which some sailors were hurt, but 
no other unpleasant consequence ensued. In the 
vicinity of those beautiful islands, which even the 
ancients distinguished by the name of the Fortunate, 
the naturalists, in particular, felt a secret wish that 
some favourable opportunity would occur to land 
upon one of them. We should have been very 
happy to have had a nearer view of the Peak; and 
should have felt great interest in examining, among 
other curiosities, the remains of the Guanches, who, 
according to our later observations, agree with the 
negroes in their slender forms, thick lips, and 
broad flat noses; but, by their sharp projecting 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 103 


cheek-bones, and long smooth hair, have more re- 
semblance to the ancient Egyptians. The wind, 
however, drove us with increased rapidity past this 
delightful group of islands. In a few days we were 
in the latitude of Cape Verd. On the evening of 
the 14th of June, we descried the Island of Boa 
Vista, which appeared like a long and rather low 
land; the most southern point of the island bore 
N. by W. twelve miles distant. None of the other 
islands were visible, the sky being covered the 
whole day with grey clouds. In the channel, be- 
tween the Cape Verd Islands and the continent of 
Africa, a thick white fog* prevails for the greater 
part of the year, particularly near the coast, and 
probably arises from the combination of the exha- 
lationsfromthe sea, with the impalpable dust brought 
by the N.E. wind from the neighbouring sandy 
desert; besides this, the islands themselves, that lie 
scattered about in this quarter, may, perhaps, con- 
tribute to collect and condense the vapours rising 
from the ocean. Navigators, therefore, seldom 
have a pure sky for their observations in this chan- 
nel; and they now prefer, on the voyage to the 
Cape, New Holland, India, and America, to steer 
to the west, in sight of the islands; whereas, earlier 
voyagers kept alee to the continent. Those ships 
which go through the channel keep in longitude 


* Horsburgh’s India Directory, London, 1817, 4to. yol. i. 
second edit. p. 11. 


H 4 


104 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


19° and 20° W. of Greenwich; and, during the 
months in which the sun is in the south, find it 
advantageous to hold near the continent, where 
northerly winds usually blow. By this means they 
avoid the shoal called Banco de Porgas, the ex- 
istence of which, however, has lately been called in 
question; as also, the dangerous reef (query, of co- 
ral?) Boneta, which is said to lie two miles E, by 
N. of the most northern point of Boa Vista. 

The nearer we approached the Cape Verd 
Islands, the more different did the character of 
the elements become. Even in the latitude of the 
Canaries, we experienced rapid changes in the 
temperature of the air, and those sudden distinct 
gusts and whirlwinds which are here frequently ob- 
served, It was not till about the 11th or 12th of 
June, in the longitude of 21° 51’ W. of Paris, 
when we crossed the tropic of Cancer, beyond 
those islands, that the N. and E. wind which had 
hitherto alternated, united ina N.E., and after- 
wards in a N.N.E. wind, which blew day and 
night with equal strength towards the equator; 
with this steady N. E. wind we made a hundred 
and. fifty miles in four and twenty hours. We 
perceived a similar change in the temperature of 
the air and water, as in the saltness of the sea, and 
other natural phenomena. North of the tropic 
the temperature of the air changed day and 
night, always differmg at least one degree from 
that of the water; but now there was a smaller 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 105 


difference, and alternately an almost equal de- 
crease and increase; in the same manner the in- 
strument always indicated a constant decrease in 
the saltness of the sea, but so, that here too, the 
water taken from some depth was more salt than 
that at the surface. The moisture of the air, on 
the other hand, had greatly increased; and ex- 
cepting the hot and dry noon, the hygrometer, 
especially in the morning and evening, indicated 
the greatest relaxation, which was sensibly felt in 
frequent clammy dews. Here, in the torrid 
zone, the sea of an indigo blue colour, rolled in 
uniform waves, and began to shine generally, and 
with great splendour, during the night, a pheno- 
menon which we had hitherto seldom observed. 
This magnificent appearance, the frequent light- 
nings, and innumerable falling stars, together with 
the greater sultriness of the air, seemed to indicate’ 
a higher degree of electricity in the element, 
though the electrometer, in the prevailing moisture 
of the air, showed rather less electricity than be- 
fore. A striking change gradually took place 
about ourselves, which affected our own persons, as 
well as the surrounding objects; our satellite, the 
shadow, at noon grew less and less, and withdrew 
between the feet, as if in this part of the creation 
everything became more independent.- This is 
the latitude in which the flying-fish (Ezocetus 
volitans) appear in shoals on the surface of the 
sea, and present an entertaining sight to the soli- 
tary observer. To avoid the vessel under sail, and 


106 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the fish of prey, they rise sometimes singly, some- 
times in shoals, several feet above the surface of the 
water, into which they fall again after a flight of 
forty or fifty paces, in a direction contrary to the 
wind; sometimes they are cast by the wind upon 
the quarter-deck, where they are taken by the 
sailors. Their enemies, the tunny fish (Scomber 
Thynnus) and bonitoes (Sc. Pelamis), rival in ve- 
locity the ship in full sail. They show incredible 
strength in swimming, for they are able in the 
midst of their most rapid course, to leap perpen- 
dicularly above the surface, and plunge again head 
foremost into the waves. They were here so nu- 
merous, that the crew were able to procure a con- 
stant supply for our table by harpooning them, or 
taking them with strong hooks, to which a bunch 
of feathers, in imitation of a flying-fish, was tied. 
The largest of these fish which we took on board, 
weighed seventy pounds. 

After we had entered this region of peace and 
tranquillity, between the tropics, the cushions, 
which were before placed round the tables, to 
prevent the glasses, bottles, and plates from falling 
down, were taken away, and the seamen looked 
forward to a smooth and safe passage. Our 
ship, carried on by the regular wind, sailed day 
and night with equal rapidity, and the sailors found 
on thispassage, which resembled a party of pleasure, 
leisure enough for games and amusements. They 
conceived an idea of making a theatre of puppets ; 
and the wanton Policindll dy the pedantic Doctor, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 107 


and the lively Colombine appeared, ridiculously 
enough put together. This agreeable mode of 
life suffered only one interruption ;_ this was in lati- 
tude 8° 12’ N., when we descried at a distance a 
large ship, whose movements appeared suspicious. 
These seas are so much infested by privateers 
from Buenos Ayres and North America, that Por- 
tuguese and Spanish ships in particular must be 
upon their guard: these pirates, however, do not 
even spare English ships; which was experienced 
by Count V. Wrbna among others, who, returning 
as express from Rio de Janeiro, in an English 
packet-boat, was attacked and plundered, and even 
in danger of his life. On the sight of that ship, 
the necessary preparations for defence were made ; 
but we soon found, from the course which it 
steered towards the coast of Africa, that it had no 
hostile intention. It was probably a Portuguese 
slave ship, bound for Guinea. 

While the co-operation of the elements became 
more and more harmonious, the starry firmament 
began also to appear more and more in equilibrium 
to the inmates of the little vessel. On the 15th 
of June, in latitude 14° 6’ 45”, we beheld, for the 
first time, that glorious constellation of the southern 
heavens, the cross, which is to navigators a token 
of peace, and according to its position, indicates 
the hours of the night. We had long wished for 
this constellation, as a guide to the other hemi- 
sphere; we therefore felt inexpressible pleasure, 


108 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


when we perceived it in the resplendent firmament. 
We all contemplated it with feelings of profound 
devotion, as a type of salvation ; but the mind was 
especially elevated at the sight of it, by the re- 
flection that even into this region, which this beau- 
tiful constellation illumines, under the significant 
name of the cross, the European has carried the 
noblest attributes of humanity, science and Chris- 
tianity, and impelled by the most exalted feelings, 
endeavours to spread them more and more exten- 
sively in the remotest regions. 

In proportion as the southern firmament rose 
above our horizon, that of ‘the northern hemi- 
sphere sunk below it. Those who considered 
Europe exclusively as their country, looked with 
painful sensations on the polar star, as it sunk lower 
and lower, till it at length vanished in the thick 
mist of the horizon. The further we advanced to 
the south, the N.E. wind gradually abated, and 
alternated with fainter winds from the N. or E. 
In 10° 30’ N. latitude, and longitude 23° 15’ W. of 
Paris, the wind entirely ceased, and a majestic 
repose reigned in the air and water. While we 
remained in this region of calms, the thermometer 
was on an average at half-past six in the morning, 
in the shade 21.50° R., in the water 22.00°; at 
half-past seven, in the shade and in the water 
22.00° ; at noon, in the sun 24.75°; in the shade and 
in the water 22.50°; in the evening at half-past 
eight, in the air and water 22.50° ; at nine o’clock, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 109 


in the air 22.00°, in the water 22.50°, in water 
taken from the depth of 200 fathoms 21.50°; the 
arzometer in water taken from the surface 2.'75°, 
and later 2.50° to 2.25°; from the depth of 200 
fathoms 2.50°; the hygrometer stood between 
54° and 64°; the barometer at 28°; the variation 
of the magnetic needle between 13° 48’, and 
12° 48° W. 

In these seas the sun fises from the ocean with 
great splendour, and gilds the clouds accumulated 
in the horizon, which im grand and various groups 
seem to present to the eye of the spectator, conti- 
nents with high mountains and valleys, with vol- 
canoes and seas, mythological and other strange 
ereations of fancy. The lamp of day gradually 
rises in the transparent blue sky; the damp grey 
fogs subside; the sea is calm or gently rises and 
falls, with a surface smooth as a mirror, in aregular 
motion. At noon a pale, faintly shining cloud rises, 
the herald of a sudden tempest, which at- once dis- 
turbs the tranquillity of the sea. Thunder and 
lightning seem as if they would split our planet ; 
but a heavy rain of a salt taste, pouring down in the 
midst of roaring whirlwinds, puts an end to the 
raging of the elements, and several semicircular 
rainbows, extended over the ocean like gay trium- 
phal arches, and multiplied on the wrinkled surface 
of the water, announce the peaceful termination of 
the great natural phenomenon. As soon as the 
air and sea have recovered their repose and equi- 
librium, the sky agaitt shows its transparent azure ; 


110 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


swarms Of flying-fish rise sporting over the surface 
of the water, and the many-coloured natives of the 
ocean, among which is the shark, with his two 
inseparable companions (Gasterosteus Ductor and 
Echeneis Remora), come up from the bottom of the 
element, which is transparent to the depth of a 
hundred fathoms. Singularly formed Meduse, 
the bladder-shaped Physalis with its blue pungent 
filaments, serpent-like streaks of Salpze joined 
together, float carelessly along; and many other 
little marine animals, of the most various kinds, 
pass slowly, the sport of the waves, by the motion- 
less vessel.* As the sun gradually sinks in the 
clouded horizon, the sea and sky assume anew dress, 
which is beyond description sublime and magni-« 
ficent. The most brilliant red, yellow, violet, in 
infinite shades and contrast, are poured out in 
profusion over the azure of the firmament, and are 
reflected, in still gayer variety, from the surface of 
the water. The day departs amidst continued light- 
ning in the dusky horizon, while the moon, in 
silent majesty rises from the unbounded ocean into 
the cloudless upper regions. Variable winds cool 
the atmosphere; numerous falling stars, coming 
particularly from the south, shed a magic light; 
the dark blue firmament, reflected with the con- 
stellations on the untroubled bosom of the water, 
represents the image of the whole starry hemi- 
sphere; and the ocean, agitated even by the faintest 


* See Note 3. page 129. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 111 


breeze of the night, is changed into a sea of waving 
fire. 

Great and glorious are the impressions which 
the stranger here receives of the power and peace 
of the elements; but unused to the torrid zone, 
he feels a disagreeable sensation from the moisture 
and coolness of the morning and evening, and the 
oppressive heat of the noon. ‘The whole crew, 
therefore, began to complain, in this latitude, of head- 
ach and cholic; and only artificial means, such as 
tartar and rhubarb, could prevent disease, in a cli- 
mate where the rays of the sun fall perpendicular. 
At length we came, though slowly, out of this re- 
gion of sultry and wearisome calm, because the 
wind which blew after the thunderstorms at noon, 
always carried the ship a little forward; by degrees, 
too, a faint south wind arose, varying from S.E. to 
S.W., and diminished the temperature, in the 
morning, at 7 o’clock, in the air, to Q0.75° R., in 
the water to 22°; at noon, in the air, to 21.50°, in 
the water to 22°; in the evening, at half-past seven, 
_in the air, to 21.25°. When we had reached lon- 
gitude 21° 21’ west of Paris, and 5° 28’N. latitude, 
the wind began to blow more -steadily from the S., 
and fixing in S.E. and S.S. E., formed the constant 
wind, which blowing regularly, accompanied us 
through these latitudes. We still saw for a mo- 
ment the polar star, a few degrees above the 
horizon, which is here generally clouded; on the 
other hand the cross, and the other constellations 


112 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


of the southern hemisphere, were likewise low. 
From this, as well as from the nautical observ- 
ations, we knew that the equator was still some 
degrees to the south of us; but the uniformity and 
harmony in the phenomena of nature, which we 
had observed between the 10th and 5th parallels 
of latitude, seemed again to decrease, and thus to 
prove that the line of culmination of those pheno- 
mena is not in the equator, but several degrees to 
the north of it. We must leave it to the natural 
philosopher and the astronomer to decide whether 
this, perhaps, may arise partly from the heavier mass 
of continents, from the nutation, or from the re- 
volution of the earth round the sun, &c. It is re- 
markable in this respect, that the N.E. and S.E. 
trade winds do not cease at an equal distance from 
the equator. The trade winds, which are supposed 
to arise from the rotation of the earth round its 
axis, and from the current of colder air to- 
wards the warmer region between the tropics, 
regularly vary in their extent, according to the po- 
sition of the sun. When it is in the southern torrid 
zone, the N.E. wind always blows towards the 
equator; when it is in the northern torrid zone, 
the S. E. wind blows nearer to, nay, even beyond 
it. Between the two trade winds, there are some- 
times faint winds, especially from S. and S.S.W. 
which are more limited by the first, sometimes 
on the north and sometimes on the south. The 
boundary of the N.E. trade winds in the Atlantic 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 113 


ocean towards the equator, was stated by John 
Seller* so long ago as the year 1675; they cease, 
he says, in January, February, and March in 4°, 
in April in 5°, in May in 6°, in June in 8°, in July 
in 9°, in August in 11°, in September in 10°, in 
October in 8°, in November in 6°, in December in 
5° north latitude, and these statements are con- 
firmed by modern observations 

Carried forward by the S. E. wind almost as 
rapidly as we had been before by the N.E., we 
sailed towards the equator. On the 28th of June, 
being in 2° 19’ 29” north latitude, and 24° 21’ west 
longitude of Paris, we saw several tropical birds 
(Phaéton ethereus) and pelicans (Pelecanus aquila) 
hovering at a great height over the frigate. These 
birds can indeed repose upon the waves; but it is 
not usual for them, especially the last, to show 
themselves, except when the land is not too far 
distant. As we were in the middle of the ocean, 
we naturally concluded that there must be some 
rocks in the neighbourhood : in fact we found such 

rocks marked on some of our charts, in the longi- 
~ tude in which we were to cross the equator. In the 
evening the captain thought we had already passed 
this danger, when about nine o’clock the man at the 
mast head suddenly cried, ‘‘ Breakers a-head !” At 
this cry, all rushed in despair upon deck, and ran 
confusedly together; some called ‘‘Fire!’’ and others, 


* J. Horsburgh’s India Directory, p. 26. 
I 


114 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


12 


«‘ Shipwreck!’ The captain, however, did not lose 
his coolness and presence of mind, but immediately 
ordered the sails to be struck. The vicinity of 
the supposed danger gave wings to the sailors, and 
the ship was speedily turned aside from the rocks. 
Thus we had indeed happily escaped the danger, 
and every one breathed more freely after a moment 
which had so powerfully affected us all by the 
image of impending destruction ; however, to sail 
with greater security during the night, it was 
thought necessary to put out a small boat to ex- 
amine the supposed rock. The question now was, 
whether any of the officers would expose himself 
in so small a bark to the immense agitated ocean. 
Lieutenant Logodetti, obeying the summons of the 
captain, came forward; and accompanied by some 
sailors, provided with a compass, a lighted lantern, 
and some provisions, went on board the boat to 
proceed towards the supposed breakers. While 
this was passing, the moon broke forth from the 
clouds and shed its light on the sea, ruffled by the 
S.E. wind. The whole crew of the ship, which 
with only a few sails set, had till now sailed on 
another tack, looked with anxious expectation at 
the boat, whose course was indicated by its lantern. 
We were all uneasy about the fate of our compa- 
nions who were exposed in a small open boat to 
the ocean, perhaps to a near rock ; sometimes we 
saw the distant light vanish, then its re-appearance 
filled us with joy, but at length we lost sight of it 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 115 


all at once, and it seemed to have disappeared en- 
tirely. While we were indulging in the most vari- 
ous conjectures, the boat rowed happily through 
the night, constantly attentive to the supposed dan- 
ger, and returned safe the next morning to the 
frigate, with intelligence that the fancied break- 
ers, arose merely from the agitation and the re- 
flection of a violent current. 

Suchcurrents, setting to the west, which probably 
depend on the revolution of the earth round its 
axis, as well as on the constant east winds, prevail 
from 27° west longitude of Greenwich almost 
the whole year through, from the equator to the 
fourth and fifth degree of nerthern latitude, and 
also, though less constantly, in the lowest southern 
latitudes. Ships bound to the south which cross 
the equator too far to the west, are carried by 
them towards Cabo de 8. Roque in Brazil, and 
suffer a considerable loss of time, because it is very 
difficult to pass round that cape to the south, 
against the current setting to the north. Besides 
this current about the Cabo de S. Roque, a pretty 
regular one has been observed along the eastern 
coast of Brazil, which depends on the direction of 
the wind. In September, and the following 
months till March, winds from the N. by E. to N.E, 
by E. prevail; and in the months from March to 
September, on the other hand, those from the E. 
by N. to E.S.E.; and in conformity with this 
change of the winds, a current runs to the north 

i-2 


116 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


from March to September, and to the south from - 
September to March.* On account of these cur- 
rents, many vessels bound to the southern parts of 
Brazil, or to Buenos Ayres, visit the stations of 
Pernambuco and Bahia in the winter months.on 
the passage out, and in the summer months on the 
voyage home. As the land wind generally blows 
strong, and to a considerable distance from the 
coasts of Brazil, it essentially favours vessels steer- 
ing southwards, and they may reckon upon a 
speedy voyage along the coast, ifthey have not too 
nearly approached the land in the latitude of 6° 
or 7°. The longitude at which the equator is 
crossed on these voyages, is different ; it is not ad- 
visable to keep too near the African coast on ac- 
count of the currents and the calms prevailing there. 
In the English navy, the longitudes between 18° 
and 23° west of Greenwich are considered the best 
for crossing the equator, and it is also thought 
best to steer more to the east, when the sun is in 
the north, and more to the west when it is in the 
south. 

It was on Sunday, the 29th of June, that accord- 
ing to our ship’s reckoning we were to cross the 
equator. As the sea was pretty calm, mass was 
celebrated on this day. The solitude of the place, 
the silence and grandeur of the element to which 


* Sailing directions for the eastern coasts of Brazil, by ebay 
Purdy. London, 1818. 8vo. p. 2. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 117 


the little vessel was confided, between the two hemi- 
spheres and in the middle of the vast ocean, could 
not failin the moment when the transubstantiation 
was announced by the sound of the drum, pro- 
foundly to affect every mind, but particularly those 
who then reflected on the power of Providence in na- 
ture, and on the mysterious metamorphosis of all 
things. The day passed over quietly with a: con- 
stant S.E. wind; even Neptune and his strange 
retinue were not allowed to excite a disturbance 
on board the ship, by the usual ceremony of' bap- 
tising those who crossed the line for the first time. 
The night was bright and clear; the poles of the 
heavens were already resting on the horizon, and 
the full moon hung above our heads in glorious 
majesty; Vega, Arcturus, Spica, Scorpio, in which 
Jupiter just then shone, and the feet of the Centaur, 
were bright in the firmament ; the southern Cross 
had attained a perpendicular position indicating the 
hour of midnight, when, according to calculation 
‘we were at the place where heaven and earth 
were in equilibrium, and crossing the. equator 
steered into the southern hemisphere. With what 
ardent hopes, with what inexpressible feelings did 
‘we enter this other half of the world, which was ‘to 
present us with an abundance of new scenes and 
discoveries! Yes, this moment was the. most 
solemn and sacred in our lives. In it we saw the 
longings of earlier years accomplished, and, with 
pure joy and enthusiastic foreboding, indulged in 
13 


118 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the foretaste of a new world so rich in the wonders 
of nature. 

It was not till we had passed the equator, that 
the constant S.E. wind began to equal in strength 
the N.E. wind of the northern hemisphere. Vio- 
lent rains’ were less frequent, but in their stead 
insulated groups of clouds of various forms were 
piled up in the blue ether. The nights, on the 
other hand, were more serene, and the southern 
constellations, new to us pilgrims from the north, 
though far inferior in number and splendour to 
those of the north, shone brightly in the azure fir- 
mament. Falling stars illumined the night more 
frequently than in the northern zone, and generally 
fell towards midnight in the south, and towards 
morning in the north-east. The temperature of 
the water, still more that of the air, appeared to be- 
come considerably lower than in the same northern 
latitude, but the moisture of the air, and the phos- 
phorescence and gravity of the sea-water began to 
increase. Our frigate rapidly cut the deep blue 
waves of the southern ocean, which, as they dashed 
against the stern, fell, on cloudy days, in numerous 
rainbows, or in the night, filled with countless 
luminous animals (Noctiluca oceanica nob.), shone 
like sparkling fire. Here, too, as in the northern 
torrid zone, swarms of flying-fish flew around, and 
the swift tunny-fish kept pace with our vessel. 
The sun appearing in a glow of red behind thick 
mists, or the pale moon, afforded us a majestic 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 119 


prospect when they rose or sunk into the ocean. 
But the farther we advanced to the south, the 
more perceptible was the difference of the ele- 
ments. In 13° 29’ south latitude, and 31° 87’ west 
longitude of Paris, the thermometer, at half-past 
seven in the morning, was in the air at 19.50° R., 
in the water 20°; at noon, in the air and water 
20°; in the evening at half-past seven, in the air 
19.25°, in the water 19.75°; the hygrometer 61° 
to 70° ; the areometer 2.87° to 3°; _ the barome- 
ter 28° or 27.7° ‘to 27.9°. 

In latitude 18° 4’, and longitude 35° 20’, the 
warmth of the atmosphere decreased nearly one 
degree, and the thermometer varied between 17° 
and 18°. We were now in the latitude of the 
Abrolhos, and the appearance of several sea-fowls 
(the Phaéton ethereus and the Procellaria capensis) 
indicated the vicinity of those dangerous rocks 
which lie along the coast of Brazil between the 
16th and 19th degrees of south latitude. The cap- 
tain ordered soundings to be more frequently 
taken ; and though no bottom was found at a less 
depth than seven hundred feet, he judged it pru- 
dent to keep farther off the coast during the night. 
The small coasting vessels which sail backwards 
and forwards during the whole year between 
Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, do not always keep. to 
the east of that dangerous chain of shallows and 
cliffs, but, when the wind is not favourable to carry 
them out to sea, often remain very near the coast 

I tb 


120 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


where they can safely pass the channel, which is 
twelve miles broad, between the four small rocky 
islands Ilhas Abrolhos. ‘This very frequent navi- 
gation has caused the Portuguese coasters to 
examine a series of shallows from nineteen t6 fifty 
fathoms, which, beginning to the south of Bahia de 
todos os Santos, extend along the coast of the 
Comarca dos Ilheos from the Baixos de S. Antonio 
to the mouth of the Rio Grande, in the direction 
of $.S.E., are connected with the Abrolhos, pro- 
perly so called, and stretch from their most east- 
erly end in 18° 38’ to 40° south latitude, and 36° 
west longitude of Greenwich, towards the S.E. 
to the rocky islands of Trinidad and Martin Vas. 
One of the sea-faring people with whom we became 
acquainted at Bahia, compared the formation 
of the rocks of Trinidad to those of Madeira and 
the Canaries. He was full of the impressions 
which had been left upon his mind by the grandeur 
and boldness of the masses of rock there, which, 
destitute of vegetation, except at the foot, rise 
perpendicularly out of the ocean, but above all 
an immense rocky arch under which the sea 
breaks with great fury. It is, however, very sel- 
dom that Portuguese vessels go from the Brazilian 
coast as far as this longitude, and anchor near 
these inhospitable cliffs to take in water, or to 
catch turtle which are said to be very numerous 
there. A French ship which left Europe almost 
at the same time as ourselves, having become 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 121 


leaky by some negligence in stowing its cargo of 
oil of vitriol, took refuge on Trinidad. The crew 
sent the long boat to ask assistance at Rio de 
Janeiro, but before it arrived they were delivered 
from this fearful solitude by a North American 
who took them on board and landed them on the 
Cape of Good Hope. A disagreeable though by 
no means alarming circumstance occurred to us 
here ; a servant on board carelessly emptied into 
the sea the vessel in which several specimens of 
the Proteus anguinus, which we had brought from 
the lake of Ziriknitz, had hitherto remained alive 
and unchanged, and we were thus deprived of the 
result of the whole observation of the continued 
_ influence of the tropical climate on the develop- 
ment of these enigmatical animals. 

On the 10th of July, when in 20° 49’ south lati- 
tude, and 39° 24’ west longitude of Greenwich, 
we quitted the region of the western variation of the 
magnetic needle, which had regularly decreased 
since our departure from Europe, and entered that 
of the eastern. ‘The thermometer now began to 
fall gradually from 18°, 17°, to 16°.. On the fol- 
lowing day we: met a small vessel, the first which 
had come so near us in the ocean that we could 
hail her. On our firing a gun and hoisting our 
colours, it hastened up and gave us the agreeable 
information that the insurrection at Pernambuco, 
of which we had heard at Gibraltar, had been im- 
mediately quelled, and that political tranquillity and 


122 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


order had not been at all disturbed in the rest of 
the kingdom. It stated its distance from the con- 
tinent, to be two days sail from Cabo Frio, and steer- 
ing rather more westward towards the coast, soon 
vanished out of our sight. The astronomical cal- 
culations, which differed only about twenty miles 
from the result given by the log, made us, in agree- 
ment with the statement of this vessel, on the 12th 
of July at noon, in 21° 44’ south latitude, and in 
40° 45’ west longitude of Paris. On the even- 
ing of the 13th of July, the captain announced that 
we should see Cabo Frio the following morning. 
How ardently did we long for the moment when, 
after a voyage of two and forty days, we should 
again come in sight of a continent. The assertion. 
of the captain proved correct ; and on the 14th, in 
the morning, a long-extended chain of moun- 
tains, floating as it were in mist, appeared in the 
west. [he deceiving clouds were gradually dis- 
pelled, and we perceived more clearly in the re- 
mote distance, the woody chain of Cabo Frio, which 
was joyfully hailed, first by the man at the mast 
head, and then by all on board. 

The day was delightfully serene and_ bright, 
and a favourable wind carried us past the lofty 
cape, and soon after the noble entrance of the 
bay of Rio de Janeiro, though still at a distance, 
opened to our view. Steep rocks, like portals to 
the harbour, washed by the waves of the sea, rise on 
the right and left; the southern, Pao d’acucar of _ 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 123 


the form of a sugar-loaf, is the well-known guide 
for ships at a distance. Towards noon, approach- 
ing nearer and nearer to the enchanting prospect, 
we came up to those colossal rocky portals, and at 
length passed between them into a great amphi- 
theatre, in which the mirror of the water appeared 
like a tranquil inland lake, and scattered flowery 
islands, bounded in the back ground by a woody 
chain of mountains, rose like a paradise full of 
luxuriance and magnificence. Some naval officers 
from the fort of Santa Cruz, by which our arrival 
had been announced to the city, brought us per- 
mission to sail farther in. While this business was 
transacting, the eyes of all feasted on a country, 
which, for beauty, variety, and splendour, far ex- 
ceeded all-the natural beauties which we had ever 
beheld. The banks in bright sunshine rose out of 
the dark blue sea; and numerous white houses, 
chapels, churches, and forts, contrasted with their 
rich verdure. Rocks of grand forms rise boldly 
behind them, the declivities of which are clothed 
in all the luxuriant diversity of a tropical forest. 
An ambrosial perfume is diffused from these noble 
forests, and the foreign navigator sails delighted 
past the many islands covered with beautiful groves 
of palms. Thus new, pleasing, and sublime scenes, 
alternately passed before our astonished eyes, till at 
length the capital of the infant kingdom, illumined 
by the evening sun, lay extended before us; and 
we, having sailed past the little island das Cobras, 


124 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


cast anchor close to the city at-five o’clock in the 
evening. A sensation, not to be described, over- 
came us all at the moment when the anchor struck 
the ground of another continent; and the thunder 
of the cannon, accompanied with military music 
hailed the desired goal of the happily accomplished. 
voyage. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 125 


q NOTES TO CHAPTER IV. 


Nore 1. 


Tue Dyer’s Lichen was first exported from the islands of 
the Archipelago to Venice, Genoa, France, and England, 
for the use of the dyers. ‘Towards the commencement of 
the last century it was discovered in the Canary Islands, 
and was soon placed: among the regalia of the Spanish 
crown. This excited the attention of the Portuguese, who 
collected it without restriction in the Cape de Verd Islands, 
Madeira, Porto Santo, and the Azores. In the year 1730, 
the Jesuits asked of King John V. the privilege of collect- 
ing the Hervinha secca ; but the crown took the advantage 
into its own hands, and farmed the right of collecting it. 
At a later period the Lichen was ceded to the mercantile 
company of Gram Pard and Maranhdo ; and, lastly, in 
the year 1790, the government again took this branch of 
commerce under its own care, because it had declined 
considerably under the bad management of the company. 
At present the exportation is small ; but more considerable, 
however, from the Cape de Verd Isles. (See I. Da Silva 
Feijé, in the Memorias economicas da Acad. de Lisboa, 
vol. v. 1815, p. 143.) 


126 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Note 2. * 


Mr. Von Humboldt (Travels, vol. i.) was the first who 
distinguished in the vegetation of ‘Teneriffe five zones, one 
above the other: the first, that of the vine, extends from 
the sea-shore to the elevation of from two to three hundred 
toises ; the second, that of the laurel, reaches from this to 
the height of nine hundred toises ; then comes that of the 
pines, four hundred toises in breadth; the fourth, of the 
broom (Spartium nubigenum); and lastly, that of the 
grasses. Von Buch (on the Flora of the Canary Islands, 
in the Memoirs of the Berlin Academy, 1816, 1817,) in 
like manner distinguishes five regions of vegetation in the 
islands of Teneriffe, Canaria, Palma, Gomera, and Ferro; 
the great elevation of which above the sea implies various 
zones of climate. We endeavour to point out the same 
divisions or zones in Madeira; in which we assume, for the 
middle temperatures, with the exception of those well known 
in the lowest zone, the results of Howard’s calculation, 
according to which the temperature decreases 1,2 cent. 
for every 106 toises as you recede from the surface of the 
earth. The four forms of vegetation to be observed in 
Madeira, correspond with Tee in the Canaries, but are 
of inferior breadth. 


FIRST REGION. ; 


The Canaries: African Zone of the Cactus and Eu- 
phorbia, one thousand two hundred feet above the 
surface of the sea; mean temperature 21.25° to 217 
50° cent. 

Maperra: Zone of the Tropical Plants, seven hundred 
feet above the surface of the sea; mean temperature 
20.40° cent. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 127 


The chief character is now determined by plants im- 
ported from hot climates, and cultivated, such as, Musa 
Paradisiaca, Musa sapientum, Caladium esculentum, Cac- 
tus Tuna, Opuntia, Convolvulus Batatas, Agave Ameri- 
cana, from America.—Physalis Peruviana, Sida carpinifolia, 
Abutilon, Melochia pyramidata have likewise been intro- 
duced here from the American continent. — Arundo Donax 
(perhaps native ?), Phoenix dactylifera, Olea Europea, Ce- 
ratonia Siliqua, Punica Granatum, Ficus Carica, brought 
from North Africa, or Southern Europe. 


SECOND REGION. 


The Canaries: European cultivation, from one thou- 
sand two hundred to two thousand five hundred feet ; 
mean temperature 17.50° cent. 

Maperra: Zone of the Vine, Fruit, and Corn, from seven 
hundred to two thousand three hundred feet; mean 
temperature 17.02° cent. 

The greater part of the plants living here, as well as the 
vine and corn, seem to have been brought from Asia and 
the South of Europe. (Those species belonging to the 
North of Europe are printed in small Roman characters ; 
those of the South of Europe and North Africa, in J¢alics ; 
and those peculiar to the Canaries and Madeira, in 174LIc 
SMALL CAPILALS.) 

Carix muricata; Scirpus setaceus ; Poa pratensis; Briza 
media, maxima; PHALARIS CANARIENSIS; Glyceria flui- 
tans; Andropogon hirtum ; Brachypodium pinnatum, dis- 
tachyum; Agropyrum repens; Hordeum murinum; Triodia 
decumbens; ACHYRANTHES NIVEA ; CHENOPODIUM AM- 
BROSIOIDES ; Urtica urens; Plantago major; Echium vul- 
gare; Solanum ngrum, PsEUDocapsicum; Sherardia 
arvensis ; Sonchus oleraceus; Cripis tectorum, CORONOPI- 
FOLIA : Scolymus maculatus ; Calendula arvensis ; Cichorium 


128 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


divaricatum ; Centaurea Calcitrapa ; Convolvulus arvensis, 
altheoides ; Mentha Pulegium, rotundifolia; Stachys cir- 
cinata; Prunella vulgaris; Origanum glandulosum ; Ama- 
ranthus Blitum; Dianthus prolifer; Arenaria verna; Cu- 
cubalus Behen; Alsine media; Oxalis corniculata ; Portu- 
laca oleracea; Geum urbanum; Rubus fruticosus; Ra- 
nunculus repens; Agrimonia Eupitorium ; Valertana Phu; 
Anethum Feeniculum ; Raphanus sativus ; Brassica orientalis; 
Turritis hirsuta; Geranium robartianum; Lotus cornicu- 
latus, mécrocarpus ; Trifolium agrarium; Sedum dasyphyllum ; 
SIDA CANARIENSIS ; Lonicera Periclymenum ; BUDDLEJA 
cLoposa ; Philadelphus coronarius.— From America: Fuch- 
sia coccinea. 


THIRD REGION. 


Canaria: Zone of the Woods, from two thousand five 
hundred to four thousand and eighty feet; mean 
temperature 13.70° cent. ; 

Maperra: Zone of the Woods, from two thousand 
three hundred to three thousand feet (sometimes very 
rocky); mean temperature 15.06° cent. 

Most of the plants peculiar to Madeira are in this zone. 

Castanea vesca; ILAURUS F@TENS, INDICA; DISANDRA 

PROSTRATA; Ruscus ANDROGYNUS; PHILLIS NOBLA; 
SEMPERVIVUM ARBOREUM, CANARIENSE, VILLOSUM; GLO- 
BULARIA LONGIFOLIA; CLETHRA ARBOREA; MYRICA 
Fava: HYPERICUM FLORIBUNDUM, Androsemum, humi- 
fusum; JASMINUM ODORATISSIMUM; SCROPHULARIA 
BETONICZEFOLIA, GLABRATA; DRACOCEPHALUM CANARI= 
ENSE; MESSERSCHMIDTIA FRUTICOSA; TEUCRIUM C4A- 
NARIENSE; LAVANDULA PINNATA; CHEIRANTHUS 
MUTABILIS; CETERACH CANARIENSE; W0OODWARDIA 
CANARIENSIS; DAVALLIA CANARIENSIS; Blechnum bo- 
reale ; Carex divulsa; CHRYSANTHEMUM PINNATIFIDUM; 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 129 


Mentha sylvestris ; Geranium rotundifolium; Melissa Ca- 
lamintha. 


FOURTH REGION, 


Canaria: Zone of the Canary Pine, from four thou- 
sand and eighty, to five thousand nine hundred feet, 
mean temperature 10° cent. , 

Maperra: Zone of Broom and Heath, from three 
thousand, to five thousand two hundred and fifty feet, 
mean temperature 10.76° cent. 

Cytisus divaricatus ; Spartium scoparium ; Erica scoparia 
(which extends to the highest rocks); Pteris aquilina; Aira 
caryophyllacea ; Piptatherum paradoxum; ECHIUM CANDI- 
CANS; SEMPERVIVUM VILLOSUM ; AIZOON CANARIENSE, 
which, ‘as well as the Cotyledon Unmbilicus, may be seen 
everywhere on the rocks from the second region upwards. 


Note 3.. 


We observed the following animals in the vicinity of the 
equator. Aves: Phaéton ethereus; Pelicanus Aquilus. 
Pisces : Squalus Carcharias ; Gasterosteus Ductor ; Echenets 
Remora; Ezocetus volitans; Scomber Thynnus, Pelamis. 
Insecta: Hydrometra marina nob. Mo.tvusca: Salpa 
connata nob., cristata, cylindrica, dipterygia nob. ; Physalis 
pelagica ; Glaucus octopterygius, ventricosus, Draco nob. ; 
Porpita nuda? Botellus pellucidus nob. ; Meduse sp. div. ; 

' Noctiluca oceanica nob. 

The new Hydromatra, and the new genera and_ species 

of Mollusca, will appear in a separate treatise. 


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TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, 


St Ce RR SRE ES 


BOOK II. 


CHAPTER I. 


STAY IN RIO DE JANEIRO. 


Ow the morning of the following day, the 15th 
of July, we went on shore, rowing through the busy 
crowd of European vessels, and little boats manned 
with negroes and mulattoes. Ascending the slope 
of a very fine molo (quay), of hewn granite, we 
were at once in the principal square of the city, 
which is formed by the royal palace and several con- 
siderable private buildings. It was with great diffi- 
culty that we made our way through the noisy crowd 
of black, brown, halfnaked men, who, with the 
importunity which is peculiar to them, offered their 
services. Passing through several straight streets, 
crossing each other at right angles, we at length 
reached the Italian inn, at that time the only one 
in the capital of Brazil, where we found accom- 
K 2 


132 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


modation for the present. Some days afterwards, 
we hired a small house in the suburb of St. Anna, 
which we preferred on account of its elevated situa- 
tion, on the declivity of some hills, and the prospect 
which it afforded over Cape Corcovado. Our 
books, instruments, and other effects, were convey- 
ed to our new abode on the shoulders of negroes. 
The officers at the custom-house made no difficulties, 
and gave us no trouble, when they found that we had 
come in the Austria frigate, and under the protec- 
tion of his majesty the Emperor of Austria. In 
general, many circumstances appeared to combine 
to aid us novices in our first domestic arrangements 
on American ground. ‘To our great satisfaction 
we soon met with the very obliging M. Von Langs- 
dorff, the Prussian consul-general, who is well 
known in the literary world by his account of the 
voyage round the world, in which he accompanied 
Commodore Krusenstern. He welcomed us with 
the greatest cordiality; and several of our German 
fellow-countrymen, who had settled at Rio de Ja- 
neiro with mercantile views, endeavoured to serve 
us to the utmost of their power. Besides our com- 
mon country, we were united with them by the 
interest which they felt in the ample treasures of 
nature with which they were so imperfectly ac- 
quainted. In justice to our own feelings we must 
gratefully mention the names of our worthy coun- 
trymen, Messrs. Scheiner, Hindriks, Schimmel- 
busch, Deusson, Frohlich, and Dirming. We 
also received most friendly counsel in the regulation 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 133 


of our affairs from Messrs. Von Eschwege and Feld- 
ner, lieutenant-colonels of engineers in the service 
of the King of Portugal. A residence of several 
years in Brazil had made them both very well ac- 
quainted with the interior of the country, and 
the former happened to be just then at Rio de Ja- 
neiro, whither he had come on a visit from his 
garrison at Villa Rica. By the intervention of 
the Austrian minister, Baron Von Neveu, who in- 
terested himself in the success of our undertaking 
with the warmest zeal, and in a truly literary 
spirit, we soon received a royal safe conduct (porta- 
ria), which allowed us to travel through, and to exa- 
mine at our pleasure the province of Rio de Janeiro, 
and most strongly recommended us to the assistance 
of the authorities, in every case where we should 
stand in need of it.* 

If any person, considering that this is a new con- 
tinent, discovered only three centuries ago, should 
fancy that Nature is here still entirely rude, mighty, 
and unconquered, he would believe, at least here in 
the capital of Brazil, that he was in some other part 
of the globe; so much has the influence of the 
civilisation of ancient and enlightened Europe ef- 
faced the character of an American wilderness in this 
point of the colony, and given it the stamp of higher 
cultivation. The language,.manners, architecture, 
and the influx of the productions of the industry 


* See Note 1. page 199. 
K 3 


134 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


of all parts of the globe, give a European exterior 
to Rio de Janeiro. But the traveller is soon remind- 
ed that ‘he is in a strange quarter of the world, by 
the varied crowd of negroes and mulattoes, who, as 
‘ the labouring class, everywhere meet him, when he 
sets his foot on shore. To us this sight was less 
agreeable than it was striking. The degraded, bru- 
tish nature of these half-naked, unfortunate men, 
offends the feelings of the European, who has but 
just quitted the seat of polite manners.and agree- 
able forms. , 

Rio de Janeiro, or properly St. Sebastiano, com- 
monly called only Rio, lies on the shore of the 
great bay, which extends from the city northwards 
into the continent three times as far as the dis- 
tance to the anchorage. It occupies the north- 
east. part of a tongue of land, of an irregularly 
quadrangular shape, situated on the west bank, 
which stretches towards the north, and towards the 
south is connected with the continent. ‘The most 
easterly point of this tongue of land is the Punta 
do Calabougo; the most northerly, opposite to 
which is the little Z/ha das Cobras, that of the Ar- 
mazem do Sal. The oldest and most important 
part of the city is built between these two points, 
along the shore, in the direction of north-west to 
south-east, and in the-form of an oblong quadran- 
gle; the ground is, in general, level, only at the 
most northerly end are five hills, rather long, and so 
near to the sea as to leave room for only one street 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 135 


by the sea-side; towards the south and south-east 
the city is commanded by several hills, the promon- 
tories-of the Corcovado, a woody mountain. ‘The 
more ancient, north-east part of the city is traversed 
by eight straight, pretty narrow, and parallel streets, 
and divided into squares by many others crossing 
them at right angles. ‘The Campo de S. Anna, a 
large square, to the west of the old city, separates 
it from the new town. ‘The latter, which has, for 
the most part, arisen since the arrival of the court, 
is connected by the bridge of S. Diogo over the 
arm of the sea called Sacco d’ Alferes, with the 
south-western quarter, or Bairro de Mato-porcos, 
and, by the extensive suburb of Catumbi, with the 
royal palace of S.Cristovao, situated to the north- 
west. Mato-porcos lies immediately against the 
lower eminences of the Corcovado, which rise south- 
west of the city, where this row of hills terminates 
at the sea. The church of Nossa Senhora da Glo- 
ria forms a distinguished object on its summit, 
commanding the southern part of the city. From 
this place, farther towards the south, detached rows 
of houses occupy the two semicircular bays of Ca- 
téte, and Bota Fogo, and single houses lie scattered 
in the picturesque side-valleys, which branch out 
from the Corcovado, and among which the Val- 
ley of Laranjeiras is the most pleasant. The city, 
in its greatest extent, already measures above half 
a mile. The houses, which are low and narrow in 
proportion to their depth, are for the most built of 
K 4 


136 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


blocks of granite, or in the upper story, of wood, 
and covered with tiles. Instead of the old latticed 
doors and windows, we already see everywhere 
complete doors, and glass windows. ‘The gloomy 
projecting cabinets before the windows, closed, ac- 
cording to oriental custom, have made way by 
the king’s command, for open balconies. The 
streets are, for the most part, paved with granite, 
and provided with raised pavement for the foot- 
passengers ; but they are very sparingly lighted, 
and hardly more than a few hours in the night, by 
the lamps placed before the images of the Virgin 
Mary. From the regularity of the streets it is 
agreeable to the eye to meet with several open 
squares, such as those before the royal palace, be- 
fore the theatre, the public promenade (passezo 
publico), or the Campo de 8. Anna. 

The hills along the north-eastern bank are 
partly covered with large buildings; the former 
college of the Jesuits, the convent of the Bene- 
dictines, on the most north-easterly hill, then the 
episcopal palace, and the Forte da Conceicao, have 
a grand appearance, especially when seen from the 
sea. The residence formerly occupied by the 
viceroys, which, after the arrival of the court 
from Lisbon, was enlarged by the addition of the 
Carmelite convent, and fitted up for the royal 
family, stands in the plain, opposite to the above- 
mentioned molo. ‘This building is by no means 
in the grand style of European palaces, and its ex- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 137 


terior seems unworthy of the monarch of so pro- 
mising and rising a kingdom. In general, the 
style of architecture in Rio is mean, and resem- 
bling that of the old part of Lisbon; yet it seems 
that architecture, the works of which so immedi- 
ately relieve one of the greatest wants of human 
life, will improve more rapidly than the other arts. 
The presence of the court already begins to have ~ 
a favourable effect on the style of building, as is 
proved among other edifices, by the new Mint, and 
several private houses in Catéte and Mato-porcos ; 
they continue also to blow up rocks of granite 
with gunpowder, partly to make the city more 
level and connected, and partly to adorn it with 
new buildings. Among the churches, which alto- 
gether have neither fine paintings, nor works of 
sculpture, but only rich gilding, those da Cande- 
laria, de S. Francisco, de Paula, are distinguished 
by their good style of architecture, and that of 
Nossa Senhora da Gloria, by its elevated station ; 
but the finest and most beautiful monument of 
architecture of which Rio can at present boast, is 
the Aqueduct, which was completed in 1740; it 
is an imitation of the noble work of the same kind 
erected by John V. at Lisbon, by the lofty arches 
of which, spring water is brought from the Corco- 
vado to the fountains in the city. The largest of 
these fountains, in the square in front of the 
palace, and close to the harbour, supplies the 
ships, and is constantly surrounded by crowds of 


158 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


sailors of all nations. Captain Cook was mistaken 
when he expressed doubts of the goodness of this 
water for long voyages; for Portuguese captains 
have, by way of making the experiment, taken 
this water to India, and brought it back to Rio de 
Janeiro, when it was found to be still uncorrupted. 
New fountains continue to be erected in the city, 
and during our stay, measures were taken to pro- 
vide the great square of S. Anna with a foun- 
tain, and to lead a new aqueduct to the south-west 
part of the city. In such a hot and populous city 
the attention of the government is justly directed 
to the obtaining of an ample supply of cool water 
fit for drinking, but the distribution of it by un- 
cleanly negroes, who offer it for sale in open ves- 
sels or in skins (borachios), which are often ex- 
posed for hours together to the heat of the sun, 
requires to be altered by the Board of Health ; in- 
deed the government would do a great service to 
tbe inhabitants by causing the water to be con- 
veyed into many private houses. 

The bay of Rio de Janeiro, one of the finest and 
most spacious harbours in the world, and the key 
to the southern part of Brazil, has been long since 
carefully fortified by the Portuguese. “Phe sudden 
capture of the city by the F rench, under Duguay 
Trouin (1710), who imposed on it a contribution of 
24.6,500,464 rees, perhaps first made them sensible 
of the necessity of defensive works. The entrance 
is protected principally by the fort of Santa Cruz, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 139 


which is built on the Pico, a steep mountain on a 
tongue of land on the east side, and by the bat- 
teries of S. Jodo, and S. Theodosio, lying opposite 
to it, to the north of the Sugar-loaf. The 
strait formed by the two points, which is only 
five thousand feet broad, is also commanded by the 
guns of a fort on the low rocky island Ilha da 
Lagem, situated almost in the middle of the en- 
trance. In the interior of the bay the most im- 
portant works are the fort de Villegagnon, and 
that of Ilha das Cobras, both on small islands not 
far from the city. State criminals are confined in 
the latter island; in the city itself are the Forte 
da Conceicao in the north-west part of it, and the 
batteries of Monté, in the south-east; they are 
not, however, in the best condition. ‘The inlet of 
Bota-Fogo is covered by the lines of Praya-ver- 
melha.* 


* Here it was that Martin Alfonso de Souza, in his voyage 
of discovery, performed by the command of King John III., 
landed in January 1531, and gave the bay the name it now 
bears. The Praya-vermelha was formerly called for this rea- 
son, Porto de Martin Affonso. It is uncertain who it was that 
first visited this part of the coast of Brazil, but it appears that 
Joaé de Solis was the first who put in here in 1515. When 
Fernando de Magalhaens, with his fellow-countryman Ruy 
Falleiro, sailed along the whole east coast of South America, 
he anchored here in December 1519, and gave to the bay the 
name of Bahia de St. Lucia. Martin Alfonso soon left the 
place again, probably from fear of the numerous and warlike 
natives, the Tamoyos. The Portuguese were first made sen- 
sible of the importance of this place, when it was taken pos- 


140 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


The internal basin of Rio de Janeiro has its 
tides as well as the ocean; at new and full moon, 
high water, which rises fourteen or fifteen feet, 
sets in at thirty minutes past four; the ebb some- 
times continues a whole day without intermission, 
at which time the current is the strongest on the 
west side of the bay: on the other hand, when 
the flood begins, a whirling current is remarked on 
the east side. The flood continues a shorter time 
than the ebb, and usually runs at the rate of three 
or four sea miles in an hour; this strong flood has 
more than once led the captains of ships into error, 
and caused them to cast anchor too close to the 
shore, so that when the ebb set in they suffered 
shipwreck, there not being a sufficient depth of 
water for the vessels. An English ship which ar- 
rived from Liverpool after a remarkably favorable 
passage during our stay, and had cast anchor quite 
close to the Ilha das Cobras, was wrecked in this 
manner in the harbour, and the greatest exertions 


session of by Nicholas Durant de Villegagnon, who was sent 
hither by Admiral Coligny, and erected a fort. Mem de Sa, 
the governor-general of Brazil, having on the 15th of March, 
1560, taken and destroyed the works erected by the French, 
the bay came into the hands of the Portuguese, who immedi- 
ately began to build the town on its present site. The abori- 
gines are said to have called the bay on account of its narrow 
entrance, Nelhero-Hy, or Nithero-Hy, that is, hidden water. 
(Patriota, for May 1813, p.63.; Corografia Brasilica, ii. p. 1.) 
Lery calls it Ganabara. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 141 


of the crew of our frigate, the Austria, who were 
called in to assist, could save only part of the 
goods, because the vessel was dashed to pieces on 
the rocks in a few hours. The sea, when it»is 
high, particularly at the equinoxes, fills up the 
sandy hollows and lagoons, in several places round 
the city, which are planted with rhizophora, cono- 
carpas, and avicennia trees; thus the sandy plain 
between the suburb of S. Anna, where we lived, 
the bay of Sacco d’ Alferes, and the principal street 
towards $. Christopher, was sometimes changed 
into a lake, and limited our excursions through the 
valley. ‘The saltness of this sea-water is rather less 
than that of the ocean on the outer coasts, and for 
this reason, and also because too many heterogeneous 
impurities are mixed with it, no salt is prepared in 
the vicinity of Rio; the greater part of that con- 
sumed here is imported from the rich salt lagoons 
of Setuval. It is preferable in this hot climate to 
the Spanish and Sardinian, because it has less ten- 
dency to deliquescence ; a small part comes to the 
capital from the neighbourhood of Cabo Frio. 

It will be readily imagined that with the exten- 
sive trade carried on here, the traveller every where 
meets the bustle of active industry. The harbour, 
the exchange, the market-places, and the streets 
nearest the sea, where the principal magazines of 
European merchandise are situated, are constantly 
filled with a throng of merchants, sailors, and 
negroes. The various languages of the mingled 


142 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


crowd, of all colours and costumes, crossing each 
other in every direction, among whom the negroes 
carry their burden on poles; the creaking of a clumsy 
two-wheeled cart, drawn by oxen, in which goods 
are conveyed through the city ; the frequent salutes 
of the guns of the forts, and of vessels arriving 
from all parts of the world; lastly, the crackling of 
the rockets, with which the inhabitants celebrate re- 
ligious festivals, almost daily, from an early hour in 
the morning, all combine to compose a confused 
unheard-of discord, which is perfectly stunning to 
the stranger. 

By far the greater part of the population of Rio 
de Janeiro, consists of Portuguese and their de- 
scendants, both whites and people of colour. 
American aboriginal inhabitants are scarcely ever 
seen here. They avoid the city as much as pos- 
sible, and appear but very rarely, and by chance, 
like birds of passage, in the bustle which is so 
contrary to their habits. ‘The nearest are said to 
belong to the mission of S. Lourengo, on the bay 
of Rio de Janeiro, from which place they bring 
potters’ ware for sale ; others sometimes come from 
a greater distance, from the district of Campos, in 
the country of the Goytacazes, or from Aréas, a 
little villa, on the road to S. Paulo, or from Minas 
Geraés, in company with the caravans of mules, 
which maintain a constant communication between 
these places and the capital. The brown water- 
men, in the harbour, whom many travellers have 


MIOLOG V, ‘OCVOUOD VW 


Qo 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 145 


taken for Indians, are mulattoes of various tints. 
The first native American that we saw was a boy of 
the cannibal race of the Botocudos, in Minas Geraés; 
he was in the house of our friend, M. Von Langs- 
dorff. The Conde da Barea, formerly minister of 
state, had, it seems, applied to the district com- 
mander of the Indians, in Minas Geraés, for an 
Indian scull, for our celebrated countryman, Pro- 
fessor Blumenbach; but the commandant not 
having an opportunity to obtain such a dead spe- 
cimen, sent the count two living Botocudos, who 
had been taken in a sudden attack by his soldiers. 
M. Von Langsdorff obtained one of them, to 
whom he soon became much attached, and who 
served him not only as a living cabinet piece, but 
as a collector of objects of natural history. 

Before the arrival of the king, the whole popula- 
tion of Rio consisted of fifty thousand souls, and 
the number of the blacks, and people of colour, 
considerably exceeded that of the white inhabitants. 
In the year 1817, on the other hand, the city and 
its dependencies contained above a hundred and 
ten thousand inhabitants. It may be considered 
as certain, that since the year 1808, four and 
twenty thousand Portuguese have gradually ar- 
rived here from Europe. ‘This great afflux of 
Portuguese, to which must be added a considerable 
number of English, French, Dutch, Germans, and 
Italians, who, after the opening of the port, 
settled here, some as merchants, others as me- 
chanics, could not fail, setting aside every other 


144 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


consideration, to effect a change in the character of 
the inhabitants, by wholly reversing the existing 
proportion of the white inhabitants to the blacks 
and people of colour. But it is particularly ob- 
servable in the class of rich merchants in the capital, 
and even in the interior of the neighbouring pro- 
vinces of Minas Geraés, and S. Paulo, what rapid 
strides civilisation and luxury, and consequently 
activity and industry, have made, in consequence of 
the vast accession of new inhabitants from Europe. 
Brazil has, properly speaking, no nobility; the 
clergy, the people in office, and the rich families in 
the interior, that is, land-owners and miners, pos- 
sessed in a certain degree, before the arrival of the 
king, all the distinctions and privileges of nobility. 
The conferring of titles and offices by the king, 
drew a part of them to the capital, whence, having 
become acquainted with the European luxuries 
and mode of living, they began to exercise on the 
other classes of the people, an influence very differ- 
ent from that which they formerly had possessed. 
Even the more remote provinces of the infant king- 
dom, whose inhabitants, led by curiosity, interest, 
or private business, visited Rio de Janeiro, soon 
accustomed themselves to recognise that city as the 
capital, and to adopt the manners and modes of _ 
thinking, which, after the arrival of the court, 
struck them as European. 

In general the influence of the court at Rio, 
upon Brazil, is in every respect incalculable. The 
presence of the supreme head of the state naturally 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. M45 


inspired all the Brazilians, with a patriotic feeling 
which they had never before experienced, while in 
the situation of a colony they were governed by 
delegates, in the king’s name. Brazil acquired in 
the eyes of every body, a new dignity: as it pos- 
sessed the king, and carried on diplomatic nego- 
tiations on the other side of the ocean, it became, 
in a manner, included in the circle of the European 
powers. The king himself was made better ac- 
quainted with the advantages of the country, and 
the defects of the government. He profited by the 
former, and thereby secured the stability of all 
civil relations, and of property. Private credit in- 
creased ; what was uncertain, partial, and depend- 
ent in the administration, made room for an inde- 
pendent order of things; and life and energy were 
infused into all public business. By this, and-above 
all, by the opening of the port to the mercantile 
nations of all parts of the world, the cultivation of 
the soil, the welfare, the riches, the civilisation of 
the country, rapidly improved, together with the 
intercourse and increasing commerce with foreign 
countries. Yet it appears that, in general, the 
change from a dependent colony to an independent 
kingdom, was by no means considered, in Brazil 
itself; as a blessing, so much as the reaction of this 
event was felt as a misfortune by Portugal. Now, 
when experience has extended their views, and 
when the energies of: this continent, called forth 
by political changes, more rapidly develop them- 
VOL. I. vi 


146 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


selves, the Brazilians will be sensible how quickly 
they have been led through various degrees of im- 
provement, during the twelve years, in which King 
John VI. has resided in this kingdom. 

The king soon marked his presence in the new 
kingdom, by the erection of the same superior tri- 
bunals and authorities, as exist in Portugal. In the 
year 1808, he organised the Dezembargo do Pogo 
(Ministerial Council of the interior and Council 
of State), Conselho da Justiga (Ministerial Council 
of Justice), Conselho da Fazenda (Ministerial Coun- 
cil of the Finances), Junta do Commercio (Supreme 
Tribunal of Commerce), Meza da Consciencia 
(Ministerial Council of Religious Worship), the 
Relagéo (Court of Appeal) of Rio de Janeiro was 
raised to the rank of Supplicagdo (Supreme Court 
of Appeal), a general intendancy of the police 
for the whole kingdom was established, and also 
an independent police for the capital, a royal 
treasury, a mint, and a record office. In the year 
1805, the bishopric founded in 1676 was endowed 
anew, and provided with a numerous chapter ; 
lastly, in the year 1810, a Royal Military Academy 
was founded. The boundaries of the captanias 
were more accurately determined, and the neces- 
sary tribunals erected. The organisation of these 
several departments, as well as a more precise re- 
gulation of the sphere of action of the Governors 
General of the Provinces, the regulation of the 
jurisdictions, and the more equal collection of the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 147 


tithes and other imposts, have been great steps inthe 
improvement of the new kingdom ; and history will 
recognise in the reign of John VI., a happy continu- 
ation of the beneficent influence of John IIL, that 
judicious and energetic monarch, from whose hands 
the colony first received form and life. The presence 
of the sovereign and of all the principal authorities 
of the state was essentially aided in its effects, on 
the establishment of a regular system in the new 
country by the great number of foreigners who, 
sooner or later, followed the court to Rio de 
Janeiro. English mechanics and _ship-builders, 
Swedish ironworkers, German engineers, French 
artists, and manufacturers, were invited by the 
government, to animate the national industry, and 
diffuse useful knowledge. These efforts of the go- 
vernment, already, to transplant European activity 
and arts into the virgin soil, are the more worthy 
of respect, in proportion to the greatness of the 
difficulties which opposed them at the setting out. 
An important commencement towards the encou- 
ragement of industry was made with the arsenal ; 
for which a plan, on a small scale, was indeed 
already prepared before the arrival of the king, but 
was not formally organised and put into execution 
till 1811. In the long row of houses on the har- 
bour, which are used for the manufacture of articles 
of the marine, we now see cables made of Russian 
hemp, utensils forged out of Swedish iron, and sails 
cut out of northern cloth. The most important arti- 
E22 


148 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


cles which Brazil itself furnishes, are the excellent 
timber, tow, and pitch. This arsenal is, however, 
comparatively, more employed in working up 
foreign materials than the other arsenals of the 
country, and supplies them, while they on the 
other hand build many vessels. It is true that for 
the present, things manufactured here cost the 
government more than if they were procured by 
commerce, immediately from Europe ; skilful work- 
men, who are for the most part Europeans, are 
retained only by high pay, and the blacks and 
mulattoes, who are yet but novices, are with diffi- 
culty accustomed to the active industry and _per- 
severance of their masters; but these sacrifices of 
the government make it necessary to establish 
nurseries for these important professions. ‘Thus 
this institution, like many others, serves as a proof 
of the prudent paternal care, which does not merely 
consider the present moment, but has in view the 
happiness of future generations. In this world 
which lies stili rude and undeveloped before the 
regulating mind of the sovereign, the latter feels 
himselfelevated above petty, interested opposition, 
and called by exalted duties to the creation of a 
better system for posterity. 

On a more intimate acquaintance with the spirit 
of the Brazilian people, and with that of the society 
of Rio de Janeiro, the traveller, indeed, finds that 
these intentions of the government are, in general, 
not duly appreciated, and that the character of the 
Brazilian has been too powerfully influenced by 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 149 


a colonial administration of two hundred years’ 
standing, for him already to apply with the same 
energy that distinguishes the European, to the se- 
rious occupations of industry, arts, and science, 
which consolidate the happiness, and the internal 
strength of a kingdom. Hitherto it is a taste for 
convenience, luxury, and the external charms of 
social life, which rapidly spreads here, rather than 
that for arts and sciences, in the proper sense of 
the term. While the progress of the latter has, in 
northern countries, been followed by the refinement 
of the enjoyments of life, the south, on the contra- 
ry, proceeds from the development of the pleasures 
of sense, and of external life, to the improvement of 
arts and science. Let us, therefore, not yet expect 
in the young capital those great influential establish- 
ments for the education and instruction of the peo- 
ple, which we are accustomed to see in Europe. 
The library, said to contain seventy thousand 
volumes, which the king brought from Portugal, 
for the capital of Brazil, is arranged in the edifice 
belonging to the Tercgeiros da Ordem do Carmo. 
The branches of history and jurisprudence are said 
to be the richest. We were particularly interested 
by a manuscript of a Flora Fluminensis, that is, of 
the Rio de Janeiro, which contains descriptions and 
beautiful drawings of many rare or unknown plants 
growing in the vicinity, and written by one Velloso. 
The public have free admission during the greater 
part of the day ; but the want of literary occupation: 
L 3 


150 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


is so little felt here, that the library is not much 
frequented. To the same cause, and to the little in- 
clination hitherto felt here to advance with the spirit 
of the sciences, it may be attributed that the only 
literary journal, The Patriot, which was published 
after the arrival of the court in Brazil, continued 
only a few years, though, by the variety of its con- 
tents it was calculated for extensive circulation. 
But a literary publication which deserves honoura- 
able mention is Father Casal’s Corografia Brasilica, 
printed at Rio, in two volumes ; a work which, it is 
true, has many imperfections with respect to order 
precision, and correctness, especially in treating of 
subjects of natural history, but, as the first compen- 
dium of a general geography of Brazil, is of great 
use, and has been almost literally translated into 
English.* At present only two newspapers are 
published in the whole kingdom: in the capital, 
the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro; and, in Bahia, a 
paper under the title of Idade de Ouro do Brazil. 
But even these few journals are not read with ge- 
neral interest.t| The inhabitant of the interior, in 
particular, enjoying the lavish bounties of nature, 


* Corografia Brasilica ou relacao historico geografica do 
Reino do Brazil composta por luim Presbitero secular do Gram 
Priorado do Crato. Rio de Janeiro, 1817. 4to. Vol. 1,2. A 
history of the Brazils; comprising its geography, commerce, 
colonisation, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. by J. Henderson. 
London, 1821. 4to. 

+ The number of journals has been much increased since 
Brazil declared itself independent. Trans. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 151 


confined to the intercourse with a few distant 
neighbours, concerns himself very little with the 
events of the political world, and is satisfied with 
hearing the principal circumstances once a year, 
from the conductors of the caravans who return 
from the coast. In general, in the interior as well 
as in the sea-port towns, it is rather commercial 
relations than any regard to the interests of the 
world in general, that determine their participation 
in great political events. ‘There is, however, no 
want of quick and accurate intelligence from Eu- 
rope ; the Lisbon newspapers being circulated by 
the Portuguese emigrants, and the London journals 
by the English. 

The education of youth is provided for, in the 
capital, by many licensed academies. Persons of 
fortune have their children prepared by private 
tutors, to visit the university of Coimbra; which, 
from the scarcity of good teachers, is very expen- 
sive. In the Seminario de S. Joaquim, the elements 
of latin and church-singing (canto chao) are taught: 
but the best academy is the Lyceum, or Seminario 
de S. Jozé, where, besides Latin, Greek, French, 
and English, rhetoric, geography, and mathema- 
tics, likewise philosophy and divinity are taught. 
Most of the teachers are ecclesiastics, who have, 
however, now much less influence on the education 
of the people than formerly ; particularly during the 
times of the Jesuits. A very useful establishment 
of later years is the School of Surgery (Aula de Ci. 

“4 


152 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


rurgia), which was founded in the former college 
of the Jesuits, on the same principles as the country 
surgical schools in the kingdom of Bavaria, to form 
practical surgeons, who are not to be found in the 
interior. After studying five years the young man 
may here be made master in surgery. ‘The course 
of study is strictly prescribed*, and care is taken for 
the acquisition of positive knowledge, by attendance 
on the neighbouring military hospital. Most of 
the teachers in this establishment are, at the same 
time, practical physicians in the city, some of whom 
follow in their lectures the French elementary 
books, and some those of Cullen. Natural history, 
particularly botany, is taught the pupils by Fra 
Leandro do Sacramento, a learned Carmelite, from 
Pernambuco, and a disciple of the venerable Brote- 
ro. In his lectures he makes use of a small nursery 
of remarkable plants in the public promenade, 
because the botanic garden is too far from the city. 
The mineralogical cabinet, which is under the 
care of our countryman, Lieutenant-Colonel Von 
Eschwege, is not in a good condition, because he 
is generally absent from Rio de Janeiro. It con- 
sists of Baron Ohain’s collection, described by 
Wernert, to which no very great additions have 


* According to the plan laid down, they study in the 
first year Anatomy, Chemistry, Pharmacy; in the second, 
the same branches, with the addition of Physiology; in the 
third, Atiology, Pathology, Therapeutics; in the fourth, Sur- 
gery, Midwifery ; in the fifth they attend the Hospitals. 

+W erner’s description of a collection of Minerals &c. 
Luneberg, 1719. 8vo. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 155 


been made, except a beautiful suite of diamonds 
sent by Da Camara*, and some other mineralogical 
curiosities of Brazil. In the building which con- 
tains this collection, there is a most insignificant | 
beginning of a zoological cabinet, consisting of a 
few stuffed birds, and some cases with handsome 
butterflies. The Military Academy (Academia 
Miltar Real), founded in 1810, is intended for the 
scientific education of those who desire to dedicate 
themselves from their youth to the military pro- 
fession; but though provided with good masters, 
and especially favoured by the king, its sphere of 
action is very limited, for it has hardly any scho- 
lars; but in the newly established Aula do Com- 
mercio, the lectures on commerce, and also those 
on chemistry, are numerously attended. 
Immediately after the arrival of the king, it was 
intended to give a university to the new mo- 
narchy. It was, however, yet undecided whether 
the seat of it should be at Rio de Janeiro, or at 
S. Paulo, which is situated in a more temperate 
climate. Mr. J. Garcia Stockler, son of a German 
consul of the Hanse Towns at Lisbon, a man of 
considerable literary acquirements, and a worthy 
member of the Lisbon academy, proposed a plan, 
conceived partly in the spirit of the German high 
schools, which, indeed, was much approved by the 


* Mr. Von Eschwege has described these diamonds in the 
second part of his Journal of Brazil, p. 49. 


154 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


ministry, but at the same time met with so much 
opposition from those who wished Brazil to con- 
tinue dependent on Portugal, as a colony, that the 
whole plan was given up; and yet nothing but the 
establishment of a university can rouse the slum- 
bering energies of the country, and thus Brazil, 
in laudable emulation with the mother country, be 
one day elevated to the rank of a great kingdom. 
Till this shall be done, the Brazilians will be com- 
pelled, however expensive and troublesome it may 
be to them, to complete their education beyond 
the ocean, at the Portuguese university of 
Coimbra. This necessity, however, was attended 
with various advantages to the young students ; 
especially by giving them an opportunity of making 
themselves acquainted with the great institutions 
in Europe, to bring back to their own country the 
knowledge to be obtained in them, and in general 
to acquire the universality of European education. 
If, however, at some future time, a university 
should be founded in Brazil, it would be necessary 
in the present state of literature, to have the first 
professors from Europe. 

Another new institution, the Academy of Arts, 
is chiefly indebted for its existence to the late 
minister Araujo, Conde da Barca, who received 
almost the whole of his education in foreign coun- 
tries. While Europe saw in the foundation of such 
an institution an apparently irrefragable proof of 
the rapid progress of the- new state, it is evident 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 155 


upon closer examination, that it is at present by no 
means adapted to the wants of the people, and 
therefore cannot yet exert any extensive influ- 
ence. Several French artists, historical and land- 
scape painters, sculptors, engravers, and architects, 
and at their head Lebreton, formerly secretary to 
the Academy of Arts at Paris, (who however died, 
at his country-house, near Rio de Janeiro, soon after 
our arrival,) were invited from France in order 
by their instructions and works to awaken and to 
animate the disposition of the Brazilians for the 
arts, upon which Araujo had confidently calculated : 
but it could not fail soon to become evident that the 
fine arts cannot take root here, till the mechanical 
arts, which satisfy the first wants, have prepared a 
way for their reception; and that it is not till com- 
merce, the activity of which is directed to external 
objects is finally established, that endeavours after 
the enjoyments and refinements of the arts, can 
arise ina nation. It is besides a necessary conse- 
quence of the present state of Brazil, that the inha- 
bitant of this tropical clime everywhere surrounded 
by the poetical and picturesque natural beauties of 
his country, feels himself more disposed to the vo- 
luntarily offered enjoyments of so happy a climate, 
than those of art, which cannot be obtained without 
exertion. This circumstance points out the course 
which endeavours to introduce the arts and sciences 
into America in general take, and may serve as a 
hint to the sovereign, that the decoration of the 


156 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


political edifice by art, must be preceded by the 
consolidation of its foundations. 

There is scarcely any taste here for painting and 
sculpture, and hence we see even in the churches, © 
instead of real works of art, only ornaments over- 
loaded with gold. Music, on the contrary, is cul- 
tivated with more partiality by the Brazilians, and 
particularly in Rio de Janeiro; and in this art 
they may perhaps the soonest attain a certain de- 
gree of perfection. The Brazilian, like the Por- 
tuguese, has a refined ear for agreeable modulation 
and regular melody, and is confirmed in it by the 
simple accompaniment of the voice with the 
guitar. The guitar (viola), here, as in the south 
of Europe, is the favourite instrument; a piano- 
torte, on the contrary, is a very rare article of fur- 
niture, met with only in the richest houses. The 
national songs, which are sung with the accom- 
paniment of the guitar, are partly of Portuguese 
origin, and partly written in the country. By 
singing, and the sound of the instrument, the 
Brazilian is easily excited to dancing, and expresses 
his cheerfulness in polished society, by graceful 
cotillons, and in inferior company by expressive 
pantomimic motions, and attitudes like those of 
. the negroes. The Italian opera is hitherto very 
imperfect, both as regards the singers and the 
orchestra. A private band of vocal and instru- 
mental music, which the crown prince has formed 
for himself, of native mulattoes and negroes, speaks 

16 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. Var 


much in favour of the musical talent of the Brazi- 
lians. Don Pedro, who seems to have inherited 
from his ancestor Don John IV. a distinguished 
talent for music, sometimes leads this band himself; 
which, being thus encouraged, executes the pieces 
laid before it with great zeal. Haydn’s favourite 
pupil, the Chevalier Neukomm was at that time 
composer to the royal chapel at Rio. The musical 
knowledge of the inhabitants was not yet ripe for 
his masses, which were written entirely in the style 
of the most celebrated German composers. The 
impulse which the genius of David Perez gave to 
the Portuguese church music (1752—1779) is past; 
and at present the first thing required of a mass is 
that it shall proceed in cheerful melodies, and that 
a long and pompous Gloria shall be succeeded by 
a short Credo. This is the style of Marcus Por- 
tugal, now the favourite composer among the 
Portuguese. The degree of perfection which 
music has attained among the higher classes at 
Rio, and the other sea-port towns of Brazil, entirely 
corresponds with the spirit in which poetry and the 
belles lettres are cultivated ; for, in these, it is the 
French literature that is preferred by the superior 
classes in this country. The diffusion: of the 
French language, and the importation of innu- 
merable French books, are the more surprising, as 
there are only two indifferent booksellers’ shops at 
Rio de Janeiro. Besides the publications of the 
day, with which the French Magasins des Modes 


158 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


supply Brazil, the works of Voltaire and Rousseau, 
in particular, are read with so much avidity, that 
several patriotic writers * have found reason to de- 
claim against the Gallomania. ‘This circumstance 
is the more remarkable, because political and mer- 
cantile interest unite the Portuguese with the 
English, and we might therefore naturally expect 
a greater inclination to the literature of England. t 
Even translations from the English into the Portu- 
guese are by no means so numerous as those from 
the French. The language and poetry of the 
Germans are entirely unknown to the Brazilians ; 
sometimes, but very rarely, we meet with an ad- 
mirer of the muse of Gessner or Klopstock, with 


* Thus, for example, the energetic and learned Jozé Agos- 
tinho Macedo, author of the epic poem O Oriente, in his 
Journal Enciclopedico, one of the best periodical publications 
at Lisbon. 

+ It was from a conviction of the superiority of English lite- 
rature, that a learned Portuguese nobleman, the Viscount de 
St. Lourenco, undertook, a few years ago, to translate into 
Portuguese Pope’s Essay on Man, to which he has annexed a 
vast mass of notes, selected from English, French, German, 
Portuguese, Spanish, and other writers on the same or similar 
subjects. The extent of these notes may be judged of when 
we say that the work makes three quarto volumes. This must 
naturally render it less useful by limiting the number of the 
readers, on account of the expence, for besides its bulk, it is 
one of the most splendid specimens of typography of which the 
English press can boast, and adorned: with fine plates, the first 
of which is an exquisite whole length portrait of Pope, from 
an original painting by his friend Jervas, in the possession of 
G. Watson Taylor, Esq. It was published in London in 1819. 
Trans. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. © 159 


which he has been made acquainted only by French 
translations. This general knowledge of the 
French has not, however, banished the mother 
tongue in the higher classes of society ; except the 
court, and those immediately belonging to it, the 
English and Trench languages are confined to the 
men, and are therefore seldom used in company. 
The fair sex, though they participate in the change 
whichtheremovyal of the court hither has occasioned, 
and-are now more frequently seen in the theatre, 
and in the open air, have, however, on the whole, 
retained the same disposition which Barrow repre- 
sents in his apologetic description in 1792. 

The hospitable residence of Mr. Von Langsdorff 
was a very agreeable place of resort in the evening 
for many Europeans residing at Rio de Janeiro. 
A spirit of cheerful and animated conversation 
prevailed, which was enhanced by the musical 
talents of the lady of the house, and the co-oper- 
ation of Neukomm. So great a number of natural- 
ists, or friends of natural history, had never yet 
been assembled here, as just at the time of our 
stay. The mutual communication of the observ- 
ations and feelings which the luxuriance and the 
peculiarity of the vegetation inspired, became 
doubly attractive, through the charms of the envi- 
rons. Mr. Von Langsdorff inhabited a small 
country-house, on the declivity of the chain of 
hills which stretches from the city towards the 
south-west, and enjoyed from hence, amidst. the 


160 "TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


fragrant shrubs of Brazil, an enchanting prospect 
over the city and part of the bay. Nothing can be 
compared to the beauty of this retreat, when the 
most sultry hours of the day are past, and gentle 
breezes, impregnated with balsamic perfumes from 
the neighbouring wooded mountains, cool the air. 
This enjoyment continues to increase as the night 
spreads over the land and the sea, which shines at 
a distance, and the city, where the noise of busi- 
ness has subsided, is gradually lighted. He who 
has not personally experienced the enchantment of 
tranquil moonlight nights in these happy latitudes, 
can never be inspired, even by the most faithful 
description, with those feelings which scenes of 
such wondrous beauty excite in the mind of the 
beholder. A delicate transparent mist hangs over 
the country, the moon shines brightly amidst heavy 
and singularly grouped clouds, the outlines of the 
objects which are illuminated by it are clear and 
well defined, while a magic twilight seems to re- 
move from the eye those which are in shade. 
Scarce a breath of air is stirring, and the neigh- 
bouring mimosas, that have folded up their leaves 
to sleep, stand motionless beside the dark crowns 
of the manga, the jaca, and the etherial jambos * ; 
or sometimes a sudden wind arises, and the juice- 
less leaves of the acajai t rustle, the richly flowered 


* Mangifera indica, Artocarpus integrifolia, and Eugenia 
Iambos, L. 
+ Anacardium occidentale, L. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 161 


grumiyama and pitanga* let drop a fragrant 
shower of snow-white blossoms ; the crowns of the 
majestic palms wave slowly over the silent roof 
which they overshade, like a symbol of peace and 
tranquillity. Shrill cries of the cicada, the grass- 
hopper, and tree frog, make an incessant hum, and 
produce, by their monotony, a pleasing melancholy. 
A stream gently murmuring descends from the 
mountains, and the macuct, with its almost human 
voice, seems to call for help from a distance. 
Every quarter of an hour different balsamic odours 
fill the air, and other flowers alternately unfold 
their leaves to the night, and almost overpower 
the senses with their perfume; now it is the bowers 
of paullinias, or the neighbouring orange grove, 
then the thick tufts of the eupatoria, or the bunches 
of the flowers of the palms + suddenly bursting, 
which disclose their blossoms, and thus maintain 
a constant succession of fragrance. While the si- 
lent vegetable world, illuminated by swarms of fire- 
flies (Klater phosphoreus noctilucus), as by a thou- 
sand moving stars, charms the night by its deli- 
cious effluvia, brilliant lightnings play incessantly 
in the horizon, and elevate the mind in joyful ad- 


* Two pretty kinds of myrtle, Myrtus Brasiliensis, Lam. and 
M. pedunculata, L. 

+ Tinamus noctivagus, Perdix guyanensis. 

{ We noticed in several palms, that the bunch of flowers, 
when arrived at perfection, suddenly bursts its covering, and. 
fills the surrounding air with perfume. This is most frequently 
observed in the Macaraiba palm (Acrocomia sclerocarpa, nob.). 


VOL. I. M 


162 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


miration to the stars, which, glowing in solemn 
silence in the firmament above the continent and 
ocean, fill the soul with a presentiment of still sub- 
limer wonders. In the enjoyment of the peaceful 
and magic influence of such nights, the newly ar- _ 
rived European remembers with tender longings . 
his native home, till the luxuriant scenery of the 
tropics has become to him a second country. 
These fine nights may be enjoyed at Rio de 
Janeiro without any fear of those disorders, which, 
in many tropical countries, for instance, in Guinea, 
are almost inevitable consequences of the effects of 
the evening dew, or of the land breeze that then 
sets in; yet even here it is advisable not to pass 
in the open air those moments when, after sunset, 
the atmosphere is suddenly cooled, and the first 
dew falls. In general, the earlier hours of the 
morning seem to be less injurious to the health 
than the evening, because with the return of the 
sun, the suppressed perspiration is restored. Rio 
de Janeiro, it is true, has the reputation, though it 
should seem without reason, of being one of the 
more unhealthy cities of Brazil. The climate is 
hot and moist, which chiefly depends on the situa- 
tion, as high and thickly wooded mountains, the 
narrow entrance of the bay, and the numerous 
islands, impede the free passage of the winds : but 
there are none of those very rapid changes of tem- 
perature which are so injurious to the health. 
Moist cold winds, which produce slight rheuma- 
14 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 1638 


tisms are, however, not uncommon. Though the 
marshy flats on the sea-side diffuse, during the time 
of the ebb, an intolerable stench, fortunately for 
the inhabitants of the vicinity, they do not remain 
uncovered by the water long enough to produce 
endemic fevers by their putrid exhalations. The 
food of the lower classes is not of a nature to en- 
gender diseases. Mandiocca and maize flour, and 
black beans, which are usually boiled with bacon 
and salt beef dried in the sun, are the chief ar- 
ticles of their diet ; which, though coarse, and not 
easy of digestion, is however wholesome, when 
combined with exercise and the drinking of Por- 
tuguese wine, and brandy distilled from the sugar- 
cane. Fish is not so much eaten as on the north- 
ern coasts. In hot countries, where provisions are 
liable to spoil more rapidly, the use of fish as food 
seems always to increase or decrease in the same 
proportion as the indolence, the poverty, and the 
sickly constitution of the people; thus we at least. 
always found, during the whole of our travels, the 
greatest misery where the inhabitants were confined 
to fish for their food. ‘The middle classes of the 
citizens of Rio, who have not entirely adopted the 
manners of Portugal, take, in proportion, little 
animal food, contenting themselves with the ad- 
mirable fruits, and the cheese imported from Mi- 
nas, which, with banians, is met with on every 
table. ‘The Brazilian eats even wheaten bread but 
sparingly, preferring his farinha to it. ‘The flour 
M 2 


164 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL: 


imported from North America, or from Europe, 
will keep five or six months. Even the numerous 
and delicate vegetables of Europe, all which might 
easily be raised here, constitute no important part 
of the food of the people. On the other hand, 
they are very fond of oranges, water-melons, and 
Spanish potatoes. Besides the simplicity of the — 
Brazilian cookery, the health of the inhabitants of 
so hot a country is especially promoted by their 
praiseworthy temperance at their meals. The Bra- 
zilian eats but moderately of his few dishes, drinks 
chiefly water, and takes everything with the 
greatest regularity, following that strict order 
which is observable in all the phenomena of nature 
between the tropics. In the evening, he very 
prudently takes scarcely anything, at the most he 
drinks a cup of tea, or if he has not that, coffee, 
and avoids, especially at night, eating cool fruits. 
Only such a regimen, and conforming with the 
nature of the climate, preserves him from many 
diseases to which the stranger exposes himself, 
through inattention or ignorance. Above all things, 
therefore, the stranger should be advised to observe 
the same regimen as the Brazilians; neither to ex- 
pose himself to the fatal effects of the sun’s rays, 
by walking in the open air during the hottest parts 
of the day, when all the streets are deserted, nor 
to the dangerous consequences of taking cold in 
the night dews, and above all, not to indulge in 
sexual pleasures. Precaution is necessary also in 


nd 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 165 


drinking water to appease the almost insatiable 
thirst: we were advised to drink the water mixed 
with wine or brandy, but though we used this be- 
verage with advantage, when we took little exer- 
cise, and kept in the shade, yet the violent tend- 
ency of the blood towards the head, during the 
journey, when we were very much exposed to the 
sun, particularly in the first year, soon obliged us 
to renounce all spirituous liquors; we therefore 
refreshed ourselves with the cool water of the 
stream without any addition, from which we never 
experienced any disagreeable effects, if we imme- 
diately again exposed ourselves to the heat. These 
remarks on regimen we cannot sufficiently recom. 
mend to the attention of travellers. 

The diseases most frequent here, are chronical 
diarrhceas, dropsy, intermitting fevers, syphilis, 
and hydrocele; of all these, perhaps only the last 
can be considered as endemic and peculiar to the 
city. The physicians ascribe this disorder chiefly 
to the drinking of the water; but this, which is a 
fine spring water, rendered, it is true, warm and 
less agreeable by passing through so long a chan- 
nel, or by the effect of the sun’s heat while it is 
exposed to sale, can with the less reason be con- 
sidered as the cause, as among the higher classes, 
where the disease is the most frequent, it is almost 
always improved by the addition of spirits. It 
rather should seem that imprudent and too thin 
clothing, getting violently over-heated and then 

M 3 


66 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


‘aking cold, and excessive indulgence in carnal 
pleasures, tend not only to relax the muscles, an 
effect which the heat of the climate produces, 
independently of other causes, but likewise bring 
on a weakness of the nerves, and in consequence 
of that, the hydrocele. It is therefore chiefly 
remarked in the whites, the newly arrived Euro- 
peans and North Americans, in whom the above- 
mentioned unfavourable influences produce, if not 
a total debility, yet a false direction of the action 
of the lymphatic system, and a weakness of the | 
sexual organs. The physicians of this country 
prescribe as preservatives and remedies, local 
washings with rum and cold water, and the use of 
the truss. A disease which is very common in 
hot climates, called the Sarna, very frequently 
occurs here also. ‘This malady consists in an 
inflammation of the glands, which ends in suppu- 
ration, with a local swelling resembling St. An- 
thony’s fire ; its symptoms are chiefly heat, tension, 
and intolerable itching. In persons of an irritable 
temperament, it not unfrequently produces sym- 
pathetic swellings of the inguinal and other glands. 
The chief causes are not, as is often erroneously 
supposed, uncleanliness and woollen clothing, but 
overheating, checking of the perspiration, irregu- 
larity in the gastric system, and obstruction of the 
secretory vessels, which are acted upon by the 
influence of the climate. The sting of myriads of 
tormenting mosquitoes, which is still more intoler- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 167 


able in gloomy damp days after great heat, con- 
tributes also to the development or increase of this 
disease. The cases are more rare in Rio de Ja: 
neiro, where the Sarna, after having long existed in 
a chronical state, changes to a generally diffused 
eruption, resembling the first stages of the leprosy, 
in which cases it is generally combined with 
syphilitic dyscrasy. The remedies employed 
against it are, internally, lemonade and slight 
doses of calomel, and externally, washing with 
very weak warm rum and water, bathing, and 
purgations. Chronical diarrhceas, passing into 
colliquation, dysentery and lientery, and also 
dropsy, are common at Rio de Janeiro. The 
diarrhoeas, which are generally caused by taking 
cold, are often cured in the first stage by drinking 
warm vinegar lemonade. Diabetes is likewise 
observed here, but not so frequently as in cold 
countries ; it is said to have been remarked that 
the negroes are far less subject to this disease than 
the whites and mulattoes, but the negroes suffer 
much more from the elephantiasis. 

Rio de Janeiro has no endemic intermitting 
fevers; but the diseases readily assume a certain 
periodical character, or fever soon follows on the 
least disorder, in consequence of the activity of all 
the organic functions, and is rapidly succeeded by 
an entire dissolution of the juices. How much 
the augmentation of all external stimulants, par- 
ticularly warmth and light, contributes in_ this 

M 4 


168 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


climate to the acceleration of the animal functions, 
and to consequent exhaustion, we clearly found 
by our own experience, especially at the beginning 
of our residence, when the body was not yet 
weakened by fatigue and sickness. Even when in 
a state of the greatest repose, and without the in- 
fluence of other stimulants, our pulse was quicker 
than in Europe: unfortunately this effect was 
changed into the opposite, when we began to grow 
sickly from the fatigues of our journey. This 
greater activity of the functions is manifested in 
health, as well as in sickness, by the quicker ap- 
pearance of the symptoms and the more rapid 
progress of the disorder. It is nothing uncommon 
here, in Rio de Janeiro, and in the tropical coun- 
tries in general, to see an individual who but a few 
days before was in full health, after suffermg a 
short time from diarrhoea, cholic, fever, &c., at the 
point of death, and in the last stage of a putrid 
fever. Nothing but the speedy application of the 
most certain and powerful remedies can then save 
him; and in this respect, it may be said that the 
physicians here, more than in colder climates, must 
be not only mznistri but magistri nature. 

The croup manifests itself in this country with 
the same violence in its progress as in Europe. It 
has been particularly observed in white children. 
If it be true that this disease is of modern origin, 
and concurs to characterise the peculiar periods of 
the development of the human race, it is doubly 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 169 


remarkable that it is only a few years ago that it 
was first known, or at least first distinguished from 
other similar disorders in this new world, which is 
now frequented by many whites. Instances are 
mentioned in which a cure has been effected by 
a prompt application of dulcified mercury. Re- 
peated experience in our own persons has con- 
vinced us, how suitable this medicine is to the 
climate of the tropics in general, and we therefore 
advise the traveller to make use of it on all oc- 
casions, where it is desired to produce a specific 
effect on the lymphatic system, the action of which 
is here checked by so many injurious influences ; 
nay, on many occasions it serves as a very welcome 
prophylactic, as it checks slight disposition to 
disease. An excellent succedaneum for it, espe- 
cially in diseases of the liver so frequent here, is 
sea-bathing, which acts equally on the nervous, 
muscular, and lymphatic systems. Rheumatism 
and catarrh are likewise of frequent occurrence 
here, where the changes of the temperature are 
greater than in the more northern provinces of 
Brazil. 

The syphilis, which is so prevalent throughout 
the torrid zone, is not unusual at Rio de Janeiro. 
The ravages of this disease, which, as we afterwards 
convinced ourselves, is foreign to the original in- 
habitants of America, are not so dreadful and 
extensive here as they have been in colder climates, 
for instance, in the islands in the South Sea, but the 


170 TRAVELS“ IN BRAZIL. 


disorder is much more generally diffused among the 
whole population. The climate, the temperament 
of the colonists, and above all, the introduction of 
the negro race as slaves, have co-operated, in a 
frightful manner, to make the disorder general, not 
only on the coast, but in the remotest parts of the 
interior provinces of the continent. Ifthe intensity 
of the venom has been lessened by being trans- 
ferred to a hotter climate, the facility with which 
it is communicated seems to have greatly increased ; 
on the other hand, the susceptibility is here much 
greater than in colder countries, partly on account 
of the more rapid action of the system, and partly 
of the debility produced by excesses, and increased 
by the body’s being frequently overheated. The 
small-pox, too, which for these ten years past has 
appeared hardly otherwise than sporadically, does 
not very injuriously affect the constitutions of the 
inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro, because the hot 
climate and the relaxation of the frame favour the 
development of the disease. It cannot however be 
overlooked, that people of the Caucasian race go 
through this disease much more easily than the 
negroes, and still more than the Americans. It 
almost seems as if the poison of the small-pox, 
during the long course of its ravages, had become 
more assimilated to the constitution of the Euro- 
peans, than to that of the other races of mankind, 
whose organism is not yet equally accustomed to 
this far-spreading and powerful contagion. The 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. ie | 


Indians, who are very susceptible of imbibing the 
poison, bring the disease to maturity with the 
greatest difficulty, and frequently fall victims to it ; 
which is attributed to the thickness and hardness 
of their skin. The physician, who compares many 
diseases in Brazil, such as the small-pox, syphilis, 
&c. with those in other parts of the world, is led 
hereby to remark, that as each individual is sub- 
ject, at every stage of life, to particular climacteri- 
cal diseases, so whole nations, and ages, more easily 
receive and develop certain diseases, according to 
the respective state of education and civilisation. 
From this account it may be inferred, that at 
Rio de Janeiro there are indeed dangerous diseases, 
but none that can be properly called endemic. 
Perhaps even the hydrocele is only conditionally to 
be considered as such. It may be easily supposed 
that where so many strangers, from many different 
climates resort, the mortality must be greater in 
the city than in the country ; but this is not a proof 
of any malignant character of disease. We endea- 
voured, but without success, to procure lists of the 
deaths and burials, which would have given us 
some information respecting the degree of mortality 
usual there. In general, much remains to be 
effected by the future efforts of the government, 
for the improvement of public regulations, and 
laws on this subject ; as well as for the cleaning of 
the streets, which at present is left to the care of 
the carrion vultures, which are protected on that 


172 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


account ; and for the superintendence of the police 
over the sale of medicines, the practice of physic, 
&c.; all of which will require the serious attention of 
superior authority. ‘The two chief measures which 
have hitherto been adopted for the preservation 
of the public health, are the rigorous examination 
of the certificates of health of ships arriving from 
foreign countries, and the introduction of vaccin- 
ation under the direction of a physician. With 
respect to the latter point, children and adults are 
vaccinated on certain days in the year, in a public 
building ; but the due examination of the state 
of the patient as suited to the operation, and of the 
progress and consequences of the disorder, in the pa- 
tient, is hitherto very imperfect, or wholly wanting. 
For all such matters, it is much more necessary in 
an infant, thinly peopled state, to employ the in- 
fluence of the clergy, than it is in Europe; until 
vaccination therefore is strictly enforced by mea- 
sures of police, in the same manner as baptism is 
by the authority of the church, the country will 
remain exposed to the sudden and almost resistless 
ravages of the small-pox, and consequent depopu- 
lation. 

Rio de Janeiro possesses at present, now that the 
hospital dos Lazaros has been removed to a neigh- 
bouring island, two large establishments for the 
sick, the Hospital of Mercy (Hospital da Miseri- 
cordia) and the Royal Military Hospital ; both situ- 
ated in the old city, and not far from the sea. The 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 173 


first was founded by the charitable subscriptions of 
the citizens, and is under the direction of a council 
of administration chosen from their body. This 
building, consisting of two stories, receives, in four 
principal wards, about two hundred patients, but is 
capable of accommodating a greater number. ‘The 
patients are separated into classes, according to 
their several diseases, and the women areall together 
in one large ward, to which strangers have no ac- 
cess. Among the patients are a few lunatics; 
but their number is extremely small in this coun- 
try, where the cultivation of the intellectual facul- 
ties has not yet made any considerable progress. 
An establishment for poor children is also united 
with this hospital. 

The Royal Military Hospital occupies the build- 
ings of the ancient Jesuits’ college, situated on an 
eminence. It is calculated for the reception of 
some hundred male patients, and is conducted with 
more order, and more attention to cleanliness, than 
the city hospital. The roofing of the building, with 
light shingles, is peculiarly adapted to so hot a 
climate, a free draught of air being promoted by 
this arrangement, as much as by the use of ven- 
tilators. In both these hospitals, the greater part 
of the medicines are made up according to certain 

customary recipes expressly introduced for them. 
_ Besides these recipes, use is also made of the 
Pharmacopeeia of Lisbon, and partly also of those 


174: TRAVELS rif BRAZIL. 


i} 

of London and Edinburgh. The custom of noting 
the commencement and the course of the disease, 
the diagnosis, the medicines administered, and the 
diet, on the table before each bed, is not very 
strictly observed. Each of these establishments 
has its own chapel and laboratory. The English 
have also erected a marine hospital for their sea- 
men, ona tongue of land on the east side of the 
bay opposite the city, where they have the maga- 
zines for their naval stores. ‘This hospital is at- 
tended by an English physician, under the au- 
thority of the British consulate, and German sailors 
are likewise admitted into it. 

Near the sea lies the public promenade ; it is a 
small garden surrounded with walls, and protected 
against the sea by a perpendicular quay of hewn 
stone. Its shady avenfles of mango, jaca, or the 
East India bread-fruit tree, the yto, and the rose 
apple tree *, between which the beautiful bushes 
of the poincianat are planted, are unquestionably 
very inviting in the evening, when the heat is al- 
layed by the sea-breezes. Formerly, there was in 
this garden a breed of cochineal insects on Indian 
fig-trees, which were planted for that purpose along 
the sea-shore ; but at present, the cultivation of 
this article, which might be brought to be a very 


* Mangifera indica, Artocarpus integrifolia, Guarea. trichili- 
oides, and Eugenia Jambos, L. 
+ Czsalpina pulcherrima, L. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 175 


valuable branch of commerce, is entirely neglected 
throughout Brazil. * 

In the vicinity of this promenade, the provision- 
markets afford an interesting sight to the newly 
arrived European. ‘The new fish-market, situated 
close to the sea-side, is particularly abundant in all 
kinds of fish, crabs, and sea tortoises of the most 
singular forms. On the opposite side of this mar- 
ket, his attention is attracted by the screams of the 
parrots exposed for sale, the cries of other animals 
peculiar to the country, and of birds brought from 
other parts of the world, adorned with the gayest 
plumage. In the green-market, besides the kinds 
of cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, leeks, and onions 
common in Europe, there are also vegetables of 
Indian and African origin. or the pigeon peat, 
and several kinds of water-melons, the ginger root, 
&c., Brazil is indebted to the intercourse of the 
Portuguese with the East Indies, as well as for the 
excellent fruits of the jaca, the mango, and the 
jambos. ‘The various kinds of red, black, and 
speckled beans{, on the contrary, and the almond- 


* See on this subject, Memoria sobre a Cochenilla do Bra- 
sil, por J. de Amorim Castro, in Memorias Economicas da R. 
Academia da Lisboa, vol.ii. p. 135. 

+ Cytisus Cajan, L. or Cajanus flavus, Dec. called in Brazil 
Andu. 

{ Phaseolus derasus (Schrank Hort. Mon. t. 89.), and Do- 
lichos Sinensis (Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, t.2232.), which 
plant, with small red round beans, is cultivated also by the 
Caffres and Hottentots, are the two commonest species. 


176 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


like mundubi bean (Arachis hypog@a), seem to 
have been chiefly imported from the African co- 
lonies.* Divers kinds of Spanish potatoes, and 
yam t, the mandiocca and Aypim rootst, a mild 
and not poisonous variety of the first, and lastly, 
maize, maize flour, and mandiocca flour, as being 
the principal articles of food from the vegetable 
kingdom, are always to be found here in very large 
quantities. Fresh grass (caapim), which is grown 
in gardens in the neighbourhood, is brought to 
market as fodder for the cattle, especially for 
horses and mules. The Guinea grass is considered 
as the best for fodder; many quite different species 
however are known by this name in the several 
provinces of Brazil. § 

A few days after our arrival, we were invited 
by one of our countrymen to attend a religious 
festival which is celebrated by the negroes in ho- 
nour of their patroness Nossa Senhora do Rosario. 
A chapel on a slip of land running into the bay, 
not far from the royal country-seat of S. Cristovao, 
to which we repaired, was filled towards the even- 
ing with a countless multitude of brown and black 
people, and the band of negroes from S. Cris- 
tovao struck up a lively and almost merry strain, 
which was succeeded by a very pathetic sermon. 

* See Note 2. page 200: 

+ Convolvulus Batatas, Dioscorea alata, L. 

$ Jatropha Manihot et var. L. 


§ Panicum jumentorum, Pers. Paspalum stoloniferum, con- 
jugatum, decumbens, virgatum, &c. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 177 


Sky-rockets, crackers, serpents, and the like, were 
let off in front of the church, and near the calm 
surface of the sea, to add to the splendour of the 
solemnity. 

Two very different feelings are excited in the 
observer when he beholds the children of Africa 
placed amidst the more exalted relations of Euro- 
pean civilisation; on the one hand he remarks 
with joy the traces of humanity which gradually 
develop in the negro by his intercourse with the 
whites, while on the other hand he cannot but grieve 
that means so cruel, so contrary to the rights of 
mankind as the slave trade, were required to afford 
to that unhappy race, degraded even in their own 
native country, the first school of moral education. 
These feelings affected us still more deeply when 
we were obliged to go to the slave-market to look 
for, and purchase, a young negro for ourselves. 
The greater part of the negro slaves who are now 
brought to Rio de Janeiro, come from Cabinda 
and Benguela. ‘They are made prisoners in their 
own country by command of their chiefs, and bar- 
tered by them in exchange for European goods. 
Before they are delivered to the slave-merchant, 
the chief has them branded with a certain mark 
in the back or on the forehead. With no other 
covering than a piece of woollen stuff about the 
hips, they are then packed into ships, often in far 
too great numbers for the size of the vessel, and 
carried to their new destination. As soon as such 

VOL. I. N 


178 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


slaves arrive at Rio de Janeiro, they are quartered 
in houses hired for the purpose in Vallongo-street, 
near the sea. There may be seen children from 
six years of age upwards, and adults of both sexes, 
of allages. They lie about half-naked, exposed to 
the sun in the court-yard, or out of the houses; or 
are distributed in several rooms, the two sexes 
being kept separate. A mulatto or old negro who 
has acquired experience in long service, has the 
superintendence of the food and other necessaries 
for the new comers. The chief article of subsist- 
ence is mandiocca, or maize flour (Fuba), boiled 
in water (mingau); and, more rarely, salt meat from 
Rio Grande do Sul. The preparation of this sim- 
ple food, which they eat out of hollow gourds, or 
dishes made of the calabash (Crescentia Cyete, L.), 
is left, as much as possible to themselves. Negroes 
and negresses who conduct themselves well, are 
rewarded with snuff or tobacco. They pass the 
night on straw mats with blankets to cover them. 
A great number of these slaves belong to the 
sovereign, and are brought as tribute from the 
African colonies. Whoever wants to buy slaves 
repairs to the Vallongo to make his choice, where 
every inspector draws up the slaves quite naked, 
for his examination. The purchaser endeavours 
to convince himself of the bodily strength and 
health of the negroes, partly by feeling their bodies, 
and partly by causing them to execute rapid mo- 
tions, particularly striking out the arm with the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 179 


fist doubled. What is most apprehended in these 
purchases, are hidden corporal detects, and especial- 
ly the very frequent disposition to blindness. When 
the choice is made, the purchase money is fixed, 
which for a healthy male negro is here from 
350 to 500 florins: the seller generally making 
himself answerable for any corporal defects that 
may be discovered within a fortnight. The pur- 
chaser then takes away his slave, whom he destines 
according as he wants him, to be a mechanic, a 
mule-driver, or a servant. The new proprietor is 
now absolute master of the labour of his slave and 
the produce of it. But if he is guilty of inhuman 
treatment of him, he is liable, as for other civil 
offences, to be punished by the police or the tri- 
bunals. ‘The latter take care, by means expressly 
adopted for the purpose, to restore runaway slaves 
to their right owners, and punish the fugitives if 
they renew the attempt, by putting an iron ring 
round their necks. Ifthe master will not punish 
his slaves himself, it is done after payment of a 
certain sum, by the police in the Calabonco. Here 
however, as well as in Brazil in general, the negroes 
easily become habituated to the country. This is 
a consequence of their careless tempers, as well as 
of the similarity of the climate to that of their na- 
tive country, and the mildness with which they are 
treated in Brazil. 

Before the removal of the court from Lisbon to 
Rio de Janeiro, the trade of this and all the other 

N 2 


180 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


cities of Brazil was strictly confined to Portugal. 
The daily increasing production of valuable colo- 
nial articles, and the diligent working of the gold- 
mines in the interior of the country, had greatly 
augmented, during the last hundred years, the 
riches and consequently the wants of the Brazilians; 
the trade of Lisbon and Oporto therefore indem- 
nified the mother country for the loss of the Kast 
Indies, from which it derived the first sources of 
its power and greatness. ‘The intimate political 
and mercantile union of those two cities with the 
colony, was extremely favourable to the former, 
and the more so, because its happy situation near 
to the Mediterranean and the coasts of the ocean, 
on the route of universal commerce between Kurope 
and the East and West Indies, made it more easy 
to dispose of colonial produce. ‘The Portuguese 
merchants at that time, not only fixed at pleasure 
the prices of all the productions of Brazil, which 
was obliged to sell exclusively to them, but could 
likewise make their payments in European mer- 
chandise, and upon conditions prescribed by them- 
selves. Thus Lisbon, at the close of the last cen- 
tury, had attained a degree of activity and wealth, 
which made it next to London, the first commercial 
city in the world. But after a royal decree* had 
founded the independence of the Brazilian com- 


* The Carta Regia, by which free trade in the Brazilian 
ports was laid open to foreigners, is of the 18th of February, 
1808. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 181 


merce, this state of things very speedily changed. 
The freedom of the Brazilian commerce, which 
the monopoly and jealousy of the mother country 
had hitherto checked, and the opening of the 
ports to all nations is the commencement of a 
new era in the history of Brazil. It may be 
asserted, that of all the measures which the go- 
vernment has adopted since its removal to the 
colony, none has occasioned such a remarkable 
impulse and so great a change as this. But it 
has undoubtedly been more advantageous to 
Brazil than to Portugal. The latter, after the 
dissolution of the intimate union between it and 
its former colony, will never regain its preceding 
commercial splendour. 

This emancipation gave occasion to manifold 
improvements in Brazil; the competition of the 
other commercial nations with the Portuguese, led 
to new relations. The freedom of trade gave an 
impulse to industry, and the produce of the coun- 
try, being in demand from various quarters, grew 
more valuable. ‘This again increased the want of 
labourers, the influx of strangers, and the import- 
ation of the negroes necessary for the cultivation 
of the land. ‘Tempted by the views of an advan- 
tageous commerce, colonists from other countries 
arrived, and contributed to the instruction of the 
inhabitants, to a more accurate knowledge of the 
country, and to the increase of its riches. A very 
great alteration was hereby effected in the public 

N3 


182 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


revenue, especially since many duties of forty-eight 
per cent. have been reduced to twenty-four, and 
fifteen. The mercantile system- previously sub- 
sisting between Portugal and Brazil, was particu- 
larly shaken by the treaty concluded with England*, 
which gave to the English flag equal, nay even 
greater privileges in the ports of Portugal and its 
possessions, than the Portuguese. An additional 
convention extended the freedom of the British 
commerce. t English merchants obtained in the 
Juiz Conservador a distinct tribunal for their com- 
mercial connections with the Portuguese subjects. 
It was likewise intended, on occasion of the mar- 
riage of Her Imperial Highness the Archduchess 
Leopoldina, to establish a commercial intercourse 
with Austria, in which the two states were reci- 
procally to favour each other; this plan was, how- 
ever, never brought to maturity. Perhaps too, it 
might be difficult for the Austrian articles, some 
few excepted, to equal in cheapness the English, 
with which they would have to contend, and the 
more so as all articles, except the Portuguese and 
English, pay a duty of twenty-five per cent. 

The importation of European productions and 
manufactures into Rio de Janeiro, extends to all 
imaginable human wants. Portugal and the islands 
send wine, oil, flour, biscuit, salt, butter, vinegar, 
stockfish, hams, sausages, olives, and preserved or 


* In February 1810, at Rio de Janeiro, by Lord Strangford, 
on the part of England. 
+ See Note 3. page 200. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 183 


dried fruits, distilled liquors, leather, medicines, 
coarse calicoes, hats, coarse woollens, iron ware, 
Bohemian glass wares, German and Dutch linens, 
paper (chiefly Italian), Portuguese books, musical 
instruments, gunpowder, pottery from Oporto, am- 
munition, cordage, canvass, sail-cloth, tar, pitch 
and other articles for the marine, steel, shoes, cop- 
per wares, &c., &c., &c. In former times, East 
India goods were brought here in large quantities 
from Lisbon, but at present they are imported 
direct from India. England (particularly London 
and Liverpool) and its colonies supply Rio de 
Janeiro with all articles of English manufacture, 
especially cotton goods of all kinds, fine cloths, 
porcelain and earthenware, iron, lead, copper, tin, 
raw and wrought, anchors, cables, gunpowder, 
porter, cheese, salt butter, distilled liquors, &c. 
From Gibraltar they receive many East India 
goods, and, in Portuguese ships, also Spanish wines. 
France imports, particularly from Havre de Grace 
and Brest, in these latter times, articles of luxury, 
trinkets, furniture, wax candle, drugs, liqueurs, 
pictures and prints, French books, silks, looking- 
glasses, hats, fine glass goods and china, dried 
fruits, oil, and butter. Holland sends to Rio de 
Janeiro beer, glass goods, linen, Geneva, which is 
very much used in all the tropical countries on 
account of its diuretic qualities, paper, &c. Austria 
has sent many things to Rio de Janeiro on specu- 
lation, namely, watches, pianofortes, muskets, li- 
N 4 


184: TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


nen, silk and half silk stuffs, velveteen, flannel, 
mortars, iron hoops, fishing hooks, penknives, cur- 
rycombs, quicksilver, sublimate, cinnabar, vitriol, 
sal ammoniac, brass, lead, copper, tin, antimony, 
iron wire, arsenic, white and yellow wax, minium, 
nails, isinglass, orpiment. The other parts of 
Germany, which formerly carried on a very exten- 
sive trade in Bohemian glass and linen, with Spain 
and Portugal, have now tried the experiment of 
sending consignments of these goods direct to 
Brazil, but have especially carried on a very good 
trade in Nuremberg toys, and in iron and brass | 
utensils, which are made in the shapes usual in 
that country. Russia and Sweden import iron, 
steel, copper utensils, sail-cloth, cords, ropes, and 
tar. North America sends to Rio de Janeiro chiefly 
corn, soap, spermaceti candles, biscuit, train oil, 
tar, leather, boards, pitch, potashes, and rude fur- 
niture. The trade with the coast of Africa fur- 
nishes but few articles, which are all but secondary 
to the slave trade. The number of slaves is very 
considerable ; in the year 1817, 20,075 negroes are 
said to have been imported into Rio under the 
Portuguese flag, from the ports of Guinea and 
Mozambique. ‘The articles imported from Mo- 
zambique, besides’ slaves, are gold dust, ivory, 
pepper, Colombo root, ebony, coculus indicus, 
sometimes also East India goods. From Angola 
and Benguela, they receive wax, palm oil extracted 
from the fruit of the Dente palm (Hieis guineen- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. - 185 


sis, L..), Mundubi oil from the seeds of the Arachis 
hypogea, L., ivory, sulphur, and some gum Arabic. 
These two latter articles, and salt, are the chief 
imports from the Cape de Verd Isles. ‘The imme- 
diate trade of Rio with the East Indies, has become 
considerable since the arrival of the king, as several 
of the first mercantile houses at Lisbon settled 
here, and endeavoured to give more activity to 
their intercourse with India and China, to which 
they were so much nearer, which, on the other 
hand, caused a great deduction from the trade of 
Lisbon. ‘These ships commonly touch at several 
English ports in India, and also at Macao, and 
perform their voyage in eight, ten or twelve months. 
Goa, and the other Portuguese possessions in the 
East, the importance of which has been greatly di- 
minished by the influence of their powerful neigh- 
bours, are seldom visited on these occasions. ‘The 
chief imports from those possessions are many kinds 
of cotton goods, which are re-exported to Portugal, 
and to different ports of South America. The 
imports from Macao are fine muslins and _ printed 
cottons, silk stuffs, porcelain, tea, Indian ink, cin- 
namon, pepper, and some camphor. Rio is the 
general staple for all the numerous small ports on 
the Brazilian coast, northwards to Bahia, and 
southwards to Monte Video, which send thither 
their produce for exportation to Europe, or home 
consumption. The quantity of provisions in par- 
ticular, annually imported from all these places 


186 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


is considerable; they consist of farinha, beans, 
bacon, and dried or salt meat. The produce of 
their cattle, such as hides, ox horns, horn tips, 
dried and salt meat, tallow, and bacon, and rice 
and wheat flour, come by sea chiefly from the 
provinces of Rio Grande do Sul *, and S. Paulo. 
The latter furnishes also cheese, tanners’ bark of 
the mangrove tree, some gum, cotton, sugar, and 
rum. The capitania of S. Catherine sends sole- 
leather, onions and garlic which thrive there ad- 
mirably, dried fish, and pottery.. ‘The small har- 
bours to the north of Rio, such as S. Jodo do 
Parahyba, 8S. Salvador, Macahé, Porto Seguro, 
Caravellas, Victoria, &c., supply the market of 
Rio with a considerable quantity of vegetables for 
the table, fish, and the productions of their fine 
forests, such as beams, planks, pipe-staves, hoops, 
charcoal, fuel, Brazil wood, tanners’ bark, cocoa- 


* The total exportation of wheat from Rio Grande de San 
Pedro amounted, in the year 1816, to 279,621 alqueires (70lb.); 
in the year 1817, to 133,359; in 1818, to 76,395. ‘The ex- 
portation of hides from the same place was, in the year 1816, 
368,909; in 1817, 238,979 ; in 1818, 290,950. For these, and 
other statements, we are indebted to the kindness of our friend, 
Mr. F.Schimmelbusch of Solingen, who, during many years’ 
residence in Brazil, has acquired very extensive knowledge of 
its commercial relations. From Chili, which, according to 
Bland, exports much corn, none has yet come to Rio de Ja- 
neiro- In fact, the intercourse between these two places is 
still very inconsiderable. During the time of our stay, a Swiss 
made the first speculation, by a consignment composed chiefly 
of German manufactures, to Valparaiso. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 187 


nuts, also tobacco, sugar, rum, and rice. Cabo 
Frio sends tubs and casks made of the trunks of 
large fig-trees (gamelleiras), and, as well as the 
neighbouring island Ilha Grande, also lime of cal- 
cined shells or rocks. Ilha Grande, having excel- 
lent materials, furnishes extremely good pottery. 
The trade with Pernambuco and Bahia is not 
inconsiderable. From Bahia, Rio receives tobacco, 
slaves, millstones, tucum (thread made of the fibres 
of the palm), cocoa-nuts, articles from Guinea and 
Europe; from Pernambuco, salt, saltpetre, and also 
European articles. Buenos Ayres and Monte 
Video supply the market of Rio de Janeiro with 
hides, leather, ox horns, tallow, dried salt meat, 
and wheat flour. This coasting trade is principally 
carried on in small one or two masted ships, and 
keeps up a constant intercourse between the whole 
Brazilian coast and the capital. From the mouth 
of the La Plata to Rio, the voyage is generally 
completed in twenty-two to thirty days, from 
S. Catherine and Rio Grande do Sul in fifteen to 
six and twenty days, from Porto Seguro in eight 
to fifteen, from Bahia in twelve to twenty, accord- 
ing as the wind blows along the coast from south 
or north, which depends on the position of the sun. 
Maranhdo and Para export their productions direct 
without farther intercourse with Rio de Janeiro. 
The trade by land, too, is very extensive between 
Rio and the neighbouring provinces, especially 
with S. Paulo and Minas, to which there are toler- 


188 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


able roads. From Rio Grande do Sul and S. Paulo 
many thousand oxen, horses, and mules are annually 
driven hither, and many of them are forwarded to 
the neighbouring capitanias. | Minas sends its 
cotton, coffee, and tobacco chiefly to Rio de 
Janeiro; the road to which, though from some parts 
further than to Bahia, is more pleasant and less 
difficult. In the year 1820, the importation of 
these articles was — cotton 70,407 arrobas, coffee 
20,000, and tobacco 54,281 arrobas. Besides these 
raw productions, and precious stones, Minas exports 
cheese, marmalade, brown sugar-loaves (rapadura), 
an enormous quantity of very coarse cottons which 
are used for clothing the slaves and poor shepherds 
in the southern provinces. ‘The inhabitants of the 
remoter provinces of Goyaz and Matogrosso, who 
come to the capital to provide themselves with 
European manufactures, and convey them home 
by the roads through Villa Rica and Caétete, bring 
hardly any thing but gold in bars or dust, precious 
stones, and among them even diamonds, which are 
contraband. It is nothing uncommon to see in- 
habitants of the deserts (Sertoés) of Cujaba and Ma- 
togrosso, who have made a journey of three hun- 
dred miles or more by land, to lead back caravans 
of mules laden with articles for the consumption 
of the interior. The Brazilian is not to be deterred 
by the dangers and fatigues of a journey which often 
separates him eight or ten months from his family, 
from undertaking from time to time the manage- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 189 


ment of his commercial affairs in person; for the 
more retired his native place is, the earlier he has 
accustomed himself to disregard long journeys from 
it. A man who undertakes almost weekly a journey 
of five or six miles* on horseback to attend mass at 
church, or to visit his neighbours, does not fear to 
travel several hundred miles, if it is necessary, to 
exchange the harvest of one or several years for the 
valuable productions of foreign countries. 

The exportation of the articles of commerce, pro- 
duced in the country itself, to the ports of Europe, 
- was the first foundation of the prosperity of Rio de 
Janeiro. ‘The forwarding of goods imported from 
Europe, to the smaller ports, and into the interior, 
is indeed likewise a fertile source from which the 
capital annually derives large sums; but it bears 
no proportion to the mass of colonial produce which 
Rio sends beyond sea. The three most important 
articles of agriculture are sugar, coffee, and cotton. 
The first is particularly cultivated in those districts 
of the capitania, which lie to the south and east of 
the mountain chain (Serra do Mar), and nearer to 
the sea (Beiramar), that is, in the districts of Ilha 
Grande, Cabo Frio and Goytacazes. The two 
districts of Paraiba-Nova, and Canta-Gallo, lying 
beyond the mountain chain, are not so favourable 
to the cultivation of this article, which marks, as it 


* It is stated in a subsequent note, that Portuguese or Bra- 
zilian miles, 18 to a degree, are meant: one of these may there- 
fore be taken as equal to four English miles. Trans. 


190 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


were, the limits of the warmest and moistest parts of 
the country, where it grows luxuriantly. Most of 
the sugar plantations and manufactories (engenhos) 
are situated in the vicinity of the capital itself, and 
about Cabo Frio. It is well known that the cultiva- 
tion of the sugar-cane was introduced into Rio de 
Janeiro, by the governor Mem de Sa, immediately 
after the expulsion of the French, in the year 1568, 
The sugar exported from the harbour of Rio de 
Janeiro, in 1817, amounted to 17,000 chests, or 
about 680,000 arrobas. It is only within these few 
years that coffee has been extensively cultivated in 
the capitania of Rio, and it has been observed that 
it will be equal in quality to that of Martinique and 
Saint Domingo, as soon as the necessary care is 
taken_in gathering it. The coffee of Rio was 
tormerly not liked in Europe, as they generally 
plucked the unripe berries, and in order to separate 
the seed from the external husk, they were suffered - 
to corrupt, which injured the taste, and gave the 
berry a white colour and unsound appearance. 
Within these few years the cultivation of the coffee 
tree, and the gathering of the crop have been im- 
proved; particularly since Dr. Lesesne, an ex- 
perienced planter from Saint Domingo, who was 
driven from that country during the troubles, 
formed a great plantation in the neighbourhood of 
Rio, and instructed the cultivators in the most ad- 
vantageous manner of treating that plant. This 
example, and the increased demand, have caused 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 191 


the cultivation to be considerably extended; and at 
present Rio de Janeiro furnishes, among all the 
ports of Brazil, the greatest quantity of coffee, and 
that which is most in request. During the last 
years the exportation amounted, in the year 1817 
to 9,567,960 pounds, in 1818 to 11,140,350, in 
1819 to 8,087,220 pounds (on account of the 
drought), in 1820 to 14,733,540 pounds. The cotton 
exported from this place to Europe, particularly to 
London and Liverpool, is not merely the produc- 
tion of the neighbourhood ; a very large part ‘of’ it 
is brought to Rio on mules from Minas, chiefly from 
Minas Novas. From six to eight arrobas, put into 
two sacks made of raw hides, are the usual burthen 
of each mule. The cotton tree cultivated at Rio 
(Gossypium barbadense, L. sometimes, but more 
rarely the G. herbaceum, L.) thrives very well, but 
is said not to furnish such durable materials as that 
in the higher and drier district of Minas Novas. 
Tobacco is principally grown in the islands in the 
Bay of Rio, in that of Angra dos Reys, and on the 
lowest coast land (Beiramar), for instance in the 
vicinity of Paraty ; it is also brought here from the 
capitania of Espirito Santo. The dried and salted 
hides which: Rio de Janeiro sends principally to 
England and France, are mostly brought from Rio 
Grande do Sul, S. Paul and Minas. A view of 
these most important articles of exportation during . 
the year 1817 is subjoined.* 


* See Note 4. page 205. 


192 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Besides these staple articles, Rio de Janeiro ex- 
ports to Europe, tallow, otters’ skins, but in very 
small quantities, horse hair and hides, ox horns, 
horn tips, and plates, rum, treacle, whale oil, 
whalebone, ipecacuanha, rice, some cocoa and 
indigo, the demand for which has continued to de- 
cline, fustic-wood of a very good quality, and log- 
wood. Pernambuco wood grows indeed in the 
forests of the province, but the government to which 
it belongs, has not had any felled for many years, 
and there are now no magazines of it in the place. 
It may be assumed that the total value of these 
articles amounts yearly to 1,600,000 milrees or 
2,000,000 piasters, and pays to the treasury 446,400 
milrees, or 558,000 piasters export duty. The 
rule according to which the productions of the 
country generally pay duty, is at the rate of two 
per cent. on the market price, besides some charges 
in the same proportion as we mention below on 
coffee, sugar. &c. To the smaller ports of Brazil, 
Rio exports all kinds of European goods; to Per- 
nambuco and Ceara, sometimes considerable quanti- 
ties of vegetables, when a drought causes them to 
fail there. Of late years slaves have been exported 
from Rio to the northern provinces in great 
numbers. ‘The west and east coast of Africa re- 
ceive English and Portuguese goods from this place. 
Lastly, gold bars and Spanish dollars must also be 
considered as an export article from Rio de Janeiro. 
Both Portuguese and North American Indiamen 
often take from here, instead of goods, large sums 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 193 


in silver, which they carry to India. It is affirmed* 
that in some years the value of the silver exported 
in this manner has amounted to 500,000/. nay even 
800,000/. sterling. 

The great difference in the tale of the imports 
and exports in favour of Rio de Janeiro, which 
from the excess of the latter draws large sums in 
ready money from Europe, indicates at once the 
nature of the commercial relations between Europe 
and this rich though infant state. The precious 
metals which the rapacious eagerness of preceding 
centuries has snatched from the bosom of America, 
are now gradually returning to their native country, 
and either remain there or find their way to India. 
The admirable situation of the secure and spacious 
harbour, on the shores of an ocean where naviga- 
tion is in general safe and practicable at all seasons, 
almost, as it were, at the entrance of the principal 
route of universal commerce; the short time in 
which voyages may be performed from here to 
Europe, the west coast of Africa, the Cape, Mozam- 
bique, India, and New Holland; the abundance of 
inland produce and of precious metals; and the 
great impulse which the presence of the court gives 
to the country, have already so much extended the 
connections of this place, that it must become at 
no very distant period one of the richest ports in 
the world. ‘The activity of trade in the capital of 
Brazil, proves that the variety of productions must 


* John Luccock’s Notes on Rio de Janeiro, Lond. 1820, 
Ato. p. 595. 


VOL. I, O 


194 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


* 


at present be greater than it could be, if those 
accounts were true which represent Brazil as a 
_ country yet wholly uncultivated, without any traces 
of the beneficial influence of European industry. It 
is true, the colonial produce exported from the 
port of Rio de Janeiro is indeed not entirely 
grown in the province, but is partly brought from 
the remote ‘districts of the interior. But a com- 
parison of the exportation of some articles from this 
port, with the same from England, gives us a very 
favourable idea of the productiveness of this coun- 
try. England is said to have shipped in the year 
1817, 401,700 ewt. coffee, and used about 600,000 
cwt. for home consumption. Ifthe latter account be 
correct, Rio de Janeiro alone would have exported 
nearly double the quantity of coffee consumed in 
England. 

Even before the arrival of the king it had be- 
come necessary to establish a bank, on account of 
the great capital in circulation, ‘to represent which 
the, gold. and silver coin was not half sufficient, even 
if-all-the rich men of the province had contributed 
all their ready money. Several of the first mer- 
chants and capitalists had united, who contributed 
a fund in proportion to the notes issued by them 
under their joint guarantee. Under the manage- 
ment of a committee, chosen by the founders, the 
establishment, which was only a private undertak- 
ing, prospered, and extended among the mercantile 
public in general the credit which it at first only 
enjoyed among its authors. It is probable that the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 195 


. 


amount of the bank-notes was increased, without 
any addition to the fund. In the sequel, when the 
institution continued to thrive, they united with the 
bank an insurance company, farming of the regalia 
of the crown, &c. ; and it enjoyed in uninterrupted 
activity, without foreign interference, such great 
confidence, that many public officers placed a part 
of their salary in the bank, and rich land-owners 
in the interior of the country sent their capitals to 
Rio, to deposit them in the bank for their children, 
as the safest part of their property. When the 
king came to Brazil, the change of the political 
relations led to a new epoch for the bank. On 
the 12th of October, 1808, its statutes were sanc- 
tioned by the king, and the institution, under the 
title of Bank of Brazil, extended the sphere of its 
activity. The bank provided for the frequent and 
considerable wants both of the court and the state, 
sometimes on the security of valuable effects de- 
posited in it, and sometimes on that of mortgages 
of the future revenue. It is reported that several 
foreign merchants endeavoured about this time to 
shake the solidity of the bank, by suddenly present- 
ing bank-notes to a large amount; however, pay- 
ment being immediately made, to which the intimate 
union between the royal mint and the bank, might 
perhaps contribute, it still maintained itself in very 
good credit, particularly in the.mother country 
itself, though without any known solid guarantee, 
and without any close connection with any similar 
establishments. ‘The late events in the year 1821, 
o 2 


196 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


when the king, before his departure, took consider- 
able sums out of the bank, for which he deposited 
a part of the crown diamonds, which in the sequel 
were taken back to Europe, and, as it is affirmed, 
extensive embezzlements, appear greatly to have 
shaken the foundations of the establishment. 

The amount of the current coin at Rio cannot 
be precisely determined ; the less so, because im- 
mense sums are sometimes exported, the withdraw- 
ing of which from circulation, is often long and 
generally felt. The ships bound to India and 
China, as we have already observed, take, for the 
most part, ready money, either Spanish piasters, or 
Portuguese gold, which suddenly causes so great 
a scarcity of money, that not only the value of 
gold rises extremely in exchange, but the interest 
on bills runs up to twenty or twenty-two per cent. 
In such conjunctures, several months frequently 
pass before the want of currency ceases to be felt. 
The operations of the mint too, which purchases 
‘Spanish dollars, and recoining them as pieces of 
three pataccas, issues them again 160 rees higher, 
appears sometimes to produce a temporary scarcity 
in Rio. The rate of interest usual among the 
merchants for open accounts, but not for bill trans- 
actions, is twelve per cent. ‘This is in proportion 
to the price of daily labour, which for a hired 
negro is 160 to 240 rees, and for a European la- 
bourer from one to two Spanish dollars. 

Neither the state of trade as we have described 
it, nor the custom-house duties, are disadvantage- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 197 


ous to industry in Brazil; for though a great 
quantity of merchandise and manufactures is im- 
ported which might be produced in the country 
itself, it is rather the want of artisans and mechanics, 
than the competition of foreign commerce, that 
causes articles made in the country to be so dear. 
As the population increases, the activity of the 
interior provinces will be animated, and conse- 
quently the balance of exportation and importation 
will become still more favourable to Brazil. Many 
mechanics, chiefly French, are at present settled at 
Rio, who have been encouraged by the -govern- 
ment. Among the natives the mulattoes are those 
who show the most ingenuity and perseverance in 
the mechanical arts, and they are even said to mani- 
fest great taste for painting. The free negroes, of 
whom there is a great number in the city, do not 
prove such useful members of society as in the 
country, where they not unfrequently become able 
and wealthy farmers. The artisans, on the other 
hand, partly work with their own black slaves, 
who, under the strict. discipline of their masters, 
learn, together with ability and aptness for business, 
also the virtue of social order. ‘Trades and profes- 
sions in general are not subject to the strict super- 
intendence of the magistrate that is exercised in 
Europe. Many trades are carried on without 
being incorporated into guilds, and are exercised 
without restraint by any person who is so disposed, 
and yet the prices of all manufactured articles are 
very high. The liberty enjoyed by the owner of a 
' o 3 


198 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


slave to employ him in any mechanical profession 
that he thinks proper, is opposed to the constraint 
of European corporations. However, all trades 
which have any influence on the public health and 
welfare, are placed under the superintendence of 
the police. Bread and meat are sold by a legal 
assize, but the difference in the stock and the 
supply causes a great diversity in the prices. ‘The 
European stranger is astonished at the number of 
gold and silver smiths and jewellers, who, like the 
other tradesmen, live together in one street, which 
calls to mind the magnificent Ruas de Ouro and de 
Prata of Lisbon. The workmanship of these arti- 
sans is indeed inferior to the European, but is not 
destitute of taste and solidity. Many trades, which 
are very necessary in Europe, are at present almost 
superfluous in the interior of this country, on ac- 
count of the circumscribed wants of the inhabitants. 
In the capital, however, and the other towns on the 
coast, joiners, white-smiths, and other artisans, are 
numerous ; but tanners, soap-boilers, and workers 
in steel, are scarce. There is a great demand for 
mechanics, to build sugar and other mills, to con- 
struct machines for working the gold mines, &c., 
and very high wages are given them. Hitherto no 
glass, china, cloth, or hat manufactories have been 
established in the capital ; and the erection of them 
would hardly be advisable, in a country: which can 
obtain the productions of European industry on 
such low terms, in exchange for the produce of its 
rich soil. 


TRAVELS. IN BRAZIL. 199 


NOTES TO CHAPTER I. 


Nore 1. 


Tue Portaria, which was extended in the sequel to the 
other capitanias, through which we travelled, was con- 
ceived in the following terms: Manda El Rey Nosso Sen- 
hor a todas as Authoridades Militares ou Civis a quem esta 
for apresentada, e o seu conhecimento pertencer, que se nao 
ponha embaraco algum 4 livre jornada de Mrs. Spix e Mar- 
tius, Membros d’Academia Real das Sciencias de Munich, 
aos quaes Sua Magestade tem concedido a permissao ne- 
cessaria para viajar e demorar-se o tempo que lhes for 
- conveniente em qualquer parte dentro dos limites desta 
Capitania do Rio de Janeiro; E determina sua Magestade, 
que se lhes preste nesta sua degrecdo toda a assistencia e 
auxilio de que precizar, logo que o pedir. Palacio do Rio 
de Janeiro em 12 Septembro de 1817. 


(L. S.) Joao Pauto BEZzERRA. 


The king our sovereign commands all military and civil 
authorities, to whom these presents may be shown, or to 
whose knowledge they shall come, that they shall not place 
any obstacle in the way of Messrs. Spix and Martius, 
members of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Munich, 
to whom His Majesty has granted. the necessary license to 
travel within the boundaries of the province of Rio. de 
Janeiro, and to reside wherever and as long as they think 
fit ; His Majesty further commands, that all. support and 
assistance of which they may be.in need be afforded them, 

o 4 


200 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


as soon as they require it. Given at the palace the 12th 
of September 1817. 
(L. S.) Joun Paut Brzerra. 


Note 2. 


Arachis hypogea, L. Besides the importance of this 
plant to the cultivator in hot countries on account of its 
oily seeds, it is particularly interesting to the naturalist, 
because it hides its flowers in the earth as soon as they run 
to seed. There are several other instances in the family of 
leguminous plants of similar appearances, by which the 
seed is in a manner changed into a bulb; for example, in 
the Vicia amphicarpus, Lathyrus amphicarpus, Trifolium 
subterraneum, Glycine subterranea, monoica, and hetorocarpa, 
Hegetsweiler (Diss. Jab. 1812.). In the two last species, 
the size and structure of the seeds above and under ground 
are very different. Something similar is observed also in 
‘the Milium amphicarpum, Pursh. 


Note 3. 


Portuguese and English Commissioners, who met at 
London on the 18th of December 1812, regulated many 
other points which were not defined with sufficient accuracy 
in the first act. English manufactures pay 15 per cent. 
ad valorem on their importation into the Portuguese custom- 
houses. However, in many articles, the Portuguese offi- 
cers are to take, not the current value, but the price fixed 
in the tariff (Pauta), as the standard for determining the 
duty ; so that in consequence of the decline in the prices in 
proportion to the increased supply, the import duty on 
some articles amounts to 25 per cent. of the value. The 
Portuguese themselves paid, before the Royal decree of 
‘the 2d of May 1818, at the rate of 16 per cent. The 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 201 


British trade derives peculiar advantages from the stipula- 
tion then made, and which subsists in the same manner 
between England and Naples, that English goods, the 
value of which, as stated by the importer, appears to be 
too small, cannot be taken by the Portuguese custom- 
houses, unless they return the duty which has been paid, 
and give the owner the stated value of his goods with an 
addition of 10 per cent. 

In order to give our readers a more accurate knowledge 
of the principles followed by the Portuguese government 
in the late regulation of the customs, we will briefly state 
the chief points of the last decree on the subject, issued on 
the 2d of May 1818, which was carried into execution 
during our stay. In the custom-houses of the United 
Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarve, and in all the 
other Portuguese possessions, the existing import and ex- 
port duties shall be paid upon all articles without excep- 
‘tion, even if they belong to the royal family, and all 
-exemptions and privileges of the kind are declared to 
be suspended for twenty years. Foreign wines may be 
imported, but they pay three times as much duty as the 
Portuguese: foreign brandy pays twice and a half as much. 
Every new negro (negro novo) above three years of age, 
who is imported into the harbours of Brazil from Africa, 
pays, besides the already existing duty, amounting to 
-near 6000 rees, an additional 9600 rees, half of which 
is to be deposited in the bank of Rio de Janeiro, to form 
shares, which are intended for the foundation of colonies 
of white settlers. Every arroba of dried salt meat ex- 
ported from the harbours of Brazil in foreign ships, is to 
pay 600 rees, if in Portuguese, 200 rees. Gold and silver 
trinkets, polished diamonds, and other precious stones, pay 
an export duty of 2 per cent. _ 

All Brazilian articles of commerce, which hitherto paid 
no fixed duty, pay henceforward an export duty of 2 per 
cent., as an equivalent for what were called the consulate 


202 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


duties, which, before the trade was free, they had to pay 
in the custom-houses of Portugal; but may then be re- 
exported from Portugal duty free. Brazilian articles of 
commerce which already pay fixed duties, are hereafter to 
pay them without the consulate duties. (These fixed duties 
are differently regulated, according to the tariffs of the 
several ports.) Portuguese manufactures, which enjoy no 
particular exemptions as national manufactures, are entitled, 
on importation into Brazil, to a deduction of 5 per cent. 
by way of bounty. Asiatic productions, which hitherto 
paid 8 per cent. on exportation from Portugal, pay hence- 
forth only 3 per cent. The duty on all Portuguese goods 
is reduced from 16 to 15 per cent. Foreign goods in 
Portuguese vessels receive a deduction of 5 per cent. from 
the duty which is generally 24 per cent. Salt, whether 
imported by Portuguese or foreigners, pays 800 rees per 
moio (20 Brazilian alqueires). Foreign vessels pay in 
all the custom-houses of the united kingdoms, the same 
tonnage, anchorage, and light-house duties, which Portu- 
guese ships pay in the harbours of the respective nations. 
(In Rio the anchorage duty is one piaster per day.) Slaves 
and goods of every kind imported into Brazil must, if they 
are to be re-exported to foreign countries, first pay the 
duty on consumption. - 

The same royal decree (alvara) commands the erection 
of light-houses, and the formation of what are called ca- 
patacias, in the sea-ports. The latter consist of societies 
of porters, mostly free negroes and mulattoes, who are di- 
vided into companies, under the direction and authority of 
the custom-house officers, convey the goods to and from the 
magazines, and are responsible for them as long as they 
remain in their hands. In the larger commercial towns of 
Brazil these corporations are on the same footing as at 
Lisbon, where they are very numerous, and carry burthens 
instead of mules. Their organisation resembles that of the 
Hamburgh porters called Litzelbrider. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 2038 


To the produce of the custom-houses in Brazil, which 
constitute an important part of the revenue, must be added 
the duties upon goods which are exported from one pro- 
vince to another. These direitos da entrada are very con- 
siderable, because they are imposed upon all goods without 
exception, according to the weight, on lead, iron, and 
other metals, as well as on the lightest stuffs, silk goods, 
&c. On entering the province of Minas Geraés, the arroba 
pays 720 rees; salt is the only exception, the duty being 
but 450 rees upon the arroba.* For every negro slave 
imported into Minas, 7800 rees are paid at the frontier 
custom-house (registo); on the river Paraibuna, for each 
head of horned cattle, mule, or horse, 2 pataccas (640 
rees); for every person 1 patacca; for the countersigning 
of the passport 2 pataccas. Similar duties are paid at 
every frontier custom-house of a capitania. 

But the wants of the state are farther provided for by 
imposts and taxes which are collected either immediately 
by the government, or by farmers (contractadores). These 
taxes are partly different in the several provinces, each of 
which has its own financial administration; in general, 
however, with some local modifications, the following are 
levied : — Dizimo ; a tenth of all the produce of agriculture, 
fisheries, and cattle. —Subszdio real or nacional ; duties on 
fresh meat, on raw and tanned hides, on sugar-cane 
brandy, and coarse woollens, which are manufactured in 


* Till within these few years, the importation of salt from Portugal 
and its colonies into Brazil, was let out to a farmer-general for the sum 
of 48,000 milrees per annum; the inhabitants of the coasts of Per- 
nambuco, Cabo Frio, and Rio Grande were, however, allowed to make 
salt in their pits for their own consumption, but not to export it. 
(S. Ensaio economico sobre o commercio de Portugal por D. I. I. da 
Cunha de Azeredo Coutinho edig. seg. Lisb. 1816, p. 20.) The 
monopolies and inland duties are said to have been abolished by the 
Crown Prince Don Pedro, since the departure of the king from the 
Brazils. 


204 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the country. — Subsidio literario (duty for paying the sa- 
laries of schoolmasters); on every ox that is slaughtered, 
on sugar-cane brandy, in some provinces, as in Maranhao, 
also on the sale of salt meat from the interior (there it is 
320 rees on six arrobas). — Jmposto paro o Banco do Brazil. 
(tax for the bank); an impost of 12,800 rees on every mer- 
chant, bookseller, and apothecary, every magazine of gold, 
silver, tin, pewter, and copper articles, tobacco, &c.; only 
the stalls of the barbers and shoemakers, whose trades are 
in some respects considered as the meanest, are exempted 
from it. A swmptuary tax on every four or two wheeled 
carriage (in Maranhao it is 12,000 and 10,000 rees) is also 
destined for the bank. Another tax is levied on sugar- 
mills and distilleries; it varies in the different provinces. 
(In Maranhao they pay 3200 rees for every sugar-mill 
(engenho de moér canna), in Bahia 4000 rees for every 
alembic.)— Decima ; 10 per cent. on the annual revenue of 
houses and other real property in the cities. This tax is, 
however, paid only on the coast and in the more populous 
places of the interior; the inhabitants of the Sertao do not 
pay it. — Séza; a tax of 10 per cent on the sale of houses 
and other real property in the city. — Meza siza; a tax of 
5 per cent. on the.sale of a slave who has already learnt 
his business (neg70 ladino). — Novos Direitos are a tax of 
10 per cent. which persons holding places in the depart- 
ments of the finance and justice pay out of their annual 
salary.— The Sellos (stamp duties), the foros (fees for pa- 
tents), and the Rendimentos da Chancellaria (chancery fees), 
and the revenue of the Correzo (the post-office), are not 
inconsiderable. Besides these imposts, others are levied 
by the magistrates in particular places, which go to the local 
treasury; for instance, a duty of 320 rees for each head of 
cattle which is exported out of the comarca of Paracatia, 
and another in the Villa Cayteté of 80 rees for every cargo 
of cotton which is exported. 


205 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


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206 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL«. 


CHAPTER II. 


EXCURSIONS IN THE ENVIRONS OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 


We withstood the temptations of the beautiful na- 
tural scenery, which displayed itself before our 
windows, in all the splendour of the south, only till 
we had provided for the most urgent wants of our 
domestic arrangements. It was particularly the 
neighbouring mountains, clothed with thick ver- 
dure, that attracted us, and thither we accordingly 
undertook our first excursion. The way led still 
within the suburbs over that marshy level, which 
at new and full moon is covered by the high tide 
of the bay, and receives, besides the mud from the 
sea, all the filth of the city, such as dead animals, 
&c., and is therefore frequented by thousands of 
the carrion vulture, or urubus (Vultur Aura, L.). 
However disagreeable the look, and however un- 
wholesome the exhalations from this plain may be, 
which, instead of high dykes and sluices, is pro- 
vided only with shallow ditches to drain it, yet we 
stopped some time in it, our attention being en- 
gaged by many interesting objects. Wherever the 
sea-water had covered the ground, we found it 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 207 


pierced with innumerable holes, which serve as a 
retreat to the edible land-crab (Cancer Uca, L.). 
On the sandy bank we observed, not only several 
strand plants common to the tropical countries of 
both continents, such as Avicennia tomentosa and 
Rhizophora mangle, L., but also two others, natives 
of higher latitudes, namely, Portulaca pilosa, which 
is found on the coasts of Asia Minor, and Pharna- 
ceum Cerviana, which is found on the Baltic. We 
traversed the principal street which leads through 
the quarter of Mato-porcos to the. royal resi- 
dences, S. Cristovio and Santa Cruz; and _pass- 
ing a handsome country-seat, belonging to the 
bishop, we ascended the first hills of the Corcova- 
do. Scarcely were we beyond the streets and the 
noise of the town, when we stopped, as if enchanted, 
in the midst of a strange and luxuriant vegetation. 
Our eyes were attracted, sometimes by gaily 
coloured birds or splendid butterflies, sometimes 
by the singular forms of the insects and the nests 
of wasps and termites hanging from the trees, 
sometimes by the beautiful plants scattered in the 
narrow valley, and on the gently sloping hills. 
Surrounded by lofty airy cassias, broad-leaved, 
white-stemmed cecropias, thick-crowned myrtles, 
large-flowered bignonias, climbing tufts of the 
mellifluous paullinias, far-spreading tendrils of the 
passion-flower, and of the richly flowering hatched 
coronilla, above which rise the waving summits of 
Macaubu palms, we fancied ourselves transported 


208 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


into the gardens of the Hesperides. Passing over 
several streams which were turned to good account, — 
and_hills covered with young coppice wood, we at 
length reached the terrace of the eminence along 
which the spring water for the city is conducted. 
A delightful prospect over the bay, the verdant 
islands fleating in it, the harbour with its crowd of 
masts and various flags, and the city stretched out. 
at the foot of the most pleasant hills, the houses 
and steeples dazzling in the sun, was spread before 
our eyes. We dwelt long on the magical view of 
a great European city, rising here amidst the pro- 
fusion of tropical vegetation. We then pursued 
the road along the windings the aqueduct. The 
channel is chiefly built of blocks of granite, but 
the vaulted covering, within which the naturalist 
finds many of the most singular phalangia, is of 
brick. Between the woody hills there are diver- 
sified romantic prospects into the valleys below. 
Sometimes you traverse open spots where a stronger 
light is reflected from the flowery ground, or from 
the shining leaves of the neighbouring high trees, 
sometimes you enter a cool shady bower. Here a 
thick wreath of paulliniae, securidace, mikanias, 
passion-flowers, adorned with an incredible num- 
ber of flowers, climb through the crowns of the 
celtis, the flowery rhexias and melastomas, bauhi- 
nias, delicate mimosas, shining myrtles; there, 
bushy nightshades, sebastanias, eupatorias, crotons, 
egiphilas, and innumerable other plants, form an 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 209 


impenetrable thicket, amidst which grow immense 
stems of the silk cotton tree (bombax), of silver- 
leaved cecropia, thorny Brazil wood tree, of the 
lecythis, with its singular fruit resembling a pitcher, 
slender stems of the cabbage-palm, and many other, 
in part still unnamed, sovereigns of the woods. - 
The majestic sight, the repose and silence of these 
woods, interrupted only by the buzz of the gay 
humming-birds fluttering from flower to flower, 
and by the singular notes of unknown birds and 
insects, peculiarly affect the mind of the man of 
sensibility, who feels himself as it were regenerated 
in the prospect of the glorious country. 

The stream, which the aqueduct conveys to the 
city, falls in one place in beautiful cascades over the 
granite rocks. Oblique-leaved begonias, slender 
costus, and heliconias, the red flower-stems of 
which shine with peculiar splendour, contrasted 
with the gloom of the forest, arborescent ferns 
and grasses, hanging bushes of vernonias, myrtles, 
and melastomas, bending under a load of blossoms, 
adorn the cool spots that surround them. Large 
and small winged butterflies play with the rippling 
water ; and birds of the gayest plumage contend, 
morning and evening, to overcome the noise of the 
brook by their diverse notes. This fountain is 
called Caryoca*, and the natives of the province 


* Caryoca, properly Caryb-oca, signifies, in the language of 
the native Brazilians, House of the Whites, House of Stone; 
and was: probably the name given by the Indians to the dwell- 


VOL. I. P 


210 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


have from it the name of Caryocas, which they 
give themselves with pride, but with which the in- 
habitants of the other provinces combine a satirical 
accessory meaning. Ingenious poets of Rio de 
Janeiro, inspired by the beauties that surround 
this spring, have exerted themselves to celebrate 
by their songs the naiad who brings so beneficial a 
present to their native city. When exhausted by 
exertion and fatigue we often refreshed ourselves 
here with the cool water, and, over-shadowed by the 
trees swarming with life, in sight of the distant sea, 
examined our ample booty in birds, insects, and 
plants. We can never forget the feelings which 
were excited in us here; and only the man of a 
tranquil mind, who feels himself happy in the en- 
joyment of the beauties of nature, can appreciate 
the extent of the bliss, which we pilgrims from the 
north experienced amidst such magnificent profu- 
sion. Not far from the source, the valley declines 
from Laranjeiras towards the suburb of Catéte. 
The wanderer is charmed by the gay variety in 
which gardens, new plantations, ancient forests, 
and scattered country-houses alternately engage 
the eye. In the middle of the slope and near the 
road we remarked a solitary hut among the bushes. 


ings of stone which the Portuguese built, as a protection against 
the fiery arrows of the natives. (Ensaio economico sobre o 
commercio de Portugal, por Azeredo Coutinho, edit. 2. Lisb. 
1815, p. 6.) 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 211 


It belongs to Count Hogendorp, who, having been 
much affected by the political changes in the state 
of Europe, passes his days here, far from the world 
and from politics, in intercourse with nature, and 
thinks it not below his dignity to provide for his 
subsistence by preparing charcoal from the trees on 
his estate. We had been previously introduced to 
him, and admired the firmness and strength of 
mind of a man, who, retired from the ever-changing 
tumult of worldly affairs, felt himself happy in a 
confined habitation, and in view of the ocean roll- 
ing from the shores of St. Helena. 

At the cascade of Caryoca the road turns aside 
from the aqueduct, and leads over a dry eminence 
covered with low trees and shrubs, to the forest 
which clothes the ridge of the Corcovado. The 
narrow steep path passes over several streams. The 
vegetation is uncommonly strong and luxuriant ; 
but the higher we ascend, the large trees gradually 
become more rare, and the bamboos and ferns more 
numerous, among which is a beautiful arborescent 
fern fifteen feet in height.* When you have made 
your way through the last thicket you reach the 
green summit of the mountain, where single shrubs, 
‘among which is a magnificent arborescent vel- 
losiat, offer to the eye a vegetation resembling 
that of the higher campos of Minas. From this 


* Polypodium Corcovadense. (Raddi Synopsis silic. Bras. Bo- 
non. 1819. 4to. p.10. No. 76.) 
+ Vellosia candida Mik. (Delect. flor. et faun. Bras. t. 7.) 


P 2 


9j2 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


spot there is a beautiful view extending over the 
woods, hills, valleys, and the city, to the sea, the 
broad surface of which is lost in the distant hori- 
zon. ‘lowards the south the mountain is broken, 
and the prospect loses itself in a steep declivity 
bounded by the blue bay of Bota-Fogo; and still 
farther, the bold masses of the Sugar-loaf Mountain 
close the horizon. At this elevation, of about two 
thousand feet, the difference in the temperature is 
already so sensible, that you fancy yourself trans- 
ported to a colder zone. Several streams flowing 
from the ridge of the mountain are always some 
degrees colder than the water in the aqueduct, and 
at the approach of sunset the summit of the moun- 
tain is enveloped in clouds which gradually sink 
into the valley. 

We ascended the top of this high mountain only 
once; but, on the other hand, were the more fre- 
quent in our visits to the aqueduct, the vicinity of 
which affords the richest collection of plants and 
animals. We were particularly desirous of follow- 
ing farther the stream of Caryoca, as in the torrid 
zone all animals prefer the vicinity of the springs. 
On one of these excursions we came to a solitary 
coffee plantation, which, as we afterwards learnt, 
belonged to the English consul, Mr. Chamberlain, 
who also amuses himself with entomology, and 
has a rich collection of the insects of the neigh- 
bourhood. Just as we arrived there, a beautiful 
crimson snake (Colub, venustissimus, Neuw.) with 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. PAS 


black and small white transverse bands, which is 
erroneously supposed to be venomous, had been 
dug up in the fields. In this moist tract we also 
found a seps (Caryocanus, nob.) ; the insects Cychrus 
Amica, nob. ; Prionus hieroglyphicus, nob. ; Biglo- 
bulus rugosus, nob.; Buprestis quatuornotata, nob.; 
Imatidiumcornutum, nob. ; and several singular slugs. 
From this rural retreat, which lies close on the 
declivity of the mountain, we had another magni- 
ficent prospect of the bay and of its beautiful ver- 
dant islands. The coffee trees were planted on the 
sides of the hills bounding a narrow valley, the 
summits of which were crowned by the Brazilian 
pine (Araucaria imbricata), with its dark grotesque 
branches extended like candelabras. In the sur- 
rounding forests, and, as we were assured, even in 
the neighbourhood of the plantation, there grows a 
kind of bark, which, since several years, has been 
exported under the name of Quina do Rio (Coutarea 
speciosa, A. ?), the efficacy of which in intermitting 
fevers has been proved by experiments made by 
physicians in Portugal.* It is true, that many, 
especially quotidian fevers, pertinaciously resist the 
effects of this bark, which has much fewer anti- 
febrile qualities than the Peruvian ; it is, however, 
preferable to many other sorts which come to Spain 
from Peru mixed with the better kind. Perhaps 


* Journal de Coimbra, No. 35. part i. p. 235, and No. 38, 
part i. p. 92. 
P 3 


214 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


this medicine would be more powerful if the bark 
of young trees were taken in preference, which 
has hitherto not been the case ; the ignorant peo- 
ple employed to gather it having selected very 
thick and woody pieces, which can be pulled off 
without any trouble, to the finer bark of the young 
trees and branches. Another plant, containing a 
great quantity of bitter, is the Cargueja (Baccharis 
genestelloides, Lam.), which does not, indeed, grow 
here, but on the high mountains of Serra de Es- 
trella. It is very often used by the Brazilians 
against intermitting fevers, and seems much to 
resemble, in its component parts, the Eupatorium 
perfoliatum*, which is frequent in North America. 
It, however, differs from the pure bitters by the 
considerable admixture of resinous and aromatic 
parts. 

Another equally interesting excursion that we 
used to make was to Tijuca, a place about a mile 
from the city, which was formerly much frequented 
by the inhabitants. The way is on the high road, 
past the royal country-seat of 5. Cristovao, which 
was built after his majesty’s arrival, and by im- 
provements in the grounds has been made a very 
agreeable retreat. The road lies between luxuriant 
hedges of cactus, lantana, bougainvillia, cordia, 
tournefortia and mimosa lebbek, above which 


* Bigelow, American Medical Botany, Boston, 1818, vol. i. 
p- 33. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. Q5 


the aloes shoot up their lofty flowering stems. The 
country is level up to the foot of the mountain ; 
only an insulated verdant conical rock in the vici- 
nity of the royal seat is a picturesque object rising 
above the variegated gardens and plantations. To 
the west of the road, a new aqueduct conveys the 
water. of a stream from the mountains into the 
city. Citizens and peasants, on foot and on horse- 
back, and frequently two persons mounted on one 
beast, give great animation to the road, on which 
the carriages of the rich people can only go as far 
as S$. Cristovao. It is pleasing to see in this para- 
dise the traces of European industry, diligently cul- 
vated land, and beautiful country-houses. As- 
cending the verdant slope of the mountain, and 
between numerous country-seats, along a moun- 
tain stream which turned several mills, we at last 
reached the summit, where the fatigue of the jour- 
ney was rewarded with a fine view towards the- 
suburb of 5. Cristovao. ‘The day was drawing to 
a close when we arrived, and, tired with our walk, 
we wished to find a lodging for the night. There 
was indeed a venda on the road, but it afforded 
only tobacco, rum, biscuit, and Minas cheese, and 
no accommodation ; we were therefore obliged to 
seek refuge at the seat of a Frenchman of our ac- 
quaintance, which lay to the side of the road. The 


~. narrow path first conducted us upwards near a 


deep valley, and at last to the house in the middle 
of the wood, where we were obliged to content 
P 4 


216 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


ourselves with some roasted potatoes and a wooden 
bench as a bed. ‘The stars shone with uncommon 
radiance; a pale light lay over the gloomy forest ; 
the silence of this retreat was interrupted only by 
the murmuring of distant streams ; and lost in the 
contemplation of this attractive scene, we cheer- 
fully resigned ourselves to the refreshment of sleep. 

Towards daybreak we proceeded towards the 
quarter from which we heard the sounds of the 
water, and just as the sun was rising, were at the 
declivity of a high rock, from which a crystal 
brook, partly dissolved into mist, fell from a height 
of nearly a hundred feet into the valley. The view 
of this sublime scene reminded us of the cascades 
of Naples and Tivoli, the ornaments of a similar, 
but far less rich and magnificent landscape. At the 
bottom of the valley and near the cascade stands a 
simple pleasant cottage, where we were welcomed 
by Mr. Tonay, an estimable French painter who 
resides with his family in this secluded spot. We 
parted with reluctance from this lovely place, and 
continued our journey south-south-west, towards 
the opposite declivity of the mountain. Passing 
over thickly wooded hills, we came to a deep valley, 
and at length to the foot of the Gavia, a pictur- 
esque granite rock, which rises close to the eastern 
banks of Lake Camorim, and by its sombre crags 
and woods hanging over the smooth mirror of the 
water, reminded us of the lonely lakes of Switzer- 
land, and the principality of Saltzburg. The 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. aghGs 


Camorim, called also Jacarépagua, a brackish mere, 
is connected to the south with the sea, into which it 
brings the tribute of many mountain streams, and 
by which it is swelled in high tides. In the low 
grounds near the lake, where the thickets of man- 
groves* do not entirely stifle all other vegetation, 
grow the most beautiful marsh plants, and large 
bushes of ferns. Among others, we found, on the 
cool soil of picturesque rocks, the beautiful blue 
flowers of the Glovinia speciosa, which have been 
brought from this place to Europe by English 
gardeners. Only a few wretched huts belonging 
to fishermen, who are all of a mixed race, lie 
scattered in this solitude, from which the European 
art of horticulture could produce a creation, infi- 
nitely rich in variety and novelty of form. This 
lake produces such abundance of fish, that the in- 
habitants of this district do not even think of ob- 
taining the necessary subsistence by cultivating the 
fertile forests that surround them: they scarcely 
plant sufficient maize, but a considerable quantity 


* The mangle or mangrove tree (Rhizophora Mangle, L.), 
which forms what are called manguesaés, is a low tree which 
grows on almost all the coasts of the ocean, particularly in 
America between the tropics, and is remarkable for the pecu- 
liarity that the seeds begin to shoot before they are detached 
from the tree, and the roots descend till they strike into the 
ground, and thus form a thick forest from one tree. On its 
stem, and under the roots is found the crab Cancer Uca, L. which 
is considered dangerous to eat, because it feeds on poisonous 


herbs. 


218 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


of Spanish potatoes, water-melons, and sugar-cane, 
the last of which they do not press, but merely suck 
out the juice. Considering this poor way of living, 
in a moist country where the air is not purified by 
a frequent change of wind, but is loaded with 
noxious exhalations, it is not surprising that the 
inhabitants are pale, weak and sickly. 

As we endeavoured, on our return from this re- 
markable valley, to reach the plain of S. Cristovao, 
we came to the other side of the mountain, to the 
coffee plantation of Dr. Lesesne, who has hired a 
large extent of land, and planted it with sixty 
thousand trees. According to the direction of this 
experienced planter, the fresh berries are planted, 
in preference, in the shade of other coffee trees, and 
the plants are taken up with the mould round them, 
as soon as they have attained the height of ten or 
twelve inches. It is said to have been observed that 
detaching the mould from the tender roots, checks 
the growth for a whole year; for trees treated in 
this manner, do not produce any fruit for the first 
thirty-two months, whereas others bear fruit in 
twenty months. The young trees are planted in 
the form of a quincunx. Many planters place the 
trees six feet distant from each other, but others 
only four, aileging as a reason that some of the 
trees in the ranks always die. ‘The most luxuriant 
‘shoots in the middle of the trees are pruned away, 
and they are not suffered to grow more than twelve 
feet high, that the fruit may be more within reach, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 219 


and the branches rather spread in breadth. When 
the trees are four or five years old, the produce is 
sufficiently considerable, and one negro is then 
appointed to take care of every thousand trees. 
While the trees are young and bear little or nothing, 
one negro is sufficient to keep two thousand trees 
in order, and to pull up the weeds. There are three 
gatherings, which occupy almost the whole year ; 
at Rio de Janeiro, the first begins in the month of 
April. Only the entirely ripe red berries are taken, 
which easily part from the stalk, and the seeds are 
separated without difficulty from the shell. These 
berries are not thrown upon a heap and left to cor- 
rupt, as used generally to be done, but the whole 
fruit, when it is intended to proceed with particular 
care, is dried with the outside coat, and, besides, a 
kind of oil-mill is employed to take off the coat, 
and the naked seeds are exposed to the sun a whole 
month, that they may become perfectly dry. For 
this purpose they make floors, from about five and 
twenty to thirty feet square of bricks or of stamped 
clay, which are made convex for the rain to run off; 
the berries being protected against sudden showers, 
by portable straw roofs: about thirty arrobas may 
be spread on each floor. ‘The number of negroes, 
each of whom can daily gather one arroba, de- 
termines therefore the number of floors required. 
The coffee when quite dry is kept in baskets, in a dry 
place, and exposed to the wind. The Brazilian 
planters, especially those at Rio, have the advan- 
tage over those in the Antilles, that the greater part 


220 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


of the berries become ripe in the dry season, which 
is the most favourable for gathering them. 

We several times went by the road from the Bay 
of Bota-Fogo to the Lagoa de Roderigo Freitas, 
about a league distant, on which are the royal pow- 
der manufactory, and a nursery for foreign plants, 
called the Botanical Garden. This road, which runs 
sometimes on the slope of the granite mountain, 
between beautiful flowering bushes of myrtles, 
tournefortias, coronillas, and paullinias, on the 
branches of which, we for the first time saw the 
diamond beetle* alive, sometimes on the banks of 
the sea, covered with lofty ferns t, tropical grasses, 
and orchidez, affords the most agreeable variety, 
and is much frequented, because many inhabitants 
of the city have country-houses in that neighbour- 
hood. ‘The sea-coast, it is true, furnished us with 
some addition to our collection of sea stars, sea 
hedgehogs, shells, insects, and marine plants ¢; but 
even here we were struck with the observation, _ 
which was everywhere confirmed in the sequel of 
the journey, that these species of animals and plants, 
so common on the coasts of the northern seas, are 
Jess numerous in the torrid zone, and are more rare 
in Brazil, than even in the East Indies. It almost 


* Curculio imperialis. 

+ Acrostichum aureum, abounds here. 

$ Ophiurus; Scutella sexforis Lam., quinqueforis Lam.; 
Echinus esculentus; Cicendela maritima nob.; Fucus Maximi- 
liani Schrad., Opuntia L., Seaforthi Turn., sedoides Br. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 291 


seems, as if such obscure and imperfectly organised 
animals are assigned rather to the colder climates, 
and superior forms in greater numbers to the 
warmer. Perhaps too, the depth of the ocean on 
the coast of Brazil, whichis much more consider- 
able than in the Indian seas, may be a reason that 
the marine animals appear more rarely. 

The powder manufactory, and the dwelling- 
house of Senhor Joao Gomez Abreu, colonel of the 
engineers, an amiable and well-informed Brazilian, 
from Minas-Geraés, who has the superintendence 
of this manufactory, and of the botanical garden, 
lie in a tranquil and retired spot, surrounded on the 
one side by wooded granite hills, and on the other 
by the Lake of Roderigo Freitas, which is about 
half a league in diameter. ‘The abovementioned 
botanic garden lies behind the houses. Several 
fine avenues of bread-fruit trees, from the South 
Sea (Artocarpus incisa), the shadowy yto (Guarea 
trichilioides), and mango trees, lead through the 
plantation, divided into regular squares, in which 
the most important object of cultivation is the 
Chinese tea plant. At present there are about six 
thousand trees planted in rows, about three feet 
distant from each other. ‘The climate appears 
favourable to their growth; they bloom in the 
months of July to September, and their seed be- 
comes perfectly ripe. “This circumstance, with the 
similar attempts to cultivate other Asiatic plants, 
in America, is another proof that the prosperity of 


999 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


plants principally depends on the similarity of the 
latitude. The tea is planted, plucked, and dried 
precisely in the same manner as in China itself. 
The Portuguese government has directed its parti- 
cular attention to the cultivation of this plant, the 
produce of which, to the value of twenty millions 
of dollars, is annually imported from China to 
England. The late minister, Conde de Linhares, 
invited several hundred Chinese colonists, in order 
by their means to make the proper manner of 
growing and preparing tea better known. ‘These 
Chinese were said not to have been any of the in- 
habitants of the coast, who leave their country 
from poverty, and go to Java and the neighbour- 
ing islands there to look for work, like the Gali- 
cians in Spain and Portugal, but people from the 
interior had been chosen, who were perfectly ac- 
quainted with the management of the tea plant. 
Most of these Chinese, however, do not now live 
about the botanic garden, but in the vicinity of the 
royal residence of Santa Cruz, except a few who 
are employed here under the direction of Colonel 
Abreu, to tend the tea plants, and gather and pre- 
pare the leaves. ‘The leaves are plucked three 
times a year, and laid on gently heated kilns of 
clay, on which they are dried and crisped. The 
director of the establishment gave us samples of 
the different kinds, which here also are chiefly dis. 
tinguished ‘according to the season of gathering. 
The taste was strong, yet by no means so delicately 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, 993 


aromatic as the best kinds of Chinese tea, but 
rather earthy and rough. ‘This disagreeable pro- 
perty must, however, be no discouragement in any 
new branch of cultivation, for it is a natural con- 
sequence of the plants not being perfectly accus- 
tomed to the climate. Besides the tea shrub, we 
were shown several other plants of India, such as 
the cinnamon tree (Laurus cinnamomum), the 
clove tree (Caryophyllus aromaticus), the pepper 
plant (Piper nigrum), the Gnemon gneton, the 
the nutmeg tree (Myristica moschata), the Averrhoa 
carambola, the sour fruit of which has a very plea- 
sant taste in soup, &c. Though some of them 
were but a few years old, yet most of these trees 
had already borne fruit. All these plants will 
become naturalised here when they have been cul- 
tivated some years longer, for the new continent 
appears calculated by nature to receive the pro- 
ductions of all climates, and to bring them to the 
same perfection as their own country. 

The powder manufactory near the botanical 
garden is the only one in Brazil, except a little 
private establishment in Minas, which has likewise 
obtained a royal license. The produce of' these 
manufactories cannot, however, boast of being so 
well compounded as the gunpowder imported from 
Europe, which is nearly prohibited here. This is 
in all probability occasioned partly by something 
not suiting the climate in the saltpetre, which is 
brought to Rio from the Portuguese colonies in 


224 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the East Indies, and from the saltpetre caverns on 
the Rio de Francisco, and partly by the nature of 
the charcoal which is here employed in the com- 
position of the gunpowder. We are not certain — 
what charcoal they use here, but during our jour- 
ney into the interior, where the obtaining of 
powder from the coasts is very difficult, and on 
account of the heavy duty on foreign powder, very 
expensive, several of the inhabitants assured us 
that they made for their own use very good powder, 
by the wellknown mixture with the charcoal of 
several kinds of corindiuva (Celtis). The inhabit- 
ants, however, are prohibited from manufacturing 
this powder, which is far inferior in strength to 
the English. The country about the lake of Ro- 
derigo Freitas, like the neighbouring suburbs of 
Bota-Fogo and Catéte,- is considered to be re- 
markably healthy; and many of the rich inhabitants 
of Rio possess country-houses (chacras) on this 
side, in which they pass the fine season of the 
year. The road is therefore much frequented by 
passengers on horseback and in carriages. ‘This ~ 
part, where the inlets of the sea are less deep and 
more exposed to the wind, is freer from the. tor- 
ment of the musquittoes than the opposite side of 
the town; for instance, the quarter of S. Anna, 
‘Those troublesome and ravenous insects prefer the 
thick bushes of the mangrove, and the morasses 
which surround it, and are particularly annoying 
before sunrise and sunset. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 2925 


Our friend, the consul-general, Mr. Von Langs- 
dorff; had purchased a large estate on the road 
from the north side of the bay to Minas Geraés, 
a short time before we arrived at Rio de Janeiro, 
and just had commenced to plant mandiocca and 
to build a country-house for himself with the 
necessary appendages. We readily accepted his. 
invitation to view, in his company, this new crea- 
tion, of the riches of which in natural curiosities, 
he drew a delightful picture. On account of the 
great traffic between the capital and the harbour 
of Porto de Estrella, which is visited by all tra- 
vellers going to Minas, boats set out daily between 
11 and 12 o’clock, as soon as the sea-breeze springs 
up, and arrive at Porto de Estrella in the even- 
ing; on the other hand, boats regularly depart 
from the latter place after sunset, sail through the 
night, and reach the city by daybreak. We em- 
barked one afternoon on board one of these broad- 
built boats, which are furnished with only one sail. 
The wind was faint, and impelled us slowly by the 
bare rocks, called the Enchados, which rise out of 
the sea not far from the coast, and are frequented 
by a number of sea-eagles and sea-gulls, (Pelicanus 
aquilus, Cormoranus graculus, Procellaria brasili- 
ensts,) and then by several islands covered with 
thick wood, which lie scattered in the bay. On 
the largest of these islands, Ilha do Governador, 
situated almost in the middle of the bay, and ex- 
tending two miles from E. to W., the king has 

VOL. I. Q 


296 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


reserved to himself the right of the chace; it is 
said to be inhabited by deer and wild boars, but 
he has never yet paid it a visit. In countries 
where the hunter is exposed not only to the attacks 
of the beasts of prey, but also to poisonous ser- 
pents and insects, and where the thickness of the 
forest seldom allows him to remain on horseback, 
to escape by that means the venomous animals 
whom it is not easy to see, the chase has but few 
attractions. A bear which the king received as a 
present from Russia, is shown here as a curiosity. 
It was upon an island exactly resembling these, 
but which lies before the mouth of the bay, and is 
called Ilha raza, that Sir Joseph Banks, when he 
touched at Rio de Janeiro in the company of Cap- 
tain Cook, discovered the beautiful Morea North- 
zana, which has since then become the ornament 
of European gardens. The indefatigable Com- 
merson, too, when Bougainville put into the har- 
bour of Rio, botanised on these islands and the 
adjacent continent ; we therefore here trod upon 
a spot which had been rendered in a manner clas- 
sical by the researches of those naturalists. The 
traveller loves to connect his own pleasures with 
those of his predecessors; we were accordingly 
very agreeably surprised when we found on those 
islands among the bushes, the morzea; and in the 
hedges out of the town the beautiful shrub Bou- 
gainvillia brasiliensis, with its dazzling red flowers, 
by which Commerson immortalised the name -of 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. oo7 


his noble commander. Nature always maintains 
her creations unimpaired by the influence of time, 
and they survive all the monuments of human 
greatness. It was, therefore, a very happy idea in 
botany to perpetuate the names and merits of dis- 
tinguished enquirers, by impressing them on flowers, 
whose races never become extinct. 

When we landed on those low islands in the Bay 
of Rio de Janeiro, we were astonished at the vigour 
and luxuriance of their vegetation, which is occa- 
sioned by their low damp situation, and the great 
heat. ‘The woods, in which there are, for the most 
part, the same species of trees as on the continent, 
but among them a proportionably far greater num- 
ber of palms, especially the much-esteemed cab- 
bage-palm *, are rendered almost impenetrable by 
thick underwood. ‘The rapidity with which the 
vegetable world here passes through its various 
stages, till it at length decays and rots away, is as 
great as the impulse by which new creations con- 
tinually arise on the remains of those that have 
fallen to decay. Upon and near the largest trunks, 
which, stretched out like enormous skeletons, sud- 
denly return to the state of vegetable earth, we saw 
a multitude of many-coloured fungi t spring up, an 


* Euterpe edulis, nob. The young leaves (palmito) are fre- 
quently brought from these islands and the woods of the con- 
tinent to the city markets. 

+ Boletus sanguineus, Sw.; Trichia expansa, nob.; Stemo- 
nitis fasciculata; Sphzria deusta, serpens, Pers., &c. 


Q 2 


228 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


innumerable quantity of seeds shoot at the same 
time, and unfold themselves with incredible ra- 
pidity. The images of death and of the most 
vigorous life pass here in rapid succession before 
the eye of the wanderer. ~The few uncultivated 
spots of these fertile islands, which are clear of 
forests, are real marsh lands or savannahs. ‘The 
grass grows extremely thick, and attains a surpris- 
ing height and juiciness. Yet the inhabitants of 
this and the two larger islands, Z/ha grande and 
Marambaya, which lie in the Angra dos Reys, and 
appear to be of the same nature, have hitherto paid 
but little attention to the breeding of cattle ; and 
have rather employed themselves in cultivating 
maize, indigo, sugar, and tobacco. On the shore 
where the sea has here and there bared the granite 
rocks of their covering of good mould, these islands 
frequently produce thick groups of aloe and of 
prickly cactus, the stiff leafless stems of which make 
a singular contrast with the varied forms of the 
forest. The huts of the country people are, for 
the most part, situated along the coast, and sur- 
rounded with plantations of Spanish potatoes and 
water-melons, and with acaji, guava, pisang, 
oranges, jessamines, and roses. 

When we left Rio de Janeiro in_the afternoon, 
we hoped that we should be able to reach the 
opposite, coast of the bay, though at a late hour, in 
the evening; but when we were nearly in the 
middle of the bay the wind suddenly subsided, and 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL: 229 


ueprived us of the hope of passing the night on 
shore. We therefore adopted the advice of our 
friendly and cheerful host, to accommodate our- 
selves as comfortably as we could on the hard 
benches in the cabin. He, jokingly, wished us 
success in the result of a fatiguing campaign, which 
we were now going to undertake in the new cout- 
try: the uninterrupted good humour of this expe- 
rienced traveller afforded us, however, a favourable 
opportunity of learning what was the best antidote 
against the disagreeable adventures which we might 
still encounter. The night rapidly passed away in 
laying plans for our operations, during our intend- 
ed stay at Mandiocea, and in the rapturous praises 
in which our friend broke out, when he spoke of 
the peaceful retirement of his country-seat, and of 
the Juxuriance and beauty of the surrounding 
scenery. ‘To the great sorrow of the lazy negroes 
we remained awake the whole night, and encous 
raged them to row, as this was the only means by 
which we could make any progress, and even then 
but slowly. The night was damp’ and gloomy ; 
we were several times incommoded by numerous 
swarms of small musquittoes, which, however, soon 
successively passed over. The morning began to 
dawn, and we at length drew near to a very low ~ 
swampy tract of land, covered with mangle, avi« 
eennia, conocarpus, and other small strand: trees, 
between which the Inhumerim, an inconsiderable 
river, flows into the sea. We now left the bay, 
Qa 3 


230 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


and the canoe was lifted up by the negroes by 
means of long poles. We were everywhere sur- 
rounded with thick bushes, and delighted with the 
wondrous diversity of the most beautiful groups 
in the hedges by the water-side, entwined with 
flowering gardenia, bignonia, seriania, and echites. 
A great part of the shores of the bay are covered 
with similar amphibious plants, which extend into 
the country only in those places where the land 
scarcely rises above the level. of the sea. In the 
same manner as the limit, from which the vegeta- 
tion assumes the forest or the alpine character, has 
its particular representatives in the kingdom of 
Flora, so also is the point where the meaner plants 
of the sea-shore cease, and give way to the nobler 
species, marked by its peculiar forms. It is remark- 
able that the plants which grow on all the shores 
of the new and old world, between the tropics, (Rhi- 
zophora, Bruguiera, Conocarpus, Avicennia,) with 
seeds shooting while attached to the parent plant, 
and branches striking into the earth, seem, by their 
roots above and below, at once to represent in their 
class also the image of that rich and generous ve- 
getation which we admire in these latitudes. In 
like manner as all these plants belong to the sea- 
coast, so every principal river, the source of which 
determines more or less a peculiar vegetation, has 
a Flora of its own along its whole course, which 
forms one of the most important features in the 
physiognomy of the country through which it flows. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 231 


Thus we found on the shores of those immense 
rivers, the Rio de S. Francisco, the Tocantin, the 
Parnaiba, the Amazons and its collateral streams, 
certain species which mark the particular charac- 
ter of their vegetable forms, and are extremely in- 
teresting to the enquirer into the geographical rela- 
tions of the vegetable kingdom, because they in- 
dicate, in a certain degree, the basis of the forms 
of each individual Flora. ‘Those shrubs and trees 
which send out roots from their branches require 
to come into contact with the sea, in order to at- 
tain their perfect growth, and with their far-spread- 
ing and very superficial roots appear especially to 
affect the swampy soil of its shores.- Though their 
wood is very solid, and not unfrequently thick, 
they grow with extraordinary rapidity. The Aii- 
zophora mangle (mangue vermelho) is distinguished 
by forming a very thick bark in a proportionably 
short time. In those places where the scarcity of 
wood does not make it necessary entirely to cut 
down the mangle trees, as, for instance, in Maran- 
hdo, it is usual, particularly at the commencement 
of the rainy season, when the sap begins to flow 
between the wood and the bark, to tear off the lat- 
ter, and use it for tanning. Wherever these trees 
and shrubs grow, the whole neighbourhood is con- 
verted into marshes and swamps, and serves only 
as an abode for the abovementioned species of crab. 
On the summits of these forests, growing on the 
shore, we saw, as we sailed along, the most beautiful 
Q 4 


232 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


white herons * sitting, gay-coloured halcyons watch- 
ing for fish t, and within the thicket divers water- 
fowl t running about or swimming. Unluckily it is 
impossible to catch any of these animals as soon as 
they retire far into the thickets, because it would be 
vain to attempt to penetrate through the close bushes, 
or when the ebb leaves the ground visible, to venture 
upon it, on account of the depth of the swamp. 
We followed the Inhumerim about a mile up the 
country, till we reached the village Porto de Es- 
trella, the low ill-built houses, or rather huts, of 
which form an irregular street at the confluence of 
the small Saracurtina with the Inhumerim. 

Porto de Estrella is the common harbour be- 
tween Rio de Janeiro, and the province of Minas 
Geraés. Long trains of mules laden with chests 
and packages arrive here from the interior, or 
return to it. The European, accustomed to the 
conveyance of considerable burdens in waggons, is 
astonished at the sight of so many cargoes divided 
into small parcels, which are abandoned to the dis- 
cretion of the beasts, or of an unskilful driver, 
daily loaded and unloaded several times, either in 
the open air, or in exposed sheds, scarcely protected 
against the rain and the weather, and often carried 
in this manner several hundred miles. When we 


* Ardea alba, candidissima, egretta. 

+ Alcedo torquata, bicolor, Amazona. 

{ Parajacana; Gallinula martinicensis ; Scolopax paludosa 
Gallinula affinis, nob. ; Tringa Cinclus ; Vanellus cayennensiss 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 233 


beheld the confusion of the caravans, loading and 
unloading, we could not think without regret of 
the future fate of our instruments, books, and col- 
lections, which would be given up to blind chance, 
instead of being under our own care. The cara- 
vans (¢ropas), however, particularly on the better 
road from Saint Paul and Minas to the capital, are 
so well organised, that comparatively very little 
risk is to be apprehended. Each caravan, which 
may consist of twenty to fifty mules, is conducted 
by an Arieiro, on horseback ; he gives the neces- 
sary orders for the caravan to set out, to halt, or 
to encamp for the night ; takes care that the bur- 
dens are well balanced, and the pack-saddles (can- 
galhas) in good condition; repairs them when 
they gall, cures the sick beasts, and attends to the 
shoes.’ Under him are the drivers (toccadores), 
each of whom generally has to manage a division 
(lote) of seven mules. ‘They go on foot, put the 
burdens off and on, feed and water the animals, 
drive them to the pasture, and cook the provisions. 
The Arieiro, generally a free mulatto, frequently 
attends to the sale and purchase of goods in the city, 
and acts as commissioner for the proprietor of the 
caravan. The drivers are for the most part 
negroes, who soon become accustomed to the em- 
ployment, and prefer this wandering life to the 
labour of gold-washing, and working in the plant- 
ations. ‘The most important article of trade 
brought hither by the inhabitants of Minas Geraés, 


934 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


called Mineiros, is raw cotton ; but besides that, a 
considerable quantity of coarse cotton stuffs, for 
clothing for the negroes, and for exportation 
to Rio Grande do Sul and Buenos-Ayres, is 
brought hither, chiefly from the district of Sabara 
and S. Joio d’E] Rey; also cheese, bacon, and 
cakes of marmalade of quinces: many precious 
stones likewise come hither from the interior, and 
we were assured that a great contraband trade is 
carried on in gold dust and diamonds, though nu- 
merous police officers exercise great vigilance to 
prevent it. 

As all the goods which are sent from Rio to 
Minas, Goyaz, and Mato Grosso, likewise have 
to go by Porto de Estrella, there is always a 
great deal of business going on here, and it is 
therefore very strange that there is not a single 
good dwellinghouse, or even any secure magazine 
for the goods. Every body must submit to take 
shelter in a wretched searcely covered shed, where 
goods are likewise deposited. If the traveller does 
not carry his provisions with him, as is the usual 
custom, he must provide himself with what he 
wants from the vendas, of which there are some 
here, and must get his provisions dressed himself. 
The meal generally consists of beans, boiled with 
bacon, or of dried beef broiled ; for dessert we have 
banians and cheese. ‘The traveller sleeps upon an 
ox hide, or on a frame of laths fixed in the earth, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 935 


and covered with a straw mat, or on his hammock, 
and no covering but his own clothing. 

After our kind conductor had procured the 
necessary mules and horses for our journey, we 
left the busy village, and took the road which leads 
northwards from this place to Minas. We were 
soon in an entirely new scene; we rode through a 
low country, in a broad but unpaved road, between 
hedges of the most various kinds of shrubs in full 
blossom; on the left hand we had a range of 
mountains, covered with thick forests, and before 
us one connected with it, but higher; the bold 
projecting masses of rock, wooded only on the 
sides, give the landscape a character peculiarly 
grand. On this road, too, as formerly in the neigh- 
bourhood of the city, we met with no great plant- 
ations, which lie in the forests at a great distance 
from the road; but some scattered houses with 
gardens proved to us, that the fertility of this beau- 
tiful spot was duly appreciated. ‘The broad valley, 
gently declining towards the sea, is protected from 
the cold winds, which come from the higher country 
on the river Paraiba, by the chain of the Organ 
Mountains (Serra dos Orgaos), and it likewise enjoys 
the advantage of being doubly warmed by the re- 
flection of the rays of the sun from the mountain. 
In the lower grounds, the sugar-cane thrives with 
incredible luxuriance; and we saw a particular 
proof of the strength of the soil, in some stems 
almost a foot thick, which having been deprived of 


236 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the branches and roots, divided into several pieces, 
and fixed in the ground to form a fence, had im- 
mediately taken root, and shot out new branches. 
They were stems of the pindaiba (Xylopia frutes- 
cens), and several crotons; this phenomenon is 
the more remarkable, because the pieces which 
were set in upside down grew as fast as the rest. 
While the experiments of the botanical physiologer 
in our ungenial climates afford him, only under 
hard conditions, an insight into the concealed pro- 
cesses of vegetation ; Nature in these countries vo- 
luntarily solves those problems, and thus allows 
him to look into her mysteries. In this point of 
view, it would certainly be a very important under- 
taking, to repeat here, upon a more extensive scale, 
the experiments of Hales, Duhamel, Grew, and 
Knight, in order to deduce from them general 
laws of the growth of plants. 

At Piedade, a village consisting of several scat- 
tered houses and a chapel, scarcely a mile from 
Porto de Estrella, we issued from between the 
thick hedges along the road, into a verdant plain 
bounded by gardens, plantations, and meadows, 
which were just then illumined by the brilliant rays' 
of the morning sun; while in the back ground, the 
massy summits of the Organ Mountains, were 
veiled in the gloom of a forest, which was still in 
shade. A solemn soothing repose was diffused 
over this delightful spot, which seems to have been 
created for the enjoyment of retired and cheerful 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, 237 


contemplation of nature. The variety of the light 
and of the foliage of the trees, which is seen on 
the forests, on the slopes of the mountain, the 
blending of the most diverse colours, and the dark 
azure and transparency of the sky, impart to the 
landscapes of the tropical countries a charm to 
which even the pencil of a Salvator Rosa and a 
Claude cannot do justice. The road gradually 
rises, and when, after passing over low woody 
hills, we arrived, towards evening, at the foot of the 
mountain, our hospitable friend bid us welcome on 
his own domain. Mr. Von Langsdorff had but 
just begun to cultivate this fazenda, which is of 
the great extent of more than a square mile, but 
had been entirely neglected. A spacious shed 
(rancho) for the reception of the numerous cara- 
vans from Minas, a venda, where brandy is sold, 
a mill for grinding maize, and a small dwelling- 
house for the proprietor, in the usual style of the 
country, were erected on the road-side. These 
small country-houses contain some plain rooms 
with latticed windows, or shutters ; the roof gene- 
rally projects on one side, some feet beyond the 
wall, and resting on some pillars, and a low wall, 
forms the veranda. Such buildings are commonly 
of lath connected together by tough creeping 
plants (szpd), covered with clay, and white-washed, 
The clayey soil may almost everywhere be made 
into good bricks, or, if they are considered too 


938 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


expensive, the broad leaves of several palms* make 


a light but tolerably secure roof. The bounty of 


nature supplies all the necessary materials in abun- 
dance, and only the lime is brought from Cabo 
Frio. 

‘The estate of Mandiocca, of which we have 
given a drawing, is so called on account of the 
excellence of the mandiocca roots which are cul- 
- tivated there. It is bounded on the north-west by 
a chain of mountains, traversed by several narrow 
dells, and covered with woods, which extend from 
the valley to the lofty summits of the Organ Moun- 
tain. In the. midst of these great forests are the 
tracts (rossados) which, after burning the felled 
trees, are planted by the land-owners with man- 
diocca, maize, beans, coffee, &c. ‘These planta- 
tions (rossas) are generally abandoned after a few 
harvests, and in some years are covered again with 
a thick brushwood (capoezr), which is particularly 
distinguished by the absence of large kinds of trees 
of a slower growth. ‘The primeval forests, which 
stand as testimonies of the creative energy of the 
new continent, in all their original wildness, and 
still unprofaned by human hands, are called, in 
Brazil, virgin forests (mato virgem). In them, 
European coolness refreshes the wanderer, and at 
the same time the image of the most luxuriant 


profusion: the never-ceasing power of vegetation — 


-* Particularly in the southern districts the species Geonoma. 


‘ 
eX, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 939 


makes the trees shoot up to a majestic height ; and 
not contented with these gigantic primeval monu- 
ments, nature calls forth upon every stem a new 
creation of numerous verdant flowering parasite 
plants. Instead of the uniform poverty of species 
in the forests of Europe, especially in the north, 
there is here an infinite diversity in the forms of 
stems, leaves, and blossoms. Almost every one 
of these sovereigns of the forest, which here stand 
near to each other, is distinguished in the total 
effect of the picture from its neighbour. While 
the silk-cotton tree*, partly armed with strong 
thorns, begins at a considerable height from the 
ground to spread out its thick arms, and its digit- 
ated leaves are grouped in light and airy masses, the 
luxuriant lecythis and the Brazilian andat shoot 
out at a less height many branches profusely cover- 
ed with leaves, which unite to form a verdant arcade. 
The jacaranda attracts the eye by the lightness of 
of its double-feathered leaves; the large gold- 
coloured flowers of this tree and the ipét dazzle 
by their splendour, contrasted with the dark green 
of the foliage. ‘The spondias § arches its pennated 
leaves into light oblong forms. A very peculiar 
and most striking effect in the picture is that pro- 


* Bombax pentandrum, Ceiba, L. 

+ Lecythis Ollaria, parviflora, L.; Idatimon, Aubl.; Anda 
brasiliensis, Raddi. 

{ Jacaranda brasiliensis, Juss.; Bignonia chrysantha, Jacq. 

§ Spondias Myrobalanus, L. 


24.0 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


duced by the trumpet tree * among the other lofty 
forms of the forest. The smooth ash-grey stems 
rise, slightly bending, to a considerable height, 
and spread out at the top into verticillate branches 
standing at right angles, which have at the extre- 
mities large tufts of deeply lobated white leaves. 
The contour of the tree appears to indicate at 
once hardness and pliability, stiffness and elasticity, 
and affords the painter a subject equally interest- 
ing and difficult for the exercise of his pencil. 
The flowering cesalpiniat, the airy laurel, the 
lofty geoffroeat, the soap trees with their shining 
leaves, the slender Barbadoes cedar, the ormosia § 
with its pennated leaves ; the tapia or garlic pear 
tree, so called from the strong smell of its bark ; 
the maina ||, and a thousand not yet described trees 
are mingled confusedly together, forming groups, 
agreeably contrasted by the diversity of their 
forms and tints. Here and there the dark crown 
of a Chilian fir §] among the lighter green appears 
like a stranger amidst the natives of the tropics, 
while the towering stems of the palms, with their 
waving crowns, are an incomparable ornament of 


* Cecropia peltata, L. palmata, W. 

+ Czsalpinia brasiliensis, chinata, L. 

£ Geoffreea inermis, Sw., racemosa, Poir. violacea, P. 

§ Sapindus Saponaria, L.; Cedrela odorata, L.; Ormosia dasy- 
carpa, coccinea, Jacks. 

|| Crateeva Tapia, L., called by the Portuguese Pao d’alha ; 
Maina brasiliensis, Raddi. 

q Araucaria imbricata, Pav. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 241 


the forests, the beauty and majesty of which no 
language can describe. If the eye turns from the 
proud forms of those ancient denizens of the forest 
to the more humble and lower which clothe the 
ground with a rich verdure, it is delighted with 
the splendour and gay variety of the flowers. The 
purple blossoms of the rhexia, profuse clusters of 
the melastoma, myrtles and eugenia* ; the deli- 
cate foliage of many rubiaceee and ardisizee+ with 
their pretty flowers blended with the singularly 
formed leaves of the theophrasta; the conchocar- 
pus; the reed-like dwarf palmst; the brilliant 
spadix of the costus; the ragged hedges of the 
maranta§, from which a squamous fern rises ; 
magnificent stiftia; thorny solana; large flowering 
gardenias and coutarea|| entwined with garlands 
of mikania and bignonia; the far-spreading shoots 


* Rhexia princeps, grandiflora, holosericea Humb.; Mela- 
stoma tomentosa, lutescens, mucronata Humb.; Myrtus splen- 
dens, disticha, lineata Sw.; Eugenia Mini, gujanensis, Cumete 
Aubl. 

+ Tetramerium occidentale G. ; Nonatelia paniculata, Paga- 
mea gujanensis ; Coffea paniculata Aubl.; Duhamelia patens L., 
chrysantha Sw.; Ardisia tinifolia, parasitica Sw. 

{ Theophrasta longifolia Jacq.; Conchocarpus macrophyllus 
Mik. ; Geonoma simplicifrons, pinnatifrons W., pauciflora nob. 

§ Costus levis R.P., spiralis Rosc.; Maranta gracilis, obli- 
qua Rudge, arundinacea L. 

|| Stiftia chrysantha Mik.; Solanum violaceum, micranthum 
Lam., violaceum Jacq. paniculatum L., Balbisii Dun., chloran- 
thum Spr. ; Gardenia armata Sw.; Solena gracilis Rudge; Cou- 
tarea speciosa Aubl. 

VOL. I. R 


QAQ TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


of the mellifluous paullinias, of the burning dale- 
champias and the bauhinia with its strangely lo- 
bated leaves*; strings of the leafless milky bindweed 
(Lianes), which descend from the highest summits 
of the trees, or closely twine round the strongest 
trunks and gradually kill them: lastly, those para- 
sitical plants, by which old trees are invested with 
the garment of youth; the grotesque species of 
the pothos and arum, the superb flowers of the 
orchidez +t, the bromelias which catch the rain- 
water, the tillandsiat hanging down like Lachen 
pulmonarius, and a multiplicity of strangely formed 
ferns§: all these admirable productions of so 
young a soil, combine to form a scene which alter- 
nately fills the European naturalist with delight 
and astonishment. 

When we here attempt to sketch a picture of 
the interior of a tropical forest, we must not forget 


* Mikania stipulacea Vhl., viscosa Spr., opifera nob. (Eupa- 
tor crenatum Gom); Bignonia venusta Ker.; Paullinia pinnata, 
Cururu L., melizfolia, thalictrifolia Juss. ; Dalechampia brasili- 
ensis, ficifolia, pentaphylla, triphylla, convolvuloides Lam. ; 
Bauhinia gujanensis Lam., aculeata L. 

+ Pothos crassinervia, digitata Jacq., macrophylla Sw., pal- 
mata L.; Caladium lacerum, pinnatifidum, grandifolium Jacq. ; 
Oncidium barbatum, pictum Humb.; Ionopsis pulchella Humb. ; 
Neottia speciosa Sw. 

{ Bromelia Pinguin, Karatas, Acanga, iridifolia Nees et M.; 
Tillandsia usneoides L. J 

§ Aerostichum calomelanos ; Polypodium percussum Cav., 
subimarginale, vaceinifolium Fisch. ; Aspidium exaltatum Sw. ; 
Pteris pedata L. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 243 


to point the attention of the reader to the relative 
situation of each individual plant, with regard to 
the tendency to self-preservation. With such a 
fulness of’ life, and such a vigorous striving at de- 
velopment, even so rich and fertile a soil as this 
is not capable of furnishing the necessary nourish- 
ment in sufficient abundance ; hence those gigantic 
trees are in a constant struggle for their own pre- 
servation, and impede each other’s growth still 
more than the trees in our forests. Even the 
stems which are grown to a considerable height, 
and require a large supply of nutriment, feel the 
influence of their more powerful neighbours, are 
suddenly arrested in their growth by being de- 
prived of the requisite juices, and thus become in 
a short time subject to the general powers of 
nature which lead them to a rapid dissolution. 
We thus see the noblest trees, after suffering an 
atrophy of some months’ duration, eaten away by 
ants and other insects, seized with decay from the 
root to the summit, till, to the terror of the solitary 
inhabitants of the forest, they fall down with a 
tremendous crash. In general, it is remarked by 
the farmers, that stems which stand singly, among 
several others of a different kind, are more easily 
kept down by the latter. When at some future 
period a regular system of forest cultivation, which 
indeed has not yet been thought of in these thinly 
peopled woods, shall be introduced, it will be 
found necessary not so much to promote the 
Q 


244: TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, 


growth of the trees close together, as to take care 
that they stand at a sufficient distance from each 
other. 

But the animal kingdom, which peoples those 
ancient forests, is no less distinguished than the 
vegetable world. ‘The naturalist, who is here for 
the first time, does not know whether he shall most 
admire the forms, hues, or voices of the animals. 
Except at noon, when all living creatures in the 
torrid zone seek shade and repose, and when a 
solemn silence is diffused over the scene, illumined 
by the dazzling beams of the sun, every hour of 
the day calls into action another race of animals. 
The morning is ushered in by the howling of the 
monkeys* the high and deep notes of the tree 
frogs and toadst, the monotonous chirp of the 
grasshoppers and locusts. When the rising sun 
has dispelled the mists which preceded it, all erea- 
tures rejoice in the return of day. ‘The wasps 
leave their long nests which hang down from the 
branches; the ants§ issue from their dwellings, 
curiously built of clay with which they cover the 
trees, and commence their journey on the paths 
they have made for themselves, as is done also by 


* Mycetus fuscus nob. 

+ Hyla boans, aurantiaca D., Faber Neuw., aspera nob.; 
Rana cornuta, labyrinthica nob.; Bufo agua, margaritaceus 
D., scaber, leucostictus, dorsalis, ornatus nob. 

t{ Tettigonia Locusta, Gryllus. 

§ Formica leucosoma nob., grossa, dlegaeennuie 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 245 


the termites* which cast up the earth high and, 
far around. ‘The gayest butterflies, rivalling in 
splendour the colours of the rainbow, especially 
numerous Hesperiet, flutter from flower to flower, 
or seek their food on the roads, or collected in 
Separate companies on the sunny sandbanks of the 
cool streams.§ The blue shining Menelaus, Nestor, 
Adonis, Laertes, the bluish white Idea, and the large 
Kurylochus with its ocellated wings, hover like 
birds between the green bushes in the moist val- 
leys. The Feronia, with rustling wings, flies rae 
pidly from tree to tree, while the owl||, the largest 
of the moth kind, sits immovably on the trunk 
with outspread wings awaiting the approach of 
evening. Myriads of the most brilliant beetles 
buzz in the air, and sparkle like jewels on the fresh 
green of the leaves, or on the odorous flowers. § 
Meantime agile lizards, remarkable for their form, 
size, and brilliant colours**, dark-coloured poison- 
ous}, or harmless serpents, which exceed in splen- 


* Termes fatale L. 

+ Hesperia Aparte, Idas, Proteus, Bixe. 

{ Hesperia Fabius, Alcyonia, Numata P. Orythia, Doris, 
Flora, Lena, Psidii, Piera. 

§ A. Protesilaus, Ajax, Policaon, Thoas. 

|| Noctua Strix. 

q Entymus imperialis ; Buprestis equestris, gigantea; Eu- 
molpus nitidus ; Clamys chrystallista nob. &c 

** Ameiva lateristriga Cuv.; Tupinambis Monitor; Anolis 
violaceus nob.; Polychrus marmoratus Mer., Seps fragilis ; 
Ophisaurus striatus nob. 

4+ Bothrops Neuwiedii, leucurus nob. 


rR 3 


246 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


dour the enamel of the flowers*, glide out of the 
leaves, the hollows of the trees, and holes in the 
ground, and, creeping up the stems, bask in the 
sun, and lie in wait for insects or birds. From this 
moment all is life and activity. Squirrels, troops 
of gregarious monkeyst issue inquisitively from 
the interior of the woods to the plantations, and 
leap, whistling and chattering, from tree to tree. 
Gallinaceous jacus, hoccos, and pigeonst, leave 
the branches and wander about on the moist 
ground in the woods. Other birds of the most 
singular forms, and of the most superb plumage §, 
flutter singly, or in companies, through the fra- 
grant bushes. The green, blue, or red parrots ||, 
assembled on the tops of the trees, or flying 
towards the plantations and islands, fill the air 
with their screams. The toucan,, sitting on the 


* Natrix Ahcetulla, cyanea, bicarinata nob., lacertina nob., 
plumbea Neuw., caninana; Elaps venustissimus, formosus Neuw., 
lemniscatus; Leposternon microcephalus nob.; Amphisbeena 
fuliginosa, alba, oxyura, vermicularis nob.; Ceecilia annulata 
nob. 

+ Midas Rosalia Lin. ; Cebus xanthocephalus nob. ; Brachy- 
teles macrotarsus nob. ; Sciurus zstuans. 

t Penelope Marail, cristata; Crax Alector variet. Co- 
lumba frontalis. 

§ Falco brasiliensis, Sparveri; Strix flammea, Huhula V. ; 
Vultur Aura; Crotophaga Ani; Tanagra auricapilla Neuw., 
brasilia, Jacapa, Mississipensis; Euphone tricolor, violacea; 
Emberiza brasiliensis; Fringilla flaveola ; Loxia grossa; Lanius 
undulatus, lineatus, nzvius, atricapillus, Nycthemerus nob. 

|| Psittacus brasiliensis, menstruus, viridissimus nob., cru- 
entatus Neuw., auricapillus, severus, militaris. 


4 Rhamphastos Tucanus, dicolorus ; Pteroglossus Aracari, 
Bailloni V. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. Q4.7 


extreme branches, rattles with his large hollow 
bill, and in loud plaintive notes calls for rain. The 
busy orioles* creep out of their long, pendent, 
bag-shaped nests, to visit the orange trees, and 
their sentinels, announce with a loud screaming 
ery, the approach of man. The flycatcherst sit- 
ting aloof, watching for insects, dart from the trees 
and shrubs, and-with rapid flight catch the hovering 
Menelaus or the shining flies as they buzz by. 
Meantime, the amorous thrush ¢, concealed in the 
thicket, pours forth her joy in a strain of beautiful 
melody ; the chattering manakins§, calling from 
the close bushes, sometimes here, sometimes there, 
im the full tones of the nightingale, amuse them- 
selves in misleading the hunters; and the wood- 
pecker|| makes the distant forests resound while 
he picks the bark from the trees. Above all these 
strange voices, the metallic tones of the uraponga4 
sound from the tops of the highest trees, resembling 
the strokes of the hammer on the anvil, which 


* Oriolus minor, niger, hcemorrhous, albirostris Az. 

+ Cuculus cayennensis; Galbula viridis; Trogon Curucui, 
viridis; Bucco cayennensis, leucops, t fea ieee llig. ; Capito 
melanotis T.; Muscicapa sulphurata, cayennensis, audax, vir- 
gata; Pitangua. 

{ Turdus Orpheus, brasiliensis. 

§ Pipra leucocilla, erythrocephala, Pace Neuw., Manacus, 
pareola. 

|| Picus flavicans, lineatus, robustus, Kanctdoeti nob. ; Yunx 
minutissima; Dendrocolaptes scandens, Picus, turdinus, 
guttatus, ] 

| Procnias ventralis et nudicollis Ilig. 

R 4 


248 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


appearing nearer or more remote according to the 
position of the songster, fill the wanderer with 
astonishment. While thus every living creature 
by its actions and voice greets the splendour of the 
day, the delicate humming-birds*, rivalling, in 
beauty and lustre, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, 
hover round the brightest flowers. When the sun 
goes down most of the animals retire to rest; 
only the slender deer, the shy pecari, the timid 
agouti, and the tapirt still graze around ; the nasua 
and the opossum, the cunning animals of the 
feline racet, steal through the obscurity of the 
wood watching for prey, till at last the howling © 
monkeys, the sloth with a cry as of one in dis- 
tress, the croaking frogs, and the chirping grass- 
hoppers with their monotonous note, conclude 
the day; the cries of the macuc, the capueira, 
the goat-sucker§, and the bass tones of the bull- 
frog announce the approach of night. Myriads 
of luminous beetles now begin to fly about like 


* Trochilus ornatus, Mango, Maugzus, leucogaster, viri- 
dissimus, mellisugus, amethystinus, hirundinaceus nob., crispus, 
pygmeus, brevicauda, albo-gularis, leucopygius, Helios, Mystax 
nob.; Grypus ruficollis nob. 

+ Cervus mexicanus ; Coelogenys Paca; Dasyprecta Agouty, 
Acuschy ; Cavia aperea ; Lepus brasiliensis; Tapirus ameri- 
canus, var. rufa. 

{ Nasua Quasie, rufa; Didelphis cayopollin; Felis onca, 
discolor. 

§ Bradypus tridactylus; Tinamus noctivagus Neuw. ; Per- 
dix guyaensis ; Caprimulgus albicollis. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 249 


ignes fatui, and the blood-sucking bats * hover 
like phantoms in the profound darkness of the 
night. 

Inanimate nature too presents a beautiful and 
sublime picture in its long-extending mountain 
ridges, thickly wooded to the summits. The Serra 
dos Orgaos, and all the parts of the same range, 
which, branching out in different directions, runs 
along the sea-coast northwards through the district 
of Canta-Gallo to Porto-Seguro and Bahia, and 
southwards to Santos, &c., consists of granite. In 
the forest of Mandiocca, towards the mountain, 
there are uncommonly large blocks of this kind of 
rock, which have rolled down from the summits 
of the mountains; their clefts afford shelter to 
numbers of coatis and black weasels +; and a great 
variety of begonia, heliconia, and drostenia grow 
under their shady projections. At the first sight 
we fancied both here and in the neighbourhood of 
Rio that we saw the granite, which in our own 
country forms the mountain chain from Passau 
along the frontiers of Bohemia, so extraordinary is 
the resemblance between that in the new world 
and that in the old. Among the few varieties 
which we had occasion to observe, one consists of 
much reddish or light smoke-coloured felspar, a 
little smoky quartz, and pretty much black small 


* Vespertilio brasiliensis Geof.; Glossophaga amplexicauda 
Geof. 
+ Mustela barbara. 


250 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


foliated mica. The second is a coarse-grained 
granite, with predominant greyish and reddish 
white felspar, greyish white, and smoky quartz, 
and a small portion of pinchbeck-brown and black 
mica. It approximates the more nearly to the 
graphic granite, as the felspar, in many places, has 
the lustre of mother of pearl. The most beau- 
tiful variety is a granite with much light reddish 
grey felspar, small-grained smoky quartz, and im- 
bedded in it single equi-angular six-sided prisms of 
pinchbeck-brown mica of a middling size. The 
granite about Rio de Janeiro, as is always the case 
in similar mountains, often consists of earthy fel- 
spar of a greyish colour, sometimes spotted of a 
brownish yellow by oxyd of iron, smoky quartz, 
and but a little black mica, and at the slightest 
touch crumbling to pieces. ‘The structure of the 
granite gradually becomes slaty, because the smoky 
quartz and the black small foliated mica (not so 
much the smoky felspar) combine, and the rock 
passes into gneiss. In this granite-gneiss pretty 
large noble garnets are generally found imbedded, 
and give it a beautiful appearance. It is chiefly 
found near the city, for instance about the Sacco 

d’ Alferes ; but, according to the observation of our 
friend and countryman, Mr. Von Eschwege, ap- 
pears in many places along the sea-coast, and seems, 
for example, in Wha Grande, to alternate with the 
granular granite. The latter is often cut into 
square stones in Rio de Janeiro, particularly in 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 251 


Catéte and Bota-Fogo, where large blocks lie ex- 
posed. ‘The negroes, who perform this work, pro- 
ceed with a degree of slowness intolerable to a 
European, making the holes for boring with long 
iron rods, which they always let fall on the same 
spot. With respect to the formation of the moun- 
tains in these parts, the land rises along the coast 
either gradually, and the granite in the whole 
chain forms only gently rising rounded hills of 
unequal elevation, or immense conical mountains 
here and there rise immediately from the sea to a 
considerable height, which, however, appears never 
to exceed four thousand feet. They are almost 
everywhere covered by a pretty thick stratum of 
a red ferruginous clay; which however we do not 
venture to determine more precisely, and which, if 
we may believe the assurance of many of the inha- 
bitants, contains gold. As royal ordinances prohi- 
bit washing for gold within twenty miles of the sea- 
coast, no certain information can be obtained re- 
specting the quantity of gold that might be found 
in this tract. * 


* It may be proper to state that we have had no opportunity 
of observing the numerous substances which (according to the 
« Nachrichten von den K.K. Osterr, Naturforschern en Bra- 
silien,” Briinn, 1820, p. 165.) occur in the granite of Rio, in 
addition to its usual component parts, either admixed or im- 
bedded in and on the rifts of this rock. But though no rose- 
quartz, shorl, beryl, asparagus-stone, Andalusite, dichroite, 
titanium, sparry iron-stone, brown and yellow iron-stone, pyrites, 
or molybdena have been noticed by us, we yet are warranted 


252 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


From Mandiocca, the road for the caravans to 
Minas Geraés passes between grotesque stems of 
the aloe (Fourcroea gigantea, Vent.) and hedges 
in full blossom, through the forest, by the edge of 
steep precipices, and gloomy clefts thickly grown 
with wood to the top of the mountain, to which 
there is an expensive paved road, at present the 
only one of the kind in Brazil, nearly a mile in 
length. But at the end of this road there is no 
longer any possibility of using carriages, which 
could not be employed without danger on the 
rugged roads. In Brazil they think as little of 
facilitating the intercourse by means of good roads 
and carriages, as we do in Germany of laying down 
iron rail-ways ; the conveyance of goods upon mules 
being sufficient for the wants of the inhabitants. 
From the summit of the mountain called Serra de 
Estrella, 3376 Paris feet above the level of the sea, 
there is a prospect of the bay with its verdant 
islands and the city in the back-ground. On the 
opposite side there is a more limited view of a hilly, 
very uneven, thickly wooded tract, which extends 
from this place along the coast to the Rio Paraiba. 
The mountain road on the north side first leads to 


to infer the presence of, at least, the greater part of the above 
minerals in the Brazilian granite, from its resemblance to that 
of the N.E. frontiers of Bavaria, in which we find imbedded 
dichroite and turmaline, veins of rose or milk quartz, and mica- 
slate, accompanied by Andalusite. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. Qe 


Corrego Seco, a poor village 2260 Paris feet above 
the surface of the sea. We once passed the night 
here in the miserable public house, which gave us, 
in every respect, a foretaste of the difficulties of a 
journey into the interior. A meal consisting of 
the dried flour of the mandiocca root and tough 
beef dried in the sun, a hard bench without pillow 
or covering for a bed, put our patience, and ability 
to endure the fatigues of the expedition, to the 
proof. In Germany this would have been one of 
the finest summer nights, as the thermometer was 
not below 14° of Reaumur, and yet we found it 
almost impossible to sleep for the cold. It is a fact, 
as remarkable as it is generally observed, that a few 
months’ residence in a warm climate are sufficient 
to give the frame an extraordinary sensibility to 
the gradations of warmth. It probably proceeds 
from the increased action of the nervous system, 
which is a natural consequence of the great stimu- 
lus of the light and heat. This intensity of irri- 
tation, and the vivacity of all the organic functions 
during the day is followed, when night sets in, by 
a considerable relaxation of the organic powers, 
so that only the coolness can brace the limbs anew. 
As the sun in these latitudes exercises its influence 
with more energy than in our country, and all na- 
ture therefore during the day is, if we may so ex- 
press ourselves, more awake ; so, on the other hand, 
as soon as it sinks below the horizon, more pro- 
found repose and deeper sleep succeed. The ani- 


954 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


mal kingdom, too, sleep here more soundly and 
longer than in more northern latitudes; and even 
the plants, by closing and drooping their flowers 
and leaves, announce, more than among us, a sus- 
pension of the animation awakened by the sun. 
From Corrego Seco we followed the road through 
a high broken country, partly bounded by massy 
granite mountains, passed Belmonte, and at last 
reached the country-seat of Padre Correa, with 
whom we had become acquainted when he passed 
through Mandiocca. This worthy ecclesiastic, a 
native of Brazil, is a model for his neighbours, by 
his activity as a farmer. He has proved by plant- 
ing extensive nurseries, that the colder climate of 
these more elevated districts is favourable to the 
culture of European fruits. In his plantations, 
figs, peaches and grapes in particular, ripen to 
perfection, and in such abundance, that he supplies 
the market at Rio, and annually gains large sums 
by the sale. This enterprising man has established 
another profitable branch of industry by the skill 
of his slaves, whom he treats with very great. hu- 
manity, and who manufacture large quantities of 
Swedish iron into horse-shoes, and other articles 
for sale. We here met for the second time with 
the mountain rivulet of Piabanha, which, though 
pretty considerable, is not navigable, on account of 
its rocky bed, to its junction with the Rio Paraiba, 
which has its source far off in the province of S. 
Paulo. Passing over hills of gneiss and granite, 


(a9) 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, 255 


which are covered with a layer of red clay, we ar- 
rived in the evening at Soumidouro, a small village 
with a few houses, situated in the middle of the 
wood, at the source of a mountain stream. We 
were hospitably received, and informed that we 
had still half a day’s journey from this place to 
the military post (destacamento) of Paraiba; where 
all caravans coming from Minas Geraés, and the 
passports of all travelling strangers who are going 
into the interior of that gold district, are most 
strictly examined on account of the smuggling 
trade carried on in gold dust. To avoid this search, 
we advanced into the forests, which are here so 
unfrequented and gloomy, no farther than to a so- 
itary fazenda, which lies at a small distance from 
the river Paraiba. After we had partaken of some 
refreshment, and obtained all the information that 
was desirable, both from the host, and from some 
of the mulattoes belonging to the customhouse on 
the Paraiba, who were patrolling in the neighbour- 
hood, armed with swords and muskets, we pre- 
pared to return by the way of Soumidouro, to the 
country-house of Mr. Von Langsdorff. 

During our stay at Mandiocca, our kind host 
was visited by his neighbours, who regarded with 
surprise, and not without jealousy, the rapid pro- 
gress of his establishment. As the first attempt to 
turn up, with a European plough, the spots which 
had been cleared by burning the wood, had failed, 
through the awkwardness of the negroes and for 


256 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


want of oxen trained to the work, this gave them 
sufficient ground to prove the unfitness of Euro- 
pean agriculture on the Brazilian soil. Many had 
not yet seen a plough ; some would not allow the 
justice of the observation, that the soil gained in 
fertility by being loosened, and by the chemical 
influence of the atmosphere, because the virgin 
forests, the surface of which had been the same 
for thousands of years, afforded the most fertile 
land; others doubted whether the oxen, which 
Mr. Von Langsdorff had procured from Minas, 
possessed strength to bear, even for a few days, 
the hard labour of ploughing; some again lamented 
the loss of time of the negroes that must be em- 
ployed. In truth, the use of the plough in these 
and the more northern districts which cultivate no 
corn, and have not yet lost their original fertility, 
appears less to be recommended than in the capi- 
tanias of S. Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul. As 
the productions of the earth chiefly cultivated here 
are not sown but planted, and on that account do 
not require the surface of the ground to be so 
uniformly prepared, the negro works with the hoe 
much more effectually and easily than it would be 
possible for him to do with the plough, the use of 
which is besides rendered more difficult by the 
many roots, and the unburnt trunks remaining in 
the plantations. Though our friend had at present 
only about twenty negroes, he had not only se- 
cured the subsistence of his family by the cultiva- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 257 


tion of maize and mandiocca, but was even able 
to send part of his produce to the city for sale. 
His greatest hope, however, was founded on the 
coffee plantation which he had just made. Asa 
proof of the general fertility of his estate, he se- 
veral times treated us with potatoes, which were of 
excellent quality. In fact, the farmer in these 
districts has no reason to complain of want of fer- 
tility and productiveness in the soil, if he only 
takes care to choose for the plantations, those spots 
which can be properly watered, and is sufficiently 
acquainted with the nature of the soil adapted to 
each branch of agriculture, as well as the proper 
seasons. The mandiocca root thrives very well in 
the whole province, except in low wet grounds, 
and does not require much care in the cultivation. 
The cuts (manibas) should be put into the ground 
when the weather is temperate, neither too cold 
nor too hot, and generally begin to shoot in four- 
teen days; in eighteen or twenty-two months, dur- 
ing which time the farmer endeavours above all 
things to check their growth upwards, by breaking 
out the buds, the roots have attained their full 
size. Each plantation usually yields three crops 
at the most, and is then abandoned. ‘The maize, 
which generally produces two hundred fold, is 
planted at the commencement of the rainy season, 
and gathered at the end of four or five months ; 
many kinds of beans come to maturity with still 
greater rapidity. Garden herbs, Spanish potatoes, 
VOL. I. s 


258 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


and melons, produce through the whole year, but 
most abundantly, however, during the wet season, 
The pisang, guava, oranges, &c., blossom in the 
rainy season from October to March, and produce 
fruit in the dry season. 

in this climate, as in all others, unfavourable 
influences are not wanting which are hurtful to the 
plants. The finest orange groves frequently fall 
a prey to the brown ants which gnaw off the bark, 
or to the mole-crickets which devour the roots. 
The young mandiocca and sugar plantations are 
often invaded, stripped of their leaves, and laid 
waste, by similar enemies in incredible numbers, 
or deprived of their roots by the wasps which live 
under ground. But even when the crop has hap- 
pily reached maturity, the owner must share it 
with many foreign guests. Swarms of monkeys, 
flocks of parrots and other birds, attack the plant- 
ations ; the paca, agouti, and other kinds of wild 
swine, eat up the leaves, stalks, and fruits, and 
myriads of tenthredoes injure the crop. The 
planter himseif, particularly if he has just arrived 
from Europe, and is unaccustomed to this climate, 
has many hard trials to undergo from tormenting 
animals, If he does not keep his dwelling closed, 
particularly in the morning, evening, and night, 
there are swarms of large and small musquittoes 
which torment him with their stings, even through 
the thickest clothes, and only gauze or silk, can 
secure him against these enemies. ‘The earth-flies 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 259 


(Pulex penetrans), which are concealed in numbers 
in the sand, penetrate under the nails of the hands 
and feet, and, by producing a blister filled with 
little eggs, cause the most painful sensations, which, 
if the sympathetic swelling of the inguinal glands 
is neglected, are often followed by mortification. 
The blister, as soon as it gives pain, must be care- 
fully removed, and snuff rubbed into the wound. 
Besides these, the inhabitant often has other 
enemies in his house ; the white-bellied ant (Cupim, 
Termes fatale), a great number of blattee (Blatta 
orientalis ),and other vermin, continually oblige him, 
by their destructive fury, to make new arrange- 
ments. ‘The first cause the most terrible devast- 
ation wherever they pass in their course; for, 
metals excepted, they gnaw through everything, 
and in a few days the beams of the house are 
rotten, the linen, books, and all the household 
furniture, are destroyed. The blatta commits 
great destruction among the vegetables in par- 
ticular, and in the night, even attacks the tips of 
the fingers. ‘The injury which these animals cause 
to the naturalist is extremely distressing ; he fre- 
quently finds his collections, which he thought quite 
secure, by being carefully shut up and hung against 
the wall, destroyed in a single night. Taught by 
repeated experience, we found the only safe means 
to be the application of Buffon’s arsenic salve, 
wrapping the parcels in linens dipped in oil of tur- 
pentine, and depositing them in tin cases, which 
s 2 


260 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


were soldered before they were sent away. With- 
out are numberless enemies, not to mention the 
savage ounce, the poisonous serpents, lizards, scor- 
pions, ceitipes, and spiders, which are fortunately 
not frequently met with, and only wound a person 
when provoked: the mite (acarus), called caroba- 
tos, is one of the most formidable plagues. ‘These 
little animals, from the size of a poppy-seed to that 
of a linseed, live in societies, and crowded by hun- 
dreds in the grass and on dry leaves. As soon as 
the traveller touches such a plant, they very quick- 
ly penetrate through his clothes to the skin, where 
they eat in, particularly in the more tender parts, 
and cause an intolerable itching, which is increased 
by the inevitable rubbing, and in the end produces 
an inflamed blister. The securest remedy imme- 
diately to get rid of these teasing enemies is to 
pick them off from the skin, or if they have not 
already eaten too far in, to kill them by rubbing 
with brandy, or with tobacco infused in water, or 
by fumigating with tobacco over the fire. Only 
those who have themselves experienced this evil, so 
common in the torrid zone, can form an idea of 
the sufferings to which the naturalist, who is con- 
stantly in the open air, is exposed. Happily all 
these inconveniences are of such a nature that they 
may be greatly diminished, if not wholly removed, 
by a knowledge of the country, and the application 
of approved remedies. With the increasing popu- 
lation and cultivation of the country they will gra- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 261 


dually diminish. When the inhabitants have cut 
down the woods, drained marshes, made roads, 
everywhere founded villages and towns, and thus 
by degrees triumphed over the rank vegetation and 
the noxious animals, all the elements will willingly 
second, and amply recompense the activity of man. 
But before Brazil shall have attained this period of 
civilisation, the uncultivated land may yet prove 
a grave to thousands of adventurers. Attracted 
by the constant beauty of the climate, the richness 
and the fertility of the soil, many leave their native 
land, to seek another home ina foreign hemisphere, 
and in a quite different climate. However true 
the suppositions are on which they found the ex- 
pectations of a happy result of their enthusiastic 
enterprise, it is far from realising the hopes of the 
emigrants, especially those from the north of 
Europe ; and how shall the inhabitant of the tem- 
perate zone, suddenly removed as a cultivator of 
the soil to Rio de Janeiro, or perhaps even to the 
shores of the Amazons, to a foreign climate, a 
foreign soil, a new mode of life and subsistence, 
surrounded by Portuguese, whose language he nei- 
ther understands, nor easily learns, how shall he be 
happy and maintain himself'in this country? And 
what in particular must people of the lower classes 
feel, without general education and aptitude for a 
new language, mode of life, and climate, when even 
strangers of superior condition, provided with every 
means of guarding against inconvenience, alarmed 
s 3 


262 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


at the disagreeable circumstances attending the 
climate, complain of the few resources, the poverty 
and the plagues of the country, of which we have 
latterly heard so much? If the poor colonist who 
has come from a northern climate does not meet 
with a fellow-countryman as his guide, who, ac- 
quainted with the mode of life and the cultivation 
of the soil, kindly assists him in word and deed for 
the first few years, he is exposed to perish of hun- 
ger, even in this rich country, and from the feelings 
of repentance and longing after home which ensue, 
becomes a victim to his experiment. He, however, 
who has happily passed over the first trials, who 
has secured a settlement in the beautiful country — 
of Brazil, and accustomed himself to the tropical 
climate, will most willingly acknowledge it for his 
second home ;. nay, if he has again visited Europe, 
he will, with increased attachment, wish himself 
back again; and, notwithstanding the doubts gene- 
rally entertained of the habitableness of the torrid 
zone, will celebrate Brazil as the fairest and most 
glorious country on the surface of the globe. 

After several days’ stay at Mandiocca, we re- 
turned by the same road to the city, where we 
found ourselves deceived in the hope of meeting 
with the Portuguese squadron, which was to bring 
over her imperial_highness the Princess Royal. 
This delay had considerable influence on the plan 
of our journey. It had probably been taken for 
granted at Vienna, that the whole company of 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 203 


naturalists would commence their expedition into 
the interior together ; but as hitherto only professor 
Mikan and Mr. Ender were present, and resolved 
to wait tor the remaining naturalists, no arrange- 
ment could yet be made for a joint expedition. 
We, on the other hand, had received by Count 
Von Wrbna, who, in the second month after our 
arrival, had brought the news that the marriage of 
the Princess Royal with his royal highness the 
crown-prince, Don Pedro, had been celebrated by 
proxy, orders not to prolong our journey beyond the 
term of two years. Penetrated by the wish to 
extend our travels through so unknown yet remark- 
able a country, as far as it should be possible in 
this space of time, we took the resolution to com- 
mence our journey into the interior this year, and 
thought that the delay in the arrival of the other 
naturalists: should not induce us to spend our 
valuable time in the capital, the environs of which 
have been so frequently explored. Professor Mi- 
kan, on the other hand, resolved to travel round 
the Bay of Rio, in its whole extent, and to turn 
towards the plains about Cabo Frio, and in the 
district of Goytacazes. 

Ever since our arrival in this country we had 
enjoyed the finest weather. But the rainy season 
seemed gradually approaching; the temperature 
became variable ; fogs, thick groups of clouds, and 
sudden gusts of wind were more frequent ; and on 
the 3d of October the rain fell in torrents, and con- 

Ss 4 


264 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


tinued without intermission for three days. From 
this time it rained more or less every night or 
afternoon, and, lastly, in November the wet season 
regularly set in.. In this part of South America it 
is generally calculated to last from October to 
March; and the earlier or later commencement 
of it in the several places partly depends upon their 
latitude, and their natural position, whether nearer 
to or more remote from the coast, more or less 
elevated above the sea. At Rio itself; in 22° 54’ 10” 
south latitude, 45° 5’ west longitude of Paris (eastern 
variation 4° 55’), it rains the most in February. 
During our stay the changes in the atmosphere 
were not inconsiderable; in the months of Sep- 
tember, October, and November, the barometer, 
when at the highest, was 28.2, 28.30, and 28.20; 
at the lowest 27.76, 27.85, 27.77: mean height 
27.995, 28.031, and 28.034: the thermometer 
in the two first months was at its highest points 
22°, in the third 23.49° R.; at its lowest 15.49°, 
16°, 18°; its mean height was 19.198°, 18.394°, 
and 20.49°: the hygrometer gradually rose from 
49° to '76° and 85°, as the rainy season advanced. 
We did not think it advisable, considering the 
shortness of the time allowed us for our travels, to 
wait at Rio till this season was past ; and though a 
journey during the wet months must be doubly 
fatiguing, we however determined to set out for 
the interior as soon as possible, as we considered 
that it was precisely with the commencement of 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 265 


the rainy season, that the animal and vegetable 
kingdom revive, and appear in their greatest per- 
fection. In such an expedition to the interior, we 
had been preceded of late years by several travel- 
lers. Mawe, who came from Buenos Ayres to 
Rio de Janeiro, by way of S. Paulo, had continued 
from hence his journey to Tejuco, in the Diamond 
district ; Von Eschwege, setting out from his resi- 
dence, Villa Rica, had penetrated westward fromthe 
Rio de San Francisco to Rio Abaité, where he 
worked a lead mine; his serene highness the 
Prince of Neuwied was at that time travelling along 
the sea-coast from Rio to Bahia, with Messrs. Frey- 
reiss and Sellow; Auguste de Saint Hilaire who had 
travelled a year before with Mr. Langsdorff to Villa 
Rica, after the latter had been obliged to return on 
account of business, and visited several other parts 
of the province of Minas, the Indian settlements of 
Passainha, Tejuco, and the Rio de S. Francisco, at 
Salgado, was just then on his return to the capital. 
Considering these men as our predecessors, and 
on a review of all written and verbal information, 
it appeared to us the most advisable first to un- 
dertake a journey to the southern capitania of S. 
Paulo, by which we chiefly designed by degrees to 
accustom ourselves to the climate of hot countries, 
and to make ourselves at the same time acquainted 
with the southern temperate zone. Irom the pro- 
vince of S. Paulo we intended to travel through the 
interior of Minas Geraés as far as to the river San 


266 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


Francisco and to Goyaz; lastly, either to proceed 
from hence by the river Tocantin to Para, or to 
return from the interior to Bahia and the coast, 
there to embark our collections for Europe, and 
then to penetrate again into the interior of the pro- 
vinces of Piauhy and Maranhao, and thus at length 
to reach Para, the object of our wishes. On this _ 
journey, through a part of the temperate and the 
whole of the south torrid zone, we hoped that we 
should be able to take a comprehensive view of the 
latter, and its manifold productions, and to make 
interesting comparisons between the several king- 
doms of nature, in different latitudes. ‘This plan 
was determined upon with courage and expedition. 
Our friends who were acquainted with the country 
doubted our success in an undertaking which they 
likened to the flight of Icarus; but they could not 
lessen our own confidence, guided by which we 
indulged in the pleasing hope of a happy termin- 
ation of our labours. 

Our stay at Mandiocca, and our excursions in 
the environs, had made us acquainted with most of 
the requisites for such a journey by land. Our first 
care, therefore, was to procure a troop of mules, 
and the most necessary provisions and utensils 
which every traveller in this country mustabso- 
lutely have with him, in which we profited by the 
advice of several Mineiros who had just come to 
Rio with their caravans. The first requisite, as we 
were told, was an Arieiro, to whom we should con- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 207 


fide the care of the mules and the baggage. But 
we soon discovered that it was difficult to find a 
serviceable man of this kind, and still more difficult 
to attach him to our interest. After several fruit- 
less attempts to procure a well-qualified person we 
were compelled, as the time fixed for our departure 
was near at hand, to confide the troop to a mulatto, 
who, though without sufficient guarantee, declared 
himself acquainted with the employment, and we 
gavehimour negroslave and another, a free negro, as 
assistants. How much this involuntary arrangement 
would impede our journey in a strange country, and 
frequently place usin the most disagreeable situations, 
we could not at that time indeed foresee, otherwise 
we should willingly have purchased, with some weeks’ 
delay, the possession of an able and well-disposed 
guide. This want of a confidential trustworthy 
guide, well acquainted with the road, was more 
sensibly felt by us, when our German servant, on 
the evening previous to our departure, declared 
that he would not upon any terms accompany us 
on such a long and dangerous expedition to the 
savages, but would rather remain behind among 
Christians. 

During the preparations for our departure, Her 
Imperial Highness happily arrived at Rio~ de 
Janeiro on the 5th of November. What joyful 
feelings animated us when we saw the august 
princess make her glorious entry into the capital of 
the infant kingdom, and were witnesses of the 


268 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


transports of joy with which a happy people 
welcomed the first German princess to a throne of 
the new continent. Our long-expected colleagues, 
too, the Austrian naturalists, were now likewise 
arrived, and we hoped that we should commence 
our journey in their company. This wish, however, 
was not accomplished, because the Austrian em- 
bassy declared that our learned countrymen should 
remain a longer time in the province of Rio de 
Janeiro. We were therefore compelled to prose- 
cute our plan of travelling into the provinces of 
S. Paulo, Minas Geraés, Goyaz, and Bahia alone, 
and on the application of the Austrian embassy, 
soon received from the Brazilian government the 
necessary passports and letters of recommendation. 
All the preparations for our enterprise were com- 
pleted in the beginning of December, and the 
moment to leave the capital was now arrived. 
With great emotion we took leave of friends and 
countrymen, to whom we were united by sincere 
attachment and similarity of pursuits, and set out 
upon our journey into the interior of the country, 
and first to the province of S. Paulo. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 269 


CHAPTER III. : 


JOURNEY FROM RIO DE JANEIRO TO THE CITY OF 
Ss. PAULO. 


WE left Rio de Janeiro on the 8th of December, 
1817. Several of our countrymen and _ friends 
accompanied us to the distance of half a mile * 
from the city. The commencement of this expe- 
dition was not calculated to inspire us with sanguine 
hopes. Scarcely had we turned into the broad 
high road of Santa Cruz, when some of our mules 
lay down, some dispersed among the houses and 
gardens, and others threw off their loads, and en- 
deavoured to run away. ‘The confusion increased 
when Mr. Dirming, the Prussian consul at 
Antwerp, who had arrived at Rio de Janeiro, and 
who ‘then formed one of our party, was thrown 
from his mule, which took fright. Mr. Diirming’s 
arm was so seriously hurt, that he was obliged to 
be taken back to the city. The animals always 
run wild in this manner at the commencement of a 


* Here, and in the course of the narrative, Portuguese or 
Brazilian miles are always meant, eighteen of which make a 
degree. 


270 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


journey, till they have become used to their bur- 
dens, and to proceed in a regular train. Our 
countryman, Mr. Von Eschwege, who had already 
made many excursions in this country, was the only 
one who did not regard it; but we, being novices, 
were filled with uneasiness and alarm. ‘The latter 
increased when we perceived that one of the mules, 
whose load was also very valuable, did not make 
its appearance. It had run back into the city, with 
its cargo, where it would probably have soon found 
another master, if the Arieiro had not been so for- 
tunate as to discover it at last in the harbour, al- 
ready in the hands of strangers, and to bring it back 
tous. Fatigued by the troublesome search, and 
riding backwards and forwards, we were obliged, 
though scarcely a league from the city, to halt near 
the royal country-seat of S. Cristovao, in order to 
collect the scattered mules and drivers. After we 
had passed the greatest part of the day here in 
anxious expectation, we at length set out again 
with our caravan in good order, crossed the side 
roads leading to Canta-Gallo and Minas, and at sun- 
set, reached Campinho, a fazenda, with a venda 
attached to it, situated about three leagues from 
Rio, where the necessary provisions for the passing 
caravans are sold. Such shops are met with on 
the greater part of the road from Rio de Janeiro to 
S. Paulo, and to the principal places in Minas 
Geraés, and as the plantations lie in the moist 
tracts, or in the forests far from the road, these are 


TRAVELS IN. BRAZIL. eT | 


very often the only places which put a traveller in 
mind of Europe, and of European accommodations. 
The road runs in a direction of S.S.W. through low 
land, into which the sea, at high water, penetrates 
pretty far in some places. By the side of the road 
stood several low palms, in full bloom, and filled 
the air with a smell like spermaceti.* We lay down 
to rest for the night on ox hides, which during the 
day were spread over the cargoes of the mules, but 
were now laid on the ground in the entry, which 
was sparingly lighted by a lamp. The mules hav- 
ing been fed with maize, in bags hung to their 
heads, and Jed to drink in the next pool, were sent 
to pasture. Jor this purpose, both here and on the 
whole road to S. Paulo, they use either free open 
spots, or places that are fenced in. In order that 
the animals may not run away, and be immediately 
found the next day, travellers generally prefer 
putting them into enclosures, which are let on 
very reasonable terms. When the meadow is not 
fenced in, it is usual to secure the beasts, by tying 
ropes to their fore feet. Meantime, our people 
collected wood and water, and prepared the frugal 
meal, consisting of dried beans, bacon, and dry 
beef. The night was starry, but the firmament was 
darker than in our European zone. ‘The thermo- 


*-In the East Indies the pollen of the cacao palm is used as 
an aphrodisiacum, The component parts which Fourcroy found 
in the date palm, (Annales du Mus. i. p. 417.) certainly indi- 
cate the animal nature of this substance. 


272 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


meter stood at 14.60° Reaumur, during the greatest 
part of the night; a temperature which, together 
with the hard bed on the cold stone floor, was 
enough to put us in mind of Spanish inns. At 
daybreak we continued our journey over low land, 
but did not reach the royal country-seat of Santa 
Cruz, which is five leagues and a half from 
Campinho, because our Arieiro insisted on making 
the first day’s journey short, in order to accustom 
the animals by degrees, and without injury, to travel- 
ling. We therefore passed the night in the Venda O 
Santissimo, where the old proprietor, an Italian by 
birth, related to us howhe had come to Rio, on board 
a French ship, which had been sent on a voyage of 
discovery into the South Sea, from which he had 
deserted and afterwards settled in the country. 
Thus we unexpectedly met with one of the com- 
panions of Bougainville, who after this long se- 
paration from Kurope, had not only forgotten 
the language of his country, but even European 
manners. 

On our way hither we remarked a tract of 
ground, consisting of dry granite sand. The low, 
but very pleasant wood * which covers it, resembles, 
by its bright green foliage, our laurel groves, but is 


* Schinus Aroeira, terebinthifolia Raddi; Pohlana (Langs- 
dorffia Leandr.) instrumentaria nob.; Spixia heteranthera Leandr.; 
Byrsonima nitidissima Humb,; Sapium ilicifolium W.; Alsodea 
Physiphora nob.; Petrea racemosa Nees. ; Solena grandiflora ; 
Serianz, Paullinie sp. &c. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 2783 


characterised on the other hand, as a production of 
the tropical climates, by the variety of the forms 
of its far-spreading garlands of flowers. We- saw 
in the ravines some boulders, and rolled pieces of 
greenstone, which lie scattered on the granite 
ground. On the morning of'the 10th of December, 
having traversed only well-watered meadows, we 
arrived at Santa Cruz, and were received in the 
most friendly manner, by our countryman, Lieu- 
tenant-colonel Feldner, who happened to be then 
on the spot. This little place with a population of 
a few hundred inhabitants, and which only a short 
time before had received from the king the title 
and privilege of a town, is situated on a flat sandy 
eminence, entirely surrounded by a marshy plain, 
and consists, with the exception of the royal palace, 
of nothing but wretched clay huts. The principal 
building, formerly the property of the Jesuits’ 
college at Rio de Janeiro, and at present belonging 
to the crown-prince, Don Pedro d’ Alcantara, to 
whom it was given by his father, contains the ne- 
cessary accommodation for the royal family and is 
surrounded by some dependent buildings. Not- 
withstanding very extensive pasture grounds, an 
extraordinary stock of cattle consisting of several 
thousand head, a number of nearly a thousand 
negro slaves, who are designed for this estate, and 
notwithstanding the predilection of the court for this 
seat, this rich domain is still in the same neglected 
state in which Mawe found and described it several 


VOL, I. : T 


274 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


years ago. They have not yet succeeded to make 
‘a dairy in the European manner, and the king, who 
possesses in his very neighbourhood one of the 
finest herds of cows, must content himself with 
Irish salt butter, which has performed a voyage of 
several months. The advantages which such an 
establishment would produce for the cultivation for 
the whole province, if it were arranged so as to 
serve as a model, are beyond calculation. The 
greatest part of the cattle bred here, are derived 
from such as were imported long ago from Portu- 
gal, but no care has been taken to improve them, 
by bringing others from Rio Grande do Sul, where, 
in a state of perfect freedom, they attain an extra- 
ordinary size and strength. These cattle, therefore, 
are in general smaller and worse-looking than those 
which we see grazing, half-wild, in the pastures of 
S. Paulo, or driven in great herds from Rio Grande 
to the north. They are for the most part of a dark 
brown colour, the horns but slightly bent and not — 
large. It is certain that the cows, in hot climates,give 
less milk than in ours, and it is therefore entirely 
left to the calves, who suck for along time. Even 
European cows here gradually lose their milk; a fact 
which is probably to be explained only by the pre- 
dominant action of the cutaneous system and in- 
creased perspiration. 

In order to improve the estate of Santa Cruz, 
the late minister, Conde de Linhares, assigned 
dwellings to a part of the Chinese colonists, who 


, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. QV 


had been brought to this country. Only a few of 
them were now there, most of them having gone 
into the city, to carry about for sale, little articles 
of Chinese manufacture, particularly cotton and 
fire-works ; sickness and regret for their native 
country had carried off many of them, and dislike 
to their situation induced others to. disperse. 
Those who still live here, have made round their 
low huts, which are kept very neat inside, little 
plantations, which they adorn with coffee and their 
favourite flower, the jessamine. It is well known, 
that the Chinese in their own country, follow agri- 
culture with great skill and care, and are even 
well acquainted with the art of horticulture. We 
were, therefore, surprised at this place, where a 
considerable number of Chinese had been settled 
for the purposes of agriculture, to find so few 
traces of their labours. The botanic garden or 
nursery, on the declivity of a hill, almost resembles 
a desolate wilderness ; and the kitchen garden near 
the palace, being situated in a lower and moister 
spot, is indeed more thriving but not better at- 
tended to. They showed us a branch of grumi- 
jama (Myrtus brasiliensis), which, after it had 
attained a considerable height, had been taken in 
the Chinese manner, as a layer from the parent 
stock. ‘The Chinese employ a very ingenious 
method for this purpose, which is particularly 
adapted to hot countries, where the vegetation is 
stronger than among us. ‘The method is this; the 
T 2 


276 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


branch intended for a layer, which is generally 
several inches thick, is wrapt in a straw band, in 
which horse dung is laid, and which is five or six 
times as thick as the branch. A circular incision, 
down to the wood, is made below the band, and 
water is made to fall upon it, from a considerable 
height, through a vessel with very small holes, 
generally a cocoa-nut shell, ‘The branch soon puts 
forth filaments, and in a short time has such a 
strong bunch of roots, that in about two months, 
the wood may be sawed through, and the young 
tree planted in the ground, when it immediately 
begins to blossom, and bears, as a separate indi- 
vidual, the fruits which it promised as a branch. 
The Chinese also show knowledge which corre- 
sponds with our notions of the growth of trees in 
this particular, that in order to procure plants that 
will sooner come to maturity, they prefer the upper 
and thinner branches, but to have better and 
more productive layers, they choose the stronger 
branches, nearer to the ground. 

The physiognomy of the Chinese colonists was 
particularly interesting to us, and was in the sequel 
still more so, because we thought we could per- 
ceive in them the fundamental lines, which are re- 
marked in the Indians. ‘The figure of the Chinese 
is, indeed, rather more slender, the forehead broader, 
the lips thinner and more alike, and the features in 
general more delicate and mild than those of the 
American who lives in woods; yet the small, not 
oblong, but roundish, angular, rather pointed head, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 277 


the broad crown, the prominent sinus frontales, the 
low forehead, the pointed and projecting cheek- 
bones, the oblique position of the small narrow 
eyes, the blunt, proportionably small, broad, flat 
nose, the thinness of the hair on the chin and the 
other parts of the body, the long smooth black hair 
of the head, the yellowish or bright reddish tint of 
the skin, are all characteristics common to the 
physiognomy of both races. The mistrustful, cun- 
ning, and, as it is said, often thievish character, 
and the expression of a mean way of thinking, and 
mechanical disposition, appear, in both, in the same 
manner. In comparing the Mongol physiognomy 
with the American, the observer has opportunity 
enough to find traces of the series of develop- 
ments through which the Eastern Asiatic had to 
pass, under the influence of the climate, in order, 
at length, to be transformed into an American. 
In these anthropological investigations, we arrive at 
the remarkable result, that certain characteristics, 
which constitute the principal difference of the 
races, do not easily pass into others, whereas those 
which depend only upon more or less, gradually 
vanish or degenerate, through a series of different 
gradations. In this respect the difference of the 
negroes is peculiarly striking, who, in various par- 
ticulars, especially the complexion, the hair, the 
conformation of the skull, the proportions of the 
countenance, and of the whole body, differ more 
from all other races than from each other. The 
T 3 


278 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


negro races of the South Sea, and the Indian 
Archipelago, who, for the most part, are derived 
from a mixture of various races, who, at so great 
a distance from their native country, must expe- 
- rience considerable modification of the Ethiopic 
character, yet still indicate, in every respect, 
their African descent, rather than a nearer af- 
finity with the other races. On the other hand, 
the physiognomical characteristics of the Mon- 
gol, Caucasian, Malay, and American races, blend 
with each other through so many shades, that 
we are involuntarily led to presume a common 
fundamental type for all these, in opposition to the 
Ethiopic, which perhaps is most strikingly marked 
in the Mongol, and to which the abovementioned 
various conformations must perhaps be referred as 
so many forms of development occasioned by cli- 
mate, as has been already asserted by a very dis- 
tinguished writer on Universal History. Whether 
such a change, proceeding from the aboriginal in- 
habitants of Upper Asia, has really produced the 
actually existing four chief varieties of the Mongol 
as the oldest, then the American, the Malay, and 
Caucasian, would be one of the most important 
and interesting investigations for the study of an- 
thropology, as well as the history of the revolutions 
of the earth in general. 

Lieutenant-colonel Feldner had been already 
several months at Santa Cruz, to direct the manufac- 
tory of charcoal, which had been established there 
for his majesty’s account, and particularly for the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL, 279 


use of the court at Rio de Janeiro. ‘Though he 
was on a royal estate, and employed in his majesty’s 
service, he was obliged to content himself with a 
miserable clay hut, and with scanty fare. We 
willingly shared both with our worthy friend ; our 
conversation about our native country, and many 
agreeable recollections, made us forget every priy- 
ation. We roamed, in his company, about the 
environs of Santa Cruz, consisting chiefly of marshy 
pasture land, interrupted by single low spots of 
wood, where we saw, for the first time, the long- 
legged stork (Jaburi) stalking about in great num- 
bers. The lapwing (Vanellus cayennensis) hovered 
over our heads with uniform note, and spur-winged 
water-hens (Parra Jacana) ran about in flocks. 
We were not permitted to go in chase of them, as 
this is prohibited within a league from Santa Cruz. 
On another opportunity, we extended our excur- 
sion to Sabati, where we found an ophisaurus al- 
most a foot and a half long, on the sandy downs, 
and between the hairy mimosa bushes. ‘There are 
in this neighbourhood many soap trees (Sapindus 
Saponaria), the fruit of which is brought to the 
city in large quantities. The poorer class use 
them instead of soap; the finer, which is mostly 
imported from North America, is one of the ex- 
pensive articles of housekeeping. In many years, 
one of these trees, which are generally about the 
size of our nut trees, produces several bushels of 
this fruit, which contains a great quantity of sa- 
T 4 


280 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


ponaceous matter. There are here many species 
of still higher trees, which are used, for burning into 
charcoal. These manufactories are managed in 
exactly the same manner as in Europe, principally 
in the driest months from July to September, and 
are very profitable on account of the scarcity of 
firewood for the use of the city. They now begin 
to be carried on with activity, since Mr. Feldner 
has proved, by examining the coal mines near 
Bahia, that very little is to be expected from them. 

From our want of experience in the mode of 
travelling in this country, we had taken with us 
from Rio much superfluous baggage, and now 
found it necessary to lighten the burden of our 
mules. Having accordingly selected whatever could 
be dispensed with, and left behind, we get out 
from Santa Cruz on the 11th of December, and 
were accompanied part of the way by our friend. 
A very good road leads S.W., almost in a straight 
line, to a bridge, where a barrier was erected to 
examine travellers in the interior of the provinces 
of Rio and S. Paulo, .but particularly to prevent a 
contraband trade with gold dust, from the interior 
to the coast. The country is an open level, wa- 
tered by numerous pools and streams, and is 
bounded to the south and west by the Serra do 
Mar, which runs along the sea-coast at different 
distances, and here sends out a branch nearly in a 
direction from west to east, which, under the name 
of Serra da Ilha Grande, extends to the bay of 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 281 


Angra dos Reys, and the prolongation of which 
forms the nucleus of Ilha Grande. 

We passed the night of the 12th of December 
at Taguahy *, a large sugar manufactory, the en- 
virons of which are adorned with an incredible 
variety of vegetation. A small church upon the 
eminence, commands the valley. Not far from it 
there is a large lake, which is frequented by water- 
fowl of manifold species. We here observed, for 
the first time, a kind of woodpecker (Picus gar- 
rulus, nob.), which is found only in districts, re- 
sembling the campos, and precedes the traveller 
with a loud screaming cry. On the following 
morning, when we had our mules loaded, we had 
another unhappy proof of the difficulty of convey- 
ance in this country. A mule which had to carry 
the tin cylinder, containing the barometer tubes, 
suddenly became shy, run into the neighbouring 
wood, and could not be retaken till it had thrown 
off its load and broken all the instruments. ‘This 
loss was the more distressing to us, as it could not 
be repaired during the whole journey till we reached 
S. Paulo, whither we had luckily sent some baro- 
meter tubes by water. The natural sciences have 


* Taguahy derives its name from the Brazilian words Tawa, 
yellow, and Hy, water. In the southern provinces, it is ob- 
servable among the many modifications of the Lingua geral, 
that the numerous vowels are divided by the insertions of 
consonants between them. Thus Tagua is made out of Taua; 
Jaguareté out of Jauareté, the ounce, &c. 


252 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


hitherto met with little encouragement, even im 
the principal cities of Brazil, the barometers and 
other instruments which are here and there met 
with are, accordingly, considered as invaluable by 
the few persons who amuse themselves with mete- 
orological observations. 

At the foot of the mountain which we had now 
to ascend, was the house of a Dutch planter. 
While a person went into the wood to look for 
him, and our caravan went forward, we had an 
opportunity of collecting an abundance of plants, 
and of the most beautiful insects, particularly the 
cetonia. ‘This planter, whose name was Dufles, 
cultivates the sugar-cane and coffee with great 
success, in which he is much favoured by the 
moisture of the valley, and the sunny situation of 
the mountain. Fortunately, we did not.stay here 
very long, and soon overtook our mules, which we 
found in great confusion on the clayey soil, which 
was full of deep holes. Most of them had thrown 
off their burdens, or stuck fast in the pits. We 
were therefore obliged to make fascines, to fill up 
the holes, and to give the animals a firm footing. 
After excessive exertions, we at length reached 
the summit of the mountain, where a fine view over 
the plains of Santa Cruz made us forget our la- 
bours. With various feelings, we here took our 
last farewell of the sea-coast, and bent our way 
into the interior. The mountain consists of 
granite of a pretty fine grain, and reddish co- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 283 


lour, which sometimes passes into gneiss, and is 
covered with a thick forest. The steep road turns 
in the mountains from south to west, and leads 
through several agreeably watered valleys, but 
lonesome and gloomy from want of cultivation, to 
a miserable village in the midst of the mountains, 
which might afford a very attractive residence for 
a naturalist, because its environs have an endless 
variety of beautiful vegetation, and interesting ani- 
mals. Myrtles, rubiacez, scitaminee, and orchi- 
dez, constitute the principal feature in the phy- 
siognomy of these woods, which, like those of the 
Serra de Estrella, are at an elevation of 2500, to 
8000 feet above the level of the sea. Before we 
reached the Fazenda S. Rosa, where we intended 
to rest for the night, we passed a royal farm, which 
is a dependency of that at Santa Cruz, and is chiefly 
employed for the purposes of felling fine wood 
(Madeiras reaés or de ley), which work is per- 
formed by the king’s slaves. The progress of the 
journey became more and more inconvenient and 
dangerous, on account of the steepness of the moun- 
tain, the frequent hills and clay pits, which obliged 
us to make a considerable circuit. The narrow 
valleys, covered with thick forests, contract on all 
sides, and a cool and clear brook sometimes flows 
through them. Profound solitude reigned here, 
and, with the exception of a few wretched clay 
huts, or spots lately cleared of the wood, the tra- 
veller meets with nothing which reminds him of the 


284 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


influence of man on these majestic scenes of savage 
nature. As we descended from the steep emi- 
*nence, and issued from the dark gloom of the 
forest, we perceived the little hamlet, Villa de S. 
Joao Marcos, and afterwards a solitary but hand- 
some fazenda in the valley. ‘The newly cleared 
grounds are soon covered, especially on eminences 
exposed to the sun, with an incredibly thick ves- 
ture of a kind of brake (Pterts caudata), which, by 
spreading its tough roots in the ground, becomes a 
very troublesome weed, and very difficult to be 
extirpated. The inclination of this plant always 
to grow upon land that has just been made fit for 
tillage, is worthy of attention in the history of the 
diffusion of plants. In the latitude through which 
we now travelled, we observed several other plants 
grow immediately after the clearing away of the 
wood: among these were Phytolacca decandra and __ 
icosandra, Scoparia dulcis, Solanum decurrens, and 
some species of the same genus, Gronovia scandens, 
Phlomis officinalis, nob., and several kinds of hyptis. 
In North America, the thick plantations of ferns 
are used to make potashes, because they contain 
so much alkali; but, in Brazil, no attempt has yet 
been made to employ, for this purpose, the ferns, 
and those immense quantities of wood yearly felled; 
because they consider the ashes left after burning 
the wood, as necessary to manure the soil. 
At Retiro, a miserable fazenda, lying sideways 
from S. Marcos, in a narrow swampy valley, sur- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 285 


rounded by woody mountains, we passed the first 
night in the open air. The uraponga had ceased 
his strangely sounding notes, the swarms of grass- 
hoppers commenced, as night set in, their mono- 
tonous chirp, at intervals interrupted by the notes 
of a large frog, resembling a drum, the lament of 
the capueira, and the dull cry of the goat-sucker. 
Affected by the constantly returning impressions, 
we felt ourselves in a strange and solemn mood in 
the lonely wilderness, which was farther increased 
when the firmament, with all the splendour of the 
southern constellations, beamed on the dark forest, 
and millions of shining beetles fluttered in lumin- 
ous circles through the hedges, till at length a 
heavy rain veiled all in darkness. The woody 
ridge of mountains through which we had hitherto 
travelled is the highest part of that branch of the 
Serra do Mar, which, in general about three 
thousand feet high, runs towards the sea-coast 
from the principal chain, which runs to the north. 
The next mountains over which we passed are 
lower, and rise at longer intervals. The road is 
sometimes cut very deep in the soil, which consists 
of red clay, is very narrow, and when two troops 
of mules meet, as it often happens, dangerous. 
This kind of road is, however, welcome in luxuri- 
ant forests, because the confining all travellers to 
one narrow path, prevents it from being quickly 
overgrown, as would otherwise happen. Paved 
roads and bridges are, of course, to be found no- 


286 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


where in these solitudes, though the ground in the 
neighbourhood of the numerous streams, is quite 
swampy, especially in the rainy season. We first 
observed in these woods the notes of a greyish 
brown bird, probably a thrush, which frequents the 
bushes and ground in damp low woods, and sings 
with numerous repetitions through the musical 
scale, from H' to A’ (of the German scale), so regu- 
larly, that not a single note is wanting. It com- 
monly sings each note four or five times over, and 
then proceeds imperceptibly to the following 
quarter tone. It is usual to deny to the songsters 
of the American forests all melody and expression, 
and to allow them no pre-eminence but splen- 
dour of plumage. But if in general the pretty 
natives of the torrid zone are more distinguished by 
the beauty of their colours, than by fulness and 
power of note, and seem inferior to our nightingale 
in clearness and melodiousness of tone, yet this 
little bird, among others, is a proof that they are 
at least not destitute of the principles of melody. 
How far the musical improvement of man _ has 
already had an influence on the notes of birds, 
remains an interesting subject for physiological 
investigation. It is at least conceivable that when 
the almost inarticulate tones of a degenerate race 
of men, no longer resounds in the woods of Brazil, 
many of the feathered songsters will also produce 
more refined melodies. Besides the birds of the 
forest, the attention of the zoologist is claimed by 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 287 


the serpents, particularly the beautifully coloured 
ahaetulla, which is seen darting across the road, or 
killed by the passing caravan. A lichen*, which 
by its splendid rose-colour is a real ornament to 
the stems, grows here on trees, especially in moist 
places. The beauty and the peculiar brilliancy 
of this plant, have induced Mr, Tonay to use it for 
dying; and Vauquelint, who examined it by the 
name of cochenille végétale, observes that the red 
colour contained in it, has much resemblance with 
the orseille (dyers’ lichen), is less lively and brilliant, 
and in smaller quantity, but may be advantageous- 
ly employed in dying silk and wool, but not so well 
for cotton. In the main valley, between the 
ranges of mountains we had already passed, and the 
following, flows the Pirahy (Fish River), the water 
of which is pretty clear, though its bed is sandy 
and marshy. As there is neither a bridge nor ferry, 
the mules had to be unloaded, and swim through, 
and the luggage carried over on the shoulders of 
our people. In the deepest place, a narrow plank 
(pinguéla) had formerly been laid for foot passen- 
gers; but it had been unfortunately carried away 
by the water, so that Mr. Ender, crossing over on 
horseback, got entangled, to our terror, in a deep 
hole, from which he did not extricate himself with- 
out great danger. 


* Spiloma roseum, Raddi. (Mem. di Fis. Soc. Ital. vol. xviii. 
p: 349. t. 2.) 
+ Mémoires du Muséum, Année 3me, p. 145. 


288 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


At the Fazenda dos Negros, four leagues from 
Retiro, we met with an unpleasant accident, one 
of our people being bitten by a bird-spider. Though 
these animals are universally proscribed as poison- 
ous, yet the wound, after having been burntover hot 
coals, was not attended with serious consequences. 
The numerous slaves of the fazenda were cele- 
brating a festival, which continued from sunset till 
late in the night, with dancing, singing, and noisy 
music. The din of their atabaque, a kind of drum, 
and the canza, a thick tube with iron bars across, 
on which they produce a jarring sound, by passing 
over it backwards and forwards with a stick, dis- 
turbed us as much as the torrents of rain, which, 
driven by the high wind from all quarters under 
our shed, frequently obliged us suddenly to lie 
down in another place. * With this night we began 
to experience the inconveniences of a journey dur- 
ing the season of the rains, which henceforward 
continued uninterruptedly not only in the night, 
but even in the afternoon. Surrounded by wooded 
mountains, which were covered every morning low 
down with thick fog, we soon perceived a consi- 
derable increase in the moisture of the atmosphere. 
The whalebone hygrometer, which in the pre- 
ceding months had been more elastic, was now 
very often 60° and 65°, and in the evening and 
morning more than 70°. ‘The wet season that now 
set in appeared to be welcome to the inhabitants 
themselves ; for the places where the woods had 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. _ 289 


been burnt during the late dry months, were now 
used for the new plantations. We, on the con- 
trary, were of course greatly incommoded by the 
rain, which came down all night in streams, or in 
fine mist, and by the cold which accompanied it. 
Our baggage suffered considerably by the sudden 
increase of damp, and among our collections, the 
insects and plants in particular, were covered with 
a yellowish mould*, the formation of which no 
care can prevent. We hoped, indeed, that after 
crossing the second chain of mountains which 
stretches from N.W. to S.E. towards the sea, we - 
should find a more favourable climate ; but in this 
we were deceived, for we had continued rainy 
weather for several weeks. The roads, which are 
mostly heavy clayey soil, became nearly impassable, 
and the swelling of the rapid torrents, through 
which the drivers had often to carry the baggage 
on their backs, greatly delayed our progress. 

This second chain of mountains, from the most 
northern valleys of which two of the chief sources 
of the Paraiba, namely, the Paratininga and the 
smaller Rio Turbo, flow, consists, like the first, 
entirely of granite, which, here and there adopting 
a scaly structure, passes into gneiss. 

In several places of the Freguezia of Bananal, 
which leans on a hill, the mountain masses showed 


* It was the same Eurotium herbariorum Link, which, among 
us also, makes its appearance in our herbals in damp weather. 


VOL. I. U 


290 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


a direction in hours 3 and 4 of the miner’s com- 
pass, and an inclination of about 30°. The gra- 
nite consists here of much grey and silvery mica, 
white quartz, and white or reddish felspar. ‘These 
parts, though only thinly peopled, seem to be more 
diligently cultivated than all those through which 
we had hitherto travelled. We saw here and there 
very extensive plantations of maize, the most im- 
portant production in these mountains, which here 
yields from fifty to sixty fold. Several European 
colonists have attempted, in the colder regions of 
these mountains, to grow flax, which has been 
attended with great success; but it is not pro- 
bable that this plant will be very extensively cul- 
tivated, considering the abundance of cotton, and 
the little demand for linens, which at present are 
not much used by the Brazilians. On a consi- 
derable eminence behind Bananal we observed an 
evident transition of the gneiss into mica slate, 
which has its direction in hour 3. We found on 
the road casual fragments of a compact brown 
iron-stone, which passes into drused hematite. To 
the south of Bananal, several other chains of moun- 
tains, which are almost parallel to each other, and 
all thickly wooded, run from the west towards the 
ocean. ~ We passed, in two days’ journey, the first 
of these, the outlines of which are more rounded, 
and of more agreeable form, having between them 
some light valleys, with pools and rich meadows. 
We everywhere observed the same species of rock, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 201 


namely, a pretty coarse-grained granite, with much 
grey and silvery mica. Several colonists have 
settled in the valleys by the side of small streams, 
and their extensive plantations of Turkish wheat 
give the first appearance of culture to those lonely 
tracts. ‘The third mountain ridge, Morro For- 
moza, resembles by its bolder forms, larger and 
irregular masses, the mountains round about Rio, 
and constitutes the frontier of the provinces of Rio 
and 8. Paulo. Along the road, which runs south- 
westward through the mountains with many wind- 
ings, there is exposed in many places granite, with 
large foliated very ferruginous mica, and in it 
_small veins of disintegrated red iron-stone, the di- 
rection of which is in hour 2. of the miner’s com- 
pass, in very considerable angles of inclination ; 
likewise very large pieces of compact brown 
iron ore, and large masses of hard white quartz 
occur here and there. From the Morro Formoza, 
which forms the limit of the territory, and divides 
the rivers in this eastern branch of the Serra do 
Mar, the road gradually declines through low 
mountains, which are more open and agreeable, 
and where population and culture increase. The 
richness of the scenery indemnified us for the 
fatigues which the bad roads and the frequent 
showers of rain occasioned; in particular, these 
parts seemed to be the resort of the most beautiful 
butterflies, which, with their gay shining wings, 


uz 


292 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


sported by thousands about the mountain streams 
illumined by the sun, 

On the third day, after we had left Snot 
and passed the river, and the little place Barreiro, 
we reached S. Anna das Aréas, a pretty consider- 
able town, which had lately been raised by the king 
to the rank ofa villa. ‘The government endeavours, 
in general, to favour the union of several colonists 
by conferring such titles and the privileges con- 
nected with them; in which it is actuated by the 
double principle, that by living closer together the 
colonists gain in civilisation, and regard for their 
duties as citizens ; and the state, by the increased 
facility in the administration, the collection of the 
taxes, and the regulation of the militia. In every 
country which, with a great extent, possesses but a 
small population, it is certainly more to the in- 
terest of the government to improve some parts by 
augmenting the population, and encouraging in- 
dustry, and raising them to the necessary degree 
of social and civil relations, than to suffer the mass 
of inhabitants to scatter themselves over the whole 
face of the country, and allow each individual to 
lead a life, which, being remote from all protection 
and all observance of the laws, without the bene- 
ficent influence of society, cannot promote mo- 
rality, the social virtues, nor cultivation. The 
tendency of the measures of the Portuguese go- 
vernment has, in this respect, a resemblance to the 
system of military colonisation in Russia, though 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 203 


the latter, as a warlike establishment, has an en- 
tirely different object. The Villa das Aréas, which 
has arisen within these five and thirty years in this 
thickly wooded mountain, out of the settlement of 
a few poor colonists, cannot, of course, yet present 
a picture of high prosperity. ‘The low houses, 
built of slight laths, simply interwoven with twigs, 
and plastered with clay, and the little church 
which is constructed in the same manner, seem 
very ephemeral ; so that these dwellings appear to 
be erected merely as temporary places of refuge 
for wanderers. We entirely miss the appearance 
of comfort and of solidity, calculated for long dura- 
tion, which distinguishes European dwellings, though 
it must be owned that this is not entirely unsuitable 
to a climate, in which the inhabitants, whose set- 
tlement is so unfixed, are so little in need of a 
durable abode. We found by far the greater part 
of all the towns in the interior of Brazil like this 
place, and the rarity of a well-built and comfort- 
able house frequently excited regret for the con- 
veniences and cleanliness of our native land. In 
the neighbourhood of Aréas, there is still a con- 
siderable village of Indians, who are the remains of 
the numerous tribes which, previously to the occupa- 
tion of the Serra do Mar by the Paulistas, inhabited 
the whole of the extensive forests of this chain, and 
are now either extinct, or mixed with negroes and 
mulattoes, live in a state of half civilisation among 
the colonists. They are still distinguished by the 
U3 


294 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


indolence, and the almost untameable obstinacy of 
their forefathers, and have but little intercourse 
with the colonists, whose plantations and cattle 
frequently suffer from the predatory attacks of 
these troublesome neighbours. The inhabitants call 
these Indians by the name of Capoculos, thereby 
distinguishing them from those. who are wholly 
savage and uncivilised (Gentios, Bugres, Indios 
bravos). It is probable that these remaining In- 
dians, who dwell along the coast, belong to several 
tribes whose names are partly lost, because the 
Portuguese did not distinguish them from each 
other, but bestowed on them the common name of 
Coroados or Shorn, because they used to cut off 
the hair from the middle of the crown, and wore 
only a circle of hair round the forehead.* The 
chief abode of the Coroados, is at present on the 
banks of the Rio da Pomba, a side branch of the 
Paraiba; and as the Indians generally make their 


* Historians mention in the neighbourhood of Rio de 
Janeiro, and along the coasts of that place, southward to S. 
Paulo, the Tamoyos, a very warlike nation, allied with the 
French under Villegagnon against the Portuguese; also the 
Carijos or Guaras, in the forests of the whole Serra do Mar, 
also extended very far to the south. On the north coast of 
the Bay of Rio, and in the plains of Cabo Frio, dwelt the Goy- 
tacazes; of the latter, the Corografia Brasilica (II. p. 45.) 
mentions three hordes, namely, the Goytaca-Guasst, Goytaca- 
Moppis, and the Goytaca-Jacoret6. Westward of these, 
and to the south, behind Serra do Mar, nearly as far as to 
S. Paulo, was the abode of the Goyanazes, who bore an affinity 
to the Goytacazes. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 295 


migrations along the rivers, it seems that they 
originally spread from the interior to the sea. 
Those who live together in the Aldea de Valenga, 
not far from the road of Rio to Villa Rica, between 
the rivers Paraiba and Rio Preto, are remains of 
the same nation. This place was but a few years 
ago, the only one in ‘the province of Rio de 
Janeiro, in which a considerable number, both of 
converted and unconverted Indians resided. The 
situation of the establishment, favoured the inclin- 
ation of these children of nature, to return from 
time to time to the great primeval forests on the 
Paraiba, and farther northward, towards Minas 
Geraés, whence they, however, always returned to 
the ecclesiastics of the mission. The introduction 
of a Swiss colony into Rio de Janeiro, which took 
place soon after we left that city, and the com- 
mand of the government that those Indians 
should clear the forests for the new comers, is 
stated to be the cause that a great part of them 
have lately for ever abandoned the village. 

The capitao mdr in Aréas, delighted at the ap- 
pearance of several strangers of the nation of his 
crown-princess, and from such a remote country, of- 
fered us, in a very friendly manner, when we passed 
through, his services in forwarding our effects ; 
because his experienced eye soon discovered the 
bad condition of our mules, which, by the neglect 
of our unskilful Arieiro, had become almost unser- 
viceable; but as the latter assured us that we did not 

vu 4 


296 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


want the assistance of strangers ; and that the mules, 
though a little galled by the saddles, were in per- 
fectly good condition, we continued our journey. 
The road leads constantly southward, through se- 
veral narrow valleys, thickly covered with wood, 
which are intersected by some rivulets, flowing 
southward to the Paraiba. The mountain consists 
of a gneiss, in part much decomposed, upon which 
there are beds of slaty clay iron-stone, which is 
in strata, and the direction of which is in hours 
3 and 4 of the miner’s compass. From the 
highest point of the mountain, we saw behind us 
three parallel chains, piled up in immense steps, 
but before us only the lower Serra do Paraiba 
At sunset we had descended from the high moun- 
tain, and reached some poor huts in the deep 
bottom of the valley of Tacasava, near a rapid 
stream, which runs into the Paraiba. Several 
caravans had already encamped here, who were 
conveying fowls to Rio for sale. The dispro- 
portion of the wants of a great city, and the 
scanty produce of the environs, which are for the 
most part still uncultivated, makes it necessary to 
bring supplies from very remote districts. The 
industrious Paulistas, therefore, carry their live 
stock from a distance of about a hundred leagues, 
to the market at Rio, where they dispose of them 
to great advantage. The neighbourhood of these 
feathered travellers, caused us this time a sleep- 
less night. We observed, on this occasion, that the 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 2907 


note of these fowls, which are of European origin, 
is a simple, harsh, or shrill tone, which gradually 
becomes weaker and lower, is rougher and more 
disagreeable than ours. These fowls are confined 
in large baskets, made of the pliant stalks and 
shoots of several kinds of paullinia, and the 
troughs for them are made of thick stems (Za- 
guara) of arborescent grasses (Bambusa). 

On the following morning, when we were going 
from Tacasava, we found that the capitao mor of 
Aréas had but too justly appreciated the bad condi- 
tion of our mules. The animals had been so much 
galled by the saddles, which our unskilful Arieiro did 
not knowhow to fit on them, that they were now inca- 
pable of any other service, and compelled us to halt. 
The swelling which the animals get from the rough- 
ness of the saddle, or the unequal balance of the 
burden, is often so malignant that it mortifies and 
occasions death; the greatest care was therefore 
necessary not to run the risk of losing the whole 
troop. The leader, it is true, laid the whole blame 
on the thick fogs during the night, the heavy 
morning dew, and, above all, on the light of the 
moon, which made the animals’ wounds worse; for 
these are the principal elements in the theory of 
diseases of the common people: but we would not 
leave the cure, as he proposed, to the beams of the 
sun, and so the day was spent in the disagreeable 
veterinary occupation of burning, scarifying, wash- 
ing the wounds with a decoction of tobacco, and 


2908 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


bleeding ; in which the Arieiros of the other troops 
that were halting at the same place goodnaturedly 
afforded their advice and assistance. In the morn- 
ing the thermometer stood at 15° in the shade; at 
noon at 28°, and in the neighbouring river at 20° R. 
In the evening we saw a magnificent convoy pass 
by. It was a caravan of the bishop of New Cor- 
dova, who, being driven from his residence by the 
pelitical revolutions in the Spanish colonies, was 
travelling with a Portuguese escort from Monte- 
Video to Rio de Janeiro, where he intended to 
embark on his return to Europe. He had been 
already four months upon the road to traverse 11° 
of latitude. By sea he might have returned to 
Europe in less time. It was not till the evening of 
the following day that we received fresh mules, 
which the obliging capitao mor of Aréas sent after 
us. We now resolved, in order to redeem the time 
we had lost, immediately to continue our journey 
by moonlight, which, however, we soon had reason 
to repent. We were still in the village when one 
of the new animals threw off his load in the middle 
of a stream and ran off, which occasioned another 
and still more disagreeable delay. With much dif- 
ficulty we gathered the scattered parts of the 
botanical collections. At last we recovered every 
thing but a bottle of flowers preserved in spirits of 
wine; but even this was afterwards found by the 
owner of the venda, delivered to our friend Mr: 
Ender, on his return from §. Paulo to Rio, and 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 299 


through him arrived safe at Munich. We mention 
this little circumstance with pleasure, as a proof of 
that good fortune which attended all our collections 
of natural history, which, though exposed to innu- 
merable hazards and dangers, have all, without ex- 
ception, reached their final destination; a success 
which few travellers can boast. Travelling by 
night in the tropical countries is extremely agree- 
‘able, especially from the coolness which refreshes 
the traveller after the parching heat of the day. 
The landscape, too, appears in new and often strik- 
ing forms, which excite in a peculiar manner the 
‘fancy of the European, by the uncertainty of their 
outlines. Only, travelling by night is not good for 
the animals, because they prefer resting from mid- 
night till the morning. During the last few days 
we had descended lower and lower out of the nar- 
row valleys of the mountains, and now sometimes 
saw in the moonlight, to the right, before, and on 
the side of us, the summits of a part of the Serra 
Mantiqueira, which runs from Minas southward, 
behind the Serra do Mar. Their bluish outlines 
formed a magic back-ground to the landscape, in 
which wood and open spots alternated. ‘The lofty 
trees of the forests through which we passed were 
veiled in black shadow, and many strange and 
never before heard nightly voices resounded; all 
united to excite in us sensations equally singular 
and uncommon. ‘The conduct of the troop by 
night requires double attention in the driver, that 


300 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


none of the animals may conceal itself in the 
bushes and remain behind. Our attendants, lively 
Paulistas, did not fail to encourage each other by 
calling and singing; they joked on the possibility 
of some venomous serpent lying in the road, till 
the oldest of them, with an air of importance, 
assured them that this was impossible ; because he 
kept all dangerous vermin at a distance by a daily 
prayer to St. Thomas. The chance of meeting 
with poisonous serpents, which come out to look 
for prey during the night, and prefer the lighter 
road to the _bushes, is certainly no inconsiderable 
danger for those who travel during the night, more 
especially where the little schiraraca (Bothrops 
leucurus, nob.) is very common. A few days 
before, while resting on a hollow tree, during the 
noonday heat, we had lain upon one of these 
venomous serpents; fortunately it was caught in 
time, and put into spirits of wine. At Malada, 
consisting of a few poor huts, we asked in vain for 
a night’s lodging, for the common people in Brazil 
do not sit up late at night, except on occasion of 
their festivals ( fungoés). At Silveira, two leagues 
from Tacasava, a similar halting-place for caravans, 
we at last met with a fenced-in feeding place (pasto 
feixado) for the cattle, and a roomy rancho, in 
which we hung up our hammocks. 

We were, it is true, still among the mountains, 
but the rounder summits are more detached ; and 
as, instead of the gloomy forest, they are covered 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 301 


with cheerful plantations of maize, mandiocca, and 
sugar-cane in more extensive spots, make an agree- 
able impression on the traveller, who involuntarily 
feels himself constrained and oppressed by the 
silent uniformity of the woods. We accordingly 
breathed more freely when, on the following day, 
still proceeding in the direction to south-west, we 
at length reached the last summit of this chain, 
which belongs to the Serra do Mar, and a deep and 
pleasant valley extended before us. This valley is 
bounded to the west, at the distance of about two 
miles, by a part of the Serra do Mantiqueira, the 
general direction of which, at this point, is from 
S.W. to N.E. From thence it appears like a long 
uninterrupted ridge, without steep declivities and 
ravines, but marked by agreeably picturesque out- 
lines, with many gently rising eminences, some of 
which are covered with thick wood, and others with 
green pastures. ‘The valley itself, which we at 
length entered, after having passed the huts of 
Pajol-and the river Iripariba, which falls into the 
Paraiba, extends between the last extremities of 
the Serra do Mar and those of the Mantiqueira 
above mentioned, to the south; the Paraiba, after 
issuing from the narrow valleys of the first chain of 
mountains, flows in it towards the north, and takes 
at Jacarehy a direction quite contrary to that which 
it had before; its banks are partly covered with 
low wood and partly with rich pastures. 

About noon we passed a place where a side road 


302 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


branches out, which leads to Minas, and is hence 
called Mineiro, and reached, at last, Lorena, other- 
wise called Guaypacaré, a village consisting of 
about forty houses, and of no importance, notwith- 
standing its fertile environs, and the great inter- 
course between the provinces of S. Paulo and 
Minas Geraés. The road from 8S. Paulo to Minas 
passes here in two points, called Porto da Caxoeira 
and Porto do Meyra, across the Paraiba, which 
flows half a quarter of a league from the villa. 
The chief articles of trade from 8. Paulo to Minas” 
are mules, horses, salt, dry meat, iron goods, and 
all other manufactures which go from the coast 
to the interior. At present, however, Minas is 
almost entirely supplied by Rio and Bahia, and 
the importation from Santos is inconsiderable ; 
and of still less importance is that from Angra dos 
Reyes and Parati, in the province of Rio de 
Janeiro, which are the nearest to the entrance of 
Minas. Minas sends principally coarse cotton 
goods to 8S. Paulo. As we proceeded farther into 
the fertile valley, to the south of Lorena, which was 
magically illumined by the setting sun, we observed 
remarkable changes in the vegetation. ‘The savage 
character of the forests disappeared, and the open, 
unconfined, mild nature of the plains (campos) 
was gradually more apparent the farther we ad- 
vanced. Instead of the thick and high mountain 
woods, we had now before us plains and gently 
rising hills, which are covered with scattered 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 303 


bushes and extensive tracts of verdure. ‘The sin- 
gularly formed brown flowers of the Jarinha (Aris- 
tolochia ringens) and a white Ipomoea (Jpomea 
Krusensternii, Ledeb.), two gigantic flowers, climb 
over the hedges, which consist of several splendid 
specimens of the family of melastroma, myrtles, 
and euphorbia. The Ambrosia artemisiefolia, a 
strand plant of Virginia and Carolina, is found in 
several thick bushes on the shores of the Paraiba. 
The plain, though partly very swampy, is one of 
the most fruitful districts of S. Paulo. Tobacco 
thrives particularly well, and the cultivation of it 
is the chief occupation of the inhabitants of Lorena 
and of the village of Guaratingueté, two leagues 
distant, where we passed the night. As the mois- 
ture and warmth are favourable to the separation 
of each specific substance on the leaves of the 
tobacco, on which their goodness chiefly depends, 
the tobacco cultivated along the sea-coast, and in 
the warmer valley of the Paraiba, known by the 
name of tobacco da marinha, is preferred to the 
more indifferent sorts of the mountain tobacco, 
which is called tobacco da serra acima. But the 
tobacco of the island of Saint Sesbastido is prefer- 
red in the country to all others, and is likewise ex- 
ported from the province as snuff. The mode of 
treating the leaves, which are gathered several 
times in the year, is very simple. After they have 
been dried in the air they are laid together in 
_ bundles, or twisted in large rolls, which are one of 


304 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the most important articles of barter employed by 
the Guinea ships in the slave-trade. 

Guaratingueta is situated in an extensive savan- 
nah near the river Paraiba, opposite some projec- 
tions of the Serra do Mantiqueira, on a pleasant 
hill, surrounded with banana and orange trees. 
The Indian name of the village gives a favourable 
specimen of the talent for observation possessed by 
the aboriginal inhabitants; for this long word sig- 
nifies the place where the sun turns back. In fact, 
the tropic of Capricorn is scarcely a degree south 
of the villa, which pleases by its simple and cheer- 
ful appearance and some traces of a superior mode 
of life. Since our departure from Rio this was the 
first place where we saw any glass windows, which 
in Brazil, always indicate prosperity, and, in the 
interior, even luxury. On the other hand, the tra- 
veller is surprised at the want of all regularity and 
order in the exercise of trades. Here, as almost 
everywhere in the interior except the more popu- 
lous places, very few trades are exercised by guilds 
and corporations. On the other hand, it cannot 
be said that the trades are free, for the trades them- 
selves are for the most part wanting. Only the 
rich land-holders are able to give due employment 
to mechanics, and the poor man supplies all wants 
of this kind by his own ability. The former gene- 
rally have, among their own slaves, all those 
mechanics who are necessary for domestic pur- 
poses. An obvious consequence of this is that 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 305 


the public superintendence over trades by the 
police is rendered more difficult. We, therefore, 
could not be surprised, that in a place containing 
some thousand inhabitants we were obliged to be 
content with a frugal meal on an armadillo* which 
we had shot by the way. The flesh of this animal 
has, indeed, an agreeable taste, resembling fowl, 
but is very fat. 

The road goes from the villa, always south-west, 
through the valley of the Paraiba. To the left of 
us lay a pleasant well-cultivated chain of hills 
planted with beans, maize, mandiocca roots, and 
tobacco. On the right, the broad valley extends 
to the chain of Serra do Mantiqueira, and bearing 
scarcely any traces of culture, is covered with 
thick low bushes of myrtles, cujawas, &c. a dreary 
and desolate prospect. Only the hope that thou- 
sands of happy people will one day inhabit this 
highly gifted country can cheer the mind of the 
traveller. After proceeding a mile we reached the 
shrine of Nossa Senhora Apparecida, a chapel 
situated on an eminence, with a few houses about 
it. We had brought letters from Rio for the 
capitao mor of Guarantingueta, who resides here. 
He received us with visible pleasure, and treated us 
with everything that his house afforded. The 
cordial reception offered to a stranger, the busy 
haste with which all the inmates of the house are 


* Tata, Dasypus septemcinctus. 


VOL, I. x 


306 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


eager to wait upon him, excite an agreeable 
sensation in the mind of the European traveller. 
Accustomed, in foreign countries, to purchase 
everything which is not offered gratis, he fancies 
himself transported to the patriarchal customs of 
oriental antiquity, when the name of a guest gave, 
as it were, a legal claim to such a kind welcome, 
and was more than an apology for the disturbance 
which it caused in the family. The first thing 
shown us here was the chapel. It was erected about 
seventy years ago, a long period in this country ; 
it is partly built of stone, and adorned with gild- 
ing, bad paintings in fresco, and some in oil. The 
wonder-working image of the Virgin attracts many 
pilgrims from the whole province, and from Minas. 
We met many of these pilgrims when we proceed- 
ed on our journey on Christmas-eve. Every body 
here, women as well as men, travels on mules or on 
horseback ; frequently the man takes the woman 
behind him on the same saddle. The dress of 
these planters is quite adapted to their local situ- 
ation: a brown beaver hat with a very broad brim, 
which serves, at the same time, as a protection 
against the sun and the rain; a long very wide 
blue frock (poncho), with a hole at the top for the 
head; jacket and trowsers, of dark calico; high | 
unblacked boots, fastened below the knee witha 
leathern strap and buckle; a long knife with a 
silver handle, which serves as a defence, and sticks 
either in the boot at the knee, or in the girdle, and 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 307 


is used at meals as well as on other occasions, are 
the chief characteristics of a travelling Paulista. 
The women wear long wide surtouts of cloth, and 
round hats. All those that passed us upon mules 
showed themselves to be admirable riders, especi- 
ally in the speed with which they endeavoured to 
avoid the thunder-storms which threatened them 
on all sides. Our slowly moving train, on the con- 
trary, was obliged to suffer three heavy showers to 
pass over it, and came, just as it was getting dark, 
to a wretched shed with a venda, called As Taibas, 
where we could scarcely find room for our baggage, 
which was soaked through. It rained impetuously 
the whole night ; and the frogs of the neighbouring 
marshes, being quite in their element, croaked in 
tiresome unison. Though the place was anything 
but agreeable, yet, as it secured us from the fury of 
the elements, we soon became cheerful and in good 
spirits. Recalling pleasing recollections, we com- 
pared the sufferings of this Christmas-eve in Brazil, 
with the pleasures with which it is usually accom- 
panied in civilised Europe, and even contrived 
to see them in an agreeable light. 

Between Nossa Senhora Apparecida and As 
Taibas large blocks of a pretty fine-grained red 
granite, resembling that on Serra do Mar, stand 
out. They are considerably rounded off by at- 
trition, and put us in mind of the masses of rock 
which are found here and there in the north of 
Germany, in the valley of the Po in Italy, between 

x 2 


308 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


the principal chain of the Alps and Mount Jura 
in Switzerland, &c. It is probable that a great 
part of the valley, through which the Paraiba now 
flows, was connected with the sea, and that these 
rocks derived their present form and situation from 
violent overflowings and currents of that element. 
There are, besides, many traces in the valley of 
the Paraiba that it has often changed its bed. 

On Christmas-day we continued our journey in 
the direction from S. 8S. W. to Pendamhongaba, 
five leagues from Guarantingueta. “The three 
streams of Parapitinga, Agoa Preta, and Ribeirao 
da Villa, were so much swelled, that our collections 
ran great risk in the passage over them. ‘The 
rain continued without ceasing to pour down in 
torrents; and the whole valley was almost always 
enveloped in thick fog. We had, therefore, neither 
inclination nor opportunity accurately to examine 
this woody and well-watered district. ‘Travelling 
in tropical countries during the rainy season, besides 
many other inconveniences and dangers, has the 
‘double vexation, that the traveller -finds great diffi- 
culty in observing the environs; and his books, 
instruments, and collections, can hardly be pre- 
served from spoiling, by the greatest care and at- 
tention. Pendamhongaba consists of some rows 
of low huts lying scattered: upon a hill, and does 
not appear to be in a thriving condition. The 
capitao mér of the place received with great 
politeness his guests, who were wet through, and 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 809 


afterwards invited us to view the church, which is 
only half finished, and loaded with tasteless wooden 
ornaments. It was handsomely lighted up, and 
adorned with a manger, in which the infant Christ 
lay. There was something affecting in this em- 
blematical custom in this place, because we dwelt 
with pleasure on the idea that the doctrine of 
salvation had found its way into these lonely, 
beautifully wild tracts. Since we had descended 
from the mountains into the valley, the physiognomy 
of the landscape had changed more and more, 
and the difference in its character became more 
independent and unmixed, the farther we removed 
from the dark primeval forests of the Serra do Mar. 
From this place the road lay in the broad valley of 
the Paraiba, over low hills, which, in the beginning, 
we found covered with all kinds of dwarf bushes 
and single trees ; but farther on it became opener, 
and clothed with grasses and herbs, or with long 
rows of ananas. Herds of mules and horned cattle 
were grazing in these pleasant tracts. The Bra- 
zilian distinguishes the two principal forms in the 
physiognomy of the vegetable world, wood and 
plain, by the names of Matto and Campo; but 
they have many other names for the numerous 
varieties of the latter, which determine, more or 
less, the local character of the landscape. The 
greater part of the valley of the Paraiba is covered 
with pastures (campos), which descend from the 
eminences, and are but seldom broken by low 


(a) 


X oO 


810 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


woods. Though these meadows do not charm the 
eye with the fresh and pleasing verdure of our 
northern pastures, they astonish the observer by 
the gay variety and novelty of their vegetable 
forms. On the hard soil, generally a stiff red clay, 
mixed with fragments of quartz, there are detached 
rank bushes of greyish green hairy grasses, at 
greater or less intervals from each other: between 
them grow an infinitude of the prettiest herbaceous 
rubiacew, malpighia, apocynez, and composite, 
of the greatest variety of colour, and flowers of 
elegant forms.* In places where among these 
humble children of Flora a more luxuriant vege- 
tation appears, there are single thick-barked treesT, 
which seldom rise above fifteen or twenty feet in 


* Declieuxia satureoides, spergulefolia, myricoides, cenan- 
thoides, cordigera, mollis nob. ; Hamelia, Rhexiz et Melastomz 
herbacee et Banisteria sp. plur.; Gaudichaudia tuberosa, 
triphylla, marginata ; Croton fulvum, antisiphiliticum nob.; 
Wedelia longifolia, sessilifolia, cordifolia; Lippia bracteosa ; 
Calystegia campestris; Bignonia micrantha ; Cnemidostachys 
myrtilloides, herbacea (Tragia corniculata Vahl.); Echites 
campestris, velutina ; Oxypetalum flavum, erectum ; Bailleria 
graveolens ;" Vernonia grandiflora, rosmarinifolia nob.; Kleinia 
Porophyllum W.; Molina sessiliflora Vahl.; Bidens asperula ; 
Eryngium Lingua Tucani; Celastrus cymosus ; Hedera ter- 
nata; Hydrophylax valerianoides ; Sauvagesia ovata; Clitoria 
angustifolia ; Mimosa hirsutissima; Sweetia nitida nob. 

+ The most important trees of these campos are — Laplacea 
parviflora nob. (Pao de S, Jozé). Gomphia, Malpighia, Spixia 
(Leandri), Ternstreemia, Marcgrafia, Rapanea, Vochisia, Qualea, 
Salventia, Solanum, Byrsonima dasyantha, mycrophylla H., 
Erythroxylon havanense Jacq., Clethra tinifolia Sw., species of 
Clusia, Havettia, Panax, Melastoma, Rhexia, Myrtus, Psidium, 
Schinus, Annona, &c. 


TRAVELS IN .BRAZIL. B1L 


height, have far-spreading crooked branches, dry 
pale-green leaves, and form a low, light grove, in 
which the form of each individual is easily distin- 
guished. This latter kind of wood is called in 
Brazil, Tabuleiro, and when the trees grow so 
close together that their branches touch, Tabuleiro 
_coperto. Besides the single trees, rich-flowering 
myrtles, creeping banisteria, bushy erythroxylon, 
several kinds of the well-tasted guava (Psidium), 
grow here and there in thick groves (Carrasco, 
Feivado), from among which a grotesque cactus 
now and then rises. ‘This latter form, which is so 
peculiarly characteristic of America, is here less 
frequent than in the sultry deserts of Pernambuco, 
Ceara, and Caracas. Almost all the productions 
of the vegetable kingdom which we saw here were 
new to us; and our attention was constantly ex- 
cited by these elegant forms of the campos, which 
strongly contrast with the massy and juicy natives of 
the forest, and rather resemble the delicate plants 
of the northern Alpine meadows. 

Taubaté, which we reached late in the evening, 
is situated on a flat hill, three miles to the S. E. 
of Pendamhongaba. The eminence commands a 
view of a great part of the plain, through which little 
groves and bushes are scattered. ‘The Franciscan 
convent, on the left of the road, surrounded by 
some rows of majestic palms, makes a favourable 
impression, and excites in the traveller the hope of 
finding a considerable place. In fact, Taubaté, 

x 4 


312 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


which consists of one long principal street, with huts 
built closely together on each side, and some by- 
streets, is one of the most important towns in the 
whole province. In age it rivals the capital. At the 
time when the thirst of gold incited a number of 
Paulistas to undertake dangerous and adventurous 
excursions through Minas and Goyaz, the inhabit- 
ants of Taubaté distinguished themselves.* On 
this account a government establishment for re- 
fining gold was founded here. ‘The inhabitants of 
Taubaté (Taubaténos), however, were thereby 
engaged in violent competition and implacable feud 
with the neighbouring Paulistas (Pératininganos), 
so that whenever the two parties met in their ex- 
cursions sanguinary contests always ensued. ‘This 
enmity is said still to continue in silence, though 
the inhabitants of Taubaté have now entirely re- 
nounced the occupation of gold-washing in other 
provinces, and follow agriculture and breeding of 
cattle in their own country, which is quite destitute 
of that precious metal. The women manufacture 
mats out of a large aristida and other species of 
grass growing in the neighbourhood, which are 
sent to Rio for sale. 

We halted one day at Taubaté, in order to dry 
our effects, which were quite soaked through. The 
house, which an inhabitant of the village shared 
with us, was but ill calculated to afford us comfort- 


* Antonio Rodriguez, one of the first discoverers of the 
gold mines at Minas (1693) was a native of Taubaté. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 313 


able shelter. The houses in general are seldom 
above one story high; the walls are almost in all 
cases of thin rafters or laths, interwoven with twigs, 
plastered with loam, and covered with a white 
clay (¢abatinga), which is found here and there 
on the banks of the rivers; the roof is carelessly 
covered with pantiles or shingles, rarely with maize 
straw, and the wall has in it one or two wooden 
latticed windows. ‘The interior corresponds with 
the light construction and scanty materials. The 
entrance, which is generally half or entirely closed 
by a latticed door, leads directly into the largest 
room in the house, which being without boards, 
and often with unwhitewashed walls, resembles a 
barn. This division serves for the habitation of 
the family. Store-rooms, and in some cases a side- 
room for guests, occupy the remainder of the front 
of the building. The back part contains the 
apartments for the wife and the rest of the family, 
who, according to the Portuguese fashion, must 
immediately withdraw on the entrance of strangers. 
From this we enter the veranda, which generally 
runs along the whole length of the building, and 
opens into the court-yard. A similar veranda is 
sometimes annexed to the front of the house. The 
kitchen and servants’ apartments, generally miser- 
able sheds, lie opposite the house, at the further 
end of the court. The furniture of these houses 
is confined to the most necessary articles; often 
they have no more than a few wooden benches and 


314 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


chairs, a table, a large chest, a bed, consisting of a 
straw mat, or an ox hide on boards, supported by 
four pegs (girdo). Instead of beds, the Brazilians 
almost always make use of the woven or braided 
hammocks (marquezras), the best and most durable, 
of which are manufactured, in the provinces of S. 
Paulo and Minas, of white or coloured cotton 
threads. ‘The traveller nowhere meets with any 
wells, and must therefore be satisfied with rain, 
spring, or river water, for every purpose. ‘The in- 
habitants of Taubaté have the appearance of more 
prosperity and refinement than those of the other 
small places through which we had before travelled; 
which is perhaps owing to their more lively inter- 
course with Rio de Janeiro and 8. Paulo. A few 
vines also are cultivated here, the fruit of which 
was just ripe, and of an agreeable flavour. 
Southwards of Taubatée the road extends through 
the valley of the Paraiba, over several woody and 
moist hills, which are covered with beautiful ferns, 
melastomas, and aroidez, which thrive in wet 
situations. The low plain is likewise rich in the 
finest plants and insects: among others, we found 
here the Cerambyx longimanus ; of birds, a new 
long-tailed brown Tyrannus, and the Cuculus 
Guira. After two days’ journey through verdant 
plains alternating with low woods, in which we 
passed the vendas of Campo grande, Sahida do 
Campo, Paranangaba, and the small village of 
S. Jozé, we came to the villa of Jacarehy (which 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 31d 


means, in the Lingua Geral, Crocodile river), where 
we allowed ourselves some refreshment. We here 
fell in again with the Paraiba, which makes a great 
bend, and, instead of proceeding further to the 
south, in its original direction, turns to the north. 
All the individuals of the party were carried over 
in a boat, but the mules were obliged to swim. 
In order to show them the direction they ought to 
take, one of them was led by a rope from the boat, 
and the others encouraged to follow by a constant 
noise and cry from the accompanying boats. 

The Paraiba was at this time swelled by the fre- 
quent rains to the breadth of a hundred and seventy 
feet, and was very rapid. The navigation on this 
river is still very unimportant, probably because it 
has many considerable cataracts, chiefly in its lower 
part, or because the trade in its neighbourhood is 
still trifling, and the inhabitants, from want of 
bridges, cannot easily convey their produce. The 
part of it between Aldea da Escada and Pendam- 
hongaba is that upon which there is the greatest 
trafic. 

Among the inhabitants of this place we observed 
an endemic swelling of the glands of the neck in 
such a high degree as is perhaps nowhere to be 
found in Europe. Frequently the whole neck is 
covered with the great swelling, which gives a 
horrid appearance to these people, who are for the 
most part mulattoes, and have, independent of this, 
no very agreeable features. But in this country 


316 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


they seem to regard this swelling rather as a parti- 
cular beauty than as a deformity; for we often 
saw the women adorn this enormous goitre with 
gold or silver ornaments, and, as it were, displaying 
it, while they sat before their house doors with a 
tobacco-pipe in the hand, or a reel to wind cotton. 
We have annexed a drawing of one of these women 
in her national costume. Negroes, mulattoes, de- 
scendants of whites and Indians (mamelucos), 
which form the greater part of its population, are 
peculiarly subject to this disorder; among the 
whites the women have it more commonly than the 
men. ‘The causes of this deformity seem to be 
quite the same here as in other countries. For 
it does not occur in the high, colder, and airy 
mountainous districts, but in the low valley of the 
Paraiba, which is often covered with thick fogs. 
The reason of this is, that the direction of the two 
chains of mountains from 8. to N. does not allow-a 
free issue to the exhalations and vapours: the same 
mists which during the day rise from the river and 
the neighbouring marshes, which are partly covered 
with thick woods, fall again into the valley at 
night ; the warmth is at the same time consider- 
able; and the water of the river, which is often 
very muddy, impure, and lukewarm, must supply | 
the place of spring water. Their habitations, too, — 
are uncleanly, damp, and windy. The raw flour 
of maize, which is here more frequently used than 
that of mandiocca, and is, though more nourishing, 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 317 


more difficult of digestion, and eating much pork, 
may likewise contribute to the development of 
this disease: perhaps excess in sexual enjoy- 
ments may be considered as one cause of the 
goitre, as it is at Rio of the sarcocele and hydro- 
cele. It is true, we do not here see the melancholy 
appearances of idiocy which are so frequently com- 
bined in Europe endemically with the goitre; yet 
the look of the persons who have the disorder in a 
high ‘degree is not merely drowsiness and want of 
energy, but even stupidity, in the strict sense of 
the expression. It is customary to apply, at the 
commencement of the disease, poultices of warm 
gourds, the patient at the same time drinking water 
which has stood for several days upon the pounded 
mass of large ant-hills.) The component parts of 
the ant-hills, which are from five to six feet high, 
in the construction of which the insect makes use 
of a peculiar animal slime as a cement, certainly 
seem capable of counteracting the causes, which 
produce the goitre. Perhaps, too, the acid of ants 
may have a beneficial influence on the relaxed 
nerves of the patient, as well as on the debility of 
the lymphatic system. The negroes here, as in 
Africa, make much use of mucilaginous substances: 
they use, for instance, Gum Arabic against the 
goitre with good success; a mode of treatment 
which seems to point at the origin of this disease 
as proceeding from the diet. 

In the course of our journey from Jacarehy, 


318 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


we met many Spanish fugitives belonging to the 
suite of the Bishop of Cordova. These victims of 
the political parties in Buenos Ayres, were re- 
ceived by the Paulistas with the most sincere com- 
miseration, and humanely provided for during 
their long journey. The sending of troops from 
S. Paulo, to the Island of Saint Catharine, and 
from thence to Monte Video, had attracted the at- 
tention of the Paulistas to the political events in 
the south, and they thought by a hospitable recep- 
tion of those fugitives, to establish the claims of 
‘their countrymen, now in that quarter, to equally 
good treatment. ‘The Portuguese expedition to 
Monte Video had fallen heavily on the Paulistas, 
for not only troops of the line were sent upon it, 
but even a regiment of the militia, which occa- 
sioned a sensible chasm in the labouring class, and 
was attended with very lamentable consequences 
to many families.* As a great part of the militia 
perished in S. Catharina, and still more on the 
continent in the garrison of Monte Video, partly 
in battle, partly from longing for home, dysentery 
and other diseases the consequence of unusual 
hardship, a general discontent at this military 


* We were informed that on the whole twelve thousand 
men, of whom four thousand were Paulistas, carried on the 
war in Monte Video. This war, the necessity of which was 
affirmed by the minister Da Barca, but denied by many has, 
however, proved in latter times advantageous to Brazil, by 
giving it a natural boundary in the river La Plata. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 319 


expedition was excited in the whole province. The 
Paulista, it is true, is distinguished above most of the 
inhabitants of Brazil for obedience to the govern- 
ment; but the greatest dissatisfaction could not fail 
to be produced by a war, which in the eyes of the 
multitude was not carried on for urgent reasons, but 
rather in compliance with the opinions of a few, and 
to which the farmer, who till then had never been 
used to war, remained wholly indifferent, till he was 
roused on finding that it required the sacrifice of 
the lives and domestic happiness of many of his fel- 
low-countrymen. Accordingly a great part of the 
militia deserted before they marched away, and 
fled sometimes with their whole families, either 
into the remote wildernesses of the capitania of 
S. Paulo, or to Minas Geraés, where they settled, 
and from which province, though demanded back, 
they were not given up, according to the privileges 
enjoyed by each capitania. 

In Aldea da Escada, a small village, three miles 
to the south of Jacarehy, which lies near a formerly 
numerous, but now abandoned, convent of Car- 
melites, at the foot of a gneiss mountain, and close 
to the Paraiba, we had the pleasure of meeting 
with a very sensible country priest, who was at the 
head of a mission for the Indians residing in that 
vicinity. He observed to us, that the sphere of 
his activity was daily lessened, in consequence of 
the royal mandate which has abolished the restraint 
of the missions over the Indians, and given them a 


320 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


perfect equality of rights with the other free na- 
tives. This ordinance has so far an unfavourable 
effect in all places where there are Indians under 
the superintendence or tutelage of Portuguese, 
because the former now withdraw more and more 
into the solitary forests. ‘The mission had at pre- 
sent only sixty Indians under it, the rest had al- 
ready dispersed throughout the province. ‘They 
are not the remains of a single nation, but a 
mixture of several which possessed this country 
before it was occupied by the Portuguese. Their 
physiognomy was not very agreeable. The general 
characteristics of the race, gloomy stupidity, and 
reserve, which is especially indicated in the un- 
steady dark look, and the shy behaviour of the 
American, is increased on the first step towards 
reflection, by the constraint of civilisation to which 
he is wholly unused, and the intercourse with 
negroes, mestizoes, and Portuguese, to the most 
melancholy image of internal discontent and abase- 
ment. The manner in which they are treated 
by many of the present landholders contributes, 
indeed, to this moral and physical degeneracy. 
Neither national features, nor voluntary bodily 
mutilations, nor peculiar manners and customs 
.of these poor remains of the ancient inhabitants, 
enable us to infer to what race they originally 
belonged. The language, too, of the Indians 
of this mission seems not be simple, but com- 
posed of several dialects, and to have ‘adopted 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 321 


many words in particular from the Guaranis. It 
seems probable, from the accounts of historians. * 
that. the tribe of the Goyanazes lived here, a, 
well as in the plain of Piratininga, or S. Paulos 
These latter are said to have been distinguished 
from their neighbours, the Tamoyés, and Carids, 
by their custom of living in caves under ground, 
and not slaughtering the enemies whom they took 
prisoners, but treating them as slaves; and like the 
tribe of Goytacazes, who lived farther to the north, 
to have been a handsome, robust, warlike, and 
docile race. If the Indians now living at Aldea 
do Escada, in the neighbouring forests of the 
Mantiqueira, and Serra do Mar, were remains of 
those Goytaeazes, this gradual degeneracy of the 
form and» physiognomy of the aboriginal inha-- 
bitants, to the degree of deformity and ugliness 
for which they are now remarkable, as a conse- 
quence of an intercourse for a few centuries with 
white men, is a very singular phenomenon. It is 
difficult to imagine, that that warlike and enter- 
prising nation should have been reduced, in this 
short period, to so small a number of individuals, 
and to such a state of degeneracy and insignificance, 
as to be rather an object of pity, than of historical 
interest. On the contrary, it is more probable 
that these Indians are remains of the less numerous 
and weaker nation of the Cariés and Guarts, whe 


* Southey’s History of Brazil, vol. i. p. 34. 
VOL. I. Y 


322 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


were enemies to the Goyanazes; other remnants 
of whom are said still to dwell under the name of 
the Sacuris, in the Serra dos Orgaos.* Perhaps the 
Cariés have been mixed with some descendants of 
the Tamoyés, those savage and warlike cannibals, 
of whom the Portuguese, who first settled in the 
neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro, drew the darkest 
picture, and against whom Don Antonio Salema, in 
the year 1572, undertook the last war of exter- 
mination.t 

The people of the American continent have 
to show, in their earlier history, migrations similar 
to those by which the inhabitants of the high 
regions of middle Asia came to Europe. ‘The re- 
searches of a celebrated traveller, seem to have 
placed it beyond all doubt, that the direction of 
these migrations on the whole was from north to 
‘south. We, too, shall have occasion, in the course 
of this narrative, to mention several facts which 
confirm this supposition. But, besides the great 
and general migrations, there have been several 
partial ones in different directions, and the arrival 
of the Europeans on the coast of Brazil, probably 
caused several of the more powerful tribes to 
retire from the coast, farther into the interior, so 


* Father Casal (Corograf. Bras. ii. p. 46.) states, that the 
name Guard, or Guarulho, is used collectively by several 
nations, But his accounts, as far as regards the Indian tribes, 
are very little to be depended upon. 

+ Southey’s History of Brazil, vol. i. p. 312. 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 328 


that only the weaker hordes, who thought they 
should be more secure by joining with the Por- 
tuguese and settling among them, remained in 
their ancient abodes. The Tupinambazes, the 
most important of all the nations which the Euro- 
- peans found upon the coast, confirm this view by 
their extensive migration, and their gradual falling 
back from the coasts of Bahia and Pernambuco, 
to Maranhao, Para, and along the river Amazons, 
upwards as far as the mouth of the Madeira, where 
we saw the last remnant that the continued wars 
have left, in the village of Tupinambarana (now 
Villa Nova). 1 

We passed the night in Tarumé, a solitary 
rancho in a plain bounded by forests, because we 
were too late to reach the village of Mogy das 
Cruces. In this part we met with several families 
of the people called Cafusos, who are a mixture of 
blacks and Indians. Their external appearance is 
one of the strangest that a European can meet 
with. ‘They are slender and muscular, in particu- 
lar the muscles of the breast and arms are very 
strong; the feet, on the contrary, in proportion, 
weaker. Their colour is a dark copper, or coffee 
brown. ‘Their features, on the whole, have more 
of the Ethiopic than of the American race. The 
countenance is oval, the cheek-bones high, but not 
so broad as in the Indians; the nose broad and 
flattened, but neither turned up nor much bent ; 
the mouth broad, with thick but equal lips, which, 

xy 2 


324 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


as well as the lower jaw, project but little; the 
black eyes have a more open and freer look than in 
the Indians, yet are still a little oblique, if not stand- 
ing so much inward as in them, on the other hand, 
not turned outwards as in the Ethiopians. But 
what gives these mestizoes a peculiarly striking ap- 
pearance is the excessively long hair of the head, 
which, especially at the end, is half curled and 
rises almost perpendicularly from the forehead to 
the height of a foot, or a foot and a half, thus 
forming a prodigious and very ugly kind of peruke. 
This strange head of hair, which, at first sight, 
seems more artificial than natural, and almost puts 
one in mind of the plica polonica, is not a disease, 
but merely a consequence of their mixed descent 
and the mean between the wool of the negro and 
the long stiff hair of the American. ‘This natural 
peruke is often so high that the wearers must stoop 
low to go in and out of the usual doors of their 
huts; the thick hair is, besides, so entangled that 
all idea of combing it is out of the question. ‘This 
conformation of the hair gives the Cafusos a re- 
semblance with the Papuas in New Guinea; and 
we, therefore, thought it interesting to give the re- 
presentation of a woman of that race in her pecu- 
liar costume. ‘io 

The low mountains at Aldea da Escada are the 
last branches of the Serra do Mar. A small insig- 
nificant row of hillocks here unites the promontory 
of this chain with that of the Mantiqueira. The ve- 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 325 


getation is exceedingly rich and luxuriant, and 
combines the forms of the mountain forests with 
the more delicate ones of the campos and the 
swamps. Large plumerias, echites, and other full- 
flowered apocynez, splendid hamelias, and high 
rhexias, covered with magnificent purple flowers, 
give to this district, in some parts, the appearance 
of a fairy land. At the time we passed through 
them, however, these plains seemed to be poor in 
animals, particularly insects. ‘The mountain con- 
sists of gneiss, sometimes with much black shorl. 
Before we reached Mogy das Cruces, a small village 
abouttwo miles from Taruma, we saw, in many places, 
a reddish sandstone, which alternates with layers of 
clay. We gradually descended considerably, and at 
the bottom came to the river Tieté, the dark brown 
water of which flows here much more slowly than 
farther to the north-west, where it has many falls, 
till its junction with the Rio Parana. At Mogy 
we were received with much cordiality and kind- 
ness by the capitao. These good people enter- 
tained ideas of the Germans similar to those that 
the Greeks formerly had of the Hyperboreans. 
They were therefore interested, not only by the 
distance of our northern country, but by our ex- 
ternal appearance. ‘The female part of the family 
examined our dress with the simplicity and grace 
peculiar to the Paulistas, praising the fairness of 
our complexions, which is much admired here. A 
workman belonging to this family had been bitten a 


326 TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 


few days before by a venomous serpent (schiraraca) 
and died of the wound. A vial of eau de luce, 
which we left in this hospitable house as a remedy 
against similar accidents, obtained us blessings from 
the whole family. The country about Mogy is 
already pretty well cultivated; but the want of 
labourers, which has been partly caused by the 
march of the militia to the south, seems to be at 
present very sensibly felt. 

On the last day of the year, after we had passed 
a wood, and a desolate tract of meadow ground 
which was for the most part swampy, and a pretty 
country-house, called Caza Pintada, three leagues 
and a half from the capital, we beheld before us, 
from the eminence of Nossa Senhora da Penha, 
the city of S. Paulo, standing upon a hill in a 
plain, which is partly covered with bushes or 
~groves. Several large buildings give it, on this 
side, a very grand appearance ; the most remark- 
able are — the residence of the governor, formerly 
the Jesuits’ college; the Carmelite convent; and 
the episcopal palace. When we arrived in the city, 
we found, by the kind attention of one of our 
countrymen, a house ready for our reception, and 
fitted up as well as circumstances permitted. Mr. 
Daniel Peter Miiller, Lieut.-colonel in the Royal 
Portuguese Engineers, whose father was at first 
clergyman of the Protestant German congregation, 
and afterwards secretary to the Society of Sciences 
at Lisbon, has retained, though brought up in Por- 

17 


TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 327 


tugal from his earliest youth, the most affectionate 
regard for his original countrymen, and received us 
with a German cordiality and friendship which 
could not fail immediately to inspire us with the 
sincerest esteem and gratitude,—sentiments which 
we feel peculiar pleasure in being able thus pub- 
licly to acknowledge. 


END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 


Lonvon: 
Printed by A. & Rt. Spottiswoode, 
New-Street-Square. 


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