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diff --git a/old/54886-0.txt b/old/54886-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 32a4ac4..0000000 --- a/old/54886-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,15187 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Brazil and La Plata, by C. S. Stewart - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Brazil and La Plata - The personal record of a cruise - -Author: C. S. Stewart - -Release Date: June 11, 2017 [EBook #54886] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BRAZIL AND LA PLATA *** - - - - -Produced by Adrian Mastronardi and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -[Illustration: - - LITH. OF SARONY & C^o NEW YORK. - - RIO DE JANEIRO - New York G. P. Putnam & C^o. - -[Illustration: - - LITH. OF SARONY & C^o. NEW YORK - - O. CATETE - New York G. P. Putnam & C^o. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - BRAZIL AND LA PLATA: - - THE - - PERSONAL RECORD OF A CRUISE. - - - BY - - C. S. STEWART, A. M., U. S. N., - - AUTHOR OF - - “A RESIDENCE AT THE SANDWICH ISLANDS,” “VISIT TO THE SOUTH SEAS,” - “SKETCHES IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND,” ETC., ETC. - - “Sail forth into the sea, O ship! - Through wind and wave right onward steer! - The moistened eye, the trembling lip, - Are not the signs of doubt and fear.— - Sail forth, nor fear to breast the sea! - Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee!” - LONGFELLOW. - - NEW YORK: - G. P. PUTNAM & CO., 321 BROADWAY. - 1856. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, - BY G. P. PUTNAM & CO., - In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States - for the Southern District of New York. - - JOHN F. TROW, - Printer and Stereotyper, 377 & 379 Broadway, - _Corner of White street_. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TO - - MY DAUGHTERS, - - THIS VOLUME - - DRAWN FROM MANUSCRIPTS ADDRESSED TO THEM, - - IS AFFECTIONATELY - - Inscribed. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PREFACE. - - -Two inducements have led to the publication of the following volume: -one, the favor with which similar works from my pen have been received; -the other, the belief that a book of fact, for light reading, would be -welcome to many, amid the floods of fiction of the present day. - -It was with no purpose of making a book, that the record from which the -volume is drawn was kept; on the contrary, the chief difficulty I have -found, in fitting it for the press, has arisen, from its being so -strictly personal and private. To remodel the manuscript so as to change -its character in these respects, would have been a labor which I was -unwilling to undertake; and to select from it such matter as might be at -once suitable for publication, and acceptable to the general reader, -without affecting the connection and unity of the whole, has proved a -task not easily accomplished. In attempting it, I may have erred in -judgment by putting into print, in some instances, what might better -have been omitted; and again perhaps, in others by omitting what would -have been welcomed by the reader. - -Besides such matter as was essential in giving an outline of the cruise -of the Congress, and such observation of the places visited by her, as -would be expected in a work of the kind, I have thought it proper to -retain of that which related specifically to the ship, sufficient to -convey a general idea of life on board a man-of-war; and also, of that -which referred to myself in my office, enough to throw light upon the -position, duties, and influence of a chaplain in the naval service. - -Should the volume meet with any degree of acceptance from the public in -general, I shall be grateful; and should its circulation be limited to -the decks of a man-of-war, or to the forecastle of a merchant-ship, the -object in its publication will not be entirely lost. - - C. S. S. - - RIVERSIDE, 1856. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - PAGE - - Departure from Cape Henry—Sacrifices in Naval Life—Evening - Prayers—First Casualty—Sabbath at Sea—Scene in the Gulf - Stream—My Ship and Shipmates—The Crew, 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Great Caycos—Case of Punishment—The Cat-o’-nine Tails—Moral - Effects of the Lash—Evening on board a Man-of-War—Scenes off - Havana—Entrance into Port, 13 - - - CHAPTER III. - - The Prisoners of Contoy—Excitement at Havana—The Captain General - and Chief of Police—Visits of Ceremony—Drive on Shore—The - Volante—Paseo and Champs de Mars—Evening Promenade—Visit to - Regla by Night—The Captive Filibusters—Destiny of Cuba, 26 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Gulf of Florida—The Wreckers—Incidents in the Sick Bay—Maury’s - Wind and Current Charts—The Doldrums—Crossing the Line—Neptune - Aboard—Dreams of Home—Impediments to Piety on board a - Man-of-War—Giving up Grog, 42 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Cape Frio—Coast Scene—Bay of Rio—Reminiscence of the Past—City of - Rio—Yellow Fever—Equipages—Drive to Botafogo—A Tropical Home, 58 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - First Impressions at Rio—Mixture of Races—Senate Chamber—Imperial - Legislature—Form of Government—Council of - State—Ministry—Nobility—The Court in State—The Emperor and - Empress, 70 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Cemetery of Gamboa—Governor Kent—Tomb of the Hon. William - Tudor—Island and Fortress of Villegagnon—Discovery of - Brazil—Huguenot Colonists—Treachery of Villegagnon—Progress in - Civilization—State of the Empire—Its Dangers and Safeguards, 80 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Praya Grande and Praya San Domingo—Bay of St. Francis - Xavier—Passage to the Plata—Montevideo—Sea-Birds—Cape - Pigeon—Albatross—Booby—Stormy - Petrel—Dolphin—Nautilus—Portuguese Man-of-War, 90 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Rio de Janeiro—The City Palace—Scenes at Court—Mode of - Presentation—Character of the Emperor and Empress—Their Habits - of Life—Suppression of Slave Trade—Illness of a - Sailor-boy—First Death on board the Congress, 104 - - - CHAPTER X. - - All Souls’ Day—Church and Convent of San Antonio—Commemoration of - the Dead—Manner of preserving the Bones of the Dead—Ascent of - the Corcovado—Panoramic View—Sources of the Aqueduct—Its - Construction and History—Descent of the Hill of Santa Theresa, 117 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Prisons and Prison Discipline—Ball on Ship-board—Fête at the - American Ambassador’s—Western Suburbs of Rio—Country Seat of - Mr. R—— —British Flag-Ship—Admiral and Mr. Reynolds—Garden of - Don Juan M—— —Madame M——, 128 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Weather at Rio—Meteorological Changes—Mountain Walks—Shops and - Shopping—Restrictions upon Females by Custom—Slaves at - Auction—Birthday of Don Pedro II.—National Hymn and Air—A - Yankee Captain’s Opinion of Court State—The Emperor afloat, 143 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Wedding at the American Consulate—Marriage at the Orphan - Asylum—Foundling Hospital—Foreign Commerce—Arrivals in Port—U. - S. Sloop St. Mary—Captain Magruder—Botanical Garden—Storm from - the Corcovado—Fête at the Chapel Santa Lucia—Churches on - Christmas Eve—Twelfth Night Party—Youthful Piety in Military - Life, 154 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Montevideo—Its Political Condition—First Impressions on Shore—Mr. - H—— and Family—British Church and Services, 166 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - Buenos Ayres—Mode of Landing—Reception of Commodore - McKeever—Evening Drive—Negro Washerwomen—Carts of the - Pampas—Washington’s Birthday—Mr. Harris, American Chargé - d’Affaires—Quinta of Palermo—Doña Manuelita de Rosas—Pleasure - Grounds—Interview with Rosas—His Appearance and Conversation, 173 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - The Argentine Confederation—Early Life of Rosas—A Type of the - People—Life in the Pampas—Police of Buenos Ayres—Description of - the City—Visit to the Conde de Bessi—Nuncio from the Pope, 188 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Montevideo—Store-ship Southampton—Dr. C——, Fleet Surgeon—The Poor - of Montevideo—French Troops—Dress of the Gaucho—Mr. and Madame - L—— —Mrs. Z—— —Pamperos at Montevideo—Diseases of the - Climate—Marriage of Dr. K—— of the St. Louis—Funeral of Mrs. - S—— —Protestant Burial-Ground, 198 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - Island of St. Catherine—Scenery at Santa Cruz—Captain Cathcart - acting Consul—City of Desterro—Its Public Square—Market - Place—Hotel—Civility of the Inhabitants—Manufactures of Flowers - in Feathers and Shells—Dinner—Waiter and Waitress—Walks at - Santa Cruz—An Unexpected Recognition—Dangerous Walking Ground, 209 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Return to Rio de Janeiro—Winter Weather there—The Larangeiras or - Orange Valley—Walk along the Aqueduct—Festivals of the Romish - Church—Corpus Christi and St. John’s Days—Marriages at the - Orphan Asylum—Hospital of the Misericordia—Magnificence of the - New Building—Country Seat of Mr. M—— —Scenes at a - Wedding—Lieut. R—— —Smuggled Liquor and the Consequence—A - Reproof to Despondency, 220 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - Political State of Montevideo—Defection of Urquiza—Address of - Rosas—Retreat of Oribe—Visit to the Mount—Pacification at - Montevideo—Termination of the Siege—Scenes in the Streets and - Suburbs, 237 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - Visit to Urquiza—His Encampment at Pantanoso—Marqueé of - Commander-in-Chief—Travelling Carriage and Baggage - Wagon—Adjutant on Duty—Reception—Personal Appearance of - Urquiza—His Pet Mastiff—Professed Purposes of the Liberator—His - past History and Domestic Relations—The Cerrito and its - Fortress—Town of Restoracion—A Gilpin-like Ride—Gaucho Soldiers - in Camp—Their Dress, Pastime and Subsistence—Mode of - Slaughtering Cattle—Proclamation by Urquiza, 249 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - Return to Brazil—Assault of a Runner on board the - Congress—Captain McIntosh—His Transfer to the - Falmouth—Departure for the United States—Making Daylight—Ship’s - Library—Sailors as Readers—Street Calls in Rio—Civility and - Patience of the People—Disinclination to - Locomotion—Omnibuses—Mules and Omnibus Drivers, 266 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - San Aliexo—Mr. and Mrs. M—— —Steam Packet—Passengers—Image - Venders—San Antonio—Superstition of the People—Experience in - Miracles—Admiral T—— —Luncheon—Negro Valet—Piedade—An American - Wagon—White Mules—Turnpike—Character of the Scenery—Town of - Majé—Private Road of Mr. M—— —Cotton Factory and American - House—Sabbath at San Aliexo—Romish Clergy—Peak Valley and - River—Rain in the Mountains—Sudden Rise in the Streams—Mandioca - Mill—Difficulties encountered by Mr. M——, 275 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - Christmas—Marriage of Miss K—— —Negroes in the Holidays—Scene of - Revelry in the Larangeiras—Amusing Street Scene—Custom-House - Regulations—Characteristic want of Confidence—Security of - Property and Person—Criminal Prosecutions—Forms in Court—Manner - of taking the Oath—Public executions—Return to Montevideo—State - of Affairs in the Plata—Invasion of Buenos Ayres by - Urquiza—Tragic Fate of Missionaries in Terra del Fuego, 291 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - Overthrow of Rosas—Doña Manuelita at Palermo—Her Escape at Night - in Disguise on board an English Man-of-War—Pillage in Buenos - Ayres—First Checked by the Marines of the Congress and - Jamestown—Summary Punishment of the Marauders—Urquiza at - Palermo—General Terero—Visit to the Wounded in the - Hospital—Suburbs of the City—English Burial-Ground—Government - House built by Rosas, 307 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - Battle field of Monte Caseros—Scenes on the Way—Santos - Lugares—Anecdotes of the Conflict—Triumphal Entry of the Allied - Armies into Buenos Ayres—Te Deum at the Cathedral and - Thanksgiving Sermon, 322 - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - Hospitality in Buenos Ayres—Return to Montevideo—Public - Rejoicings—Admirals Lepredour and Grenfell—Deep-Sea - Soundings—Sea Scene—Walks at Desterro—Praya Compreda—A Yankee - Cobbler—Ride to San Pedro d’Alcantara—Indoor Scenes—Our Host - and his Housemaid—Preparations for the Night—Chapel and - Cemetery—Mountain Scenery—Morning Visit to a German Family—A - Feat of Agility—Luncheon—Milk and Mandioca—Departure from San - Pedro—Ride by Night, 334 - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - Desterro—Mr. Wells—Funeral of a Child—Evening Walk—A - Novena—Singular Usage—Auction at the Church—Mock - Emperor—Evening Ride—Mountain View—Habits in Rural - Life—Indians—Venomous Snakes—Antidote for the Poison of - Snakes—Whit-Sunday—Coronation of the Mock Emperor—President of - St. Catherine—Preaching by the Vicar—Appointment and Support of - the Clergy—Pastime at Santa Cruz—Impoverished Germans—Estate of - Las Palmas—Señor de L—— —Antonio de L—— —Coup d’Etat by - Urquiza—Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Lore—Protestant Churches—Rural - Scenes—Native Cows—Hon. Mr. Schenck—Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, 359 - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - Ascent of the Sierra of the Organ Mountains—Frieschal—La - Barriera—Mules and Muleteers—Mountain Wood in Flower—Boa - Vista—H—— Hall—Arrival at Constantia—Mr. Heath—His - Estate—Slaves and their Treatment—Morning and Evening - Benedictions—Mountain Route to Petropolis—Woodland - Scenery—Monkeys—Isolated Peaks—Valley of Piabanha—Mule - Riding—Petropolis—German Protestant Church, 401 - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - Buenos Ayres in 1853—Revolution and Civil War—Mode of Conducting - it—Savage Atrocities of the Outside Party—Failure of all - Mediations in effecting a Pacification—Final Departure of - Commodore McKeever and Suite—Homeward Bound, 418 - - - POSTSCRIPT 425 - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - BRAZIL AND LA PLATA. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - - U. S. SHIP CONGRESS, CAPES OF VIRGINIA. - -_June 8th, 1850._—The time for my promised record has arrived: the -Congress is at sea. This afternoon, with light and baffling winds, in a -most lazy and listless manner she gained a distance of ten miles outside -of Cape Henry, where, a breeze springing up sufficiently fresh to insure -an offing before nightfall, the pilot took his leave for the land and we -filled away upon the sea. - -The 8th of June thus becomes for a second time an anniversary with me. -Twenty years ago to-day, amid the bright beauty of a summer’s afternoon, -I entered the bay of New York from a voyage of the world. But, in what -wide contrast were the feelings of that hour with those of this in which -I now write! Then, the sunshine of the soul, beaming from face to face -and reflected from eye to eye, outrivalled the brightness of the joyous -scene around. We were safely at home, after a long and adventurous -absence, and within reach of the salutations and embraces of those we -most loved. Now, there is sunshine neither without nor within: without, -a thick and gloomy haze obscures its smiles, and within, the sadness of -separation for years from home and country, with all the uncertainty of -its issues, entirely beclouds them. There is nothing joyous to us in the -“glad sea:” it does not dance in our eyes as it was wont, or as we have, -at times at least, imagined it to do. - -Little do they who may envy the lot of an officer in the navy—in its -opportunities of varied travel, the knowledge it affords of men and -things, and observation of nature in her most impressive forms—know at -what a sacrifice of the affections, in their choicest exercise, and by -what a penalty of wearisome duty, in irksome routine, the privileges of -the position are bought. A sacrifice and a penalty which, when the -novelty of travel and - - “The magic charm of foreign land” - -are passed, and the enthusiasm of youth is chastened by the experiences -of maturer years, are felt with a keenness which, to be justly -appreciated, must be personally known. The long conviction of this has -been impressed afresh upon my mind by an incident of the passing hour. -Mr. B——, a gentleman of wealth and distinguished social position in one -of our principal cities, has for some days past been a guest of the -ward-room mess, as the close friend of a fellow officer. He chose to -accompany us to the open sea, and risk the discomfort of a night on -board the pilot boat in a return to the shore, rather than take leave at -an earlier moment. While the little craft was still hovering around us, -waiting the signal to approach and take off its master and his -passenger, the officer referred to, in momentary expectation of this -second leavetaking of home, as it were, in parting from one who was -going directly to his family, approaching me, exclaimed, in a spirit of -half desperation—“Oh! Mr. S——, if I were in circumstances to live on -shore with my family independently of my profession, I would go straight -over the sides of the ship into that boat, and throw my commission to -the winds. When I think of my wife and children, I feel as if I would -dig and grub—do any thing for an honest living—rather than thus for -three years leave them for a drudgery so distasteful to me as life on -board a man-of-war in time of peace, with scarce an object but to get -through an irksome duty.” Such must be the feelings, in a greater or -less degree, of every sea-officer who has reached the meridian of life; -and such would be my own, were there not connected with my office and -its duties, issues, in hope at least, sufficient to outbalance all -earthly considerations. - -_June 10th._—Little worthy of record, even in a journal for home, can be -anticipated in a passage to Cuba; yet an incident has already occurred, -which I would not pass over without notice. When Mr. B—— and the pilot -left us on Saturday, the shades of a sombre evening were settling around -us, and, as is customary on board a man-of-war in ordinary cruising, we -reefed topsails for the night. This done, as the lighthouse fires began -to gleam over the dark waters, from Cape Henry at one point and from -Cape Charles at another, all hands were called to our first evening -prayer on the quarter-deck. The deep twilight and the gloomy sky made -the service the more impressive. Few on board, even among the officers, -knew of the intention of Captain McIntosh with the sanction of Commodore -McKeever, to have daily evening worship. One or two of those who did, -had never witnessed such an observance on board ship, and doubted its -expediency. But the impression made by it was at once effective and -conclusive on the minds of those even who had most doubted. This they -readily admitted to others as well as to myself: and while saying that -it was the first time they had ever been present at such a service in -the navy, added a hope that it would never be discontinued on board the -Congress. - -I was cheered by this frank avowal from those whose judgment I prized, -and whose high-toned character carries with it predominating influence -among their associates. Long experience warrants me in regarding this -appointment as a most important auxiliary in the work of a chaplaincy, -and an efficient promoter of discipline and good order on board a -man-of-war. It is honorable to the principles and moral perceptions of -those who framed the existing laws of the navy, that the second article -in the code enjoins a daily service of worship on board every ship -having a chaplain; and it is to be regretted that an injunction so -salutary, in the moral economy of a crew, and in its general tendency, -should in so few instances have been carried into effect. - -The evening worship of the Cotter’s fireside—where, - - “Kneeling down to Heaven’s Eternal King, - The saint, the father, and the husband prays,” - -presents a picture which might well call forth the inspiration of the -poet. In every grade of life, the social altar, encircled in the -sincerity and simplicity of the Gospel, is in like manner an elevating -and a touching sight. But if impressive in the comparative security of -the shore, far from the fitful changes and dangers of the sea, how much -more so when exhibited in the floating dwellings of those whose “home is -on the deep.” If He, who alone “commands the winds and the waves, and -they obey”—He, who “rides upon the whirlwind and directs the storm,” is -the receiver of our thanksgiving and the only hearer of prayer, who -sooner than the sailor should be found in supplication, or who be more -frequent, or more fervent than he in praise? - -Whatever may be the ultimate results in individual cases of such a -service, few persons have for a first time witnessed it, without bearing -testimony to its impressiveness on the eye, whatever may have been the -influence felt upon the heart. But, it is not without cause, that I ever -look for something more from it. The man-of-wars-man with all his -recklessness, and, too often, degrading vices, has, in many cases, moral -sensibilities and affections which bring him, where the means of grace -are enjoyed, within the pale of hope; and I have never yet been long on -board a ship where, to the preaching of the Gospel on the Sabbath, there -has been added this daily evening prayer, without hearing from some -troubled spirit the inquiry, “What shall I do to be saved?” followed, -not unfrequently, by the resolution of the repenting prodigal, “I will -arise and go to my Father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned -against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy -son.” - -The excitement incident to our departure and the tedium of a listless -day, with little progress till we were at sea, disposed all on board not -on watch, to retire early; and for the most part such were soundly -asleep, myself among the number, when suddenly aroused at midnight by -the cry, “A man overboard!” There was little wind and not much sea; but -the darkness was Egyptian; the rain poured in torrents; and while the -booming thunder of an approaching gust rolled heavily over the deep, -occasional flashes of vivid lightning added double intensity, in the -intervals, to the blackness around. The rescue of the perishing man -seemed hopeless. Supposing him of course to be one of the crew—perhaps -the most active and gallant of their number, who had lost his foothold -in some effort of duty in preparation for the coming squall—I felt -disheartened by so sad a casualty at the very outset of our cruise. I -thought of our evening prayer, and of the deep feeling with which, in -its brief worship, we had supplicated the defences of the Almighty, and -in confiding trust committed ourselves to his protecting care. Had the -Lord not had respect to our offering—had the Almighty not regarded our -prayer? - -In the midst of thoughts such as these, it was a relief, though a -melancholy one indeed, to learn that the wretch overboard was not any of -the fine fellows whose physical aspect and general bearing had already -won from me, in my position, a deep interest, but a poor drunkard, who -had been brought on board in a state of delirium tremens, from the -receiving ship, the day we left Norfolk; and who had at once been -consigned, in care of the surgeons, to the sick-bay. In a paroxysm of -madness, he had now rushed from his keepers below to the gun-deck; and, -knocking down with a billet of wood caught up at the galley, one in -pursuit, had plunged headforemost through an open bridle-port, to be -seen and heard of no more. - -The life-buoys were cut away, the ship put about, boats lowered and sent -off, at the risk of life both to officers and men, in the pitchy -darkness and rapidly approaching squall: blue lights were burned, and -repeated shouts through a trumpet made, in hope of some response, but -all in vain, in rescuing him from his doom. After the first plunge, -nothing was seen or heard from him. A miserable madman from strong -drink, the accompaniments of his end on earth—the midnight gloom, the -angry lightning, the muttering thunder, and the moaning wind, were -befitting the fate of an immortal spirit “unanointed—unannealed,” thus -passing into the eternal world. He was an old man-of-wars-man, and, -three years ago, in a similar condition and near the same place, jumped -overboard from a frigate the first night from port, and was with great -difficulty saved. How faithful the admonition, “He that being often -reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that -without remedy.” - -Yesterday, the Sabbath, was a bright and beautiful day, with favoring -winds and a smooth sea. The quarter-deck, screened from the sun by -awnings, was our chapel; the capstan, spread with the stripes and stars -of an ensign, our reading desk and pulpit; and the band, with sacred -music, both our organ and choir. My sermon, suggested by the incident of -the preceding night, was an exposition of the evils, physical, moral and -spiritual, of intemperance, and the frightful condition of such as -become its hopeless victims. The fatal proofs of the truths advanced, in -the bodily and mental state of him who had just perished before our eyes -as it were, caused the most fixed attention to be given to what was -said, both by the officers and men. - -I was happy to be told by the captain, immediately after the service, -that it had been officially reported to him the day before, that more -than three hundred of the crew, or two thirds of the whole number of -foremast hands, did not draw the ration of rum furnished them by the -government: this of their own voluntary choice, no persuasion having yet -been used on board to influence any one on the subject. An encouraging -fact certainly, at the offset, in this essential point in the morals of -the sailor, and one that ought to be suggestive to our national -legislators of the duty of striking at once from the list of naval -allowances, a poison tending to the destruction of both body and soul. -The day was a happy one to me, in the retirement of my own little room, -as well as in the public discharge of my duties. A long and kind letter -from an officer, in answer to a note with which I had returned one given -to me to read, was so encouraging to me in my office, and so full of -promise spiritually for himself, as deeply to affect me. I could but -regard it as a token of grace from Him in whose hands are all hearts, -and as an intimation of the good that may be accomplished on board, even -in the most influential quarters. - -Our worship, at sunset, was commenced, after an air of sacred music from -the band, by the reading of Addison’s beautiful hymn— - - “How are thy servants blest, O Lord! - How sure is their defence! - Eternal Wisdom is their guide, - Their help, Omnipotence.” - -To-day we are crossing the gulf stream under a fresh breeze amounting -almost to a gale: a “smoky southwester” with a short and high sea, into -which the frigate plunges deeply, taking in large quantities of water -forward. This rushing aft, as the ship rises, makes the gun as well as -the spar-deck wet and uncomfortable. The wardroom, with all the stern -and air-ports closed, is dark and stifling in its atmosphere, and every -thing on board partakes largely of the disagreeable at sea. The motion -is so great that nothing can be left by itself; and, at breakfast, each -of us secured, as best he could, the very indifferent fare that came in -his way: bread like so much lead; biscuits which, bagged and netted, -might have passed inspection as grape-shot; rancid butter; addled eggs; -and execrable stuff under the names of tea and coffee! As I cast my eyes -over the mess-table and its surroundings, in the gloomy twilight falling -from the hatchway above, and upon a disconsolate-looking and silent set -of companions, I could not avoid contrasting the whole, involuntarily, -with a breakfast room in my mind, on shore, in the fresh beauty of a -morning in June—with a brightly gleaming lawn in front; the mingled -bloom of the rose and the honeysuckle at the windows; the cheerful -family group; and the varied fare fresh from the garden, the farm-house, -and the dairy—and sigh at the difference in the pictures. Such a day as -this, on shipboard in the gulf stream, with its discomfort in almost -every form, would be enough to make a landsman content, for the rest of -his life, with the blessings of the shore. - -Apropos of our steward. We have been sadly imposed on by the professed -qualifications of this important functionary. Claiming to be perfect in -all, we find he knows nothing of any of his appropriate duties. The day -we left Norfolk he gave a characteristic proof of his fitness for the -office. It was at dinner, our guest Mr. B—— being of the number. Among -the courses was a salad dressed by our _maitre d’hôte_. Mr. B—— was -first served with it. I was the next to take from the dish, and in doing -so, happening to look towards the visitor, was struck by a very peculiar -expression of the eye and countenance as he tasted it—a blending of -surprise, comical inquiry, and effort at self-command, while the fork -was very quietly returned to his plate, as if he were done with it. -Suspecting the salad to be the origin of all this, and hastily testing -the point by a mouthful, I found to my utter disgust, that, in obedience -to the direction of the caterer to use plenty of oil in the dressing, he -had, in ignorance of any other, dashed the whole most copiously with the -vilest lamp oil! The effect upon the palate can be more readily imagined -than described. - -_June 12th._—A breeze from the north-east, which set in last night, -promises to prove a regular trade-wind, and we are running rapidly -before it on our course. You may easily follow our track, by marking, on -a map, a pretty straight line from the mouth of the Chesapeake to the -channel of the sea, between the Islands of St. Domingo and Porto Rico. -It is our intention to pass between these, by what is named on the -charts of the West Indies, the Mona Passage, and then lay a course by -the south side of Cuba to Havana. Should it be asked why we go, -seemingly, so much out of our way and so far round; I answer, that for a -large ship, it is not only the safest, but, in point of time, the -shortest route. The strong and adverse current of the gulf stream, and -the intricate and hazardous navigation of the Florida channel, are the -objections to the direct course along the coast. The weather is now -fine—in strong contrast with that last described; and, at night, we have -a splendid moon, enticing to constant visits in thought and affection to -Riverside. Beautiful as moonlight is at sea, I must confess to a -preference, in the enjoyment of it in the month of June, for the -south-west corner of a verandah on the banks of the Hudson. - -I have, thus far, been giving my time chiefly to visits through my -floating parish—from the quarters of the Commodore to those of “Jemmy -Ducks,” and “Jack of the dust,” as the feeder of the pigs and poultry, -and the sweeper of the Purser’s store-rooms, in shipboard nomenclature, -are respectively styled. Almost every day, since coming on board, I have -discovered here and there a shipmate of some former cruise; and perceive -hourly evidence of having through these—in part at least—already gained -the marked good will of the crew. I am quite at home in all my walks -among them; and have every reason to be more than satisfied—to be truly -thankful—in my official relation with them. - -The Congress, a fifty-gun ship, is one of the finest vessels of her -class. She is a model of strength and symmetry in hull and spars, and of -imposing and effective equipment in her batteries and armament; never -failing to attract the notice of all who have an eye to appreciate a -chef d’œuvre in naval architecture. She is, too, a swift messenger over -the waters, as well as a tower of strength and beauty on the sea. - -The intellectual and moral tastes of many of my immediate associates and -equals in naval rank, are such as not only to make them agreeable -companions, but also to give to our mess in general, by their example -and influence, a high-toned and elevated character; and I regard it a -providence of special kindness that, in those chief in authority and -executive power, I find cordial friends personally, and firm supporters -in my duty officially. Their views, too, and their purposes, in regard -to discipline and naval reform, harmonize with my own, in the persuasion -that kindness is the surest key to the human heart; and that, in -government, the law of love is more effectual than the rule of fear. I -felt this particularly, in a long conversation with the commodore this -morning, during a walk on the quarter-deck, and at breakfast with him -afterwards. On this point I like his views much; and augur great good -from them, in the support they will lead him to extend, officially, to -the executive officer of the ship, in carrying out a system of internal -rule based upon the principle of kindness and good will, of the -practical well-working of which he is entirely persuaded. - -The crew, physically, are a fine set of men: healthful, athletic and -young, the average age of the four hundred foremast hands scarcely -exceeding twenty-five years. This general youthfulness of the ship’s -company encourages me to hope much from them as subjects of moral -culture. They are more likely, than seamen of a more advanced age, to -have had the benefit of a religious training in the Sabbath schools now -so universally established in most sections of our country; and, thus, -be more susceptible to moral impressions and persuasion, should they not -have already felt the influence of the general improvement in the -character of sailors which, confessedly, has taken place within the last -ten or fifteen years. Still, at best, a man-of-war is a sterile and -rocky field for spiritual labor. There is ever on board a large ship of -the kind, a greater or less number of reckless and desperately wicked -men: some who have been convicts and the inmates of state prisons and -penitentiaries, and more who, long under the surveillance of the police, -and pressed by close pursuit, have sought refuge at the rendezvous and -receiving ship, from the merited penalties of the law. Of these last we -are certain of having quite a company, composed pretty equally of -‘Southwark killers,’ ‘Schuylkill rangers,’ ‘Baltimore rowdies,’ ‘Bowery -boys,’ and ‘Five Pointers.’ The whole number of both these classes, -however, does not amount to more than fifty; the hundreds of others on -board are either honest-hearted and true sailors, or inexperienced and -raw landsmen: ‘good men,’ according to the ethics of the sea. The “baser -sort,” though comparatively so few in number, are ever first in gaining -prominence and notoriety on board, by bringing themselves, through a -manifestation of their evil propensities, in contact with the discipline -of the ship, while the true sailor and old man-of-wars-man, in the quiet -discharge of their duty remain for a time unappreciated, and perhaps -personally unknown. - -To an inexperienced eye, a man-of-war with her crew of five hundred, -seems only like a bee-hive full of confusion and uproar, while, in -truth, there is throughout in every department perfect organization and -order. Every individual has his class, his number, and his station; the -duty of each in his place is clearly defined; and whatever is to be done -is accomplished with much of the regularity of a machine operating -through the same number of wheels. To the same eye there would appear no -signs of caste or grades of distinction, moral or social, in the general -mass: there would be only so many hundred sailors, seemingly alike in -all respects. Little would be dreamed of the extremes, not only of moral -character, existing among them, but of social distinction also—from the -exclusives of the “upper ten,” priding themselves on moving only in the -first circles, through three or four marked sets to the canaille, -utterly below recognition or social intercourse. There is a marked -difference, too, among many, in the outer man. Though the dress of all -is uniform in color and general material, still there is often the -widest difference in the quality, fitting, and make of the entire -wardrobe; and, while one is so careless and slovenly in his attire, as -to require the daily inspection of an officer, others are perfect -sea-dandies, as fastidiously neat and clean in person, as the whole -series of brushes known to the toilette-table can make them; and as fond -of being assured of this, by repeated inspections and last glances in -the miniature mirrors carried in their hats, or about their persons, as -a beau of the first water on shore, before a Psyche in preparation for -the ball or opera. - -After the public worship of the last Sabbath, Mr. T——, the first -lieutenant, who has had long experience in Sabbath schools, both as a -teacher and superintendent, aided me in the formation of one among the -twenty-four boys on board, from ten to fifteen years of age: each of us -taking charge of a class of twelve. The value of a voluntary agency of -this kind, from an officer of commanding influence, can scarcely be -over-estimated. My next attempt, as a means of good, will be the -establishment of Bible classes among the men. If successful in this, I -am happy to know that others of the officers stand ready to assist me in -the like manner. - -It is an interesting fact, and one strikingly illustrative of the -improved and elevated tone of morals in the navy, that of the fourteen -gentlemen constituting the wardroom mess, five are professedly religious -men of consistent and exemplary character. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - - AT SEA. - -_June 19th._—Two days ago, at noon, land was descried from the -mast-head. We were approaching the Bahama Islands, not in the direction -of the Mona Passage, but in that of the Caycos, more to the west, the -wind having headed us off from our first course. During the previous -night, we had passed over a point on the ocean, memorable in its -historic interest, where, on the very eve of joyful triumph, the -illustrious discoverer of the western world suffered the severest trial -of his daring voyage. It was here that the discouragement and fears of -his followers in their frail barks, approached desperation and open -mutiny; and confident hope had well nigh ended in disappointment, and -triumphant success in failure. It was impossible to traverse the same -waters, without recalling vividly to mind the scene of trial and -conflict which they had witnessed more than three hundred and fifty -years before, and sympathizing afresh with the great navigator in his -distress; or to hear the cry, “land ho!” without recurring in thought to -the devout exultations of his heart, when, in the watches of the night, -the interrupted glimmerings of a distant light peered upon eyes eagerly -searching its gloom, dispelling for ever the fears of his companions, -and crowning his adventurous enterprise with imperishable honor. - -The land descried aloft, soon became visible from the deck. It was the -great Caycos, the most eastern of the Bahamas, a low, flat island of -sand, surrounded by extensive shoals. There was little to interest in -its appearance; a mere tufting of bushes on the water, along the line of -the horizon, of which we soon lost sight. The next morning, and for the -rest of the day, the west end of St. Domingo was in view, furnishing in -its turn abundant subjects for musing in the tragic scenes of the revolt -of 1791. Before nightfall the eastern extremity of Cuba was also in -sight. Both are lofty and mountainous, but less picturesque in general -outline than the islands of the South Seas. The sail of the afternoon -and evening was delightful,—the perfection of its kind. The trade-wind -was fresh and balmy, and so steady, that the lofty mass of canvas we -spread to it was as motionless as if it were a fixture on the sea; while -the ocean, of the most beautiful tint of marine blue, was every where -gemmed with white-caps of the brilliancy of so much snow. - -_June 20th._—Hitherto the duty of the ship has been carried on admirably -under a kind and humane discipline. The lash, formerly in such constant -requisition on board a man-of-war, in bringing a new crew under ready -control, has neither been heard nor seen. A fight, however, which came -off a day or two since, between two of the marines, led to a kind of -drumhead court-martial, yesterday, and to the punishment of the parties -this morning, with the cat-o’-nine-tails. It is the first instance with -us of such a revolting spectacle, and I most devoutly hope it may be the -last. I am sure it will, unless there be those on board so incorrigible -and so determined to subject themselves to it, that no other mode of -discipline will meet their case. Before we left port, Captain McIntosh, -in an excellent address, after the first reading in public of the -“articles of war,” assured the crew with deep feeling, that nothing -could give him greater pleasure than to return to the United States and -have it in his power to report to the Navy Department that a lash had -never been given on board the Congress during the cruise. He reiterated -the same sentiment this morning to the ship’s company, mustered to -witness the punishment, with the fresh avowal of his utter unwillingness -to resort to so degrading a mode of chastisement: adding “that the -existing law, however, made the duty imperative upon him as an ultimate -means of enforcing his command, and protecting his ship from -insubordination and misrule; and that it should be remembered by all, -whenever the necessity was forced on him of administering this -punishment, that it would only be through the deliberate purpose and -choice of any one subjecting himself to it.” - -The cat-o’-nine-tails, as a mode of punishment, is a relic of barbarism -disgraceful to the age in which we live, and antagonistic to its entire -spirit. The wonder is, not that men-of-wars men are scarce, and recruits -for the navy few, but that, with such a barbarous punishment legalized, -an American sailor can be found willing to place himself in a position -in which he can, by any contingency, be exposed to the disgrace of its -infliction. - -In place of attempting a description of the spectacle, as just witnessed -by us, I will substitute one, which happens to be before me, of a -similar scene, from the pen of an officer in the British Navy. It is -more graphic than any I could furnish, and as truthful to the reality, -in its leading features, as can well be pictured. It is drawn from his -early experience as a midshipman. “I had not been many days on board,” -he says, “before I heard a hollow sound reverberating round the -frigate’s decks, and which seemed to bring a shade of gloom over the -faces of all around me. Again the words were repeated, ‘All hands, -Ahoy!’ I eagerly inquired the meaning of this mystery, and was answered -by a lad about sixteen years of age, ‘It is all hands to punishment, my -boy; you are going to see a man flogged.’ - -“The idea of a _man_ being flogged at all, under any possible -circumstances, had never before entered my brain. I had as yet no -notions that such a degree of barbarity could exist; I had indeed known -that boys were flogged, but how they could _horse_ a man was to me a -mystery. My reflections were broken in upon by observing all my -messmates busily engaged in putting on their cocked-hats and side-arms. -And as this was the first time I had sported my new dirk, I felt very -strange and mingled sensations, as I stepped forth on the quarter-deck. -The marines were drawn up on the larboard side of the deck, with their -bayonets fixed, and their officers with their swords drawn, and resting -against their shoulders. On the main deck the seamen had all assembled -in a dense crowd around the hatchway, and the said hatchway was -ornamented with several gratings fixed up on one end, evidently for some -purpose which I had never yet seen accomplished. The officers in their -full uniforms, with swords, and cocked hats, were pacing the decks: but -all was still and solemn silence. At length the captain came forth from -his cabin, the marines carrying arms at his first appearance on the -quarter-deck. The first lieutenant, taking off his hat, approached him, -and reported that ‘all was ready.’ - -“As the captain came up to the gangway, he removed his hat; which was -followed by all the men and officers becoming uncovered. Then, taking a -printed copy of the articles of war, he read aloud a few lines, which -denounced the judgment of a court-martial on any person who should be -guilty of some particular offence, the nature of which I did not -understand. This done, he ordered Edward Williams to strip; adding, ‘You -have been guilty of neglect of duty, sir, in not laying in off the -foretopsail yard when the first lieutenant ordered you; and I will give -you a d——d good flogging.’ By this time the poor fellow had taken off -his jacket and shirt, which was thrown over his shoulders by the -master-at-arms, while two quartermasters lashed the poor fellow’s elbows -to the gratings, so that he could not stir beyond an inch or two either -way. It was in vain that he begged and besought the captain and first -lieutenant to forgive him; protesting that he did not hear himself -called, in consequence of having a bad cold, which rendered him almost -deaf. His entreaties were unheeded; and at the words, ‘Boatswain’s mate, -give him a dozen,’ a tall, strong fellow came forward with a -cat-o’-nine-tails, and, having taken off his own jacket, and carefully -measured his distance, so as to be able to strike with the full swing of -his arm, he flung the tails of the cat around his head, and with all the -energy of his body brought them down upon the fair, white, plump back of -poor Williams. A sudden jerk of the poor fellow almost tore away the -gratings from their position; he gave a scream of agony, and again -begged the captain, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to let him off. I was -horror-struck on seeing nine large welts, as big as my fingers, raised -on his back, spreading from his shoulder-blades nearly to his loins; but -my feelings were doomed to be still more harrowed. For as soon as the -tall boatswain’s mate had completed the task of running his fingers -through the cords to clear them and prevent the chance of a single lash -being spared the wretched sufferer, he again flung them around his head -to repeat the blow. Another slashing sound upon the naked flesh, another -shriek and struggle to get free succeeded,—and then another and another, -till the complement of twelve agonizing lashes was completed. The back -was, by this time, nearly covered with deep red gashes; the skin roughed -up and curled in many parts, as it does when a violent blow causes an -extensive abrasion. The poor man looked up with an imploring eye toward -the first lieutenant, and groaned out, ‘Indeed, sir, as I hope to be -saved, I did not hear you call me.’ The only reply was on the part of -the captain, who gave the word, ‘another boatswain’s mate!’ ‘Oh, God, -sir, have mercy on me!’ was again the cry of the poor man: ‘Boatswain’s -mate, go on; and mind that you do your duty!’ the only answer. - -“The effect of one hundred and eight cuts upon his bare back had -rendered it a fearful sight, but when these had been repeated with all -the vigor of a fresh and untired arm, the poor fellow exhibited a sad -spectacle indeed. The dark red of the wounds had assumed a livid purple, -the flesh stood up in mangled ridges, and the blood trickled here and -there like the breaking out of an old wound. The pipes of the boatswain -and his mates now sounded, and they called ‘all hands up anchor!’ The -gratings were quickly removed, and of all the human beings who had -witnessed the cruel torture on the body of poor Edward Williams, not one -seemed in the slightest degree affected. All was bustle and activity and -apparent merriment as they went to work in obedience to the call.” - -In this account there is no exaggeration: no exaggeration of the usual -manner of inflicting such punishment; no exaggeration of the triviality -of the alleged offence; no exaggeration of the earnest asseveration of -innocence; no exaggeration of the hardening effect of the scene upon the -spectators. I have known men to be thus flogged for acts or omissions -equally if not more trivial—not only singly, but, in one instance at -least, a dozen at a time, and that, too, where it was known that one -only of the number was really in fault. Because some one of a quarter -watch in the top did a careless and lubberly thing, in the estimation of -an officer, though doubtless, from the circumstances of the case, -accidentally, and none of his topmates would give up his name, the whole -watch were ordered on deck, and, in succession, received a dozen lashes -each. - -The entire experience of the writer of the above account, as to this -punishment, corroborates fully the opinion I have formed from my own -observation as to its effects—that in all its bearings it has a tendency -to demoralize and harden rather than to reform. He proceeds to state -that the captain under whose command the case of flogging described -occurred, changed ships not long afterwards with one who abominated the -system of corporal punishment; and adds, “For four years I served under -his orders, and witnessed no more of the inhuman practice. The men were -allowed to go on shore frequently sixty and seventy at a time, and in -all respects were treated so kindly that but one case of desertion -occurred during all that period. The captain made it a point to visit -the whole crew when at dinner, to see, himself, that they had every -thing they required to make them comfortable. This he did every day; and -the sick were always fed from his own table. The result of this was that -our ship was the smartest frigate on the station, and fought one of the -most glorious actions which ever graced the annals of the British Navy.” - -His experience in the matter did not end here. He thus proceeds: “I -joined another ship, the captain of which was wont to say, ‘I never -forgive a first offence—for if there was no first offence there could be -no second.’ Profane swearing and drunkenness, he never by any accident -forgave. The result was a flogging match every Monday morning, and very -frequently once or twice in the week besides. The crew grew worse and -worse from this treatment, till, at length, there was scarcely a sober -seaman or marine on board the ship, though her complement was about six -hundred men and boys. The more drunken they became the more he flogged -them; but the crime and punishment seemed to react on each other, and -the ship became at last so very notorious for the cat that he was jested -upon it by his fellow captains, and the men deserted at every -opportunity.” - -I believe the experience, thus presented, of these two ships, to be a -fair exposition of the general and direct tendency of the two systems. -Revolting as punishment with the ‘colt’ and ‘cat’ ever has been to me, -and often as my blood has been made to boil in witnessing it, a want of -practical knowledge in the case led me, for a time, reluctantly to -acquiesce in the opinion universally held, so far as I could discover, -by those most experienced in naval rule, that it was indispensable as a -means of discipline on board a man-of-war. But the teachings of my -nature, that this is an error, have been corroborated by long -observation; and had no previous conviction of this been fastened on my -mind, the success of the executive officer of the Congress in devising -and substituting more humanizing modes of punishment for transgressions -of law and delinquencies in duty, would have gone far in persuading me -to it. I doubt not that should the law of the lash be abrogated by our -national legislature to-morrow,[1] and the change be met by the -enactment of a wise and philanthropic code of naval rule, the discipline -and efficiency of the service would be more perfect than ever before. - - -[Footnote 1: Flogging was abolished, both in the navy and mercantile -marine, a few months after the above was written.] - - -_June 24th._— - - “The twilight is sad and cloudy, - The wind blows wild and free, - And like the wings of sea-birds - Flash the white caps of the sea.” - -So sings Longfellow, and such is the imagery around us from the passing -of a heavy squall. The rushing wind and the dampness brought with it, -from the approaching rain, are welcome and most refreshing, after two or -three days and nights on the south side of Cuba, sultry almost to -suffocation. Whether correct in our recollections or not, all hands -agree that, in no part of the world in which we have been, either on -land or at sea, have we before suffered so much from the intensity of -the heat. Notwithstanding, I was never in the enjoyment of more vigorous -health or in more elastic spirits. - -In the afternoon of my last date, we had a distant view of a part of the -island of Jamaica, as well as of San Domingo and Cuba: a sail, too, was -in sight, and the smoke of a steamer marked on the horizon—all taking -much from the solitariness of our position. The next morning we were -slowly advancing westward, along the lofty, but mist covered and cloud -obscured mountain range of the Sierra de Cobra, beneath a point in which -lie the port and city of St. Jago de Cuba. At sunset the same evening we -were directly abreast Cape de Cruz, in full view of the coast, but at -too great a distance to make out the distinctive features of the -landscape, even with the best glasses. We are now off the Isle of Pines, -famed in the annals of the Buccaneers of the olden time, and a haunt of -pirates in our own day. - -Light and baffling winds, with alternate calms, have made our progress -slow. The tedium of the time has been relieved in part by a first -interchange of dinner parties between the wardroom mess and the -commodore and captain. The kindest feeling exists among the officers of -all grades on board, and these reunions, where the formality of official -intercourse gives place for the time to the free interchange of thought -and feeling, and of sympathy in intellect and taste, are salutary in -their influences on both mind and heart. The Sabbath is the day usually -chosen on board a man-of-war for these courtesies; but it has been -unanimously decided, by our mess, that the entertainments given in the -wardroom shall be on a week day. - -During the continuance of moonlight in the evening and early part of the -night, the enjoyment of it on deck in quiet musings, after the heat of -the day, seemed the prevailing mood of the ship’s company. The band in -whole or in part, at times, added music to the sympathies which were -sending our thoughts and affections homeward by the way of the moon. But -now that she is on the wane, and reserves her beams for the later -watches of the night, the sailors cheer themselves in the darkness, by -singing on the spar-deck, grouped in their respective limits from the -fife-rail to the forecastle. Last evening, even the quarter-deck was -invaded, under the sanction of an officer, by a party of negro -minstrels: not such mock performers as are heard on shore under the -name, but of the genuine type, consisting of the servants of the -wardroom. For half an hour or more they sang, in practised harmony and -with effect, many of the more sentimental and popular of the negro -melodies; while forward and in the gangways there was echoed forth, in -varied song, the feats of warrior knights and the love of ladies fair. -Others of the crew were, at the same time, listening in groups between -the guns along the entire deck, to a rehearsal by their shipmates of -tragic stories of shipwreck, piracy and murder; to recitations from -tragedies and comedies; to close arguments on various topics—navigation -and seamanship, politics, morals and religion—and, at one point, to a -lecture on history, of which I overheard enough to learn the subject to -be the life and achievements of the brave Wallace, dilated upon in the -broad dialect of the “land o’ cakes!” - -Light-heartedness and contentment seem every where to prevail, and all -manifest by their conduct, as well as by word, that they feel themselves -to be on board a favored ship. - -Had I time for the record, you would be amused by many things I hourly -hear and see, in my walks of leisure. To-day, while on the quarter-deck -after the men’s dinner, I overheard one of the messenger boys, who had -just come from this meal, say to a companion, “I tell you what, Jim, I -couldn’t eat much of that dinner: old mahogany and hard tack, is what I -call pretty tough eating. To-morrow too is bean day, and I wouldn’t give -a penny for a bushel of them.” A sprightly young sailor who completed an -apprenticeship in the service, happening to pass at the time, stopped -for a moment, and with an assumed air of indignant reproof, exclaimed, -“Why, you ungrateful young cub!—you growling at Uncle Sam’s grub? why -you ought to be down upon your knees thanking God that you have so good -an uncle to give you any thing!” - -Just afterwards, I fell into conversation with an old salt who had been -with me, in the Delaware line-of-battle ship, in 1833. After mutual -inquiries of various officers and men who were shipmates with us then; -what had become of this one and what of that—he said, in all honesty of -heart, and with a most lugubrious expression of face, “And there was -Lieut. M—— too: they tell me, sir, _he stepped out entirely_, the other -day at the Hospital!”—meaning that he had died there. I never heard the -expression in such a connection before, and could not avoid being -struck, not only with its oddity, but also with its force. - -_June 29th._—Just at nightfall, on my last date, we doubled Cape -Antonio, the extreme westerly point of Cuba, at a distance of ten or -twelve miles. It is long and low, covered with dark woods, and, in -general aspect, not unlike the coasts of Long Island and New Jersey, as -seen from the sea. As soon as our course was turned northward for -Havana, the regular wind became adverse to us, and the next morning we -were in the Florida Channel, far from the land and a hundred miles and -more from our port. The tediousness of a dead beat to windward was -relieved, however, by the greater freshness and elasticity of the air, -in comparison with that on the south side of Cuba. For two or three -evenings, here, the sunsets were among the most gorgeous I recollect. -The whole western hemisphere, filled with fantastic and richly colored -clouds, glowed with a brilliancy and glare of crimson light, as if the -entire sea beneath were one vast bed of volcanic fire. - -After two days we again made the land, with fine views during the -afternoon, of two lofty ranges of mountains in the interior of the -island—the Sierra del Rosario and the Sierra de los Organos or Organ -mountains; but it was not till last night that we reached the parallel -of Havana. At 10 o’clock the Moro light, at the entrance of the port, -was descried, some fifteen miles distant. Its brilliant flashings, -through the darkness of an unsettled sky, came cheerily upon the sight -over the troubled water, in the assurance they gave of our true -position, amid the changing currents and hazardous navigation of these -straits. - -Before daybreak this morning we fell in with and spoke the sloop-of-war -Germantown, Captain Lowndes, cruising off the harbor. I was early on -deck. The morning was fresh and beautiful, but the shores less bold and -striking than I had anticipated; and the mountains in view were more -remote. Still the landscape was pleasing in its verdure, though neither -varied nor picturesque in its outline. Having been lying to for the -night, we were still eight or ten miles from the entrance of the harbor; -but the Moro Castle and city were in distinct view—the former, -surmounted by its pharos towering loftily on a precipitous cliff of rock -on the left of the entrance, and the latter stretching beneath it to the -right, in a long line of whiteness on a level with the sea. - -The scene increased momentarily in interest. A fresh trade-wind, -creating a sea which, in the brightness of the sun, tossed up jets of -diamonds on every side, hurried us rapidly forward, under topsails and -topgallant-sails only: the Germantown, a beautiful craft, followed -closely in our wake, fluttering over the water with the lightness and -buoyancy of a bird. There were besides some eight or ten square-rigged -merchant vessels in sight, under various degrees of sail—some entering -and others leaving port. While in the midst of these, the Germantown and -Congress interchanged salutes, with pretty effect on the general -picture. - -The wind had now increased to a half gale; a pilot had boarded us, and -we bore away with a rush for the Moro, which immediately overhangs the -entrance to the port. This is narrow—very narrow; seemingly a mere -creek, a few ships’ length only in width. It runs at right angles with -the line of coast along which we were flying. This made it necessary in -entering, to haul suddenly, from a free course, closely on the wind. We -did so, at the speed of a race-horse, almost grazing the surf-lashed -rocks over which tower the frowning battlements of the Moro, and within -biscuit throw, as it were, of the batteries of the Punta on the opposite -side—the pilot, momentarily alternating the exclamation “Hard a port!” -“Hard a starboard!” “Steady—steady!” kept the men at the helm on the -full spring in shifting the wheel from side to side; while at the same -time the yards were filled with the crew reducing sail to bare poles, as -if by magic, under the trumpet orders of the first lieutenant. I thought -it one of the most exciting moments, and one of the most beautiful -sights, in the navigation of so large a ship, I had ever witnessed. - -In less time than is required thus to state it, we were transferred from -the tossings of a rough sea, to the glassy surface of an apparent river. -The scene on either hand was picturesque and animated. On one side, were -the terraced heights adjoining the Moro, grim with the defences of war, -relieved here and there by sentries and groups of soldiers, lounging -about the batteries; and, on the other, level with the water, a range of -stone quays, lined with shipping and coasting craft, and covered with -sailors, boatmen, negro porters, and stevedores. Beyond rose the -buildings of the city, painted in every variety of light and gay colors, -and overtopped by the time-stained domes and towers of the churches and -other public structures. The aspect of the whole was so entirely -transatlantic, that I could scarce resist the illusion that I was again -in old Spain, and that it was “fair Cadiz” I saw stretched before me. -The gallantry of our entrance had attracted the gaze of the thousands -crowding the quay in its whole length, and murmurs of admiration were -every where heard at the beauty of our frigate, and the dashing style in -which she glided rapidly along under the headway brought in by her from -the sea. - -At the end of half a mile, the straight and narrow inlet expands into a -round basin, five or six miles in circumference. Near the centre of this -we dropped anchor: having the city and its defences towards the sea on -one side of us, and green hills tufted with palm-trees and dotted with -cottages and country seats on the other. The harbor is a gem of beauty, -capable of containing the navies of half the world. Five Spanish -men-of-war, including a ship-of-the-line, are moored within pistol shot -of us, and the Germantown immediately at our stern. The dropping of the -anchor was followed by salutes from our batteries of twenty-one guns to -the flag of Spain, seventeen to that of the Spanish admiral, in command, -and nine in honor of Mr. Campbell, the American consul, who soon boarded -the Congress. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - - HAVANA. - -_July 1st._—The object of a visit by the Congress to Cuba, before -proceeding to her station on the coast of Brazil, is to bring to a close -the negotiations which have been for some time pending with the -authorities here, in reference to our filibustering compatriots, the -prisoners of Contoy. - -The report made by Captain Lowndes of the Germantown, on boarding us in -the offing, and by Mr. Campbell afterwards, of the state of public -feeling in reference to these, and to the citizens of the United States -in general, led us to apprehend there would be great difficulty in -securing an amicable arrangement of the point at issue—the disposition -to be made of the prisoners. The excitement and indignation of the -Spanish population of the city, on the subject of the attempted -invasion, had been great; and manifested especially, within a few days, -against Mr. Campbell, for sentiments on the subject, exposed in a -correspondence between him and the Secretary of State, recently called -for by Congress, printed in the newspapers in the United States, and -republished here. At one time the consulate was believed to be in great -danger of violence from the mob; and the excitement is still far from -being allayed. In view of this representation we apprehended a long -delay. The first interview, however, between Commodore McKeever and the -captain-general, the Conde d’Alcoy, relieved us from all fear of this. -Every disposition was manifested to receive favorably the mission of the -Congress; and the belief is that the special matter of negotiation will -be speedily adjusted. - -The commodore and suite were received, at the vice-regal palace, in the -most frank and cordial manner, and the personal relations of the -treating parties placed, at once, on a friendly footing. The -governor-general treated lightly the fear that had been suggested, of -violence to the consulate, avowing that all property and life in the -city and island were in the keeping of the government; and that safety -in both was more sure to none, than to the representatives and citizens -of the United States. Summoning the chief of police at once to his -presence, the following dialogue in substance took place between them. -“Have you heard, sir, of an apprehended attack by the populace upon the -American consulate?” “No, sir.” “Do you believe, sir, that any such -danger exists?” “No, sir.” “Could a project of the kind be in agitation -without your knowledge?” “No, sir.” “See to it, sir,” added the count, -with an intonation of voice not to be mistaken, as he dismissed the -functionary, “that nothing of the kind takes place!” - -The truth is, the warmth of sympathy felt by some of our fellow-citizens -for the would-be revolutionists within Cuba and the marauding -filibusters without, backed by visions of national and it may be -personal aggrandizement, through annexation, lead them to magnify every -grievance imaginary or real, and to fan into a flame each spark of ill -will elicited by the collisions that occur, in the hope of embroiling -our government with the crown of Spain; and, through conflict and -conquest, of making sure to us this choicest gem left in her colonial -tiara. - -That the Cubans are most fearfully oppressed by the vice-regal rulers -here, and that the government under which they suffer is the most -rigorous military despotism in the civilized world, no one with the -slightest knowledge of the condition of the island can doubt. The simple -fact that twenty-four millions of dollars are annually wrung, by various -forms of taxation, from a white population of little more than six -hundred thousand, proves it, without an enumeration of the different -unjust monopolies, the prohibitory imposts upon the first necessaries of -life, the depreciating levies on all the products of labor, and the -vampire presence of a foreign soldiery, sufficient to furnish a constant -sentinel, it is said, to every four white men in the country; or, a -reference to the fact that there are no common schools—no liberty of the -press, no liberty of speech, and scarce the liberty of thought. Still, -sad as the truth of such a condition is, it does not justify piratical -invasion from without, or agitating and revolutionizing influence on our -part within. - -The probability is that the stay of the Congress will be very brief; and -that, consequently, my personal knowledge of Havana and the Habaneros -will be limited to a hasty glance, through such loop-holes of -observation as I may accidentally light upon. - -The beauty of the panorama from the anchorage is so varied and so -striking, that in the enjoyment of it, I have been satisfied thus far -without a visit to the shore, though this is the third day, including -the Sabbath, since our arrival. While examining closely with a glass -again and again, every feature of the open country to the east and -south, I could but indulge in many a reminiscence of tropical life at -the Sandwich Islands and South Seas, awakened by the plumed palm and -broad-leafed banana, the brightly gleaming hill sides and velvet-like -slopes characteristic of the scenery. On the opposite sides of the -harbor, the city and its fortresses,—its private dwellings and public -buildings, its towers and domes and embattled walls,—are open to like -inspection through the same medium, a sea-telescope of surpassing -excellence. - -While in the midst of these observations this morning, screened from the -mid-day sun by the well-spread awnings of the poop-deck, my attention -was drawn to a movement near at hand on board, occasioned by a -succession of visits of ceremony from the “powers that be” in this -viceroyal dependency, to our commander-in-chief and our captain. I am -told, whether correctly or not, that the same policy which of yore -prevented Ferdinand and Isabella from keeping faith with Columbus, in -his appointment as viceroy of the New World with undivided power, is -still adhered to by the Spanish throne. The supreme authority, in place -of being vested in one representative of the crown, is distributed among -three—one at the head of the civil affairs, another chief in those that -are military, and a third supreme in the control of the marine. Each is -in his own department independent of the other, and keeps check on his -compeers in any assumption of undue authority. The captain-general, -however, has precedence in matters of ceremony, and is the nominal head -of the government. He does not visit vessels of war, and the courtesy on -his part is expressed through an aide-de-camp. The visitor in his stead -on this occasion, was the Conde Villeneuva, a fine-looking young man, in -a richly embroidered dress of blue and silver, but without military -decorations. He had scarcely been ushered on the deck, with the usual -ceremony, when a barge, still more stately in the number of its oarsmen -and the dimensions of its banner of “blood and gold,” than that by which -he had arrived, was reported by the quarter-master. This bore the -Intendante, or Military Chief, who crossed the gangway in full costume, -with a magnificent star on the breast and three or four crosses and -badges of knighthood at the button holes. Neither name nor title was -announced with sufficient distinctness to be heard, and in view of the -number and brilliancy of his decorations, I felt authorized in giving -him precedence of the count, by at least one grade in the peerage, and -set him down for a marquis: especially as the state in which the next -dignitary approached would lead to the supposition that he could be -nothing less than a duke—a grandee of the first rank. He came in a -superb sixteen-oared barge of the purest white, picked out in gold. He -was a most stately old gentleman, portly in person, fresh in complexion -for a Spaniard, and of the most courtier-like and finished manners. -Three magnificently jewelled stars decorated his left breast, with the -crosses of twice as many orders pendant beneath, and over all the broad -ribbon and insignia of the Golden Fleece. It was the Commandant-general -of Marine, or Naval Chieftain. These visits of mere ceremony were brief, -referring in conversation to the most common-place topics, followed by a -departure in the order of arrival. - -The weather since we have been here has been like that of the finest -days in June on the Hudson: the sun very hot, the sky glowingly bright, -the breeze fresh and seemingly pure, with heavy showers occasionally in -the afternoons. In the evenings and at night the scene from shipboard is -striking and impressive. Long lines of brilliant gas-lights, marking the -walls of the city abreast of us, with the gleamings of others from -fortress and tower reflected by the glassy waters of the bay in streams -of gold, and a glorious canopy of sparkling stars above, compensate in a -degree for the absence of the moon; while a fine military band stationed -on the ramparts nearly opposite us discourses eloquently, till nine -o’clock, the compositions of the masters in opera. - -_July 8th._—My first visit on shore was in company with my messmate F——, -after the heat of the day had begun to pass. The low quays of a -yellowish stone which face the water, are thickly lined with the smaller -craft, engaged in the commerce of the port. We made our way along these -for some distance, through an atmosphere redolent of tar and pitch and -cordage—coffee and tobacco,—amid soldiers and sailors and throngs of -brawny negroes, more than half naked and reeking with perspiration, in -the labor of loading and unloading cargoes. On turning into a narrow -street leading into the city, we soon discovered, that the buildings -which from our moorings meet the eye so strikingly in their gay tintings -of sky-blue, pea-green, peach-blossom, lemon and straw colors, with -their mouldings, cornices and balustrades of the purest white, are -thickly interspersed with others, dingy, shabby, decayed and dirty: -barn-like, stable-like and prison-like. To an untravelled visitor from -the Northern States, this last characteristic would be the first -peculiarity in the aspect of the houses to attract his attention. Every -man’s dwelling here is literally his castle, the defences of which give -to its exterior, on the ground floor especially, the appearance of a -jail at home. The heavy doors opening on the street, are of the most -massive make, and bossed and studded with iron so as to be bullet-proof, -while the lower windows are universally guarded from top to bottom by -strong bars and network of the same material. The general style of -building is the Spanish-Morescan, many of the dwellings being only one -story in height. The streets are straight and regular, but very narrow, -scarcely admitting two vehicles to pass each other, while the sidewalks, -as termed by us, are on a level with the way for carriages, and a foot -or eighteen inches only in width. - -A short walk from the point at which we left the quay, brought us upon a -small but pretty and artistic square, called the Plaza de Armas. It is -enclosed with a handsome iron railing, is regularly laid out in walks, -bordered with gay flowers and shrubbery overhung by the silvery trunks -and long pendant branches of the palm-tree, and ornamented in the centre -with a fountain and statue of Ferdinand VII. of Spain. Its southern side -is faced in its whole length by the palace of the governor-general, a -spacious and handsome quadrangular structure of stone, stuccoed and -painted sky-blue, with pilasters, cornice and balustrade around its flat -roof, of white. - -Our chief object in going on shore was the enjoyment of a drive outside -the walls. The vicinity of the Plaza furnished us with the opportunity -of a choice of equipage for the purpose. Lines and groups of vehicles -were standing along its sides and at the corners. An omnibus of American -fashion and manufacture was seen on its route, and a carriage of modern -style passing here and there, but those on the stand were exclusively -the common vehicle of the city and country, the volante—a two-wheeled -clumsy-looking machine of by-gone times drawn on ordinary occasions by -one horse. The body is larger than that of an American gig or chaise, -hung very low like an old-fashioned phaeton, and so delicately poised on -springs of great elasticity as to sway about, under the slightest -impulse, with a most buoyant and luxurious motion. - -I find even a pen-and-ink sketch so much more satisfactory than verbal -description, in conveying just ideas of novelties such as this, that I -am more than half disposed to attempt one here, at the double hazard of -defacing my paper and bringing in contempt my skill in the arts. I will -try it. The experiment is not quite so successful and effective as I -could wish it to be, but it will answer the purpose. Do not think it, -however, defective in the proportions exhibited, either in regard to man -and beast, or to the distance of both from the body of the carriage. The -wheels in their size and height, in comparison with the top of the -volante, the length of the shafts, and the bulk of the black calesero, -or postillion, in contrast with that of the little pony he bestrides, -are all true to the reality, rather underdrawn than exaggerated. You -must not suppose either that the little horse is without a tail: for -though not very distinctly visible in the sketch, the tail is there; -neatly plaited and closely twisted round the hip, like the braid of a -lady’s hair around her ear, and made fast by a gay ribbon to the -postillion’s saddle. - -The colors of these carriages, in body, shafts and wheels, are more -varied than those of the rainbow: scarlet, yellow, blue, green—in -endless tintings, contrasting showily with mountings of silver or -silver-gilt, in greater or less profusion and massiveness, according to -the rank or riches of the owner. The harness to our eyes appears -complicated and heavy. It also is ornamented more or less elaborately -with silver or gilt platings. As to the postillion, picture to yourself -the most perfect personification of Congo blackness you ever saw, in the -form of a stout muscular negro, with features and heels to match; put -him in a very short-waisted jacket—scarlet, blue, yellow or -parti-colored, and gay with worsted lace for livery, and into very high -riding boots, large enough for Goliath, and with the sketch, you will -have a tolerable idea of the equipage in which F—— and I set off from -the Café Dominica, not far from the Plaza de Armas, for a drive in the -suburbs. - -At the end of a half mile, it may be, through the narrow streets, with -shops and counting-rooms and dwellings on either side, widely open and -within reaching distance by the hand, we came to the principal gateway -in the western walls, leading directly upon the Paseo de Isabella II., -the fashionable promenade and drive without the walls: the Hyde Park and -Champs Elysee of the Habaneros. This extends the whole length of the -western side of the city, and is garden-like and beautiful in its trees, -shrubbery and flowers. Two broad carriage ways run from end to end with -four or more gravelled walks between them; a fountain ornaments either -extremity, and in the centre is a statuette of Isabella II., erected -shortly after her succession when a child: the more welcome from -associations of purity and innocence, which an image of her majesty in -later years would be little calculated to suggest. - -A range of stately buildings on the west, faces and overlooks this point -of aristocratic and fashionable reunion: an opera house and palatial -café with other imposing structures, giving quite a metropolitan air to -the scene. The first two mentioned bear the name of Tacon, in honor of -the captain-general of that name, during whose rule they were built, and -whose administration a few years ago, was distinguished by such signal -reforms in the police of the city, and the entire suppression of the -cut-throat outrages before so common. The enlarged views, public spirit, -energy and determination which characterized his measures, stamped his -name indelibly on the city; and to these is the population indebted, not -only for the effectual suppression of crime, but for much also of the -ornamental architecture which it boasts. - -South of the Paseo is the Champ de Mars, an extensive parade ground, -lined with spacious barracks and other governmental buildings. Passing -these we drove three or four miles over a broad and well-kept -macadamized avenue, filled with animated life in every form, and lined -with suburban residences luxuriant in the richness and beauty of -tropical growth in tree, shrub and flower: all in such wide contrast -with scenes witnessed in a drive of like length in the suburbs of a city -with us, as to excite the wonder, why more of our citizens of wealth and -leisure do not take the short trip to Havana in the winter, to be amused -and instructed by its novelties, and charmed by the blandness of its -climate and the splendor of its vegetable life. Although the soil in -this section of the island is of an inferior quality to that of most -other regions, there are evidences on every hand of the richness and -beauty which have secured to Cuba the proud and winning title of “Queen -of the Antilles,” and make her the choicest colonial possession left to -Spain. - -From the heat of the climate, the construction of the houses, in -general, is such as to make them little more than so many open -pavilions, from which as you drive by, you unavoidably catch not only -the - - “Manners living as they rise,” - -but many, if not all, the habits of life of the inmates. The eye -penetrates at a glance, as it were, the entire domestic economy of the -household. The dwellings are, for the most part, one story only in -height, with a tower or mirador at one end or corner, for a “look-out.” -Externally they seem all door and window. These are very wide, and -extend from the ceiling to the floor, on a level with the street. Thrown -widely open in the cool of the day, the interior becomes fully exposed: -furniture and inmates—the whole family group in full dress or dishabille -as the case may be—a scene on the stage of life, as open to inspection -as one from a drama on the boards of a theatre. This is as true of the -dwellings of the rich as of the poor. In seeing the whole diagram of the -interior thus exposed without any appearance of bed or bedroom, the -wonder in my mind was where the people could sleep? On expressing some -curiosity on this point, I was told that in many cases, the beds of the -family consist of mats or mattresses, spread at night on the floor, or -in cots in the reception-rooms, while in most houses an inner court is -encircled by small sleeping and dressing-rooms. - -Many of the residences of the gentry and moneyed aristocracy in the -suburbs are luxurious and princely; exhibiting long suites of spacious -and elegantly furnished apartments, with floors of polished marble and -the oriental luxury of jetting fountains and clustering flowers, endless -in the variety of their tint and perfume. The gardens attached to some -of these are laid out with taste, and kept in the nicest order, filled -with an exuberance of choice plants known to us at the North only in the -dwarfish and stunted growth of the conservatory. Indeed, many which are -cherished exotics with us, are here seen in rank profusion in the hedges -and by the roadside, like the thorn and the thistle of our ruder -climate. - -By the time of our return, the hour for the drive and promenade of the -citizens had arrived; and, as we approached the Paseo, we were met and -passed by great numbers of equipages of varied style. Some were -altogether American and European in their appointments; but most were -the native volante in greater or less elegance and richness—some with -one horse only, and others with two. When two are used, the second is -placed abreast of the one in the shafts and ridden by the calesero. Each -carriage contained from one to three females, in full dress as if at a -party—low necks and very short sleeves: to which may be added, very fat -figures and very dark skins. Bonnets are not worn of course with this -costume, nor indeed with any other. The coiffure at this season is of -ribbons, gauzes, laces and other zephyr-like materials, with flowers and -jewelry; but, in the winter, I am told, these give place to head-dresses -of velvet and satin, with ostrich plumes, pearls and diamonds. As the -volantes pass and repass along the carriage drive, salutations are -exchanged between the ladies in the vehicles with each other, and with -acquaintances and friends among the gentlemen on foot or on horseback, -by the eyes, the fan and hat, more than with the voice; but, so far as I -observed, the ladies did not alight as is the custom in Europe in many -places of the kind, to join in the promenade on foot, or form groups for -conversation. At nightfall there is a return to the city, where, for an -hour or two, the ladies amuse themselves in driving from shop to shop, -to have such articles as they ask for brought to their carriages for -inspection, or, proceeding to the Plaza de Armas, again join their -associates of the beau monde in display and flirtation by lamp-light or -moonlight as the case may be, while a regimental band in front of the -governmental palace gives a free concert of instrumental music till nine -o’clock. The evening on this occasion was delightful, and we prolonged -our stay and observations till that hour. - -So well pleased was F—— as well as I with this first peep on shore, that -we repeated the visit two days after, driving as far as the Bishop’s -garden, the principal attraction of the kind in the neighborhood of the -city. Since then there has been much heavy rain. The trade wind at the -same time ceased, causing a closeness of atmosphere that has been very -oppressive, and made me more than content to remain for the most part -quietly on board ship: I say for the most part, for I went once into the -city, on a solitary pilgrimage to the tomb of the good and great, and -ever to be honored, discoverer of the New World. As you know, his -remains were removed at intervals of time of various length, from -Valladolid where he died, to Seville, and from Seville to St. Domingo, -the resting-place designated for them in his will. On the cession of -that island to France in 1796, they were brought to Cuba, and deposited -with great ceremony in the cathedral of Havana. A medallion likeness in -marble, with a short inscription on a mural tablet, marks the spot in -the chancel near the high altar where they have found, as it is to be -hoped, a lasting sepulchre. No American can stand near them unmoved: or -without a recurrence in thought to the sublime vision of an unknown -world, which so long filled the mind, and amid endless discouragements -and disappointments sustained the hopes and energies of the adventurous -navigator, till it issued in a glorious reality; or without deep -sympathy in the vicissitudes and trials of his after life, and the -neglect and injustice which brought his gray hairs with sorrow to the -tomb. Near by are exhibited—I was about to say the ignominious, but I -recall the epithet—the ennobled fetters with which an ungrateful monarch -permitted a jealous rival and enemy to manacle his limbs. - -On another occasion I left the ship after night, for a row across the -harbor with Lieut. T—— in his gig. It had been our intention to pass the -evening in the city, in a visit to some families of his acquaintance to -whom he wished to introduce me, but the heat and dampness of a -debilitating and sickening atmosphere during the day, determined us to -postpone this till the return of a more invigorating and elastic air. -Our row was from the anchorage of the men-of-war through that of the -merchant ships, at another point in the harbor, to a landing near the -town of Regla opposite the city; a place of no enviable notoriety, in -times past, as a kind of city of refuge through the indulgent winkings -of government officials, first for the pirates who once infested these -regions, and more recently for dealers in the slave trade. Here also is -one of the principal amphitheatres for the exhibition of the favorite -national amusement, the bull fight. The special object of the trip, on -the part of my companion, had some reference to the disposition of the -_slush_ of the Congress, if you can comprehend the import of so elegant -a term in a ship’s economy: mine partly the pleasure of his company, and -partly to inquire the state of the sick in a private hospital for cases -of yellow fever, and to learn the practicability of visiting any -American seamen, who might be suffering there from this pest of Havana, -already beginning its annual ravages. - -The night was very dark for a tropical region, and the most striking -imagery discernible, as we threaded our way amidst the shipping, was the -black masses of spars and rigging pencilled against the sky above us; -the long line of brilliant lights marking the walls of the city -reflected in streams of fire on the glassy water; and the alternate dim -glimmerings and blinding flashes of the revolving pharos, surmounting -the lofty tower of the Moro. - -_July 10th._—Bright weather has returned, and with it the regular trade -wind from the sea. We rejoice in this, not only from the greater comfort -it insures, but also from the promise it holds out of continued health -in our ship’s company. The change induced Lieut. T—— and myself to make -our contemplated visit on shore last evening. For a couple of hours -before nightfall, we drove in a volante a circuit of some miles through -the environs, amid scenes and scenery of unceasing novelty and endless -variety, embracing the attractive and beautiful; the grotesque and -ludicrous; elegance and magnificence, filth, nakedness and degradation, -strangely commingled. Here, a splendid equipage as perfect in its -appointments as any to be met in New York or London; there, a vehicle as -rude and clumsy as if belonging to the birthday of invention. Here a -caballero admirably mounted, riding a blooded horse with all the stately -solemnity of a grandee of the first order; there, a negro or montero, in -rags and half nakedness urging onward, at a most sorry pace, as broken -down a skeleton of a pony or jackass as ever contrived to put one foot -before another. Here a squad of well-equipped soldiers; there a gang of -manacled and ruffian-looking galley-slaves—thus without end, exciting -alternate admiration and disgust, smiles and pity. Before commencing the -visits of the evening, we took a bird’s-eye view of the fashionable -movements in the Paseo, from the upper balconies of the Café Tacon which -overlook it, and of the magnificent panorama of the city, the -surrounding country, and the sea, commanded from the leads of its flat -roof, and then proceeded to meet an engagement at the consulate for tea. - -_July 11th._—It has been known for two or three days past, that the -object of our visit was well nigh accomplished, and that the prisoners -of Contoy were to be delivered to the keeping of our flag, on the -condition of their immediate transportation to the United States. The U. -S. steamer Vixen came into port yesterday, bringing Commodore Morris as -an additional agent of our government in the negotiation of this matter, -but too late for the object of his mission, the work being already done. - -At twelve o’clock this morning, the prisoners were brought on board the -Congress in the boats of the Spanish ship-of-the-line near us. They are -some forty-two or three in number, appearing a sorry-looking set of -adventurers indeed, as they crossed the ship’s sides to be mustered in -the gangways, and turned over to our charge by the Spanish officer -bringing them. Most of them are young—many mere boys—and a majority -evidently scapegraces, including a few wild-looking, muscular and wiry -Western men, tall Kentuckians and Mississippi black-legs. They have been -well fed and well taken care of, it is said; but they all looked pale, -and some seemed nervously agitated. This is to be attributed, it is -probable, to the uncertainty till the very moment, of the result of the -sudden summons they had received from their keepers to prepare for some -event of which they were kept ignorant, and which they had more reason -to fear might be death under the fire of a platoon of soldiers, than -liberty beneath the flag of their country. During their captivity they -had been denied all intercourse with others, and had no means of -learning their probable fate. At times, the most intelligent among them -had been subject to threats of immediate execution, seemingly in the -hope of extorting some confession differing from the general -attestation, that they had been entrapped into the expedition, under a -contract of being conveyed to the isthmus, on their way to California, -and on discovering the imposition had refused to take part in the -attempted invasion. The most cheering hopes that had reached them were -derived from the salutes, in honor of the 4th of July. They inferred -from these the presence of American men-of-war of heavy metal, and that -their case was neither forgotten nor neglected by the American -government. I well recollect thinking and feeling, at the time, that the -repeated thunder of the heavy batteries of the Congress, from sunrise to -sunset on that day, re-echoed by all the men-of-war in port, must have -brought them hope with no uncertain sound, whether it reached their ears -in the hold of the guard-ship or the dungeons of the Moro castle: for -even the place of their confinement was withheld from us. At three -o’clock this afternoon, the whole number was transferred to the -sloop-of-war Albany, for passage to Pensacola. She is to sail to-morrow -morning at daybreak, and it is announced that the Congress will leave -the harbor in company with her, and proceed to her destination on the -coast of Brazil. - -Great credit is due to Commodore McKeever for the speedy adjustment of -this difficulty. His courteousness and amenity at once made smooth the -way to negotiation. He is a man of peacefulness and good will, more -disposed to pour the oil of kindness on troubled waters than to cast in -any new element of agitation, and to his firmness and gentleness -combined, are to be attributed the early and desirable result attained. - -Thus terminates this filibustering invasion of Cuba. But is it the end? -The enterprise, as projected and fitted out, was most ill-judged and -piratical. But is it true that its origin and means of equipment were -entirely from abroad? Is there no deep sympathy with such an adventure -among the Creole inhabitants of the island themselves? Is the spirit of -patriotism and of liberty here dead? Are there no groanings beneath the -galling chains of a cruel and grinding despotism? No sense of -degradation, no purpose to be free, among the intelligent and aspiring -of the native population? It is impossible that there should not be. The -prosperity and the glory of the unfettered nation immediately facing -them are too near, and too brilliant, not to be reflected eventually in -attractive splendor, through every valley, and over every mountain top -of this gem of the seas. An atmosphere of freedom so near, must impart -something of its elasticity and its power even to the depressing vapors -of such a despotism. The Cuban in his summer visits of business or of -pleasure to the United States, inhales and carries it back with him, and -the American in his winter sojourn here, insensibly bears it wherever he -goes. The breath of liberty has been, and will continue to be inspired -by the natives of the island; and unless the mother country, with timely -wisdom, changes her colonial policy and ameliorates her iron rule, -restlessness, agitation and revolt, must be the issue, and Cuba become -independent in self-rule, or free by voluntary annexation to the nation -to which, geographically at least, she rightfully belongs. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - - GULF OF FLORIDA. - -_July 12th._—True to the announcement last night, all hands were called -to weigh anchor at daybreak this morning; and, by sunrise, under the -double impulse of a light land breeze, and the oars of a long line of -man-of-war boats having the Congress in tow, we made our way, through -the narrow entrance of the port, to the open sea. - -Many merchant ships also were taking their departure. The shrill calls -of the bugle from barrack and fortress; the unfurling of signal and -banner from mast-head, battlement and tower; strains of military music -from different points; the lively movement in all directions of boats -and small craft on the water; and the rising hum of active life from the -city, gave exciting animation to the picture, while the purple hues of -the morning and its balmy breath, added a fresh charm to the whole. - -After enjoying the scene till we were outside the harbor, I went below, -intending to return to the deck in time for a farewell view, not only of -the island, but of the Moro castle and city also. So rapid was our -course, however, from a strong current, as well as a fresh breeze, that, -on reaching the poop for this purpose, “the blue above and the blue -below” were alone to be seen; and undisguised satisfaction was every -where manifested that, not only the sickly, though beautiful port, but -the entire island had been left out of sight behind us. - -The first object that met my eyes this evening, at the close of our -accustomed worship on deck, was the silver crescent of a new moon -beautifully defined in the empurpled sky; and, I interpreted the mild -and benignant beamings sent down upon us, from its young course, as an -omen of good in our voyage across the wide sea. - -_July 22d_, N. Lat. 37°, W. Long. 59°.—We made our way gently and -pleasantly through the Straits of Florida: sighting, during successive -nights, on either sides of the channel, while making long stretches -against a head wind, the lights of Key West and Sand Key, Carysfort -Reef, and Gun Key. These numerous beacons speak the perilous navigation -of the region. It is peculiarly the empire of the wreckers, whose lives -are spent in constant search along the reefs, which for two hundred -miles here edge the coast, for the vessels which in great numbers are -yearly cast upon them by storms, or the treacherous currents of a calm. -The value of the commerce which annually passes through the Gulf of -Florida is estimated at four hundred millions of dollars, of which not -less than half a million, each year, is lost by shipwreck, -notwithstanding the vigilance and prompt exertion of the amphibious and -heroic race, whose business is the rescue of the lives and property here -endangered. - -For three days after regaining a latitude which admitted of plain -sailing, we had boisterous weather and a wild sea, but an unclouded sky. -The elastic and invigorating atmosphere attending it, was most welcome -after the heats of Cuba. At such times the ocean, in its ever-varying -forms of beauty and changing shades of prismatic light in the sunshine, -often outrivals in attractiveness the still life of a wide-spread -landscape on shore. There is, too, a voice of music breathing over it; -for, not less truthfully than poetically, has it been said of the ocean, -there is - - “In its sleep a melody, - And in its march a psalm.” - -Now, however, in place of the - - “Restless, seething, stormy sea,” - -we have on every side an illimitable plain of the deepest blue, with -scarce a perception of those giant heavings from beneath, which ever, in -a greater or less degree, tell of an unfathomable abyss of waters. Over -this we are hurried, without a consciousness of motion, at the rate of -ten miles the hour, by a breeze as balmy, if not as fragrant, as the -zephyrs of “Araby the blest.” Add to these surroundings, the moon, at -night, riding the heavens above in sublime tranquillity, and you will -not be surprised, if, at times at least, I am ready with the poet to -exclaim— - - “Oh! what pleasant visions haunt me, - As I gaze upon the sea, - All the old romantic legends— - All my dreams come back to me!” - -_July 29th._—Happily I am not unfitted for mental occupation; by being -on shipboard, as is the case with many, and, with the prospect of a -voyage of fifty or sixty days, I have set myself closely to work. The -early part of the day I give to the graver studies of my profession, and -the later to lighter reading; visits to the sick, when there are such; -exercise on deck with some fellow-officer; and such “walks of -usefulness” as I can light upon among the crew, in different parts of -the ship in the evening, fill up the intervals of leisure till bed-time. - -One of our young officers, Midshipman L——, has the misfortune to be -incapacitated for duty, by a nervous affection of the eyes and head, the -consequence of three separate attacks of fever in the Gulf of Mexico. -The surgeons interdict to him all use of the eyes; and, to relieve the -ennui into which he is thus thrown, I have invited him to my room for an -hour or two every day, that by my reading aloud he may have the benefit -of such works as I am running over; travels and biography—Maxwell’s -Russia, Irving’s Mahomet, and the excellent books of Miss McIntosh, the -accomplished sister of the captain of the Congress, interspersed with -those of a more serious character, such as Angell James’ “Young Man from -Home” and Pike’s “Persuasives to Early Piety”—have thus far occupied -these hours. The touches of deep feeling frequently met in the writings -of Miss McIntosh, in her lifelike and instructive delineations of -character, have been the means of bringing into exercise sympathies, the -involuntary betrayal of which to each other, has led to quite an -intimate friendship, considering the disparity of our years. - -For a week after leaving port, we had every reason to hope that it had -been with entire impunity, in regard to health, that we had been exposed -to the burning sun, and, at this season of the year, pestilential air of -Havana. But on the eighth day, just as we were congratulating ourselves -on the certainty of our escape from all infection, a light fever made -its appearance among both officers and men. Some dozen in number were -brought down by it. It was the yellow fever, but of so modified a type, -that, in a few days, all were convalescent and no new cases occurred. - -Sickness, whether of a serious nature or not, presents an opportunity of -approach, and often gives access to the confidence which I am careful to -improve. I was much interested, a day or two ago, in an interview with a -fine-looking young man of the crew, under the influence of the -prevailing epidemic. He had evidently been familiar with better -associations than those of a man-of-war; and, I soon learned from him -that he was the prodigal son of a pious mother, by whom he had been -carefully trained and cherished, and was a child of many prayers. The -first glance of his eye, as I approached his cot, told me by the -starting tears—not from alarm, for no danger was apprehended in his -case, but from remembrances of the past—that he was in a state of mind -to open his heart to me; and, in the admissions and confessions of a -long conversation, I became deeply interested in the penitence and -purposes of future well-doing which he avowed. - -In a hammock near by I found a middle-aged Scotchman, of intelligent and -respectable appearance, who was equally open to religious conversation. -He told me he had been long deeply sensible of his guilt and misery as a -sinner, and greatly troubled in mind and conscience; that a conflict had -been going on in his soul, as if a good and an evil spirit were ever in -contest there for the mastery over him: but that the good at last had -gained the triumph, and he was “at peace with the Father, through the -Son and Spirit, and feared no evil—not death itself.” - -_August 7th_, N. Lat. 12°, W. Long. 38°.—Delicious seems the only -epithet descriptive of the atmosphere we are now breathing, and -“delicious—delicious!” is the stereotyped exclamation of every one, as -he mounts to the deck from below and drinks in the pure ether, as if it -were the very elixir of life. The morning is in all respects lovely. The -heavens have a look of infinity. A snow-white cloud alone floats here -and there in them; and, as, rushing over the blue sea, before the fresh -trade-wind, we dash the foam widely from our prow, unnumbered flying -fish spring into the air, and skim the surface of the water before and -around us, like so many birds of silver gleaming brightly in the sun. - -_August 28th_, N. lat. 3° 30′, W. Long. 25°.—The region, through which -we have been making our way, for the last ten days, is known among -seamen by the very unsentimental name of the “doldrums.” The origin of -the epithet it might be difficult to trace. It is an equatorial belt, -characterized by light weather and head-winds; by alternate calms and -squalls, clouds and rain. Hence every thing on board and without, is, -and has been, in as wide contrast as possible with that of my last date. -The whole ship is saturated, both on deck and below, with rain, and the -washings of the sea through the ports and hawser-holes. The air on deck -is close and oppressive, and below stifling and musty, and the tossings -and pitchings and rolling of the ship any thing but agreeable to the -fastidious stomachs of many on board—especially to my friend T——, who, -though familiar for more than twenty years with the caprices of the -deep, is in a most annoying state of discomfort at every return of rough -weather. The progress made on our course is small, averaging not more -than twenty-five or thirty miles in the twenty-four hours, though we -sail by tacks in that period, from a hundred to a hundred and fifty. We -are navigating by Lieut. Maury’s wind and current charts, and -notwithstanding the seeming tedium of our progress, in beating against -what he denominates the south-west monsoons of these latitudes, are -satisfactorily demonstrating the truth of his theory and the correctness -of his sailing directions in conformity with it. - -It is now some six or eight years since this distinguished young -officer, whose attainments in abstruse and practical science have -reflected such high honor not only on his profession but on his country, -conceived the idea of collecting as many of the log-books of navigators -as could be secured, with a view of collating them, and of projecting -upon charts, to aid in the better navigation of the sea, the general -experience in winds and currents, at all periods of the year, in the -different regions of the ocean. He at the same time urged upon the -masters of ships, the importance of adding to the usual subject-matter -of their logs, the temperature of the water, the set of currents, and -the depth of the bed of the ocean when it was practicable to obtain -soundings. As an incentive to the trouble of thus keeping a log, and of -furnishing an abstract of it to the National Observatory at Washington, -the promise was given that each shipmaster complying with the -suggestion, should receive gratuitously from the government, a copy of -the charts and sailing directions which might be the result. - -Not fully alive to the object or aware of its great importance, the -response was slow and imperfect. In the course of a few years, however, -sufficient data were secured; and the first practical result was the -shortening by ten days of the voyage to the equator, and consequently to -Rio de Janeiro. From the earliest times this passage, from North -America, had been made by running obliquely across the Atlantic to the -longitude of the Cape de Verde Islands, before venturing to strike the -north-east trade-wind. A traditionary report and belief in the existence -of strong adverse currents along the South American coast, and the fear -of not being able to double Cape St. Roque, should the equator not be -crossed far to the East, led to this. It required no little moral -courage and determination in one of a class proverbially wedded to -custom and subject to superstition, to venture the trial of the new -route. Such an one was found, however, and the result was most -satisfactory. The opinion is now firmly entertained by many of the most -experienced navigators, that by following the direction of the wind and -current charts, the length of the voyage is diminished one fifth. This -is an immense saving of time in a commercial point of view. Doubtless -the patient perseverance of the accomplished astronomer, in this new -field of discovery, with the aids which are now rapidly placed in his -possession, will lead to similar results on all the grand routes of -navigation over every ocean, and place the commercial world in -indebtedness to his genius for savings in time, and consequently in -money, of incalculable amounts. - -Last night, from nine till ten o’clock, we enjoyed a beautiful -spectacle, in a halo around the moon of colors as vivid as those of an -ordinary rainbow, and in concentric circles most clearly defined. The -moon, near the full, retained her face of silver in the midst of a field -of gold, shadowing towards the outer edge into a delicate amber and then -into the deepest maroon. A belt of the purest blue intervened, when the -encircling colors were repeated in fainter hues; apparently, though not -philosophically, a reflection of the first. The phenomenon was so -striking, and so singularly beautiful, that Lieut. R——, the officer of -the deck at the time—one ever alive to the poetic and impressive in -nature, as well as to the scientific and practical in his -profession—dispatched a messenger hurriedly for me. The commodore and -captain were also summoned, and soon, with most of the other officers, -joined us on the poop, while the whole crew, from different parts of the -ship, shared in the admiration excited by the scene. It is the first -exhibition of any thing unusual in sky or sea that has thus far marked -our passage. A humid atmosphere and a thin fleecy scud were its -accompaniments. - -_August 23d._—In the course of the night of the 22d inst. we took the -south-east trade-wind, three degrees north of the equator, and at once -bade adieu to the doldrums. We crossed the line at high noon, yesterday, -on the parallel of 28° 30′ W. long, without any very perceptible ‘jolt;’ -and are rushing on our course at the rate of ten miles the hour. - -Just in the edge of the evening, after hammocks had been piped down, the -ship was hailed loudly from the bows, and it was reported to the officer -of the deck, that “Neptune was alongside and requested permission to -come on board.” This was granted, and very unexpectedly to me this -monarch of the seas, his queen and suite made their appearance on deck. -They were soon enthroned on the forecastle, with an immense bathing tub -filled with salt water in front of them, in readiness for the -presentation of those of the crew who had never before been in this -section of their watery dominions. The sun being long set, and the moon, -for the time, obscured, I could not make out very well the costume of -their majesties further than to judge it to be of the latest marine -fashion. The most conspicuous article in that of Neptune was a full -bottomed wig of white manilla grass, closely curled, like that of a lord -chancellor on the woolsack, but covering not only his head, face and -shoulders, but his entire figure, giving him the aspect in general of a -polar bear with the head and mane of a lion. He bore himself with -imperial dignity, while Madame Amphitrite, of very sturdy and Dutch-like -make, sat meekly by his side, in a fashionably made dress of coarse -canvas, or sacking, with a shepherdess hat of the same material, hair in -long ringlets ‘à l’Anglaise,’ cheeks highly rouged, low neck and short -sleeves, with bare arms which bore a very suspicious resemblance, in -muscle and color, to those of one of our most brawny forecastle men. - -The commodore, with whom I was walking on the poop-deck, being informed -of the presence of the distinguished company, made his way to the -forecastle, claiming courteously from the monarch the privilege of the -entrée, from having crossed the equator already some dozen of times. -This Neptune most graciously conceded, with the flattering remark that -he “recollected his countenance perfectly, and was very glad to see -him.” The interview, like most others on state occasions, was brief, -concluding on the commodore’s part by his saying, “he presumed the -presentations of the evening would be numerous,” Neptune replying “yes,” -that he had “never seen so many green-horns on board one ship in his -life!” A call of the names of candidates for the honor was now begun, -and the gentlemen of the court, disguised in dress and with blackened -faces, began to drag from every hiding place many an unwilling, but -vainly resisting subject, who had never before entered the southern -hemisphere. Forced into the presence with good-nature and laughter, by -overpowering numbers, and blindfolded and seated on the edge of the tub, -the victim was hailed by Neptune with stentorian voice through an -immense paste-board trumpet, in the questions—“What is your name?” -“Where are you from?” “Were you ever in these parts before?” While in -the act of answering each of these respectively, a coarse brush dipped -in a mixture of tar, slush, and lampblack was hastily passed over the -mouth of the respondent. The court barber was then called to do his duty -in shaving the gentleman with No. 5, No. 9, or No. 15, referring to the -qualities of the razor; this being determined by the degree of -submissiveness and good-nature, or the surliness and resistance of the -subject in hand. The lathering brush was something of the form and -softness of a broom of split hickory, the lather the composition before -described, and the razors, two or three feet in length, of different -degrees of edge, from the smoothness of straight wood to the roughness -of a jagged piece of iron hoop. When an order for dressing the hair was -added, in penalty of special refractoriness and ill-humor, the brush -used was formed of long wooden pegs fixed in a board with a handle, like -a hatchel for dressing flax; the pomatum, tar; to which, in extreme -cases, was added a powdering of flour in the style of “’76,” the whole -winding up with a sudden souse, backwards, heels over head into the tub -of salt water. The presentation thus completed, the new courtier, half -drowned, and dripping like a water god, was left at liberty to free -himself at leisure from the tar and lampblack, and dry himself as best -he could. - -The case of all others, in which the least sympathy was elicited, was -that of a young landsman, who, after long impunity, had been detected -some time before as a thief—supplying his own wardrobe very freely from -the clothes-bags of his shipmates. The answer to the usual question, -“who is this?” when he was brought forward, “Jackson the thief!” was -received with a general shout of applause, and the following dialogue -ensued. “What is your name?” “Jackson.” “Yes, sir; and the sooner you -slip yourself out of one so illustrious the better.” “Where are you -from?” “O——.” “And a disgrace you are to so respectable a place. Were -you ever in my dominions before?” “No.” “I knew it: and take care you -are never found in them again; or, if you are, look out how you fill -your bag with other men’s clothes for an outfit!” “Barber, do your duty: -give him No. 15, and see that you dress his hair in the first style!” - -The striking of eight bells and the calling of the first night watch -brought the rough sport to an end. I have not time to-night to moralize -on the subject or to speculate upon the propriety of the indulgence. By -whose authority it was sanctioned I do not know. Many of the officers -regarded it I believe with disapprobation, as a species of saturnalia -unsuited to the rigid discipline of a man-of-war, and liable to be -abused, while others defended it on the ground of old usage among -sailors, and as an amusing relief to the tedium of a long voyage. By a -little management I succeeded in screening from observation, till all -hands were called to duty, two or three youngsters who were anxious to -escape the annoying process. - -_August 25th._—Sailing in the latitudes of the south-east trade-winds is -the very perfection of life at sea. The waters, as smooth and level as a -prairie, are of the deepest tint of blue, with the addition in certain -declinations of the sun, of a dash of rose color, imparting to the -whole, for a time, the appearance of a plain of velvet of the true -Tyrian purple. Though moving with great rapidity, through a wide and -deep furrow of sparkling foam cast up by our bows, the sails of our -frigate, fully set from the deck to the royal-mast-heads fore and aft, -sleep by the hour, without the slightest apparent motion, as if, in -place of canvas spread to the breeze, they were a like quantity of -chiselled marble. Then, at night, such a moon! with the southern cross -in marked beauty inviting to the sublimest meditations. The Magellan -clouds, too, are in sight: small spots of fleecy whiteness in the sky, -similar in general aspect to the nebulæ of the milky way. Indeed, with -the mercury by Fahrenheit at 66° the whole Southern hemisphere is in -brilliant exhibition, many of the most conspicuous stars flashing on the -eye, not only with the brightness, but apparently with the varying tints -of the diamond. - -The smoothness of the sea and steadiness of the wind have afforded a -good opportunity for exercise at the batteries, and in the various -evolutions incident to an engagement in battle. The station of a -chaplain, in action, is with the surgeons in the cockpit in attendance -upon the wounded and dying; or, at his option perhaps, on the -quarter-deck, in taking notes of the conflict. In these sham -engagements, at least, I prefer the deck: and have stood with the -commodore and captain, while broadside after broadside has been fired, -till the whole ship has been enveloped in smoke, and I found myself at -the end as well powdered as a miller, though not in such whiteness. An -evening or two since trial was made in throwing shell with the Paixhan -guns. The explosion took place eight seconds after the discharge, with -beautiful effect. The tendency of all these exhibitions, though only as -an exercise, is ever to make me regard with fresh horror and abhorrence -the entire system of war—its principles, spirit, implements and cruel -results. - -_August 30th._—The prevailing thoughts and feelings of my mind and heart -this morning, traceable to visions of the night, may be best expressed, -perhaps, by the familiar quotation— - - “Who has not felt how sadly sweet - The dream of home—the dream of home - Steals o’er the heart too soon—too fleet, - When far o’er sea, or land we roam! - Sunlight more soft may o’er us fall, - To greener shores our bark may come, - But far more bright, more dear than all, - That dream of home—that dream of home!” - -Little as I may have confessed it, “Riverside!”—“Riverside!” is the -constant echoing of my heart, and my home is ever in bright vision -before me. I breakfast with you every morning, sit by moonlight with you -in the verandah every evening: walk with you every day to “Prospect -Rock”—to “Gortlee”—to the upper fields beneath the mountain, and drive -with you, if at no other time, at least every Sunday to your little -church, along the magnificent terrace of the river-road. - -I say, I breakfast with you every morning. Did you know exactly the -state of the larder and store-room of our mess, you would wonder that I -do not include all my meals in the avowal. For some time past, on each -successive day, the giving out of article after article for our table, -has been reported, till nothing now remains but salt beef, so hard as -fully to justify the sailor’s cognomen of “Uncle Sam’s Mahogany,” and -salt pork as rusty as the beef is hard. No potatoes or other vegetables, -no butter better than rancid lard, and no bread fit to be eaten except -the ship’s “hard tack,” are left. Dried beans and peas we have, but both -filled with weevil, which the cook has devised no means of separating, -before being served, from the article itself. The consequence is, that -when they come to us in the form of soup, the floating insects drowned -and overdone, are the most conspicuous part of the mess, and when baked, -give to the dish the appearance of being already well peppered. I can -join very cheerfully in a jest over such untempting fare, and think of -home; but cannot, like some of my messmates, persuade myself into the -illusion that the little black insects speckling our board are only a -rich condiment to give zest to the repast, and with them partake of it -_con gusto_. - -Yesterday our last turkey, after having given flavor to a tureen of -watery soup, was served as a boiled dish. As we were about taking our -seats at the table, a suggestion, made either seriously or in mischief, -that the poor bird had not waited for the cook to bring its head to the -block, but had died unexpectedly of its own accord, put a participation -of either soup or meat, on my part, out of the question; and led, by the -time the report had made the circuit of the table, to a kind of -impromptu Court of Inquiry in the case. The steward was at once summoned -by the head of the mess, who, fond of a joke, and knowing that the fat -and shining negro, now honored with this office, like many of the more -imitative and aspiring of his race, was somewhat grandiloquent in his -language, put to him the question—“Steward, are you quite sure that the -old fellow under this cover was entirely vigorous when he was taken from -the coop?” “No! sir, he wasn’t wigorous at all! he was perfectly good!” -“Why, steward, what do you suppose I mean by vigorous?” “I don’t know, -sir, but I suppose from the way you ask me, something bad.” “Well, -steward, I do not wish to be too particular in this investigation, but -just tell me this much, could the old fellow really stand on his legs -when he was killed?” “Sartain, sir, he could.” “Then, gentlemen,” says -Mr. ——, addressing himself to the mess, “I go for the turkey,” and -lifting the cover disclosed to view a mere skeleton in a shrivelled bag -of skin, with scarce an ounce of flesh on the whole carcass. - -You must not infer, either from the feelings expressed at the beginning -of this date, or from the dietetic disclosure into which I have been -incidentally betrayed, that I am otherwise than entirely content and -happy: as much so as I well can be in this world of imperfection and -sin. This is attributable, however, chiefly if not solely to the -conviction in mind and heart, that I am at the post of duty— - - “The shepherd of a wandering flock - That has the ocean for its wold— - That has the vessel for its fold;” - -and am, as I trust, in a spirit cheerfully and faithfully to meet its -responsibilities. Whether to any high result or visible effect, it is -not in the power of man to say. The sufficiency for this is of God -alone. I am thankful that I feel no discouragement in the use of the -means for moral reformation and spiritual grace in those around me. -Nothing but personal experience could persuade one of the almost -insurmountable obstacles that exist, on board a man-of-war, to the -conversion of any of the crew, and to a life of godliness in one of -their number, or make him credit without close observation, the number -and the power of - - “The secret currents that here flow - With such resistless under-tow, - And lift and drift with terrible force - The will from its moorings and its course.” - -Nothing less than a miracle, humanly speaking, could achieve such a -result; but, as the conversion of any soul, and a life of godliness in -any heart, anywhere, are miracles of grace, I do not allow myself to -despair of such results ultimately through the word and Spirit of God, -whether I ever know them or not. So firmly is hand joined in hand among -the crew, against every thing savoring of a profession of or pretension -to personal religion, that it would require no ordinary degree of moral -courage, in any one—whatever might be his secret convictions, feelings -or purposes—to disclose or avow it. Many cheerfully give countenance, -both by their words and conduct to good morals in others; but all seem -tacitly at least to say “thus far only shalt thou go.” Though it is by -no means unusual to see one and another in different parts of the ship -reading a Bible or a Testament either alone or aloud to others; though -tracts, and religious papers, and books, are eagerly accepted and -seriously read, still, to get the name of a ‘Bible-man’ by joining a -class for reading under the chaplain, or of a psalm-singing and praying -man, from being known to practise such devotion, is as much dreaded as -would be a scurrilous reproach. From this feeling it is, that I have -thus far attempted in vain to establish Bible-classes or secure a -meeting for moral and religious instruction, beyond the public worship -of the Sabbath and our daily evening prayer: and from the same fear of -man it is that one or two spiritually-minded members of a church, whom I -have discovered among the ship’s company, are unwilling to have their -true character and profession known. - -The purpose of those chief in authority, to abandon as far as -practicable, in the discipline of the ship, the iron rule, and in place -of the “cats” and the “colt,” the kick and the curse, to substitute a -treatment less degrading to man and more befitting him as a moral agent -and an intelligent being, has been carried out. Thus far the experiment -has been successful; and we have a cheerful, obedient, active and -efficient crew. We are also demonstrating the fact by experience, that a -crew can be content and happy without having served to them the ration -of grog furnished by government. Knowing that two thirds of all the evil -and misery to which sailors, as a class, are subject both at sea and on -shore, arises from the use of strong drink, I, early after the -commencement of our cruise, made efforts by private argument as well as -by public addresses, to demonstrate the magnitude of the evils arising -from intemperance, and to persuade all to follow the example of those -who had stopped drawing rum. In securing so desirable an object, I have -had the warm support of those in authority, whose opinion and influence -would be likely to have most effect. Commodore McKeever and Captain -McIntosh have both given me their aid; and the former has twice publicly -addressed the ship’s company on the subject. The consequence is, we -shall enter port without the name of an individual on the grog list; -with the universal admission that the ship’s company, to say the least, -are as content and happy without the rum as they were with it, and -certainly more quiet and orderly. - -In the course of my canvass on the subject, I had, not only, many -interesting, but many amusing conversations and arguments with various -individuals. Before yielding, there was a great struggle in the minds of -some half a dozen old topers—old men-of-wars-men, perfect sea-dogs, who, -for half a century have drunk their grog as regularly as the roll of the -drum announcing its readiness was heard, and felt that they could not -live without it. I really pitied some of these old fellows, in the -mental struggle they suffered, between conscience and a desire to follow -the advice of those they honor, and the continued craving of an appetite -strengthened by the habit of a whole life. I fell in with two of these -one day immediately after one of the addresses of the Commodore. They -were looking most doleful—as a true sailor seldom does look except in -some great moral extremity. Suspecting the cause, I opened a -conversation in which one of them met my persuasions by saying, with a -most appealing look, “Why, Mr. S——, I haven’t been without my grog every -day for fifty years. Why, sir, I should die without it. I was brought up -on it; my father kept a public house, and I sucked the tumblers, sir, -from the time I was a baby!” But the old man soon joined the rest of his -shipmates in the resolution to banish the grog tub. He has now gone a -long time without his rum; and, in place of dying from the want of it, -as he said he should, came up to me yesterday, looking hale and hearty, -and with a bright smile and sparkling eye, said, “Mr. S——, I wouldn’t -have believed it—but, it’s true. I don’t miss my grog at all. You told -me I would live through it, if I did knock it off. And so I have, and I -feel ten times better without it than I ever did with it!” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_Sept. 4th._—Land was descried at ten o’clock, on the morning of the 1st -inst., and before noon we had Cape Frio in full view, twenty miles -distant. Isolated from other highlands of the coast, it stands out -boldly and loftily in the ocean; and, after being once seen, is not -easily to be mistaken in its outline. We were rushing onward, before a -fresh trade-wind beneath a brilliant sky, at the rate of eleven miles -the hour; and at twelve o’clock, hauling closely round the Cape to the -westward, opened a lofty and picturesque mountain coast on our right. - -The speed at which we were sailing was in itself sufficient to produce -great exhilaration. Add to this, the beauty of the sportive sea—leaping, -foaming, and sparkling around us; the varied and noble outlines of the -shore; the objects of increasing interest coming hourly in view, with -the assurance of an early termination of our passage, and you can -readily imagine that by nightfall, the continued excitement became -almost painful. As darkness began to gather round us, the faint outlines -of the famed Sugar Loaf marking the entrance to the harbor of Rio, were -discernible; and the first gleamings of the light on Rasa Island, some -seven miles seaward from it, came cheerily upon the eye. The wind still -continued fresh, and we had the prospect of entering the port at night; -but, just as we were attempting to do so by heading into the channel, -the breeze died suddenly away, and we dropped anchor on what is called -the “rolling ground.” The appropriateness of this name was fully -demonstrated to us before morning, by a depth of rolling on the part of -our good ship in a dead calm, which we had not before experienced in the -heaviest weather at sea. - -As for myself, I was more than content to pass a restless night from -this cause, rather than lose the opportunity of entering the harbor by -daylight. I was anxious to test the fidelity of the impressions received -twenty years ago from the same scenery; and to determine how far the -magnificent picture, still lingering in my memory, was justified by the -reality, or how far it was to be attributed to the enthusiasm of younger -years and the freshness of less experienced travel. The early light of -the morning quickly determined the point. I was hurried to the deck by a -message from Lieut. R—— already there; and do not recollect ever to have -been impressed with higher admiration by any picture in still life, than -by the group of mountains and the coast scene, meeting my eyes on the -left, as I ascended the poop. The wildness and sublimity of outline of -the Pao d’Assucar, Duos Hermanos, Gavia and Corcovado, and their -fantastic combinations, from the point at which we viewed them, can -scarce be rivalled, while the richness and beauty of coloring thrown -over and around the whole in purple and gold, rose color and ethereal -blue, were all that the varied and glowing tints of the rising day ever -impart. No fancy sketch of fairy land could surpass this scene, and we -stood gazing upon it as if fascinated by the work of a master hand. - -The pyramidal hills on the eastern side of the channel are less lofty -and less wild than these, but impressive in their massiveness, and -beautiful in the verdure of various growth clinging to their steep sides -and mantling their summits. Together they form a portal to Rio worthy, -not only the city, but the vast and magnificent empire of which it is -the metropolis. - -There was full leisure for the enjoyment of the scene, for the -sea-breeze did not set in, with sufficient strength to enable us to get -under way, till after mid-day. In the mean time I secured a drawing, -while a thorough ship-cleaning was going on, both inside and out. This -was so satisfactorily accomplished by four hundred busy hands, before -the breeze would allow of taking our anchor, that, with the crew freshly -dressed in a uniform of white and new summer hats, we looked, on taking -our position among the men-of-war at anchor, more like a ship on a -gala-day in port, than one just arrived from sea. - -The width of the entrance is a mile, though the loftiness of the granite -shafts by which it is formed, gives the impression of its being much -narrower. The Sugar Loaf on the left—the naked peak of a mountain of -rock whose broad base lies far below in the great deep—rises, with a -slight leaning westward, to an elevation of twelve hundred and -ninety-two feet according to the measurement of Captain Beechy. The -corresponding mass on the eastern side, less isolated and more rounded, -is six or seven hundred only. At the base of this, upon a tongue of rock -projecting into the channel, is the strong and massively built fortress -of Santa Cruz, against whose Cyclopean foundations the swell from the -open sea beats heavily. Its white walls and embattled parapets, pharos -lantern and telegraph fixtures, with the imperial flag of green and gold -flaunting in the breeze, are the first features of civilization meeting -the eye: all else along the coast looks as primitive and untamed as on -the day it was first discovered. - -From the point at which we were at anchor, little within the harbor -could be seen: a small fortified islet or two, the tall masts of the -shipping at the man-of-war anchorage, distant five miles, and the faint -outlines of the Organ mountains in the far north. But on passing the -Sugar Loaf and fort the bay opens, and the extent and magnificence of -its leading features are rapidly disclosed. The mountain group, which so -impressed us in the morning and seemed to belong exclusively to the -outside, is found to constitute in new aspects and relative positions, -the grand outline of the western side within. - -To these aspects of nature there was soon added the charm of art. Long -lines of imposing edifices edge the shores; white cottages and villas -sprinkle the hill-sides and crest the mountain ridges; while church -steeples and convent towers and the thickened masses of building in the -city gradually rise to view. - -As our ship moved gently onward the effect was like the unfolding of a -panoramic picture. First came the land-locked bay of Botafogo, backed -and overhung by the lofty peaks of the Hermanos and Gavia—its circular -shores and sweeping sand-beach being embellished with a palace-like -hospital and numerous suburban residences of the aristocratic and -wealthy. Then the green and picturesque valley of the Larangeiras, with -cottages hanging like birds’ nests on its hill-sides, beneath the wooded -cliffs and naked summit of the Corcovado; followed quickly by the bay of -Flamengo, the Gloria hill, the hills of Santa Theresa and San Antonio -crowned by their convents, Castle hill with its Capuchin monastery and -old bastions, the hill of San Bento, and the entire city overtopped by -the mountainous range and bell-shaped peak of Tejuca. - -While these objects on the left successively absorb the attention, on -the right a precipitous range of granite hills, extending two or three -miles northward from the fortress of Santa Cruz, falls sheer into the -water like the Highlands of the Hudson. It terminates in a bold -promontory which divides a deep, circular inlet, called the bay of St. -Francis Xavier, from the chief harbor, and which from some points of -view is strikingly in the form of a colossal lion couchant, with the -head settled backward in stateliness upon the shoulders. At the further -distance of a mile a picturesque cliff-bound little islet—evidently once -a part of the adjoining mainland—marks the northern entrance to this -inner bay. Surmounted by a white chapel facing the sea, dedicated to -“our Lady of good voyages,” the special patroness of the sailor, it is a -conspicuous and interesting feature in the topography, the first and the -last upon which the ignorant and superstitious among voyagers and -seafaring men, have long been accustomed to fix their eyes on entering -and on leaving port. Beyond this, upon a widely sweeping beach, stretch -the populous rural suburbs of Praya Domingo and Praya Grande, -immediately facing the city. These terminate in a lofty rounded hill, -partly under cultivation and partly in wood, which cuts off all further -view northward, except clusters of islands on the distant waters, and -the far-off mountains rising six thousand feet against the sky. The -whole was seen by us under the strong lights and shades of the -afternoon, as with a light sea-breeze we floated gently up and dropped -anchor abreast the city, midway from either shore. A cluster of -men-of-war were moored inside of us, from whose mast-heads floated the -national flags of England, Portugal and Brazil, but none bearing the -stripes and stars of the United States. - -Towards night the coloring thrown over mountains and valleys, city and -bay, was most gorgeous. A light haze, like that of Indian summer at -home, characterized the atmosphere; through this, the sun shone in fiery -redness, empurpling the mountains, gilding dome and steeple and convent -tower, and spreading a crimson glow over the entire bay. I have been -thus minute in the description of the panorama surrounding us, because -these winding shores and curving beaches, these verdant hills and -towering mountains, are for many months in two or three successive -years, to be the objects of hourly observation and the haunts of my -daily rambles. The Sugar Loaf and the Corcovado, the Gavia and the Peak -of Tejuca, Gloria hill, Botafogo, Praya Grande and the Organ mountains, -will become in my communications to you, familiar as household words. - -Admiration of the natural scenery was not the only feeling of which I -was conscious, in advancing up the harbor. Remembrances of the past came -unbidden to my mind and heart. With the first opening view of the Praya -Flamengo, I was quick in my search with a glass among its mansions, for -the dwelling which during my former visit had been to me a happy home. -It was easily distinguished in its unchanged exterior. But where was the -brilliant and accomplished diplomatist, whose genial spirit and polished -mind gave such charm to its hospitalities? Long a tenant of the tomb! -and I could not but recall the fact, that, with him, every one whose -acquaintance I had here made—an acquaintanceship which, in some -instances, from after intercourse, ripened into mature friendship—was -also in the world of spirits: Tudor, Otway, Inglefield and Walsh, all -gone. A generation had well-nigh passed away; and all was changed. A new -Emperor was on the throne—a new Bishop over the see: there was no one to -meet, and no one to look upon, whom I had ever seen before. - -It was the predominance of feelings such as these that led, in my first -visit on shore, to a solitary pilgrimage to the former Embassy, to look -once more upon its familiar portal—now in possession of strangers,—and -on my return at eventide through the embowered pathways of the Gloria -hill, to think what a dream is life, and how vain as an abiding good, -the highest attainments and most honored positions gained by man on -earth. - -_September 6th._—Rio de Janeiro, if not built like Rome on seven hills, -can boast an equal number around the bases of which her streets and -dwellings closely cluster. The bright verdure of these—in tufted groves -and shrubbery and in gleaming turf—as they rise abruptly here and there, -from one to two hundred feet above the red-tiled penthouse roofs of the -dwellings and the sombre turret and towers of church and convent, adds -greatly to the beauty of the city, whether seen from shipboard, or in -vistas at the end of the streets, on shore. One of the most conspicuous -and lofty is Castle hill, so called from being surmounted at one of its -angles, by the ramparts and dismantled batteries of a small fort, -erected by the first colonists. It is also called by foreigners, Signal -hill—from being the telegraphic station to which the movements of all -shipping in the offing is made known, by signals from other stations at -the entrance of the harbor and along the coast. Besides the ruin of the -ancient fortress and the fixtures of the telegraph, it is conspicuously -marked by the double-pinnacled church of a former Capuchin monastery, -and by the old college of the Jesuits, both now converted to the use of -the public—the one as a military hospital, and the other a medical -school. The hill juts so closely on the bay as to interrupt, for a half -a mile, the line of the city along the water, and to leave room only for -a single street. This is not built upon, but being open to the -sea-breeze and commanding a fine water view, is much frequented as a -drive and promenade in the afternoon and evening. Inland from Castle -hill, and separated from it by what was once a deep glen, but now a -densely inhabited part of the city, rises the hill of San Antonio, so -called from being the possession of a brotherhood of that name, whose -convent stands in massive dimensions on its brow. These hills occupy the -centre of the city, while that of San Bento, also crowned by a stately -convent; that known as the Bishop’s hill, from being surmounted by the -Episcopal palace; and the hill of Lavradio, are on its northern side. -The hills of Santa Theresa and Gloria, thus named—the one from a -nunnery, and the other from a church dedicated to our Lady of Glory, are -on the south. All originally rose from and encircled a marsh, the site -of the present metropolis. Till within the last half century, the whole -city then containing only some thirty thousand inhabitants, lay between -Castle hill and the hill of San Bento, a distance of less than a half -mile as a water front, in a parallelogram of rectangular streets -extending about as far inland. This section is still regular; but in -most others since built, the streets follow the curvature of the hills -at their bases, and straggle from these, in every direction, up the -ravines intervening between the spurs running from the mountains to the -plain. The streets in general are narrow, and roughly paved with -cobble-stones: the sidewalks being comfortable for two persons only -abreast. The population is now about 200,000—including the suburbs which -are very extensive, and reach south some five miles and nearly the same -distance west; while Praya Domingo and Praya Grande, on the opposite -side of the bay, form quite a town in themselves. - -The general climate of Brazil from its great equality has been regarded -as one of the most salubrious and healthful of the tropical regions of -the world. Before the Congress left the United States, however, it was -known that within the last year the yellow fever had made its appearance -along the seaboard, and had raged with great mortality in the principal -cities; especially in Pernambuco, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro. We were -uncertain what the state of health might be on our arrival; and were -thankful to learn, by the first boat boarding us, that the epidemic had -ceased, after frightful ravages among natives and foreigners, both -afloat and on shore. The business of the port was almost suspended by -its virulence for six or eight months; the citizens in great numbers -having fled to the country, while the shipping put to sea. The general -health is now good, public confidence is restored, and the inhabitants -have returned to their shops and dwellings. - -The origin of the pestilence is a mooted point here, among medical men -of the most distinguished talent and experience. Some contend that it -was imported from Africa by slave ships; others that it was introduced -at Pernambuco in a ship from New Orleans; and others again believe it to -be of domestic generation, connected with atmospherical phenomena, thus -far inscrutable to the observations of man. This last opinion is -supported by changes of a meteorological character universally -acknowledged: one the interruption, amounting almost to an entire -cessation, of thunder-storms in the afternoons, formerly of such regular -daily occurrence, that appointments for business or pleasure were made -in reference to them, as to taking place “before” or “after the shower.” -It is a fact also attested by medical men, that of late years, marked -modifications for the worse have been observed in the types of fever -prevalent, till their malignancy reached the climax just experienced. -There was, too, at the commencement and during the continuation of the -pestilence, a stagnation and want of elasticity in the atmosphere, from -the cessation to a great degree of the fresh and regular winds from the -sea, very perceptible and very oppressive: all confirmatory of the -belief that the sickness was atmospheric and indigenous. History and -tradition are also brought to support this supposition; nearly a century -ago, a similar pestilence is said to have prevailed in Rio, with the -same devastating effect; and records of the years 1666, 1686, and 1694, -bear testimony to visitations of a like kind. There is reason therefore -to hope that the scourge will disappear as it has done before, and not -become annual and endemic as in the West Indies. - -The weather now is as delightful as can be imagined, with a clearness -and brilliancy of atmosphere like that on the Hudson in the month of -June, throwing an enchantment around the scenery of the bay perfectly -irresistible. - -_September 10th._—The first two or three days after our arrival were -marked chiefly by an interchange of visits of ceremony, between the -officers chief in command of the foreign squadrons near us and our ship; -accompanied by a succession of salutes deafening to the ears, filling -the pure atmosphere of the heavens with smoke and sulphur, and awakening -in tones of thunder the ten thousand echoes of the adjoining mountains. -In no harbor in the world, perhaps, is more powder wasted in the course -of a year than in this. There seems ever to be among the Brazilians some -new occasion for a salute. On the day of our arrival, in the course of a -half hour the Congress alone fired eighty heavily charged thirty-four -pounders: all of which were answered in the same space of time, gun for -gun. Two of the intervening days since have been fête days on shore, -calling for three separate salutes—morning, noon, and night—of -twenty-one guns from all the forts and Brazilian men-of-war in the -harbor, and at mid-day a general one of the same number, from all the -flag-ships of the foreign squadrons. A commutation for the powder thus -annually wasted, would be a princely income for any one securing it. - -These observances of etiquette afloat well through with, Commodore -McKeever invited me yesterday morning to join him, Captain McIntosh and -Lieut. T——, in visits on shore to the American Ambassador, and others of -our countrymen in official positions, and to Mr. H——, a leading English -merchant, who had called on board the Congress early after our arrival. -In 1829, and till within a year or two past, the principal landing was -in the centre of the city upon an inclined plane of solid masonry, -descending into the water so as to be accessible by boats at any state -of the tide; this conducted to a fine mole of granite, parapetted with -stone, and forming one side of the palace square. Against the flush wall -of this mole the water rose high, carrying off into the current, in its -reflow, the offensive matter, which in want of sewers is cast along the -shores of the city at night. An extension of the square on the bay is -now in progress, however, by the driving of piles and filling in with -earth and rubbish; and the landing is at a temporary stairs and platform -of wood, at an adjoining point, in the midst of outpourings of filth -disgusting to the senses, and making impressions on the stranger most -unfavorable as to the purity and civilization of the imperial city. A -carriage had been ordered for us here, and in its style and appointments -we had evidence, at once, of the improvement in equipages which has been -made since my last visit. Then, the old-fashioned Portuguese Calesa, or -chaise, and a clumsy close-carriage on leathern braces, of a similar -style and date, were universally in use. I do not recollect to have seen -vehicles of any other kind, except the imperial carriages and those of -the British Ambassador. Now, although the Calesa is still frequently -met, and occasionally its con-frere in antiquity, the low open -four-wheeled carriage of the fashion and finish of those most modern in -New York, London and Paris, and equal to them in all their appointments, -is in general use. Besides many livery stables at which these may be -found, stands of them occupy the Palace Square and other public points -at all hours of the day. Twenty years ago, mules only were driven, -except in the instances above mentioned; but, now, fine showy horses are -as often seen in the turn-out. The carriage we entered was drawn by a -pair of spirited, sleek, long-tailed blacks. The coachman in a livery of -sky-blue and silver, made aware, by the broad pennant of the many-oared -barge in which we came on shore, and by the lace and epaulettes of my -companions, of the rank of some of the party, dashed off with a flourish -of whip and a prancing of his beasts that won the admiration of the -bystanders. He kept for the whole morning a Jehu speed characteristic of -the manner of driving here; and significant, it would seem, by its -accelerated rapidity, of the degree of rank of those it hurries along, -from the Emperor down. - -The route we took, is one of the finest the city and its environs -afford, leading three or four miles southward, immediately along the -bay, by a continuous street bearing different names in different -sections, to Botafogo, the most beautiful of the suburbs. The green and -palm-tufted hills overhanging the way inland; the luxuriant little -valleys receding, here and there, from it, and terminating in wild and -inaccessible ravines; the flower gardens and shrubberies, encircling the -better residences, with beauty in endless forms, and the perfume of -everlasting spring; the gay coloring, novel, and in some instances -fantastic architecture of the houses; the vases and statuary and -statuettes around and surmounting them; and the stately and ornamental -gateways, opening into fine avenues of old trees terminating in -embowered perspective at inviting residences remote from the road, with -magnificent views at one point and another of the mountains on the one -side and of the bay on the other, made the drive both in going and -returning inspiriting and delightful. - -Botafogo itself is a gem of beauty: a seeming lake, three or four miles -in circumference. The one half is as untamed and wild as granite-bound -shores bristling into mountains can make it; the other, a semicircular -beach of white sand overhung with trees, and lined by a succession of -fine residences. From the curving street on which these stand others run -westward, forming a village-like settlement. On one of them we found the -mansion of Mr. H——, a spacious establishment with an air of aristocratic -elegance approaching magnificence. Besides the lofty entrance hall and -stately drawing-room into which we were ushered, there were glimpses -through different vistas of a fine library, a music room, dining hall -and billiard room of proportionate dimensions and appropriate -appointments. Situated immediately beneath the pyramidal shaft of the -Corcovado, with a view of other mountain peaks, the waters of Botafogo -at near access on one side, and those of the ocean not far distant on -the other, and bloom and blossom on every hand—the rustling banana -around and the plumed palm above—the whole presented a tempting picture -of a home in the tropics. - -It was late in the afternoon before we again reached the city. On -inquiring the charge for the carriage for the four hours we had it in -use, I was rather surprised, notwithstanding the large number “eight -thousand,” that met the ear in answer, that the whole was only four -Spanish dollars, the thousand being reis, a nominal term in the currency -of the country, one thousand of which constitute a mille-reis, a silver -coin of the size and about the value of an American half dollar. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_September 12th._—On returning from the drive of Monday, I did not -accompany the party to the ship, but gave the remainder of the afternoon -to a stroll in the city. Its two principal and most attractive streets -are the Rua Direita and Rua Ouvidor. The first runs north and south, -parallel with the water, forming in its course the western side of the -Palace Square; the other is at right angles with this, running east and -west from a point near the square. A central section of the Direita is -quite wide, and beside the palace contains the imperial chapel adjoining -it, the Church of the Carmelites, used as a Cathedral, and that of the -Holy Cross: in it also are the Custom House and Exchange, the Post -Office and Commercial Reading-rooms, and the offices of the principal -brokers and money-changers. It is in fact the Lombard-street and the -Wall-street of Rio; while the Ouvidor, a mile in length, filled from end -to end with shops of all kinds—fancy goods and millinery, prints and -pictures, jewelry, articles of vertu and bijouterie—is its Bond-street -and its Broadway. - -The Rua Ouvidor terminates in a small open square, having on one side -the fine façade of the church of St. Francisco de Paulo, and on another -a more modern and well built structure, in Grecian architecture, used as -a military school. A short street leads from this into a larger square -diagonal to it, called the Roscio, in which is the Opera House; and a -quarter of a mile further west lies the grand square of the Campo -D’Acclamacao, so named from the proclamation in it of the independence -of Brazil in 1822. My walk extended to this. It is a rectangular common -of large extent, but partially built upon, and is distinguished by some -fine public edifices. On the side next the city are the Treasury, the -Museum and the Courts of Justice; on that opposite, the Senate Chamber -of the Imperial Legislature; and on a third, a long line of Barracks. -Roads and foot-paths cross it irregularly in various directions; but, -ungraded and unplanted, it offers little attraction to the eye, being -covered with coarse grass and weeds, mud-puddles and rubbish. Though -thus neglected and shabby in itself, the views from it of the encircling -hills and more distant mountains are full of freshness and beauty. - -The Senate Chamber, a large square building of stone, is without -architectural beauty or ornament. Originally the private residence of a -governor of Bahia, when in the metropolis, it was sold by him to the -government for its present uses. In it, in 1829, I witnessed the opening -of the Imperial Legislature by Don Pedro I; and learning incidentally -this morning when on shore, that the same body was to be prorogued -to-day by the present Emperor, I turned my steps again in that -direction: partly for the accomplishment of my purpose of a walk, and -partly for such observation as I might secure as an outside spectator. -It was too late to seek a ticket of admission to the house, at the -Embassy or elsewhere, and the Brazilian who gave me information of the -ceremony, thought I could not without one gain admittance to the -interior, in the ordinary morning dress I wore. There would, however, it -was probable, be a gathering of the populace to the scene; and with an -opportunity of the study this might afford, I was content. It is the -remark of a biographer of the brothers Humboldt, I think, that, “however -fertile nature may be, man is always its most interesting and its most -important feature;” and, after the almost exclusive observation of -inanimate objects, from their surpassing magnificence for a week and -more, I felt doubly inclined to avail myself of the chance of -scrutinizing my fellows in new aspects of life. - -The first impression made on an intelligent stranger on landing at Rio -would, probably, arise from the numbers, evident difference in -condition, the variety of employments, dress and undress, almost to -nakedness, of the negro and slave population. Such figures, such -groupings, such costumes, as are exhibited by these on every side, it -would be difficult to picture or describe: the rapid lope and monotonous -grunt of the coffee-bag carriers, their naked bodies reeking with oily -sweat; the jingling and drumming of the tin rattles or gourds borne by -the leaders of gangs, transporting on their heads all manner of -articles—chairs, tables, sofas and bedsteads, the entire furniture of a -household; the dull recitative, followed by the loud chorus, with which -they move along; the laborious cry of others, tugging and hauling and -pushing over the rough pavements heavily laden trucks and carts, an -overload for an equal number of mules or horses, all crowd on the -observation. Others, both male and female, more favored in their -occupation, are seen as pedlers, carrying in the same manner, trunks and -boxes of tin, containing various merchandise; glass cases filled with -fancy articles and jewelry; trays with cakes and confectionery; and -baskets with fruit, flowers and birds. And yet again others of the same -color and race, more fortunate still, in being free—the street-vender, -the mechanic, the tradesman, the soldier; the merchant with the dress -and manner of a gentleman; the officer in uniform and the priest in his -frock; all by their contrasts filling the mind with speculation and -opening channels for thought. - -An impression which would follow this first one, in quick succession, -would be derived from the fearfully mongrel aspect of much of the -population, claiming to be white. Mulattoes, quadroons, and -demi-quadroons, and every other degree of tinted complexion and crisped -hair, met, at every turn, indicate an almost unlimited extent of mixed -blood. This cannot fail to be revolting, at least to a visitor from the -Northern States of our country; especially as exhibited in the female -portion of the lower orders of the community, as they hang over the -under half of the doors of their houses, gazing up and down the street, -or lean—black, white, and gray, three and four together, in the closest -juxtaposition from their latticed windows. - -A striking exhibition of this incongruous mingling of races and mixture -of blood, was presented in the first object upon which my eye fell, on -entering the Campo D’Acclamacao on my way to the Senate Chamber. A -squadron of dragoons in a scarlet uniform, had just been placed in line -on one side of the square. A mounted band in Hussar dress of the same -color was in attendance. I took a station for a moment near this. It was -composed of sixteen performers; and in the number included every shade -of complexion, from the blackest ebony of Africa, through demi, quarter, -and demi-quarter blood to the purely swarthy Portuguese and Brazilian, -and the clear red and white of the Saxon, with blue eyes and flaxen -hair. Such, in a greater or less degree, is the mixture seen in every -sphere of common life—domestic, social, civil and military; and scarce -less frequently than elsewhere, in the vestibule of the palace and at -the altars of the church. - -With the exception of this body of horse-guards and its band, there was -but little indication in the square of the approaching spectacle. Two or -three hundred idlers only, in addition to the ordinary movements on the -common, were seen loitering about. Those who had begun to assemble, -however, were in clean and holiday garb. The Senate Hall, which last -evening looked deserted and shabby enough in its exterior, appeared now -in gala dress. All the lofty windows above and below, were decorated on -the outside with hangings of crimson silk; and the doors, thrown wide -open, were screened by draperies of green cloth, embroidered in the -centre with the imperial arms in colors. A body-guard of Halberdiers, in -liveries of green and gold, stood in groups about the entrance—their -lofty spears, surmounted with glittering battle-axes, being at rest near -at hand. - -Numbers of well-dressed citizens began to arrive and enter the building -by a side door. Perceiving among them one and another in costumes not -differing much from my own, I made bold to follow, leaving it for the -door-keepers to question my right of admission. I knew not where I might -be led, and after a long ascent by a dark, circular staircase, very -unexpectedly found myself in an open gallery in the middle front of the -hall, in a line with the diplomatic tribune on one side, and that -appropriated to the Empress and her ladies on such occasions, on the -other. All the best places in this gallery were already filled. As I was -looking about for a choice in such as remained unoccupied, a Brazilian -gentleman, recognizing me as a stranger, though there was nothing in my -dress to indicate either my nation or profession, immediately approached -and insisted on relinquishing to me his seat. It was in vain that I -objected to dispossessing him, till, overcome by his courteous manners -and unyielding purpose of civility, I bowed my way into it. The point of -view was one of the best in the house, being immediately in front of the -throne and the chairs at its foot, for the ministers and chief officers -of the household. Besides the whole interior, it commanded also, through -a large open window, the avenue, by which the imperial cortège would -make its approach in state from San Christovao, the country palace, -three or four miles west of the city. - -The Chamber has been remodelled since 1829. Instead of being oblong as -then, it is now semicircular, like the Senate Chamber at Washington. The -canopy and hangings of the throne and the draperies of the windows, are -of velvet and silk in green and gold, the national colors. - -The members of both Houses began soon to enter; many in magnificent -attire—naval and military uniforms stiff with embroideries of gold, -various court-dresses and priestly robes—and many in a full dress of -black alone, with an abundance of glittering stars and crosses, and the -broad ribbons of different orders. In the number were many men of mark, -not only in name and title, but in talent and popular influence. There -was no friend near me, however, as on the former occasion, to point them -out individually; and I had only the unsatisfactory assurance, from the -circumstances of the case, of seeing before me not only the ministers of -state and other officers of the government, but the leading politicians -and ecclesiastics of the empire. Among them were many heads and -countenances indicative of talent and unmistakable intellect, with a -refinement and dignity of bearing that gave a most favorable impression -of the whole as a legislative body. - -You are aware that the government of Brazil is a constitutional -monarchy, similar in its limitations and general organization to that of -Great Britain. A Council of State consisting of three members holding -office for life, corresponds to the Privy Council of Her Majesty. The -ministry, composed of the heads of six departments—those of the Empire, -Justice, Foreign Affairs, Marine, War, and Finance—is appointed by the -Emperor. The Legislature consists of two chambers, the Senate and the -House of Deputies, and is elected by the different cities and provinces. -The Senators, titled and untitled, the proportion of each being limited -by law, are fifty-four in number, and like the Counsellors of State hold -office for life. The deputies amount to more than one hundred and serve -for a limited time. Titles, of which there are a considerable number, of -the various grades of Marquis, Count, Viscount and Baron, besides those -of different orders of knighthood, are not hereditary, and there is no -right of primogeniture in the descent of property. - -The Legislature in its two branches, like the Parliament of England and -the Congress of the United States, has cognizance of the entire business -of the empire. Its discussions and debates on every subject, are as free -as those of the two bodies named, and, I am told, are often marked with -distinguished ability, varied learning and accomplishment, and true -parliamentary eloquence. The temperament of the Brazilians is impulsive, -and often leads to displays of impassioned oratory, on points eliciting -the sectional jealousies of the Senators and Deputies. With an empire as -widely spread as our own, and the centralization of the entire revenue -at Rio, occasions often occur in which this feeling in regard to -appropriations and other legislative measures is manifested. In times -past, the ground of the strongest and warmest partisanship, was found in -the early rivalry between the old Portuguese population and the native -Brazilians, from the absorption by the former of the chief offices and -emoluments of the country when a colony, and the patronage and -favoritism extended by the crown to those who accompanied and followed -John VI., in the transfer of the court from Lisbon in 1808. This cause -of party irritation is now, however, rapidly disappearing. The native -party with its purely native policy and views is entirely predominant, -and can never again lose its power and influence. - -A flourish of trumpets and a general bustle outside soon intimated the -approach of the Emperor; and, through the open window before mentioned, -I had a view of the procession of state. A company of lancers in rapid -movement cleared the way. These were followed by a detachment of horse -guards, in a uniform of white and gold with scarlet plumes, accompanied -by a mounted band playing the national air; then came six -coaches-and-six—each flanked and followed by its guard of -honor—containing the great officers of the household. The state carriage -of the Empress and her ladies, drawn by eight iron grays, next made its -appearance; after which came the imperial state coach with a like number -of horses; a long cavalcade of troops completing the cortège. Each pair -of horses had its postillion, and each carriage its coachman and three -footmen. All were in state liveries of green, stiff with lace and -embroideries in silver. The postillions wore jockey caps fitting closely -to the head, with lace and embroideries to correspond with the livery, -and the coachmen and footmen, old-fashioned cocked hats broadly laced -and fringed with white ostrich feathers. The postillions, mostly -handsome young lads, and the coachmen and footmen wore powder, and the -head of each carriage-horse was surmounted by three ostrich feathers -arranged like the Prince of Wales’ plume. The panels and top of the -Emperor’s carriage were of crimson velvet; but all other parts, the -wheels included, of the heaviest carving, richly gilt;—the pattern and -style of the whole reminding me of the state coaches of his great -ancestor, Emanuel of Portugal, in the palmiest days of his reign, which -I recollect to have had pointed out to me, as matters of antiquity, in -the Royal Mews at Lisbon. - -A procession of courtiers now appeared, in an upper corridor, open to -view from the gallery, and, by a double line, formed a passage way for -the Empress and ladies in waiting, to the tribune appropriated to her. -This was screened in front by curtains. As Her Majesty entered these -were drawn, and all in the gallery rising and bowing, remained standing. -In the mean time the hall below became deserted, the senators and -deputies having left it to escort the Emperor from the robing room. They -returned in procession in a few moments, with His Majesty at the head in -full coronation attire, wearing the crown and bearing the sceptre or -gilded staff of state. While he mounted the steps of the throne the -members filed off on either side to their respective places. Bowing to -them, as he turned to face the assembly, the Emperor bade them be -seated, and rested himself on his chair of state. A secretary then -presented him with a sheet of letter paper in a portfolio, from which he -read an address some five minutes in length. At its close, rising and -again bowing, he descended and passed through the centre of the hall as -he had entered, followed in procession by the entire body. - -Don Pedro II., whom I saw as a child of three years, beside his father -at a presentation on my former visit in Rio, is now a tall and stalwart -young man of twenty-five, standing among those around him, like Saul in -Israel, “higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.” -He is finely and massively built, with great breadth of shoulders and -fulness of chest. His German descent, through his mother, the -Archduchess Leopoldina of Austria, is strikingly manifest in his light -hair, blue eyes and fair complexion. There is nothing either in the -features or expression of his face to remind one that, on his father’s -side, he is a direct representative of the united blood of Braganza and -Castile. His countenance, in repose, is heavy and inexpressive, and in -the reading of his speech exhibited little flexibility. A fixed and, -seemingly, determined indifference was all that could be inferred from -his enunciations and intonations. I could not detect the slightest -emotion of any kind or perceive a ray of feeling in his eye, as he went -mechanically through it. How far this might be attributed to the subject -matter, I am unable to say; it was in Portuguese, which I do not -understand, and I have not yet seen a report of it in French in the -daily journals. Still he is known to be a man of mind and character; has -been most carefully and thoroughly educated; is extensively read; -scientific in his studies and pursuits; and of exemplary correctness in -his moral principles and character. - -The Empress Doña Theresa is a Bourbon of Naples, a younger sister of the -present King of the two Sicilies, and, of course, of Christina, Queen -Dowager of Spain. She is apparently some four or five years the senior -of her lord. In person she is short and stout, full in face, with -well-defined features, and great amiability and benevolence of -expression. Her walk and general mien, however, are not particularly -marked with the high bearing and finished air, which give such grace and -such prestige of regal birth and training to some of her compeers in -rank, whom I have seen in Europe. She was in court costume—an under -dress of white satin heavily embroidered with gold, with a profusion of -rich lace falling deeply over the corsage and forming its sleeves. These -were looped with bands of diamonds magnificent in size and lustre. The -train was of green velvet with embroideries in gold, corresponding with -those of the skirt. Her head-dress, with the hair worn in long ringlets -in front, was a wreath of diamonds and emeralds, in the shape of -flowers, rising into the form of a coronet over the forehead, and from -which a white ostrich feather fell on one side gracefully to the -shoulder. A broad sash, the combined ribbons of different -orders—scarlet, purple, and green—crossed the bust from the right -shoulder to the waist, above which a mass of emeralds and diamonds of -the first water sparkled on her bosom. The ladies in waiting were also -in dresses of green and gold of corresponding character. - -By the time the gallery was sufficiently cleared to allow of a -comfortable descent, the procession was formed for a return, in the same -order in which it had arrived. The Empress was entering her carriage at -a canopied doorway, as I gained the open air. Some amusing incident had -just occurred, and in taking her seat she indulged in quite a laugh with -her companions. This entirely confirmed the impression of her good looks -and amiability. Ten years of apparent age were at once thrown off, and -both vivacity of mind and sweetness of manner indicated by it. A -pleasant break upon the frigidity of imperial etiquette, having the -effect of a burst of sunshine on a cloudy day, over a landscape whose -chief beauty till then had been in shade. - -A lowering morning by this time began to settle into a heavy rain; and a -heavy rain here is a rain indeed. It soon poured in torrents; and it -seemed a pity, in an economical point of view, at least, as the long -display moved off for a ride of three miles to San Christovao, that so -much gilding and embroidery, so much lace and velvet, and so many fine -feathers should be exposed to the peltings of the storm. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_September 16th._—There is no seaman’s chaplain or other American -clergyman, at present at Rio; and the religious services of the Sabbath -on board the Congress, since our arrival, have been attended by many of -our compatriots, both ladies and gentlemen, residents here, including -the Ambassador and Consul and their families. Occasions occur not -unfrequently both in the shipping and on shore, calling for the special -services of a Protestant minister of the Gospel. This has been the case -within the passing week. The commander of an American schooner spoken by -us the day we crossed the line, but which did not arrive till ten days -after the Congress, died suddenly of apoplexy the morning he entered -port. The schooner was put in quarantine, immediately, by the health -officer; and it was with great difficulty permission was obtained from -the authorities for the burial of the body on shore. Mr. Kent, the -consul, formerly Governor of the State of Maine, solicited my attendance -officially at the interment. This took place at the Protestant cemetery -at Gamboa, a northern suburb of the city, situated on a broad indenture -on the western side of the bay. Here the body had been carried by water. -Gov. Kent took me in a calesa by land. The drive is through a mean and -unattractive part of the city, by a winding course from street to -street, between the hill of San Bento and that surmounted by the -Bishop’s Palace. - -This burial-ground was purchased by the foreign residents of Rio -twenty-five or thirty years ago. It was then, and still is, -comparatively, a secluded and rural spot, upon a hill-side overhung and -crowned with trees, and commanding a beautiful view northward of the -upper bay and its many islands; of the rich valleys to the west; and of -the Organ Mountains sweeping majestically round in the distance. It is -enclosed with high and substantial walls of stone, and is entered by an -ornamental gateway of iron. From this a winding avenue of trees marks -the ascent to a neat little chapel on a terrace near the centre of the -ground. Here such religious services as may be desired, or can be -secured, before committing the dead to the grave, are usually observed. - -The morning was wet and gloomy, according well with the object of our -visit, and the peculiar circumstances in which the burial was to take -place. A funeral more sad in its desolateness could scarcely be: that of -a stranger, in a strange land, unwept and unattended by any one who had -ever seen, or ever heard of him when living. The consul, the undertaker, -the grave-digger and I, as chaplain, being the only persons brought to -the spot either by duty or humanity. The officers and crew of the -schooner were in quarantine, and, from some omission or mistake in the -arrangements, no representative from other American vessels in port was -present. - -The kindness of Gov. Kent, in giving his personal attendance, was at a -sacrifice of feeling which could not fail to elicit my sympathy, though -a stranger to him till within a few days past. It is but a very brief -period, scarcely a month, since he committed to the newly-made grave -near which we were standing, an only son of great promise just verging -into manhood: one of the last of the victims of the late epidemic. The -associations of the passing scene could not but revive in painful -freshness a sorrow that has not yet lost its keenness. - -The rain, and the wetness in every pathway, prevented all observation, -except a general glance around, or any lingering among the memorials of -those who rest here, far from the sepulchres of their fathers. It had -been my purpose, before being called thus by duty to the spot, early to -visit in it the tomb of my friend Tudor. This was the only one I now -sought, to stand a moment beside it in remembrance of the dead, and, in -thoughts of the living, who most loved him, but who may never be -permitted to look upon his grave. It is marked by a plain white obelisk -of Italian marble, bearing the following simple inscription: - - Ossa - GULIELMI TUDOR - Rerump: Fœd: Americæ Sept: - Legati. - Natus Bostoniæ A. D. MDCCLXXIX. - Mortuus est - Rio Janiero A. D. MDCCCXXX. - Multis ille bonis - flebilis Occidit. - -_September 18th._—The objects, at Rio, of historic interest to the -stranger, or suggestive to him of thoughts of the past, are few. There -is, however, at least one entitled in these respects to a passing notice -from a Protestant. It is a small island, situated a short distance -seaward from our anchorage, beneath the green heights of Castle Hill, a -half mile from the shore. Its entire area is occupied by a fortress, -whose white ramparts, demi-turreted angles, and floating banner, form -conspicuous objects in coming up the harbor. My eye never consciously -rests upon it without recurrence to a fact in the early history of Rio, -inseparably associated with the name which both island and fortress now -bear—that of Villegagnon. However imposing and aristocratic in sound, it -is synonymous in its application here, with treachery, and not less -surreptitious—to compare small things with great—as regards the name of -the noble old Huguenot Coligny, first given to them, than that of -Americus, borne by half the globe, instead of one in honor of the true -finder of the western world. - -Brazil was first discovered by Vincente Pinzon, one of the companions of -Columbus in his first voyage, on the 26th of January, 1499. The land -descried by him was Cape St. Augustine in the vicinity of the present -city of Pernambuco. He took possession of the country in the name of the -crown of Castile, whose flag he bore, and, coasting northward to the -mouth of the Amazon, returned to Spain without forming a settlement. -About the same period Pedro Cabral was fitting out a large fleet in the -Tagus, to be conducted to India by the newly known route of the Cape of -Good Hope. Fearful of the calms in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa, -in pursuing the voyage, he ran so far to the west as to make, on the -25th of April, 1506, the same shores Pinzon had, some degrees further to -the south. Entering a fine bay, in imitation of Columbus, he erected a -wooden cross on the shore, before which he and his followers prostrated -themselves, and high mass being performed, possession of the country was -taken in the name of his sovereign Emanuel of Portugal. He gave to the -bay the name of Porto Seguro, since changed in honor of him to Cabralia, -and to the country that of the Terra de Vera Cruz—the Land of the Holy -Cross. This appellation, however, was soon lost in that of Brazil, from -the abundance of the wood of that name found in it and the high value -placed upon the article in Europe: a result pathetically deplored by a -pious Jesuit, in the lamentation that “the cupidity of man by unworthy -traffic, should change the wood of the cross, red with the real blood of -Christ, for that of another wood which resembled it only in color.” - -The harbor of Rio de Janeiro was not discovered till 1516. De Solis, in -search of a western passage to the Pacific, looked into it, in that -year, as he coasted his way to the Rio de la Plata where he lost his -life. He gave to it no name, however, and it remained unvisited again -till De Sousa entered it in 1531. Under the impression that it was the -outlet of a great river, this navigator called it Rio de Janeiro, the -day on which he made the supposed discovery being the first of the new -year. It did not, however, particularly attract the notice of the -Portuguese, and still remained unoccupied by them. - -In the mean time adventurers and traders from France made their way to -this part of the New World, and secured the good will and friendship of -the natives. Among them was Villegagnon, a knight of Malta, who had seen -service in the east, was an officer of distinction in the French navy, -and had commanded the vessel which carried Mary Queen of Scots and her -retinue from France on her return to her kingdom. His visit to Brazil -inspired him with the ambition of establishing a colony at Rio. Desirous -of the favor and aid of the crown in this project, and believing the -influence of Coligny with the king the surest means of accomplishing -this end, to win his confidence and co-operation he professed a deep -interest in the condition of the Protestants of France, and avowed the -purpose of making the proposed colony a refuge to them, from the -persecutions to which they were subject at home. The king was led by his -friendship for Coligny, to regard the proposition with such favor as to -grant to Villegagnon two vessels for the expedition, while the admiral -interested himself in securing a number of respectable Protestants to -accompany it as colonists. - -On arriving at Rio in 1555, Villegagnon first took possession of the -small island Lage near the mouth of the harbor; but soon finding this -too much exposed to the sea, removed to one larger near the site of the -present city, to which, with the fort erected upon it, he gave the name -of Coligny. The vessels were sent back to France for reinforcements. -Great interest in the enterprise had in the mean time been excited among -the Protestants there. Two clergymen and fourteen students of theology -had been selected in Geneva to secure the spiritual good of the colony, -and were received, preparatory to their embarkation, at the chateau of -Coligny near Chatillon, with great attention. Large numbers of -respectable emigrants joined them, and sanguine hopes were entertained -that the principles of the reformation would be surely implanted in the -New World. - -Early after the arrival of this reinforcement, Villegagnon, believing -himself sure of the support of the crown in the further prosecution of -his object, under the pretence of having returned to his old faith, -commenced so bitter a persecution of the Protestants, that, in place of -the peaceful enjoyment of freedom of conscience for which they had been -led so far from their native land, they found themselves in a worse -condition in this respect than they were at home. They were driven, at -length, to the determination of returning to France. The only vessel, -however, granted to them for the purpose was so old and so ill found for -the voyage, that five of the number, after going on board, refused to -venture their lives in her. Of these, three were afterwards put to death -by Villegagnon, and the others, flying for refuge to the Portuguese -settlements, were constrained to apostatize to save their lives. The -company who embarked reached France only after having suffered all but -death from starvation. At the time of their return, ten thousand of -their brethren were in readiness, under the auspices of Coligny, to -embark for the new colony. The report brought by them of the treachery -of him who was to have been their leader at once changed their purpose; -and the project of a Protestant colony in ‘France Antarctique,’ as the -region had already been styled, was abandoned. Thus it was that the -religious and civil destiny of one of the richest sections of the New -World was changed for centuries now past, and, it may be, for centuries -yet to come. - -With the remembrance of this failure in establishing the Reformed -religion here, and of the direct cause which led to it, I often find -myself speculating, as to the possible and probable results which would -have followed the successful establishment of Protestantism during the -three hundred years which have intervened. With the wealth and power and -increasing prosperity of the United States before us as the fruits, at -the end of two hundred years, of the colonization of a few feeble bands -of Protestants on the comparatively bleak and barren shore of the -Northern Continent, there is no presumption in the belief that, had a -people of similar faith, similar morals, similar habits of industry and -enterprise, gained an abiding footing in so genial a climate and on so -exuberant a soil, long ago, the still unexplored and impenetrable -wildernesses of the interior would have bloomed and blossomed in -civilization as the rose, and Brazil from the sea-coast to the Andes -become one of the gardens of the world. But the germ which might have -led to this was crushed by the bad faith and malice of Villegagnon; and, -as I look on the spot which, by bearing his name, in the eyes of a -Protestant at least perpetuates his reproach, the two or three solitary -palms which lift their tufted heads above the embattled walls, and -furnish the only evidence of vegetation on the island, seem, instead of -plumed warriors in the midst of their defences, like sentinels of grief -mourning the blighted hopes of the long past. - -The conduct of Villegagnon soon met its just recompense. The course he -pursued towards the Huguenots led to the early and utter failure of his -enterprise. Had he been true to his followers of the Reformed faith, the -colony, in place of being weakened by the return of any to France, would -have been so strengthened and established by the ten thousand prepared -to join them, that the Portuguese would never have been able to dislodge -and supplant them. Needing reinforcements, Villegagnon proceeded himself -to France to secure more settlers and the further aid of the government. -Every thing there was adverse to his object. He had forfeited the favor -of Coligny, and put an effectual end to the emigration of Protestants to -Brazil. The king was too much occupied with the civil war existing to -give heed to him. While thus delayed the Portuguese fitted out a strong -expedition under Mem de Sa from Bahia. This was successful. The French -were driven to their ships, and the Portuguese, possessing themselves of -the island on which they had been established, gained such foothold as -never afterwards to be displaced. This occurred on the 20th of Jan. -1560, St. Sebastian’s day, under the patronage of which saint the -expedition had been placed: and in whose honor the city afterwards built -on the mainland, received the name of St. Sebastian. This is now, -however, entirely supplanted by that of Rio de Janeiro. - -In 1676 the city had become so populous as to be made the see of a -Bishop, and the palace now crowning the brow of the Bishop’s Hill was -built. At that time, and for more than a hundred years afterwards, Bahia -was the seat of chief authority in the captaincies of Brazil; but in -1763, so greatly had the wealth and influence of Rio increased, from the -discovery of the gold and diamond mines, whose products were poured into -her bosom as a market, that the residence of the Viceroy was transferred -from Bahia and became permanently fixed here. - -It was not, however, till the arrival of the royal family of Portugal, -in their flight from Lisbon before the French army in 1808, that the -prosperity and true progress of Rio, and Brazil in general, may be said -to have commenced. Till then, the whole country had been subject to the -restrictive and depressing influences of the policy adopted by the -mother country, in the government of her colonies: all foreign trade -interdicted, heavy import and export duties imposed on the commerce with -Portugal herself, grasping monopolies claimed by the crown at home, and -extortionate perquisites exacted by its representatives on the ground. -There were no press, no newspapers, no books, no schools. The whole -country was in a state of darkness and ignorance beyond that of the -Middle Ages; and Rio an unenlightened, unrefined, and demoralized -provincial town. But with the Prince Regent of Portugal, the Queen -mother, the court, and more than twenty thousand followers, European -manners and customs, and the habits and usages of modern civilized life -were introduced. Commerce was opened to all nations; and the press, -literature and the arts established. The changes effected in Rio were -almost miraculous; and so constant and so rapid have been the -improvements to the present time, that she now presents to the visitor, -in many of her leading features, an aspect becoming the metropolis of a -great Empire. - -The progress of enlightened government, enlarged liberty and extended -commerce, has been commensurate with the advances in civilization, -intellectual culture and the refinements of life. The measure of -throwing the ports open to all nations, so wise and so essential, at -once adopted and proclaimed by the Prince Regent—afterwards John VI.—in -1808, was followed by him in 1815 by the no less important step of -elevating the colony in its united provinces to a distinct kingdom, on -an equality in its rights and privileges with those of Portugal and -Algarves, under the one crown. - -In 1822, Brazil became an independent empire under Don Pedro I. with a -constitution which guaranteed to her a representative legislature, and -the largest liberty compatible with the immunities of the limited -monarchy by which she is still governed. - -This political progress was not made without obstacles and threatened -anarchy and disaster. The return to Portugal of John VI. in 1821, was -followed in 1831, by the abdication of Don Pedro I. in favor of his son, -a child four years of age; and partisan conflicts, during the regency -which followed, made necessary the sudden termination, in 1840, of the -minority of Don Pedro II., at the age of 14, in violation of an article -of the constitution fixing the majority of an heir to the throne at -eighteen. Since then, however, general tranquillity and progressive -prosperity have prevailed. After years of deficiency in the revenue -there is now a surplus; the receipts of the imperial treasury for the -last year being seventeen millions and a half of dollars, and the -expenditures little more than fifteen millions. The national debt is -sixty millions, but with increasing exports and an enlarging commerce -this may soon be liquidated; and the finances of the country be placed -in unfettered condition. The revenue is derived from duties on exports -as well as imports; those on exports being applicable alike to the -internal commerce of the empire between province and province, and to -that with foreign countries. The export duty on coffee, transferred from -one province to another, is ten per cent. On shipments of the same -article for foreign ports, there is an additional duty of two per cent. -Every product—rice, sugar, cotton, farina—is thus taxed. The export duty -on mandioca, the staff of life of the country, is regulated by the -market value of the article, and not by fixed per centage. - -There is no direct tax on landed property, but, in lieu of it, a levy of -ten per cent. on every transfer of real estate. There is also an annual -tax on slaves throughout the empire at the rate of two milreis a head. - -The greatest danger to which the empire seems exposed, arises from the -vastness of its extent, and the obstacles which have hitherto existed to -a ready intercourse, between its different sections and the central -power at Rio de Janeiro. But steam navigation already established along -its coast, and soon to be introduced on its northern rivers, with -projected railroads and telegraphic routes, promises to overcome this -difficulty; and, as in the United States, so to facilitate -communication, and so closely and firmly to bind the different provinces -in a whole, as to secure the perpetuity and integrity of the empire. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - - AT SEA. - -_September 23d._— - - “The sea again! the swift, bright sea!”— - -and, at the rate of twelve miles the hour, - - “Away, away upon the rushing tide - We hurry faster than the foam we ride, - Dashing afar the waves, which round us cling, - With strength like that which lifts the eagle’s wing, - Where the stars dazzle and the angels sing. - We scatter the spray, - And break through the billows, - As the wind makes way - Through the leaves of willows!” - -We had expected to meet at Rio de Janeiro, the frigate Brandywine, the -ship the Congress came to relieve; but instead, Commodore McKeever found -orders awaiting him there to proceed to Montevideo. In obedience to -these we got under way, early on the 17th inst.; but, after dropping -down the bay a couple of miles, the land breeze failed us and we again -came to anchor. For three successive days, we made a like attempt to get -to sea, but to no purpose; and, on the morning of the 21st, employed a -steam tug to tow us out. The British Admiral had previously proffered -the use of a small steamer, in attendance upon his flag; and now sent -her, to aid the little tow-boat in stemming with her stately burden, the -tide just beginning to set in. When well outside we took a smacking -breeze; and, though scarce two days at sea, have run five hundred -miles—nearly half the distance to Montevideo. - -There was no special reason for regret at the delay in getting off. The -position we occupied while detained was the finest possible for the -study of the imagery amidst which we lay. But for some accidental cause -of the kind, we should not have had an opportunity of enjoying it, and I -availed myself of the chance to secure a panoramic drawing, embracing -points of beauty not commanded from the customary anchorage of -men-of-war. During the detention, Captain McIntosh took me with him in -two or three excursions upon the water in his gig, followed by walks on -shore of interest and novelty. One of these was to Praya Grande, -opposite Rio; and another to the bay of St. Francis Xavier, called by -the English Five-fathom Bay, on the same side of the water, but nearer -the sea. - -The formation of the land on the eastern side of the harbor is less bold -and lofty than that on which the city lies. The mountains are more -distant, and the spurs from them come down in rounded hills, -interspersed with valleys and broad interval lands. Praya Grande and -Praya San Domingo form one gently curving beach on this shore, some -three miles in length, extending northward from the fragmentary islet—on -the bluff crest of which is perched the little chapel of Boa Viagem—to a -beautifully rounded promontory jutting far westward into the bay. They -are contiguous parishes, seemingly but one settlement, and are rural and -village like. The green banks along the water side are overhung with -trees, and the houses every where interspersed with large gardens and -ornamented enclosures. The population of the two places amounts to about -three thousand. The residences, for the most part, are well built, and -many of them tasteful in architecture, and fanciful in their -embellishment. In comparison with the city opposite, the whole district -is pure and cleanly; and, in place of the villanous smells too often met -there, abounds with the mingled fragrance of the orange, cape jessamine, -heliotrope, and unnumbered other blossoms—constituting a sweetness more -fresh and grateful than the choicest ‘mille fleurs’ of the perfumist. -Wild roses, multiflora, and clustering flowers of varied hues, mantle -the tops and fringe the sides of the hedges of myrtle and mimosa, aloes -and cacti which border the roads, while many of the pleasure gardens, of -which we had glimpses through the iron railings and open gateways, are -adorned with plants and shrubs of novel forms and gorgeous bloom, amidst -fountains of greater or less beauty. - -We made our way into the open country, meeting, at one or two points, -features in the scenery quite homelike: one—a meadow of coarse grass -edged by a copse and thickets interspersed with single trees; and -another, a large field on a hill-side having the earth freshly turned -up, like newly ploughed ground with us, over which noble mango trees, -with their thickly set leaves, and rounded tops, were scattered like -oaks in an English park. On every hand there was a great variety of -growth in shrub and tree, and it was with no slight degree of pleasure -that I recognized among others, as old friends at the Sandwich Islands, -not only the cocoa-nut, palm and banana, but also the bread-fruit, the -tamarind, and _alucrites triloba_—or candle tree. - -Not knowing how far the road we were following might lead, before it -would again conduct towards the water, we were about to retrace our -steps the same way, when, a question accidentally put to a negro -passing, led to a return under his guidance over a hill, by a wild and -romantic bridle-path. This was so overhung by densely interwoven growth, -that the glare of midday soon became twilight to us, and the heat of a -burning sun tempered to the coolness of a grotto. At many points of the -entire walk, the views of the bay and city in the distance, and of the -mountains overhanging them were of unsurpassed beauty. Indeed, there was -no end to the forms of loveliness by which we were surrounded, and to -the associations in memory and affection brought to my mind by them. -With the expectation of spending many a tedious month of our long exile -on the adjoining waters, it was a delight to know that walks of such -freshness and beauty are so near and so accessible. - -The row to the bay of St. Francis Xavier was made the succeeding -afternoon. A bold and strongly defined promontory of granite, separates -this sheet from the waters of the general harbor, and makes it so -land-locked as to give to it the aspect of a secluded lake. Till we had -doubled this, I had no idea of the depth to which the bay sweeps seaward -behind the promontory, or of the feeling of remoteness from civilized -life which its general features at once impart. The wild mountains, with -a rude hut clinging here and there to their uncultivated sides; the -primitive look of the lowly cottages of fishermen stretched along a -distant beach; and the canoes drawn up on the sands, or resting lightly -upon the water, again transported me to the South Seas, and I felt as if -at the Marquesan or Society Islands, rather than within a half a dozen -miles of the metropolis of a magnificent empire. Just so untamed, just -so Indian-like, I am told, were the entire surroundings of the bay of -Rio, till within the last thirty or forty years. - -The eastern side of this inlet is formed by a long curving beach of -sand, called the Praya Carahy. It fronts an extensive plain of low -alluvial ground through which, at either end, two streams from the -mountains make their way. Landing at the mouth of the most southern of -these, with orders for the boat to meet us at that to the north, we -walked upon the sands the intervening distance, in alternate admiration -of the scenery inland, on the one side, and the sportings of a heavy -surf on the other. This illumined by the rays of the declining sun, rose -high in emerald masses, till, cresting into ten thousand diamonds, it -thundered on the beach and came rushing to our feet in sheets of foam. - -_September 27th._—The fresh wind mentioned in my last date brought us, -the next evening, on soundings off the Rio de la Plata. A change then -suddenly occurred with every indication of heavy weather. The mercury in -the barometer fell low; and during the night there was heavy rain, with -a good deal of thunder and lightning, while meteors, called by seamen, -compesant—a corruption of corpo santo or holy body—flitted about the -yard-arms and mast-heads of the ship. All these were forerunners of -weather more like a gale than any thing experienced since leaving -Norfolk: indeed, a regular pampero, a storm of wind so called from the -pampas or boundless plains between the Rio la Plata and Patagonia, over -which the cold south and south-west winds from the polar regions sweep, -corresponding in force and temperature to our fiercest north-west winds -at home. The storm was not of long continuance, and yesterday afternoon -we made the land near Cape St. Mary, the northern entrance to the river. -We lay off shore for the night, and sighting the land again this -morning, soon after made the little islet of Lobos, a chief landmark in -entering the Plata from the north, seventy miles from Montevideo. It -derives its name from the multitude of seal frequenting it. Many of -these were seen, as we approached, basking on the rocky shores and -swimming about in the water. A strong and offensive odor was also very -perceptible. The island is a governmental possession of the Republic of -Uruguay, but leased for a long term of years to a gentleman of -Montevideo, and yields a handsome income in skins and oil. - -The river is here one hundred and twenty miles wide. Its northern shore -only, of course, is visible. This is low and sandy, marked here and -there by a green hillock. With a glass, great numbers of horses, in vast -droves as if wild, could be seen grazing in the distance; also the -church towers of Maldonado, the town next in size in the Republic to -Montevideo. From all we can learn, it is in such decay and depopulation -at present, that the euphony of its name is its chief attraction. - -Midway between the island of Lobos and Montevideo are the highlands of -Monte Negro. The next landmark is the isle of Flores, surmounted by a -light-house, fifteen miles distant from the anchorage. This light we are -in momentary expectation of making. - -_Montevideo, October 1st._—On the night of the 29th ult., after having -run a sufficient distance beyond the light of Flores to bring us abreast -of Montevideo, we dropped anchor without having caught sight of any -shipping in the roadstead, or discovering any signs of the town. On the -lifting of a dense fog the next morning, the first objects discernible -were the men-of-war of a French squadron about five miles in shore of -us. Shortly after, the Mount—a conical hill situated on the western side -of a circular indenture in the river, constituting the harbor—which -gives name to the place, was disclosed; and lastly, the town itself on a -point opposite, distant from it a mile or more, in a direct line across -the water. The whole landscape is as different as possible from that at -Rio de Janeiro. It is low and level, without rock or tree: a soft -verdure covered the shore and gleamed in the sun, like so much velvet, -as it came peering on the eye through the fog bank. - -The Mount is an isolated hill rising gradually and regularly on all -sides, at an angle of 45°, to a height of 480 or 90 feet. It is crowned -by a small rectangular fortress, above which the lantern of a pharos -rises some twenty or thirty feet. Being in possession of a besieging -force, no light is shown from it, that additional embarrassment may be -placed on the commerce of the port. Midway between the Mount on the west -and the town on the east, a smaller hill rises two or three miles -inland, in like manner in regular lines from the plain. This too is -crowned by a little fort, which, like the other, is in possession of the -besieging party. It is called the “Cerrito,” or little hill, in -contradistinction to the other, known as the “Cerro,” or hill par -excellence. The town is situated on a peninsula of tufa rock, a half -mile in length by a quarter in width, rising gently from the water on -three sides to an elevation of eighty or a hundred feet, much in the -shape of a tortoise’s back. From a distance it presents a mass of -compactly built, white, flat-topped houses, one and two stories high, of -Spanish aspect, with multitudes of small, square turrets or miradors -overtopping them, from the midst of which, on the central height, rise -the lofty roofs, dome and double towers of a cathedral. - -It was in vain we searched among the shipping of the outer roads, where -alone there is sufficient depth of water for a frigate, for the broad -pennant of Commodore Storer. The sloop-of-war St. Louis, however, was -recognized in the inner harbor. On communicating with her, we learned -that the Brandywine had sailed for Rio de Janeiro ten days ago, again -leaving orders for the Congress to follow. Our trip has thus been for -naught. We sail again for Brazil, with the first fair wind, and I shall -defer all observation in the city to the more favorable opportunities of -an after visit. - -The general view around us is more homelike than any thing seen by us -since leaving the United States. The growth is no longer tropical. The -sky, the temperature of the air, the tinting of the clouds at sunrise -and sunset are all those of the Northern States. Yesterday, the Sabbath, -was altogether like a fine, bright, fresh and transparent day in October -on the Hudson; though, while October there is the gradual freshening of -autumn into winter, here it is the softening of spring into summer. The -mercury in Fahrenheit has not yet fallen below 50°; still the change -from the heat of Rio was felt so sensibly, on reaching the latitude of -the river, that flannels, cloth clothes, and overcoats were found -comfortable, if not absolutely necessary. The region of the La Plata is -famed for the transparency of its atmosphere in fine weather. To this -probably is to be attributed, in part at least, the great beauty of the -sunsets at this place. We have been delighted by two already gazed on; -the one remarkable for the exquisite delicacy of its tints in blue and -gold, amber, pink and pearl, and the other, equally soft and beautiful -at first, but afterwards gorgeous to sublimity, from the reflections in -crimson and gold of a canopy of fleecy clouds spread widely over the -heavens. - - AT SEA. - -_October 12th._—We made an attempt to leave Montevideo on the 2d inst., -but succeeded in making a small change only in our anchorage. At the end -of three days, we had scarcely passed the island of Flores, fifteen -miles from the city, though we had weighed anchor not less than three -times each day in the hope of taking a final departure. The difficulty -was caused by a succession of calms, thick fogs, head winds and adverse -tides characteristic of the season here. It was not till the 6th that we -again passed Lobos and were fairly outside. - -Since clearing Cape St. Mary, we have been experiencing all the -vicissitudes of the sea: first in a long stretch, off our course, far to -the south-east, close hauled upon a head wind; and, since the 9th inst., -when this changed in our favor, in a rapid but boisterous run of more -than half the distance to Rio de Janeiro. While thus careering on our -way, in addition to the ever-varying rush and roar—the cresting, -breaking and foaming of the billows behind and around us, we have found -an interesting relaxation on deck in watching the sportings and -unwearied movements of unnumbered sea-birds, following closely in the -broad and troubled wake of our ship, in pursuit of the fragments of food -thrown overboard from the different messes at all hours of the day. It -is not often that so rich a windfall as the waste of such a ship falls -to their lot. To this fact they seem fully alive, and were indefatigable -in making the best of their good fortune. Amidst flocks of beautiful -Cape pigeons, outrivalling in numbers the crows of Crum Elbow[2] in an -autumnal evening, were to be seen the gigantic albatross, sweeping round -on wide-expanded and motionless wing; the sea-mew and man-of-war bird, -black as ravens; the booby, and any quantity of the stormy petrel, -treading the water more confidently and more securely than did the -unbelieving Peter. - - -[Footnote 2: A well known point on the Hudson River, overhung by -precipitous cliffs, a favorite resort of crows.] - - -The Cape pigeon—_Procellaria Capensis_—is beautiful on the wing or as -seen tossing gracefully on the water. Its size is that of a large dove. -Its breast is snow-white, with back, wings and tail of slate color, -thickly set with oval spots of white, having much the effect on the eye -of a tasteful dress in second mourning. Several were taken with hook and -line, baited with pork, and one by the mere entanglement of its wings in -a line. They are not so pretty or symmetrically formed, on close -inspection as at a distance; and in place of the gentleness of the dove, -which they at first so much resemble, are as snappish and resentful in -spirit against their captors as the most carnivorous of their species. - -The albatross—_Diomedia Exulans_—is white, with wings and back varying -in different birds from black to a light brown. It is an ugly-looking -bird, about the size of a domestic goose, with large head and great -goggle eyes. The wings are very long—from eleven to fourteen feet from -tip to tip. This interferes much with the facility of rising when seated -on the water. It is only with evident effort and an awkward floundering -that they mount again after having alighted; but then, it is a wonder to -observe the ease and rapidity of their flight, and their ability, with -seemingly motionless wing, to sweep in wide circuit round and round the -ship, and still keep up with her in her swiftest career; and this day -after day, without apparent exhaustion or fatigue, though sailing at the -rate of two hundred miles and more in the twenty-four hours. The fiercer -the winds and the more tumultuous the towering and thundering of the -waves, the more joyous are their sportings, and the more triumphant -their mastery of the elements. - -The booby—_Sula Bassana_—is somewhat like the albatross in general -appearance, but less clumsy, smaller, more angular in outline and -pinion, and less majestic in flight. The man-of-war bird—_Fregata -Pelicana_—is less adventurous in its wanderings over the sea. Its form -is more that of the eagle—hence one of its names, _Tachypetes -Aquilas_—with long feathers on the wings and tail, and its color a jetty -black. It owes its English name to a supposition of the ignorant, that -in returning to the land it heralds the approach of a ship; but, only -from the fact that, like the ship it seeks the shelter of the port on -the approach of a storm, and makes an earlier and surer arrival. - -The most constant in its companionship with us, in every latitude and in -all states of the weather, is the little petrel—_Thelassadroma -Pelagica_—a small swallow-tailed bird, about the size, with much of the -appearance, of the common house martin. Wilson in his ornithology gives -a graphic description of these birds as seen in a gale, “coursing over -the waves, down the declivities and up the ascents of the foaming surge, -that threatens to bury them, as it bursts over their heads; sweeping -again through the hollow trough of the sea, as in a sheltered valley, -and again mounting with the rising billow, skimming just above its -surface, occasionally dipping their feet in the water and throwing it up -with additional force: sometimes leaping, with their legs parallel on -the surface of the roughest wave, for yards in succession; meanwhile -continually coursing from side to side of the ship’s wake, making -excursions far and wide to the right and to the left—now a great way -ahead, now shooting far astern and returning again as if the vessel was -stationary, though often running at the rate of ten knots the hour.” - -The most singular faculty of these birds, however, is that of standing, -and of running on the face of the water, with the greatest apparent -facility. When any greasy matter is thrown overboard they instantly -collect around it with greedy and clamorous chatterings; and, facing to -the windward, with their long wings expanded and their little webbed -feet pattering the water, eagerly seize the booty. It is the lightness -of their bodies and the force of the wind against their wings that -enable them so readily to do this. In calm weather they perform the same -manœuvre, by keeping their wings just so much in action as to prevent -their feet from sinking below the surface. According to Buffon, it is -this habit which has given to the whole genus the name they bear, from -the walking on the water of the Apostle Peter. It is amusing, and partly -vexatious, to see a clumsy albatross or great booby come swooping down -among them, while they are thus collected around their food, and, -flapping them away with its monstrous wings, at one mouthful rob them of -a whole meal. Greasy substances are their choicest food, and their -little bodies become a mass of oil: so much so, that dried and strung on -a skewer, they are burned on some of the islands of the Atlantic as a -substitute for candles. - -The boisterousness of the weather has made the frequent reduction of -sail necessary—at times, almost to bare poles. This has afforded a more -than ordinary opportunity of witnessing the exposure and daring -intrepidity required from the sailor in the discharge of his duty. The -taking in of sail and the reefing of topsails in so large a ship, by a -crew of four hundred men, emulous of excelling in skill and expertness, -is an exciting scene even in a moderate breeze. When this occurs amidst -the rushing winds and howling storm, with such masses of heavy canvas as -compose our sails, flapping seemingly in unmanageable force, and -snapping like thunder in the gale, it is frightful to look aloft. While -the masts are bending to the wind and the ship careening in the water, -you see the yards covered with hundreds of the crew with no guard from -destruction in the giddy height, but the habit of keeping their feet -firmly on the foot-ropes, while their hands and arms are occupied in -overcoming the fearful thrashings of the sails, and in gathering in the -canvas and binding it down with the reef-points. Some of them on the -upper spars, like birds in the topmost branches of a tree, sweep to and -fro over the roaring gulf below; and, occasionally a man or boy is -beheld clinging to a slender spar or single sheet at the very mast-head, -two hundred feet from the deck, disentangling a halliard or -conductor—causing one’s nerves to shake under the apprehension of seeing -him hurled, in some pitch or roll of the frigate, far overboard into the -raging sea, or dashed to death at your feet on deck. - -_October 16th._—The mountains and islets around the harbor of Rio are in -full view, and I will close this section of my record. In doing this, I -must follow the subject matter of my last date—the birds of the sea—by a -word on some of its fishes. In a calm yesterday we were surrounded by a -great number of dolphin—_Cyrophæna hippuris_—certainly, as seen moving -in its blue waters, the most beautiful of the inhabitants of the deep. -When full grown, it is from two to three feet in length, elegant and -symmetrical in shape, and brilliant in colors: the prevailing hue being -mazarine blue, or Pompadour, shading from the back to the under parts -into emerald and gold, with fins and tail of green running rapidly into -a bright yellow. Its motions are easy and graceful, and were watched, in -great numbers, under the advantages of a smooth sea and brilliant sun. -Dolphin are so common in all tropical latitudes, and so frequently seen, -that I might not have thought of taking note of them in this instance, -but for an assertion respecting them recently met in a book on natural -history, which, emanating from a fellow of Oxford, ought to be of good -authority. After stating the fact that the shape of this fish, as given -in heraldic and classic representations, is entirely poetical and -untrue, the author—Wood—adds: “indeed almost the whole history of the -dolphin is imaginary—very poetical, but very untrue. The red and blue of -the heraldic lion are not less fabulous than the changing colors of the -dying dolphin, so dear to poetry. Alas! our unpoetical dolphin, when we -have harpooned him and brought him to the deck is only black and white, -and all the change that he makes is that the black becomes brown in -time, and the white gray.” This assertion I know, from personal -observation in company with many witnesses, to be an error. In the first -voyage I ever made, I had an opportunity of observing and admiring the -varying and beautiful colors of the dolphin while dying; and now, fully -proved to myself the truthfulness of the record of it then made. Mr. -G——, secretary to our commander-in-chief, caught one with a hook and -line, and quickly drew him over the stern on deck. I happened to be -present, and, though the dying throes even of a soulless fish can -scarcely be looked on without sympathy, the effect on its coloring could -not be watched without admiration. The first change which took place, -after the fish reached the deck, was of the whole surface into a bright -yellow or gold, spotted, like the speckled trout, with deep blue; then -the whole became blue again, the spots of a deeper hue still remaining -distinctly marked; a third change was into a pure and spotless silver, -over which prismatic colors, like those in an opal under a shifting -light, passed rapidly and tremulously for a few moments, when the -beautiful dolphin became brown and gray like any other dead fish. - -It is possible that, when struck with a harpoon, the violence of the -shock may be such as to produce death so suddenly that these changes -have passed away, before the fish can be drawn on board, as their -duration is but momentary. Either this is the truth, or Mr. Wood is not -authority in the case. You may still believe therefore that - - “The dolphin, ’mid expiring throes, - More exquisite in beauty grows, - As fades the strength of life: - And tintings bright of sapphire blue, - And rainbow lights of every hue - More exquisite each moment shew, - As fainter grows the strife.” - -Portuguese men-of-war—_Physalia physalis_—have also been floating past -us. These are molluscæ with long feelers, and furnished with an air-bag -which they have the power of inflating at pleasure when moving on the -surface. This is provided with apertures at either end, by which they -can expel the air, or take in sail, as a seaman would say, when they -wish to sink. This air bag, when inflated, is of an oval shape, and of -the tenuity almost of a soap-bubble, and exhibits like it, though in -stronger shades, many of the hues of the prism. The beauty discoverable -in many of these animals is said by naturalists to equal any thing in -organic nature. - -A passage in Montgomery’s Pelican Island applied to the convoluted -nautilus, which rises and floats on the surface of the water, but -spreads no sail, is perhaps more truthfully descriptive of this -man-of-war: - - “Light as a flake of foam upon the wind, - Keel upwards, from the deep emerged a shell, - Shaped like the moon ere half her horn is filled; - Fraught with young life, it righted as it rose, - And moved at will along the yielding water. - The native pilot of this little bark, - Put out a tier of oars on either side; - Spread to the wafting breeze a two-fold sail, - And mounted up, and glided down the billow - In happy freedom, pleased to feel the air, - And wander in the luxury of light.” - -Should you be disposed to think that such commonplace observations -indicate the tedium and monotony of sea life—the paucity of its -resources for occupation and amusement—and are not worth the time -required for the record, I must take shelter from the reproach in the -example of a voyager no less illustrious than Humboldt, who, at the end -of forty years, confesses to the delight still afforded by reminiscences -of such pastime on the sea. True, we may not, like him, mingle our -admiration with thoughts of deep philosophy, or make our observations -subservient to generalizations in science; still, we can take equal -delight in the varied phenomena of the sea, and, in humble adoration, -thus “look through nature up to nature’s God,” and rejoice in the -infinitude and perfection of his manifold works. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_October 20th._—On entering the harbor on the 16th inst. the lofty masts -of the Brandywine were soon descried through a mist and vapor which, to -a great degree, enshrouded the general scenery. Hauling down our broad -pennant of blue, while yet three or four miles distant, that of -Commodore Storer was saluted by us, and one of red was run up to the -masthead of the Congress. To this only Commodore McKeever is entitled in -the presence of a superior in command. The Brandywine at once returned -the salute, and, soon afterward, greeted our arrival with “Hail -Columbia” from a band, as, passing alongside of her, we dropt anchor -under her stern. - -The early return of the Congress was quite a surprise, the Brandywine -herself having but just arrived. We had made the trip down and back -again in the same number of days—eighteen—which had been occupied by her -in the one passage. Though a surprise, it was, however, a greater joy to -her officers and crew. They are more than three years from home, and -have long been waiting a relief. Moreover, Commodore Storer had given -the assurance, before we were sighted, that they should be under way, -homeward-bound, the next day but one after the Congress should arrive. -True to his word, his anchors were up with the early dawn of the 18th -inst. The departure, with its associations, was quite an exciting scene. -The mist and fog of the two preceding days had disappeared, and the -whole panorama of city and bay was in the perfection of its beauty in -light, shades, and coloring. As with the first rays of the sun the -frigate swung from her moorings, the Congress gave a salute. With the -first echoings of this, her rigging was filled by the crew, clustered -together like bees in a swarm, sending forth three cheers for the -homeward-bound, with a feeling and will that swept every chord of the -heart. Then came “Hail Columbia” from our band: the whole quickly -followed by the salute, the cheers, and the music of “Home, sweet home,” -from the Brandywine. By this time she was completely enveloped in a -broad and lofty pyramid of convoluting and pearly smoke, beautifully -illumined by the sun. I thought it a good time to bid her adieu, while -thus lost to sight in a glory of her own creation, and descending to my -state-room, left her to make her way out of the harbor as she best -could. - -The 19th inst. was a court-day at the palace. Commodore McKeever availed -himself of it for a presentation to the Emperor and Empress, as the new -commander-in-chief of the United States Naval Force on this station. I -made one of his suite; and left the ship at noon for the ceremony, with -a party of ten, including Lieutenant McKeever of the U. S. army, a son -of the commodore, who, on furlough for six months after service in -Florida, came to Brazil in the Congress on a visit to a brother -connected with a principal mercantile house in Rio. - -The palace fronts immediately upon the chief landing-place, a few -hundred yards only from the water. It is an old building, originally the -viceregal residence, appropriated to the court of Portugal on its -immigration in 1808. It is of stone, stuccoed and painted yellow, in -part two and in part three stories in height, and without architectural -pretension. The front, occupied on the ground floor by a vestibule -leading to the grand staircase, is scarce a hundred feet in width; but -the building, enclosing a small quadrangle in the centre, runs back -along the public square, about five or six hundred feet to the Rue -Direita. Over this a gallery—thrown from the second story—communicates -with a still older range of structures on that street, at right angles -with the other, extending also some five or six hundred feet to the -royal library and imperial chapel, both appendages of the palace. The -rooms of state and the throne-room occupy the whole length of the second -floor, on the side overlooking the square; and the imperial apartments -and private rooms the whole of that on the other side of the quadrangle. -The only use made of the palace is for receptions, at levees and -drawing-rooms, and the giving occasionally of a state-ball: the family -seldom if ever lodge in town. Having, in September, twice witnessed the -arrival of the Emperor and Empress in state, from their residence at Boa -Vista, I lost nothing of the usual spectacle on court-days, by not being -on shore in time for this, on the present occasion. In both instances I -happened to be crossing the square, when the approach of the cortège was -signalled by a call, from bugle and drum, for the guard and bands in -attendance to turn out for the reception. The degree of state and the -splendor of equipage vary on different occasions. Sometimes mules only -are driven; sometimes horses only—sometimes both attached to different -carriages. The general display, at all times of ceremony, is much the -same as that described at the prorogation of the legislature, a month -ago. As the cavalcade approaches, the halberdiers with their battle-axes -at rest, form, in single lines, on either side of the principal -entrance, through the vestibule to the foot of the grand staircase. No -objection was made to my taking a position, almost in a line with these, -and within touching distance of their majesties as they passed. On the -drawing up of the carriages at the entrance, the great officers of the -household and ministers of the empire descending from the waiting-rooms, -form a line on either side, within those of the guard, from the carriage -door to the staircase. Immediately on the alighting, a kissing of hands -by these is commenced. The Emperor, a step or two in advance of the -Empress, presents his right hand for this purpose, first on one side and -then on the other, the Empress following in the same manner with a -constant short and quick bow of the head, and an expression of great -kindness and benignancy. Both occasionally extend a hand beyond the -courtiers to individuals among the halberdiers on the _qui vive_ for the -honor. As they thus pass, the grandees of the court close in after them, -and the ladies and gentlemen in attendance, and in procession, mount the -broad staircase. - -This guard of halberdiers is not of hireling soldiery, but of volunteers -of respectability from the middle ranks of life in the city; and the -indulgence accorded by them of so near an approach of spectators as was -allowed me, affords an opportunity for many a poor subject to place a -petition in the hands of the Emperor or Empress, without the -intervention of an official or courtier. I was pleased with the -readiness and condescension with which two or three were received by the -Emperor, from women of the humblest class in evident distress, and were -placed in the crown of his chapeau, while kisses, tears, and thanks were -showered on his hand. - -On entering the palace we were received by Mr. Tod, the American -ambassador, in the diplomatic saloon—the richest of the apartments -excepting the throne-room. The imperial party were in the chapel at -mass. Mr. Tod proposed to conduct us there, by the corridor over the Rua -Direita, and we followed him in that direction, through a long -succession of rooms, till met by several of the foreign ministers -returning with the report, that the diplomatic tribune in the chapel was -undergoing some repairs, and was closed. We therefore retraced our steps -to await the close of the religious service. This was not long; and Don -Pedro and Donna Theresa, followed by some twenty or thirty attendants, -soon made their appearance on their way through the long suite of rooms -to the audience chamber. The court dress of the ladies here, as in -Russia, is a uniform: a white brocade embroidered in gold, train of -green velvet with corresponding embroideries, and head-dress of ostrich -plumes and diamonds. This is a sensible regulation promotive of economy, -by an avoidance of the rivalry in expense and display, among the ladies, -though at a sacrifice of the picturesque, from variety in taste and -elegance in such a spectacle. Among the ladies in attendance was one -more than eighty years of age, a venerable condessa, who accompanied the -royal family from Portugal in 1808, and has been a leader of the fashion -in the court circles, through the change of four dynasties, to the -present time. - -The Emperor led the suite a little in advance of the Empress. He is in -stature truly a splendid specimen of humanity. The maturity of his -countenance, as well as figure, leads to a supposition of his being full -ten years older than he really is. An imperturbable gravity and -unbending dignity contribute to this impression. - -The diplomatic corps and our party fell into line on one side of the -room, and saluted the Emperor and Empress as they passed by a bow, -receiving a stately return from each, accompanied by a very decided look -of scrutiny at such as were perceived to be strangers. A long range of -apartments was to be passed through, before reaching the throne-room, -and it was some minutes before a chamberlain announced to Mr. Tod—the -senior ambassador in residence, and thus entitled to lead the diplomatic -procession—that their majesties were on the throne. - -The intervening rooms were thronged with Brazilians, representing in -strong force the church, the army, the navy and judiciary, with many in -civil life, in distinctive uniforms and varied court dress; but I missed -in the throng much of the picturesque variety noticed in 1829. There -were now no barefooted friars nor mendicant monks—no Augustines in -white, nor Franciscans in gray, with corded belts and dangling cross and -rosary. It was manifest that, at court at least, the monkish days are -past: the high dignitaries of the church in purple and scarlet, in -satins and lace, were the only representatives of the religious orders. - -The state apartments in general appeared naked and unattractive compared -with the recollections of 1829. The best paintings have been removed; -one or two only worthy of attention remain. One, the martyrdom of St. -Sebastian, is impressive, and the work of a master in the art. There are -also some good battle-pieces illustrative of Portuguese history, in the -olden times. The two largest pictures represent respectively the -coronation of Don Pedro I., and the marriage of the present Emperor and -Empress. They are coarse and inartistic in execution, but valuable from -the number of portraits they contain, the principal figures introduced -being from sittings to the painter of the personages delineated. - -The throne-room is a large and magnificent apartment, the predominating -colors in the finish and furniture being green and gold. The lofty, -vaulted ceiling, among other embellishments in fresco, presents -medallion portraits, real or fictitious, of all the sovereigns of the -House of Braganza, from the establishment of the kingdom of Portugal to -the present time. - -The occasion of the court was the anniversary of the marriage of their -majesties, and the address of congratulation, from the diplomatic corps, -devolved on Mr. Tod. Entering the room with a bow,—followed by those to -be presented by him—he advanced midway from the door to the throne, -where making another bow, he took his station, with our party grouped -around. He concluded his speech of felicitation by adding, that -“Commodore McKeever, on assuming the command in chief of the U. S. Naval -Force on this station, availed himself—with the officers of his ship—of -the opportunity for a presentation to their majesties.” The Emperor’s -reply in Portuguese was brief, and of course courteous. Immediately on -its close, a band in the vestibule struck up the national air: and -filing off before the throne, we each in succession bowed respectively -to the Emperor and Empress, and moving backward in a semicircular sweep -from the door by which we had entered, bowed ourselves, through another -corresponding to it, from the presence to an ante-room. Being in -clerical robes, I might perhaps have claimed the privilege of a -straightforward exit. It is said that, owing to the fall backwards, in -the royal presence, of a bishop-legate from Rome—a hundred and more -years ago—from treading on the tail of his gown, in retreating from the -throne at a levee in Lisbon, a permit was issued excusing, thereafter, -all clergy in robes from the established etiquette. Not having -ascertained however whether the privilege had been transmitted to the -court of Brazil, I thought it most safe to conform to the general usage, -though at the risk, in accomplishing a distance of forty or more feet in -the manner of a crab, of suffering a disaster similar to that of the -bishop. - -The rest of the foreign ministers and their suite followed us rapidly. -After these came the hundreds of Brazilians, according to their rank and -precedence, each kneeling on a step of the throne and kissing the -extended hand of their sovereigns: a ceremony which, between -wedding-days and birth-days, saints’ days and days of independence -occurs, on an average, at least once a month during the whole year. - -This bow before the throne will doubtless be the nearest approach to -personal intercourse with their majesties that I shall enjoy; and I may, -at once, in connection with it, give such intelligence, in regard to -them, as I have derived from those having the best opportunities for -correct information on the subject. Their personal appearance I have -before described. The power vested in the Emperor by the constitution is -very limited: almost nominal indeed, with less influence through the -right of appointments and political patronage in general, than is -possessed by the President of the United States. So carefully restricted -and so jealously guarded are the prerogatives of the throne, that the -abuse of them, by despotic rule or usurpation, would be impracticable. -The hereditary descent of the crown is the strongest monarchical feature -in the government: and it is to this alone, doubtless, that Brazil is -indebted for an exemption from the anarchy and bloodshed which have -proved so destructive to the advance of liberty and civilization, in all -sections of South America. While it places an effectual check upon the -reckless ambition of selfish politicians and patriots, falsely so -called, it forms a point of permanency around which the wise and good -may rally, in the support and in the defence of true liberty. It is not -impossible that the constitutional restrictions resting on the Emperor, -and an accompanying feeling of irresponsibility, may cause, in some -degree, the seeming nonchalance which marks his air and deportment in -public, and also induce to some extent, at least, to the quietude and -seclusion of his ordinary life. From all I learn, nothing can be more -simple and domestic than the habits of himself and family. The library, -and its cabinets, the pleasure-grounds and gardens of San Christovao, -chiefly occupy their leisure-time, and are principal sources of their -happiness. - -Prudent and high-minded as a ruler, cultivated and accomplished as a -scholar, benevolent as a man, and pure and irreproachable as a husband -and father, the Emperor is justly regarded with honor and affection by -his people; while the Empress, no less exemplary in all the relations of -life, through her amiability and kindness of heart shares largely with -him in general popularity and good will. - -The annual stipend of the Emperor is four hundred thousand dollars, and -the allowance to the Empress fifty thousand. The civil list is small, -the ladies and gentlemen of the household being few in number. They live -with prudence and economy; seldom entertain except by an occasional ball -at the palace in town. With the lessons on the vicissitudes of empire -and the instability of thrones, so frequently given in these modern -times, it is wise in them thus to husband their resources, and to -familiarize themselves of choice with habits of life which, by -possibility, may yet become those of necessity. They have already been -afflicted by the loss of two or three children; one, the Prince Imperial -and heir to the crown. Though two young princesses are left to them, -this may have had a chastening effect on their hopes in life, by placing -the succession in a female, and thus rendering the perpetuity of their -dynasty less certain, than if there were a male heir to the empire. - -It must not be inferred from what I have stated of the outward bearing -of the Emperor, or of his habits in private life, that he takes no -interest in the policy of the government or active part in its executive -administration. While content under the constitutional restrictions of -his power, and with the prerogatives accorded to the throne, he holds -his position and exercises his influence firmly and with a noble regard -to what he believes to be the highest interest of the nation; and gives -the strength of a mind, endowed with more than ordinary natural gifts, -to the promotion of measures calculated to advance the honor, dignity -and prosperity of the empire. This has been strikingly manifested -recently, in successful efforts to persuade those around him of -paramount influence in the various provinces, of the evil and reproach -of a continued connivance—in disregard of national faith given by -treaty—at the slave trade, and of the ultimate inevitable disadvantage -and disaster to the country of a more extended slave population. So -zealously and so wisely has he urged his views of public policy on this -point—though in the face of long-established national prejudice as to -the necessity of slave labor—that the legislature, sustained in the -measure by their constituents, have pronounced the slave trade piracy, -and enacted rigorous penal laws against it. This has been accomplished -by demonstrating to the agriculturists of the empire, the economy and -advantages of free labor, through colonization from Europe, over that of -slaves, and by enactments for the encouragement of immigration from -abroad. This is a most important and most desirable step forward in -national good, and is sufficient alone to mark the reign of the young -monarch with true and enduring honor. - -_October 22d._—Night before last, while walking the poop-deck, just -before our usual evening worship, I met, engaged in some momentary duty -there, a young man named Ramsey, whose frank and open-hearted face, -bright smile, and confiding look and manner towards me had long ago -attracted my notice, and led to more familiar intercourse with him than -with most others of the crew. Stout in figure, and strong and muscular -in limb, he might have been selected as a personification of health and -buoyant youth. In various conversations I had learned something of his -history: the place of residence, circumstances, and position in life of -his parents and family. He had been religiously trained, was a -teetotaler in principle and practice from the example of his father, -and, so far as I could learn, free from the open vices which too often -degrade the sailor. - -In addition to the prepossession in his favor, from an attractive -exterior, and from the promptness and activity with which he was -observed to discharge his duty, he had early won the praise and good -will of all on board, both officers and men, by saving, at the risk of -his own life, that of a small boy, who fell overboard from the Congress -when at anchor in the stream at Norfolk. The boy could not swim, and a -strong tide was carrying him rapidly away when Ramsey jumped after him -and succeeded in sustaining him half-drowned, till both were rescued by -a boat. - -A few evenings ago I had observed that one of his eyes was inflamed and -swollen from a cold, and, now, in reference to this, asked him if he -were well again. “Oh, yes, sir—all right—never better in my life,” was -his reply, as with his accustomed bright smile he passed down to the -quarter-deck, where his shipmates were assembling for prayers. - -My usual time for exercise on shore is in the afternoon, but yesterday, -being engaged to the Commodore at a dinner given by him to the British -admiral and family, I took the morning for a walk. On coming on board -ship at three o’clock, Dr. Williamson, the fleet surgeon, mentioned to -me that one of the crew had been taken ill with symptoms of the cholera. -It was but a moment after hearing the name—Ramsey—in answer to the -question who it was? before I was beside his cot on the berthdeck. He -had been relieved from cramp and pain, by the treatment adopted; the -pulse which had intermitted was restored, and he supposed to be -altogether better. It was not yet twenty hours since I had met him -seemingly in the fullest health; but how altered now, and how utterly -prostrate! He looked rather than spoke his gladness at seeing me, and -listened to my conversation with interest and satisfaction. It was -evident that he was still under great physical oppression, and though -endeavoring, occasionally, to rally his spirits, was dejected and -sad—his eyes filling with tears as he pressed again and again the hand I -had given to him at first, and which he continued to retain in his own -as I remained by his side for a couple of hours, attempting to soothe -him by words of consolation and by whispered prayer. - -The sympathies which had been awakened by this unexpected scene forbade -any enjoyment of the party in the cabin, and at the earliest moment -practicable I excused myself from the table and returned to the poor -fellow, not to leave him again till he should be out of danger. He was -much in the state in which I had left him: had, if any thing, a stronger -pulse and more natural state of the general surface. I again conversed -tenderly with him and encouraged him to look in penitence and faith to -Him from whom alone help cometh in time of trouble. I never witnessed -greater submission and patience, and the tones of his voice and whole -manner were as gentle as a lamb. In seeming apology for the irresistible -depression he felt, though he considered himself to be relieved and -better, he said to me with a look and accent I cannot soon forget—“Oh! -Mr. S——, I was never sick before, and it makes me too down-hearted—too -down-hearted!” Poor fellow! who under the same circumstances would not -have been down-hearted—stricken down, in an hour as it were, from the -very fulness of health and strength, and in the bloom and buoyancy of -early manhood, to the feebleness of the merest infant, and to the very -borders of the grave! - -The surgeons had told me that every thing in his case depended upon the -fidelity of those in attendance upon him to the directions given; and -that there should be no failure here, I at once took the place of nurse -in administering the prescriptions, and gave myself entirely to him. As -the night wore away I could not discover the change for the better I -wished, though I was not conscious of any for the worse. Dr. Howell, the -assistant surgeon, who visited him every two hours, encouraged me to -continued vigilance and hope. One, among other injunctions from the -surgeons, was on no account to give any water to the patient, and only -occasionally a mouthful of a tea prepared for the purpose. But he longed -for water, and at one time well-nigh overcame my purpose of rigid -obedience to the orders given. He had been almost covered with -cataplasms, and had on him besides two or three large blisters; and the -tenderness of his entreaty in gentle Scotch dialect, after having been -once refused—as he looked up with pleading eyes and said, “Oh! Mr. S——, -one wee drop, for I am all on fire!” touched my very heart. Poor fellow! -from the best of motives and in the hope of soon seeing him better I -reasoned with him and persuaded him to submission: but now lament it. -The indulgence would have given him temporary comfort and could have -done him no harm: for in a short time afterwards a return of cramps -threw him into convulsions, and I saw that the stroke of death had been -given. Unwilling unavailingly to watch the rapid changes which betokened -too surely the flight of the soul, with the hand which so often during -the day and the night by its warm pressure had given assurance of the -comfort imparted by my presence still clasping mine, I kneeled by his -cot, now surrounded by the surgeons and many of his messmates, and in -tears and in strong though silent supplication plead with Him who alone -is mighty to save, to spare the immortal spirit of the dying man from -the sorrows of the second death. I do not recollect ever to have been -sensible of a nearer access by faith to the only Hearer of prayer, and -never saw more clearly how it is possible for Him, in the sovereignty -and boundless riches of his grace, in the eleventh hour even to have -“mercy on whom he will have mercy.” At four o’clock this morning, he -gently breathed his last without a struggle or a groan. - -Such is the first of death’s doings among us, and such was the last on -earth of this poor sailor boy. I am devoutly thankful that though he -died in a foreign land far from his home, I have it in my power to -assure those who most loved him, that while all was done that the -highest professional skill could devise to save him, but in vain, he did -not die uncomforted, unprayed for or unwept. - -His funeral took place this afternoon. Captain McIntosh, with the -Christian kindness of heart characteristic of him, led the procession in -his gig—the flag of the Congress, as well as those of the boats leaving -the ship, being at half mast. The body was buried in the beautiful -cemetery of Gamboa, - - “where palm and cypress wave - On high, o’er many a stranger’s grave, - To canopy the dead; nor wanting there - Flowers to the turf, nor fragrance to the air.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_November 2d._—This is “All Souls day,” an anniversary of the church of -Rome in commemoration of the dead, when masses are specially said for -the repose of their souls; or, as an Irish servant, in explaining its -character to me, says, “the day when all the dead stand round waiting -for our prayers.” It is one on which here, as in other Catholic -countries, the living also visit the tombs of their departed friends. As -the observance is universal, and all the churches are open, we thought -it a good opportunity, not only for viewing the interior of the -principal edifices themselves, but also for observations of the people; -and a party left the ship for this purpose early after breakfast. - -The number of churches in the city amounts to forty-five or fifty. -Scarce a half dozen of them, however, are worthy of notice either for -their external architecture or internal decorations in sculpture and -paintings, especially to those familiar with the treasures, in these -respects, of the churches of Italy, Spain, and other European countries. -The imperial chapel and a church adjoining it, formerly belonging to the -barefooted Carmelites, and now a cathedral; the church of the -Candelaria, so named from its being the chief place for the consecration -of candles on Candlemas Day; and that of San Francisco de Paulo at the -head of the Rua de Ouvidor, are the principal. - -Having been told that the Emperor and Empress would attend mass at the -church of San Antonio, where the remains of their infant children are -deposited, we made our way first there. This church is attached to the -convent of that name, and forms one end of the extensive and imposing -establishment which so conspicuously crowns, with its lofty and massive -walls, and terraced gardens and shrubberies, the hill to which it gives -name in the centre of the city. The broad platform in front of the -church and convent, paved and parapetted with stone, commands -magnificent views of the city and bay; as does the entire front of the -convent. This is three stories in height, with a tier of balconied -windows running the whole length of each. Within, each story opens upon -a cloistered quadrangle; while the church with two or three smaller -chapels, various vesting rooms, sacristies and corridors form another -end of the pile. Every part of the building on this occasion was open to -inspection. The floors of the corridors surrounding the quadrangle, and -those of the churches and chapels are formed of loose planks, six feet -in length and of the width of a grave; each being fitted with a mortised -hole at one end, that it may be the more readily lifted for the deposit -beneath of body after body of the dead: so that none walk here without -literally - - “Marking with each step a tomb.” - -That which first arrested the eye on entering was the range, on either -side through the church, chapels and corridors, of miniature cabinets, -urns and sarcophagi of ebony and other valuable wood, containing the -bones of the dead thus preserved, after having been freed from the flesh -by the action of quicklime. These receptacles are of various sizes, -forms and degrees of elaborate workmanship. Each bears a plate of silver -or gold with an inscription, and is furnished with a door which gives -access to the ghastly memorials. They were arranged—some on rich tables -and platforms and others on the pavement and floor—with more or less -display of ornament: lighted wax candles in massive candlesticks of -silver, interspersed in some instances with other pieces of silver -plate, were clustered around them, and the whole garlanded and festooned -with wreaths of the purple globe amaranthus and other flowers of the -tribe “immortelle.” Each cabinet, or urn, was in charge of a -well-dressed negro servant or other humble domestic of the family to -whom the relics appertained. I was forcibly reminded by the scene of the -custom of the Sandwich Islanders, in their heathen state, of preserving -the bones of the dead in a similar manner. It was this usage, and the -care and veneration with which the relics of their monarchs and chiefs -were guarded, that enabled Rihoriho—Kamehameha II—to restore to England, -on his visit to that country in 1825, the skeleton of Captain Cook. -After his assassination the principal bones of his body were prepared -according to their custom, and placed with those of their race of kings. - -The principal church and the adjoining chapels were decorated profusely -with artificial flowers, and with hangings of silk and velvet, and of -gold and silver tissue; the high altars, shrines, tribunes, and -organ-lofts of all were one blaze of wax lights. One of the chapels is -covered throughout with elaborate carvings in wood trebly gilt. In the -centre of this a lofty catafalque was erected, surmounted by a colossal -sarcophagus covered with a superb pall. A mass was in progress as we -entered; after which a procession of monks headed by a party of -ecclesiastics—each bearing a wax candle of the size and length of a -stout walking stick, and all vociferating a chant—marched slowly from -chapel to chapel, and from shrine to shrine, through the corridors lined -with the memorials of the departed, stopping at various points to -scatter incense and utter prayers for the dead. Every spot was thronged -with spectators; but I could detect no feeling of devotion, no -sensibility in the affections, no solemnity in any one. The only object -of the assemblage seemed to be to witness a show, and to examine with -the curiosity observable at a fair, or the exhibition of an institute, -the varied ornamental display. Three fourths of the crowd were negroes, -male and female. Here and there, in two or three instances, I recognized -a party of ladies in full dress in black with mantillas of lace, but a -majority of the Brazilians and Portuguese present was evidently of the -lower orders. We afterwards entered the churches of San Francisco de -Paulo, the Candelaria and the Carmelites, where the bishop of Rio was -officiating, but without witnessing any thing essentially different from -what we had already seen. - -All observation of the day confirms me in the impression before -received, that a great change has taken place, since 1829, in the -respect paid by the people to the superstitious ceremonies of the -religion of the country. There is now little in the general aspect of -things in the streets, even on days of religious festivals, to remind -one of being in a Romish city. A monk or even ecclesiastic is scarce -ever met, and whenever I have entered a church during service, a few -poor negroes, sick persons, and beggars have constituted the principal -part of the assemblage. - -_November 4th._—I have just accomplished quite a pedestrian feat, in the -ascent of the Corcovado. After two days of such rain as the tropics only -often witness, the weather this morning was as fine as possible, the -atmosphere clear and transparent, very like the most brilliant days of -June in the Northern States, when the wind is from the north-west. -Lieutenant R——, Mr. G—— (secretary of Commodore McKeever), Prof. Le Froy -of the British flag ship, and I, were induced by it to attempt the -excursion, though it was not in our power to set off before two o’clock -in the afternoon—a late hour for the accomplishment of a walk of nine -miles, to the top of a mountain, two thousand three hundred and six feet -high, according to the measurement of Beechy, and two thousand three -hundred and thirty-nine, by that of Captains King and Fitzroy. - -The Corcovado is one of the lofty shafts of granite which, in a greater -or less degree of isolation, are characteristic of the geological -formation in this region. Its relative position to the range of -mountains of which it forms so conspicuous a part, and the height to -which it towers above it, can best be compared, perhaps, to a colossal -buttress standing against a massive building, with a pinnacled top -rising high above the adjoining roof. As looked up to, from its eastern -base in a green valley by the seaside, it appears, as if there really -is, an utterly inaccessible mass of perpendicular rock. On the west, -however, it is so joined to an angle of the general range for two thirds -of its height, as to be comparatively easy of ascent. The first half of -the distance from the city may be made by either of two ways: the one, -through the valley of the Larangeiras, and the other, by the spur of -mountain along which the aqueduct descends into the heart of the town, -near the nunnery of Santa Theresa. We chose this last. At the outset, -the ascent is a sharp pitch, but after gaining a height of one or two -hundred feet, is so gradual for four miles as scarcely to be -perceptible. The way leads along the flattened ridge of the hill by a -bridle path immediately beside the aqueduct, the refreshing sound of -whose waters, as they murmur and rumble in their covered channel, is a -pleasant accompaniment to the sea-breeze sweeping by. It is overhung by -embowering trees which, while they form a screen against the sun -overhead, are too lofty to interfere by their branches with a full view -of the prospects on either hand. These, for the whole distance, surpass -in beauty and variety any of a similar nature I recollect ever to have -met. As we gradually gained terrace after terrace of the spur, the -pictures opening immediately beneath us in the ravines on the right—up -which the suburbs straggle in tasteful dwellings and blooming gardens; -in the broad and bright valley of Engenho Velho beyond, thickly -sprinkled with the country residences of the wealthy, and adorned by the -imperial palace; in the city itself—the upper bay and its islands; the -Organ Mountains and whole panorama, are beyond the powers of -description. At the end of two and a half or three miles, the aqueduct, -sinking to a level with the surface of the ground, crosses the ridge -which it has thus far been following, and leaving the course of this, -runs along the face of the mountain at an elevation of a thousand feet. -The pathway follows it, and I can compare the suddenness in the change -of the prospect to nothing that will give a better idea of it, than a -new combination in a kaleidoscope, by a turn of the instrument. It is -entire. By a single step, as it were, in place of the above pictures, -which are at once lost sight of, you have the southern sections of the -city—Gloria Hill, Flamengo, Catètè, Larangieras and Botafogo, the lower -bay with its moving imagery, the Sugar Loaf and its companion at the -entrance of the harbor, the islets in the offing and along the coast, -and the boundless sea. The walk for a mile here, with this picture -beneath you on one side, and the beautifully wooded mountain cliffs -above, on the other, is a terraced avenue worthy of fairy land itself. -Of it Dr. Walsh justly remarks—“Without exaggeration, it maybe said, -that there is not in the world so noble and beautiful a combination of -nature and art, as the prospect it presents.” - -Five miles from the city, near a natural reservoir in a ledge of granite -where the aqueduct originally commenced, the direct pathway to the -summit leaves the water-course and strikes steeply up the mountain. Here -it is stony and rough, and was now wet from the recent rain. The angle -of elevation, equal to that of an ordinary staircase, made the ascent -fatiguing: but it is adorned at points by noble specimens of the -primeval growth of the forest, reminding me of the finest of the old -elms occasionally left standing by the pioneer settlers in Western New -York, as I recollect to have been impressed by them thirty years ago. A -mile and a half through this wood brought us to a clearing of some -extent, with a rancho or cottage, formerly a place of refreshment for -those making the ascent. It has been purchased recently by the Emperor, -and the land is designed by him for a plantation of foreign pines and -other evergreens, which he is introducing. It lies in a dip or notch -between the general chain of mountains and the peak of the Corcovado; -and the cottage, in full view from the city and harbor, forms a -picturesque object from the anchorage of the Congress, though seemingly, -in its airy height, but a bird’s nest clinging to the wooded cliffs. - -Here the ascent of the Corcovado proper commences—the distance to the -summit about two miles. The way is steep and wearisome, especially after -so forced a march over the preceding part, as we had made; but we -pressed on, notwithstanding the heat and fatigue, cheered by the -exhortation and promise of the poet— - - “Let thy foot - Fail not from weariness, for on the top - The beauty and the majesty of earth - Spread wide beneath, shall make thee to forget - The steep and toilsome way. There thy expanding heart - Shall feel a kindred with that loftier world, - To which thou art translated, and partake - The enlargement of thy vision.” - -In less than three hours from the city, the bare peak rose directly -before us—a pinnacled platform of rock scarcely twenty feet square, -separated from the general mass by a broad and deep fissure, over which -a rude wooden bridge is thrown. As the peak has been known to be -frequently struck by lightning, it is supposed that this chasm was -originally caused by a thunderbolt. A rail, supported by iron posts -soldered into the solid granite, furnishes a guard on three sides to the -precipices descending perpendicularly from them. - -The panorama commanded by it, embracing as it does all the imagery that -combines in securing to Rio de Janeiro its world-wide celebrity for -wonderful beauty, could not fail—under the advantages of the brilliant -atmosphere, bright sunshine and lengthened shadows in which we gazed on -it—to meet our expectations. The entire city and its suburbs lay at our -feet; and, like a map, the bay—near a hundred miles in circuit—its many -picturesque headlands and islands and the Organ Mountains and chain -along the coast, the peak of Tejuca, the Sugar Loaf reduced to -insignificant dimensions, the Gavia, the outer islets and the -illimitable sea! The silence one is disposed to keep, in view of such a -scene from such a point, best expresses perhaps the kind of admiration -felt. Had Bryant in an inspiration of his genius stood with us, he might -possibly have given utterance to a description more sublime but to none -more graphic or minutely true to the scene, than one already recorded by -his pen— - - “Steep is the western side, shaggy and wild, - With mossy trees, and pinnacles of flint, - And many a hanging crag. But to the East, - Sheer to the vale, go down the bare old cliffs— - Huge pillars, that in middle heaven up bear - Their weather-beaten capitals, here dark - With moss, the growth of centuries, and there - Of chalky whiteness, where the thunder bolt - Has splintered them. It is a fearful thing - To stand upon the beetling verge, and see - Where storm and lightning, from that huge gray wall, - Have tumbled down vast blocks, and at the base - Dashed them in fragments, and to lay thine ear - O’er the dizzy depth, and hear the sound - Of winds that struggle with the woods below, - Come up with ocean murmurs.” - -There is danger, in the impressiveness of a scene of such mingled beauty -and sublimity, of forgetting the risk of taking cold, even in the finest -weather—after the unavoidable heat and temporary exhaustion of the -ascent—from the reduced temperature of the elevation, and the freshness -of the sea-breeze sweeping over and around the rock in strong eddies. -But reminded of this by a sense of chilliness, and aware of the lateness -of the day, at the end of a half hour—grateful for the favorable -auspices under which we had enjoyed the view—we gave a farewell gaze and -turned our faces for the descent. - -I omitted to state that, before reaching the plantation of the Emperor -in the dip of the mountains, we had again fallen upon the line of the -aqueduct. At this point it passes to the southern side of the range, -which here makes an angle in that direction; and Mr. Lefroy, familiar in -his walks with all the region, proposed that before descending we should -follow it at least a short distance: with the assurance that we would -find it equal, in picturesque wildness and beauty, to any thing we had -yet seen. Though already pretty well fagged, and a walk of seven miles -yet to be made in reaching the city, we readily assented; and most amply -indeed were we rewarded. The scenery on every hand—above, beneath and -around us, in the strong contrasts of bright sunshine and deep shade, -was like pictures of fancy, with a variety and richness of foliage to be -found only in the tropics. The aqueduct and path beside it, scarped on -the very face of the precipitous mountain, wind round the head of a deep -glen, at an elevation of two thousand feet above the valleys beneath and -the surf of the ocean; and command uninterrupted views, far and wide, -over land and sea, of indescribable beauty and grandeur. Parasitical -plants and running vines add to the rich drapery of the woods overhead -and beneath the feet, and hang in long pendants from the rocks and in -festoons from tree to tree, while, here and there, the tree fern—a -novelty to me till now—rises rankly to a height of twenty and thirty -feet: throwing out its closely feathered leaves in an umbrella-shaped -top, proportionate in size to the height of the stem. - -Tempted from point to point, by one new object of admiration or another, -we were led two miles amid this luxury of beauty before aware of it, -almost to the very sources of the work. At one point, from the -impossibility of securing space in the face of the precipice for stone -work, the water is led along in small wooden troughs, and the footpath, -constructed of planks supported by strong bolts of iron fastened into -the rock, is suspended in the air, with a frightful depth beneath. There -is no particular spring or fountain head, from which there is a supply -of water, but from the beginning of the aqueduct, the smallest streamlet -that trickles down the mountain summit is carefully collected by side -troughs, and the drippings of every crevice, as well as the gushings of -more abundant springs, fully secured. - -This aqueduct is a magnificent work for the period at which it was -constructed—a hundred and thirty years ago. It is of solid granite with -a semicircular bottom for the water-course, and is four feet in width -and the same in height; at places entirely above, and at others -partially beneath the ground. It is capped with granite in the form of a -roof, is furnished with ventilators protected by iron gratings at -regular intervals, and is accessible for the use of the water at -different points, by doors under lock and key. The honor of having -projected and accomplished so important a work is due to Albuquerque, -captain-general of the province at the period—1719-23. A record of this -is made on a tablet on the front of the fountain of the Carioca, near -the convent of San Antonio, above which is the reservoir in which the -work terminates. The inscription is of a rudeness of outline and -execution characteristic of the art of writing in Brazil a century ago; -and undecipherable, except by an antiquarian like Dr. Walsh, familiar, -from his favorite studies, with the abbreviations and readings without a -division into syllables and words, of olden times. - -The following is the translation of this inscription as given by Dr. -Walsh. “In the reign of the high and powerful king Don John the Fifth, -Ayres de Saldanha and Albuquerque, being governor and captain-general of -this place, by his directions this work was made, which was begun in the -year 1719 and completed in the year 1723.” - -The most magnificent and costly section of the aqueduct—and one which -the now well-known principle in hydraulics, that water will rise to the -level of its head, shows to have been useless both in labor and -expense—is a lofty arcade, a conspicuous ornament of the city, by which -the aqueduct is carried across a deep valley from the hill of Santa -Theresa to that of San Antonio opposite. It consists of two ranges of -arches one above the other, the lower six hundred and the upper eight -hundred and forty feet in length, and forty feet in height. Next to the -Roman remains of the Pont du Garde in Languedoc, the aqueduct across the -Alcantara at Lisbon, and the High Bridge at Harlem, it is the finest -structure of the kind I have seen. - -It was near sundown before we reluctantly turned our backs upon the -surprising beauty which still enticed us forward. By a forced march we -accomplished the stony and staircase descent through the woods, while -there was yet sufficient daylight to make good our footsteps over the -rough and slippery way. Safely at this point, though the night soon -gathered around us, we had no difficulty in keeping the path under the -brilliant starlight of the evening, and reached the city at eight -o’clock, having accomplished the trip of twenty-two miles in six hours. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_November 9th._—Saturday more than any other is a day trying to my -spirits. It is that which I appropriate to special preparation for my -professional duties on the Sabbath; and with it, the hardness and -seeming barrenness of my field of labor is, unavoidably, brought -painfully to view. The moral condition of our ship is equal, probably, -if not in advance of that of men-of-war in general, in our own or any -other service; and the discipline and general order on board good. -Indeed, we regard ourselves, and are regarded by others around us, in -these respects as a peculiarly favored and a happy ship. But mere -external propriety of conduct does not satisfy my expectation, or meet -my hopes. I look for evidences of higher results, from the preaching of -the Gospel and other means of religious influence established among us, -but look in vain; and instead, especially when in port, find daily -discouragements which would lead a spirit, less elastic than my own, -utterly to despair of being instrumental in any spiritual good. - -During the last fortnight, the crew in successive detachments have been -on shore, on a general liberty of forty-eight hours. The drunkenness and -debauchery of many, incident to this, unavoidably obtruded on my notice -in a greater or less degree, have filled my heart with sadness, and my -lips—at the end of a ministry of six months—with the desponding language -of the prophet, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm -of the Lord been revealed?” This has not escaped the observation of the -men themselves, and yesterday, one of them as spokesman of a group with -whom I fell into conversation, said to me—“We are afraid, Mr. S——, that -you will become so disgusted with our wickedness that you will leave the -ship, and give us up to the devil altogether: but we hope not.” To do -this would be to act the part of a coward and a traitor; and knowing in -whom alone is the sufficiency for these things, I must still labor—bear -and forbear—preach with fidelity and love, pray without fainting, and -hope against hope. - -The privileges of the shore over, all were settling down into customary -contentment and quietude when, by some means last evening, a large -quantity of strong drink was successfully smuggled into the ship. There -is ever in a man-of-war a greater or less degree of unmitigated -rascality which, on such occasions, does not fail to manifest itself, -giving the executive of the ship an abundance of trouble, and bringing -reproach upon the better portions of the crew. The consequence of the -successful strategy was a good deal of disorder last night among “the -baser sort” of the ship’s company, and a nervous headache and a -heartache this morning to me. - -One result of the liberty on shore, was the incarceration for -drunkenness and riotous conduct, of a half dozen or more of our men, in -the calabouça or common jail of the city. An early intimation of the -dilemma in which these were placed reached me, with an appeal for aid in -procuring their release. A visit to them for this purpose, gave me the -opportunity of a personal inspection of the prison. While confessing and -lamenting the folly which had brought them there, they complained most -grievously, as well they might, of the horrible place. It is time indeed -for some Howard to arise in Brazil; and I rejoice to learn that the -state of her prisons and the subject of prison discipline, or rather the -fact of an utter want of all discipline, is attracting the attention of -some of her philanthropists and statesmen. Our fellows, at the end of -two or three days, were almost starved. No food is served to the -prisoners by authority. They are entirely dependent on their own -resources, the kindness of any friends they may happen to have, or the -supplies furnished gratuitously by some of the brotherhoods of -benevolence in the city. I found those from the Congress—chargeable only -with having broken the peace in a drunken brawl—in a filthy room of -horrible smells, crowded with eighty or a hundred felons, black, white -and colored of every hue. Among these were robbers, and murderers, and -criminals of the most desperate character: without classification in age -or crime—beardless boys, arrested for the most trifling and venial -offences, being placed side by side with gray-headed veterans in vice. -Our men had stripped themselves more than half naked, that their clothes -might furnish no ambush for the vermin with which the place was filled; -and gave pitiful accounts of the nights they had spent, in stifling -heat, amid clouds of mosquitoes and other insects, with no beds but the -rough plank of the floors, open in large crevices to the effluvia from -the common cesspool of the whole prison immediately beneath. A civil and -intelligent young man of their number told me that, till “this spree,” -he had not tasted strong drink for two years past; and had been well -punished, for the indulgence, by a week in this frightful and disgusting -hole. Giving them the means of relief from immediate hunger, I promised -to do what I could for their liberation; and the youngster referred to, -the last—from some mistake in his name—to gain a release, has just come -thankfully on board. - -_November 12th._—A ball on board the Congress and a soiree at the -American Embassy have afforded, within the week past, our first -opportunities of mingling in the society of Rio. It required but a short -time to transform the quarter-deck of the frigate from a grim battery -into a brilliant ball-room. The guns having been run out of sight on the -forecastle, the awnings screened by the flags of all nations, in -flutings overhead and in festoons at the sides, and the decks -artistically chalked in colors, the interior soon presented the aspect -of a spacious and gay saloon. In this, at different points, muskets -arranged in thick clusters with a candle in each muzzle, formed -glittering and becoming candelabra; and pistols and bayonets similarly -arrayed and mounted, made brackets for lights along the sides and -chandeliers above, while a graceful amenity was thrown over these -implements of death, by wreaths of evergreen intermingled with bouquets -of flowers rich in color and perfume. The poop-deck overlooking this -dancing room, was transformed by similar decorations into a lofty, -tented pavilion, from which those not disposed to join in the amusement -below, might view the spectacle and enjoy each other’s society in -conversation. - -The ship was illuminated outside, by lines of lights running up each -mast and by lanterns suspended from the yard-arms. While the company -were assembling, rockets were sent up, to add to the brilliancy, and -blue lights burned on the arrival of the most distinguished of the -guests. Thus the effect without, in approaching in the dark, was scarce -less striking and beautiful than the coup d’œil within, on crossing the -gangway. The only interest I took in the preparations was in having the -draperies, which separated these brilliant apartments from the forward -deck, so arranged as to allow the crew—who would be kept from their -hammocks till a late hour by the entertainment—to be spectators of the -scene. This indulgence was readily accorded; and, during the whole -evening, our hardy tars in a uniform dress of white and blue, clustered -in thick rows from the mainmast forward, formed by no means the least -striking feature in the spectacle. Indeed, their fine physical aspect -and becoming deportment attracted much observation; and elicited the -most complimentary remarks upon them, as a body of men, from the most -distinguished strangers on board. - -The company on this occasion consisted principally of resident -foreigners, diplomatists, and their families, and the officers of the -national ships in port. There were few native Brazilians among them. -Under the impression that the entertainment given by Mr. and Mrs. Tod -would embrace the higher circles of the native society, I joined the -party from the ship attending it. The mansion occupied by the Legation -is at Praya Flamengo, where I was so much at home in 1829. It is -spacious and lofty, with a stately suite of reception-rooms on the -second floor, which command fine views of the bay and its chief features -near the sea. It was illuminated in front, and brilliantly lighted and -tastefully decorated with flowers within. According to Brazilian custom -on occasions of fête, the tesselated pavement of the vestibule and hall, -and the marble staircase leading to the reception-rooms, were strewn -with the fresh leaves of the mango tree and various aromatic plants -which, under the pressure of the feet, send forth a grateful perfume. A -garden in the rear, filled with myrtle and orange trees, and gay with -the blossoms of the pomegranate and oleander, was also illuminated, and -seen opening in perspective from the hall, with pretty effect. The -company was large; exhibiting a good deal of dress among the ladies, in -the latest modes of Paris, and some fine diamonds. There was, too, a -sprinkling of title and nobility, and a little beauty, but nothing more -distinctively Brazilian, or characteristic of nationality, than in the -party on board the Congress. - -At an early hour after the civilities of the reception, and a general -interchange of salutations, dancing was commenced and continued to be -the chief amusement of the evening. There was nothing in the scene with -which I could sympathize, and I withdrew from the crowded and heated -rooms to the terraced-walk fronting the beach. Here, a land breeze, -deliciously fresh and fragrant, came fanning down the mountain’s side; -and I passed two hours and more in the enjoyment of it, in a promenade -back and forth of a quarter of a mile, beneath a gloriously lighted sky, -while every thing was hushed to a midnight repose, except the sounds of -the distant music of the dance, and the rush, and roar, and the thunder -at my feet of the foaming surf. - -On returning to the house I met Mr. Tod in the lower rooms, the -supper-room being about to be thrown open. The banquet was profuse and -luxurious. A chief novelty among its delicacies, at either end of the -principal table, was the choicest fish of the adjoining seas—the -garoupa. It is very large, and, on the present occasion, was baked whole -and served cold. From the general demand for it, especially among the -ladies, I should have judged the dish to be in high estimation, without -the assurance of the fact. It is a rarity, and its market price very -high. Sums, I am told, are sometimes given for it which I dare not -venture to state, without further inquiry, lest either my veracity or -credulity, or both, might be put in question. - -_November 15th._—Yesterday afternoon I accompanied Captain McIntosh, -Lieut. P—— of the British flag ship, and Lieut. T—— of the Congress, in -a drive of five miles to the country residence of Mr. R——, an English -gentleman, a partner in one of the wealthiest mercantile houses in Rio. -An invitation to an evening party had been received from Mrs. R——, a few -days before, and the call we now made was in acknowledgment of the -civility. The direction of the drive was westward, through the rich and -broad valley which extends seven or eight miles from the city, to the -foot of the mountains of Tejuca. High walls of brick and stone, or lofty -hedges equally impenetrable to the eye, cut off the view of the pleasure -gardens and grounds surrounding the residences in the suburbs, from -those seated in the low carriages at present in fashion, and I chose a -more elevated seat beside the coachman—though at the risk, in a black -dress and white cravat, of being taken for a servant out of -livery—rather than forego the advantage of this better point for -observation; especially as there was no inconvenience from the sun, the -afternoon being overcast and gray, such as do not often occur here -without rain. But for this position I should have lost much of the -enjoyment of the drive. - -Half the distance is a continued suburb of the city; and the remainder a -succession of cottages, villas, and mansions in a greater or less degree -of proximity—the residences of the aristocratic and wealthy, both -natives and foreigners. A predominating fancy with these seems to be the -exhibition of showy entrances and gateways, little in keeping in their -stateliness, in many instances, with the inferior style and dimensions -of the dwellings themselves. Some of these last, however, are quite -palatial. One of this kind was pointed out, as an evidence of the talent -for business, and the prosperous fortunes of a colored man. The gardens -and grounds on every side are luxuriant in the display of flowers, -shrubbery and trees, and often tastefully embellished with vases, casts, -statuary and fountains of graceful and classic model. The rapidity of -vegetation in weeds and grass, as well as in more valuable growth is -such, however, as to make perfect neatness and good keeping in the -grounds difficult. One great defect in them, which cannot fail to arrest -the eye unaccustomed to it, is the entire absence of the close sod and -velvet turf, which give such smoothness and softness to lawns and -pleasure grounds in the United States and in England. The burning sun of -this latitude kills the roots of such growth, and there is no close set -grass here. All that is native is coarse, tufted, and straggling. The -site of the city was originally a marsh, and this interval land, between -the bay and the mountains, is low and wet. The soil, a stiff clay, -causes the roads in rainy weather soon to be so cut up as to become -almost impassable, and in dry, to be both rough and dusty. - -The residence of Mr. R——, crowning a gently swelling hill in the midst -of a lovely valley, rises conspicuously to the view while yet a mile -from it. It is an old Brazilian house of unpretending and cottage-like -aspect, soon to give place to a new building: but looked rural and -attractive, and commands a splendid panorama. Here the gateway is of a -simplicity corresponding with that of the house. It opens, at the -distance of a quarter of a mile from this, into an avenue of young mango -trees, winding gradually up the ascent and bordered on either side by a -hedge of the double scarlet hybiscus, whose polished leaves of green -were studded with bright flowers. - -A long and lofty saloon, so well furnished with windows as to be readily -converted almost into an open pavilion, occupies the whole front of the -house. A flight of stone steps at either end ascends from the carriage -drive to this. A similar apartment in the rear forms the dining-room; -while between these, and lighted only through them, is the drawing-room. -In a colder climate an apartment thus situated would, in the day time, -be dark and gloomy; but here, where for a great part of the year a -glaring and glowing sun pours down upon every thing, it forms a welcome -retreat into which the light comes only in subdued and grateful shade. - -We had made the acquaintance of Mrs. and Miss R—— at the entertainments -mentioned under my last date; and, on being ushered into the saloon were -received by them in a most frank and courteous manner. Mrs. R——, though -a native Brazilian, has been much in England, and Miss R—— has but -lately completed her education there. Both are of pleasing address and -most gentle and amiable. After a half hour in conversation a walk in the -grounds was proposed, the freshness of the evening with a land breeze -from the mountains having set in. We had already discovered the views in -every direction to be lovely: embracing the rich valley through which we -had driven, the mountains bordering it on one side and the fantastic -peaks in which they terminate at its head behind; with cottages and -country houses scattered thickly around, and the imperial palace of San -Christovao encircled with plantations in full view. Glimpses of the city -were caught in the far distance in front; and, with a glass, the -tapering masts of the Congress, surmounted by her broad pennant, rising -high above the tallest of its towers and steeples. - -From the end of the saloon opposite to that at which we had entered, an -embowered grapery leads to a stream at the foot of the hill, overhung -with trees and beautifully fringed with the lofty and graceful bamboo. -Along the green banks of this, the gardens, filled with the greatest -variety of shrub and flower, spread widely among fruit-bearing and -ornamental trees, including a succession of orange groves. Through these -we sauntered with great delight, tasting of the various fruits; -examining, in the fine display of the botanical kingdom around, things -old and new; resting upon a rustic seat here and there; and finally -becoming grouped in a picturesque bower of living bamboo, whose thickly -clustered stems at the sides and feathery tops interlaced overhead -effectually exclude the sun, and secure, even at mid-day, a retreat of -refreshing coolness. Among entire novelties to us were the Jaca or jack -fruit—_artocarpus Indicus_—or East India bread fruit, and the Brazilian -plum. - -We were here joined by Mr. R—— and his sons, by Lieut. F—— of our ship, -and Mr. Lawrence McKeever, a son of the commodore, an attaché of an -American partner of the house in which Mr. R—— is the English principal. -Mr. R—— to the reputation of an able and successful merchant adds that -of a well-read man, thoroughly furnished with intelligence in regard to -all subjects of local and general interest in Brazil. His conversation -is thus both interesting and instructive. - -As twilight began to gather round us, we returned to the house, and were -summoned to a tea-table in the dining-hall well spread as in the olden -times at home, not only with every delicacy appropriate to the repast, -but with such substantial dishes, also, as those who had been riding and -driving and walking, since an early dinner, might be disposed to -welcome. There was an air of genuine hospitality in the well-covered -length of the board, which carried me back to the tables of our friends -of Massena and of the Lakelands in former days, telling that like theirs -it was no unaccustomed thing thus to be drawn out to its full length by -the presence of some eight or ten unexpected guests, in addition to a -large family circle. With a number of well-trained and neatly-dressed -negro servants in attendance, the whole scene was more like that of an -ordinary exhibition of American hospitality, as I recollect it in -boyhood, even in the Northern States, than any thing I have for a long -time witnessed. It was half past nine o’clock before we took leave; yet, -such is the Jehu style of driving that we were not only at the landing -in the city, where the captain’s gig was in waiting for us, but safely -on board ship by ten. - -The rainy season is not so strongly marked at Rio as in many tropical -regions, though at this period of the year more rain falls than at any -other. To-day it poured in torrents from the early morning, while an -impenetrable fog has been rushing from the sea, before a driving wind. -The worst of this state of things, to some of us on board the Congress, -was an engagement of several days’ standing to a dinner with Admiral -Reynolds, the English commander-in-chief on this station. We looked in -vain as the appointed hour approached, for any abatement in the wind and -rain, or the arrival of a messenger to say we would not be expected; -and, at a quarter to six, the barge was called away and Commodore -McKeever, Captain McIntosh and I, with such protection as our boat -cloaks could give, were in the midst of the storm pulling for the flag -ship. Fortunately the distance was scarcely more than a quarter of a -mile. We escaped getting wet, and in the shelter and elegant -appointments of the admiral’s cabins soon forgot the discomfort of the -pull on board. - -The want of a higher grade of rank in the navy of the United States than -that of post captain, while in the British service and that of other -nations there is not only that of admiral, but six degrees of -advancement in that rank, often leads to embarrassment and an unpleasant -state of feeling between those bearing other flags and our -commanders-in-chief. The preposterous expectation and, in many -instances, pertinacious claim of equality in rank and reciprocity in -official honors, where there is confessedly an inferiority of -commission, and in contravention of the established rules of military -etiquette, not unfrequently limit the intercourse between American -commodores and European admirals to the cold formalities of an official -visit. Where this is the case, the association of the officers of the -respective squadrons is, in a greater or less degree, of the same -character. Happily for myself I have never been placed in this position. -On the contrary, in all the ships to which I have been attached, the -most friendly relations have been established with English ships of war, -on the same station. Such is the case with the Congress and the -Southampton. By mutual courtesy and good will, the official and social -intercourse of the two commanders-in-chief was on our arrival at once -placed on a desirable footing. The consequence is, that the officers of -the respective ships are left to an unembarrassed association. This has -proved cordial, and many in both ships visit each other with the -intimacy and informality of congenial neighbors on shore. - -Mrs. Reynolds accompanied the admiral from England and lives on board -ship. She is a person of intelligent and cultivated mind and of frank -and pleasing address; and the birds and flowers, the drawings and -cabinets in natural history which, in addition to a choice library, -adorn the apartments of the Southampton, at once bespeak the presence -and taste of an accomplished woman. In addition to the military family -of the admiral, which consists of the captain of the ship, the -flag-lieutenant and the secretary who are regularly at his table, we had -the company of two or three other officers, including the Rev. Mr. P——, -the chaplain. Besides this gentleman, I was happy to meet in the party -others whom I found to be enlightened and spiritual Christians, as well -as agreeable and well-bred men. It is unnecessary to say that the -entertainment was sumptuous: served in plate, with all the appointments -of the table in the elegant keeping of English aristocratic life. The -summons to the dining cabin was by music from a fine band; and with the -removal of the cloth and her majesty’s health, we had “God save the -Queen,” followed by “Hail Columbia” and a succession of passages from -the choicest operas. Our reception was the more cordial, perhaps, from -the badness of the weather; and the whole evening marked with such free -interchange of thought and feeling that it seemed a family party at -home. The effect to me of such an impression in this far off land, has -been an irresistible fit of the “_mal du pays_.” - -_November 20th._—The Praya San Domingo and Praya Grande on the eastern -side of the bay, continue to be favorite resorts with us, especially -when Captain McIntosh is leader of the party. He holds in abhorrence the -filth of the city side. The interest of our visits has been much -increased by the acquaintance accidentally formed with a Portuguese -family, shortly after the return of the Congress from the Plata. In a -stroll we were taking there, we passed a plantation, the extent and -thriftiness of which had before attracted our notice. The principal -gateway now stood open, exhibiting, in long vista, an avenue of young -palms, whose interlacing branches completely over-arched the walk -beneath. A group of slaves were at work just within; and coupling our -admiration with a question as to the privilege of entering, we had -scarcely received an affirmative reply, before the proprietor, Don Juan -M——, made his appearance from a wilderness of luxuriant growth on one -side, courteously bidding us welcome, and becoming himself our guide. -There is nothing artistic or particularly tasteful in the manner in -which the grounds are laid out; but they are in high cultivation, and -the variety and exuberance of the growth, and the novelty to us of many -of its forms, made them very attractive. Fruits, flowers, and -vegetables—shrubs, plants, and trees are so closely intermingled, as to -shut out all view, except in each immediate path, or at the intersecting -angles of the larger alleys. In other places endless beds, so arranged -as to be easily irrigated, are filled with every kind of vegetable in -the greatest profusion; while above wave the broad leaves of the banana -and plantain, the feathery palm, and the closely set, and pinnated -foliage of the mango. Many of the paths are bordered with coffee trees, -now in full bloom. These are allowed to grow to a height of ten or -fifteen feet, and are in the form of a bush. The blossoms, of the purest -white, appear in general effect like those of the double jessamine. They -cluster thickly over the branches, and contrast beautifully with the -dark green of the polished leaves. Among the exotics are the cinnamon, -clove, and nutmeg, and the climbing vine of the black pepper. - -In the course of our ramble we came upon the wash-house of the -establishment—an open, tile-covered lodge or verandah, supported by -pillars of brick, and furnished with a wide and deep tank or reservoir -of water, troughs, tubs and slabs of stone for the various operations of -the laundry. Three or four negresses were engaged in the appropriate -work of the place, with their children at play around. Near one of the -mothers, in a flat basket on the ground, lay, kicking and crowing as if -ready to spring out of its skin, an entirely naked and shining little -negro, six or eight months of age—one of the brightest and cleanest -looking little rogues I ever saw. It was black as the purest ebony, and -in a perfection of form fitting it for the model of a cupid, or infant -Apollo, or Adonis. It looked so healthy, and so wholesome, and so -perfectly pure, as to be provocative almost of a kiss; and one of our -party—who, in strong remembrance of his own little ones at home, has a -perfect passion for every child he meets, whether black or white—was so -delighted that I thought he would scarcely rest satisfied in his -caressing, short of such an evidence of admiration. - -At the end of a half hour we came again into the principal avenue, -leading from the gate to the base of a steep hill, or rather cliff, -overhanging the gardens, from the brow of which the dwelling of Don Juan -looks down as upon a map. Detained already, it appeared, from an -appointment of business by his attentions to us, he here apologized for -the necessity of taking leave, but begged us to continue our walk up the -hill, from which we would have a magnificent view; and called a negro -lad to guide us. We willingly complied, and advanced by a winding path -up the steep. Among the growth not before noticed, we here observed the -peach, apple, and pomegranate, interspersed with grove after grove of -orange trees, heavily laden with golden fruit. The house is a long, -tile-roofed cottage of one story, surrounded by broad piazzas, opening -upon flagged terraces. The pointed top of the hill has been cut down to -a platform, sufficient only in extent for the area of the dwelling, with -a shrubbery and flower garden on one side, and a dovecote and quarters -for the house-negroes on the other. The whole is perched upon the -angular point of a precipitous promontory overlooking the bay of St. -Francis Xavier, from which a heavy surf rolls beneath, breaking, in -part, amid a cluster of fantastic and columnar rocks, and in part upon a -white sand beach. To reach the best point for a panoramic view at the -end of the flower garden, we were conducted through the reception rooms, -in the centre of the cottage, furnished with some showy articles of -French manufacture—a piano, sofa, vases of painted china. The landscape -and water view at every point are superb—especially on the garden front, -with the wild surf beneath, and the islet of Boa Viagem for a -foreground—its fantastic cliffs of strongly colored earths draped with -bright verdure, and crowned by its picturesque little chapel. The varied -movements of sail in the lower harbor; the bright gleamings of the city -along the shores of Flamengo and Botafogo; with the Sugar-loaf and -adjoining hills, and the Gavia and Corcovado in sublime groupings in the -distance, formed together a picture of unrivalled beauty. The coloring, -and effective shades of a sunset of crimson and gold, exhibited the -whole with gorgeous effect; and we stood fascinated by it, till the -gathering twilight hastened us to our boat. - -Commodore McKeever and Mr. G—— accompanied us in a second visit which we -were invited by Don Juan to make, a few evenings afterwards. We were -welcomed with the cordiality of old friends, and after a walk through -the grounds, were conducted to the house, introduced to Madame M——, and -served with coffee, sweetmeats and liqueurs. We soon discovered the -mistress of the establishment to be of the order of women, so -graphically described by the wise man—“she seeketh wool and flax, and -worketh willingly with her hands. She looketh well to the ways of her -household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise and -call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Through the -open windows of the verandah, as we entered, we saw her busily engaged, -amid a group of female slaves, old and young, in the cutting and fitting -of garments which they were sewing; and learned from her husband that -her agency, as well as supervision, was thus exercised in the whole -economy of the establishment. In dress, she was in the dishabille common -among the females, and males too, in this climate, at least till a late -hour of the day; a loose wrapper with a colored silk pocket-handkerchief -over the head. On the summons of Don Juan, she joined us without apology -in regard to her toilette; and after the refreshments were served, while -we were enjoying the view at the point of the promontory, gathered and -arranged for each of us a choice and beautiful bouquet. - -In acknowledgment of the kindness of thus throwing open their grounds -and house to us, an invitation was given for a visit to the Congress. -This was readily accepted, and they have since passed a morning on -board. It was their first visit to a man-of-war, and they professed to -take more interest in it, and to feel themselves more highly honored -from its bearing the stripes and stars of the United States, than they -could under any other flag. We scarcely recognized the Doña at first, -under the aspect of a visitor. In place of the Portuguese negligè, in -which we were received by her at home, she now appeared in the latest -style of Parisian promenade costume: with silks and laces and expensive -embroideries, in a correctness of taste and good-keeping, that proved -her by no means unaccustomed to the elegancies of the toilette. Don Juan -is a man of intelligence and of much practical good sense and -observation. Among many things on board, which attracted his attention, -aside from the equipment and peculiar character of our ship in military -appointment, was a small homœopathic medicine chest in the captain’s -cabin. He is a warm advocate of this system, and a practitioner of it in -his own family; and he informed us that in forty cases of fever, among -his slaves, during the late epidemic, he allowed of no other treatment, -and did not lose a single patient, though many negroes around him died -of the pestilence under allopathic practice. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_November 26th._—The heat of the mornings on shore is becoming so -intense as to make walking oppressive. Till the setting in of the -sea-breeze about mid-day, the ship is altogether more desirable than any -other place accessible to us. Moored in the direct line of the winds -from the sea, her decks with awnings spread fore and aft, form a -delightful lounging-place; one never without attractions, in the -constant movements on the bay, and the varying and beautiful effects -produced upon its imagery, by hourly atmospheric changes. This you can -readily understand from daily experience at Riverside. Like the verandah -there, the poop of the Congress here commands a wide-spread panorama of -water, mountain, and valley, ever varying in its aspects of lights and -shade, sunshine and clouds, tints and coloring, and tempting one to give -too much time to mere admiration of the changing picture. - -When the atmosphere is peculiarly brilliant, the mountains stand out -with a nearness and strength of light that exposes to clear view the -chisellings of their minutest features. With a good glass, every rock -and tree, and almost every shrub, of the nearer ranges is then brought, -seemingly, within touch; while the sublime chain, forty and fifty miles -distant in the north, exhibits, through the same medium, not only the -fantastic spikes and fingers from which it derives its name, but the -minuter formations of the wooded sides also, furrowed by water-courses, -and streaked here and there with the silver line of a cataract in a deep -glen. Then again, the whole stand, with undistinguishable features, like -massive walls of purple and blue, the upper profile only of their jagged -outlines being marked boldly against the sky. - -In the morning, the whole bay is smooth and glassy as a lake, one vast -mirror, along whose edges are repictured in strong and unbroken -reflection, mountain and city, church-tower, fortress, and convent, in -minute fidelity, while all the men-of-war, and the little craft floating -by with useless sails, lie in duplicate around. The sun glares hotly—not -a breath of air is stirring, and every one is oppressed. But watching -seaward, the topsails of the inward-bound in the far offing are seen, by -and by, to be gently filling with a breeze; presently, ‘cats-paw’ after -‘cats-paw’ comes creeping through the channel and up the bay; till soon, -in place of a glaring and oppressive calm, its surface is dancing with -‘white-caps;’ the lateen sail boats, careening to the wind and dashing -the spray from their bows, rush past and around us like “playful things -of life;” the inward-bound with wide-spread wings come hastening to the -anchorage; every one drinks in with delight the welcome draught; and for -the rest of the day, new aspects and new life are imparted to every -thing and every body. At times, this sea-breeze is supplanted by a half -gale from the same direction, causing so much of a swell as to raise -breakers between us and the landing, and partially to interrupt -communication with the shore. This was the case a day or two since, when -the surf rolled along nearly the whole length of the city. The change in -the temperature too, is frequently so great as to lead to the -substitution of cloth clothing for that of light summer wear, and to the -buttoning closely of the coat to avoid a sense of chilliness. - -Towards evening the sea-breeze ordinarily dies away; and, by sunset, a -glassy surface again reflects the gorgeous coloring which now mantles -the mountains, and gilds with brightness the prominent architecture of -the city. As the short twilight settles into darkness, regular lines of -brilliant lamps gleam for miles along the shores on either side of the -bay, and up the ridges and over the tops of the hills in the city; the -bright radiance of unnumbered stars falls from above; and the -land-breeze, gently fanning down the mountain sides, brings with it the -freshness and fragrance of their woods and flowers. - -Often a thunder-storm of thick blackness, with forked lightning, is seen -raging among the mountain peaks without approaching nearer; and oftener -still, magnificently culminating summer clouds, heaped pile upon pile -above them, exhibit a play of electric light, of a beauty and splendor -sufficient for the pastime of the evening. We had a remarkable display -of this kind a night or two ago; the flashes were more vivid and more -incessant than I recollect ever before to have witnessed. Masses of -black clouds, towering to the zenith on every side, made the night -exceedingly dark. In the momentary intervals between the flashes there -was a darkness that might almost be felt—utterly impenetrable even at -the shortest distance—and making inexpressibly grand and beautiful the -more than mid-day brightness which instantly followed, disclosing to -microscopic view every object far and near. - -From the cause named at the beginning of this date—the heat of the -mornings—my visits on shore, for the long walk which you know to be an -essential daily enjoyment to me, are chiefly in the later hours of the -afternoon and evening. As the last regular boat of the ship leaves the -shore punctually at sunset, this necessity of choosing so late a period -of the day would subject me to the inconvenience of coming off in a -shore boat, and the disgust of breathing the atmosphere by which the -vicinity of the common landing is nightly polluted, were it not for the -social arrangements of the Commodore. Intimacy with the Ambassador and -his family, and other American friends in the same neighborhood, leads -him with Mr. G—— to pass most of his evenings at the Praya Flamengo. His -barge awaits him regularly, at nine o’clock, at a sheltered and pleasant -landing near the Gloria Hill. A seat in this is always in reserve for -me; and, whether visiting with him or not, I am sure of a passage in -good season to the ship. I am thus left at liberty to range the hills -and valleys at my pleasure towards the close of day, and to take my fill -of such delights as nature, in her exuberance and ever-varying beauty in -ten thousand forms, here affords. A chief drawback to the pleasure is -the want of a companion in my rambles. Such of my messmates as have a -round of ship’s duty in their order, find sufficient exercise in pacing -the decks in its discharge, and are often too much fatigued to start in -search of the picturesque; others, though at leisure, less inured to -fatigue than I am, think the beauty of the upland haunts I most -frequent, scarcely worth the effort required at all points, in the first -sharp ascent of a half mile, by which only they are attained. Hence my -evening strolls of this kind are solitary: still— - - “My steps are not alone - In these bright walks; the sweet southwest, at play, - Flies, rustling, where the tropic leaves are strown - Along the winding way. - And far in heaven the while, - The sun that sends the gale to wander here, - Pours out on the fair earth the quiet smile— - That sweetens all the year.” - -The row, at night, of two miles and more to the ship is of itself a -pleasure: sometimes beneath a bright moon, with the palm-topped trees -and convent towers of Santa Theresa on our left, marked in silver -against the sky; sometimes amid a darkness which leaves nothing for our -guide but the signal lanterns for the Commodore, at the peak of the -far-off Congress; and sometimes again, amid a display of phosphorescence -in the water, sufficient to excite both admiration and surprise. The -regular dip of the oars, then, creates splendid coruscations: streams of -apparent fire run from the uplifted blades, while the barge, under the -impulse of fourteen stalwart oarsmen, rushes on through a wide trough -seemingly of molten silver. - -But I am forgetting the object for which I opened my journal—to say, -that in despite of the heat, I have spent two mornings, within the past -week, in a stroll along the shaded side of the Rua Ouvidor, in company -with the Commodore, Captain and Mr. G——, on a visit of curiosity to the -various shops with which it is lined. The show windows of these rival -those of Broadway, in the display of rich fancy goods of English, -French, and German manufacture, and of jewelry, articles of vertu, -drawings, engravings, and bijouterie. Among the jewellers’ shops which -we entered was one, having for its sign the imperial arms and crown in -rich gilding—thus indicating the special patronage of their majesties -and the court. The person in attendance received us most politely, and, -though we at once apprised him that our object was not to purchase, -exhibited his choicest caskets, from those valued at a few hundred -dollars to those at as many tens of thousands. Most of the contents were -native diamonds and other precious stones tastefully arranged and -artistically set. The workmen here are celebrated for skill in this -respect, and for the delicacy and finish of their filagree in silver, -and chasings in gold. Rio is also celebrated for the manufacture of -artificial flowers from feathers. Those most valued are of the choicest -and rarest humming birds. The changing tints of some of these are more -rich and varied than those of the opal. Such are much prized and are -expensive. The counterpart of a set recently ordered by the Princess de -Joinville was as costly as so much jewelry. The manufactories are in -large shops open entirely in front to the street, and, the artisans -being chiefly young girls, are favorite resorts and lounging places of -shoppers and idlers. - -It must not be inferred that in thus spending a morning in shopping, we -were encroaching on the prerogatives of the ladies of Brazil. The usage -of the country denies them this pastime. Portuguese and Spanish views of -the liberty of outdoor locomotion to be allowed to females—traceable to -the Moorish estimate of their trust worthiness and virtue—prohibit to -them here in a great degree the privileges of the street. In the early -morning they may be seen, dressed in black, and attended by a servant or -child, walking to and from church; and on the Sabbath, likewise, in long -family procession, in performance of a like duty; but, to take a -promenade as such, for pleasure or display, or to pass from shop to shop -looking at fine goods by the hour, without finding the article sought, -or any thing to suit the fancy, would be regarded as an indecorum, and -an unmistakable mark of vulgar boldness. Native prejudice on this point, -has doubtless been modified by the example of numerous foreign residents -and visitors; still, when a lady is met in the streets in promenade, it -may be safely inferred that she is not a Brazilian: if wearing a bonnet, -it may be deemed certain. - -Aside from the light thrown upon the general estimate of female virtue, -by this prohibition, from usage, there are habits of indecency among the -people, witnessed even in the most public thoroughfares, sufficient to -justify it, so long as the nuisance is permitted; moreover, a lady in -walking is subjected to an impudent stare and look of libertinism from -shopkeepers, and clerks, and passers-by, which is in itself an insult, -without the addition of the remarks of levity which at times may be -heard. There has been an advance in civilization of late in this -respect; still, effrontery enough is left in connection with it to -offend the delicacy of a woman in walking, and to excite the indignation -of any male friend accompanying her. - -The native female of the better classes is, therefore, still to be -regarded as a kind of house prisoner; she may stand against or lean over -the railing of an upper balcony by the hour—as is much the custom—gazing -in listless silence upon whatever is taking place in the street; but a -promenade below, with the chance of a flirtation, is denied her. - -How then, you will ask, is the shopping of the ladies for fine dresses -and fine feathers accomplished? I answer, either by husbands and -fathers, who I am told are well versed by experience in the business, or -by a running to and from shop to drawing-room of boys and porters with -pattern-books and pieces. A lady from the country will drive to the -house of some friend, or secure a hired room, and, sending forth a -servant, will put the errand-boys of half the shops in the city, in -motion for the day. - -On one of these mornings, we entered a common auction-room for a moment, -and accidentally stumbled on the humiliating and reproachful sight of a -sale of men and women by a fellow man. Not the sale, as till within a -few years past might here have been the case, of newly imported captives -from Africa, but of natives of Rio, thus passing under the hammer from -owner to owner like any article of merchandise. They were eight or ten -in number of both sexes, varying in age from boyhood and girlhood to -years of maturity and middle life. They stood meekly and submissively, -though evidently anxious and sad, under the interrogations and -examinations of the bidders, and a rehearsal and laudation by the -auctioneer of their different available working qualities and -dispositions: their health, strength and power of endurance. All, in -their turn were made to mount an elevated platform, to display their -limbs almost to nakedness, and exhibit their muscular powers by various -gymnastics, like a horse his movements and action, before the bidders at -Tattersall’s. - -They were rapidly knocked down at prices varying from two hundred to a -thousand and more milreis: that is, from one to five hundred and more -dollars. As we turned away, the indignation of one of our party found -vent in the exclamation: “Such a spectacle is a disgrace to human -nature. It makes one sick at heart, and ready to fear that in the -retributive justice of the Almighty the time may come, when the blacks -here will put up the whites for sale in the same manner!” And why not? -Why should the blood boil at the mere suggestion of the thought in the -one case, and yet flow coolly and tranquilly on, in view of the other? - -Happily Brazil has been aroused, through the influence of her Emperor -and the wisest of her statesmen and legislators, to earnestness in that -suppression of the traffic in slaves to which she has so long stood -pledged by treaty. It is no longer in name only that the trade is a -piracy. The landing of a cargo any where in the Empire subjects it to -forfeiture. A high premium is given to an informer in a case of -smuggling of the kind, and the law cuts off all recovery of payment for -the proceeds of a sale that may have been effected. The consequence is, -that the millionnaires of Rio, whose coffers have been filled to -repletion with the price of blood, finding the government in earnest in -the execution of the laws, are forsaking their gilded palaces here—some -of them among the most luxurious and ornate residences of the city—for -homes where they may pursue their nefarious business with less reproach -to reputation, and less liability to the penalty of the laws. It is said -that there are residents here, entitled by birth and citizenship to -stand beneath the protecting folds of the stripes and stars of our -country, who till now have been active agents in, and have shared -largely in the emoluments of this wicked outrage on the rights of man. - -_December 10th._—The 2d inst. was the Emperor’s birth-day, a chief gala -among the anniversaries of Rio. His Majesty then completed his -twenty-fifth year. The day was fine, and the celebration consisted of a -grand military procession of regular troops and national guards through -the palace square; a Te Deum in the imperial chapel, at which the -Emperor and Empress assisted, as the phraseology is; a review of the -troops by their Majesties from a balcony of the palace; a levee for -hand-kissing afterwards, for such as are entitled to the entrée; and at -night a visit of the Court in state, to the opera. The whole accompanied -by the firing, morning, noon and night, afloat and on shore, of -unnumbered cannon. - -I was in Captain McIntosh’s party in going on shore. He has a horror of -crowds, which to me afford some of the best opportunities of judging of -the character of a people, and after seeing him comfortably seated in a -balcony commanding the square, Lieut. T—— and I sallied forth “among the -horses,” as he expressed it, to be in closer proximity to the populace. - -The Brazilians are manifestly an orderly, civil, good-natured, timid, -and temperate people; contrasting favorably in their manners, language, -indulgences and general deportment, on similar occasions, with the -masses in large cities, in the United States. I saw nothing rude or -coarse in any one, nothing offensive or insulting: no profanity, no -intoxication, no quarrelling, no call for the interference of the -police. - -In the course of the morning, among various other experiences, we -elbowed his Majesty and the ministers of the household, the metropolitan -and his chapter of the priesthood, and the great officers of state in -the Imperial chapel; scrutinized the Empress and her ladies in their -tribune; listened to the effective music of the Te Deum, performed by -the chief singers of the opera company; witnessed the return of the -court in procession from the chapel to the throne room; and gained a -point of observation for the review, so near Don Pedro and Doña Theresa -as to have been able readily to have carried on a conversation with -them, had it been according to rule. - -The regular army of Brazil consists of some twenty thousand troops. Very -few of these are at present here. The great mass of those under arms on -the present occasion, amounting to some five thousand, was of municipal -guards, corresponding to the volunteer companies of New York. They were -in neat and handsome uniforms, are well appointed, and well drilled; but -are small and light in figure, without an appearance of much physical -force, and most motley in complexion and the mixture of blood. An -abundant supply of fine bands was in attendance. Negroes and mulattoes -predominated in these, testifying to the gift of musical taste in the -race here, as with us in the United States. - -There was a partial illumination in the evening, but to no striking -effect, except in the streets leading from the palace to the -opera-house. The progress of the court in state through these was a -showy spectacle. The glaring flambeaux of liveried outriders, preceding -and flanking the open carriages, themselves brilliantly lighted, and the -illuminated houses, exhibited the diamonds of the Empress and her -attendants to great advantage. The left breast of the Emperor’s coat, -too, flashed with the brilliants of the many orders with which it was -decorated. The vivas of the multitudes were tolerably loyal, and the -spirited strains of the national air, caught, as the cortège approached, -from band to band, stationed at various points on the route, quite -spirit-stirring. The music of this air is a composition of Don Pedro I., -who was a master in the science. It is one of the most animated, -spirit-moving national airs I know—equal almost in this respect to the -Marseillaise. The words of the anthem to which it is set are said to be -also from the pen of his late Majesty; and, in the native language, are -scarce less incitive than the tune, to emotions of patriotism and valor— - - Iá podeis, filhos da patria, - Ver contente a mai gentil, - Iá raiou a liberdade, - No horizonte do Brazil. - - Brava gente Braziliera - Longe vai temor servil! - Ou ficar a patria livre, - Ou mourer pelo Brazil. - -I could not be otherwise than amused by an incident, characteristic of -the too widely spread spirit of my countrymen, which came under my -observation just after reaching the shore. The court were alighting at -the palace, on their arrival in state from San Christovao: the turn-out, -in equipages and their appointments, the same as described at the -prorogation of the legislature in September. The hurried rush across the -square of the mounted guard in advance; the flourish of trumpets and -striking up of the bands; the glitter of postillions and coachmen in -livery, stiff with lacings of silver; the tossings of the plumed heads -of the long lines of richly caparisoned horses; and the ceremonies of -the vestibule, in the salutations and kissing of hands at alighting, -were just occurring, as a rough specimen of our compatriots, in the -character of a Yankee sea-captain happened by. He stood near me for a -moment gazing at the pageant, evidently with less of admiration than of -contempt, and, as he passed on with a significant “Humph!” I heard him -add in half soliloquy—“I tell you what, there is a little too much -nonsense here; it is time this people were annexed!” - -To-day the weather has been wet and stormy. Notwithstanding, a Brazilian -naval officer came on board the Congress before breakfast, to say that -the Emperor would be afloat in an excursion on the bay. It is customary -on such occasions for the national vessels in the harbor to fire a royal -salute. That they may be in readiness for this, on the appearance of the -imperial standard, the official notice mentioned is given. The Brazilian -men-of-war man their yards also, and nine cheers are given for their -sovereign as he passes. At 11 o’clock the firing was commenced by the -Brazilian flag-ship; and, on going on deck I found myself surrounded by -a blaze from guns on every quarter. At the same time, a procession of -state barges was seen moving from the naval arsenal near the convent of -San Bento, to a steamer not far from us. The barge of his Majesty, of -white and green, was magnificently gilded, and furnished with a standing -canopy of green and gold over the stern sheets, surmounted by the -imperial crown. A naval officer in epaulettes and chapeau acted as -coxswain, the boat being handsomely pulled by twenty-four fine-looking -oarsmen in a uniform of white. The object of the excursion was a visit -in the steamer to a foundry and steam-engine manufactory at Praya -Grande, on the opposite side of the bay; where, in proof of the rapid -advancement of the empire in scientific works and national power, native -talent and enterprise is successfully competing with foreign skill, in -the construction and equipment of men-of-war and other steamers. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_December 18th._—On the morning of the 17th inst. I was called to -officiate at a marriage on shore. The ceremony took place at the -American Consulate, where a _déjeuner a la fourchette_ was given to the -party by Gov. and Mrs. Kent. The groom, a native Brazilian, a young -physician, had attended a course of medical and surgical lectures in New -York. He became there a member of the Protestant Episcopal church; and -was altogether so much interested in our institutions, as to file, in -the proper office, an intention of becoming a naturalized citizen of the -United States. These circumstances led him to desire a marriage ceremony -in the Protestant form, under the American flag, though, the bride being -a Romanist, they had already been united by the rites of her church. - -While on shore on this occasion, I came near being a spectator, -accidentally, of a more interesting scene of the kind. In passing the -foundling hospital, which fronts an open, irregular space not far from -the ordinary landing, beneath Castle Hill, I perceived the grated -windows of the second and third stories to be filled with females of -different ages, from childhood to maturity, in holiday dress, evidently -awaiting the occupancy and departure of a couple of private carriages, -drawn up before the principal entrance. Stepping into the open vestibule -of the building—in one corner of which is the roda, or turning-box, for -the deposit of the infants clandestinely left—I rightly conjectured from -the white gloves, waistcoats, and breast-knots of two or three young men -present, that the occasion was one of marriage, and learned that the -ceremony had just taken place in the chapel of the hospital. This, which -opened from the vestibule, was, however, now empty. An aged female of -dignified appearance, in a monastic dress of white, was walking back and -forth in a small corridor behind a grated door. She appeared to be -waiting to unlock this. Almost immediately the bride and groom, in the -significant garb of the newly wedded, were seen to approach from the -interior. They were both quite young. An elderly lady, evidently of -distinction, attired in purple velvet with a display of rich laces, -jewelry and ostrich plumes, accompanied them, and was herself followed -by a dignified and well-dressed gentleman, who appeared to be her -husband. A crowd of the inmates of the institution quickly filled the -entire corridor behind. The bride was in tears, as she hurriedly gave a -farewell embrace to one and another of the youthful companions crowding -around her, and, on coming to the aged female at the door, dropped on -her knees, and covered her hands with kisses and tears. The groom -hurried her from this scene to the first carriage, and drove off -rapidly, followed by the second containing the fine folks, probably the -god-mother and god-father, or the patron and patroness of the bride. The -whole explained to me a usage, in connection with this establishment, of -which I had heard. A recolhimento, or female orphan asylum is an -appendage of the foundling hospital, many of its _éleves_ being selected -from the inmates of the latter. In addition to the nurture and education -of the orphans, care is taken to provide for their settlement in life, -with the bestowment of a marriage portion, varying from one to two -hundred dollars. That an opportunity may be afforded for young men of -respectable character to make choice of a wife from the inmates, the -establishment is open to visitors one day in every year—that of the -anniversary of St. Elizabeth, the patroness of the asylum. Before a -union is sanctioned, however, satisfactory testimonials of good -character in the applicant for marriage must be furnished, and -guaranties of ability to support a wife be given. Such was the origin of -the marriage which had just taken place. The dress and lady-like bearing -of the bride, the respectable appearance and manners of the groom, the -rich attire, equipages, and evident position in life of those under -whose patronage they appeared, all indicated, in this case, something in -her lot above the destiny of common orphanage. - -While the establishment of a home for the friendless young is one of the -most self-commending of charities, the philanthropy which provides an -asylum for the secret reception of foundlings is no longer questionable, -in the judgment of the wisely benevolent and truly good. It is but to -foster vice, and to encourage the unnatural and depraved in the -abandonment of their offspring. This is well known here, and readily -admitted to be the effect. The number yearly left in the roda, or -turning-box, of this hospital, amounts, I am told, by those best -informed, to five and six hundred—white, black and mongrel of every -degree. More than half of these soon perish from diseases seated upon -them before being abandoned; from the impossibility of securing natural -nourishment for the feeble; and from the various ills to which early -infancy under the most favored auspices is subject. - -_December 20th._—One source of agreeable excitement with us, is the -daily anticipation and frequent arrival of sailing vessels and steamers, -governmental and mercantile, from the United States and various parts of -the world. The number of vessels entering the port of Rio annually, -besides those engaged in the coasting trade, which are very numerous, -averages about eight hundred: importing cargoes to the amount of some -two hundred thousand tons. Of course, scarcely a day passes without the -entry of two or three foreign vessels in the regular trade, besides such -as merely touch for repairs or refreshment. - -It is a remarkable fact—especially in view of the achievements in -navigation, of the Portuguese of old, and the boldness and enterprise -with which for centuries they sustained their part in the commerce of -the world—that their descendants here should have yielded that of the -empire, which is foreign, entirely to the vessels of other nations. It -is extremely rare for a Brazilian ship to cross the Atlantic, or double -Cape Horn, or the Cape of Good Hope; and I learn, from Gov. Kent, that -not a single vessel of the country has cleared for the United States, -since he has been consul here. Their trading vessels, though small, are -generally well built, strong, and well modelled; and are navigated with -care and safety along the extended coasts of the continent, from the -Plata to the Amazon. But, as the consul remarks, “the native navigators -seem afraid to compete on the high seas, with the vessels of this age of -hurry and locomotion—with the reckless driving of the ‘Flying Clouds’ -and ‘White Squalls,’ the ‘Sea Witches,’ and other wild birds of the -ocean, and yield, without a struggle, the enterprises in foreign -commerce to the hardy northmen—the unwearied and ever-present Yankee, -and the pushing and exacting Englishman.” The truth is, as he adds, the -Brazilian is not by nature a trader or experimenter. He thinks it -sufficient for him to raise coffee and get it to a market: he lacks the -energy, the industry—the earnest, long-continued, unwearied effort which -leads one willingly to sacrifice present ease, comfort, and quiet, to -the prospect of future gain, and which makes the successful merchant. -“Go ahead,” “strive,” “struggle,” “compete”—are words not belonging to -his vocabulary. He shrugs his shoulders at the very mention of them—not -in contempt, but in despair; and prefers sitting in his easy chair, or -lolling out of the window, to the tussle of life common with us, of -which the very thought would throw him into a perspiration. “Let the -negroes work,” is his motto; “and let what they cannot do remain -undone.” The Yankee character, as exhibited here within the year or two -past, in the rush by of the thousands of emigrants on their way to -California, struck the people with astonishment. They were looked upon -as most reckless and daring adventurers, who, born in snow-drifts and -cradled in ice, had a hardihood and enterprise it was in vain to attempt -to rival. But I am forgetting the subject with which I commenced. - -The telegraphic station on Castle Hill, to and from which the appearance -of all sail in the offing is reported, is in full view from our -moorings. The quarter-masters of the Congress are furnished with -explanations of the various flags used, and the combinations by which -the nation, character, and position of the sail in sight are made known. -Few moments of the day pass without a turn of the glass in that -direction. The distinguishing flag for an American vessel is a long, -pointed pennant of white and deep blue in closely-arranged perpendicular -stripes, giving to it the appearance, as it flutters in the wind, of -being ring-streaked. With a Yankee fondness for sobriquets having a -political or national import, Jack has dubbed this pennant “the coon’s -tail,” from a fancied resemblance to the well-known emblem of the party -of which the great statesman of Kentucky was so long an illustrious -leader; and, “the coon’s tail is up!” or “there goes the coon’s tail!” -is the regular announcement of an American ship in the offing. - -Among uncounted merchant vessels which have thus been reported since our -return from the Plata, there have also been the frigate Raritan, -storeship Relief, and sloops-of-war Saratoga and St. Mary of the navy. -The St. Mary was especially welcome from the number of officers attached -to her, closely associated in friendship with several on board the -Congress. Captain Magruder, her commander, is of this number; and is -justly held in high estimation. The intercourse on his part with our -ship has been most intimate. After an interchange of civilities by -various parties on board both vessels, Captain McIntosh and I took -dinner informally with him to-day, with the purpose of a drive -afterwards to the Botanic Gardens. These lie six or eight miles -south-west from the city, on the sea-shore, beneath the range of -mountains, of which the Corcovado and the Gavia are such conspicuous -points. For three miles the way is the same described in a visit to -Botafogo. The remainder does not differ materially from it, except that -the suburbs of the place change gradually, by the greater distances -intervening between the villas and country houses which adorn the sides -of the road, into a thinly-occupied and open country. At the distance of -five miles, the interval between the mountains and the sea is taken up -chiefly by a lake or lagoon called Rodrigo de Freitas. A short drive -hence over a sandy plain brought us to the gates of the garden. This was -originally a pleasure-ground of the royal family in the time of John -VI., and was appropriated by him to its present use, on the accidental -arrival in 1809 of various cases of exotics from the Isle of France, in -a vessel which brought to Rio a company of Portuguese prisoners. The -collection was afterwards augmented, at the order of the king, by -additions from Cayenne, then under his rule; and eventually by the -importation of the tea-plant from China, with a company of Chinese -laborers skilled in its cultivation and in the preparation of the leaf -for use. The attempt proved a failure; not so much from a want of -adaptation in the soil and climate, or from the quality of the tea -produced, as from the expense above the cost of the imported article. -Both here, and at Santa Cruz—an imperial estate fifty miles west of Rio, -where also a plantation was formed—the culture has been abandoned; a few -plats of stunted, mildewed, and neglected bushes only are left as a -botanical curiosity. - -The gardens cover some fifty acres of ground—an alluvial flat of rich -soil, and constitute a nursery from which plants of the cinnamon, -nutmeg, clove, camphor, allspice, and tea, originally introduced here, -have been widely dispersed through the empire. Specimens of all these -were examined by us. - -The cinnamon and camphor trees are of the laurel family—the _laurus -cinnamonum_ and _laurus camphora_;—the nutmeg, clove, and allspice, of -the myrtle. The cinnamon grows to a height of fifteen or twenty feet. -The stem and branches are of a light green; the leaves, of the shape of -the laurel, are also light green, and are pliant and tender. When they -first bud forth they are of a light red, and gradually become green as -they advance in growth. The blossoms are white. There is no perceptible -fragrance, either in the stem or leaf, till bruised or broken, but both -when bitten have the cinnamon flavor. The clove is the flower-bud of the -_caryophyllus aromaticus_. The tree was in blossom and the bud very -strong in its peculiar taste. Specimens of all these in branch, blossom, -and fruit, were readily furnished by a negro in attendance, who expected -a trifling gratuity in return. - -Long avenues of the Sumatra nut—_vernicia montana_—furnish abundant -shade, and yield great quantities of nuts. The mulberry tree is also -introduced for the purpose of shade. The bread-fruit—_artocarpus -incisa_—so familiar to me in the South Seas, was also conspicuous in the -beauty of its strongly-marked, shining, and digitated foliage, and its -ponderous fruit of light green. - -The whole garden, though a national property, for the good keeping of -which an annual appropriation is made by the imperial legislature, -appeared in a neglected state. There is nothing strikingly tasteful or -artistic in the arrangement or embellishment of the ground. At the -western end, a mountain stream comes brawling down a rocky channel, and -on reaching the level, meanders lazily eastward, between banks -beautifully fringed with bamboo, and overhung by the dense foliage of -loftier growth. Where this mountain stream enters, there is an attempt, -on a small scale, at landscape gardening. A little basin of water with -projecting points, and an islet or two, overhung by willows, represents -a miniature lake; and near by, on an artificial and terraced mound, is a -chapel-like summer house, formed of the flat cedar or arbor vitæ, so -planted and so trained as to be perfectly architectural in its outline, -and to appear to be an old ruin overrun with living green. That, -however, which more than any other ornamental feature of the place -attracted our notice, was an avenue of royal palms, a quarter of a mile -and more in length, leading in a straight line from the principal gate, -and crossed at right angles, midway of the distance, by another -corresponding with it. The trees are at perfectly regular distances from -each other; are all of one size, and, either by nature or by artificial -training, rise from uniformly shaped swelling bases, into perpendicular -shafts, forty or fifty feet in height. The silver-gray trunks, marked in -their whole length by rings, showing the growth of each year, terminate -in plumed capitals of true Corinthian magnificence. The effect of the -perspective is very beautiful: strikingly like that which we would -imagine a colonnade of equal length in Egyptian or Asiatic architecture -to be. - -As a botanical garden, the place is unworthy the name, and useless as -such to the cause of science. The realization of one here, such as John -VI. projected, would be exceedingly interesting and important. There is -no empire in the world in which a botanical garden on a magnificent -scale could be more readily established, or whose native vegetable -kingdom is so rich, and so full of novelties to the scientific world. - -When we left the city the weather was magnificent; the atmosphere clear -and pure, elastic and bracing, and the lights and shades on the scenery -in perfection. But ere we were aware of it, an entire change occurred. -The Corcovado towers in gigantic altitude over the garden, and, almost -without warning, a violent storm came rushing down its precipices, -bearing with it masses of cloud of impenetrable blackness, surcharged -with torrents of rain, which were poured upon us with unabating fury -during the entire drive back to the city. Notwithstanding the individual -discomfort incident to such showers, they are welcomed with joy by the -people in general, as indications of continued health. Previous to the -epidemic of the last year, they were almost as regular in their return -as the afternoon itself. But during the pestilence they intermitted -almost entirely. The regularity of the sea breeze also was greatly -interrupted; and lightning and thunder for the most part ceased. -Believing that these meteorological changes were connected in some way -with the infection existing in the atmosphere, a return of the showers -of old is regarded as an indication of the accustomed salubrity of the -air. - -_December 27th._—The little chapel of Santa Lucia fronts the bay at the -southern end of the promenade beneath Castle Hill. This saint is a kind -of deputy-patroness of seafaring men, under Our Lady of Good Voyages, -whose shrine crowns so conspicuously the little islet of Bonviagem. In -my usual walk two or three evenings ago, I accidentally fell upon an -anniversary fête here; the birthday of her saintship. The chapel is the -parish church of the neighborhood, and I could scarcely have believed, -without the ocular proof, that within hearing of the hum of the busy -metropolis a gathering of people so entirely rustic and village-like, -could have been brought together. Great preparation for the celebration -had been made. Long avenues of young palm-trees, twenty or thirty feet -in height, and from which brilliant lamps were suspended, were planted -beside the road along the water; alternating with these, were lofty -flag-staffs, from which varied colored banners and streamers floated in -the breeze. Frameworks with complicated pyrotechnic preparations were -placed thickly around, as in the parks and squares of New York on the -Fourth of July. Indeed, the whole aspect of things—the crowds of people -in holiday dress, the many venders of refreshments in fruit and -confectionery, cakes, orangeade and orgeat, the talk and the laugh, and -the general hilarity—was that of a general muster, or other similar -holiday, in the United States. The little chapel was in a flutter of -flags and gay hangings without, and within, gaudy in the profusion of -gilt paper and tinsel, and coarse artificial flowers. It was, too, one -blaze of light from a pyramid of wax candles on the high altar. - -An animated sale of engravings of Santa Lucia was going on. These were -in different degrees of artistic execution, and on various qualities of -paper to suit the taste and finances of the purchasers. Men, women, and -children, black and white, master and mistress, freeman and slave, -crowded with equal earnestness around the priest, seated behind a -counter for the sale, all seeming alike delighted to secure the -consecrated likeness, as, depositing their money, one after another were -served with it, and then struggled back through the throng. - -A service of music took place at eight o’clock; and as this hour -approached, the little church became crowded to suffocation. The females -were admitted to a portion of the nave, nearest the chancel, separated -from the rest of the area by a rail. They sat in full dress on the -carpeted pavement, as closely crowded as possible, while the men outside -of this separating line stood as thickly packed. The music, both -instrumental and vocal, was that of a regular opera, and delightfully -performed. The festivities continued till midnight: and, as we returned -by boat to the ship at a later hour than usual, rockets in constant -succession were seen rushing to the sky, and bursting in glittering -coruscations of colored lights; balls of fire were flying through the -air; Chinese crackers every where exploding; and fiery serpents hissing -along the ground. But there was no intoxication, no quarrelling, no -rudeness; in their stead, general civility, decorum, and -light-heartedness. - -On Christmas eve, I visited the cathedral on the Palace Square, and the -church of San Francisco de Paulo in the square of the Roscio. The former -was first open. It was of course richly ornamented with tapestries of -brocade and velvet, and hangings of cloth of silver and gold, and was -brilliantly illuminated with wax lights, amid a profusion of artificial -flowers. The chancel was filled with the dignitaries of the church, in -striking costumes of scarlet and purple silk, with any quantity of the -richest lace in the form of capes and togas. The Bishop, wearing a mitre -studded with jewels of immense size, and holding a massive gilded -crosier, was seated on his throne on one side of the high altar: -presenting, with the encircling groups of Dean and Chapter and -officiating priests, a scene of hierarchical stateliness and splendor, -befitting the palmiest days of papal supremacy. The music here is always -of the first order: it was on this occasion, as usual, altogether -operatic in style and execution. - -The church of St. Francis is much more spacious than this of the -Carmelites. The interior is unbroken by galleries or colonnades, and the -coup-d’œil, on entering, was now brilliant and effective. A ball-room -for a civic fête could not have been decorated with more taste and -richness, or with greater regard to effect on the eye. Lines of -closely-arranged lights marked the general architecture of the whole -interior; while, midway between the pavement and loftily-arched -ceilings, beautiful clusters in brackets, gave a dazzling brilliancy to -the walls. The display upon and above the high altar was magnificent. -The music was fine; and the throng greater than at the cathedral, more -mixed in its character, and full of levity. A third of the nave was -appropriated exclusively to females. The various personal attractions -and deportment of these, seated closely together in full evening dress, -seemed chiefly to occupy the attention of the men; while innuendo, -badinage, and loose remarks upon them were freely passed in whispers by -one and another. The place seemed little like one of devotion, and any -other than a house of God. - -_January 8th._—We are once more at sea. The weather for the last few -days, though magnificent in clearness and brilliancy, has been too -excessively hot for us to remain longer with comfort at Rio. A rumor, -too, of the reappearance of the epidemic of the last year, was becoming -prevalent, and the region of the Plata was deemed in every respect most -desirable for the ship. At this season of the year, light winds and -calms are characteristic of the weather at sea, in the latitudes between -Rio de Janeiro and the Rio La Plata: it is probable, therefore, that our -passage of ten days or a fortnight thither, will be destitute of any -thing worthy of record. - -The cordiality which I mentioned as existing between the officers of the -Congress and those of the British flag-ship, Southampton, continued to -the last. A banquet, surpassing in its appointments any thing upon so -large a scale that I recollect to have witnessed on board ship, was -given some time since by the officers of her gun-room to those of the -Congress—embracing as guests, the commanders-in-chief and captains of -both vessels; and night before last, Admiral and Mrs. Reynolds gave a -farewell dinner to Commodore McKeever, Captain McIntosh, and one or two -others from our ship. It was Twelfth-night, the last of the Christmas -holidays; but it was in vain that I attempted to bring into exercise any -associations of the season, in connection with my thoughts of home. -While suffering here more than midsummer heat, it is difficult to -reconcile even the imagination to a picture of festivities on the same -occasion, with the accompaniments of howling winds and drifting snows—a -frozen river in front of you, and a leafless grove behind. - -This farewell entertainment was even more genial in its sympathies than -any of those previously enjoyed. The company embraced a number of -intelligent and spiritually-minded Christians. A seat between two of -these fell to me, and I was most agreeably and profitably entertained. -It is ever a delight to me to find intelligent piety openly professed -and consistently maintained by a young officer, especially where an -elevated position in social life, as well as the military profession, -exposes the individual to peculiar temptations from the world. Such is -the case with young W——, and such that of his chosen companions. He lent -me, a few days since, a memoir of a young friend, an officer in the -army, printed like that of your early companion, M—— C——, for private -circulation only. Like hers, it is a portraiture from life of gifted and -devoted youthful piety. Lieut. St. J——, the subject of it, went to India -on duty, in the war of Afghanistan. The cholera broke out in his -regiment when on march there. Fearless of consequences, and trustful in -faith and Christian hope, he gave himself up at once to unremitted, -personal attendance upon the sick and dying soldiers. Though but a youth -of twenty-two, the parting breath of many of these was spent in -blessings upon him, as a minister of consolation and spiritual grace to -them, till seized at last himself, he was carried off at the end of six -hours, with the triumphant exclamation on his lips, “All’s well!” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - - MONTEVIDEO. - -_January 30th, 1851._—Our passage “down,” as the phrase is, was devoid -of incident. We arrived on the night of the 20th inst., and are at -anchor in the outer roadstead. In October, I described the general -aspect of the mount, the city, and the surrounding country from this; -and reminded you of the existence of a civil war, and the close siege of -the city, for eight years past, by Oribe, a citizen of Montevideo, and -formerly President of the Republic of which it is the capital. The right -to this office, though once resigned and abandoned by him, he still -claims; and to enforce it, invaded the State with an army of Argentines, -furnished by Rosas, Governor of Buenos Ayres, and minister of foreign -affairs for the Argentine States. With this he would have gained -possession of the town long ago, had it not been for the armed -intervention, in 1845, of England and France; and the continued -guardianship of the place by the latter, with a squadron, in the -roadstead, and a body of fifteen hundred or two thousand troops on -shore. - -The principal European powers, rejecting the pretensions of Oribe, -acknowledge the constituted authorities of the inside, or city party -only, as the government of the Republic. The policy of the United States -being a strict neutrality, Commodore McKeever pays a like respect to -both; and, under an escort furnished by Oribe, has paid an official -visit to him at his camp outside of the lines, as well as one to the -President within, at the government house in the city. - -When here in October, an armistice had existed for some time, in -connection with the negotiations then pending between the belligerent -parties and Admiral Le Predour, commander-in-chief of the French force. -We had not heard of its termination: but a movement of the troops on -shore at daylight, the morning after our arrival, attracted the notice -of those on board on watch, and led to the supposition that an -engagement was about to take place. A messenger from my ever mindful -friend R——, the officer of the deck at the time, summoned me to witness -it; and for an hour, with other officers of the ship, I gazed through a -glass upon what seemed a spirited conflict, between the outside and -inside forces. We learned afterwards, however, that it was only a sham -battle between different parties of the French troops, and the -Montevidean soldiery, composed of a foreign legion of Basques and -Italians, and a native regiment of negroes. So far as the effect upon -the eye, and, under our misapprehension, upon the heart was concerned, -there was, in the manœuvres of the battle field—the rapid charge, the -roar of cannon, the sharp rattle of musketry, and the flying through the -air and the bursting of shells—much of the reality of an actual -engagement. - -Poor Montevideo, for nearly a half century past, has been singularly -ill-fated, even for a South American city. The greater part of that -period, it has been the victim of calamitous wars, either foreign or -civil. In 1807, while yet a colonial dependency of Spain, it was -besieged, bombarded, and carried by storm by the English, under Sir -Samuel Achmuty. After the inglorious defeat of Gen. Whithead at Buenos -Ayres in 1808, and the consequent expulsion of the British from the -Plata, as a colonial city faithful to the crown of Spain it was besieged -from 1810 to 1814, and eventually made to capitulate to the troops of -the then revolted and republican province of Buenos Ayres. Shortly -afterwards, the republican forces being withdrawn, it fell into the -hands of the bandit Artigas, a native chieftain, so lawless and -marauding in his rule at home, and in his depredations on the adjoining -frontiers of Brazil, as to give just cause for invasion by the -Portuguese of that kingdom, who gained possession of the city in 1817. - -This occupation of the place led to a warfare of more than ten years, -between the royalists of Brazil, and the republicans of Buenos Ayres, -the chief disasters of which centred in Montevideo; till, in 1829, -through the intervention of England, a peace was effected, by the -withdrawal, by both parties, of all claim to the territory in -dispute—known then by the name of the Banda Oriental—on condition that -it should constitute an independent Republic, to be called Uruguay, -after the great river which forms the western boundary between it and -the Argentine States. - -From that period till the year 1842, the territory enjoyed peace. Under -a constitutional government, with a president, ministry, judiciary, and -legislature of two houses, both city and country had great prosperity. -The population of the city increased rapidly from fifteen to fifty -thousand, and that of the state to two hundred and fifty thousand. The -exports in a few years amounted to six millions of dollars, and the -imports to five millions. Fortunes were readily accumulated; fine -buildings in great numbers were erected within the city; and beautiful -country houses, with tasteful and luxurious surroundings, spread over -the environs without. Poverty and want were unknown, and the evil days -seemed entirely past. But the civil war, into which the republic was -plunged by Oribe, soon produced a sad change. The invading Argentines -speedily devastated the entire country, and by the wanton destruction of -vast herds of horses and cattle—the chief sources of its wealth and -commerce in hides, jerked beef, and tallow—and the plunder of their -estancias or farms, paralyzed the enterprise of the inhabitants, and -forced them to emigrate; while the close siege of the town, intercepting -all supplies for support and all means of commerce, at once sapped the -sources of its prosperity, and drove the citizens by tens of thousands -elsewhere for maintenance and life. The result upon the wealth and -population of the port may be readily imagined. I do not recollect ever -before to have been so deeply impressed with the desolateness of any -place as on first landing here, and on taking a stroll through its -streets, and the limited suburbs within the lines of defence. The mole, -once alive with busy commerce, was as deserted and silent as a -churchyard; and excepting at Pompeii, I never wandered through streets -which seemed to be more truly those of a city of the dead. - -This impression, however, I afterwards discovered to be in some degree -deceptive, owing, partly, to the hour of the day; that for the universal -siesta. Scarcely an individual was to be seen anywhere. With screened -windows and closed doors, the inhabitants, young and old, rich and poor, -were yielding themselves to the insinuating influences of the dolce far -niente, or to the more oblivious indulgences of sound sleep. It is now -midsummer here; the day was hot, for this latitude, and every thing in a -state of Spanish repose customary in such weather, after an early -dinner. The dilapidation and decay on every side, the manifest poverty, -and the seemingly utter desertion of dwelling after dwelling, through -whole streets, were so saddening and oppressive, that, for the time, I -felt that I would never wish to visit the shore again. As to the suburbs -without the walls, excavated Pompeii itself is scarcely more a region of -ruin and desolation. - -An hour at the American consulate afterwards—where our party received -the most frank and hospitable welcome from Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton and -family; an application there within fifteen minutes, for my official -services from a stranger in the marriage ceremony—showing that bad as -the state of things in Montevideo is, the voice of the bride and of the -bridegroom is still to be heard in her streets—with other assurances of -a better state in general than I had been led to infer, changed in some -degree the current of my sympathies. Still, however deceptive the first -impressions on landing may have been, there is too much reality in the -wretchedness to which hundreds and thousands of the inhabitants are -reduced, to allow them to be at once dispelled. - -The city is finely situated upon a peninsula of granite, which, in its -form, has been compared, not inaptly, to the shape of a tortoise’s back: -an area a half mile square descending gradually on three sides, from a -central height of a hundred feet or more, to the level of the -surrounding water. This, though only a river, is seemingly a sea; for, a -hundred miles in width, it presents a horizon on the south as boundless -as the ocean. Like most towns of Spanish origin, the streets are -rectangular, with an open square or plaza in the centre, on which stand -the principal church and the cabildo, or town hall and prison. It is -well built. Many of the private residences are spacious, and the -principal public buildings, the cathedral, and an unfinished hospital, -are rather imposing in their architecture. From long disuse the streets -are in many places tufted with grass, and in others, the pavements are -so torn up and broken as to be impassable with wheels. - -One redeeming fact, in regard to the general want of interest in the -place, has very unexpectedly presented itself to me personally, in an -invitation from the standing committee of the British Episcopal Church, -to officiate for them in public worship on the Sabbath. This I have -already done, and shall continue to do whenever the Congress shall be in -the Plata. The English government, with commendable interest for the -spiritual good of its subjects abroad, makes a liberal provision, under -certain conditions, for the maintenance of the ministry and its -ordinances where they may be. Its chief embassies in foreign lands are -furnished with regular chaplains; and, wherever British subjects abroad -contribute to a fund for the ministrations of the Gospel among them, the -same amount, to a specified limit—four hundred pounds is the maximum, I -believe—is allowed by act of parliament for the same object. - -Eight or ten years ago, Samuel Lafone, Esq., a principal English -merchant here, and a chief capitalist and landed proprietor in the -Uruguay, secured from the authorities the privilege of erecting a chapel -for Protestant worship. The site of an elevated circular bastion, -overlooking the rocky shores of the river, on the south side of the -town, was chosen for the purpose, and purchased by him. Upon this, at a -cost of forty-five or fifty thousand dollars, he erected a fine edifice -in Grecian architecture. It is of brick, stuccoed, and painted in -imitation of Portland stone, and is ornamented in the front by a well -proportioned pediment, supported by four lofty Doric columns, and -altogether is one of the most conspicuous architectural ornaments of the -city. The interior is spacious and lofty, the wood-work—the pews, -chancel-railing, the reading desk, pulpit, and organ-loft—being of solid -mahogany, and is capable of accommodating an audience of several -hundreds. When completed, Mr. Lafone made an unconditional gift of it to -the British community resident here. These joined by the few Americans -engaged in commerce, raised a fund sufficient, with the governmental -gratuity, for the comfortable support of a rector. The Rev. Mr. -Armstrong officiated for several years in that capacity, and till ill -health obliged him and his family, not long since, to seek a different -climate. The Rev. Mr. Lenhart of the Methodist Church, my predecessor as -chaplain of the American squadron on this station, was invited by the -standing committee to occupy the pulpit thus left vacant: and now, with -equal ecclesiastic liberality, on the part of the committee and church, -I am invested with a like temporary rectorship. - -It is customary to have but one service on the Sabbath. This takes place -at one o’clock, the earliest hour practicable for me to be on shore, -after the discharge of my official duties on board the Congress. - -The interruptions to commerce, and the disasters attending the long -siege, have reduced the Protestant residents of Montevideo comparatively -to a mere handful, and the usual audience composed of English, Scotch -and American worshippers, male and female, numbers only from sixty to -eighty persons. Still it is a privilege to minister in holy things, even -to so small an assemblage, with ‘none to hurt or make afraid’ amidst a -people once wholly given to superstition and bigotry, and to witness a -depth of interest and solemnity of devotion characteristic of spiritual -Christianity. I have already been called to officiate at two marriages, -and have twice administered the ordinance of baptism. Thus, though a -Presbyterian of the ‘straightest sect,’ I feel it not only a privilege -and happiness, but a duty, under the circumstances, to follow the -prescribed ritual of the English prayer-book in worship, and—in surplice -and bands—to pray statedly, not only “for all in authority,” but -specifically, for “the most gracious Lady the Queen Victoria, His Royal -Highness Prince Albert, Albert, Prince of Wales, and all the royal -family.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - - BUENOS AYRES. - -_February 21st._—I am unexpectedly in Buenos Ayres, having accompanied -Commodore McKeever in an official visit to General Rosas, the sagacious -but unscrupulous despot of the Argentine Confederation. - -The distance from Montevideo is about a hundred miles due west. The -intervening navigation is rendered intricate by sand banks and shoals, -and the general shallowness of the river; and, for the last forty miles, -is impracticable for a frigate. In making the trip, therefore, the broad -pennant of the Congress was transferred to the sloop-of-war St. Louis, -on board which the commodore and his party became, for the passage, the -guests of her commander, Captain Cock. The U.S. Brig Bainbridge, Lieut. -Manning, accompanied the flag. - -We left Montevideo on the evening of the 18th inst. The run is usually -made in a night, but the wind being light, the current strong, and the -St. Louis not in sailing trim, we did not reach the outer roadstead here -till the morning of the 20th. The passage was pleasant. Though it is -midsummer, the temperature is cool and bracing, with clear skies and a -brilliant atmosphere, remarkable for the magnificence of its coloring -along the horizon, at sunrise and sunset. There is, too, a full moon at -present; and though the river from mid-channel is often seemingly -shoreless, and its waters of the veritable mud-puddle hue, the scene -from the deck of the St. Louis, both by night and by day, was not -without attractions: especially in the companionship of the Bainbridge. -This is a beautiful little craft; and was as buoyant and graceful on the -waters as a bird in the air, as with greatly reduced sail, to avoid -passing us by her superior speed, she at times fell far behind, and then -again, with newly spread wings, rushed forward closely in our wake. -Various other sail were in sight, at greater or less distances, some -ascending and some descending the river, with no little display of -nautical evolution, in making the best of their way. - -Early yesterday morning, Buenos Ayres was in sight, at a distance of ten -or twelve miles; gleaming showily in the sun, from the whiteness of the -general architecture, and the number of its lofty and finely -proportioned domes and church towers. It is situated on a bluff, which -extends along the river a couple of miles, and rises at the highest -point eighty or a hundred feet above its level. At the distance, -however, from which we first saw the city, this formation of the shore -was scarcely perceptible: it seemed to be resting, like Venice, upon the -water, while a tufting of tree-tops, in long stretches on either side, -showed the general flatness of the surrounding country. The river is -here twenty-five miles wide, and its northern shores, equally low as the -southern, are not ordinarily visible. But for the smoothness of the -water, and its muddy hue, we might have thought ourselves still upon the -open sea. - -A first surprise is the very great distance from the city—five, six, and -nine miles—at which vessels of moderate tonnage even, are obliged, in -the midst of such an expanse of waters, to come to anchor. A long shoal -stretches out thus far in front of the city, preventing nearer approach, -except by vessels of light draught. When the water is high, such can -cross the shoal, and, at other times, find a channel by a circuitous -route to an inner roadstead, where there is anchorage for vessels of -different draught, respectively, one, two, and three miles from the -landing. In the outer roadstead, for a distance of miles, tall masts -rose above the waters like steeples on a populous plain, while quite a -fleet of small vessels was lying three miles within. The St. Louis came -to, six miles or more from the city; and, after an exchange of salutes -with the flag of Buenos Ayres, and those of France and Sardinia, borne -by ships-of-war of these respective nations near us, we left her in a -procession of small boats. - -The formation of the shore in front of the city, and for a considerable -distance above and below it, is a flat tufa rock which extends -irregularly, far out upon the sands. Its surface is fretted and broken, -and, when the water is low, boats cannot approach the landing nearer -than from a quarter to a half mile. At such times the intermediate -distance is made in strongly-constructed, high-wheeled carts, drawn by -two horses, one of which is mounted by a wild-looking postilion. These -carts, like hacks at home, are in attendance in great numbers, for the -transportation of passengers and freight from the boats to the shore; -and often present a scene of strife and rivalry in the water, between -the drivers, similar to those witnessed in the rush of carriages, the -brandishing of whips, and the exercise of lungs at a pier in New York, -on the arrival of a steamer. It seemed now to be high water, and we were -apprehensive that we should miss this novel mode of debarkation, and -thus lose, for the time, a spectacle characteristic of the place. Our -fears were unfounded, however; for soon, a cocked hat of portentous -dimensions, with other insignia of official and military dignity in the -wearer—himself of no ordinary dimensions in height or rotundity—was seen -rising above the water. It was that of Don Pedro Ximenes, the captain of -the port, who had been deputized by his imperious master to receive the -commodore; and was patiently waiting in a cart, far out in the stream, -the approach of the barge. Mr. Graham of Ohio, the American Consul, was -also in attendance. The floor of the clumsy, high-sided vehicle, was -scarcely above the surface of the water, as we rowed ‘handsomely’ -alongside its open back, and stepping aboard, were transferred from the -protecting shadow of the broad pennant, to that of Don Pedro’s cocked -hat. In this novel reception-room, the ceremonies of an official -introduction took place; and we were soon plunging and tumbling through -the splashing waters—a wheel on either side rolling, first up and then -down, over the rough tufa bottom—with an artistic lashing of whip and -vociferation by the postilion, till, backed up, according to custom, in -coal-cart style, we were dumped on an inclined plane descending ten or -twelve feet from the Alameda, or public walk in front of the city, to -the water. - -A large crowd had gathered to witness the arrival—foreign merchants and -native citizens, soldiers, sailors, porters, peons and boatmen. In the -number, were many in the demi-savage dress of gauchos—the peasants of -the country. This is picturesque and showy; and, with many other things -which met the sight, gave promise of a more novel field for observation -than we had yet lighted on. A glaring red coach, something of the -dimension and style of those employed by hotels in New York, in -conveying guests to and from the steamboats and railroad stations, was -in waiting, by order of the government, and quickly conveyed the -commodore to the Hotel de Provence, in an adjoining street. Rooms had -been secured for us there, and a hospitable welcome was extended to the -party, including Captain Cock, to the mess-table of a private club, -consisting of Mr. Harris of Virginia, American chargé d’affaires to the -Argentine Confederation; Mr. Graham, American Consul, Count Frolich, -Swedish Consul-general; and two or three American gentlemen, connected -here with the principal mercantile houses engaged in the South American -trade. - -Every thing in the general aspect of the city is Spanish: with the -addition to the universal whitewash on all that is stone, of an equally -universal display of red on all that is wood or iron. This color of -blood has been for twenty years the prescribed signs of adhesion to the -remarkable man who maintains here an undisputed reign of terror: hence -the red waistcoats, red hatbands, red breast-knots, universally seen—the -red doors, red window-frames, red bases to the houses, red lamp-posts, -red carts, red railings, and red fixtures on every thing. - -The place is subject, at all seasons of the year, to occasional high -winds of two or three days’ continuance. Then the tumultuous seas which -roll over the shallow bed of the river cut off all communication between -the shipping and the shore; and the city and its suburbs are filled with -driving dust. Weather of this character set in yesterday, shortly after -we landed, and has kept us housed much of the time since, principally at -the reading rooms of a club, where we were introduced, and where we -found files of the American and European papers, and the latest -magazines. - -This evening, notwithstanding the wind, Mr. D—— of New York, one of the -mess at the Provence, took me a drive in his tilbury. Our route was -westward, along the course of the river, in the direction of Palermo de -San Benito, the quinta, or country seat of Rosas. Policy—by such -demonstration of courtly attention to the supreme chief—as well as -pleasure, leads all who drive or ride, to take that direction; and as we -descended from the heights of the town, through the Alameda fronting the -river, to the road along its banks, the whirl of carriages and gigs, and -the prancing and galloping of gay riders on horseback, was quite -metropolitan. The speed of all was very much that of Gilpin—the females -being mounted in the in-door costume of short dresses, bare arms, bare -necks and bare heads: with the exception, in some cases, of the partial -covering of a silk handkerchief on the head, tied under the chin. I saw -none in the hat and habit worn in England and America, though doubtless -in a city where foreign fashions are so extensively introduced, these -have been adopted, to some extent at least, by the higher classes. - -On gaining the level of the beach, the road passes over a flat and -marshy common, without any enclosure of fence or hedge on either side. -Here, by the river’s side on the right, was presented, for a mile and -more, a striking spectacle, in hundreds after hundreds—I had almost -said thousands of negro washerwomen, indescribable in their -costumes—scrubbing, beating, slapping, rinsing, and bleaching ten -thousand articles of clothing. It is a natural laundry, to which the -soiled linen of the whole city is brought for cleansing. The soft rock -of the shores is filled with holes, some natural and others -artificial, which, on every flow of the tide, are filled with fresh -water. These are converted into wash-tubs, and, after being used, are -left to be emptied of the suds by the next flood, and to be refilled -with clean water by its ebb. Each washerwoman has her own little -reservoir of this kind, to which she gains the exclusive right, by the -payment of a small fee to the government. The wind was blowing a half -gale, lashing the river into foam, and dashing the spray far on the -shore; while clouds of dust on the land were driven before it, like -drifting snow in a winter’s storm at home. When on our way back the -whole company, spread along the banks for a mile or more, were -preparing to return to the city; and such a Babel, in the varied -intonations and chatter, the laugh and the wrangle, the shout and the -jeer, I scarcely recollect to have heard; while the oddity of the -packages and bundles, the trays and baskets, borne on their heads, the -endless form and color of the rags and tatters they wore—their old -hats and old shoes, presented a scene grotesque beyond description. - -Another novel scene was vast numbers of the lofty, cumbrous, reed-sided -and hide-roofed carts of the pampas, arranged in a kind of camp on -either side of the road. They are “the ships of the desert” here, by -which the whole produce of the interior, for hundreds of miles, is -brought to the market, and by which the returns of foreign import are -carried to the remotest districts of the Confederation. They constitute -the only habitations and homes of their owners and their families: bear -with them all the household furniture and worldly goods of these; and, -in addition, often have lashed to their tops or under their axles the -trunk and branches of a tree, for wood with which to prepare, whenever a -halt is made, the indispensable maté, or native tea. Their wheels are -from six to eight feet in diameter, and their covered tops rise fifteen -feet from the ground. They are long and narrow, of most heavy and clumsy -construction, with tongues of rough-hewn timber, each in itself a load -for a beast. They are drawn by oxen, attached by ropes of hide, in any -number of pairs requisite for the draught. As means of transportation, -they correspond well in their massive clumsiness and ponderous weight -with the elephant of India, or the burden-bearing camel of Egypt and -Turkey: and as they move in long lines over pampas of almost unlimited -extent, form a feature not less striking, and not less in harmony with -the surrounding scene, than the caravan in the deserts of Arabia, or the -elephant on the plains of Bengal. - -_February 24th._—On Washington’s birthday, the 22d inst., Mr. Harris, -the American chargé d’affaires, gave a banquet to Commodore McKeever, -and others of his fellow countrymen, visitors and residents in the city. -The evening of the same day had been appointed for the reception of the -commodore by “the governor,” as Rosas is here styled. A -government-house, covering the area of half a square, in the centre of -the city, has recently been completed by the chieftain. It encloses -quadrangle after quadrangle of spacious and elegantly furnished -apartments, but is visited only occasionally by him for a few brief -hours, at uncertain times. His chosen, and, indeed, only residence, -properly so called, is the palatial quinta, or country-house of Palermo -de San Benito, situated in the midst of an extensive domain, on the -banks of the Plata, three or four miles west of the city. I most readily -accepted an invitation to be of the party, glad to avail myself of the -opportunity for a sight of the tiger in his den. Pardon the figure, but -I have heard so much of his bloody ferocity in subduing the people to -his abject rule, that no other will so well express my sense of his -nature, and of the mysterious and guarded retirement of his present -life: an unchained monster, in the security of a well-protected lair. -The prospect of the interview revived in fresh force all I had ever -heard and read of his atrocious deeds; and the anticipation of being in -his presence, was not without the superstitious feeling of being exposed -by it to the hazard of the “evil eye.” There was no certainty, however, -notwithstanding the appointment, that an interview with him would take -place. He is so arbitrary and so capricious in his imperious rule, as to -pay little regard to the ordinary civilities of life; and makes not only -his own ministers and people abide his whims and pleasure, but -diplomatic agents and foreign ambassadors also, are often obliged to -dance attendance by the hour in his ante-rooms, without an audience, if -such be his will. In the exercise of this despotic habit, however, one -redeeming, and—socially, if not diplomatically—compensating indulgence -is ever granted to such persons: the presence and smiles, the spirited -conversation and the winning grace and manner of his accomplished -daughter, the Doña Manuelita de Rosas. Of a reception by her we were -sure. - -We set off at a sufficiently early hour to allow time for a view of the -grounds of Palermo before nightfall; and followed the same route I had -taken with Mr. D——. At the distance of a mile from the city, after -having crossed the common along the beach, we entered a broad and -straight macadamized avenue, scientifically constructed, and in fine -order. It is enclosed on either side by a neat iron railing, and is -bordered with plantations of willow, and furnished with handsome -lamp-posts and lamps for the night. It is a public road, constructed by -Rosas: commencing at Palermo and to be extended to the city, and is -still in progress. At the end of a mile and a half, a similar, but more -beautiful avenue branches from this, and forms the private entrance to -the domain, leading directly in front of the palace-like domicil of the -Dictator. It is a half mile in length, is lined with orange trees in -addition to the willows; and, besides these, is separated from the -public road which runs parallel with it, by a broad and deep canal of -brick-work. This private road is formed of sea-shell, and is as white -and hard as so much marble. All dust is kept down by the sprinkling of -water; while the sward on either side, clipt with the care of an English -lawn, through the same means is ever in living freshness. The orange -trees are nurtured with great care, and are frequently washed with brush -and soap-suds, leaf by leaf, by persons in charge of them. As we passed, -numerous peons, in the gay and picturesque dress of the country, were -seen engaged in this process on a kind of step ladder, by which access -was had to every part of each tree. Equal care is taken of them in the -winter season, by enclosing each in a temporary house, to guard against -the effect of frost. A nearer approach brought us to a cantonment of -soldiers, consisting of a village of regularly disposed brick huts, of -uniform construction. A park of artillery was near by, and clusters of -soldiers in scarlet _ponchos_ and petticoat-like _chiripas_ were grouped -on every side. These multiplied in number to the very doors of the -villa. - -The first impression, as we drove rapidly through this imagery, was -striking and peculiar: the picture, in its still life, was one of high -civilization and princely expenditure not anticipated; but one, strongly -marked in all that gave animation to it, with evidences of a demi-savage -state. But for these—the Indian-like costume, the dark and wild -countenances, and the savage knives seen sticking in the belts of the -soldiers and peons—one might almost have believed himself on the shores -of the Zuyder Zee: so dead is the level of the ground; while the broad -and deep canals of finished workmanship, the artificial lakelets, -aquatic plants and water-fowl, the gay parterres and embanked terraces, -presented imagery answering well to a scene in Holland. Every thing, -too, was in straight lines; roads, canals, plantations, and the villa -itself. This is a parallelogram, having a rectangular pavilion -projecting from each angle. It stands on one corner of two intersecting -avenues, presenting a façade of two hundred and sixty feet front and -rear, by one of two hundred and fifty on either side. It is one story in -height, and the architecture throughout uniform. A wide corridor, -supported by heavy arches, runs around the whole. All the apartments -open by doors and French windows upon this, as well as upon a -quadrangular court within. The roof is flat, and is surrounded by an -iron balustrade, ornamented at regular and short intervals by a kind of -demi-turret, having the effect of a like number of chimneys, a purpose -to which many of them are, in fact, appropriated. The preparations for -the reception, in a guard of honor, to present arms as the commodore -should alight, were not at the principal front, but at the farthest -angle of the most western pavilion, on the garden front. We thus passed -two sides of the structure before being set down. We were then conducted -through a spacious saloon of state, to the corridor or arcade on the -east end of the building, again through the length of this to the -extreme eastern pavilion on the front, past which we had first -driven—thus making the circuit of the entire establishment, before being -ushered into the private drawing-room of Doña Manuelita. We found her -standing here with two female companions in waiting, and were received -with the cordiality and affability of long acquaintance. - -This daughter of “the governor” is probably the most remarkable woman in -South America: certainly so, as the impersonation of a government, which -she confessedly is, and the only visible agent of its influence and -power. Rosas himself, in his official position, is a kind of invisible -personage—never, on any occasion, or under any circumstances, making his -appearance publicly. It is said there are thousands of people in Buenos -Ayres who have never seen him. A sight of him may often be caught in his -grounds, superintending a gang of workmen, or perhaps witnessing the -punishment, even to death, of a soldier, or some victim who is -suffering, justly or unjustly, the penalty of the law or of his -displeasure. He may be seen, too, at times, talking and jesting with the -fishermen along the shore of the river on his domain, or driving -Jehu-like, in the dead of the night, from Palermo to the city, or from -the city to Palermo: it being his habit, from motives of policy, to make -his appearance suddenly, at an hour, and under circumstances least to be -expected; but never in public, in his appropriate place as chief -magistrate and head of the people. On all public occasions, and in all -public places, Manuelita alone appears as his representative; and as the -embodiment of his will and the channel of his favor, receives the homage -of sovereignty. While she acts no unimportant part in the negotiations -of diplomacy and in foreign affairs, she is, virtually, the minister -both of the “Interior” and of “Justice” in the government, tempering -with mercy, as far as in her power, every act of oppression, and -diffusing, in name at least, a semblance of benevolence wherever her -influence reaches. Four hours of each morning are appropriated by her, -to the receipt of petitions, the hearing of individual grievances and -applications for redress. For this object, a bureau with a regular set -of secretaries is established, where records are made of all cases -brought before her, for her own decision, or for the intervention of her -influence with her father. As may be rightly inferred from these facts, -she is a woman of talent and judgment, and of infinite tact. Her age is -thirty-five. She is of good height and fine figure, has regular and good -features, black hair and eyes, with a beaming and benignant expression, -and in complexion is a Spanish brunette. Her manners are graceful and -winning, her conversation animated and playful, with a word of -complaisance and a smile of kindness to all who approach, and are around -her. Though a polished and elegant woman, she affects nothing of the -stately dignity and lofty bearing of some of the aristocratic and -high-bred whom I have seen—but has the easy, self-possessed, frank and -cordial air, often met in every-day society. She is said to be -exceedingly popular, and to be sincerely beloved by the people: as well -she may be, if she does, indeed, exert the immense influence for good, -which is reported of, and claimed by her friends for her, in softening, -by acts of clemency and womanly mercy, the iron rule of her father. - -Scarlet, or the veritable blood-tint, is the prescribed color of the -government, and the silent, though exacted pledge of allegiance to the -chief in power. Every man and boy under his rule, must don at all times -the scarlet waistcoat, scarlet hatband, and the scarlet breast-ribbon, -stamped with the motto of death to his political opponents. Women and -girls, also, of every rank and all ages, must exhibit the scarlet ribbon -in their hair or head-dress. It was no surprise, therefore, to see the -Doña and her ladies, on a hot evening in midsummer, arrayed in scarlet -silk bareges of large plaid, over under-dresses of white, with the -scarlet ribbon and its savage motto, streaming among the tresses of -their black hair. The predominating hue of the reception room—in the -hangings of the walls, the draperies of the windows, and the carpet, was -of the same color. This apartment is lofty and spacious. A grand piano -and harp were conspicuous among its furniture. - -The usual apology was made,—the pressure of important business—for the -delay in the appearance of the governor, with the gracious assurance, -however, that he would give audience to the commodore; and it was -proposed, in the mean time, to take a view of the grounds, before -nightfall. This we did, under the guidance of the sprightly and -accomplished mistress of ceremonies and her ladies. They are very -extensive, in a perfection of order, and in many respects novel and -striking; but are too full of straight lines for beauty and artistic -effect. The whole domain is a dead level—a swamp redeemed by draining -and embankments from the overflowings of the river, and the quagmires of -a marsh. The sums expended in transforming it into a paradise, compared -with every thing around, are beyond all estimate; and make the place, at -least in the outlay of money and labor, the most princely estate in -either North or South America. The predominating growth in trees is the -willow, imparting to the whole a sombre aspect; but the flower-gardens -and shrubberies are brilliant in the display of colors, and sweet in the -variety and richness of their perfume. A paved court extends along the -arcades around the whole building. On the two sides communicating with -the lawns, this court is enclosed by parterres of choice flowers, -elevated three or four feet upon walls, and ornamented at regular -distances by classically modelled urns and vases, also crowned and -festooned with floral beauty. The effect of both is ornamental and -pretty. - -A rustic arbor with a dome-shaped top, overrun with clustering roses, -woodbine, and sweetbrier, and encircled with busts in marble on -pedestals, and one or two full-length figures in plaster, was specially -commended to our notice, as the favorite retreat of Doña Manuelita. Not -far from it, on the lawn, is a humble whitewashed cottage—the first -domicil of Rosas on taking possession of the estate. It is scarcely -superior, in its aspect and accommodations, to the rancho of a common -peon: but is retained in its original state as a memento of the past, or -possibly for contrast with the courtly splendor of the present -establishment. - -Some years ago, an American brigantine, at anchor in the river, was -driven by a violent storm and flood, high and dry into the woods of -Palermo. Its restoration to the water was impracticable. She was still -stanch and uninjured, both in hull and spars, and Rosas, in place of -permitting her to be broken up for the sale of the material, purchased -the craft with the purpose of converting her, as she stood, into a -pavilion of pleasure. Brought to an even keel, she was substantially -underpinned; and thus firmly moored, and, remodelled between decks into -a dancing saloon and refreshment rooms, is a favorite place for the -entertainment of select parties in summer. It is situated a half mile -from the house, and our walk extended to it. - -As we returned to the quinta, the shades of the evening were beginning -to fall. Two of the pavilions mentioned as being attached to the angles -of the main building—those on the garden front—are unenclosed by walls, -each forming an open saloon, furnished with ranges of crimson sofas, on -which beneath the protecting roof, the cool of the evening may be -enjoyed with uninterrupted views on every side. Into the most retired of -these we were now conducted; and, while standing in a group in the -centre, with our faces directed to the lawn and shrubbery, I perceived a -figure stealthily approaching from behind, without the warning even of a -footfall, till a little pliant riding-whip of polished whalebone, -mounted with red coral, was playfully tapped on the bare shoulder of the -Doña. Turning suddenly, as if in surprise, she exclaimed in a tone of -pleasure and affection—“Tatita!” a diminutive of fondness by which she -addresses and speaks of her father; and following her example in a -change of position, we found ourselves in the presence of the far-famed -Ruler. Though the place and circumstances of our presentation were -seemingly thus accidental, both doubtless were of previous arrangement, -to give greater informality to the audience. Rosas is now a thick-set, -portly man of sixty, of medium height, with finely marked and well -chiselled features, and of florid complexion. In youth and middle age he -is said to have been remarkably handsome. The feature which first and -most deeply arrested my attention was a piercing, restless, fiery eye of -grayish blue. Whether from previous prejudice or not, to me its -expression seemed singularly devoid of ingenuousness and -benignity—indeed, to be positively sinister and tiger-like. His dress -was a round-jacket of dark blue, with small military buttons; the -inevitable scarlet waistcoat, ribbon, and motto; and an undress military -cap, with the visor drawn low over his eyebrows. His manner and address -were common-place and familiar, without any mingling of the dignity of -the Spanish Hidalgo in high position. - -After an interchange of salutations, and some brief conversation on -indifferent topics, he led the way, with Commodore McKeever by his side, -through the long, intervening arcade to the drawing room in the front -pavilion, in which we had first been received. Here, seated in an angle -of the lofty apartment, with the leading gentlemen of our party on his -right, and his daughter and her ladies on the left, he at once took the -lead in conversation, running loquaciously from subject to subject of -trifling importance, and often interlarding his statements and opinions -with low anecdote and vulgar details, unfit “for ears polite,” much less -for the hearing of women of delicacy and refinement. - -So full of conversation was he, and seemingly so anxious to please, that -our stay was prolonged beyond all expectation; and we were disappointed -in the pleasure of an evening with Mr. and Mrs. C——, whose country-seat -lies between Palermo and the city. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - - BUENOS AYRES. - -_February 25th._—The Argentine confederation, composed originally of -thirteen states, joined together in compact, but not by constitution, -under the style of the United Provinces of La Plata, has become -practically consolidated and merged in the State of Buenos Ayres. Being -the only province possessed of a sea-port, and enjoying an extended -commerce, she was encharged by the others with the management of the -foreign relations of the confederacy. This naturally made her the -controlling power; she increased while the rest decreased. The result -was a division of the people of the provinces into two parties, and -speedy conflict and anarchy. At this juncture Rosas raised his standard, -and subdued the whole to his sway; and though nominally only governor of -the city and province of Buenos Ayres, encharged with the sole -ministration of the foreign affairs of the confederacy, he is, in fact, -the despotic ruler of the whole. - -He is the most remarkable chieftain in South America; possessing all the -elements of character essential to the successful despot: firmness, -energy, shrewdness, subtlety, unscrupulous purpose, and unfaltering -cruelty. Sprung from a Spanish family of respectability in Buenos Ayres, -the recklessness of his early youth led to his removal by them to what -is here termed the “Camp”—the open country of the pampas, over which are -scattered the estancias, or estates of landed proprietors, for the -raising of cattle, sheep, and horses. Here, among the gauchos, or -demi-savage peasants of the interior, he was made an overseer by a -wealthy relative in Buenos Ayres. Adopting the usages and habits of -savage life of the people, he became, in the course of years, thoroughly -a gaucho; and distinguished himself by the control he acquired over his -associates, and over the scarcely more untamed Indians of the southern -territory. He excelled in all the personal qualities and feats of skill -most prized by them, and gained their unlimited favor. The reputation -thus established, first called the attention of partisan leaders in the -confederacy to him; and secured for him, as early as 1820, from the -party in power the appointment of colonel of the militia of the southern -frontier. In this position he gained additional reputation and new -popularity; till, fired with ambition, he began in 1829 to lay the -foundations for the despotism which he has since exercised. Having -secured the favor of the good among the people, by the evidences he had -given of a power to win the confidence and to control the will of the -wild men around him, he is charged with the determination of gaining -that of the evil, by making his camp the sanctuary of every class of -criminals; and thus surrounding himself—with the deliberate purpose of -making the use of them he afterwards did—by an organized band of -assassins. Whether this be true or not, it is an undoubted fact that, -after being placed at the head of the government, he soon put an end to -all hazard of rivalry in power, by processes of bloodshed and -assassination through such minions of his favor, almost beyond belief. -Volumes might be written, as volumes already have been, upon the -tragedies with which, from time to time in his early rule, he startled -and terrified the community, till every one was brought to the -subjection of abject fear: all this, too, under the pretence and -plausible plea of sustaining the law and securing public quietude and -order. - -The justification which he himself pleads, for acts of cruelty which are -admitted, is that “the Argentines can only be governed with the knife at -their throats;” and the highest vindication of his character which I -have heard from some foreigners, who do not believe in the extent of the -atrocities with which he is charged, and are disposed even to admire him -as a man and a ruler, is that his faults are to be attributed to the -defects of his education and his habits as a gaucho—that he is but a -type of the people. This may be true; but what is the state and -character of the people—the gauchos of whom he is the type? The best -description I have seen of them, is in a pamphlet by the Chevalier de -St. Robert, a French gentleman, who visited the Plata officially. This -you may not be able to refer to, and I furnish the extract in point. - -He says: “There is nothing to be found in the Pampas—those immense -plains which extend over a space of more than seven hundred leagues, -from the extreme north to the extreme south of the Argentine -Confederation—but _estancias_, or farms, scattered here and there, which -form so many petty republics, isolated from the rest of the world, -living by themselves, and separated from each other by the desert. Alone -in the midst of those over whom he is a complete master, the -_estanciero_ is out of every kind of society whatsoever, with no other -law than that of force, with no other rules to guide him but those that -are self-imposed, and with no other motive to influence than his own -caprice. There is nothing to disturb his repose, nothing to dispute his -power, or interfere with his tranquillity, except the tiger that may -lurk about his grounds, or the wild Indian that may occasionally make a -hostile incursion on his domains. His children and his domestics, -_gauchos_ like himself pass the same sort of life; that is to say, -without ambition, without desires, and without any species of -agricultural labor. All they have to do is to mark and to kill, at -certain periods, the herds of oxen and flocks of sheep which constitute -the fortune of the estanciero, and that satisfy the wants of all. Purely -carnivorous, the gaucho’s only food consists of flesh and water—bread -and spirituous liquors are as much unknown to him as the simplest -elements of social life. - -“In a country in which the only wealth of the inhabitants arises from -the incessant destruction of innumerable herds and flocks, it can easily -be understood how their sanguinary occupation must tend to obliterate -every sentiment of pity, and induce an indifference to the perpetration -of acts of cruelty. The readiness to shed blood—a ferocity which is at -the same time obdurate and brutal—constitutes the prominent feature in -the character of the pure gaucho. The first instrument his infantile -hand grasps is the knife—the first things that attract his attention as -a child, are the pouring out of blood and the palpitating flesh of -animals. From his earliest years, as soon as he is able to walk, he is -taught how he may with the greatest skill approach the living beast, -hough it, and, if he has strength, kill it. Such are the sports of his -childhood: he pursues them ardently, and amid the approving smiles of -his family. As soon as he acquires sufficient strength, he takes part in -the labors of the estancia; they are the sole arts he has to study, and -he concentrates all his intellectual powers in mastering them. From that -time forth he arms himself with a large knife, and for a single moment -of his life he never parts with it. It is to his hand an additional -limb—he makes use of it always, in all cases, in every circumstance, and -constantly with wonderful skill and address. The same knife that in the -morning has been used to slaughter a bullock, or to kill a tiger, aids -him in the daytime to cut his dinner, and at night to carve out a skin -tent, or else to repair his saddle, or to mend his mandoline. - -“With the gaucho the knife is often used as an argument in support of -his opinions. In the midst of a conversation, apparently carried on in -amity, the formidable knife glitters on a sudden in the hands of one of -the speakers, the _ponchos_ are rolled around the left arm, and a -conflict commences. Soon deep gashes are seen on the face, the blood -gushes forth, and, not unfrequently, one of the combatants falls -lifeless to the earth; but no one thinks of interfering with the combat, -and when it is over, the conversation is resumed as if nothing -extraordinary had occurred. No person is disturbed by it—not even the -women, who remain as cold, unmoved spectators of the affray! It may -easily be surmised what sort of persons they must be, of which such a -scene is but a specimen of their domestic manners. - -“Thus the savage education of the estancia produces in the gaucho a -complete indifference as to human life, by familiarizing him from his -most tender years to the contemplation of a violent death, whether it is -that he inflicts it on another, or receives it himself. He lifts his -knife against a man with the same indifference that he strikes down a -bullock. The idea which everywhere else attaches to the crime of -homicide does not exist in his mind; for in slaying another, he yields -not less to habit than to the impulse of his wild and barbarous nature. -If perchance a murder of this kind is committed so close to a town that -there is reason to apprehend the pursuit of justice, every one is eager -to favor the flight of the guilty person. The fleetest horse is at his -service, and he departs, certain to find, wherever he goes, the favor -and sympathy of all. Then, with that marvellous instinct which is common -to all the savage races, he feels no hesitation in venturing into the -numerous plains of the pampas. Alone, in the midst of a boundless -desert, and in which the eye strains itself in vain to discover a -boundary, he advances without the slightest feeling of uneasiness: he -does so watching the course of the stars, listening to the winds, -discovering the cause of the slightest noise that reaches his ears, and -at length arrives at the place he sought, without even straying from it, -for a moment. The _lasso_ which is rolled around his horse’s neck; the -_bolas_ suspended from his saddle, and the inseparable knife, suffice to -insure him food, and to secure him against every danger, even against -the tiger. When he is hungry, he selects one out of the herds of beeves -that cover the plain, pursues it, lassos it, kills it, cuts out of it a -piece, of flesh, which he eats raw, or possibly cooks, and thus -refreshes himself for the journey of the following day. - -“If murder be a common incident in the life of a gaucho, it often also -becomes the means to him of emerging from obscurity, and of obtaining -renown among his associates. When he has rendered himself remarkable by -his audacity and address in single combats, companions gather round him, -and he soon finds himself at the head of a considerable party. He -‘commences a campaign,’ sets himself in open defiance of the laws, and -in a short time acquires a celebrity which rallies a crowd about him, -and makes him a chieftain.” Such are the people of whom Rosas is the -type, and such the processes, in a qualified degree at least, by which -he attained, and still holds his supremacy. - -Are you not afraid of your life even in Buenos Ayres? you will be ready -to ask, after reading such a description of the people who surround, and -have the military guardianship of the city. I reply, that there probably -is not a city in the civilized world, in which all, not suspected of -political or partisan offense, are more perfectly secure in life, limb, -and property. The police is perfect. The stranger and foreigner -especially, may move about the streets at any hour of the night, with -perfect impunity. Theft, robbery, and burglary are unheard of; and a -pocket-handkerchief or purse dropped in the street, if bearing any mark -which indicates its owner, will be sure to be returned to him, or -quickly be found in the keeping of the police. - -_February 26th._—The impressions made by Buenos Ayres in its external -aspect, are increasingly favorable. The plan of the town is rectangular, -like that of Philadelphia. Every street is of the same width, and every -square of the same dimensions. The streets are narrow, just wide enough -for two vehicles to pass each other, and the sidewalks comfortable only -for those moving in Indian file. In walking two abreast, or arm in arm, -there is a constant jostling against passers-by. In some parts of the -town the sidewalks are elevated two or three feet above the level of the -carriage-way. The city being a dead level, and the streets straight, -long vistas in them are every where commanded. Some of these are -striking, and where the domes and fine towers of the old Spanish -churches come in as leading features, are quite European. These stately -old structures are scattered about in various localities, and, with the -citadel on the highest rise of ground overlooking the river, are the -chief, if not the only sombre objects in the architecture of the place: -still retaining the natural color of the brick of which they are built, -or exhibiting time-stained surfaces of stone or stucco, and roofs -covered with moss, lichens, and grass. Till within a few years, the -houses were uniformly one story only in height. This is still the case -in many quarters, but in others, successive blocks and almost entire -streets are now composed of those of two stories. The general plan of -all is the same: the Spanish, or rather Moorish quadrangle, upon which -all the apartments open, with a cistern, and sometimes a fountain in the -centre. In many of the establishments of the wealthy, there are a -succession of these quadrangles. Filled with shrubbery and flowers, and -often ornamented by a fountain, the view from the street through them, -terminating not unfrequently in an assimilating scene in fresco against -a wall in the far perspective, is quite impressive in stage effect. The -custom of constantly applying fresh whitewash to buildings new and old, -gives to the whole city a clean and bright look. Here and there, -however, in almost every street, a quaint and antiquated building is -seen, contrasting with later structures, in the manner of the old Dutch -houses still remaining, a few years ago, in New York and Albany, with -those of modern date. These are a single story in height, with slanting, -instead of flat roofs, covered with tile. Over the central door, -however, there is a kind of demi-tower, furnished with a window and -projecting balcony, as a look-out and place of parley with an outsider -whose motive for demanding admittance might be questioned. In many cases -these look-outs are quite tasteful in their architecture, and pleasing -to the eye from the air they bear of the “olden time.” Lichens, -air-plants, and tufting grass clinging to the cornices and mouldings and -ornamented pinnacles, give to them a venerable, moustached, and bearded -aspect, that cannot fail to arrest the eye of the lover of the antique. - -Great improvements have been made of late years, both in the external -architecture and internal arrangements of private dwellings. Many of the -mansions recently erected would scarcely suffer, in point of richness -and elegance, by comparison with some of the most luxurious of the Fifth -Avenue in New York. This is especially true of one just being completed -by Gen. P——, the minister of war: though the lofty and massive -entrance-gates, in complicated and artistic patterns of cast-iron -bronzed, and the colonnades of Moorish arches surrounding its -quadrangular courts within, would not entirely harmonize with the -prevailing architecture of that street of palaces. - -Every house here is necessarily a castle, having its windows on the -street barred and grated, with portals not easily to be forced, and -parapets, upon the flat roof, capable of effective defence against -assailants below. Being without cellars or basement-rooms, the level of -the floors is elevated but little above that of the street, and as no -railing or area intervenes between the sidewalks and the large windows, -which descend to the floors, the interior of the room is as open to the -inspection of the passers by, as to the inmates themselves. In some -residences of wealth and taste, a vista of room after room in long -suites, richly furnished, is thus exposed to view. The apartments on the -street, with scarcely an exception, are reception and drawing-rooms; -and, in the afternoons and evenings, the promenaders in the street are -thus furnished with a succession of tableaux vivans of females—not -occupied as with us in conversation, or reading, or fancy work, or other -employments of leisure and taste, and grouped with husbands, and -fathers, and brothers, and sons, and other male friends—but seated in -formal rows, or in a semicircle around the windows, in a greater or less -degree of ‘full dress,’ with little interchange of conversation among -themselves, and evidently for the mere purpose of seeing and being seen. -Every thing in their dress and manner shows the studied purpose of -exciting admiration. These exhibitions, however, are only in hours of -costume. Till late in the day the ladies of the country in general are -invisible; very much in undress, lounging, and idling, and sipping -Paraguay tea through the silver tube of the maté cup. - -An American or Englishman cannot fail to be struck with the seemingly -slight intercourse of the male and female members of a family. The -latter are to all external appearance without husbands, fathers, -brothers, or sons. You meet them in numbers in the morning, going to and -returning from mass, followed by a servant or servants, but seldom, if -ever, attended by a male relative. The evening is a favorite time for -shopping, and the streets are often crowded in some sections, with -ladies thus engaged, but unattended by a gentleman in escort. And in the -hundreds of parlors and drawing-rooms into which I have looked in -passing, I do not recollect ever to have seen a gentleman, old or young, -in the groupings of a family circle. - -A week being the extent of the leave of absence which I feel willing to -take from my charge on board ship, and from the voluntary duty I have -assumed at the chapel in Montevideo; with the purpose of returning to -the Congress to-morrow, I gave therefore the mornings of yesterday and -to-day to calls in acknowledgment of the civilities from our -fellow-countrymen, and various foreign residents, in which, as one of -Commodore McKeever’s party, I have shared. In the course of these, I -accompanied the Commodore and Mr. G—— in a visit to the Conde de Bessi, -bishop of a diocese of unpronounceable name and unknown region, and -nuncio from the Pope to Rosas. The disregard which Rosas has shown in -ecclesiastical matters for the supremacy of the Pope, and the sacrilege, -in the view of the Romish Church, of some of his acts, led long ago to -his excommunication, and the withdrawal by the Papal States from all -diplomatic intercourse with him. The Conde de Bessi has recently -arrived, with overtures of reconciliation. Though every civility has -been paid to him in his official character, by the government, and a -house elegantly fitted and furnished been appropriated to his use, with -other marks of courtesy—carriages and horses at his service—he has not -yet been admitted to an audience, and, it is believed, will not be. The -preliminary to negotiation which the nuncio demands—the release of the -clergy from the obligation of wearing the red ribbon, stamped with the -motto of death to the political opponents of the dictator, which they -are forced to do, even while officiating at the altar—is one that will -not be accorded; and unless the legate yields on this point, he will -fail in his mission. - -Our visit being announced, we were ushered into the cabinet of his -excellency—first through a large and elegantly furnished saloon, and -then through a smaller apartment, fitted as a chapel with all the -appliances of Romish worship. The reception of our party by the count -was most courteous, and the conversation in French which ensued, -animated, and on his part, most complimentary to the United States, as -to her prosperity and her power. He appears to be about forty years of -age; is very plump and healthful, with little that is ascetic in look or -manner. He is very handsome, with a face as fresh and smooth and round -as that of a female, and an expression beaming with benignity and high -breeding. His voice and intonation are of the most silvery softness, and -his whole manner as feminine and polished as that of a duchess. Indeed, -so remarkably was this the case, that as I looked at him in his silken -robe of purple reaching to the heels, and with a cap of velvet on his -head, of corresponding color, I found it difficult to disabuse myself of -the impression that the interview was with one of the fair sex. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - - MONTEVIDEO. - -_May 30th._—Scarcely any duty in naval service can be more destitute of -interest, than such as the Congress is performing off Montevideo at the -present time. To the close investment of the city by land, a practical -blockade is added, from a decree of Rosas, by which every vessel -touching here on her way up the Plata is denied entry at Buenos Ayres. -The consequence is—there being little demand for imports and nothing to -export at Montevideo—that no vessel in the trade of the Plata comes into -the port except from necessity, and the arrivals are limited, for the -most part, to a man-of-war, occasionally, and the regular mail-steamer -from England, by the way of Rio de Janeiro, once each month. My -chaplaincy on board, and the additional service of worship each Sabbath -on shore, furnish the only variation in my duty; and an occasional row -or sail to the city for a walk or the visit of an hour, in a limited -circle of acquaintance, my only recreation. For opportunities of -visiting the shore I am indebted chiefly to the kindness of Commodore -McKeever: Captain McIntosh, so frequently the companion of my walks at -Rio, here scarcely ever leaves the ship. - -The recent arrival in which we were most interested was that of the U. -S. storeship Southampton. It brought Dr. C—— to the Congress as fleet -surgeon, in place of Dr. W——, who returned home invalided, shortly after -our arrival on the station. This loss to the medical corps of the ship -and to our mess was regretted. In the substitute furnished, we are -greatly favored. As a physician and surgeon Dr. C—— is worthy of all -confidence; and as a gentleman and Christian, carries with him -predominating influence. The value of such an accession to a naval -mess-table and to the associations of the gun-room of a man-of-war, can -scarcely be over-estimated. - -Another circumstance connected with the Southampton, in which we felt -great interest, proved less happy in the issue. The Congress, through a -mistake not discovered till she was at sea, left the United States -without a suitable library for the use of the crew. As soon as this was -known, I took measures to have one sent after us. This was shipped by -the Southampton and arrived safely here; but from an oversight of the -officer in charge, was carried again to sea by her, on proceeding to her -destination in the Pacific. The disappointment to the crew is great, and -only to be remedied by patiently waiting for the return of a fresh order -to the United States. - -My visits on shore are most unvarying in their character. Sometimes I -take a solitary stroll through the less public streets of the city; but -never without feelings of commiseration for the depressed and suffering -condition of the poorer classes. The pale and haggard faces of the -females, seen at the doors and windows, tell one story of privation and -want—of listless despondency and gloom. The extent and degree of -destitution, from the long suspension of all business, is fearful, among -those even who have been accustomed to independence, if not to affluence -and luxury. Among such, the poorest scraps that fall from the tables of -the more fortunate are most thankfully received; and any kind of -employment is eagerly sought. Females of the first respectability are -glad to be employed in making up linen in a most finished style, at a -half dollar a shirt, and at six and eight cents a collar. The -demoralization among all classes, in consequence of the pressure of -want, is very great, I am told, and of a character fatal to the purity -and self-respect of individuals and whole families. - -The only semblance of general cheerfulness observable, is in the daily -evening promenade to witness the relief of guard. This takes place at -the inner lines without the walls, every evening at sunset. During the -previous hour, in fine weather, hundreds of the better classes of the -citizens both foreigners and natives, in a greater or less display of -dress, may be seen issuing through the ancient gateway of the northern -wall, for the walk of a mile through the broad and straight street, -leading from it to a battery where the relief of guard takes place, and -to listen to the music of the bands with which this is accompanied. - -I have mentioned the presence here of fifteen hundred or two thousand -French troops with their officers. They are quartered in barracks, a -part within and a part without the walls of the old city; and may be -seen in groups and small parties in the streets at almost all times of -the day and evening. Well dressed and well fed, young and athletic, -fresh and healthful in look, and cheerful and animated in movement and -manner, they constitute quite a redeeming feature in the aspect of the -city. They have a parade-ground just without the walls, and are -regularly and severely drilled, but take no part in the military duty of -the place, and perform no patrol. This devolves exclusively upon the -Montevidean soldiery. These, amounting to three thousand, consist -chiefly of a foreign legion, composed of emigrants—Italians from the -vicinity of Genoa, and from Piedmont, and Basques from the frontiers of -Spain and France; and of a negro regiment under the command of native -officers. The negroes, till the commencement of the war were slaves; but -were then liberated by a decree of the government, without compensation -to their masters, on condition of entering the army for the continuance -of the war, with a right to a bounty of land on the restoration of -peace. - -The foreign legion form the municipal or national guard. They consist of -artisans, porters, laborers and boatmen, who, in successive companies -are on duty as a patrol one day in three, and engaged in their various -callings the rest of the time. The negroes are regular soldiers. They -are said to be brave and faithful, and have proved themselves most -reliable on post and in battle. The dress of the foreigners is that of -their every-day labor—the jacket and trowsers and Pelasgic cap of the -Basques; but the negro regiment are in uniform—the dress of the gauchos, -or Indio-Spaniards, of the country. This is striking and picturesque, -though Indian-like and savage in its general effect: at best barbarism, -‘picked out,’—as carriage painters say—with civilization. It is composed -of a red flannel shirt, beneath a poncho of red of the same material, -lined with green; a green cheripa, or swaddling blanket for the loins -and lower limbs; drawers of white cotton terminating in wide pantalets -ornamented with insertings of lace work, and a deep fringe falling over -the ankles and bare feet: the covering of the head being a conical cap -of green cloth, without visor, laced with yellow cord. It is seen to the -best effect at Buenos Ayres, where there is in the soldiers more of the -Indian and less of African blood; and where, exhibited on horseback, the -long black hair and streaming ponchos of the riders are in keeping with -the flowing manes and tails of the horses, as they scamper with the -fleetness of the wind along the beach and over the plain. - -The free hospitality of two or three houses, both English and American, -in addition to the Consulate, is extended to us; and usually, after the -relief of guard, we join the family of one or another of these for tea. -It is pleasant in a strange land thus to be received informally in a -home circle, and to be made welcome, in this, the winter of the year, to -the elegant comforts of carpeted floors and curtained windows—of the -glowing grate of the fireside, and the hissing urn of the tea-table, and -for the hour to share in the social enjoyments of conversation and -music. The chief drawback to the pleasure, is the remembrance forced -upon us by such scenes, of our distant homes, and the vision in fancy of -what we there lose. This was particularly the case in the visits of the -last evening. I made an early call at Mr. L——’s, and, on entering the -drawing-room, found Madame L—— at the piano. After giving the accustomed -kind welcome, she was prevailed upon to continue at the instrument. -Though the mother of a fine family of carefully educated and intelligent -children—gathered at the time in various amusements round a centre-table -of the saloon—she has not thrown aside her music, but is still in good -practice. Her touch and execution are very much in the style of -Mademoiselle R——, and in some fine passages from Verdi and other -masters, brilliantly given, carried me at once to Riverside. - -I do not recollect to have mentioned the romance of the honey-moon of -Mr. and Madame L—— at Buenos Ayres, in the early days of the despotism -of Rosas. Madame L——, previously the Signorita ——, a native of the city, -and member of the Romish church, ventured to be married to Mr. L—— by an -American missionary, without the consent of the Dictator. This was -contrary to an existing law; and the consequence was that the bride was -very unceremoniously immured for three months in a nunnery, while the -groom and clergyman were as summarily arrested, and thrown into prison. -Mr. L—— was then established in mercantile business at Buenos Ayres. But -indignant at such an interference with the rights of conscience and -personal freedom, on regaining his liberty, he withdrew with his wife to -Montevideo, and is now a chief capitalist in this section of South -America. - -On joining the Commodore at Mrs. Z——’s, I found quite a party of the -H——’s and other friends. The ladies were in more dress than usual; the -rooms were well lighted; and the tea-table richly and elegantly -appointed; and in the enjoyments of an evening of music, both vocal and -instrumental, including some fine chants and psalmody, we were tempted -for the time to forget our exile. - -The private dwellings in Montevideo, whether only one, or two stories -high, are all built in the Spanish-Morescan style, having a quadrangle -within, enclosing a pateo, or open square in the centre. Upon this, -where there is but one story, and upon an encircling verandah or -corridor, above where there are two, all the apartments open, through -doors and French windows. The pateos in the one case, and the verandahs -in the other, are usually filled with running vines, and flowering -plants and shrubs, in boxes of earth, or in urns and vases. The -parapeted walls of the flat roofs are also often ornamented by vases, -containing aloes and various cacti; and I have often been struck, on -passing to the staircase in leaving, with the ornamental and picturesque -effect of these—especially in bright moonlight—as they stand out in -strong relief against the sky. - -However good the promise of fair weather may have been in going on -shore, we never take leave for a return to the ship at night, without a -greater or less degree of uncertainty, as to the manner and -circumstances in which we may get on board. The shallowness of the -roadstead obliges vessels of the draught of the Congress to lie two or -three miles from the shore; and even then, such are often cradled at low -water in a bed of mud three or four feet deep; but the distance is a -trifle, compared with the obstacle to a visit to the shore, either for -exercise or pleasure, arising from the frequency and suddenness of the -south and south-west winds, called pamperos. These often burst over the -water with little or no warning, and by their fierceness and the sea -they raise, cut off, for twenty-four hours or more, all communication -between the ship and the shore. Twice within the first week of our -arrival, a party in the Commodore’s barge was detained a night and a day -on shore under such circumstances; and other boats sent on shore on -various objects of duty, at least as many times. Fortunately for some of -us, Mr. Frazier, of the American house of Frazier, Zimmerman & Co., -being without other family than the employees of the counting-room, had -it in his power to offer some of us, on those occasions, an asylum in -the well-appointed residence in which he dispenses a liberal and -generous hospitality. The few hotels in the place, kept principally by -Frenchmen and Italians, are comfortless, especially in their -accommodations for sleeping. - -A few nights ago, on reaching the mole, a high and piercing wind was -blowing, very much from the point we wished to steer, tumbling a rough -and wild sea before it. We could not lay our course for the ship within -several points: leaving a long and heavy pull for the oarsmen, after we -should take in sail. Close hauled upon the wind, and plunging into the -head sea, all hands were well showered, even as far aft as the -stern-sheets, by the spray dashed from the bows. In disgust at this -winding up of the pleasures of the evening, the Commodore exclaimed that -it would be “the last of his night expeditions from the shore;” that -hereafter he would limit his visits to the daytime, and then to fine -weather. However, the barge is a beautiful sea-boat, riding the swelling -waves—whether propelled by oars or canvas—like a duck, and under sail, -skimming the crested waters like a sea-bird. When obliged at last to -take to the oars, the pull to the ship was not so long, or the trouble -in getting on board on the lee-side so great, as we had apprehended. The -next morning the weather was tranquil as a summer’s day; and the -Commodore, beckoning me to join him on the poop as he was taking a turn -before breakfast, said, “Why, Mr. S——, the getting off last night was -not so bad after all. I must take back my hard speeches about the place -and weather, and recall my rash vows. I think we may still venture an -evening’s visit.” This we soon did, and our return on board, for that -and two or three successive nights, was the very perfection of every -thing lovely in moonlight upon the water. The air was mild and balmy; -the river, smooth and glassy as a lake, seemed beneath the moonbeams, a -very sea of silver; a fair and gentle land-breeze kept the sails of the -boat just steadily full—wafting us imperceptibly along, while every -thing above, beneath, and around us, was so tranquil, so bright, and so -pure, that we were charmed by it into a musing mood of the profoundest -silence. - -The prevailing weather, at present, is like that of the finest October -at home, with which season—that of autumn—it corresponds. The mornings -are cool, bracing, and brilliant; at noon, the temperature is almost -hot, and the nights are humid and cold. The sunsets are equal, in the -beauty and softness of the tintings and colors, to any I recollect to -have observed in any part of the world. To judge from the apparent -purity and elasticity of the atmosphere, it would seem that the climate -could not be otherwise than healthful; yet the sick list on board the -Congress, from catarrhs, inflammation of the lungs, and rheumatism, is -greater than at any time since the beginning of our cruise. Some of the -cases of pneumonia are very severe, and threaten to prove fatal. This -increase of sickness and its character, are attributable, probably, to -the frequent recurrence, amidst all this brightness, of wintry storms of -two or three days’ continuance: like a cold and boisterous equinoctial -gale in the United States, with pouring rain and piping winds. Indeed, -the anchorage here is a terrible place for winds at all seasons of the -year: terrible, not from danger to the ships—for the whole bottom is a -soft and tenacious mud, into which large vessels safely cradle—but in -the discomfort on board in a storm, and the inconvenience of -communicating with the shore. - -The special interruptions to the monotony of a daily routine on my own -part, have been a series of infant baptisms, in the families of various -foreign residents, English, Scotch, and German; three marriages in which -the grooms were foreigners also—American and English; and the funeral of -an American lady, long a resident of Montevideo. The groom at one of the -weddings was Dr. K—— of the navy, surgeon of the St. Louis; his bride, -the Signorita L——, daughter of Don Juan L——, Secretary to the Senate of -the Republic of Uruguay. The ceremony was private, Commodore McKeever, -the captain of the St. Louis, one or two other naval officers, Madame -L——, the god-mother of the bride, and the immediate members of the -family constituting the party. Another of the marriages was in the -presence of a large company, and was followed by a general reception of -the society of Montevideo, and a ball. The parties being English, the -presence of the representative of the British government was necessary, -to give validity to the rite, according to act of parliament; and the -ceremony was followed by the making out of a certificate, at a -centre-table of the drawing-room, on a folio sheet of paper, to which, -as first witness, the Hon. Mr. Gore, H. M. Chargé d’ Affaires, attached -his name officially. Nearly the whole company, both ladies and -gentlemen, gave witness to the event in a similar manner, so that, in -the end, the document, in its length of signatures, rivalled a Magna -Charta or Declaration of Independence. It was the first occasion, except -at the chapel, in which I had met so large a company of Montevideans, or -in which there was a mingling of the native Americo-Spanish society. The -ladies of this blood have been celebrated by travellers for their -beauty, and for sprightliness and grace of manner; and justly, I would -say, were I to judge in the matter, from one at least, of those present -on this occasion: Mrs. R——, the wife of a young, but retired captain in -the British navy, a son of Admiral Sir J—— R——. She is beautiful, and -apparently truly lovely, with more of the bearing and manners of -polished life than most other ladies I have met since I left the United -States. Others equally favored may have joined the party afterwards, but -of this I cannot speak. The general company were only beginning to -arrive, as, under the guidance of Mr. Gore, I left for the British -Consulate, to officiate in the baptism of a child, which had been -appointed for the same evening. - -The first funeral I have been called to attend, was at the house in -which I performed the first marriage ceremony after our arrival. The -mother of the young and lovely bride, an American lady, was, at the -time, in so feeble a state from consumption, as scarce to be able to be -present. She has failed rapidly since, and was buried on the 16th. - -During the years of prosperity in Montevideo, a Protestant burial-ground -was laid out, a half mile beyond the outer gate, along the edge of a -narrow ravine and watercourse. It was enclosed by a handsome wall of -brick, planted with trees and shrubbery, contained many tombstones and -monuments of marble, and was one of the most attractive spots in the -suburbs. It was found, however, on the commencement of hostilities, that -the walls and trees gave shelter to the assailants, in their approaches -to the city, and interfered with the effect of the batteries of the -besieged. The walls consequently were razed, and the trees cut down by -the inside party. The result is an entire ruin. The tombs and monuments -are mostly overturned and destroyed, and the place, though still -appropriated to its original use, is utterly desecrated. Scarce a stone -is standing, and not a vestige of ornament or beauty remains. I could -not avoid being struck, amid other objects in the scene—at the funeral, -with the appearance of the hearse—the best the city now affords, and -emblematic of all its attempts at display. Its curtains of velvet, once -doubtless black, are now faded to a muddy orange, and are all tattered -and torn; and what were, originally, plumes of ostrich feathers, nodding -gracefully at each corner, are now only bristling quills, from which -every feather has fallen in decay. It was drawn by two miserable, -starved mules in a wretched harness, and altogether was a mockery of the -pomp and pageantry of the grave. - -The subject reminds me to mention the receipt by the last English mail, -of a letter from the family of Ramsey, in whose fate you express an -interest, from the account given of his sudden death, last October. It -is in answer to one by which I communicated the bereavement. He was of a -pious household, who were deeply afflicted by the intelligence sent, but -consoled by the assurance, that every possible attention had been paid -to him. The letter is from a young man, the only surviving son of the -family. He says, “It is impossible to attempt a description of the scene -exhibited, as I endeavored to read aloud the heart-rending account of -the death of one we loved so dearly. It can never be forgotten by any -one present. The whole family were overwhelmed, and I myself entirely -unmanned;” and adds in another part—“the night after we received the -melancholy tidings, a most touching incident occurred: caused by my -youngest sister Jessie, a child of six years, when preparing to retire -to rest. She had not been told the sad news, and while on her knees by -my mother’s side praying aloud, her little hands resting upon her lap, -she prayed, as was her custom, that God would keep and bless her dear -brother at sea, and bring him in safety home to us. The scene that -ensued was most afflicting; we all wept most bitterly, while the little -one cried as if her heart would break, when told that the poor brother, -for whom she prayed, was lost to her for ever in this world.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - - ISLAND OF ST. CATHERINE. - -_June 7th._—The tedium of the long stay of the Congress at Montevideo -was relieved once, by a cruise of three weeks off the Plata. The chief -object in this, was to exercise the crew at the sails and in working -ship, and to give practice at sea with the great guns and small arms. -The effect of the change was good, both morally and physically. The -vicinity of a port, so free to dissipation as Montevideo, is -demoralizing both to officers and men; and it is well, as Commodore -McKeever remarked to me in speaking on the subject, occasionally at -least to put the broad sea between the ship and the seductions of the -shore. - -On the 22d ult. we again set sail for this place. The island lies -closely on the coast about midway between the Plata and Rio de Janeiro. -It is twenty-eight miles long, from four to eight wide, and is separated -from the main by a narrow and irregular strait, varying in breadth from -one and two, to three and more miles. It was settled earlier than any -part of the continent in this section, and gives name to the province on -the main opposite, within whose boundaries it is included. Its harbor is -one of the best in the Empire, and was once a great resort for shipping, -especially for refreshment and repairs by those engaged in the whale -fishery. The principal town, called Nossa Senhora do Desterro, or “Our -Lady of Banishment or Exile,” containing a population of eight or ten -thousand inhabitants, is the capital of the province and the residence -of its President. - -On the morning of the 2d inst., the island, overtopped by the loftier -mountains of the main, was in view at a distance of thirty miles; and -coasting along it we entered the straits and came to anchor by -nightfall. The land is broken and lofty, and beautifully verdant: the -eastern shores next the sea presenting, as we sailed along them, -alternate stretches of white sand beach and projecting promontories of -rocks crowned with woods. There is not a sufficient depth of water for a -frigate to pass through the channel, and the entrance for large ships is -by the north end of the island. It is winding, and with the mountains of -the island and the main on either side, presents the features of a -magnificent harbor rather than the appearance of an arm of the sea. We -were delighted with the varied outlines and general beauty of the whole, -in contrast with the scenery of the Plata, though but few evidences of -civilization are visible; a small habitation here and there along the -shore, being the only indications of the presence of man. - -The next morning the whole surface of the water, glassy as a mirror, was -dotted two or three miles south of us with the canoes of fishermen; -their white hats, shirts, and drawers contrasting strongly in the early -sun with the black sides of their canoes. We were some miles from the -customary anchorage, and the presence of so large a ship as the Congress -even, attracted no attention from them, and brought no canoe with the -milk and eggs and tropical fruits for which we were longing. Soon after -breakfast we ran some miles further south to our present anchorage just -inside of two forts, one—that of San José—on the island, and the -other—that of Santa Cruz—on an islet of the same name near the main. The -panorama surrounding us is truly beautiful—approaching, in some -respects, even that of Rio de Janeiro, though less wild and sublime in -outline. The lofty and massive mountains on the main, jutting down to -the water in bold promontories, indent the shore with little -white-beached coves whose overhanging cliffs are crested with palm-trees -and festooned with creepers. The white dwellings of the inhabitants, -sprinkled along the shore, and the checkered cultivation of the uplands -behind, combine in furnishing attractive imagery to the eye and -associations of rural comfort and simplicity to the heart. The -symmetrical outlines of the old fortresses on either side, and their -moss-covered and grass-tufted parapets and ramparts, give an air of -antiquity to some points of the scene, while the primitive canoe of the -aborigines, under paddle or rude sail on the water, tells us -significantly of a state of semi-civilization only. With the brightly -gleaming sun of the morning, there was a freshness and elasticity of -atmosphere, welcome and most exhilarating. - -The present acting American consul of St. Catherine resides at Santa -Cruz, the name of the anchorage at which we are. His name is Cathcart, -formerly the master of an American whale-ship, but now long a resident -of this part of Brazil, where he married a native of the country, and -has a family of children, and extensive possessions in lands and slaves. - -His residence is nearly abreast of us on the main, a mile or more -distant. It is situated on an elevated platform above the beach, in a -beautiful little cove, with a glen in the rear: the whole overhung by a -wooded mountain. I availed myself of the first opportunity of visiting -the shore, and accompanied Purser W—— and Lieut. R—— who went on duty. -Mr. Cathcart was on the beach to receive us and conduct us to his house. -With the exception of this structure—which is of stone, stuccoed, and -whitewashed, and roofed with tile—every thing here, in general aspect, -is so like the South Seas, that I felt as if suddenly transported there, -and again amidst the scenes and places so familiar and so dear to me -twenty years ago. The palm-tree, tossing its plumed branches in the -wind, the broad leaves of the banana rustling in the breeze, the perfume -of the orange blossoms and cape jessamine, the sugar cane and coffee -plant, the cotton bush, the palma christi and guava—the light canoe upon -the water, and the rude huts dotting the shore—all hurried me in -imagination to the Marquesas, the Society and the Sandwich Islands. - -As the Consul proposed returning to the ship with us our stay was but -short. I, however, accomplished my purpose of a ramble for half an hour. -This I found quite sufficient for the time. The hills descend so -abruptly at all points to the water, and are so furrowed with ravines, -that one can proceed scarcely a hundred rods in any direction along the -shore, without making ascents and descents of such steepness, as soon to -induce fatigue, and make a short walk go far in point of exercise. - -Large ships cannot approach nearer to the port and city of Desterro than -the anchorage of Santa Cruz; a distance of twelve miles. The day after -our arrival, a party of officers made a trip to that place in one of the -ship’s boats; and on the 4th inst. I joined another, by a similar -conveyance. The morning was brilliant, with a cool and bracing air. -There was no wind, but with ten stout and willing oarsmen we made good -progress, though the tide, for a portion of the distance, was against -us. Two beautiful wooded islets lie midway in the straits, or bay, as -the water—twelve miles in length and from three to five in width—appears -here to be. The largest of these has a battery planted on the north end, -the site of which is scarped from the solid rock, about half the height -from the water line to the summit of the islet. With the exception of -this battery, and two or three buildings connected with it, the whole is -one mass of foliage interspersed with boulders of granite. We rowed -closely along its western side, and were charmed with the freshness of -the verdure and the variety and richness of its growth; especially in -the drapery and festooning of parasites and creepers. As we approached -our destination we fancied a striking resemblance, in the formation and -general aspect of the western side on the mainland, to the section of -the Hudson lying between Tarrytown and the entrance to the Highlands. -This led to a comparison of the scenery of the straits in general with -that of the Hudson. Beautiful indeed as this St. Catherine is, all who -had seen both, admitted a close rivalry at least on the part of the -other. - -A promontory of the island projecting far eastward into the straits, -cuts off the view of the town from the north—excepting a church tower or -two over the land—and gives to the water the appearance of being -land-locked. It is not till sweeping through a narrow channel past the -bluff point, you find yourself in a horse-shoe bay,—a half mile perhaps -in diameter, with the city encircling its sandy beach. - -The view of the town is striking, as, on doubling the point, it opens -thus abruptly to the sight. It contains eight thousand inhabitants. It -is prettily situated on the widely curving shore, and, facing the -straits southward, is flanked on the east by lofty, verdant, and -overhanging hills. A double-towered church, rising from the centre of -the city, and a spacious snow-white hospital, crowning a terrace on the -eastern side, are the most conspicuous of the public buildings. - -A small platform of plank on piles, forms the landing for the boats of -the shipping; but the canoes of the country are generally run upon the -beach. There was a cleanliness about this, and in the market-place -adjoining, truly welcome in Brazil, and prepared us to be most -pleasantly impressed with the general aspect of a spacious, unenclosed -square—like the green, or common of a New England village—upon which we -immediately entered. This lies close by the water and in the middle of -the town. The principal church or cathedral, whose towers we had seen -over the land, ornaments it on the north side. It stands upon a terrace -platform, having circular enclosures on either side, filled with plants -and shrubbery, and overtopped by two or three graceful palms, and an -Australian pine. On the west side near this, is the palace or -Governmental House, occupied by the President of the province; the -dwellings of two or three wealthy citizens; and a hotel near the water. -From the balconies of the last, the party, who had preceded us the day -before, were beckoning to us a welcome. The establishment is in charge -of an American from New England, married to a native of the place. It is -more homelike in general appearance and better kept than any -public-house we have seen in South America, excepting the Hotel de -Provence in Buenos Ayres. - -As it was my purpose to return to the Congress the same evening, there -was little time to search for objects of special interest, if indeed -there were such; and I contented myself with a walk through and around -the place. The streets are laid out with regularity, but are ungraded -and pass over hill and through hollow, according to the original surface -of the ground. The buildings stand upon them at irregular distances from -each other; and many having gardens and yards about them, the whole has -a village-like aspect, not indicative of the amount of population -embraced within the boundaries of the town. The people seem kind and -well disposed; are simple in their habits and courteous in manners. -Though my dress furnished no badge of naval service, or distinctive mark -of my profession, yet, recognized as a stranger, I was every where -saluted as such with the greatest deference and respect. I had been told -that a new cemetery, situated on a hill on the western side of the bay, -commanded a fine general view of the city and surrounding country. Under -the impression that I had reached this, I passed through a fine gateway, -and by a flight of steps to a terrace walk, but at once perceived that I -was in the grounds of a private residence, and was retreating to the -road again, when invited by some attendants near to enter and stroll -over the place at my pleasure. This I did. It was tastefully laid out in -lawns and flower gardens, and abounded in fruit. On expressing thanks to -the Portuguese gardener when taking leave, he added to my obligation by -presenting a choice bouquet, with an offer of oranges and other fruit -_ad libitum_: adding, that the signor, his master, would have been happy -to receive me had he been at home, and would be pleased at any time with -a visit from me. - -The day was exceedingly fine, and my ramble of an hour and more in the -suburbs, over smooth paths and through hedge-shaded and flower-scented -lanes, was most grateful after the dreary monotony of the scenery in the -Plata and the tedium of long confinement on board a ship. - -The females of Desterro are celebrated for their skill in the -manufacture of artificial flowers from feathers, beetle wings, fish -scales, and sea shells; and an arrival of strangers in the place causes -the doors, and halls, and rooms of the hotel to be thronged with negroes -and negresses, bearing tray-loads and boxes of these articles for sale. -Many of them are tasteful and ornamental; especially those formed from -the polished wings of the beetle. Those of fish-scales wrought into -necklaces, armlets, wreaths and bouquets are also pretty; and, were the -material not known, would appear costly. The first of these I ever saw -were worn by a bride at Montevideo; the effect by candle-light was much -that of a set of pearls, which I at first supposed the ornaments to be. -A coarse but serviceable thread lace, is also a manufacture of the -place. The chief article of commerce is coffee, that of St. Catherine -being of superior quality. - -At 3 o’clock we sat down to a profusely spread table d’hôte, one of the -most tempting public boards I have seen since leaving the United States, -consisting of a variety of fish, oysters, lobster, different kinds of -meats, chickens, turkey and birds, cooked and served in American style. -The bread was excellent, and upon it alone, with the delicious fresh -butter from the German settlement of San Pedro d’Alcantara, twenty miles -distant in the mountains on the main, I could have made a most -satisfactory repast. The interest of the feast was enhanced by some -intelligence communicated in regard to the chief attendants on the -table: the head waitress was no less a personage than a Princess Royal -of Cabinda, eldest daughter of the monarch of that style, and niece of -“King John,” chief of the Kroomen. She is a fine intelligent-looking -woman of thirty years, whose mien and general bearing were by no means -unbecoming the rank she held in her native land. Another of the servants -was a male slave of the same age, full of activity and spirit, and -seemingly very cheerful and happy. By industry and economy, and the -gratuities he has received, for civility and fidelity in his situation, -he has laid up the amount of his purchase-money, with the exception of a -small sum. He expects soon to be free; and, having caught a spirit of -adventure and enterprise from the many of our compatriots, who of late -years have touched at St. Catherine’s for refreshment on their way to -California, designs pushing his fortunes in that golden region—an -example of adventure, in purpose at least, almost without parallel, I am -told, among the Brazilians of Portuguese blood. While the whole world -has been excited to enterprise by the modern discoveries of gold, not a -vessel, I learn, has been fitted out from Brazil in quest of fortune in -this way, and scarcely a Brazilian tempted to join the thousands who -have touched here and at Rio on their way to California. - -The next day I joined Commodore McKeever and his secretary in a stroll -on shore at Santa Cruz. Captain Cathcart met us on the beach, and, -becoming our cicerone, first led us up a romantic little glen in the -rear of his dwelling, by a well kept pathway overshaded with orange -trees and palms, and bordered by coffee-plants and bananas. It followed -the course of a murmuring and babbling mountain stream, which fretted -its way over a bed of rocks, and beneath and around massive boulders of -granite. The pathway itself was sufficiently attractive to have induced -us to take the walk, but there was, as we found, a special object for -pursuing it. It leads to the graves of two sisters of the ages of -fifteen and seventeen, daughters of Major Gaines, Governor of Oregon, -who died here a year ago on their way to that territory, after a few -days’ illness with yellow fever, contracted during a brief stay at Rio. -Their sudden death, within a day of each other, in the opening bloom of -youth, and their burial by the wayside, as it were, in a strange and -undesired land, with the many affecting incidents related to us -connected with the event, threw a touching interest around the spot, and -caused us to linger with deep sympathy near their graves. They lie side -by side within a small, picketed enclosure, where the rose and willow -and other appropriate growth, planted by the hand of the Consul, are -already spreading in tropical luxuriance. They are said to have been -intelligent and accomplished, and full of the buoyancy and hope of young -life. The bereavement under the circumstances must have been desolating -to the parents, and their burial on these strange shores a most -affective trial. - -After the examination of a mandioca and coffee plantation, and of a -fruit yard, we strolled over a spur of the mountain to an adjoining cove -in which Captain Cathcart formerly resided, and which is still his -possession. His former dwelling is converted into a school-house for his -own children and those of two or three of his neighbors. The tutor, a -young Brazilian, is employed by the Consul at his individual expense. -The books and school apparatus were most primitive, and limited to the -merest elements of instruction; still, the scene presented by the -assembled group of scholars and their young teacher, had more of promise -in it for the future, than any thing before met in this region. - -I spent yesterday morning in going over the same ground with Captain -McIntosh, who had not previously been on shore. We extended our walk -across two or three additional ridges of the hills, which feather down -from the mountains to the water, and break up the shore, by their -projecting points, into numerous little coves encircled by interval -lands and bright glades. In these chiefly are nestled the humble -cottages of the poor, in single dwellings or in hamlets of three and -four. The views from the side-hills above are varied and beautiful, and -ever bring with them to me strong associations of the South Seas. - -In the afternoon, accompanied by Dr. C—— and one or two others, I took a -walk northward from the consulate, first across a natural meadow running -inland a half-mile from the beach, and afterwards, by a mule-path, over -a steep and thickly-wooded hill of the primitive growth—the whole -mountain of which this is a spur, densely covered with wood, presenting -in many points masses of foliage of great richness and beauty. Our walk -terminated at a clearing, where preparations were making for the -erection of a shanty of small timber, wattled at the sides and ends, -preparatory to being filled in with clay. The scene reminded me of parts -of Otsego near Cooperstown in my boyhood, where the felling, and -logging, and burning of trees by the first settlers were in progress. -The timber here, however, is by no means so tall and heavy as the white -pine and old hemlock of that region, and appears to be exclusively of -hard wood. We saw, at too great a distance to admit of examination, two -flowering trees with blossoms of most brilliant hues; and were -afterwards shown at the consulate a branch of an azalia, loaded with -flowers of the purest white variegated with bright cherry color. - -I must not omit to mention the very unexpected recognition of each -other, by Captain Cathcart and myself yesterday. After taking leave of -him the evening before, I said to Dr. C——, “The oftener I see the -Consul, the more I am persuaded I have met him before: it must have been -at the Sandwich Islands.” A similar impression it seems was on his mind; -and he remarked to a party of officers, as the boat in which I was, -shoved off, “I am sure I have known Mr. S—— somewhere; but I have not -been out of Brazil for twenty years—it must have been when I was -whaling.” To this, one replied, “it may have been at the Sandwich -Islands, when Mr. S—— was a missionary there.” “A missionary! is it -possible that this Mr. S—— is the same: now, I know all about him. I -remember him well; the first time I was on shore he invited me to -church, and though I was an entire stranger to him, only a boat-steerer, -he took me afterwards to dine with him and his lady.” This being -repeated to me, gave identity to my own reminiscence, and led to a very -cordial greeting the next morning as old friends. - -My last walk, in this short visit of a week, was taken this afternoon, -in company with Commodore McKeever and Dr. C——. It was on the island. We -landed at one end of a long curving beach, beneath the rocky bluff which -is surmounted by the dilapidated fortress of San José, now dismantled -and abandoned. After enjoying the view from its parapets, we followed a -path leading up the ridge of the hill, till we gained a lofty point of -rock, commanding a wide stretch of country to the eastward not in view -from the ship. A part of this, embracing a circuit of many miles, was -level. It appeared to be well fitted for the culture of rice, much of -which is grown in St. Catherine, but apparently is unredeemed; a vast -jungle in a state of nature, without indication of an inhabitant. The -evening was very fine, and the air so exhilarating, that we skipped and -jumped from rock to rock, amidst bush and bramble, with a freedom we -would not have ventured had we known what we afterwards learnt, that the -spot is noted for the venomous reptiles with which it abounds. Of these -we saw none, however, and indulged in our gymnastics without fear. -Indeed, I have not seen a living serpent or reptile of any kind since I -have been in Brazil: not a scorpion, and but one centipede, and that in -a ship-chandler’s in Rio de Janeiro. On our return we passed, near the -beach, grove after grove of orange trees, so laden with fruit that the -ground beneath was covered, as in an apple-orchard at home, after the -trees have been shaken in the gathering season. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_June 20th._—On entering this port on the 16th inst., we all felt anew -the exciting influence of its wild and magnificent scenery, and were -constrained again to pronounce it unrivalled, by any thing seen by us in -any part of the world. - -The last report of the health of the place which had reached us at -Montevideo, was favorable. The yellow fever, after having prevailed a -second season as an epidemic, was said to have disappeared. Our -apprehensions on this point were excited for a time, however, as we came -in, by perceiving the man-of-war anchorage to be entirely deserted. In -place of three or four different squadrons, English, French, Brazilian, -Portuguese and American, riding at their moorings, like a flock of -water-fowl, not a solitary ship was discoverable: nor was there a sign -of movement of any kind, on the whole bay. This we thought ominous of -bad news, but happily without just cause. The first boat from the shore, -assured us of the good health of the port. Whatever malaria may exist -has lost its malignancy, and exhibits itself only in cases of imprudence -and special exposure, in the milder types of intermittent fever. It is -the winter season, or period at which the sun has reached its farthest -remove in this latitude, and all nature is in double freshness and -brilliancy. The coloring of the skies in the mornings and evenings is -beautiful: this is especially the case after sunset, when at times a -golden and vermilion glory has filled the west with a splendor I do not -recollect to have seen surpassed. The effect of this upon the pinnacled -rocks and precipices of the mountains—brought into bold relief by the -shades of the hour—and upon the promontories and islets of the bay, the -church and convent towers, and the leading architecture of the city, is -gorgeous. This was particularly the case, an evening or two ago, while -Dr. C—— and I were enjoying a stroll over Gloria Hill. Our progress was -arrested by it: and after standing for some time in silent admiration of -the picture presented, from the elevated terraces in front of the -church, we joined in the exclamation, “no words in our own or any other -language can describe such a scene: painting itself could do no justice -to it!” - -The temperature now, even at mid-day, is not too hot for exercise, the -mean height of the thermometer being 73° Fahrenheit. The weather -resembles that of the finest in June at home; the evenings and nights, -however, are cooler. This is the general character of the weather from -March to September; and nothing in climate can be finer. During the rest -of the year, the heat, with the mercury at mid-day at 90°, is oppressive -and debilitating. - -We have renewed our acquaintance pleasantly with Don Juan and Doña M——, -and are disposed to regard the simplicity of mind and heart, evidenced -by them, the kindness of their manners, and the cordiality of their -hospitality, as characteristic of the people of the country in general; -and to believe that they would be manifested to all foreigners of -respectability, as readily as to us, under circumstances to call them -into exercise. Our friends of Praya Domingo, however, make no secret of -the fact that our nationality is a strong recommendation to them. Both -profess great admiration of the United States as a nation, not from what -they have seen of its citizens—for we are the first and only Americans -they have known—but from what they have heard and read of our history -and condition, and the practical working of our institutions. - -I have taken but one new walk: this was through the valley of the -Larangeiras, in company with Captain McIntosh and Dr. C——. Much as I had -often admired its general features, in passing through the open street -of the Cateté, from which it branches westward to the mountains, the -heat of the weather, and its distance from the ordinary landing, -prevented a visit to it. It is a half mile, perhaps, in width at the -entrance, but soon becomes only a narrow glen, terminating at the end of -a couple or more miles, beneath the steep sides of the overhanging -mountain. A fine carriage road winds through it, crossing and recrossing -repeatedly a sparkling mountain stream, which brawls and babbles and -murmurs, from side to side. It is charming throughout: so quiet and -secluded, so embowered and rural, so fresh in atmosphere and luxuriant -in growth, and so varied in the architecture of its dwellings, from the -ornamented villa and sculptured palace, to the simplest and most humble -of cottages. The orange and coffee tree, the banana and other -broad-leaved vegetation of the tropics, cluster thickly around; and are -overshadowed by the loftier growth of the magnificent mango, the -towering palm, the feathery foliage of the tamarind and acacia, and here -and there that of the thorny cotton-tree or Bombax, with its trunk and -limbs well guarded by the defences which give to it a descriptive name. - -Roses and jessamines, and brilliantly flowering creepers; the gay -hybiscus, the thick-set bloom of the purple bignonia, and the gorgeous -glare of the poinsetta, meet the eye at every turn, and fill the air -with sweet perfumes. In contrast with our imprisonment on board ship at -Montevideo, it was a luxury scarcely appreciable by others, to stroll -amidst such imagery; with an occasional glimpse, through an open gateway -or the ornamental railings of an enclosure, of the fountains and -grottoes, the alcoves and bowers, the gravelled walks and tesselated -pavements, the busts, the statues and statuettes, which embellish the -grounds of those “rich in this world’s goods.” - -Near the head of the valley, a winding pathway on one side leads up the -acclivity by steep ascent, to the line of the aqueduct, fifteen hundred -feet above the level below. One section of this is peculiarly beautiful. -It overhangs the valley, and embowered overhead, reminded me forcibly -and pleasantly in many of its features—with the exception of the -tropical growth—of the gravelled terrace of the old road at Cooperstown, -which leads to the “Mount Vison” of Cooper’s Pioneers. In a secluded -nook near by, is the residence of the British minister: an irregular -cottage, buried in shade, and vocal with the murmurings of -water-courses. After passing this, as we gained height after height, and -looked down with bird’s-eye view, the Larangeiras and its surroundings -seemed, in the lights and shades of the hour, like a sketch in fairy -land. - -The fatality in the city, of the late epidemic, has led to the -construction, recently, of great numbers of residences along the spurs -and sides of the mountains. One of these is just finished, near the -point at which we reached the aqueduct. The site is superb; and, while -resting from the fatigue of the sharp ascent, we greatly enjoyed the -magnificent prospect of both land and sea which it commands. From this -point, the descent of five miles along the aqueduct to the city is so -gradual, for the greater part of the way, as to be almost imperceptible. -For two miles the pathway is a lofty terrace, cut in the face of the -mountain for the course of the aqueduct, from which, beneath overhanging -trees, you look up on one side, upon steep rocks and wild woods, and -down on the other, as from the parapets of a lofty castle, upon a -succession of views of cultivated and surprising beauty. Indeed, the -whole walk seemed to me like that through a picture-gallery of -magnificently drawn, and gorgeously colored landscapes. The aqueduct -does not follow a straight line, but runs zigzag, at long, obtuse -angles. The pathway is beside it, and in following its course, new and -varied vistas, both before and behind, are constantly presented. The -massive masonry, and finished workmanship of the time-marked, and -moss-covered old structure, contrast strongly in their aspect of -civilization, with the wildness of the overhanging cliffs and forests, -while in many places, the gay coloring of the endless variety of lichens -and orchidæ which cover it, gives to the surface the appearance of -richly variegated marble. - -Before we reached the city, the shades of the evening had gathered -around us, as deeply as the moon near her second quarter would allow. -Many of the objects around and above us, were thus brought in bold -outline against the sky. This effect was particularly beautiful, where -the palm or cocoa-nut tree spread its long and graceful plumage, in dark -masses upon the light beyond. - -The last striking picture which met the eye as we descended the hill of -Santa Theresa, was that of a family, grouped in an arbor of roses and -honeysuckle, canopied with clustering bignonia, on the angle of a wall -twenty feet above our heads, silently enjoying in the twilight the last -fannings of the sea-breeze, while from the towers of the convent close -by, the vesper bell sent forth its silvery sounds in invitations to -prayer. - -_June 26th._—It is to the Romish Church that we are here chiefly -indebted for every thing in the way of spectacle. Two principal feast -days have occurred within the week past: that of Corpus Christi on the -19th, and that of St. John the Baptist on the 24th inst. The fête of -Corpus Christi was observed with great display. It was instituted by -Urban IV., six hundred years ago, in honor of the then newly adopted -doctrine of transubstantiation, and consequent adoration of the host. -Its legendary origin is traced to Juliana, a nun of Liege, who, while -looking at the full moon, saw a gap in its orb, and by peculiar -revelation from heaven, learned that the moon represented the Christian -Church, and the gap the want of a festival for the adoration of the body -of Christ, in the consecrated wafer. This she was to begin to celebrate, -and to announce to the world. The authorization of the festival by papal -bull, was induced by the following miraculous incident. While a priest, -who did not believe in the change of the bread into the body of Christ, -was going through the ceremony of benediction, drops of blood fell upon -his surplice, which, when he endeavored to conceal them in the folds of -his garment, were formed into bloody images of the host. His scepticism -was thus overcome; and the bull of Urban, authorizing the adoration, was -published. This occurred in 1264, and the bloody surplice is still shown -at Civita Vecchia as a relic! - -In Rio de Janeiro, as in all papal countries, Corpus Christi is a chief -festival in the year. Its celebration was commenced at the dawn of day, -by a general peal of the bells from every church and convent tower, by -the booming of cannon along the shores, and the hissing and crackling of -rockets in the sky. Flags were every where unfurled; draperies of silk -and satin, of gold and silver tissue, of damask and velvet of every hue, -were displayed, from the windows and balconies of the houses in the -principal streets; and the windows of the palace ornamented on the -outside with rich hangings of crimson damask. High mass was performed in -the imperial chapel at 11 o’clock. This was now opened for the first -time, after having been for a year undergoing a thorough renovation, by -regilding and new painting in fresco. The effect is rich and chaste. On -either side of the nave, between the entrance and the transept, are the -shrines of the apostolic saints, above which hang paintings of each, -with the accustomed emblems of their individuality. “The Supper,” by a -master, ornaments the altar of a side chapel at one end of the transept, -and a beautifully executed and classically draped effigy of St. Julian -in wax, in a sarcophagus of glass, adorns the other. The altar-piece of -the grand altar covers the entire end of the chapel within the chancel. -The subject is the assumption of the Virgin. The royal family of -Portugal—at the time of the immigration—in attitudes of adoration, -occupy the foreground: the Queen mother, John VI. and his wife, Carlota -of Spain, and Don Pedro I., then a lad, being the chief figures. - -The imperial body-guard in state dresses, with halberds at rest, early -formed in lines on either side of the nave from the entrance to the -transept. The intervening space, newly carpeted, was in reserve for the -ministers of state, the officers of the household, and other dignitaries -of the Empire. A procession of these soon made its appearance from a -vesting-room communicating with the palace, and opened in file along the -nave for the passage of the bishop and his ecclesiastical attendants to -the chancel, and of the Emperor, who followed them, to a canopied throne -near the high altar. The Empress and her ladies had already entered the -imperial tribune facing the throne. The bishop was in full prelatic -dress, wearing his mitre and bearing the gilded crosier emblematic of -his office. When the chapel was thus filled, the coup d’œil presented a -brilliant scene in the masses of rich embroideries in gold; the jewelled -decorations of the dignitaries of state; and the court dresses of the -different classes of the aristocracy. These last were chiefly of velvet -in rich hues, lined with white silk—purple, maroon, mazarine and sky -blue, light and dark green, and here and there a suit of the same of -plain black. - -The orchestra was full, and embraced the best performers of the opera -company, both vocal and instrumental. As the service proceeded, the -varied attitudes and groupings in the chancel and at the altar, of the -officiating priests - - “Glaring in gems and gay in woven gold;” - -the floating incense; the harmony of the duo, the trio, and the -quartette; the touching strains of the solo; and the burst of the full -chorus, could scarcely fail to impress the senses. And when added to -this general effect, at the elevation of the host each halberdier, with -battle-axe reversed, dropped on his bended knee; every courtier bowed -his forehead to the ground; the bishop humbled himself at the steps of -the altar, and the Emperor kneeled on the platform of his throne; the -whole tableau was one most striking in its dramatic show. Externally all -was a profoundness of adoration, which, directed spiritually to the -Godhead, would have been irresistibly impressive; but addressed to a -mere wafer, and to be regarded as gross idolatry, it was both painful to -the mind and saddening to the heart. - -Long before the termination of the mass, a procession was marshalled in -front of the chapel in the palace-square, awaiting the addition from the -church of the ecclesiastics and the court, before moving through some of -the principal streets. The leading group was unique; and apparently the -most attractive part to the surrounding crowds. It consisted of a -colossal effigy of St. George, in knightly armor, mounted upon a -splendidly caparisoned charger from the Emperor’s stud, led by a groom -in oriental dress. An armor-bearer in black mail, and other attendants -in characteristic costume, formed the suite; while a dozen led horses in -housings of green cloth, stiff with the imperial arms in massive silver, -completed the cortège of the pasteboard saint All else in the show was -purely ecclesiastic, with a great display of the varied costumes and -emblematic devices of the Romish Church. At the end of the religious -service, the dignitaries, both of Church and State, fell into the line, -and were followed by the host, borne by the bishop beneath a fringed and -tasselled canopy of cloth of gold, one of the gilt supporters of which -was held by the Emperor with uncovered head. - -Don Pedro, wherever seen, bears inspection well; and carries with him as -much of the impress of his station as any monarch I have seen. - -There was no public procession on St. John’s day, but its approach was -heralded by a great setting off of rockets and other fireworks the night -previous, and the glare of bonfires in different parts of the city. -These were seen with fine effect from the ship; especially the rockets, -with the dark mountains for a background. The evening following was -observed in a similar manner: altogether like the night of the fourth of -July at home. At every respectable-looking house, fireworks of more or -less elaborate workmanship were displayed; rockets of all descriptions -were shooting in brilliant corruscations through the air; and -illuminated balloons sent up, while colored lamps, thickly clustered -upon the convents crowning the hills, flashed through the darkness like -diadems of diamonds. - -_July 2d._—On a former visit at Rio, I gave you some account of the -Foundling Hospital and Female Orphan Asylum, in connection with the -marriage of an éleve of the last. This is the second of July, the fête -day of St. Elizabeth—that on which the asylum is open to visitors, and -on which, usually, the marriages of such of the inmates as are under -engagement take place. The Emperor and Empress were among the visitors -to-day, and sanctioned by their presence the marriage of four couples in -the chapel. The anniversary had been fixed upon, for throwing open to -public inspection a new building for the Hospital of the Misericordia, -of which both the Foundling Hospital and Orphan Asylum are appendages. I -improved the opportunity to pass through the wards of the sick. These -were in the most perfect order and neatness. Every possible provision -seemed to be made for the care and comfort of the inmates; and the whole -establishment gave evidence of fulfilling the benevolence of its design. - -The practical benevolence of the Romish Church is exhibited in no form -more general and commendable, than in the care which is taken of the -poor and the sick. Rio abounds in hospitals for these. Some are -connected with convents or monasteries, and others are separate and -independent institutions. They are founded and sustained by incorporated -societies, corresponding in their general features with the voluntary -organizations with us at home for philanthropic and charitable purposes, -but here called brotherhoods. These are of various names; that of the -Misericordia or “House of Mercy,” is the largest and most wealthy, and -owes its origin, nearly three centuries ago, to the piety and -benevolence of the celebrated Jesuit, Anchieta. The hospital is situated -on the bay beneath Castle Hill. Its doors are open at all hours, night -and day, to the sick of both sexes, of all religions and of every -country and color, without any form or condition of admittance: all -receive gratuitously the ablest medical attendance and the best nursing -and care. The numbers of its patients amount to thousands yearly, the -proportion of deaths occurring being about one-fifth of the whole -received. - -The original building is old, and has been long insufficient in its -dimensions and convenience, for the numerous applicants for relief. A -new structure has been for ten years and more in progress on an -adjoining site. A large section of this, two-thirds of the whole plan, -is now completed, and was opened to the public for the first time -to-day. The edifice is a noble structure. The façade on the street of -the part finished being four hundred feet. It is four stories in height, -and is surmounted, in the centre, by a finely proportioned and -symmetrical dome. The whole presents the finest architectural feature of -the city, in the approach from the sea. The interior throughout is -palace-like. The plan is admirably arranged for ventilation and light, -and embraces every modern improvement for the insurance of cleanliness -and purity. The structure is quadrangular. The parts already finished -enclose two spacious courts, beautifully laid out in walks intermingled -with flower-gardens and shrubberies, as places of exercise for the -convalescent. Each is ornamented with a fountain; when the building -shall be completed, corresponding courts on the new part are to be -added. The perspective through the long corridors and the lofty wards, -which communicate with each other the whole length by folding-doors, is -exceedingly fine: indeed, the whole structure is a credit to the -civilization of the age, and is a splendid monument of the munificence -and benevolence of the Brotherhood of Mercy. - -The institution embraces a department for the insane. For the separate -accommodation of such patients, another imperial-like structure is in -progress and nearly completed, on the beautiful bay of Botafogo. It -already attracts the eye of the stranger entering the port, more than -any other object in the surrounding panorama. Of this the Emperor has -been a principal and munificent patron. - -The possessions and funded capital of the Misericordia are very great. -The dying bequests of the charitable, in money and in real estate, for -the long period of centuries, with the advance of value in property, -make it one of the most richly endowed institutions of the Empire, and -insure perpetuity to its worthy and Christ-like charities. Membership is -secured by the payment of an initiation fee and an annual subscription: -this guarantees the right to a support in sickness and in poverty, and -to the religious services of the church in burial. Members to the -brotherhoods are received at any age, even that of the merest childhood. -On one occasion, I witnessed the ceremonies of an initiation to the -fraternity of the Carmelites. It took place with much ceremony in the -church of the order. A very large number were received, and included -boys from the ages of five and six years to full manhood. Assembled in -the sacristy, each placed over his ordinary dress a cape or mantle of -silk, the badge of the order on occasions of ceremony, and each -receiving from the appointed officers a consecrated amulet, a girdle of -patent leather, and a rosary, walked in procession to the grand altar of -the church. The whole building was in high decoration, with a superb -display of gold and silver plate on the altar, and of reading desks of -solid silver in the chancel. The dresses of the officiating priests, and -the officers of the society, were new and rich; and the music of the -first order. The ceremonies of the initiation consisted in verbal -pledges on the part of the novitiates, anointings, crossings, -sprinklings with holy water, and perfuming with incense, and were -followed with showers of rose-leaves scattered widely from silver -salvers, over the newly received. - -_July 22d._—The principal incident of the last few days has been a -wedding, on the 20th, in the family of Mr. R——, the bride being Miss -R——, his daughter. The marriage took place at the residence of Mr M——, -the maternal grandfather of the lady, who holds a chief place among the -merchant princes of Rio. It is situated seven or eight miles westward -from the city, beyond the valley of Engenho Velho, beneath the mountains -of Tejuca. Our commander-in-chief, to a seat with whom I had been -invited, is a man of great simplicity in his habits of life, and averse -to any thing like display in his movements. The appearance, therefore, -of a showy equipage with four horses—as the carriage which he had -directed to be in waiting at the landing—took him quite by surprise, and -led to an order immediately for the dismissal of two of the animals; but -to this the coachman objected so strongly, with the assurance from his -master that the four would be found necessary before reaching our -destination, and that no one ever drove to Mr. M——’s with a single pair, -that the Commodore was obliged to submit. So, ordering his valet, who -happened to be in attendance, to mount to his place—that there might be -some keeping in the turn-out—we were off with a whirl, four-in-hand. - -The drive, for the greater part of the way, was the same we had made in -our visits to the country-seat of Mr. R——. While yet a couple of miles -from our destination, we had full proof of the desirableness at least, -of having four horses to the carriage. Though there has scarcely been -any rain for a fortnight past, the road through the flat valley, in a -soil of stiff clay, became so heavy that it was difficult for the four -to save us from being fixed in the mire, in which the wheels at times -were sunk to the hubs. In due time, however, we reached the stately -gateway, by which the broad domain of Mr. M—— is entered. This is a -semicircular structure of white marble, with massive gates and railing -of cast iron in rich patterns: erected at a cost of more than seven -thousand dollars. The drive from this to the house is a broad avenue of -closely planted mango trees. The mango is one of the noblest of what may -be called the civilized trees of the country, in contradistinction to -the natives of the forest. In its loftiness, roundness of top, -wide-spread limbs, and thickset foliage of deep green, it resembles the -black ash of the Middle States, more than any tree familiar to you, -which occurs to my recollection at the moment: the general outline is -perhaps more spreading. It is the season of its blossoms, though these -are not yet in full display. The flowers come out in spikes, like those -of the horse chestnut, and rise thickly over the whole tree. Their -color, while now yet in bud, varies from a light pea-green to a brownish -red, the general effect being like that of the common chestnut when in -bloom; when fully blown, however, the flowers are white. These, when -close at hand, contrast beautifully with the dark green of the leaf; -but, at a distance, present an almost indistinguishable mass of -whiteness. - -The want of neatness and good keeping in the grounds of Brazilian -country-houses is observable, even in those of Mr. M——, though his -residence is quite a palace, and his wealth estimated by millions. The -mansion is of stone, massively built, and about eighty feet square. The -general height is two stories, but a central section, having an -ornamented pediment and entablature, rises to three. It is in the -Italian style, with balustrades around the flat roof surmounted by -marble vases filled with aloes. The façade in extent and in general -effect reminds me of the President’s house at Washington. A spacious -portico with tesselated pavements, leads into a lofty hall, from which a -staircase with a double flight of steps conducts to the drawing-rooms, -on the second floor. The principal rooms of the ground floor are a -dining-hall, ball-room, music-room, and chapel. The views are beautiful. -That in front commands the entire plain, filled with the country-houses -of the rich and their surroundings, the spires and towers of Rio, and -the mountains across the bay, in the distance; and that in the rear, a -great variety of wild mountain scenery, in primitive luxuriance and -solitude, close at hand. - -We were among the first to arrive, but were quickly followed by a large -company, among whom were many richly attired ladies. Rich and -fashionable dress is here peculiarly a passion with the sex; and I was -told by a gentleman present, when speaking on the subject, that a lady -would not think of moving in general society in Rio, without an -allowance for the toilette of at least two thousand dollars a year. - -The groom being an Englishman, the marriage as a civil contract had -taken place early in the day, at the British Consulate: he being a -Protestant also, while the bride is a Roman Catholic, the religious -rites were twofold—Romish and Protestant Episcopal. Contrary to the -usage at home, the bridal party joined the general company in the -drawing-rooms while the guests were assembling. When all expected had -arrived, Mr. M——, the grandfather, who in the Romish ceremony was to -give away the bride, approached, and taking her by the hand, led the -long procession to the private chapel below. The service was performed -by the priest of the Parish, who is also the family chaplain, in the -sacerdotal robes of his grade. - -It was in the Portuguese language, and much abbreviated, we were told, -from the fact that one of the parties was a Protestant. Immediately -after the benediction, when the parties had been proclaimed man and -wife, female servants in the rear of the chapel scattered from baskets -of silver, over the bride and her party, as she turned from the altar to -meet the embraces of her friends, handfuls of freshly gathered -rose-leaves and orange-blossoms. The effect, as fluttering lightly -through the air they fell in thick showers on the group and the whole -company, was poetic and pretty. - -The Protestant ceremony, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Graham, Rector of the -British church in the city, took place immediately afterwards in the -principal drawing-room, a magnificent apartment, with hangings and -furniture of crimson damask and decorations of gold. The closing scene -here, in place of the shower of rose-leaves and orange-flowers of the -chapel, was the tableau presented by the bride kneeling on a rich -footstool in the midst of her bridesmaids, receiving with bowed head and -tearful eyes the touching blessing with which the Episcopal rite ends. - -The marriage-feast, of sixty covers, was served in the ball-room, a -lofty hall with decorations in white and gold. The entertainment, in the -display of china, glass, and plate, and of flowers in vases of Sèvres -manufacture; in ornamental confectionery, and the profusion of luxurious -viands, was all that wealth in its liberality and taste in its artistic -exercise could command. - -On shipboard, two incidents of more than commonplace interest have -occurred since my last date. One is the departure for the United Stages -of Lieut. R—— in ill health from the effects of the climate. In this, -the wardroom mess and the ship sustain a great loss. He is one of the -most interesting young men I have known in the service. Firm in -principle, cultivated in mind, clear in judgment, prudent in action, and -accomplished in his profession, he exhibits great symmetry of character -as an officer, while the frankness and polish of his manners, and the -warmth of his affections, make him attractive as a companion and dear as -a friend. - -My last interview with him before he left the ship was most gratifying -to me, from the assurance it gave, that to the many other attractions of -his character there would be added, immediately on his arrival home, -that of openly avowed membership with the Church of Christ. Nothing -during our cruise has imparted to me such unfeigned satisfaction: indeed -the result of our conversation on this subject, was a joy I cannot well -express. - -The other incident was of a painfully different nature: one of those -outbreaks, which, so long as strong drink holds its sway over so many -seamen, no precaution or vigilance can, at all times, effectually guard -against on board a man-of-war. For a long time the Congress has been -under the most favorable auspices in regard to discipline and general -good conduct. Contentment, cheerfulness, and ready obedience, seemed to -be the prevailing feelings of the crew. But, on the evening of the 18th -inst., just as the last guests of a party—similar to that of which I -gave an account in October, had left the ship, it became known that -liquor in large quantities had been smuggled on board, and that many of -the men were intoxicated. Sixty or seventy were soon beyond all -self-control, and, maddened by rum, were most insolent and insubordinate -to the officers who attempted to restrain them. In the darkness of the -deck, it was difficult to distinguish the ringleaders; and after these -were secured in double irons, they made the rest of the night hideous, -by their boisterous profanity and drunken ribaldry. - -The investigation of the matter showed that the ‘dinkey,’ a small boat -used as a tender by the messenger-boys and servants in communicating -with the shore, had inadvertently been left afloat astern, in place of -being hoisted from the water as usual, before dark. One or two of the -crew made their way to this, and succeeded in bringing off from the -shore, liquor sufficient to have intoxicated the whole ship’s company. -It was freely offered to all, but sixty or seventy only would partake of -it; a fact speaking well for the mass in contradistinction to the few. -Still, such an outbreak, though limited to a small number, and those the -veriest vagabonds on board, is disheartening to those who believe in the -practicability of maintaining the discipline and good order of a ship, -by a rule of kindness. - -The consequence of this conduct was a kind of quarantine of the ship the -next day; no boats were allowed to leave for the shore, and both -officers and men remained on board. It was Saturday, and I had not -sufficiently recovered from the shock before the Sabbath, to throw off a -despondency in regard to any high results from the preaching of the -Gospel to such hearers, or to overcome a feeling that I was speaking but -to the wind. There is never a want, however, of the listening ear; and I -felt reproved for my unbelief by the first chapter of the Bible read at -the service, in which occurs the declaration: - - “As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, - And returneth not thither, - But watereth the earth, - And maketh it bring forth and bud, - That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; - So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: - It shall not return unto me void, - But it shall accomplish that which I please, - And it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I send it. - Instead of the thorn—shall come up the fir tree, - And instead of the brier—shall come up the myrtle tree. - And it shall be to the Lord for a name, - For an everlasting sign, that shall not be cut off.” - -I was the more impressed with this reproof to my despondency, on -returning to my room, by accidentally falling upon a paraphrase of the -same truth, in the following verses: - - “Ye who think the Truth ye sow - Lost beneath the winter’s snow, - Doubt not Time’s unerring law - Yet shall bring the genial thaw. - God in nature ye can trust: - Is the God of grace less just? - - Workers on the barren soil, - Yours may seem a thankless toil; - Sick at heart with hope deferred, - Listen to the cheering word: - “Now the faithful sower grieves— - Soon he’ll bind his golden sheaves.” - - If the Almighty have decreed— - Man may labor, yet the seed - Never in his life shall grow, - Shall the sower cease to sow? - The fairest fruit may yet be borne - On the resurrection morn!” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - - MONTEVIDEO. - -_September 30th._—New aspects in the political affairs of the La Plata, -led to the return of the Congress to this place, early last month. -Previous to our departure from Rio de Janeiro, the U. S. steamer -Susquehanna, hearing the flag of Commodore Aulick, of the East Indian -squadron, arrived there, bringing as passengers, the Hon. Mr. Schenck, -chargé d’affaires at the court of Brazil, and the Hon. Mr. Pendleton, -commissioned with the same office to the Argentine Confederation. This -last gentleman came to Montevideo in the Congress, on his way to Buenos -Ayres. - -The French Government not having sanctioned the articles of -pacification, agreed upon by Admiral Le Predour and General Oribe; a -year and more ago, the armistice between the belligerent parties on -shore is terminated. Hostilities are again commenced by the interchange -of occasional shots between the outposts, and now and then a slight -skirmish, in which a few persons on both sides are wounded, and -sometimes one or two killed. - -The change would be comparatively of little importance, as to the -promise of any speedy issue, were it not for simultaneous movements -connected with it, on the part of Brazil on the one side, and two of the -principal States of the Argentine Confederacy—those of Entre-Rios and -Corrientes—on the other. By reference to an atlas, it will be perceived -that the chief rivers, whose confluent waters form the Rio de la -Plata,—the Uruguay, the Parana, and the Paraguay, corresponding in their -extent and their importance to the broad valleys through which they flow -with the Ohio, the Missouri, and the Mississippi of the Northern -Continent—have their rise in Brazil, and, in their course, border her -territories for long distances. The free navigation of these is -essential to her interests. One chief object in the policy of Rosas, -however, has been to keep them closed to all foreign commerce, that the -trade of the confederacy might centre exclusively in Buenos Ayres; and -thus to enrich and aggrandize her, at the sacrifice of the interest both -of Brazil and of the sister republics of the confederation. All -negotiation on the part of the court of Brazil, to secure free access to -the interior of the Empire by the tributaries of the Plata, having -proved abortive, that government has determined to try the effect of -arms. General Urquiza, the President of the States of Entre-Rios and -Corrientes, long the principal coadjutor of Rosas, and the most -successful and distinguished of his soldiers, weary of his tyranny, and -opposed to his narrow-minded and selfish policy, has entered into a -compact with Brazil to aid in the accomplishment of her purpose. The -first object to be attained is the overthrow of Oribe, and the -consequent relief of Montevideo from siege; and thus to lay the basis -for a joint attack on Buenos Ayres. Urquiza, with a force of fifteen or -twenty thousand Entre-Rians and Corrientans, is approaching in one -direction; and the Baron Caxias, having an equal force of Brazilian -infantry and artillery, in another: while a squadron, consisting of a -frigate, two sloops of war and three steamers, under the command of -Admiral Grenfell, has arrived from Rio, and is at anchor near us. - -This determination of Urquiza, as the governor of two of the -principal Argentine States, and the public measure by which it was -avowed, have led to a striking proof of the mendacity, by which it -is charged that Rosas has hitherto sustained his despotic sway. It -is said, and with no little show of truth, that his whole system of -government—notwithstanding the boasted patriotism, disinterested and -self-sacrificing toil in the public service, which the press and -archives of the confederacy printed by his order and under his -immediate personal control, attribute to him—is but a cunningly -devised tissue of deception and falsity. - -For years, it has been the custom of Rosas formally to tender to the -representatives of the confederation, the resignation of his office as -Minister for Foreign Affairs, pleading to be released from it, on the -grounds of the great burden of the charge, his advancing age, broken -constitution, and declining health. This is invariably followed by the -most laudatory and fulsome panegyrics, from the leading members of the -House, upon his character—the value of his past services, and the -necessity of their continuance, and the unanimous resolution that he -shall still fill the office: it being well known that not a member -dare—even if he had the secret will—to move or second the acceptance of -the proffered resignation. The Archivo Argentino, or Government -Register, printed in English, and French, and Spanish, and sent widely -over the civilized world, is filled with the record of these political -farces. This year, however, Urquiza, as the President or Governor of -Entre-Rios and Corrientes, promptly accepted the resignation; and by -public proclamation, released Rosas from all further charge of the -foreign relations of those States. The address of Rosas to the House of -Representatives, in view of this defection, has just been issued. It is -strikingly characteristic of the man, and is a curiosity, both as a -literary production and a document of State. As such, I furnish it to -you entire, though not responsible for the translation; that is by -‘authority,’ and is taken from the official print. - -The first two lines of the motto it bears are the prescribed caption of -every official paper, from the most important to the most trifling; and -are stamped on the badges, hitherto universally worn by the Argentines. -The third line is an addition just decreed. The terms “Unitarian” and -“Federal,” designate the original parties in the confederation; the -first being applied to those who are in favor of a consolidated -government, similar to that of the United States, and the last to those -who advocate that of the compact at present existing. Under Rosas, the -Unitarian party became outlawed and in effect exterminated. - - LONG LIVE THE ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION! - - DEATH TO THE RUTHLESS, LOATHSOME UNITARIANS! - - DEATH TO THE INSANE TRAITOR, THE RUTHLESS UNITARIAN - URQUIZA! - - PALERMO DE SAN BENITO, Sept. 15th, 1851— - - Year the 42d of Liberty, 36th of our Independence, and 22d of - the Argentine Confederation— - - To the Honorable House of Representatives— - - MESSIEURS REPRESENTATIVES:— - - To command the Republic during a long period of agitation and - social disorder; to save the country from fratricidal war; to - accompany it in the glorious defence of its liberties; and - contribute to preserve it from the ambition of the destructive - and treacherous band of ruthless Unitarians, was the eminently - honorable mission that the Argentine people imposed upon me, and - which I gratefully accepted with the enthusiasm and love due to - my country and to my fellow-citizens. - - After a memorable epoch, in which was assigned to the Argentine - Confederation the glory of consolidating its independence, - overwhelming its enemies; and to the undersigned, the - distinguished honor of presiding over it; after the Republic had - suppressed internal anarchy and was in the enjoyment of peace, - developing its elements of prosperity, I considered the moment - had arrived to resign the supreme command, to which I had been - exalted by the spontaneous, reiterated suffrage of my - countrymen,—and I earnestly requested you to appoint another - citizen as my successor. - - You refused to admit my fervent prayer—the inhabitants of this - province also opposed it with kind firmness, and exercising the - right of petition, begged your honors to persist in not acceding - to my repeated tenders of resignation; and the Provinces of the - Confederation, expressing their wishes through their Honorable - Legislatures and Governments, likewise exacted, with generous - interest, my continuation at the head of the national affairs, - as the means of insuring the present happy condition of the - Republic, and of preparing for it a glorious future. - - Overpowered by such decision, and so much benevolence; oppressed - by a deep-felt gratitude toward the Argentine Federals, yet - destitute of words becomingly to express those feelings, I - presented to your honors, to my fellow-citizens, and to the - confederate provinces, the homage of my most ardent and profound - acknowledgment—I recognized with veneration the immense debt - which the magnanimous vote of the republic imposed upon me, but - unwilling to sacrifice to grateful emotions the sacred interests - of my country, I continued vehemently yet respectfully to demand - from your honors and the confederate provinces a successor, who, - unbiassed by the scruples arising from my republican views, - could co-operate more efficaciously than myself, to the - aggrandizement of our dearly beloved country. - - The tranquillity which the Republic experienced, the union which - prevailed throughout its provinces, the wisdom with which, - ameliorating its institutions, it expanded the resources of its - welfare, and the external peace which its loyal, upright and - generous policy towards all nations foreshadowed, indicated to - me that the moment had presented itself for resigning the - command, without injury to the nation. - - Animated by so cheering a conviction, I insisted in my fervid - renunciation before your honors, and the confederate Provinces, - believing that my prayer, the sincerity of my words, and the - cogency of my reasons, would duly influence the minds of the - Argentine people, and induce them to accede to my separation - from the supreme authority. - - But while I expected this, and the undisturbed state of the - Republic warranted me to entertain such a hope; at this very - moment, the insane traitor, the ruthless Unitarian Urquiza, - raised the standard of rebellion and anarchy. Aspiring to sever, - with his degraded sword, the bonds that unite the people of - Entre-Rios to the confederation, and to constitute himself the - arbiter of the Argentines, he ignominiously sold himself to the - Brazilian Government, that, persisting in its obstinate - ambition, has invaded and attacked, with unprecedented - treachery, the territory and the Independence of the Republics - of the Plata. - - In so solemn a crisis for the Argentine community, when its - loyal sons, displaying, as at all times, their renowned valor, - rise in arms to resist and chastise their enemies, avenging so - many and such scandalous outrages; when they prepare themselves - with sublime self-denial for the most honorable efforts, I have - received a new declaration from the Confederate Provinces, that - peremptorily demands my continuance in the supreme command, and - of which you will be informed by the correspondence that I will - have the honor of presenting. - - And since the nation so demands it of me, in such critical - moments for its tranquillity; since in the presence of violent - foreign aggressions, and an unexampled rebellion, my compatriots - request me to accompany them in the post I occupy, to defend our - independence and national honor; since the Republic, exasperated - by the audacious hostilities of the Brazilian Government, and - the treason of the ruthless Unitarians, prepares to retaliate - the war which they have precipitated; at so notable an epoch I - cannot refuse, nor do I refuse, honorable Representatives, my - continuance in the Government, provided your honors, my - compatriots, and the Confederate Provinces consider that it may - be useful and necessary to the national welfare. - - Consistently with my principles, my obligations, and my - reputation, I cheerfully defer to the call of the Republic in - the actual circumstances, and thus continuing in the supreme - command, I also will have the signal honor of accompanying my - beloved federal compatriots, in their heroic resolution of - vindicating the national independence and glory, attacked by the - perfidious Brazilian Cabinet, by the ruthless, loathsome - Unitarians, and by the despicable insane traitor, the ruthless - Unitarian Urquiza. - - In accordance with this determination, I therefore present - myself, in the same manner as the loyal Argentines, resolved to - fulfil once more my reiterated pledge, of sacrificing all in - defence of the order, the liberty, and the honor of the - Confederation. - - My fellow-citizens, who have always found me participating in - their difficulties, will now find me the same, with sound and - robust health, and always consistent with those principles. They - will see that, if when the Republic enjoyed peace and - tranquillity, I desired to withdraw from the supreme command, to - continue my services in some other subaltern post, where I might - have performed them to advantage, now that new enemies of the - Confederation appear, and that the loathsome band of the - ruthless Unitarians, headed by the insane traitor, ruthless - Unitarian Urquiza, dares to raise its bloody standard, here I - am, ready at the call of the nation, and with energy equal to my - duties, and to the hopes of the public, willing to contend in - union with the virtuous Argentine Federals, till we have left - triumphant and consolidated, the independence, the rights, the - dignity, and the future fate of the nation. - - This, Messrs. Representatives, is the resolution I have adopted - in view of the present events and circumstances. - - And desiring ere now to transmit it to your knowledge, I had the - honor of announcing it verbally to the Honorable President, and - to one of the deputy secretaries of your honorable Corporation, - requesting the former, on reporting it to the Honorable - Representatives, at the first session they might have, to - reiterate to them my profound gratitude. - - God preserve your honors for many years. - - JUAN MANUEL DE ROSAS. - -_October 6th._—Affairs on shore are rapidly approaching a crisis. Oribe, -who led his troops westward some days ago, to meet the advancing force -of Urquiza, has been driven back into what has been so long his -besieging camp; and, cut off both from the interior and the river, he is -virtually the besieged instead of the besieger. Deserted already by some -of his troops, who have joined the advancing enemy; limited in the -supply of provisions for those who remain; and daily more and more -closely encircled, he must speedily capitulate, or fall in an unequal -conflict. - -The external aspect of the region about the Mount is completely changed. -Instead of the utter desertion which has hitherto marked it, without a -sign of man or beast over its whole extent, it now exhibits every where -the animation and activity of a bee-hive. A detachment of Urquiza’s -cavalry, in charge of vast herds of cattle for the subsistence of his -army, has taken possession of the Mount; and their horses, tethered and -grazing, are passing up and down its sides, from the beach to the little -fortress on the summit, and run straying about in every direction. The -intervening heights of the country, are crested with mounted videttes, -almost within gun-shot of the encampment and batteries of Oribe, as if -the force of which they are the advance guard was already in battle -array; presenting, through a glass, picturesque and striking objects, as -they stand with poised lances and fluttering pennons, in strong relief -against the sky. It was confidently expected, from the general -appearance of things, that an assault would take place last night; but -it passed without any thing more than a random shot occasionally from a -musket, and now and then the booming of a great gun. - -During the long siege of nine years, a large town, numbering eight or -ten thousand inhabitants, has grown up in the vicinity of the encampment -of Oribe. It is called “Restoracion,” in reference to the object of this -chieftain—the restoration of himself to supreme power, or the -restoration, as he may consider it, of peace and prosperity to the -Republic. It is a port of entry, with an open roadstead, called the -Buçeo, five miles east of Montevideo. The greatest consternation -prevailed there at first, when Oribe, breaking up his encampment, -marched forth to meet Urquiza, with orders for his whole force to -follow: leaving Restoracion entirely unprotected. It was industriously -rumored that the departure of his troops would be the signal for an -attack by the soldiers of Montevideo, with liberty from their commanding -officers of pillage and rapine. Representations of this were made to the -various foreign squadrons here, and a vessel of war from each was -despatched to the Buçeo, to afford protection to any of the inhabitants -who might seek an asylum, by flying to them. The alarm, however, has in -a great degree subsided, from the return of Oribe, and a proclamation by -the Government of Montevideo, with orders under the severest penalties, -against every act of aggression and violence by the soldiery in case of -the occupation of the place by them. - -The Mount being now, for the first time since our arrival in the Plata, -free of access without an apprehension of risk or annoyance of any kind, -Captain McIntosh gave Dr. C—— and me a row in his gig to visit it. It -was a great treat to ramble freely over the hitherto forbidden ground, -and from the summit to command, at a single glance, the topography of -the whole country for miles, as if it were a map before us: all, too, -robed in the fresh and bright green of the opening spring. The general -surface of the region in view here, as indeed throughout the republic, -is a rolling prairie. Covered now with vast herds of cattle and droves -of horses, and the rude encampments of the liberating army, in bivouac -here and there in the distance, it reminded me much of some of Catlin’s -pictures, illustrative of scenes and scenery in the Buffalo and Indian -regions of the far West. Oribe’s encampments and defences, with the town -of Restoracion and its port, were in distinct view in the east, over and -beyond Montevideo. There was less appearance of immediate hostilities, -than on the day previous. An armistice of twenty-four hours for -negotiation, had been agreed upon. The videttes and reconnoitring -parties had been withdrawn, and the detachments of troops in sight were -dismounted, and lounging about among their grazing horses and cattle. -Some two or three hundred German troops, mercenaries in the employ of -Brazil, who had arrived by water, were on the beach immediately beneath -us, in entire readiness for marching—their baggage-carts and other -appliances of war prepared for immediate movement. They are a -fine-looking corps; young, healthful, and fresh, enlisted in Holstein -with the expectation of remaining in the country as settlers. The day -was bright and beautiful, and the excursion of an hour or two, -exceedingly pleasant. - -_October 10th._—The pacification hoped for, has actually taken place, by -the unconditional surrender of Oribe, with his entire force, amounting -to some fifteen thousand men to Urquiza. This occurred on the 8th inst., -and was officially proclaimed throughout the city the same evening. The -ringing of all the bells of the place, the firing of cannon and -musketry, the setting off of rockets and the glaring of bonfires, -assured us on board ship of the reality. The next morning the whole city -seemed but a floating mass of flags, thrown to the breeze from every -pinnacle and house-top, exhibiting all the colors of the rainbow, in the -devices of every civilized banner; English, French, and American, -Austrian, Prussian and Sardinian, Peruvian and Chilian, Dutch, -Montevidean and Brazilian. Captain McIntosh took me early on shore with -him. A suspension of all business, and the general holiday of a week, -had been proclaimed by the government; and the people both within the -city and without, were half mad with joy. And well might they be, after -nine years of non-intercourse—those within, pent up for that length of -time in the narrow limits of their walls and fortified lines, and those -without, cut off from all communication with the town. The consequence -has been a general rush of men, women and children, from the town to the -country, now in all the freshness and bright verdure of spring; while -the outsiders, so long excluded, have hastened with like eagerness, if -not in equal numbers, to the streets and squares of the city. The scene -presented was one of great and sometimes touching excitement, in the -meeting for the first time in years, of those bound to each other in the -closest ties of relationship. Husbands and wives, parents and children, -brothers and sisters, lovers and friends, who had been thus separated, -rushed into each other’s arms in the open streets. An American lady told -me she could never have imagined such a spectacle; and could scarcely do -any thing for the day, but stand in the balcony of her house, -alternately in laughter and in tears, at the scenes, comic and tragic, -taking place around her. The enjoyment of a pic-nic seemed the -prevailing passion of the citizens. Whole families were met by us in -numbers setting off on foot, with baskets of refreshments, attended, in -some instances, by servants bearing side-saddles for the ladies; horses -being procurable outside, not for the hire of a day only, but in full -possession at a price of one or two dollars. Some of the riders, we were -afterwards told, were placed in rather an awkward predicament, however, -after having proceeded some distance on their new purchases, by having -the animals reclaimed and seized by their true owners, the soldiers from -whom they had been bought having stolen them. - -It is a subject for devout thankfulness, that thus far this important -change has taken place without an instance, so far as is known, of -violence or outrage. Those, who, a week ago, were ready to cut each -other’s throats, are embracing as they meet, and rejoicing together, -that for the time being at least, “the sword is turned into the -ploughshare, and the spear into the pruning hook.” There are, however, -among those who have unconditionally capitulated, twenty or thirty -officers who are trembling for their lives. One of these, who is -particularly obnoxious to the Montevideans, as a deserter from their -service to that of Oribe, reached the American consulate just as we -entered. Partly in disguise, he had ridden at full speed through the -streets, and dashing, without dismounting, through the open portal into -the inner court, threw himself on the mercy of the consul for the -protection of his life. He feared that to be recognized would be but to -die by the hands of the first one of the citizens who could lay hold on -him. He is a fine-looking fellow, and was splendidly mounted, but was in -a tremor of agitation. - -In the course of the morning, I took a stroll some distance beyond the -city gates, and found abundant subjects for observation in the endless -variety of costume, colors, and character exhibited by the -outsiders—civilians and soldiers, men, women and children, who were -thronging to the city in great numbers; all, of course, on horseback, -for in this country even the beggars are mounted. In many instances, it -is true, two persons rode the same horse; in some cases three; and in -one even four—a man and his wife with each a child in their arms: the -entire family, it is probable, thus seeking a glimpse of the city. The -most amusing spectacle of the kind I noticed, was a cavalier quite -dashingly equipped, with a goodly-sized live hog tied to the saddle -behind him, in the manner of a valise in travelling. The head of the -animal—quietly submissive to his destiny—hung down on one side, and the -nether limbs on the other, while the equilibrium of the whole was -preserved by a firm grasp of the captive’s tail in the left hand of the -rider! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - - MONTEVIDEO. - -_October 18th._—Yesterday, in company with Lieut. T—— of the Congress, -and Mr. Z——, Consul for the Hanseatic towns, I made a visit to Urquiza, -the chieftain of the Plata, whose star is now so much in the ascendant. -His head-quarters are at Pantanoso, where his troops are encamped three -leagues westward from the city. By the raising of the siege, horses are -once more to be obtained in Montevideo. Mr. Z—— was nobly mounted upon -the fine animal, on which the officer from the outside, mentioned under -the former date, dashed through the portal of the American consulate the -first day of the pacification. Mr. Hamilton had succeeded in procuring a -passport to Buenos Ayres for him; and, purchasing his charger, made a -present of it to Mr. Z——, his son-in-law. Lieut. T—— and I were provided -with animals at a livery stable, just opened, to which we walked to make -our choice. The keeper, who, himself, acted as hostler and groom for us, -is no less a personage than an authenticated Austrian baron, of an old -family among the nobility of the empire; and who, reduced in fortune, is -ashamed to beg, but not thus to occupy himself for an honest livelihood, -in a foreign land. It was from him I now received my first lesson in the -horsemanship of the country, being instructed to guide my Rosinante, not -by pulling the rein of the bridle on the side I wished to turn him, as -with us, but by keeping both reins of an equal length in the hand, and -touching the neck of the animal with that opposite to the direction he -is to go. - -The weather was delightful. In the early morning the sun threatened to -be hot; but afterwards a veil of gauze-like cloud, without shading too -much the brilliancy of a day like June at home, prevented any discomfort -from it. After clearing the line of the city walls, perceiving it to be -low-water in the bay, we struck down from the ordinary road, to the hard -sand of the beach, which sweeps in wide curvature in the direction of -the Mount, and dashed off on a full gallop across it. Parties of native -horsemen were scampering in both directions over the same ground, -looking—with their ponchos and long hair streaming in the wind behind -them—as wild and picturesque as so many Arabs of the desert. - -At the end of a mile we turned up the bank into the highway. This is -wide, level, hard and dry, with hedges of aloes and cacti on either -side. There is scarcely a tree of any kind to be seen; but now and then -a fruit tree, a row of trim poplars, or a clump of weeping willows just -in full leaf, reminded us of home. This was especially the case with the -willows, the first graceful wave of their fresh, long branches, setting -me down at once beneath those at Riverside. The soil seemed to be of -great richness, a black mould which bears every growth in exuberance. I -never saw fig trees equal in height and spreading tops, to those passed -in one enclosure. Evidences of the long civil war were every where seen -in the ruins of houses, and in deserted grounds; but, occasionally, we -came to a quinta or country-seat, still in good repair, whose massive -gateways, tesselated courts, balustraded terraces, surmounted by vases -filled with air-plants and gay flowers gave proof of the taste and -elegance which once characterized the suburban residences of Montevideo. - -We now came upon an open country, without hedge or enclosure of any -kind. The whole surface was covered with rich verdure, brightly -enamelled by ten thousand flowers of every hue, and fragrant with the -perfumes of spring. As we caracoled gently along, or, again, following -the custom of the land, dashed forward at full speed, groups of people, -peasants and soldiers, on foot and on horseback, were passing and -repassing; and not unfrequently clustered thickly around the dark and -dirty entrances of the pulperias, or grog-shops, which here, as -elsewhere where man is, are ever to be found—the whole presenting, in -features and in form, in costume and in colors, a constant study for the -sculptor and the painter. - -The region of country around the bay—along the shores of which we still -continued—is well watered; and we crossed two or three streams in the -course of our ride. As we ascended from the bed of one of these to the -general level, we came in view of another, along the gently rising banks -of which, on either side, lay stretched in irregular detachments three -or four thousand troops. This encampment, in all its appointments, had a -most primitive and unscientific aspect. The tents, such as they -were—very much of a gipsy character—did not appear sufficient for the -shelter, in sleeping and in bad weather, of half the number of soldiers; -and the whole equipage of the camp was as rude as that of so many -Indians. The predominance of scarlet in the color of every thing -appertaining to it, imparted, however, a gay and brilliant air to the -whole. A park of artillery, planted on a gentle swell of ground, -commanded the approaches, and had more the appearance of modern warfare -than any thing else attracting the observation. - -On inquiring for head-quarters, two or three tents were pointed out on a -knoll, on the opposite side of the rivulet, quite separate from the -general encampment. A company of lancers were clustered irregularly at -no great distance in the rear of these—their long and effective-looking -spears, with a scarlet pennon floating from the top of each, being -staked in lines in front of them. - -As we approached, we perceived the marqueé of the commander-in-chief to -be distinguished from the rest, by broad stripes of white and blue, and -by the artistic manner in which it was pitched. Behind it stood an -immense vehicle, more massive and ponderous in its structure than the -heaviest omnibus ever seen at home—the travelling carriage of his -excellency, evidently fitted for hard service, by such bracings with -raw-hide ropes about the springs, whipple-trees and axles, and such -bindings of green hide around the hubs and spokes and wheel-tires, as -would create a sensation in a civilized country. Near by, stood a -gigantic cart with wattled sides, and a roof fifteen or twenty feet in -height: the baggage-wagon, doubtless, for the needful provender of the -general-in-chief and suite. - -When we drew up, we were approached by a noble-looking adjutant, tall -and stalwart, with boots to his hips, a steel-scabbarded sword, which -might have served for a Goliath, and spurs of massive silver, that—in -want of marbled pavement or planked floor for the effect—caused the very -ground beneath him to rattle. My companions, having made known their -official character and our nationality, and the desire of paying our -respects personally to the chieftain, we were politely requested to -dismount, our horses delivered to the charge of the guard, and our cards -taken, preparatory to an announcement. Immediately on the presentation -of our names, we were conducted to the front of the tent and ushered -into the presence of the general. He rose to receive us with courteous -salutations, and a cordial shake of the hand. The tent was small, but -exceedingly neat. Its poles were bamboo, that in the centre which raised -the canvas to a peak, being surrounded by a square camp table, on which -lay a round black hat with the scarlet band of the confederation, a pair -of black kid gloves, a riding-whip, and a magnificent bouquet of fresh -flowers—a propitiatory gift, probably, from some fair hand in the -neighborhood. Three tent bedsteads—one on either side and one at the -farther end—one or two camp stools, and a square of ingrain carpet on -the grass, constituted the furniture. - -We became seated on the bedsteads at the sides, while Urquiza took a -position by the table in the centre. He was in a military dress coat of -blue, the collar and cuffs being handsomely decorated with embroideries -in gold of the oak leaf and acorn. A waistcoat of scarlet damask, -pantaloons of blue with a red stripe down the seams, and well polished -boots, completed his costume. He is of moderate height, but stout, -broad-chested, and finely formed, and has a Spanish roundness of face -and limb. He was smoothly shaved, and without the moustache usually worn -here, both by military men, and by the people in general. In feature, he -is decidedly handsome, with fine mouth and teeth, large, dark eyes full -of vivacity, and a complexion clear and glowing with manly health, but -bronzed by exposure. - -His expression is open and frank—one that a physiognomist would trust -for honesty and magnanimity; and his manners and address courteous and -gentlemanly, without being courtier-like or artificial. I know not when -I have been more favorably impressed on a first interview, with any one, -either in public or private life. Personally, he is evidently one to be -admired; and, if his character, morally and intellectually, is at all in -harmony with his physical advantages, I can readily perceive how the -popularity he has already won, in the part he is now acting, may run -into enthusiasm. He must be nearly fifty years of age; but, were it not -for the thinness of his hair on the top of the head, I should say he was -not more than forty. - -A favorite mastiff, a noble-looking animal, lay stretched at his ease on -the carpet, and attracting our notice became the first subject of our -conversation. He originally belonged to another officer; but, on meeting -Urquiza, left his master and attached himself to him with a pertinacity -which resisted every attempt to drive him away. He has constituted -himself the especial guardian of his person, and has for years been his -companion, night and day. Several remarkable anecdotes, of feats in the -camp and on the battle-field, told of him, paved the way for a free and -animated conversation on more important topics—embracing the present -state of affairs in the Republics of the Plata—the results thus far, of -Urquiza’s own movements as a liberator, and purposes designed by him, -yet unachieved. “It is time,” he justly remarked, “that the contracted -and narrow-minded policy, dictated by the selfish views of the rulers of -the Plata, should be made to give way to measures more in unison with -the spirit of the age; and that the wide rivers and rich plains of these -magnificent countries, should be thrown open to the commerce, and be -made free to the immigration of people from all nations.” - -The hope was expressed, that when he should reach Montevideo—where it -was taken for granted he would make a public entry—he would visit the -Congress; but, before the word Montevideo was well uttered, he hastily -interrupted the sentence by exclaiming, “Montevideo!—No—no, I shall not -go to Montevideo!” He, it seems, studiously avoids every appearance of -courting popularity, and of making a display of himself unnecessarily; -averring that the only object for which he comes into the country, is to -free the Montevideans from the thraldom of the tyranny by which they -have so long suffered. Having accomplished this, he says he has nothing -further to ask or desire, except that they may be prosperous and happy, -united and free. The early career of Urquiza as a partisan of Rosas, and -as the victor over the Montevideans themselves, in the beginning of the -invasion by the Argentines, is said to have been as bloodthirsty and -cruel as that of any of his compeers, in the civil contentions of the -States of the Plata. But great apparent humanity, as well as consummate -policy, has thus far marked all his present measures and movements. In -the beginning of his march against Oribe, he proclaimed the anxiety he -felt to prevent all effusion of blood; that he came as a friend, not as -a foe; that his mission was one of peace and of patriotism in a common -cause. The consequence of this annunciation in advance, was a general -gathering to his standard in his progress, and the desertion to him, at -every opportunity, of whole detachments of the troops sent to oppose -him. On expressing the surprise which we felt at being told by him, that -the thousands of soldiers immediately around, and constituting his only -guard, were exclusively those who, but a few days before, had laid down -their arms to him, and, who till then were commissioned to cut his -throat—he said—“We are all brothers now—one people and one blood: it -only remains for us to free our common country from a common tyrant,” -referring of course to Rosas. The nearest detachment of the troops -brought with him from Entre-Rios was quite two miles distant. - -At the end of a half hour, we took leave, greatly interested in all we -had seen and heard during the interview. As a rigid moralist, I am bound -perhaps to qualify, in a degree, my admiration of this chieftain, from -the knowledge I have gained of some of the particulars of his private -history. An inquiry made by one of our party, led the General to say, -that though he had no wife living he had a large family; and that the -mother of some of his children, having recently died, he regarded -himself as a widower. The truth is, he has never been married. It is by -no means unusual for persons here to live long together without the -marriage-tie, and often with entire fidelity to each other. It is to a -relation of this kind he referred, and in which he had a numerous family -born to him; but he admits the claims of paternity in a large number -besides; and so justly, it is said, that the title of the novel, “A -child of thirty-six fathers,” may with a slight transposition, be -applied with literal truthfulness to him, as “The father of thirty-six -children”—the exact number, I am told, of his acknowledged offspring. So -much for this chieftain for the present; we shall doubtless hear much of -him, and perhaps meet him again, before taking a final leave of the -Plata. - -Oribe has been permitted, since the capitulation, to retire on parole to -his country-seat, situated on the shore of the bay, in the neighborhood -of his former encampment. Lieut. T—— and I, as neutrals in the partisan -conflicts of the country, felt some disposition to call upon him in his -reverse of fortune; but the antipathies of Mr. Z——, arising from a -knowledge of his history and character, and the long endurance of evil -by the Montevideans at his hands, would not permit him to join us in a -visit of the kind. As condolence under capitulation and overthrow would -have been more difficult to present acceptably, than the felicitations -we had just addressed to the fortunate rival, we did well, perhaps, to -content ourselves with the view in the distance of the white walls of -his dwelling, in the midst of extensive plantations of poplar and -willow. If all that is said of his past acts of cruelty be true, he well -merits the reverse he has suffered, and the contempt into which he has -fallen. - -The ride, on our return, was constantly enlivened as before, by passers -by, both on foot and on horseback, forming a great variety of groupings, -and an endless diversity of costume. One common mode of transporting -burdens was of a most primitive kind: a hide spread on the ground, and -attached to the saddle or person of the horseman by a long leathern -rope. Whatever was to be carried was piled upon and made fast to this -simple sledge, and thus dragged along. - -At the end of a couple of miles from the head-quarters at Pantanoso, we -turned inland for a short distance from the direct road, to inspect the -fort of the “Cerrito” or little hill, so recently evacuated by Oribe. -The rise of ground to it is very gentle on every side, and the central -point of elevation two hundred and fifty or three hundred feet only, -above the level of the bay. The little fort cresting the apex is -abandoned, except by a single keeper. It is old and dilapidated; and -defective in its original construction, in the leading principles of -modern engineering. It appeared incapable of standing a salute by its -own guns, much less the fire of artillery in an attack. The view from -the parapets is extensive in all directions; and, in the freshness and -verdure of the spring, peculiarly beautiful. It embraces a fine inland -view, the Mount, the bay and shipping; the massive walls and towers of -Montevideo; and the new town of Restoracion. At the base of the hill on -the east, lay, in a quadrangular village, the little huts of mud, -thatched with grass, which have for years been the quarters of the -besieging soldiery. They must have been wretched enough in appearance at -any time; but are doubly so, in their present state of desertion and -half demolition. - -The ride of a mile from this cantonment brought us to Restoracion. This, -till the capitulation, was quite a thriving place, having attracted, by -its port of entry at the Buçeo, the little produce the country, in its -devastated condition, could furnish for exportation. But its vocation is -now gone. The port is already closed by decree of the government, and -the decline of Restoracion will be even more rapid than its rise. All -business will necessarily flow into its old channels in the city; and -the new town, at best, be only an impoverished suburb of the old. - -It is well laid out: its streets very wide, regular, and well built. Its -chief architectural feature is a very fine structure: a spacious -quadrangle, enclosing double courts, and ornamented by a lofty tower. It -is called “the college;” and was designed by Oribe for an institution of -learning, but appears thus far to have been used only as a town hall, -for the accommodation of the municipal officers and the police. - -This brings me to the comical part of our excursion. Having dismounted -for the observation of the place on foot, the inspection of the building -just mentioned, and of a new church of some merit in its architecture, -we again took horse to meet an appointment for dinner in Montevideo, -three miles distant. We had scarcely reached the centre of the town, -however, before my horse came suddenly to a dead stand. He had travelled -beautifully all the morning, without the slightest evidence of a -stubborn or vicious disposition, or any bad habit. It was in vain, -however, that I now urged him forward. All the effect of doing so was to -cause him to turn abruptly to the one side or the other, or completely -around; and, when I resorted to the whip and spur, neither of which had -before been required, he dashed upon the sidewalk to the right or to the -left, and rushed headforemost into the shop-doors and windows, putting -men, women, and children to flight in every direction. Of the crowd of -boys soon gathered near, I heard some, by way of commiseration, exclaim, -“What a wicked horse!” others less courteous, and with knowing looks as -to the merits of the case, “What a poor rider!” till Lt. T——, a Virginia -cavalier, insisted on an exchange of animals. This we made, but without -securing a better issue. The horse he had ridden behaved in the same -manner, or when started, persisted in dashing round the first corner -come to, and in rushing into the first enclosure or stable-yard open to -him. I kept him going, however, from point to point, as best I -could—first down one street and then up another; around this corner and -around that—with my friends in full gallop behind, till all three were -brought to a stand by getting between two walls, which formed a kind of -_cul de sac_. By this time we had fairly roused the whole place, without -gaining the advance of a rod towards Montevideo, and Mr. Z—— proposed -that I should make the further trial of his horse. The excitement of the -chase after me, the hurraing of the boys, the shrieks of the women, and -the general tumult, had fired the spirit of this fine animal, and the -moment I had gained the saddle, headed in the direction we wished to go, -he started at full speed through the principal street, while— - - “The dogs did bark, the children screamed, - Up flew the windows all; - And every soul cried out ‘Well done!’ - As loud as he could bawl.” - -Finding myself thus well started, I was determined to allow my steed no -chance of a halt in the gait he had chosen, at least till well in sight -of the city, and kept him on the full spring. My friends were in close -pursuit; and the nearer they came the faster I fled, till we well-nigh -fell from our horses in convulsions of laughter, at the Gilpin-like -appearance of the chase. Had I worn hat and wig, I should have lost -them; and, as it was, doubtless presented a comical sight, in my efforts -at once to retain my seat in the saddle, and to keep a naval cap on my -head, and the spectacles on my nose. All the amusement, however, did not -centre on me. Mr. Z—— is immensely tall and slender. The stirrups of the -saddle exchanged with me for his own, were too short for him by at least -a half length. He had not altered them; and in sitting on the horse, his -knees were brought well up to his chin, making him, at the rate we were -riding, far from the least comical figure of the party. - -The cause of this incident in our adventures was ascertained to be the -fact that, till the day previous, the only home of the two horses ridden -by Lt. T—— and me, had been at Restoracion; and, on reaching their old -haunts, they had no will, after a ride of fifteen miles, to leave them -again, even for the more dignified quarters of the Baron, their new -master in the city. - -_October 22d._—For two or three days past, the troops of Urquiza, in -detachment after detachment, have been thickly clustering around the -base and on the sides of the Mount—like the settling of flocks of -pigeons on the ground, in the migrating season at home. The whole region -in sight from our ship is now little else than a tented field, so -covered with figures in glaring red as to remind me vividly, by the -brilliant coloring thus thrown over the landscape, of the fields of -scarlet poppies I have seen in some parts of Europe. The nearest of -these encampments is by the water’s edge, within a couple of miles of -our anchorage. Yesterday morning Captain McIntosh invited Dr. C—— and -myself, to accompany him and Captain Corey of the “Southampton” in a -visit to it. The morning was beautiful in weather, and the opportunity -for observation exceedingly interesting. - -We landed at a point where, at the commencement of the civil war, there -had been an extensive manufactory connected with the staple productions -of the Republic—hides and tallow. Every thing here bore evidences of the -devastation which has swept over the whole country in its industrial -pursuits: roofless buildings and crumbling walls, uprooted pavements, -overthrown furnaces, and rust-eaten boilers. Some of the stone -enclosures still standing, presented a common but singular sight, in a -capping, twelve or eighteen inches in depth, formed of the horns and the -frontal bones of cattle, so arranged and interlocked, as to produce, in -their regularity, and in the whiteness into which the whole is bleached -by the weather, quite a striking and picturesque effect—as suggestive of -taste and beauty in fence building, as the drooping leaves of the -acanthus are said to have been in the finish of the Corinthian column. -Beyond the curving sand-beach of a little cove, a quarter of a mile from -this landing, the nearest encampment was spread over the bright verdure -of a gently swelling knoll. The scene presented by it was novel, and -strikingly picturesque. The snowy whiteness of the tents; the bright -green of the grass; and the glowing red of the caps, mantles, and -chiripas, or swaddling blankets, worn in place of trowsers by the -soldiers, were brought out in brilliant contrast by the morning’s sun; -while the pennons of scarlet, fluttering from the tops of the lances, -stuck in long lines and in thick clusters over the ground, gave an air -of lively animation to the whole. - -No check was placed on our movements, nor on the scrutiny of such -observations as we chose to make. The uniforms of my companions led to -constant military salutes from such as recognized their presence; and we -were treated with unvarying civility. We were much struck with the -physical aspect of these troops. They are an uncommonly fine race; -large, muscular, and athletic: a powerful set of men, whom—perfect -centaurs as they are on horseback—it would be a fearful thing to meet as -lancers on full charge in battle. They are very dark and Indian-like in -complexion; their faces covered with bushy whiskers and mustaches, and -their long, black, uncombed hair flowing in the freedom of nature over -their shoulders. Occupied in all the various employments of -semi-civilized soldiery in camp, they furnished, individually and in -groups, studies of which an artist would have rejoiced to avail himself. -Some splitting billets of wood for cooking, some roasting meat, and some -eating it at their fires; some washing their clothes in a rivulet, just -by, and some bringing water from a spring; a few were lounging on the -grass in conversation, and a few walking listlessly about; but the -greater number—nine out of ten—were gambling with cards. Seated in -numbers, from four to seven, around a poncho spread on the grass, with -the money at stake upon it, they shuffled, dealt, and played, while -groups of double the numbers, standing around and over them, threw down -their dollars at hazard, and waited the issue of the game. So entirely -were the players and betters absorbed in their games, that they took no -notice whatever of us as strangers, nor of any thing occurring around -them. The importance of the political struggle now commenced, insures -good payment to the troops. A large distribution of cash has recently -been made, and the soldiers seem very flush in pocket, and very free in -the disposal of their funds. Card-playing is a chief amusement, and -gambling a ruling passion among all classes of the people. - -The subsistence of the soldiers consists solely of fresh beef: eaten -without bread, or vegetables, or even salt. Morning, noon, and night, -beef, and beef alone, furnishes their repast. The manner of cooking it -is this. A small circular hole, three or four inches in depth, is made -in the ground, and a fire kindled in it. A long, slender stick or wooden -skewer, sharpened to a point at both ends, is run through a piece of -meat, and one end of the stick so fastened in the ground on one side of -the hole, that the meat hangs at a low angle over the flame and coals of -the fire. The outside thus soon becomes scorched and burnt, and in a few -minutes, one of the mess removes it from the fire, by taking hold of the -upper end of the stick with the left hand, while his ever-ready knife is -in the right. Seizing the meat with his teeth, as he holds it up before -him, he cuts off a mouthful by a single quick stroke of his knife, and -passed the skewer and its burden to his next messmate. Each of the group -thus in turn takes his share of the part roasted. That which remains raw -is again placed over the fire, and a similar process gone through with, -till the hungry are all satisfied, or the supply consumed. We were very -courteously invited by one group, to take seats upon the sheepskins -spread for them, and to partake of their primitive meal; but excused -ourselves from accepting such kind hospitality, by the plea of a want of -appetite. - -The encampment stretched, in greater or less regularity and compactness, -from the point at which we were, three miles and more northward, to the -head-quarters of the commander-in-chief; and from thence again westward -by the banks of a stream, the like distance around the Mount to the -Plata. The inspection of one portion gave us the characteristic and -leading features of the whole; and, after an hour’s stroll through the -nearer sections, we ascended the Mount, to enjoy from the ramparts of -the fortress, the wide landscape they command under its new aspects of -animated life. This was exceedingly picturesque in the varied display of -so large a force in camp and bivouac. The smoke of fires, in preparation -for the noonday meal, rose in pearly columns on every side; and -thousands of tethered horses, and unnumbered herds of cattle were -grazing every where over the rich plains. - -Immediately beneath the walls of the fort, on the northern side, within -stone’s throw beneath us, is a _corral_—an enclosure for the keeping of -cattle, surrounded by high walls, with a barred entrance at one corner. -It was now filled with hundreds of fine animals. As we stood looking -down upon this, three horsemen, followed by three men on foot, entered -it; and we unexpectedly became witnesses of the manner of butchering an -animal here, whether taken wild on the open prairie, or, as at present, -penned up in a corral. The uses of the _lasso_ and _bolas_, and the -dexterity of the South Americans in the management of them, are familiar -to every school-boy. It was with the lasso the horsemen now operated. -The animal designated for slaughter, was, in a few moments, artfully -detached from the general herd, and made captive by the horns, with the -unerring lasso, thrown at the same moment by two of the horsemen—the -third having as readily entangled him by the hind legs as he ran. The -three horses trained to the business, the moment the lassos were thrown, -braced themselves firmly by their forefeet against the ground, bringing -the lassos perfectly ‘taut’ in three different directions, and thus -holding the beast as unmovable, as if staked by the head and heels. As -he became thus fixed, with his hind legs drawn closely together, one of -the men on foot sprang quickly behind him, and by a single sweep of his -long and murderous knife, severed the hamstrings of both legs, bringing -the hinder part of the animal to the ground, as if by a stroke of -lightning. He still stood on his fore legs; but, in as quick time -almost, the butcher was at his head, and by one plunge of the same -instrument, sent his heart’s blood gushing over the ground, and the fore -legs staggering, gave way. By a skilful movement of the lassos by the -horsemen he was jerked on his side as he fell, and the men on foot, -seating themselves upon the quivering, and still living carcass, at once -commenced their incisions, and the dissection of the skin. The whole -process of this catching, killing, flaying and cutting up an animal, is -often the work of less than ten minutes. The spectacle is barbarous and -disgusting; yet the saledaros, or general slaughter-houses, are often -visited by foreigners, for the purpose of witnessing it, as a matter of -curiosity. - -_October 24th._—Early in September, Commodore McKeever was called to -Buenos Ayres by official duty. He made the passage in the U. S. sloop -Jamestown, to which his flag was transferred, and returned on the 22d in -the American propeller “Manuelita de Rosas,” now running as a packet -between Buenos Ayres and Montevideo. Mr. Harris, late chargé d’affaires, -on his way to the United States accompanied him; and it is officially -announced, that the Congress will sail immediately for Rio de Janeiro, -to carry him that far on his passage home. - -The visit to Urquiza, and the stroll through the camp of his followers, -it will thus be seen, were made in fortunate time. Had they been delayed -longer, I should have had no opportunity for the observations they -afforded. We are to return to the Plata; but not till the successful -revolutionist and his troops will long have left the neighborhood of -Montevideo. On the 22d he issued a proclamation to the inhabitants of -the republic. I like its style and spirit much. In it he has thrown -aside the accustomed verbosity and grandiloquence, characteristic of the -state papers of this section of the world, and the barbarous -vituperations of partisanship; and avows his principles and purposes in -a manly and patriotic manner. I close this section of my record with a -hasty translation. - - “The Governor and Captain-general of the Province of Entre-Rios, - General and Chief of its army, and General of the vanguard of - the allied armies of operation, to the inhabitants of the - oriental Republic of Uruguay: - - “ORIENTALS! I promised to fight for your liberty and national - independence, and I have fulfilled my word. The chains with - which the tyrant of my country enslaved you are rent in pieces. - It only remains for me to break those which bind the unhappy - people of Buenos Ayres, where a hateful rule still oppresses the - Argentines. For this the soldiers of liberty must still combat. - - “I am about to leave you, but wherever destiny may carry - me—whether to the field of battle, to the quietude of private - life, or to the guardianship of the tranquillity and glory of my - country, I shall ever pray for your prosperity, and for the - perpetuity of those blessings which I have recovered for you, - after the long and disastrous struggle which has desolated the - rich plains of your country, and crimsoned them with the blood - of your brothers. These precious blessings are your liberty and - your independence. - - “ORIENTALS! Be free, by submitting yourselves to the authority - of that citizen whom constitutional suffrage shall elevate to - the chair of the chief magistracy, and by upholding the laws - which protect the lives and property of the people. Be - independent by living unitedly beneath the glorious banner, - which is the symbol of your nationality, that other governments - observing it may respect you; and that you may merit the - admiration of those who have sworn to exterminate a bloody - tyranny, and firmly to establish an empire of liberty and law, - in the Republics of the Plata. - - “ORIENTALS! In union is strength; in peace prosperity; and in - the oblivion of civil discord and the exercise of republican - virtues, the happiness of your children and the perpetuity of - your national institutions. - - “ORIENTALS! Union, peace, and fraternity among all, is the - charge to you from him who has the glory of having contributed - to the restoration of your liberty and independence. - - “JUSTO JUAN URQUIZA. - - “Head-Quarters of Pantanoso, October 21st, 1851.” - -Thus closes the first act in the political drama now in performance -on the banks of the Plata. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_December 10th._—The Congress has been a month at moorings here. -Nothing worthy of special notice has occurred on shore in the -interval. The court and church, by the customary pageants on gala -and fête days, have furnished the chief objects for sight-seeing, -and varied walks by the water side and on the mountains, my -principal sources of recreation. Our return to the metropolis was -welcomed, socially, by Mr. Schenck, the new minister, and by Gov. -Kent, the Consul, in elegant hospitalities to the officers of the -Congress; and Admiral Reynolds, relieved after long service by -Admiral Henderson, in the steam frigate Centaur, gave proof of his -continued friendship by a farewell dinner to us before putting to -sea, “homeward bound.” - -The unity of my record, however, requires the brief notice of one or -two events on board ship. On the evening of the 25th ult. an outrage -was perpetrated by two or three of the crew, calculated to bring a -reproach upon our good name for order and discipline. I was on shore -with Commodore McKeever, when it was reported to him, that a -policeman of the city, who had taken a deserter on board, had been -knocked down on the deck when crossing the gangway, and, it was -feared, had been fatally injured. This seemed a daring outbreak -against the discipline of the service, and a serious offence against -the municipal authority of the city. Great excitement was produced -by it, and an investigation of the affair at once instituted. Two -chief offenders were discovered and confined in irons, in dark -cells, till a formal trial of the case should take place. At first, -the assault seemed so wanton, as to be inexplicable; and could only -be resolved into an act of unmitigated villainy. I was not long, -however, in gaining a clue to its solution, which, though it did not -excuse, explained the grounds of provocation, and very greatly -palliated the offence. The person attacked, instead of being a -policeman, was only one of those who are too well known among -sailors as land-sharks—a runner to a sailor boarding-house, who had -been in the habit of entrapping the men on shore, and imposing upon -them in various ways. On a recent occasion, he had decoyed one of -our crew—under peculiarly aggravating circumstances, and with -pretensions of kindness and friendship—into the hands of the police; -and had been guilty of a cowardly and abusive attack upon him -personally, afterwards, when he had no power to resent it. Great -indignation against him had thus been excited; and his unexpected -appearance on the deck of the Congress, led to a speedy -determination among a few, to seize what might be their only -opportunity for revenge. A crowd was quickly gathered at the -gangway, as if in mere curiosity, by which the opportunity of -tripping him up would be afforded, as he should leave the ship. This -purpose was successfully accomplished, and so quickly, that there -was no time for any one to interfere. The chief injury he sustained -was from striking his head upon the combings of a hatchway; but -nothing serious to him is likely to ensue; and the crew at least, -much as they regret the reflection upon the character of the ship in -connection with the affair, think he received only that which, -according to the sailor’s code of honor, was justly his due. - -But this is a very trivial matter, in comparison with the chief -event which has happened: the loss to us of Captain McIntosh, as -commander of the Congress. The U. S. ship Falmouth, Captain Pearson, -of the Pacific squadron, came into port recently, homeward bound. An -exchange of commands took place; and Captain McIntosh left in the -Falmouth, on the 6th inst. To part with him thus unexpectedly, was -to others of the Congress, as well as to me, a severe trial. Every -officer felt it; and there was a general lamentation among all hands -of the crew. His reputation in the service is of the highest merit, -not only as an accomplished officer, but as a finished gentleman; -and, favored with his confidence—especially on the most important of -all subjects—and intimately associated with him, I deeply feel his -absence. Indeed, when his return to the United States was first -announced, I could scarcely be reconciled to it. All things, -however, are now going on promisingly under our new commander, who -comes to us with favorable antecedents, and high professional -character. The ship is in beautiful order; and general harmony and -contentment prevail, with every promise of a continuance of the -happy auspices which have hitherto marked our cruise. - -One thing is very certain—that to me time flies with the velocity of -the wind. Each day is too short for its allotted routine of duty; -and Sabbath crowds upon Sabbath, as if the week were reduced to half -its length of days. Do you ask how this can be in such long and -distant exile? I answer, because I find varied occupation to -interest and keep me employed from morning till night. I will give -you the outline of a day on board. To begin at the beginning: while -every thing is still enshrouded in darkness, three loud and measured -beats upon a bass drum fall on the dead silence of the ship at the -hour, like the heavy tread—according to romance writers of old—of a -ghost in a haunted castle, at midnight. They are the signal for the -firing of the morning gun of thirty-two pounds, which occurs -simultaneously with the last stroke on the drum, and is followed by -the beating of the reveillé. This, however, is not intended, and, in -general has not the effect to waken the hundreds of sleepers on -board from their repose, but only to proclaim the first approaches -of the dawn in the east, or, in nautical phraseology, “to make -daylight.” It is not till half an hour afterwards that the -boatswain’s pipe, followed and joined by those of his mates, is -heard to echo shrilly round the decks, preparatory to the clear and -stentorian cry by him, “Up, all hands!” caught also by his mates and -bawled by them about the ship, in varied tones of voice, but all -very considerably above concert pitch. Then again in like manner, -“Up all hammocks!” and should it be a washing-day, of which there -are two or three each week, a third cry is heard, “All hands wash -clothes!” or “All hands wash hammocks!” as the case may be. Every -one springs at once from his hammock; all on board is bustle and -activity; and, for an hour or more, there is heard a universal -rubbing, and scrubbing, and scouring on deck, till the clothes are -all washed and hoisted fore and aft on lines in the rigging. Then -comes a dashing and splashing of water, and a thumping and bumping, -a pounding and grating of “holystones” over the sanded decks, that -would effectually break the slumber of any one but a naval officer. -By the inexperienced, all this would be thought an effectual -substitute for the gong, in rousing one from his slumbers, and in -hastening him to the deck to enjoy the balmy land-breeze, and the -glorious coloring of the morning on the landscape. As to the morning -gun and the reveillé, I neither heed nor hear the sound of either of -them once in a month; and as to the beauty of the morning, and the -fresh air of the deck, woe to him who seeks them, unless prepared to -receive a shower-bath of dirty water, by the bucketfull, at every -hatchway he attempts to ascend, and to wade ankle-deep, in search of -some spot where he can stand for a moment, without being tripped up -by a “squill-gee,” or knocked off his feet by the thrashing about of -huge “swabs.” - -This general ship-cleaning is not ordinarily finished till near 8 -o’clock—the breakfast hour on board; when our flags are thrown to -the wind with a salute to them by “Hail Columbia,” or the -“Star-spangled Banner,” from the band. Breakfast is followed by a -change of dress in the crew; and the ship thus in the nicest order, -and the men in uniform clothes of pure white, with cuffs and collars -of blue, we are ready for both the duty and the pleasure that the -day may bring forth. Denied the fresh air and bright scenery of the -early day, by the comfortless state of the deck, I give the first -hour after breakfast to the enjoyment of these, and the rest of the -morning to study. - -The arrival of the long-expected library for the crew has given -quite a literary aspect to their hours of leisure. I have -voluntarily undertaken the office of librarian; and a half-day twice -a week, is necessarily given to the record of the issue and return -of the books. Evening classes, to which I also voluntarily give a -general superintendence, have been formed among the adults for -improvement in reading, writing, and arithmetic; and six or eight of -the more ambitious and promising, receive occasionally from me in my -room, lessons of an hour or two, in the higher branches of -arithmetic and in navigation. Thus, with a couple of hours on shore -for exercise, and daily visits to the sick and imprisoned on board, -I find my time fully occupied. I say visits to the imprisoned; for, -since the abolition of the lash by act of Congress, it has been -found necessary to erect cells—as remote as can be from the ordinary -resorts of the crew about the decks—for solitary confinement. The -interviews which I am permitted to have with those under such -punishment have proved to be salutary in their effect in the -discipline of the ship; and I claim the liberty of access to them, -as a privilege of my office. - -American seamen, as a class, are fond of reading; and often, not -only of reading such books as the Arabian Nights, trashy romances, -tales of piracy and murder, and Munchausen stories, but books of -history, biography, travels, and even poetry. Among the works -ordered, is a set of Washington Irving’s writings: no volumes are -more called for—especially the lives of Columbus and Mahommed, the -Conquest of Granada, and the Sketch Book. - -The most remarkable reader among the crew is an old main-mast-man of -most trustworthy character. Religious works exclusively are his -choice. The Bible is his constant companion; and, besides an entire -set of the Evangelical library of the American Tract Society, which -I brought with me for the use of any who would receive them, he has -carefully read almost every volume of a theological and practical -nature in my own library—including portions of Home’s Introduction, -the whole of Dwight’s Theology, and the entire works of Archbishop -Leighton. Of good countenance and personal appearance in general, -sedate and quiet in his conduct, and scrupulously neat and -particular in dress, he forms a study for an artist, as, seated near -the main-mast, where he is stationed at sea, his knees spread with a -piece of white duck—to keep all spots from his nicely covered -volume—with spectacled nose, he pores over it hour after hour, so -entirely absorbed by its contents as to lose all consciousness of -the varied movements around him. He seems truly a good man, and -sincerely interested in religious things; but when I question him in -regard to personal faith and hope, he shakes his head negatively, as -if he dare not presume to these; probably from the consciousness of -an infirmity which he finds it difficult to overcome—the inability -to resist indulgence in strong drink on shore. Aware of this he, for -the most part, very wisely declines accepting the liberty of leaving -the ship. There are other instances of like self-denial from the -same cause, among some of our “best men,” in sea phraseology. - -_December 12th._—I recollect having stated, that the first sight -which arrests the eyes of the stranger on landing in Rio, is the -number, varied employments, and garb of the negroes. The first, and -chief human sounds that reach his ears, are also from this class. -Their cries through the streets vary with the pursuits they follow. -That of the vegetable and fruit venders is monotonous and singular; -but so varied, that each kind of vegetable and fruit seems to have -its own song. The coffee carriers, moving in gangs, have a tune of -their own to which they keep time, in an Indian-like lope, with a -bag of one hundred and sixty pounds’ weight, poised on their heads. -The bearers of furniture form a regular choir. One or two, with -rattles of tin in their hands, resembling the nose of a -watering-pot, perforated with holes and filled with shot, lead the -way in a style truly African. To this is allied, with full strength -of lungs, a kind of travelling chant, in which at times all join in -chorus. It is full and sonorous, and rendered pleasant, if from no -other cause, by the satisfaction from it visible, in the shining and -sweating faces of the poor blacks. An effort was made by the -authorities, some years ago, to put a stop to the unceasing -vociferations and songs of the slaves; and a decree to that effect -was issued. But on trial, it was found that the poor creatures -drooped and faltered under their task, as they worked in forced -silence; and soon moped in such melancholy and depression, that the -attempt was abandoned. They now have full license to let out their -musical voices; and the way some of them give utterance from their -full chests, “to gigantic sounds, is a marvel to low-voiced -humanity.” This is in direct contrast to the habits of the -Brazilians. The chief and only sound you hear in the street from -them, is a singular kind of softened hiss, the nearest resemblance -to which the unpractised American could make, would probably be, -according to a suggestion of Gov. Kent, in the effort to pronounce -the word “tissue” by a quick and single action of the lips and -tongue. This can be heard at a considerable distance, and seldom -fails to attract the attention of the person to whom it is directed. -No loud call—no halloo! to stop or to stand—no rough salutation or -boisterous recognition is here heard, but all is quiet and calm. A -beckon of the hand, as if you wished the person to approach, -accompanied by a play of each finger, is the salute to a passer-by -in a carriage, or one at too great a distance for the ordinary low -tone of voice. The motion would be taken by a stranger for a beckon -to come near, but when this is intended, the action is reversed, the -back of the hand being towards the body, and the motion of the -fingers a scoop inwards. - -This sparing of the voice and this quiet action, indicate the -general indolence of the people, induced by the debilitating -influence of a tropical climate, and is characteristic of all their -habits. It is a principle with them to sit at rest as much as -possible, and when forced to move, to do so slowly and gently—to be -calm and composed, quiet and noiseless. With this view of life, they -eat, sleep, keep their temper and grow fat. - -Public conveyances here, as elsewhere, afford good opportunities for -studying some of the manners and habits of the people. Lines of -omnibuses run in various directions through the city, and far into -the suburbs. Gov. Kent has found it convenient during his residence -here, to make much use of them, and says, that in so doing, he has -been led to remark among other traits, the marvellous patience of -the natives, and their utter disregard for loss of time. No matter -how long, or however unaccountable the delay in starting, there is -no inquiry made, no remonstrance uttered, no English or American -fretting and scolding and threatening. The Brazilian passengers on -such occasions appear as if they would sit for the day and the -night, without a look or question of impatience. On one occasion, he -was making a passage in a steamboat from the port of Estrella, on -the western side of the bay of Rio. In crossing a shoal she grounded -in the mud and remained fast for an hour; not a native passenger -manifested the least curiosity or anxiety in regard to the -detention. No one asked the cause or went forward to make any -investigation, or to ascertain whether the tide was rising or -falling. There was nothing on board either to eat or drink, except -water; yet no one inquired how long the delay might be, but each -taking out his tablets, or a newspaper, began writing or reading as -if all were going on well. - -Another trait strikingly exhibited in the omnibus, is the remarkable -politeness and civility of the citizens, in some respects. Every man -that enters the vehicle raises his hat to his fellow-passengers, who -return the salute in the same manner. Sometimes in doing this, if -the omnibus suddenly starts, there is an amusing struggle between -politeness and the self-preservation which demands the use of both -hands, ending at times in a stumble and fall, hat in hand, in the -anxiety to do the accustomed honors. But no one thinks of yielding -his seat after it is once taken, either to sex or age; and if the -only unoccupied place should be at the furthest end of the carriage, -the most delicate woman, on entering, must force her way to it as -best she may. This is to be attributed to the national dislike to -locomotion, and to the _vis inertiæ_ incident to the climate. Men -will often sit wedged together in a hot day, after vacancies on both -sides have occurred, rather than move a foot for a more comfortable -position. - -The omnibuses are drawn by mules, and amusing scenes are often -witnessed by the display of their characteristic obstinacy and -ill-temper. As a friend remarks, in the language of some modern -reformers, “from their unfortunate and misdirected organization, -they exhibit, at times, great lightness of heel, and a savage desire -to kick something.” The drivers, however, manage them admirably, and -guide them skilfully, at a rapid rate, through the narrow streets. -The carriages are strongly built—as they need to be; for the -pavements are very rough. To this, however, the drivers pay little -heed, and generally drive the most rapidly over the worst sections. -In one respect the rate at which they move is an inconvenience to -those wishing to take passage. The drivers have nothing of the -“wide-awake” qualities of the Yankee jehus of the same vehicles at -home. They never look out for passengers in the cross streets, and -never behind them, but wait to be hailed by the native “hiss.” The -foreigner may not be accomplished in the utterance of this; and when -once the omnibus is well started, there is a farewell to all hope of -a seat for the trip. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - - SAN ALIEXO. - -_December 14th._—Where, or what, you will ask, is San Aliexo? It is -a spot which reminds me more of my home than any place I have seen -for eighteen months past, notwithstanding the existence of features -in its scenery in the widest possible contrast with any found there. -Even while I write, there is a rumbling and babbling of water near -at hand, which tempts me to fancy that I am at the table of the -little library so familiar to you, and that it is our own brook I -hear, made unusually merry by the meltings of the spring, or the -pourings of an autumnal rain. But this is not telling you what, and -where, San Aliexo is. - -It is a little valley at the foot of the Organ Mountains, thirty -miles from Rio de Janiero. Mr. M——, in whose bride, brought to -Brazil by him from the United States last summer, I recognized with -so much surprise and pleasure, my young friend, M—— G——, daughter of -Capt. G——, of the navy, resides in it; and a visit to her and her -husband has led me here. My messmate, Captain T——, of the marine -corps, is an uncle of Mrs. M——. He passed a fortnight recently at -San Aliexo, and joined the ship again, three days ago. Mr. M—— -accompanied him on board, and so earnestly urged an invitation from -himself and my young friend to their place, that I returned with -him, and have now, for two days, been enjoying their hospitality in -the very perfection of rural life. The trip as far as Piedade, at -the head of the bay, twenty miles from Rio, is made by water. Till -within a year or two, the packets plying between this place and the -city, were exclusively sharp-built and gracefully modelled lateen -sail-boats; but now, a little steamer, scarcely larger than the -smallest “tug” at New York, also makes a daily trip. We embarked on -this at noon, and reached Piedade at 3 o’clock; having stopped to -land and receive passengers at Paqueta, the most beautiful of the -islands in the upper part of the bay. - -The day was remarkably fine; neither too bright nor glaring for the -enjoyment of the scenery, as is often the case in this, the -midsummer of the year, nor too sombre from the thickness of the -screening clouds. There was quite a number of passengers, male and -female, and of a variety of nations—Brazilian, Portuguese, French, -German, Swiss, Italians, Englishmen, Americans, and numerous -Africans, both bond and free. The Italians were image venders, -having with them the long board which they carry on their heads in -their travels, filled with the plaster casts of saints and angels, -dancing-girls and satyrs, and, for aught I observed to the contrary, -statuettes of the Prince of Evil himself. The images of the saints -led to conversation among some of the passengers, long resident in -the country, on the superstition and superstitious practices of the -common people. Some of the anecdotes related were quite amusing. San -Antonio, or St. Anthony, is the patron saint of the Portuguese. It -is upon him chiefly they rely for aid in various straits and -difficulties—especially in the recovery of lost or stolen property. -The highly glazed and gaudily painted effigies of this saint, -represent him with an infant Saviour in his arms. This baby-image is -not, however, part and parcel of the principal cast, but a separate -piece attached to the arm of the saint by a long pin, which can be -inserted in a hole in the plaster, and removed at pleasure. And for -what purpose is this arrangement, do you imagine? I could scarcely -have credited the statement, had not an examination of the images -corroborated it: the purpose is, that the saint, when regardless of -the prayers made to him for aid in any specific case, may be -punished by having the child taken from him! This, I am assured, is -often done. An additional infliction for hard-heartedness or -contumacy on his part, is to put his image behind the door with its -face to the wall, or to stand it on its head, upside down! A -gentleman present related the following fact, illustrative of a like -degree of superstition. An old Portuguese, near whom he lived as a -neighbor for a long time, and with whom he was familiar, said to him -one day, “You Protestants do not believe in miracles?” “No, not in -miracles of the present day—do you?” “Certainly.” “And why?” -“Because I have experienced them myself.” “Indeed! and when was -that?” “Oh! at different times: once in Portugal, when I was a young -man. Like most young fellows, I was fond of dress then, and wore a -pair of silver shoe-buckles, of which I was very vain. One Sunday -having them on, I set off for chapel two or three miles distant, by -a cross path, and when I got there, one of my buckles was gone. I -was very much troubled; but staid to mass, vowing to San Antonio, if -he would get back my buckle, I would give him a wax candle. On my -way home, I kept looking along the path to see whether San Antonio -would hear my prayer; and before I had gone half the way, there lay -the buckle before me all right, on one side of the path. At another -time I lost a favorite dog. I was very much grieved, and felt the -loss so much, that one day, when walking along the road, I made a -vow to San Antonio of a half pound of candles, if he would only -bring him back; and I had scarcely said the words, before my dog -came bouncing through the hedge to me as fast as he could run!” Such -was the amount of the old man’s experience in miracles. - -While mentally classifying my fellow-passengers, as to their -nationality and social position, my eye rested on one of them, -apparently some sixty years of age, whose aspect was peculiarly -intelligent and gentlemanlike. A round jacket of blue cloth, -trowsers of cotton striped blue and white, long boots of the country -of undressed leather, with spurs of like fashion, a broad-brimmed, -low-crowned, white felt hat, and a whip in hand, told that he was -prepared to ride after reaching the landing. Pointing him out to Mr. -M——, I said, “That person, I presume, is a country gentleman of the -first class.” Looking in the direction indicated, he replied, “That -is Admiral T——.” This I at once perceived to be the fact; and, both -of us having before met him, we approached with our salutations. He -is an Englishman, who left the British naval service when a -lieutenant, thirty years ago, for that of Brazil, and has been -advanced in it to the rank of admiral. After much important naval -service, he was appointed adjutant-general of the Empire, during the -minority of the Emperor, an office which he held for many years; but -is now off duty, and on the retired list of the navy. I first met -him in Rio in 1829; and a second time since the Congress has been on -this station, but in so different a dress, that I did not now -recognize him. He was on his way to a coffee plantation in the Organ -Mountains; his horses and servants being also on board the steamer. -His reception of us was most cordial, and his conversation during -the remainder of the passage, interesting and instructive, from a -perfect knowledge of the country. No meals are served on board the -packet, and he insisted upon our joining him in a Brazilian lunch, -as he called it, of sausages, made partly of beef and partly of -pork—with a strong mingling of garlic—stuffed in a large skin, in -imitation of those of Bologna. Cheese, and bread in rolls, with -oranges for dessert, made up the repast: all being served in most -primitive style, on the wrappers of brown paper in which the -articles had been purchased at the grocer’s. Each of us used his own -knife in helping himself, and all drank from a cup of silver, -belonging to our host, which was as bruised and battered, as if it -had done service for a whole mess in a dozen campaigns. We ate upon -deck in the midst of our fellow-passengers; and were waited on by a -slave in shirt and trowsers of coarse towcloth, without shoes or -hat, but in a livery-jacket of blue turned up with red, and a red -waistcoat. His master seemed most kindly attached to him, saying -that, “in fidelity, honesty, and in every qualification for his -business, he was worth any twenty ordinary servants ‘at -home’”—referring, I suppose, to England. - -Piedade, the place to which the steamer plies, consists of one long -range of buildings under a single roof, and comprises a warehouse, -for the storage of coffee and other products on their way to the -city, and the returns in foreign goods; a packet office; a shop for -the retail of articles in general demand; and a small venda or -tavern—the eating and sleeping-rooms of which communicate directly -with the stables and mule-stalls in the rear. Room for this -establishment—along the front and on one end of which the wharf -extends—has been scooped from the base of an isolated, round-topped -promontory, which rises from the bay, much in the manner, and with -the general appearance of Stony Point, near the entrance of the -Highlands on the Hudson. We had intended to dine here; but the -luncheon of the admiral saved us from all temptation on landing, -from the oily dishes of the dirty venda, which, rank with garlic, -were spreading their perfume around, and we hastened to proceed on -our way. - -It was quite a pleasure to see a light and tasteful wagon of -American manufacture, with seats for two and a caleche top, in -readiness to receive us; and one still greater to move off in it, at -a rapid rate, behind two fat, sleek, and spirited mules. These -animals are much more serviceable than horses in this climate. I am -becoming so much accustomed to their appearance, as almost to admire -them. Some of those brought to the landing to meet the passengers in -company with us, were beautiful; especially two that were -milk-white, rivalling the drifted snow. The saddlecloths and -bridle-reins were also white, and in the most perfect keeping. In -these animals, as well as some others, I could trace lines of -beauty: particularly in their long and delicately shaped ears, their -neatly shaven tails, and slender and symmetrically formed legs. On -being mounted, they amble off, too, with their riders in such an -easy and knowing way, that I am beginning to have quite a fancy for -a well-trained beast of the kind. - -Carriage roads are not common in Brazil. That on which we now were, -is the principal among the few in this section of the empire, and -leads across the mountains to the mining districts in the far -interior. It is narrow, but well graded; having the earth thrown up -in the centre with deep and wide trenches on either side. It is for -the most part unfenced; enclosures by the wayside, wherever there -are any, are formed by hedges of the thorny acacia, of mimosa, the -running rose, the wild orange tree, or the hybiscus. - -The road presented a lively scene for some distance, in the -movements on it of the passengers from the boat—some in clumsy -carriages, but chiefly on horse and mule-back, and the poorer class -and negroes on foot. These last, with trunks and portmanteaus, -boxes, bundles, and different kinds of packages of greater or less -weight on their heads, walked erectly and with firm and rapid -stride. The country between the waters of the bay and the foot of -the mountains, a space of ten or twelve miles, is alluvial, low and -wet,—a sandy and marshy plain, overspread with brushwood and jungle, -from which numerous rounded hills rise abruptly on every side. -These, well-wooded, and partially cultivated, are the sites of the -few dwellings seen. The first part of the way presents the aspect of -a region abounding in miasma and mosquitoes, with few attractions as -a place of residence. At the end of four miles is the town of Majé, -situated on a small river of the same name. It is the head of boat -navigation, and counts a population of three or four thousand: but -seems a dull and inactive place, and may be summarily described as a -shabby and dirty Portuguese town. - -Beyond Majé the country improved in appearance. The hills were more -numerous and more swelling in outline, and their sides and summits -more richly tufted with foliage. Here the chief animation of the -scene consisted in long “troupes” of heavily laden mules with their -muleteers, on their way from the interior, or returning from Piedade -with panniers less heavily laden or entirely empty. Some were _en -route_; others, grouped under the shade of immense open sheds or -_ranchos_,—places built at distances of a few miles by the wayside, -for the accommodation of these troupes—were resting for a brief -time; and others again, relieved from their burdens for a longer -stop, were seen eagerly seeking food, wherever they could find it by -the wayside. - -The enterprise which brought Mr. M—— to Brazil, and has made him a -resident here, is the establishment of a cotton manufactory; and the -road into which we turned from the great turnpike, as it is called, -at the end of three miles from Majé, is of his own construction, to -facilitate the transportation of the raw material and manufactured -goods, to and from his establishment, five miles distant. It is not -so wide or so well graded as the public road, but most creditable as -a private work, and a great advance upon the mule-track and -bridle-path of former days. The last four miles of the drive along -the rich bottom-land of the Majé, and afterwards of its tributary, -the Peak River, was beautiful. The narrow, lane-like road is lined -closely on either side with green hedges, in some places of mallows -covered with purple flowers, three or four feet only in height, and -in others of the wild orange tree, rising to twenty and thirty. The -loftier ranges of the mountains in front of us were hidden in -clouds; still the wildness and beauty of the shafts which buttress -them, and of the hills which form their bases, were more and more -impressive the further we advanced. At length, as we turned the -shoulder of a projecting hill, the little valley, three miles long, -and half a mile wide, hemmed in and overhung by the wildest and -loftiest peaks of the Organ Mountains, opened suddenly to view. To -my eyes it was fascinating in its secluded beauty, and the wild -sublimity of its surroundings. I can scarcely describe the effect, -from association, of the unexpected sight of an “American Factory,” -with its modest belfry, rising loftily and in snowy whiteness from -the midst of green groves and bright streams; the cottages of the -operatives being clustered around it; and, in a grove of acacias, a -quarter of a mile distant, the “American” dwelling of the -proprietor. I use the word “American” not in reference to fashion -merely, but to material and construction, the whole having been -fitted for use in the United States. There was not an image, in all -that gave animation to the picture, to break the illusion of having -been suddenly transported from Brazil, and set down in some -manufacturing glen at home. - -Mr. M——’s house is situated on a natural terrace, twenty feet above -the level of a beautiful meadow of _alfalfa_ or Peruvian grass, -which lies between it and the factory. A road on the bank of the -river runs beside this, in front of the house and lawn; and is a -perfect specimen of the “green lane,” in the English landscape. -Smooth, straight, and turf-covered, with a hedge of mimosa on the -meadow side, and embowering thickets of bushes and trees overhanging -the river on the other, it forms a striking object in the scene: one -harmonizing well with the rural quietude and simplicity of the -whole. In the lawn, which is on a level with the meadow and lane, -there is a fountain and fine jet d’eau, and upon the terrace above, -another between the drawing-room windows and the grove of acacias. A -garden of fruit and flowers on the opposite side of the house, is -separated from it by an artificial stream, whose bed is so paved -with rough stones as to produce a constant murmur of soft sounds, as -the water glides over and around them. Every thing in sight, indeed, -though the place is new, presents a picture of taste and rural -beauty, that makes me think of the “happy valley” in Rasselas. - -It is unnecessary to say that I was most cordially received by my -friend, whom I found in all the freshness and bloom of American -beauty, and that I felt at once at home in her neat and tasteful -abode. - -_Dec. 16th._—At the end of three days even, I cannot resist a -feeling of having been transported from Brazil to some mountain -region at home. There is nothing in the general foliage, except here -and there the tufted top of a palm, or the broad leaf of the banana, -to forbid the illusion. The place, in its quietude, its bright -meadow and green lane, edged with hedges, its river whispering over -a stony bed, beneath thicket-covered and tree-embowered banks, -reminds me of Landsdown; while the house, an importation in all its -parts from the United States; the factory, of which the same is -true; and the distant hum of its busy looms and spindles, present a -picture as strikingly characteristic of New England. - -The weather is charming: clear and bright, with an occasional cloud -of snowy whiteness floating against the deep blue of the sky, while -breezes of grateful elasticity fan down from the mountain tops in -the mornings and evenings, and sweep back through the valley with -coolness from the distant sea at noonday. The nights, in their utter -silence, are in wide contrast with those to which I have of late -been accustomed: not a sound is heard but the plashings of the -fountains and the murmurings of many waters. - -The Sabbath was a day of rest indeed. I officiated at a service held -in the hall at 11 o’clock, and would most gladly have attempted to -make the day one of spiritual good to the operatives of the factory, -and the numerous dependants of the establishment, by public worship -with them. With the exception of the foreman and one or two -assistants, however, all these are foreigners—Portuguese and -Germans, whose languages I do not speak, and who, moreover, are -chiefly Romanists, not accessible to a Protestant by preaching. The -greatest number of those who are employed in the factory are -females—Germans from the Imperial colony of Petropolis: the male -portion are Portuguese from Oporto and the islands of Madeira and -Terceira. The house-servants, the waiter, coachman, gardener and -under-gardener, are Portuguese; the chambermaid, cook, and -laundress, free negresses. - -There is a Romish chapel within three miles of the valley; but it is -closed for the most of the year, and is not frequented by the -work-people here. The parish priest, like most others in the -country, is living in a state of open concubinage, and is in other -ways unpopular as to his morals. In passing through Majé, we met a -fine-looking young man, handsomely mounted, followed by two negroes -on mules. I was struck with his appearance, and, remarking it, -learned that he was a son of the padre of the place, the eldest of a -large family. We saw the father shortly afterwards, and received a -bow from him at a door, as he was about to mount his mule. This -animal I observed to be one of the finest of the kind I had seen; -and I was struck with the peculiar fashion of the stirrups of the -saddle; they were of polished brass, richly wrought, and in the form -of a Turkish slipper. - -_December 18th._—On Tuesday I took a ride of two miles or more on -horseback, to the head of the little valley. This presents a most -wild and romantic scene: making one feel, in gazing upon it,—while -mountain piled upon mountain, and pinnacled rock rising above -pinnacled rock, tower, almost perpendicularly, thousands of feet -overhead,—as if you had not only passed beyond civilization, but had -arrived at the outer edge of the world itself, where, by the -inaccessible barriers in front and on either hand, it is more -impressively said than even by the waves of the sea-shore, “Hitherto -shalt thou come, but no further.” - -After passing Mr. M——’s place, the only road is a mule-path, wide -enough for a single animal, and in all respects, excepting the -tracks of repeated use, in the state in which nature formed it—not a -stone removed, and not an ascent or descent, however abrupt and -precipitous, smoothed or graded. A few scattered habitations formed -of wattled sticks, plastered with mud, and thatched with grass, are -seen here and there; but less comfortable, apparently, and less -attractive as dwellings, than the meanest log cabins on the -outskirts of pioneer life in the United States. A few patches of -mandioca, and one or two of Indian corn, alone indicated any -cultivation of the soil, or gave evidence of a pursuit of industry. - -The course of the principal stream is a broad bed of wild and -massive rocks, from one to another of which, ordinarily, you may -step dry-shod; but, in rains, these are covered by rushing and -foaming torrents, and the stream is impassable. The next morning Mr. -M—— accompanied me in a second ride, up a valley branching to the -west from this, called the Peak Valley, from a remarkable peak of -granite, which rises at its head: one of those sugar-loaf shafts, so -common in the geological formation of this region. This valley, too, -is exceedingly wild, in its chief features; and is watered by a -rapid stream called the Peak River, tributary to that on which the -factory stands. - -The only drawback to the entire satisfaction of my visit, for the -first three days, was the concealment by thick clouds, of the pikes -or fingers as named by some, and all the higher ranges of the Organ -Mountains which immediately overhang San Aliexo. These had so often -been the object of admiration at a distance, when visible from Rio, -that I was impatient to behold them close at hand; but had been -tantalized only, by an occasional, indistinct, and momentary -glimpse, through the mist of an opening cloud, of a fantastic peak -or shelving precipice, standing high in the heavens above us. Just -at nightfall, last evening, however, the veil was entirely lifted, -and I charmed beyond expectation by the scene thus disclosed: and -not without reason, as even the imperfect sketch accompanying this -will show. - -I was up with the dawn this morning, and, finding the whole range to -be still uncovered, hastened to a part of the lawn which commands -the best view of it. The rising sun was just beginning to illuminate -the loftiest peaks with a bright and golden light; and I stood for -an hour riveted to the spot, in the study and untiring admiration of -a scene, gorgeous in coloring, and of unrivalled sublimity in its -outlines. By nine o’clock the mists from the valleys had again -enshrouded the whole in clouds. - -Though the present is the rainy season of the year, till yesterday -the weather was bright as that of June at home: but then, while we -were at dinner, it began suddenly to pour down in torrents; -presenting every thing out of doors in a new phase. At the end of a -couple of hours the rain ceased; and the paths in the lawn and the -road soon became sufficiently dry to allow our taking a walk. Mr. -M—— and I went to observe the effect upon the river. This was -surprising. From a bed of rocks, among which a shallow stream was -lazily flowing, it had become a swollen and irresistible torrent: -wide and deep, roaring like a tornado, and foaming like the sea. As -we approached a venda, or retail store and grocery, a quarter of a -mile up the valley, there was a shout and call for us, by several -persons collected there, to hurry on, as if something unusual was to -be seen. These, at the same time, set off on a run towards a point -near by them, which commands an unobstructed view of the river -above. Mr. M—— told me, as we hastened forward, that the sight was -the approach of an additional flood of water from the mountain. -This, though not now so remarkable in its appearance as it sometimes -is, was very singular. The mass of water tumbled by such showers -down the precipices which hedge in the little valley, is so great, -and rushes so suddenly into the bed of the river, as in itself to -exhibit the appearance from bank to bank, of passing over a dam. The -perpendicular elevation of this new body of water above that -previously forming the surface of the stream, was a couple or more -feet. - -We were standing at the time, near a rude mill for grinding the root -of the mandioca, and the conversion of it into farina—the “staff of -life” in Brazil; it was in operation, and the process in the -manufacture going on, under the management of a half-dozen nearly -naked negroes. The mandioca is every where seen growing in -plantations of greater or less extent, in all the tropical parts of -Brazil. It resembles the palma christi, or castor oil plant, in its -general appearance, more than any other growth that occurs to me. -The leaves, though smaller and of a darker green, are in like manner -digitated or finger-shaped, and the stem and branches irregular and -scraggy. It grows to the height of four and five feet, and attains -maturity at the end of eighteen or twenty months after being -planted. The roots produce the farina. These, at full growth, are of -the size and general appearance of a large irregularly-formed -parsnip. After being brought from the field in wide, shallow -baskets, carried by the negroes on their heads, the first operation -is to scrape off the outer skin with a knife. In this state the root -is very white and pure in looks, but poisonous in acrid juices. A -rasp or coarse grater is so arranged as to be turned by a -water-wheel; against this the root is held, and becoming finely -grated, falls into a trough or tub of water, prepared to receive it, -and is reduced to a pulp. In this state, it is placed in baskets and -pressed with heavy weights, till freed from the water and its own -juices. It is then dried, broken up or powdered, sifted through a -coarse sieve, and placed in a very large flat iron pan, having a -furnace with slow heat beneath. In this it is thoroughly dried, -without being allowed to scorch or burn. It is then put in bags for -use or sale. - -One of the effects of the rain, was the appearance of numerous -cascades and temporary waterfalls on the tops and sides of the -mountains. I dare not venture to guess even, at the extent of some -of these. They foam down their courses, white as drifting snow, and -look beautiful, amid the deep green of the forests, and the dark -precipices over which they pour. - -The history of Mr. M——’s enterprise in the introduction of -cotton-spinning and weaving, here, is quite interesting, and has -caused me to look upon him as a pioneer in such business, well -worthy the reputation of our countrymen for energy, invention, and -indomitable perseverance; and an instructive example of the -importance of a fixed purpose for the accomplishment of an end. He -met, at first, with a succession of disappointments and unexpected -obstacles, which would have utterly disheartened and broken down a -spirit less determined, and less elastic than his own. Brought up -in mercantile pursuits without practical knowledge in mechanics or -manufacture, he determined, in 1846, to attempt the establishment -of a cotton factory in Brazil. A gentleman from Rio, then in New -York, encouraged him in the project, by the assurance that the -vicinity of Rio furnished ample water-power for the object; that, -abounding in hills and mountains, streams of water in sufficient -volume, were in various places poured down. The Brazilian minister -at Washington, also expressed great interest in the subject, and -by way of encouragement to Mr. M——, gave him a copy of an act, -passed by the Imperial Legislature in 1842, by which all machinery -for manufacturing purposes of the kind, was exempted from duty. -Under these auspices, he expended capital to a large amount, in -the necessary machinery, in materials for the large structure in -which it was to be put up, and in the freight of both to Rio. Mr. -M—— hastened in advance to Brazil, to make choice of a site for -the establishment, and secure it by purchase: but only to meet a -first disappointment. The streams on which his Brazilian friend -had relied, as abundantly ample in water-power, would have -scarcely sufficed, as Mr. M—— expressed it, to water the mules -necessary in the work. An exploration of the entire region within -thirty miles of Rio became necessary, for the discovery of an -unfailing stream, with water sufficient to turn a large wheel, and -in a situation to be available. He could gain no information on -the point upon which he could rely, and was obliged to make the -search in person, through woods and wilds, and over marshes and -moors, and in ignorance, at the time, of the language of the -country. A month thus occupied, brought to his knowledge two -supplies of water only, that would answer his purpose: one at -Tejuca, nine or ten miles from Rio, and another in the direction -of Petropolis, a colony of Germans in the mountains. That at -Tejuca, besides being already leased for other purposes, was -inaccessible except by mules as means of transportation, and -therefore, not to be thought of; the other was the private -property of the Emperor, and not obtainable in any way. - -Such were the prospects of Mr. M——, with fifty thousand dollars -worth of material on its way to Rio, accompanied by several workmen -under high pay, for the erection of the necessary buildings, and to -put the machinery into an available condition. After all other -search had proved in vain, he was accidentally led to this valley, -and unexpectedly here found much, if not all, he was looking for. -About the same time, the shipment from the United States arrived; -but, notwithstanding the decree furnished him by the Brazilian -minister, declaring such articles free, the officials at the Custom -House pertinaciously demanded the duty upon them. This, according to -the tariff, like most of the imposts here on any thing foreign, was -high, and would have materially increased his expenditure. The only -alternative was an application for relief in the case, to the -minister having cognizance of such affairs. Those in official -position in Brazil, from the Minister of State to the most -insignificant employé of a bureau, hold the dignity conferred in -high estimation, and are inaccessible in proportion to their rank. -Three months elapsed before Mr. M—— could gain the audience sought; -and then, only to be told, that the exemption referred to in the -decree of the Imperial legislature, was exclusively for the benefit -of persons who had already established factories and needed -additional machinery; not for those who were introducing machinery -for a new establishment. The decision, therefore, was that the -duties must be paid; but, for the law in the case, he was referred -to the attorney-general of the empire. This dignitary condescended -to grant Mr. M—— an audience at the end of an additional six weeks; -but decided with the minister, that the duties must be paid, or at -least, deposited with the collector of customs till the factory -should be in operation. Thus, though the enterprise was one of great -importance to the interests of the country, and such as should at -once have secured the favor and aid of the government, the entire -material necessary for carrying it into execution, was kept for nine -months in the hands of the custom-house officers, greatly exposed to -rust and injury, and only released on the payment of several -thousands of dollars. It would occupy too much time to pursue the -history of the enterprise in detail: in the construction of a dam -across the river at a great outlay of money and labor, only to have -it swept away by a flood from the mountains; in the consequent -necessity of digging a long race-way along the base of the hills, -without the possibility of securing the adequate number of laborers, -white or black; and also, of making the road of five miles to the -turnpike. Over this last work, when finished, the whole of the -material for the factory building and the machinery, among which a -single piece—the shaft of the great wheel—weighed 7000 lbs., was to -be transported, without any of the facilities, so common with us, -for accomplishing it. - -The mechanics and artisans, brought from the United States for the -erection of the building, were found to be incompetent in many -respects; and the result was, that Mr. M—— was obliged himself to -perform much of the manual labor even, and instead of planning, -devising, and superintending only, to become practically a -carpenter, mason, machinist; and even freightmaster and carter, as -no one around him, whose aid he could secure, knew what course to -pursue in an emergency, or even in any common difficulty that might -occur: he was obliged first to discover how a thing was to be done, -and then do it himself. Still he persevered through every -discouragement and disaster, till his efforts were crowned with full -success, and the factory was early in operation. - -Though it is only in the more common fabrics in cotton that the -manufacturer here can yet compete with British and American goods; -and the article chiefly produced, thus far, is a coarse cloth for -coffee bagging and the clothes of slaves, he deserves a medal of -honor from the government, and the patronage of the empire, not only -for the establishment of the manufactory, but for the living example -set before a whole Province of the indolent and sluggish natives, of -Yankee energy, ingenuity, indefatigable industry, and unyielding -perseverance. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_December 30th._—It was quite a trial to bid adieu to the charms of -San Aliexo. My kind host and hostess were earnest in their -persuasions to detain me through the holidays; and I would most -readily have yielded, but for an engagement to officiate, on -Christmas morning, at the marriage of Miss K——, the daughter of the -American consul, to Mr. R—— of the family of that name, already so -often mentioned. The groom, though a native of Brazil, claims, -through his father, the rights of a British subject; and the civil -contract took place, in conformity with an act of parliament, in the -presence of the British consul, at his office, at an early hour of -the day. The marriage was afterwards solemnized by me, according to -the Protestant service, in the drawing-room of the American -consulate; and, Mr. R—— being a Romanist, a third ceremony occurred, -as at the wedding of Miss R——, his sister, last August, in the -private chapel of the country house of Mr. M——, his maternal -grandfather. - -The company assembled at the consulate was large, and the retinue of -carriages by which it was conveyed the long drive to Mr. M——’s, -quite imposing. Four-in-hand is the usual turn-out here, for such a -distance, and Mr. Schenck, the American minister, led the way, next -after the bride and groom, in an elegant chariot drawn by four -beautiful white horses. Commodore McKeever’s carriage had four fine -mules. I was of his party. The sky was slightly overcast with fleecy -clouds, and the coachman’s box being so lofty as to overlook the -walls and hedges, which screen so much of the taste and beauty of -the suburbs from view on the level of the street, in defiance of -every Brazilian idea of dignity, I perched myself upon it, for the -greater enjoyment of the drive. The day being a general festival, -the whole population of the city was in the streets in holiday -dress; and in the extended suburbs through which we skirted our way, -the inhabitants—by whole families—were everywhere seen in the -verandahs and lawns and door-yards of the houses, in the cheerful -and quiet enjoyment of the fiesta. A fondness for splendor and -display of every kind—in dress, furniture and equipage—is strikingly -a characteristic of the people here; and the showy procession, -recognized as a bridal cortège, created quite a sensation as it -dashed onward—manifestly exciting the admiration and lively -sympathies of the observers. - -From my elevated and unconfined position, I enjoyed the whole much; -and feasted, the entire distance, on the gorgeous display of -flowers, exhibited in the succession of tasteful gardens and -pleasure-grounds which I overlooked. - -The mansion and grounds of Mr. M—— I described to you in connection -with the previous wedding. The religious ceremony now, was the same -in every particular, from the scattering of the rose leaves and -orange buds before the bride in the procession from the drawing-room -to the chapel, to the showering of the same over her and the whole -company, with the closing benedictions at the altar. A concert in -the music-room immediately succeeded the ceremony, and continued -till the banquet was served at six o’clock. This was more luxurious, -if possible, in the variety and costliness of its delicacies, native -and foreign, in season and out of season, than on the former -occasion; and superb in its table-service and plate. The decorations -in flowers alone, would, in a less favored climate, have formed no -inconsiderable item of expense; while the fruits, in the perfection -of their kinds—all freshly gathered—pines, figs, oranges, -sweet-lemons, grapes in clusters like those of Eshcol, bananas, -mangoes, and melons, were most artistically arranged. After coffee -in the drawing-room, dancing was commenced; and, taking our leave, -we were safely on board ship shortly after ten o’clock. - -Thus passed my Christmas, and thus is our compatriot, Miss K——, -married; and, in the language of the world, “well married.” But -alas! married in Brazil: away from an American home; away from the -intelligence and high cultivation of American life; away from the -pure morals, spiritual aspirations, and religious privileges of -American Christianity; away from almost every thing that I would -wish an American girl to hold most dear! - -_January 7th, 1852._—This festive period of the year presents -constant opportunities of witnessing the slave and negro population -in holiday aspects. For many nights past, Gloria Hill, at which the -Commodore’s barge usually lands in our evening visits to the shore, -has echoed till a late hour with the songs, the wild music, and the -tread of the dance in their favorite amusements; and yesterday -afternoon, I accidentally became a spectator of a grand gathering of -the kind. It was “Twelfth” or “King’s day,” as sometimes -called,—being that commemorative of the adoration of the Magi in the -stable of Bethlehem; and is a chief festival with the negroes. - -I left the ship with the intention of taking, once more, the long -walk through the valley of the Larangeiras to the aqueduct, and -thence to the city by the hill of Santa Theresa. When about half way -up the Larangeiras, however, my attention was arrested by a large -gathering of negroes within an enclosure by the wayside, engaged in -their native, heathen dances, accompanied by the wild and rude music -brought with them from Africa. I stopped to witness the scene: a -counterpart, in most respects, to those which, during the first -period of my residence at the Sandwich Islands, attended the orgies -of pagan revelry there. Many of the principal performers, both among -the dancers and musicians, were dressed in the most wild and -grotesque manner—some, as if in impersonation of the Prince of Evil -himself, as pictured with hoof and horns and demoniac mien. Many of -the dances surpassed in revolting licentiousness, any thing I -recollect to have witnessed in the South Seas; and filled my mind -with melancholy disgust: the more so, from the fact, that a -majority, if not all the performers, as was manifest from the -crosses and amulets they wore, were baptized members of the Romish -Church—Christians in name, but in habits and in heart heathens -still. Exhibitions of this kind are far from being limited here to -extraordinary holidays, or to the seclusion of by-places. I have -seen them in open daylight, in the most public corners of the city, -while young females even, of apparent respectability and modesty, -hung over the surrounding balconies as spectators. - -I know not how long the revelry had now been going on; but either -from the free use of _cacha_, the vile rum of the country, or from -nervous excitement, many seemed fairly beside themselves. These -danced till ready to drop from exhaustion; while shouts of -encouragement and applause followed the persevering efforts of those -who were most enduring and most frantic in muscular exertion. The -performers on the African drums and other rude instruments, who -accompanied the monotonous beating and thrumming upon these with -loud songs, in solo and chorus, of similar character, seemed -especially to enter into the spirit of the revelry, and labored with -hands and voice and a vehemence of action in their whole bodies, -that caused the sweat to roll down their naked limbs as if they had -just stepped from a bath of oil. - -By the time I had finished these observations, the evening was too -far advanced for the walk upon which I had started, and I retraced -my steps to the Catete, the principal street, connecting the city -with the bay and suburbs of Botefogo. In it, toward evening, the -wealth and fashion of the city, especially in the diplomatic and -foreign circles, is generally met in carriages and on horseback for -the daily afternoon drive. Many of the equipages equal in elegance -those in New York and other of our chief cities; while well-mounted -riders, liveried coachmen, footmen, and grooms, give to the whole -quite the air of a metropolis. That, however, which most struck me -on the present occasion, was an amusing side-scene. Though less -generally the custom than formerly, it is still the habit of some of -the _bourgeoisie_ of Rio, at least on Sundays and great holidays, to -promenade to and from church, by whole families, parents and -children, from adults to infants, with a retinue of servants—in -their best dresses, and in formal procession of two and two. The -sight thus presented is interesting, and often amusing, from the -formality and stately solemnity with which they move along. The -servants bring up the rear, and, whether male or female, are usually -as elaborately, if not as expensively dressed as the rest of the -family: and often, in the case of the women, with an equal display -of laces, muslins, and showy jewelry. Apparently in imitation of -this usage of the white population—or rather of the Portuguese and -Brazilian, for there are no whites among the native born here—two -jet black African women, richly and fashionably attired, came -sauntering along with the most conscious air of high-bred -self-possession. They were followed by a black female servant, also -in full dress, carrying a black baby three or four months old, and -decked out in all the finery of an aristocratic heir—an elaborately -wrought, lace-frilled and rosetted cap, and long flowing robe of -thin muslin beautifully embroidered, and ornamented with lace. Every -one seemed struck with this display; and I was at a loss to -determine whether it was a bona fide exhibition of the pride of -life, or only in burlesque of it, with the design of “shooting folly -as it flies.” The common blacks, crowding the doors and gateways, -burst into shouts of laughter as they passed; while the nurse, at -least, of the party showed evidence of a like disposition. Indeed, I -think I did not mistake, while looking back upon the group, in -seeing the fat sides and shoulders of the black ladies themselves, -notwithstanding their lofty bearing and stately step, shake with -merriment, under the slight drapery of their fashionable and -elegantly finished mantillas. - -These may have been persons of wealth, and of respectable and even -fashionable position in society; for color does not fix the social -position here, as with us at home. It is a striking fact, that in a -country where slavery exists in its most stringent form, there is -little of the Anglo-Saxon prejudice in this respect, so universal in -the United States. Condition, not color, regulates the grades in -social life. A slave is a menial, not because he is black, but -because he is a slave. In Brazil, all the avenues to wealth and -office are open to the free man of color, if he has character and -talents, and the ability to advance in them. As I recollect to have -stated before, the officers of the standing army and of the -municipal guards and militia, exhibit every shade of color as they -stand side by side in their ranks; and I learn from Gov. Kent, that -the leading lawyer of Rio is a mulatto. Some of the members of -Congress, too, bear evidence of negro blood; and the Governor says, -that he has met at the Imperial balls in the palace the “true ebony -and topaz” in “ladies and gentlemen black as jet,” yet glittering, -like the rest, with diamonds. - -As to the general treatment of slaves by their owners, it probably -does not differ in Brazil from that exhibited wherever there is -irresponsible power. House-servants in Rio are said to have easy -times, and to do very much as they please; but to judge by the -instances I have seen of field laborers, I fear such have but a sad -and wearisome life. - -The eventual effect of the abolition of the slave trade, will -doubtless be to ameliorate the treatment of the slaves, and -particularly that of their children. In former years, when the price -of a slave was only a hundred and twenty milreis, or about sixty -dollars, it seemed to have passed into a settled principle, as a -mere matter of profit and pecuniary calculation, that it was cheaper -to “use up” the blacks by constant hard labor, and by extorting from -them the utmost profit, and when they sunk under it to make new -purchases, than to raise children or to extend the term of service -by more moderate labor; but now, when the price of a slave has -advanced to six and seven hundred dollars, the estimates in the -economy of the case will be different; and both parents and children -will fare better. - -The incidental mention of the annoyance experienced by Mr. M—— of -San Aliexo, in getting admittance into the country of the machinery -requisite for the establishment of his factory, except by the -payment of enormous duties, reminds me of noting some facts -connected with the regulations of the Custom House here, derived -from authority on the subject so reliable as my friend, the American -Consul. These are a source of continual disgust to foreigners, -particularly to masters of vessels, and those engaged in maritime -matters. They are fifty years behind the age: reach to every minute -particular, and seem to be framed with especial reference to fines -and penalties. Indeed, one of the items in the annual estimates of -expected receipts by the government, is fines on foreign vessels; -and to seize and fine, appears to be a fixed purpose of the -officials. A few pounds of tea, a pig, cups and saucers, and other -small articles of the kind, not on the list of stores, or in the -judgment of the visiting inspector an extra number for the size of -the vessel, are at once seized and sold at auction at the Custom -House door, to swell the receipts of the Imperial treasury. It is -said that nothing but a metallic substance, held before the eyes, or -placed in the palm of the hands, will prevent these petty seizures. -Sometimes the articles seized are of considerable worth, and, in -addition to the loss of their value, would lead to the imposition of -a heavy fine. No discrimination or distinction seems to be made -between cases of accident, ignorance, good faith and honest -intentions, and those of designed and evident attempts to smuggle or -to evade the law. - -It makes no difference whether there is more or less in the shipment -than the manifest calls for; if too much, then it is evidence of a -design to smuggle the excess—if too little, it is evidence of fraud -on the other side. The bed they make is that of Procrustes. If there -is a barrel of flour—or any other article—more or less in the cargo -than in the manifest, a forfeiture and fine follow with unyielding -certainty. One regulation is, that a master shall give in a list of -his stores within twenty-four hours after his arrival. This, it is -expected, will include every thing. But it is impossible to know to -what extent at times the regulation will be carried. In one -instance, recently, a hawser—which had been used, and was in a long -coil on deck, ready for immediate use again, and was necessary for -the safe navigation of the ship,—was seized, on the ground that it -was not in the list rendered. The master remonstrated, and set forth -the facts—protesting that he should as soon have included his masts -and boats, his anchors and cables, as this hawser; but all the -authorities of the Custom House refused to give it up, and the -vessel sailed without it. It was only after the question had been -pending a long time before the higher authorities, on the strong -representation of the American Minister, that restoration to the -proper owners was made. - -No person is allowed to go on board any vessel, before the discharge -of the cargo, without a custom house permit. A poor sailor, a Greek -by birth, who came here in an American vessel, and was discharged at -his own request, was passing an English vessel in a boat a few days -afterwards, and being thirsty, asked for a drink of water: the man -on board told him to come up the side and get it. He did so, and -after drinking the water returned to his boat. A guard-boat saw and -arrested him. He pleaded entire ignorance of the regulation of the -port, but in vain: he was fined a hundred milreis, and being unable -to pay, was sentenced to be imprisoned one hundred days, or at the -rate of a day for each milreis of the fine. He was eventually -released, however, through the intervention of Gov. Kent. - -Even the consul of a foreign nation must obtain a written permit -before he can visit a vessel of his own nation, till she is -discharged. The permit in any case is in force only for a single -day. It must, too, be stamped at a cost of eight cents. Indeed, -every paper of an official nature must be stamped. No note or bill -of exchange is valid, unless stamped within thirty days of its date: -the duty or the stamp being proportioned to the amount of the note -or bill. The revenue derived by the government from this source, is, -of course, large. - -The want of confidence, indicated by the minuteness and rigid -exactment of these custom-house regulations, is said to be a -characteristic trait of the people. There is great external civility -towards each other; many bows are exchanged, and frequent pinches of -snuff, and there is an abundance of polite and complimentary speech; -but, full and frank confidence in the intentions, purposes and words -of those with whom they deal, seems to be greatly wanting. Some -light may be gained upon this point from the fact that by public -opinion, by the criminal code, and by the actual administration of -the law, offences against the person are looked upon as of a higher -grade than the _crimen falsi_. To strike a man in the street with -the open palm, and even under extreme provocation, is the great -crime next to murder; and so of all offences against the person. An -assault is considered an insult and an indignity, as well as a -breach of the peace. - -Direct stealing is visited with condign punishment; but all the -crimes coming under the charge of obtaining money or goods under -false pretences, and those involving forgery, lying, deception and -fraud of all kinds, seem to meet with more lenient treatment. -Convictions in cases of such crimes are not often obtained, and when -they are, the sentences are very light. A short time ago, a very -congratulatory article was inserted in the newspapers intended in -perfect seriousness as a warning to evil doers, which called public -attention to the gratifying fact, that two men had been convicted of -gross perjury in swearing in court, and had each been sentenced to -imprisonment for one month! - -It is but just, however, to say, that in no country is there greater -security for person and property. Though petty theft is not -uncommon, robbery is almost unknown; and offences involving -violence, daring, and courage of a reckless kind, are very -infrequent. - -The recent trial of a foreigner on a charge of murder, gave me an -opportunity of observing the process in the criminal court. The -preliminary measures after an arrest for crime, are somewhat similar -to those which are taken in like cases, before a magistrate at home. -The party is arraigned and verbally examined by the _subdelegado_, -or justice of the district in which the crime charged has been -committed. This examination is reduced to writing. The accused is -asked his age, his business, and other questions, more or less -varied and minute, at the discretion and pleasure of the justice. He -is not compelled to answer, but his silence may lead to unfavorable -inferences against him. After the examination of the prisoner -himself, witnesses are examined. If these are foreigners, the -official translator of the government attends, to translate the -answers, all of which are written down by the clerk. The witnesses -are sworn on the Evangelists, the open hand being placed on the -book, but this is not kissed as with us. One custom struck me -favorably, in comparison with the business-like and mere matter of -form mode of administering an oath in courts at home. In every -instance here, all rise—court, officers, bar and spectators, and -stand during the ceremony. All rise, too, and stand while the jury -retires. - -After the preliminary examination is completed, the magistrate -decides whether or not the accused shall be held for trial; and -submits the papers with his decision to a superior officer, who -usually confirms it, and the accused is imprisoned, or released on -bail. - -It is only in criminal cases that a jury forms a part of the -judicial administration. As with us, it consists of twelve men. -Forty-eight are summoned for the term; and the panel for each trial -is selected by lot, the names being drawn by a boy, who hands the -paper to the presiding judge. In capital cases, challenges are -allowed, without the demand of cause. The jury being sworn and -empanelled, the prisoner is again examined by the judge, sometimes -at great length and with great minuteness, not only as to his acts, -but to his motives. The record of the former proceedings, including -all the testimony, is then read. If either party desire, the -witnesses may be again examined, if present, but they are not bound -over, as with us, to appear at the trial. Hence the examination of -the accused and of the witnesses at the preliminary process, is very -important and material. In many instances, the case is tried and -determined entirely upon the record, as it comes up. - -After reading the record, the government introduces such witnesses -as it sees fit, and the prosecuting officer addresses the jury. The -defendant then introduces his witnesses, and his advocate addresses -the jury, sometimes at considerable length. The prosecuting -attorney, if he desires it again, speaks in reply; and sometimes the -argument becomes rather colloquial and tart, the questions and -answers being bandied rather sharply. - -The judge charges the jury briefly, and gives them a series of -questions in writing, to be answered on the return of the verdict. -The decision of the case is by majority—unanimity not being -required, even in criminal cases. The questions put by the judge -relate not merely to acts, but to motives, character, and other -things, which may extenuate or aggravate the offence and sentence, -and cover usually the whole case in all direct and remote -accessories. A case begun, is always finished without an adjournment -of the court, though it should continue through the day and entire -night. - -In the arrangement of the court-room, the judge with his clerk sits -on one side, and the prosecuting officer on the other; the jury at -semi-circular tables on either side. Two tribunes are erected, one -at the end of each table, for the lawyers engaged in the case; these -usually address the jury sitting. The lawyers not engaged in the -suit in hand, are accommodated in a kind of pew, under the gallery, -which a stranger would be likely, at first, to take for the -criminal’s box or bar. - -Public executions very seldom occur. There seems to be a repugnance -to the taking of human life, if there is any possible chance to -substitute imprisonment for life, or a term of years. Every point of -excuse or mitigation is seized upon. One cannot wonder at this, when -he regards the mode of capital punishment, the barbarous and -revolting one of Portugal and Spain—a relic of barbarism, in which -the condemned is ordered up a ladder under the gallows, and then -forced to jump off, when another man immediately ascending, mounts -the shoulders of the poor wretch, and jumps up and down upon him, -with his hand over his mouth till he is dead. Those who have -witnessed it, represent it as a most awful and revolting spectacle. -This executioner is usually a criminal condemned himself to death, -who is allowed to live by agreeing to perform the savage act when -required. The old Portuguese custom of gratifying every wish of the -condemned, as to food and clothing, is still retained; and for the -twenty-four hours preceding his execution, the poorest black slave -can order whatever in these respects his fancy dictates: segars, and -wine, and luxuries of every kind are at his command. - - MONTEVIDEO. - -_January 30th._—Intelligence from the Plata led to the return of the -Congress to this place, on the 24th inst. Mr. Schenck, American -Minister at the court of Brazil, came passenger with us, as the -guest of Commodore McKeever. - -During the three months of our absence, public interest, in -political and military affairs, has been gradually centering at -Buenos Ayres. The siege of Montevideo being raised, and the -Argentine troops which had so long invested her having become part -and parcel of the army of Urquiza, and been withdrawn by him to the -territory of which he is captain-general, preparations have been in -gradual process for a demonstration against Rosas, by the combined -forces of Entre Rios and Brazil. Aware of this, every effort has -been made by the wary Dictator, to rally his partisans, to give -fresh force to the prestige of his name, and to excite the popular -feeling in his favor. To aid in this, all the winning power of his -accomplished daughter, has been brought forward. To afford better -room for its exercise, a public ball of great magnificence was given -at the new opera-house in Buenos Ayres. At this, Doña Manuelita held -a kind of court; and, after having received throughout its course -the homage of a queen, was, at its close, drawn in a triumphal car, -by the young men of the city, to the governmental mansion. New -levies of troops had been raised and drilled, and the whole city and -country placed under martial law. - -A fortnight ago, Urquiza and the allied army of thirty thousand, -crossed the Parana without opposition; and, invading the province of -Buenos Ayres, advanced within twenty miles of the city. It is now a -week since Rosas, leaving Palermo at the head of twenty thousand -soldiers, took the field in person, to oppose his further progress. -It is said that previous to the march, Doña Manuelita, attired in a -riding-dress of scarlet velvet embroidered with gold, and splendidly -mounted, reviewed the troops; and, like Queen Elizabeth on the -approach of the Spanish Armada, delivered to them an animated and -inspiriting address. - -A crisis, it is evident, is not far distant; and all is intense -expectation. The universal impression is, that Rosas must fall. It -is believed that there is treachery around him. An advance guard, in -command of Pachecho, one of his best generals, has been defeated -under circumstances which leads to the belief that, like Oribe at -Montevideo, this officer had a secret understanding with Urquiza; -and that the issue at Buenos Ayres will speedily be the same as that -which occurred here four months ago—the triumph of Urquiza, through -the desertion to him of the opposing soldiery. - -This state of affairs led Mr. Schenck and Commodore McKeever, with -Secretary G——, to proceed at once to Buenos Ayres. Captain Taylor of -the marines was of the party, a company from the guard of the -Congress under his command having, with Lieut. Holmes, been ordered -to Buenos Ayres by the Commodore for the protection of American -citizens and their property, in case of the overthrow of the -existing power. As the crew are to have general liberty on shore -here, during the passing fortnight—a time when my vocation for good -seems to be suspended, and which, both on shipboard and on shore, is -to me ever one of trial—I was urged much to accompany the party. Two -reasons, however, forbade this—one, the still precarious state of a -lad, who, the day we entered the river, fell from a height of -ninety-six feet to the deck, without being killed outright; and the -other, an engagement to officiate at the marriage of Dr. W——, one of -the assistant surgeons of the Congress, to my friend, G—— H——, a -daughter of the American Consul. This is appointed for the 5th of -February, till when, at least, I must remain at Montevideo. - -I have been twice only on shore—once with Captain Pearson, to -accompany him in an official call; and again, one afternoon for a -short walk. I had not intended being away from the ship more than an -hour; but, shortly after attempting to return, when not a half mile -from the shore, a furious tempest came rushing upon us. There was no -alternative but to return to the landing before it. It was so sudden -and so violent, that before the boat could well be secured within -the mole by the crew, the whole bay was in a foam, and a heavy sea -rolling over it. It was impossible to communicate with the ship the -next day; and the following night was still more tempestuous. The -hotels of the city afford but indifferent accommodations; and I -availed myself in the detention of the ever free hospitality of Mr. -F——. I improved the opportunity, too, by calling on the various -families of the British Church before I should meet them again at -the services of the chapel on the Sabbath. The last day, however, -was taken up wholly in reading with absorbing and affecting -interest, a manuscript loaned me by Mr. Lafone, and recently -received by him from Terra del Fuego. I mentioned, under a date at -Rio six months or nine ago, the arrival there of H. B. M. ship Dido, -on her way to the Pacific, with orders from the admiralty to visit -Terra del Fuego and the adjacent small islands, in search of a -company of missionaries who had gone from England the year previous, -but from whom nothing had been heard. A schooner chartered by Mr. -Lafone, and sent by him about that time with the same object, -anticipated the errand of the man-of-war, with melancholy result. -The whole party, consisting of Captain Gardiner of the Royal Navy, -Mr. Williams, a physician, Mr. Maidenant, a catechist, and four -boatmen, perished from hunger and exposure, in the inclemency of the -last winter there. The graves of some were found, and the unburied -bodies of the rest. Among the effects is the full journal of Mr. -Williams, from the time of his departure from England, till within a -few days, as is supposed, of the death of the whole.[3] - - -[Footnote 3: See Memoir of Richard Williams, published by the -Messrs. Carter.] - - -Their object was the conversion and civilization of the poor -degraded savages of those dreary and forbidding regions. Though -Captain Gardiner, the projector and leader of the enterprise, had -navigated the waters of Cape Horn, and become familiar with the -region while on service in the navy, he was ignorant of the language -of the natives, and was without an interpreter. Failing to establish -friendly relations with the brutish people, the whole party became -impressed with the idea, either with or without sufficient cause, -that their lives were in jeopardy from them; and, abandoning the -shore, in a great measure, they took to the water in frail and -ill-appointed boats. In these they fled from bay to bay, and from -islet to islet, till worn out with fatigue and exhausted from want -of food, they fell victims to sickness, starvation, and death. Mr. -Williams, to whose journal the remark I first made refers, -abandoned, at very short notice, a handsome practice in his -profession, a choice circle of friends, and a happy home in England, -for the enterprise of philanthropy in which he so soon perished. -From the record he has left it is evident that he was a deeply -experienced and devout Christian: simple-minded, frank, and pure in -heart. In this faithful diary, every thought and feeling of his -inmost soul seems fully unbosomed. His faith never failed him, under -the most afflictive and dispiriting trials; and his soul continued -to be triumphantly joyous amidst the most grievous destitution and -suffering of the body. I read the details of the journal as penned -in the original manuscript by such a man with intense interest; and -came off to the ship, deeply impressed in mind and heart, with the -sadness of the tragedy which put an end to the record. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - - BUENOS AYRES. - -_February 12th._—Public events here, for the last few days, have -been more exciting in their progress, and more important in their -issues, than any that have occurred on the Plata for many years. On -the evening of the 4th inst., the Hon. Mr. Schenck arrived from -Buenos Ayres on his return to Brazil. He boarded the Congress from -the steamer in which he came, announcing, as he crossed the gangway, -the utter overthrow of Rosas by Urquiza, “foot, horse and dragoons!” -as he expressed it. This had occurred on the morning of the -preceding day. He left the city the same evening, when thousands of -mounted troops were pouring through it in rapid flight, before the -victorious pursuers. It was not yet known whether Rosas had fallen -in battle, was a prisoner, or had made a safe escape. - -Before the arrival in Buenos Ayres of Mr. Schenck and Commodore -McKeever, he had left for the camp, ten miles distant; and they did -not see him. They were twice at Palermo, however, on visits to Doña -Manuelita; once before any collision between the hostile forces had -taken place; and again on the evening of the 1st inst., when it was -known that an advanced guard of six thousand Buenos Ayrean troops, -under General Pachecho, had been routed the day previous, and the -general made prisoner: a foreboding shadow of the coming event. Till -then, Manuelita had sustained her position with great spirit and -energy; receiving all visitors—official, diplomatic, and private—as -usual, in the saloons of the Quinta, and conducting with ability and -despatch the affairs of the Home Department of the government. -Toward the close of the last named evening, however, when surrounded -by those only who were in her immediate confidence, tears might -occasionally be seen trembling in her eye, or stealing down her -cheek; but only to be dashed away on the approach of any from whom -she would conceal the weakness. It was now well known to her that a -general and decisive battle might at any hour take place; and that -Palermo, immediately in the line of march from the point of contest -to the city, was no longer a place of safety for her. The night was -one of splendid moonlight in midsummer, and among others, Commodore -McKeever and Mr. Schenck remained with her till a late hour of the -evening. Before they left, a walk in the flower-garden was proposed -by her; and, taking the arm of Mr. Schenck, she led the way to the -rose-covered arbor mentioned in my visit last year. Standing within -it in silence for a few moments, she said—“This is my choicest -retreat at Palermo; it is here that I come alone, to be alone; and I -am here now for the last time, perhaps forever!” adding, as the -tears fell rapidly down her face, upturned to the moon, as if in -appeal to Heaven for her sincerity, “I leave Palermo to-night! -Whatever the issue of the morrow is to be, I know our cause to be -just, and believe that God will give to it success!” In this, -however, she was mistaken. That cause, the next day but one, was -utterly defeated; and the following midnight witnessed her flight -with her father disguised as an English marine, and she in the dress -of a sailor boy—not from Palermo only, but from her city and -country, without even a change of clothes, to find safety and a -conveyance to distant exile, under the protection of the British -flag. - -But this is anticipating the order of events. Rumors of the defeat, -on the 1st instant, of the vanguard of the army of Rosas, or some -disaster of the kind, reached the city on Sunday evening, the 2d -inst.—the night on which Manuelita forsook Palermo. It produced -little impression on the public mind, however; and on Monday the -shops were open, and general business transacted as usual. At -daybreak on Tuesday, heavy cannonading was heard for several hours -in the direction of the opposing armies. Early afterwards, whispers -of a defeat were afloat; and a straggling cavalry soldier here and -there, soon followed by others, in groups of three and four, began -to enter the city. The excitement spread rapidly, till three guns -from the citadel—the signal for martial law—confirmed the report of -the overthrow, and led at once to the shutting up of every shop, and -the closing of every door. The retreating cavalry now rushed through -the town by hundreds, and soon by thousands, hastening from harm’s -way to their homes in the pampas of the South. General Mancilla, the -brother-in-law of Rosas, and governor of the city, despatched -messengers to the foreign ambassadors, reporting the place to be -defenceless, and soliciting their intervention with the approaching -conqueror, for a halt in his march, till terms of capitulation could -be presented. Permission was at the same time granted by him, for -the landing of the marines attached to the different foreign -squadrons in the harbor, to protect the lives and property of -residents from their respective countries—British, American, French, -and Sardinian. Forty American marines, including those from the -Congress, were disembarked from the Jamestown, under the command of -Captain Taylor and Lieut. Tatnall, and the crew of the captain’s -gig, in charge of Midshipman Walker. These were distributed in the -central and richest part of the town—at the Embassy and Consulate of -the United States; at the residence of Mr. Carlisle of the house of -Zimmerman, Frazer & Co., the head-quarters of Commodore McKeever; -and one or two other principal American mercantile establishments. -At the same time, a hasty consultation of the diplomatic corps led -to the sending of a deputation from their number to the -head-quarters of Urquiza, in behalf of the city. The chief member of -this was Mr. Pendleton. Mr. Glover, the secretary of our -commander-in-chief, an accomplished young man, well fitted for the -service by his talents, and the facility with which he speaks the -principal modern languages, formed one of the mission. The special -object was to solicit from the victorious chieftain an order to -restrain his troops from entering the city, till the authorities -could make a formal surrender to him, and thus spare the inhabitants -the violence and rapine they had reason to fear. Happily the -exhaustion of the victors rendered such an order, for the time, -unnecessary. The whole force of thirty thousand men had been without -refreshment of any kind, except, perhaps, a little water, for -forty-eight hours; and, after having put their opponents to flight, -they found it absolutely necessary to come to a rest themselves, not -far from the scene of the principal conflict. - -It was not till noon of the following day, that Urquiza reached -Palermo, and established his head-quarters there. Here the -deputation first met him, and readily secured the interposition of -his authority in the point of mercy craved. Notwithstanding this, -early the same morning—that immediately succeeding the battle—before -any thing had been heard from the deputation, the sack of the city -in one quarter was reported to have commenced; and, in confirmation -of the rumor, the alarm-bell of the Cabildo, or town hall, sent -forth an incessant peal. It appeared that a large number of the -routed cavalry of Rosas, finding the pursuit by the victors given -over, remained in the outskirts of the town during the night; and at -the dawn of the next day, commenced breaking open the shops and -houses in the more remote parts, and stripping them of their -contents, bore off the plunder; alleging the authority of Mancilla -himself, the governor of the city, for the outrage. The dress of the -troops of both armies is the same; red flannel shirts, caps, and -cheripas or swaddling cloths. Those of Urquiza, that they might be -distinguished by each other in battle, had chosen for a badge a -square piece of white cotton cloth, placed on the shoulders by -thrusting the head through a hole in the centre, in the manner of a -poncho. This badge these marauders assumed that they might be -mistaken for the invading soldiery. Emboldened by success in the -outskirts, they began to penetrate the central parts of the place. -The terrified inhabitants believing them to be the invaders, -submitted unresistingly to rapine and spoliation, lest they should -lose their lives; and consternation spread every where with the -increasing violence and robbery. Many of the largest and most -valuable plate and jewelry shops had already been sacked; and the -spirit of plunder grew in proportion to the success. - -At this juncture, while a party of twenty or thirty of these mounted -pillagers was engaged in bursting off the door-locks of a rich -jeweller’s shop with powder, a company of American marines and -sailors, in charge of Midshipman Walker, accompanied by Mr. Graham, -the American Consul, on their way to the chief scene of -pillage—turned into the street near them. The robbers at once fired -upon them, happily without injury to any one. Our fellows, under the -authority of their officers, were not slow in returning the salute; -bringing to the ground, by one volley, four of the leading brigands. -Two were killed outright, and two mortally wounded. The rest wheeled -instantly in flight, and were seen no more. This first example of -the manner by which to check the pillage, led at once to a rally by -the citizens. They immediately commenced arming themselves, and a -stay was put to the progress of what, in a short time, would have -become a general sack of the town. - -Mr. Glover arrived the same moment, at the consulate near which the -above scene took place, to report the success of the mission on -which he had accompanied Mr. Pendleton. He had passed a sleepless -night, and been in the saddle many hours; but, as there was reason -to fear that the check which had been put by our marines upon the -pillage, would be but temporary, and that the marauders would soon -return in augmented numbers to avenge the death of their comrades, -as well as to load themselves with fresh booty, he was requested by -Commodore McKeever to return immediately to Palermo, and solicit -from Urquiza a force sufficient to control the disorder and robbery -existing. The Chief of Police, at the same time made his appearance, -to urge the same measure. Accompanied by this functionary, Mr. -Glover, therefore, again hastened as an express to the Quinta. He -was admitted immediately to the chieftain, though his companion, the -Chief of Police, was forbidden his presence. The object of his visit -was accorded, by an instant order for the entrance to the city of a -body of troops sufficient for its protection. Informed of the result -of the rencontre with the American marines and sailors, he gave full -sanction to the interference, and authorized its continuance. The -report of this interview was quickly spread through the city; and -the patrol of the foreign marines and armed sailors, and the speedy -arrival of the forces promised by Urquiza, allayed the panic of the -inhabitants. - -The troops of Urquiza brought with them orders to shoot down all -persons implicated in the robbery and disorder. This was -reiterated by the Provisional Government appointed by him upon -receiving, as soon as he had taken up his quarters at Palermo, the -deputation from the city, empowered to surrender it to his mercy. -Under the orders thus issued, three or four hundred persons, both -men and women, were summarily put to death, within twenty-four -hours; and a scene of such frightful carnage was taking place, -with the liberty of its continuance for eight days, that the -humanity of Mr. Pendleton led him, accompanied by Mr. Glover, to -hasten once more to head-quarters, to beseech that an immediate -stop might be put to a slaughter in which it was so apparent that -the innocent, through false accusations of robbery, might become -the victims of their political and even private enemies. The good -sense of Urquiza led him at once to appreciate the justice of this -appeal to his humanity, and to countermand the order first issued. -The alarm was thus quieted, and a general feeling of safety -restored. - -It is quite a matter of congratulation with us, that the marines and -sailors of the Congress and Jamestown, should have been so eminently -the means, by their prompt and gallant conduct, of staying a -frightful evil; and, that the prestige of the American name, through -the frank and philanthropic agency of Mr. Pendleton and Mr. Glover, -should have had such ready and such important influence with the -victor, now invested by right of conquest with all power here. - -These particulars I learned before leaving Montevideo, from my -friend Lieut. Turner. This officer was despatched to Buenos Ayres by -Captain Pearson, immediately after the report made by Mr. Schenck of -the overthrow of the Dictator. He went in charge of the American -propeller, “Manuelita de Rosas,” which the emergency of affairs and -the absence of every suitable tender of the kind in the squadron, -led Commodore McKeever to charter for the time being. He arrived in -the midst of the excitement and consternation of the second day -after the battle, when the pillage was at its height, and the -summary execution of the perpetrators by the troops of Urquiza was -begun. Being a fellow Virginian and a friend of Mr. Pendleton, he -was invited to a seat in a carriage with him and Mr. Glover, on -their last mission of humanity to Palermo; and thus was a spectator -in the city and its environs, and at the Quinta itself, of a -succession of scenes of alarm and confusion, of bloodshed and -affecting tragedy in various forms, which it is not often the lot -even of a naval officer to witness. The city, containing more than a -hundred thousand inhabitants, was under pillage and in panic; the -wide suburbs were thronged with ten thousand savage troops, dashing -to and fro in various directions; the bodies of dead men were -scattered about, after having been shot down, or having their -throats cut, not in the conflict of battle, but in wanton pursuit, -or by order of a drum-head court-martial; women in common life were -rushing here and there in terror, and ladies of wealth and rank -hastening in their carriages through these scenes, in agitation and -affright, to the centre of power, to throw themselves at the feet of -the conqueror, in supplication for the lives and fortunes of those -dearest to them. - -It was in the carriage of Madame E——, a sister of the fallen -Dictator, that the party made the excursion. This lady herself made -one of their number; and, under the favoring auspices of the -American minister, sought the presence of the chief, who now -occupies the palace, and wields the power, so long and so recently -in the undisputed possession of her brother. The avenues and -corridors of Palermo were crowded with mothers, sisters, and -daughters, pressing for audience, on like errands of mercy. The -suits of many of whom, I am happy to add, were not in vain, but most -promptly and generously accorded. Such were the scenes amidst which -Mr. Turner passed his first day here. Those of the second, in a ride -of fifteen miles, to the battle-field, under the guidance of an -adjutant and the protection of a guard furnished by Urquiza, were, -if possible, more exciting and more revolting to the feelings, and -scarcely bearable in the disgust created. The whole way was marked -with evidences of the completeness of the overthrow; and the scene -of the conflict, strewn for miles with the bodies of the slain lying -still unburied. The whole atmosphere was tainted with the effluvia -of the dead, both of man and beast, and sad demonstration given on -every side of the horrors of war. - -It was his representation of the state of affairs that led me—the -marriage of my friends Miss H—— and Dr. R—— having been duly -celebrated, and the crew of the Congress still in the process of a -general liberty—to the determination of making the visit of a few -days. I came up in the propeller, still bearing a naval pennant: -embarking on the evening of the 10th, and arriving the next morning. - -On landing, I found every hotel and lodging-house crowded to -overflowing, with officers, naval and military, both natives and -foreigners, and with strangers from various quarters, who had -hastened to the capital on hearing the result of the conflict. After -long search, I was able to secure a small sleeping-room only, in a -public house of very inferior order; and suffered so much during the -night from the oppressive heat, fleas, and mosquitoes, as to have -made up my mind by morning, to return to the Congress the same day. -During my former visit, I had made the acquaintance of the Rev. Mr. -Lore and Mrs. Lore, of the Wesleyan Methodist mission here, and had -been so much interested in them by the brief intercourse, as to be -unwilling to take my departure now without a call at the parsonage, -of a few minutes at least. Here I was most cordially welcomed; and -the cause of my intended return becoming known, they at once laid an -interdict upon my purpose, and constrained me to accept a room in -the parsonage, in their power to offer, and the kind hospitality of -their house. - -I had brought with me from the Congress, with the purpose of -affording him a peep at Buenos Ayres, one of the lads of the -ship, who had been commended to my special care by an excellent -widowed mother at home, and who had merited this indulgence by -long-continued good conduct in his position on board ship. His -leave of absence extended to the passing day only; and, knowing -that he was especially anxious to visit Palermo, I applied to -Mr. Lore, as soon as it had been determined that I should -remain, for aid in securing a vehicle to take the drive with -him. This he at once gave; but in place of a carriage from a -livery stable, as I intended, he soon appeared with the handsome -equipage of one of his parishioners, and accompanied us in the -excursion. - -The morning was excessively hot—the character of the weather for the -last fortnight. No rain had fallen in that time, and the road was -one continued bed of deep dust, kept in constant motion by the -thousand and ten thousands of horses and cattle, which the large -force in bivouac in the environs of the city had brought together. -It is computed that on the day of the battle, and for some days -succeeding it, there were not less than three hundred thousand -horses, within the circuit of a few miles, around the city. The -number of cattle may be estimated by the allowance granted to the -troops for subsistence—one animal a day for every hundred men: the -number of men in both armies, the conquering and the conquered; -amounts to more than fifty thousand, and the daily consumption, -therefore, is at least five hundred. It would require pages to -describe the novelty and wild romance of the scenes witnessed in our -short drive. The riding at full tilt, to and fro, of unnumbered -Indian-like horsemen in the picturesque and fiery costume of the -native cavalry; the flying past of carriages in one direction or -another, through the thick dust of the road; the lassoing of cattle -amidst the herds crowding the open plain; the butchering them when -entangled, wherever that might be—even in the middle of the highway; -and flaying them while still alive, and scarcely well brought to the -ground; the masses of hides, and horns, and offal scattered about -every where; some freshly stripped from the carcasses and others in -a shocking state of putrefaction; the hundreds of loose horses -scampering about amid clouds of dust; and unnumbered savage men, in -all attitudes, and in every kind of grouping, presented sights -beyond the power of description. - -As we approached the Quinta, such objects became, if possible, more -varied and more crowded: while dead horses and dead cattle lined the -road-side, and in some places dotted the ornamental canals of the -domain with their bloated carcasses. The white shell-dust of that, -which was once the private drive, covered every thing so thickly, -that the iron railings, now bent and broken down, the orange trees -and willows, once kept so neatly washed and so green, appeared as if -just powdered with meal. Indeed, the aspect of every thing in this -respect, was very much that of a landscape at home after a fall of -snow, while the trees and their branches are still in leaf. The -house itself—though surrounded, as when last seen by me, with guards -and soldiery, and in the same dress; and by a long line of carriages -and led horses awaiting the visitors within—had a closed and -forsaken air. The reception rooms occupied by Urquiza, are not in -the front. Those there, in which we had been received, with blinds -drawn, and shutters closed, appeared as though death, as well as -desertion, was there. It was not our purpose to alight; and, after a -general survey of the establishment as we drove by, we returned to -the city amidst the same scenes through which we had arrived. - -The next evening I joined a large party of American ladies and -gentlemen, residents of Buenos Ayres, in a visit of ceremony to -Urquiza at Palermo. Notwithstanding the pressure of military and -state affairs in the disposition of his troops, and the appointment -of a provisional government for the city and province, he has been -constrained to hold an almost uninterrupted levee, for the reception -of the crowds whose interest it is to pay court to him. Many of the -most servile of the partisans of Rosas have done this in the most -sycophantic manner; and many of them, I have rejoiced to hear, only -to meet his ill-concealed contempt and pointed rebuke, by a refusal -to recognize their presence in some instances, and by prompt and -stern dismissal from the audience-room in others. One incident which -occurred interested me much. Col. Maximo Terero, the favorite -aide-de-camp of Rosas, and the affianced husband of Doña Manuelita, -was made prisoner on the day of the battle. It was believed by -many—judging of the course Urquiza would pursue in the case, by the -sanguinary precedents of Rosas and other successful aspirants in the -past history of the country—that he, and such others of the -immediate partisans of the Dictator as had fallen into his hands, -would be severely dealt with, if not summarily shot. Contrary to all -expectation, Col. Terero was at once set at liberty on parole. -Touched by this magnanimity, Gen. Terero the father, a confidential -friend of Rosas, and long his partner in extensive financial -operations, hastened to Palermo to wait upon the commander-in-chief, -and to thank him for the clemency and kindness he had shown to his -son. He approached him with the following words, “Gen. Urquiza, I -have come to Palermo to tender to you the unfeigned thanks of a -father, for sparing the life of a son, whose life and liberty were -in your power. You have, sir, my most sincere and heartfelt -gratitude. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am known to -you as the friend of General Rosas. He long since won my confidence, -has long had my warm friendship, and I have never seen cause for -withdrawing these from him.” The frankness and independence of this -address met an appreciating spirit in Urquiza; and seizing him -cordially by the hand, he exclaimed, “Gen. Terero, I am most happy -to see you. I am glad to hear you express yourself as you have. I -believe what you say—yours is the first honest speech I have heard -in Palermo; and I honor you for it.” - -At the time of our presentation by Mr. Pendleton the saloons and -corridors were crowded; and the audience was brief, and, on the part -of the General, unavoidably constrained. He wore a dress-coat of -black, with white waistcoat; and, though polite and gentlemanly, -appeared to much less advantage and less at home in the -drawing-room, than on the tented field of Pantanoso. He appeared, -too, to be jaded and exhausted; which he indeed must be, after the -fatigue and excitement without intermission of the last fortnight. -At the end of fifteen minutes we took leave; and after a turn along -the parterres of the flower-garden, drove rapidly to the city, to -escape a gust of wind and rain which was seen to be gathering with -great blackness, in a threatening quarter. - -On Friday, I made a visit to the hospital, in which most of the -wounded of both parties are now collected, to the number of five or -six hundred. The accommodations, in ordinary times, are limited and -indifferent, and are now altogether inadequate. The surgeons and -physicians are too few for the duty, and the services of Dr. Foltz, -of the U. S. sloop Jamestown, have been gratefully accepted. The -wounds of many of the poor creatures are frightful; especially those -caused by grape and round shot. From the heat of the weather, and -the length of time that elapsed after the battle before they could -be properly attended to, such are now in a dreadful condition. Those -made by lances are chiefly from behind, and show frightful thrusts -on the part of the pursuers. Many of the wounded have died daily; -and the state of many more is hopeless. The edifice appropriated as -a hospital is itself spacious and massive, and is of special -interest, from having been the residencia or palace of the viceroys -of Buenos Ayres. Mr. Lore took me a ride also, the same morning, -through the suburbs, in a semicircular sweep from one end of the -city to the other—the base-line of the circuit being the river. -There is little to interest one in the scenery, the whole is so -flat; and the road was but a succession of dry and dirty lanes, -lined by mean and shabby huts. We called in the eastern suburbs upon -an English family, parishioners of Mr. Lore, who occupy and -cultivate as a fruit and vegetable garden, the grounds of what -appears once to have been a tasteful and luxurious country-seat. We -were most kindly received, and refreshed with some very fine peaches -and grapes, the former the last gatherings of the season. The -situation is an exposed one in times of public commotion and -disorder; and we were shown a cavern, screened and hidden almost -beyond discovery, where the females of the household were to have -been concealed, had the city, in the overthrow of Rosas, been given -over to pillage and rapine. In one part of the enclosure, a natural -terrace attains a height of about twenty feet above the general -level. To this I was led as one of the finest points of view in the -neighborhood. The extent of the landscape commanded from it was less -than a mile, across a flat meadow, bounded at that distance by a -range of tree-tops, above which rose the masts of some small craft -at anchor in a stream, whose banks the trees line. I could scarcely -avoid a smile in hearing this called a “fine view,” while in -imagination my eye swept, in comparison, over that spread before you -in such wide expanse at Riverside. In the course of our ride, we -visited the English Protestant burial-ground; a rural cemetery on -the south-side of the city. It embraces several acres, surrounded by -a substantial wall, entered by a handsome gateway of iron; and has a -lodge for the keeper, and a small, well-built chapel for the funeral -service. Besides a variety of prettily-arranged shrubberies, it is -ornamented with two or three avenues of the Pride of China, which -grows here in great perfection: the whole forming an attractive and -rural resting-place for the dead. - -The observations of the day were completed by the inspection, under -the guidance of Mr. Graham, of the new city residence of Rosas. It -is already in possession of the provisional government appointed by -Urquiza, and its elegant saloons are converted into offices for the -various public bureaus. It is an extensive and finely-constructed -edifice, one story in height, enclosing several quadrangles, and -covering half a square; the front extends the length of a “block” on -a principal street near the centre of the city. The middle section -of this contains the suite of private rooms of the late owner. From -these the furniture had been removed, preparatory to the sale of all -his effects. The structure, though of one story only on the streets, -rises to two in some of the inner sections. The whole is well built, -and, for this part of the world, beautifully finished. One of the -inner courts is filled with orange trees, and another contains a -garden of choice flowers. A lofty tower or mirador rises from the -centre. This is ascended by a spiral staircase of mahogany. The view -from it comprises, as on a map, the city, river, roadstead and -shipping; and the country in every direction as far as its flatness -allows the vision to reach. It conveys a strong impression of the -size, good order, and architecture of the city. Every prominent -building is in conspicuous view: all the old Spanish churches—the -Cathedral, the Merced, the collegiate, or former Jesuit College, -that of San Francisco, San Domingo and San Miguel; and the -Residencia or vice-regal palace, now the general hospital. All these -are of dark stone, and are time-stained and moss-covered: massive -and enduring piles, with many attractive features in the varied -taste and symmetry of their architecture, and in the well-defined -proportions of dome and tower, pediment and belfry. The lantern top -of this look-out is furnished with a fine telescope, by which every -object is subjected to near inspection; and it was a favorite resort -of the Dictator, during his hours of seclusion in town. One story of -the tower leading to this observatory, is a handsomely proportioned -apartment, paved with tessellated marble of red and white. It is -said to have been the favorite sleeping-room of Rosas, when he -remained in the city over night, being secure from approach except -by the spiral stairs, which could be easily defended. A fixture in -one of the galleries of an open court into which the chief suites of -rooms open, particularly struck me as a novelty: it is a fireplace -with a grate and handsomely finished marble mantle, so that, if one -choose, he may sit by a fireside in the open air, when the -temperature makes it desirable. - -As I looked around upon the spacious and well-appointed -establishment, through which Doña Manuelita, a few days since, moved -a princess, surrounded by luxury, and oppressed with the adulations -of courtiers and admirers, I could not but anew deeply sympathize -with her, in her flight and exile, with scarce a change of apparel, -or a friend to cheer her under her reverse of fortune. - -On leaving, we made an effort to gain admission to the Sala, or hall -of Representatives near by, and to the public library of the city; -but without success, from the absence of the persons having -possession of the keys. A _Porteno_—a name by which the Buenos -Ayreans pride themselves in being called—of intelligent and -gentlemanlike appearance, on overhearing our application for -admittance to the library and the cause of its failure, said -pleasantly to us, “It is well for the credit of the city that the -key cannot be found; we are thus saved a just reproach in the eyes -of intelligent visitors.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - - BUENOS AYRES. - -_February 24th._—On Saturday, I accompanied a large party of ladies -and gentlemen, Americans and English, in a visit to the scene of the -late battle. It is called indiscriminately, “Monte Caseros,” from -the name of the country-house at which Rosas took position in -meeting the enemy, and “Moron,” from that of the nearest hamlet, a -mile or two distant. - -We were off at an early hour. The morning was brilliant, and -delightful in its freshness: almost too cool, in contrast with the -excessive heat of the first few days after my arrival. The road we -took led past several country-seats in the suburbs, at which the -victorious troops were still quartered. Their horses and camp-fires -had made sad havoc with the shrubberies and plantations of these; -many of the trees being terribly barked by the former, while their -limbs had been stripped off and cut up for fuel by the latter. -Bivouac after bivouac, and rude encampment after encampment, -extended miles beyond Palermo; while the road on either side, and -often in its centre, presented the aspect of a continued slaughter -house—the hoofs, horns, hides and entrails of the animals daily -slain for the subsistence of the soldiery, being scattered about -every where, and polluting the air with their offensive effluvia. -The whole distance of fifteen miles, gave evidence of the desolating -effects of the retreat of the vanquished, and of the marauding -presence of the victors. - -At the end of twelve miles, we came upon the military village of -Santos Lugares, composed of brick huts, the regular cantonment of -the army, from which Rosas had led his force of twenty thousand to -Monte Caseros, on the evening of the 1st instant. This seemed now, -literally, a “deserted village:” every building being vacant, with -the appearance of having suffered utter pillage. It has its church, -and an extensive common, or green, ornamented at one point by a -clump of ombu, a species of gum-tree—the chief emblem of the -country. Shortly after passing this, we caught view in the distance -of the white tower of Monte Caseros, the head-quarters of Rosas at -the commencement of the battle. Its mirador, or observatory, -commands a view of the surrounding region; and from it he watched -the advance of Urquiza, and for a time, the progress of the -engagement. He then descended to the field, and took part in the -fight, till it was evident the day was lost. Persuaded of this, he -seized a cartridge from the box of a common soldier; breaking it in -pieces, he blackened his face with the powder, and mounting a -magnificent horse, in readiness near by, succeeded in making his -escape amid the dust and uproar of the general rout. He made his way -without being recognized, to the residence of the British minister -in the city. There his daughter joined him, and under the guidance -of that gentleman both sought refuge at midnight, in the disguise -before mentioned, on board the flag-ship of Admiral Henderson. - -Evidences of the conflict, or rather of the flight and pursuit, now -began rapidly to multiply, in tattered portions of clothing and in -accoutrements—caps, sword-belts, cartridge-boxes, bayonet-sheaths, -cuirasses, and broken musical instruments, and drums. What seemed -the most singular part of this camp equipage, was the quantity of -letters and manuscript papers, scattered widely and for great -distances over the ground. Soon the more revolting spectacle of a -dead body presented itself here and there, naked and ghastly, -blackening in the sun, in a frightful state of decomposition, and -tainting the whole atmosphere by its impurity. These multiplied -rapidly as we advanced; none of the slain of either party having yet -been buried, excepting such as have been sought for and discovered -by personal friends. The brick walls of the country-house and those -of a large circular dove-cote, of the same material, whitewashed, -are a good deal marked and shattered by balls both of cannon and -musketry. After Rosas had left the observatory and the house, a -strong party of his officers kept possession of them. When the -battle seemed to be given up, it was supposed by the victors that -these, like others outside, had surrendered; but on attempting to -enter, they were met by a volley of musketry, with the cry of “Viva -Rosas!” This led to an immediate onslaught by the assailants; and -every man within, amounting to thirty or forty, was at once put to -the sword. Till within a day or two past, their bodies lay piled -upon each other as they had thus fallen, upon the stairs and -platforms of the tower; and since having been dragged out, still lie -scattered over the lawn in nakedness and putrefaction. Two or three -bodies are stretched on the roof of the dove-house also, as they -fell on being shot down in its defence. - -Though the engagement commenced at daybreak and continued three or -four hours, the number of the slain is thought not to exceed three -hundred; and the wounded, not more than six. Still these numbers are -quite sufficient, where father met son and brother met brother, in -deadly fight. While we were on the tower, two brothers happened -there, and pointed out to us the positions of the two forces, at -different times during the engagement. Both were in the battle, one -with the troops of Rosas, and the other with those of Urquiza. - -With the exception of the objects mentioned, there was little to -interest; and, after strolling around for an hour or two, we -returned to the shade of the ombu trees of Santos Lugares, to -partake of an ample lunch, provided by the ladies of the party. One -result of the excursion, was the opportunity it afforded me of -gaining my first sight of what is here termed the ‘camp;’ the flat -open country of the pampas, or plains, which extend hundreds of -leagues, with a surface more level and less wooded than that of the -prairies of the West with us: a vast sea of grass and thistles, -without roads or enclosures, and without a habitation, except at -long intervals. Nothing breaks the unvarying outline, unless it be -now and then an ombu, rising on the distant horizon, like a ship at -sea. Travellers upon these plains, whether on horseback or in -carriages, like voyagers on the ocean, direct their course over the -trackless expanse, by compass. - -The 19th was appointed for the public entry of Urquiza into the -capital, with the entire allied force, cavalry, infantry, and -artillery, to the number of twenty thousand. Rain during the -preceding night, laid the dust and freshened the air. The morning -was pure, cool and pleasant, somewhat obscured by clouds till noon, -but after that hour, clear and brilliant. Every street and every -house was gay with fluttering flags and the banners of all civilized -nations, and the whole city in gala dress. I had invitations to the -balconies of several private houses in different streets through -which the procession would pass; but preferred a roving commission, -with the advantage of being able to change at pleasure my point of -view. I chose a stand at an angle of the Plaza Victoria, or place of -victory, the principal square in the city, near a triumphal arch -thrown over the street through which the procession would _débouche_ -upon the Plaza. It was the best point for observation; giving a near -view of the chief officers and troops, and commanding in coup d’œil -the masses of people in the open square; the decorations of the -monument of victory in its centre; and of the public buildings -facing it, as well as of the crowded balconies and flat-topped roofs -of the surrounding houses, thronged with spectators of all ages and -both sexes in holiday attire. - -Urquiza as captain-general and commander-in-chief, with his staff, -headed the columns. These had formed at Palermo, the cavalry being -eight, and the infantry and artillery twelve abreast. The -chieftain’s dress and that of his staff was not full uniform. With a -military coat, he wore a round beaver hat and scarlet hatband, and -held a riding-whip in his hand as if on a hunt. The red hatband, -besides its demi-savage look, gave offence, it is said, to the -Buenos Ayreans, by reminding them of the thraldom of which it had -been made a badge under Rosas; and which, with the waistcoat and -every thing of the same color, they had indignantly and with -abhorrence thrown off, the moment they found themselves free to do -so. It is also said that every demonstration of popular feeling, by -shouts and vivas, had been interdicted; and there was little -enthusiasm manifested in this way. Bouquets, however, were showered -upon the conqueror in great abundance, and his hands and those of -his immediate suite were filled with such as had been picked up and -handed to them. It struck me, notwithstanding, that there was -nothing very gracious in the expression of countenance or manner of -the hero: that something had gone amiss, and he was only tolerating -with decent civility the courtesies shown him. He declined to -dismount in the city, and continued the ride in circuit to Palermo -again. The cavalry, constituting the principal body of the troops, -in the Gaucho dress of red flannel shirts and cheripas, white cotton -pantalets, and red caps worn _à la brigand_, had all the appearance -of so many wild Arabs, clothed in red in place of white. They were -barefooted, and unshaven and unshorn; and varied in complexion, from -the red and white of the Saxon, here and there, to the jet of Congo. -Four hours were occupied by the procession in passing a single -point; though the cavalry, towards the close, rode at full charge, -when, especially, they bore an aspect as wild as that of the desert -itself. General Lopez, the Governor or President of the Province of -Corrientes, second to Urquiza in command, appeared in full military -costume, as did Baron Caxias, chief of the Brazilian division. Both -were magnificently mounted. - -The booming of cannon from various points was heard during this -triumphal march through the city; and a stationary band in front of -the cathedral played at intervals, as the regimental bands, one -after another, passed beyond hearing. In the evening, the arcades -surrounding the eastern and southern sides of the Plaza, the cabildo -or town hall fronting it on one side, the cathedral at one corner, -and the monument of victory in the centre, were illuminated; and for -an hour and more, there was a good display of fireworks. The -remaining days of the week were proclaimed holidays, and the -decorations in flags, the illuminations, and music at night were -continued. - -Two days ago, a grand Te Deum, in commemoration of the overthrow of -Rosas, was celebrated in the cathedral, in presence of Urquiza and -of the newly appointed provisional government; the officers of the -allied armies; and of all the dignitaries of the church. An immense -crowd was brought together by the interest of the occasion itself, -and by the spectacle presented in so large an assemblage of persons -of official rank and power. The ordinary services were accompanied -by a rhapsody in the form of a sermon, delivered by a young -ecclesiastic, who, from having been chosen for orator on such an -occasion, must have some pretension to talent and eloquence. I have -seen a copy of his discourse in Spanish, and will give a hasty -translation of some of its passages which throw light upon the -popular view of the public character and government of Rosas; and -give proof also of the adulations showered upon the Conqueror. The -address occupied more than an hour in the delivery, and is at least -a curiosity as a sermon. The text from the Vulgate, was announced in -Latin, and was the opening verse of the song of Moses after the -destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea: - - “Let us sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: - The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” - -The introduction, written in Dellacruscan style, and delivered with -the action of the stage, consists of all manner of apostrophes—to -the Plata, to Liberty, to Peace, to the Argentines, and to the -Virgin Mary, for aid in the office of his ministry. Two general -points are then presented,—one the duty of thanksgiving for a -deliverance from evil; the other of thanksgiving for blessings -conferred. Under the first he institutes a parallel between the -rejoicings of Rome on the fall of Nero, and of those due from Buenos -Ayreans on the overthrow of Rosas: thus—“Tell me, was it right for -the Romans, adorning themselves with garlands of flowers and clothed -with gladness, to hail with hallelujahs the jubilee of their -deliverance; to throw open their temples and offer incense to their -gods in testimony of their gratitude, when they saw the dead body of -the most barbarous of their sovereigns—that monster, whose cruelty -was not satiated with the blood even of his own mother, and whose -corruption made him regardless of the most sacred obligations of the -marriage tie? Was it not right, I say, that the Roman people should -hymn songs of thankfulness before the altars of their gods, in view -of the still palpitating remains of Nero, that impersonation of -cruelty, who, seated on a mount, instead of weeping like the -prophets over the destruction of the capital set on fire by himself, -rejoiced in the death-shrieks of its inhabitants? I do not believe, -gentlemen, that any of you condemn this conduct of the Romans—do I -say condemn? I know that you justify, you praise, you applaud it; -and if it was right, if it was laudable, if it was praiseworthy in -the Romans gratefully to acknowledge, and joyfully to give thanks to -their gods for a deliverance from the tyranny of Nero, is it not -equally so in us Argentines to offer to the true God the incense of -our praise for liberating us from the despotism of Rosas—that -tyrant, that wild beast, that scandal of our nation, that shame upon -humanity, that scourge of society and of religion, that minotaur, -more thirsty for blood than him of Crete who fed on human victims? -Yes! all of you will confess that it is just—and the more just as he -was more cruel than even Nero. How more so? Can it be possible that -there ever was a man as cruel as he, much less more so? Sirs, the -lengthened series of eighteen hundred years did not, indeed, produce -such a man: but the epoch of the barbarous Dictator of the Argentine -Republic had not yet arrived. The nineteenth century, great in all -its aspects in the annals of ages, was to be conspicuous by the -production of this monster of cruelty. Yes, gentlemen, he was not -only as cruel, but more cruel than the oppressor of the Romans. - -“Let us make the comparison. But first, Argentines, rise from the -places you occupy—rise, and make haste to close the temple doors -that no foreigner come in; and if any such should already have -entered, supplicate them to retire, that they hear not of the -horrors perpetrated by a son of our soil. Yes! rise, hasten quick, -fly! But why? Alas! oh sorrow!—stay! stay! it is too late: the -clamorous echo of the cry raised by his cruelty has resounded to the -ends of the earth. I retract my call, and beg you, Argentines, to -fly—yes, fly to the portals of the temple: but let it be to open -them widely from side to side, that entrance may be given to the -inhabitants of the whole world—if it were possible, of the entire -universe—to be witnesses of our reclamation, and hear the protest we -solemnly make in the presence of the heavens and of the earth, -before the altars of our God: Neighboring Republics! Foreign -nations! all ye people of the earth! know, and transmit to your -descendants from age to age that the children of the Plata repudiate -this monster; we despoil him of the prerogatives of an Argentine; we -banish him from our fatherland; and by the unanimous vote of the -entire Republic, sentence him to wander from place to place, and -from land to land; and, like Cain the fratricide, to carry the mark -of his crime branded on his brow, that his own ignominy may be the -expiation of his transgressions. - -“Yes! I again say, Rosas was more cruel than Nero. Let us analyze -the facts in the case. Why is Nero represented in history as the -greatest tyrant among sovereigns? Hear Tacitus: ‘He was,’ says the -historian, ‘the assassin of his mother, of his brother, of his -tutor, and of an immense number of Christians. He set Rome on fire.’ -What horrors! and the tyrant of the Argentines, did he perpetrate -such enormities? Some of them he did—others he did not. But the -credit of omitting to perpetrate those which he did not commit is to -be attributed to a dissimilarity of circumstances, not to a -difference in moral principle. Rosas did not sacrifice his mother, -but it was because she did not threaten to deprive him of his power. -He did not sacrifice his brothers, because none of them attempted to -snatch from him the reins of government: or if they did, they fled -beyond his reach. He did not sacrifice his tutor, because he never -had one; but he had an instructor in political economy and a patron -in his early public career, and him he did assassinate. Oh! sad -remembrance! Sirs, you all know the horrible death of Maza, -President of the House of Representatives,—that noble patriot and -good man, who was murdered in the very temple of the laws: not in -its vestibule, but in the very sanctum sanctorum! - -“And did Rosas sacrifice a large number of Christians? Alas! would -I were not under the necessity of answering this question. Well -then—I will not do it; but answer for me, ye numerous auditors who -listen to me. Speak, ye many widows, whose hearts, as ye listen to -my words, are broken with sorrow—let the tears speak with which -you have been fed till the present day. Speak, ye fathers, who -still pour out your grief in sighs upon your children’s tombs. -Speak, ye numerous orphans, who, while embracing with kisses the -fathers of your love, have suddenly beheld them expire beneath the -point of the dagger! Do thou, O city of Buenos Ayres—do thou -speak: and speak every province, speak every town, speak every -family of the Republic! Oh, thou year of 1840! O fatal epoch! What -days of darkness, what days of mourning, what days of tears! your -memory will forever embitter our existence. Ah! yes—in every -street, in every house, in every room, we then stumbled over some -victim—innocent victim, for, to be innocent was, in the eyes of -that wicked one, the greatest of crimes. Humanity is horrified by -the frightful truth! The story seems like a fable, but we -ourselves are witnesses to the facts. Had the blood which was then -shed, been mingled with the waters of the mighty river rolling -beside us, they would have reddened to crimson. Death itself -seemed exhausted in the execution of such cruelty; and the dead -themselves, could they speak, would exclaim, ‘How horrible!’ - -“And were they Christians only that he immolated? Nero did not slay -his priests; at least, history does not say that he attempted it. -And Rosas, did he? Ah! that tyrant not only attempted it, but placed -the seal upon the record of his impieties in the blood of the -anointed of the Lord. That blood still cries to Heaven for -vengeance, and like the infernal furies, will follow and torment the -guilty criminal. - -“And Rosas? did he burn the city? Would he had destroyed it rather -than have prolonged our martyrdom. But in this there would have been -too much humanity for him. His object was to protract our agony the -better to enjoy the misery. - -“Finally, what were the articles of Nero’s religious faith? You all -know that he was a Pagan—how then could it be strange that he should -persecute his adversaries? And Rosas, was he likewise a Pagan? Would -that he had been!—that he had been so openly! His wickedness was not -so great that he did not call himself a Catholic. Ah! unhappy man, -thou art accountable for the abuses introduced to the church; for -thou, like another Henry VIII. of England, didst constitute thyself -the priest, and the bishop, and the Pope of the Republic. If there -has been demoralization in society, thou art accountable to the -Great Judge for it; for thou hast interfered with the most sacred -rights of religion, education, and laws; and for twenty years hast -set back the civilization of the Republic, and made the relentless -knife the only inducement to excel. But, it is enough! Thanks to the -valiant, the all-powerful Urquiza! the country now reposes in -tranquillity: we are free from the despotism of the odious tyrant. - -“And is it not right that we should be thankful to the Almighty for -the benefits received at his hands? We have attained our liberty. -Oh! incomparable good! Oh! gift of inestimable value! And to whom -shall we give our thanks, if not to Thee, O Father of mercies?—to -whom if not to Thee, O Giver of all joy. To Thee, therefore, O -Fountain of all felicity, we give thanks! But likewise to thy name, -O great Urquiza! to thee, whose name will be immortal; to thee our -gratitude will be eternal, and the echo of our acknowledgments will -be heard, even to the ends of the earth. The heart of every -Argentine will be a temple from which thou wilt receive the sweet -incense of our affection; and tradition will for ever transmit to -our descendants the name of him who has restored to us our -liberties. Most excellent sir, we salute thee as the morning star of -the happy day of freedom that has dawned upon our country. We -acclaim thee as our Washington! The Washington of the Argentine -Republic! What a glory for you, sir! Argentines! I call your -attention to your deliverer: fix your gaze on that bold champion. -Let your modesty, sir, suffer me in the transports of my gratitude -to express the sentiments of my heart. Yes, Argentines, fix again, I -say, your gaze on that brave warrior. See you those scintillating -eyes beaming with humanity? they have suffered prolonged vigils for -your liberty. Behold that capacious brow—even yet bronzed by the -suns of the camp! it has been absorbed in the profoundest -meditations for your liberty! Do you perceive those features full of -expressions of goodness? they have suffered the rigors of heat and -the inclemencies of the seasons for your liberty. Witness ye that -elevated and finely modelled breast, the temple of a magnanimous -heart? It has been exposed to the bullet and the lance of the -tyrant, for your liberty. Do you observe the nervous arm and -powerful hand, so well known in battle? they have wielded the sword -valiantly for your liberty: yes, for our liberty, he voluntarily -renounced his sleep, to give his mind, day and night, to deep -thought; for our liberty, he sacrificed his own comfort and -well-being; for our liberty he hazarded his life! For our liberty he -has suffered hunger, thirst, and conflicts; and to achieve it, -impetuous rivers have appeared to him but smooth rivulets, enormous -deserts like populous plains, the longest marches but short -excursions, and the greatest obstacles the merest trifles. What -courage! what heroism! what patriotism! - -“What fortune is ours, Argentines, to have a man of so much -excellence, in him whom Providence has sent to liberate us, and give -to us the guarantee of a constitutional government. Eternal Father, -God of all goodness, what thanksgiving shall we render to Thee for -this evidence of Thy mercy?” - -With this fulsome rhapsody, terminates the second act of the -political drama of the Plata. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - - MONTEVIDEO. - -_March 30th._—While in Buenos Ayres, we were indebted for repeated -hospitality, at dinners and other entertainments, to the American -Minister and other fellow-citizens from the United States, including -my kind friends of the Methodist parsonage, where I was a constant -guest. - -We left on the 25th ult. The Montevideans exult greatly in the -overthrow of Rosas; and, on our return, we found the citizens in the -midst of public rejoicing, and various festivities. The 12th inst. -was a grand gala for the reception of the troops of the Republic, -which had been engaged in the battle of Monte Caseros. Among the -most gallant of these was the negro regiment. A few days afterwards, -I witnessed a religious ceremony of thanksgiving, at the cathedral, -characteristic of the services of the church here, in which this -composed the audience. Marching into the public square in two -detachments, each led by a band, they formed in line, in front of -the church, and entering it in military procession, filled its -spacious nave. The bands took a stand on either side near the -chancel. The soldiers, at the word of command, knelt with their arms -reversed; the priest approaching the altar, opened the books and -commenced the service, not by reading, at least not so as to be -heard, but in pantomime. One of the bands, at the same time, began -the performance of an opera, in which it was relieved at intervals -by the other; while the bell of the priest gave signal, from time to -time, to the soldiers, for the requisite smitings on the breast, -crossings of the forehead, lips and chest, and bowings of the head. -The music of the opera was continued without intermission for half -an hour, till the performance at the altar was brought to a close; -and then changed to a lively quick-step, to the gay movements of -which, the troops again marched to their quarters. - -The French Admiral, Lepredour, and the Brazilian Admiral, Grenfell, -both received official intelligence from their respective -governments by the last mail-packet, of their advancement from the -rank of rear to that of vice-admiral, in acknowledgment of the -importance of their services here. The 21st inst. was made a -festival in the squadrons of both, as the day on which their new -flags were first hoisted, when they received a salute from the -vessels of their respective squadrons, from those of other nations -here, and from the batteries on shore. - -Admiral Grenfell, an Englishman by birth, and originally an officer -in the Royal Navy, is greatly distinguished for his gallantry, and -for many brilliant acts in the naval history of the South American -States: first, under Lord Cochrane,—the present admiral, Earl -Dundonald—in the Chilian Navy; and afterwards under the same officer -in that of Brazil on the Atlantic coast. For twenty years past he -has rendered most important service in the Imperial Navy; has had -chief command on occasions of distinction and honor; and, still in -the confidence of the Emperor, was called from the civil appointment -of consul-general in England, to take command of the squadron sent -to facilitate the operations of the allied forces of Entre-Rios and -Brazil, against Rosas. This he successfully did, rendering abortive -the defences which Rosas planned to prevent Urquiza and Caxias from -crossing the Parana—thus removing the only obstacle in their march -to Buenos Ayres. For this service, to the order of the Southern -Cross, previously conferred on him, that of the Grand Cross of the -Imperial Order of the Rose is added, and he promoted to the highest -rank in the Brazilian Navy. He has been a regular attendant on the -Sabbath in the chapel, in which I officiate on shore; and apparently -is one of the most devout of the worshippers there, and one of the -most attentive of my hearers. - -Shortly after my return from Buenos Ayres, it was intimated to me -that some appropriate notice of the important political events which -had occurred, not only in the relief of Montevideo from siege, but -in the overthrow of its most powerful enemy, would give satisfaction -to the church and congregation. On the succeeding Sabbath, -therefore, my discourse, in addition to such allusions as I thought -proper to make—in regard to the affairs of the Republic of which -this place is the capital—embraced the duty of Protestant -Christians, resident in it, though not themselves citizens, towards -the people and their rulers. The general tenor of my subject may be -inferred from the text, “I exhort, therefore, first of all, that -supplication, and prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be -made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority; that -we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and -honesty.” The practical application which I attempted to enforce -will be most readily condensed by a quotation from a familiar hymn: - - “So let our lips and lives express - The holy Gospel, we profess, - So let our works and virtues shine, - To prove the doctrine all divine. - - Thus shall we best proclaim abroad - The honors of our Saviour God; - When His salvation reigns within, - And grace subdues the power of sin.” - -Admiral Grenfell was present. I was in doubt as to the light in -which he, a monarchist by birth and an imperialist by commission, -might view the subject as illustrated, in some portions, by the -history and experience in faith and prayer, of the fathers of our -own Republic; and was gratified to hear that he had expressed -himself in terms of unqualified satisfaction with the entire -discourse. - -_April 20th._—Since my last date, we have made a cruise of three -weeks off the Plata. In addition to the various exercises, nautical -and military, for which chiefly we put to sea, several interesting -experiments were made under the direction of Mr. Parker, the -flag-lieutenant of our ship, in deep sea soundings. The first result -of much interest was obtained on the 3d inst., in S. Lat. 35° 25′ W. -Long. 45° 10′. It was during a dead calm; the surface of the ocean -being every where glassy as a newly-frozen lake. Not a ripple at any -point met the eye. At 9 o’clock in the morning, a reel, on which had -been arranged ten thousand fathoms of line, furnished by the -Hydrographical Bureau and brought to the Congress by the sloop St. -Mary, was fitted to one of the quarter-boats, in which Lieut. Parker -and Mr. Glover left the ship to try the depth of the sea. They had -expected to be absent a few hours only, and took no refreshments, -not even a breaker of water with them: but the calm continued, and -interested in the duty in which they were engaged, they remained -with the boat’s crew the whole day in voluntary fast. The sinker was -a thirty-two pound shot. Eight thousand five hundred fathoms were -expended, and at sunset the line was still slowly running off the -reel. The true depth gained was believed to be only about three -thousand five hundred fathoms; the remainder being stray line -carried away by a strong submarine current. The existence of this -was conclusively ascertained: its rate being nearly two miles the -hour, in a direction opposite to the surface current, which had a -force of about one mile per hour. The determination of this fact was -an abundant reward for the labor of a wearisome day in the glaring -sun. Nine miles of the line were lost. Upon attempting to haul it -in, the tension became so great that five men could obtain a few -fathoms only per minute; and greater force being applied, it parted -a few hundred yards from the boat. Different soundings were -afterwards satisfactorily secured, at the various depths of 950, -1500, 1780, 2000, 2100, and 2200 fathoms, the particulars of which -are prepared for transmission to Lieutenant Maury. Fifteen thousand -fathoms of line were furnished by this Congress when in Rio, to the -commander of H. B. M. Frigate Herald, whom we met there; and it is -reported that soundings were obtained by him on his way to the -Pacific, at a depth of more than seven thousand fathoms. - -The calm which enabled us to make our first deep sounding continued -for three days, with a temperature like the finest autumnal weather -at home. The sky during the time, was clear and brilliant, both by -day and night: for a full moon, in a state of the atmosphere -peculiarly translucent, afforded us a splendor of light that enabled -the crew to occupy themselves in reading. During this time, I saw -men at their stations reading books, even of small print, in the -mid-watch. Immediately afterwards, however, we experienced the -heaviest gale, with the wildest and most tumultuous sea we have -known since leaving the United States. In a small vessel it would -have been fearful; but the Congress is so large, and so perfect a -sea-bird in her motions, that she rides and sports among the billows -with an ease and triumph that call forth admiration only. She dashes -from her bows and lofty bulwarks, in seeming playfulness, seas which -would sweep the decks of a small craft, or bury them beneath an -avalanche of water. Though the gale was heavy, the sky was bright; -and in the afternoon, especially when the rays of the sun fell -obliquely upon - - “The restless, seething, stormy sea!” - -the scene was magnificent. As sea after sea rose high against the -sun, it would change in hue from the blue of indigo to emerald -green. Then cresting into snowy whiteness, would scatter itself far -and wide, in beds of sparkling diamonds. The tumultuous rushing and -roaring of mighty waters in endless forms around us; the deep roll -of the frigate to the leeward; and then, the rapid plunge -headforemost down a mountain, as it were, into a yawning gulf below, -made the afternoon to me one of admiration and delight. - -Below decks, it is true, every thing was uncomfortable enough. The -ward-room was dark and dreary; and the gun-deck all afloat. Still, -as is generally the case with the sailor in such rough weather, all -hands were in high spirits, and the deeper the roll of the -ship—though by it, one half the crew should be pitched across the -ship; and the heavier the plunge downward, though followed by rivers -of water taken in at the hawser-holes and bridle-ports—especially, -if those on deck were at the same time drenched by the breaking on -board of a sea, or by being thrown into the floods rushing along the -water-ways, the louder was the laughter and the greater the glee. - -The poop-deck, from its elevation and the command it gives of every -thing far and near, is a favorite resort of the officers. It is -also, in ordinary circumstances, a place of etiquette. To sit while -there, is not allowable, at least in the day-time, except to the -Commodore and Captain, or such as they may invite beside them; much -less is it etiquette to lie there. But now, the wind was too strong -and withal too cold to stand, or even to sit; and going up after -dinner, and finding it abandoned except by a sailor at the -main-halliards, wrapping myself in a pea-jacket, I stretched myself -in a corner to the windward, flat upon the deck, with my face -partially protected by the hammock-nettings, turned to the sea. The -position gave me an unobstructed view of the raging and roaring -deep; and for an hour and more, I exulted in the contortions of the -storm and the ever varying beauty and sublimity of the scene. -Towards evening, the appearance of the Commodore and Captain brought -me to my feet; and we together enjoyed the spectacle till the -setting sun and gathering night dropped a curtain of darkness over -it. - - DESTERRO. - -_May 22d._—The Congress is again at the island of St. Catherine. We -came to anchor at Santa Cruz, on Saturday the 15th inst.; and on the -following Monday morning, I came to this place in company with our -Master S—— and Secretary G——. When here last, the principal hotel -was admirably kept by an American. He has since died, and his place -is well supplied by a Mahonese, named Salvador. After having engaged -rooms for the night and ordered our dinner, we sallied forth for a -walk in the suburbs of the town. It is so long since we have been -within reach of any thing like rural beauty, that, surrounded by it -here, we were like school-boys turned loose for play; and in the -brilliancy of the morning and elasticity of a bracing air, felt, as -one of us expressed it, ready to fly. The south wind blew freshly -over the hills and through the trees, and, at one point in our walk, -with novel and charming effect upon the widespread branches of a -couple of Australian pines. Under its breathings these became -perfect Eolian harps, sending forth as we stood beneath them, the -most touching strains of melody; swelling at times into the fulness -of the organ, and then dying away in cadences, so soft, as to make -the - - “Listener hold his breath to hear;” - -while the nerves thrilled under the expiring tones. I never heard “a -voice of nature” more charming. - -We were again struck with the great civility of every one we met, -from the well-dressed gentleman to the humblest slave. As we stood -near the enclosure of a poor cabin, admiring the peculiar beauty of -a rose in the perfection of its bloom, a negro came to the door, and -with pleasant salutations, begged us to pull it, though it was the -only one in flower; at the same time cutting a cluster of buds from -the bush himself, and adding sprigs of geranium for a bouquet. - -After an excellent dinner served by Salvador, we towards evening -took a walk along the beach and the eastern shore of the bay, to one -of the finest points of view. The picture presented in the glowing -light of the setting sun was very fine. Our walk led us past the -general hospital. It is finely situated on a commanding terrace, and -has recently been enlarged and refitted, through the liberality of -the Emperor and Empress, by donations made by them in their visit to -St. Catherine’s in 1845: the one having given ten thousand dollars -for this purpose, and the other two. It is a foundling hospital, as -well as an infirmary. The window containing the roda or turning-box -for the reception of the infants left, was open, though shaded by a -screen of green cloth, embroidered in the centre with the Imperial -arms, and with the motto in Portuguese—“Meus pais me desemparao a -Divina Providencia me protege.” “My parent deserts me, but Divine -Providence protects me.” - -I rose early the next morning and took a stroll through the market. -It is a new and neatly kept structure, immediately adjoining the -beach. I say beach, for there are no wharves. This was now filled -with canoes run up on the sand, and laden with vegetables, fruit, -wood, and various articles of traffic, in which a brisk barter was -going on. On the grass of the open square in front, groups of mules -were clustered with pack-saddles and panniers burdened with similar -articles, brought for a like purpose from the interior; and near by, -negro women in all kinds of costume and of every color, were seated -frying fish, and boiling black beans into a kind of soup, and -preparing other edibles for the breakfast of the muleteers and -passers by. Here, too, were collected, according to daily custom, -two or three dozen boys, from eight to twelve years of age, each -having a bamboo stick across the shoulder, from one end of which was -suspended a tin can capable of containing three or four quarts, with -a small tin cup attached as a measure. These are the milkmen of the -place, belonging to the small farms in the adjoining valleys, to a -distance of seven or eight miles. - -Our breakfast at the hotel was a l’Americain: such an one as -Salvador boastingly said “a Brazilian would not know how to get up.” -Immediately after despatching it G——, S—— and I set off in a boat -for the village of San José on the mainland, nine miles across the -straits in a south-easterly direction from Desterro. This was in -prosecution of a purpose we had formed of visiting the German colony -of San Pedro d’Alcantara in the mountains, some twenty-five or -thirty miles inland from San José; partly to observe the progress -made by the immigrants after a settlement of twenty-five years; and -partly for the effect upon our health and spirits of a ride for a -couple of days on horseback. There was no wind, and we were rowed -over by a Brazilian, the owner of the boat, and a young negro, his -slave. The views from the water in every direction are beautifully -lakelike. The points and bluff headlands projecting into the water, -are in many instances peculiarly striking in their terminations: -consisting of columnar shafts, piked splinters, and immense boulders -of granite, so arranged as to have the appearance of the ruins of -Cyclopean fortresses, even to the remains of seeming embrasures. In -other instances they might pass for fragments of a Giant’s causeway. - -We were an hour and a half in making the distance. We had been -directed for information and aid in accomplishing our purpose to a -German named Adams, residing at a beach called the Praya Compreda, -in the immediate vicinity of San José. He is a kind of chieftain -among his countrymen of the colony, and could be of more service to -us than any other person. We landed near his house, a substantial -and comfortable edifice of stone, appropriated in its lower -apartments to the varied business of a commission merchant, grocer, -and tavernkeeper. It was here we were to procure horses and a guide -for the excursion. At first the prospect of success was rather -unpromising. Though kindly received by Adams, he said it was -impossible for him to furnish horses—that all his were entirely used -up by a hard ride from which they had just returned, and he knew of -no others that could be obtained: nor was there any one in the place -who could act as a guide. However, upon setting forth our entire -dependence upon him, at the recommendation of his friend; the -anxiety we felt to make the trip; our nationality, and the ship at -Santa Cruz to which we were attached, he so far relented in his -first decision as to say he would see what could be done; and at the -end of a few minutes it was determined, that after a good feed, his -two horses, with the addition of a couple of mules, should be at our -service, and that Adams himself should become our companion and -guide. - -Matters being thus satisfactorily arranged, we employed the time for -the requisite preparations, in looking around us, and in learning a -little of the character and history of our host. He is a stout, -thickset, square, iron-framed man of forty-five, with a -good-natured, but most determined and inflexible face. He has been -twenty-four years in the country, having been one of the pioneer -colonists of Alcantara, and resident in the mountains till within a -few years past. He is now well to do in the world, and has a wife -and family of six children. A daughter of eighteen soon became an -object of unfeigned admiration to some of our party. She is very -pretty in face, fresh and blooming in complexion, with a refined and -intelligent expression, and perfect in the proportion and symmetry -of her figure. There was a fitting of the head and neck to the bust, -and an air and bearing in her walk, that would have become a -princess. It is so long since we have seen in common life one who -would be called at home a truly pretty girl, that we were quite -charmed with the neat and modest air of this Christianlike and -civilized beauty. A brother, too, some two years older, tall, stout, -and well modelled, moved about with the straightness and the elastic -step of an Indian. - -As we were strolling through the little hamlet, a straggling suburb -of the village of San José, we were told by a passer-by that an -American was living close at hand—pointing out to us his residence. -We found this to be a cobbler’s shop, and our compatriot in it a -cobbler: a scapegrace, as we soon learned, from no less noted a -place of apprenticeship than the “Mammoth” boot-store in Chatham -Square, New York. He is about twenty-eight years of age, has been -eleven years at St. Catharine’s, and is married here; but -notwithstanding, is confessedly still much of a “Bowery boy,” and no -great honor to his country. A Bible in English, lying on the -counter, was the only evidence of good we discovered during our -interview, in which he did a small job in his line for one of us. -His boast of Protestantism, and of his defences of the truth amid -the superstition and idolatry, as he termed it, in which he lives, -did not pass for much in our estimation, interlarded as his -conversation was, with oaths and other proofs of moral degradation. - -At two o’clock we were mounted for San Pedro d’Alcantara; Adams and -S—— on horses, G—— and I on mules. Adams, wearing a low-crowned, -broad-brimmed, black felt hat, seemed to be literally stuffed into -the drab cotton shooting-jacket, which he had added to the shirt in -which we first met him. The other most conspicuous article of his -dress was a pair of tan-colored boots, reaching to his knees, with -saddle-bag tops, put to the use here of a portmanteau. G—— and S—— -each wore over their coats a gaily striped Buenos Ayres poncho; -whilst I was provided with a boat-cloak, as a defence against sun, -wind, and rain. We set off with fine weather and in high spirits. We -had long become so weary of the monotony of life on board ship at -Montevideo, and the confinement of our passage hither, that the -change was most welcome; and we ambled off through a sandy lane -leading directly inland from the water, as cheerily as if just -escaping from prison. - -On gaining the height of the first ridge, we had an extensive view -over a wide valley covered with wood. It surprised me to see so -wide an extent of level and seemingly rich land, immediately on -the coast, unredeemed; but we learned that beneath the wood it is -a mere swamp. The rising grounds skirting it, present abundant -evidence of the productiveness of the soil: plantations of coffee, -sugar-cane, mandioca, cotton, Indian corn, and the castor oil -plant, were spread widely around, while the orange groves were so -laden with fruit, as to appear in the sun like masses of gold. The -road for many miles was broad and smooth, lined with hedges of -mimosa and wild orange, and ornamented here and there by clusters -of roses and jessamine. By degrees, however, as we advanced in the -mountains, especially in the ascent and descent of spurs of hills, -it became narrow and rough, and little more than a bridle-path. -The country became proportionally new and uncultivated; still in -many places it was homelike, from the meadows and rich bottom -lands which here and there bordered the mountain stream, which we -began now closely to follow towards its sources. A thousand -beautiful pictures in outline and foliage were presented during -the ride of the afternoon, enlivened and varied by the windings of -the small river beside us—flowing at times through lawnlike banks -as smoothly as the waters of a lake, and then again rushing, and -leaping, and foaming amidst gigantic boulders of granite, down -rapids and over cascades, with the tumult and uproar of a -cataract. - -We had constant evidence along the road, in the new dwellings and -outbuildings of the inhabitants, of their improving circumstances -and advancing civilization. This was conspicuous in more than one -instance in three successive specimens of architecture in a single -habitation, by the additions made at different times. First, there -was the little cabin, composed of small sapling-like timbers, -wattled and filled in with mud and coarsely and rudely thatched, now -rickety and ready to tumble down, the original shanty of a settler -in the wilderness; next, and joined to it some years later, another -more spacious in its area, and of more substantial frame, more -smoothly plastered and more elaborately thatched—more neat in the -finish of its door and window frames, and entire workmanship; and -lastly, the recently constructed cottage of stone, stuccoed and -whitewashed, and roofed with tile—bearing testimony of the -prosperity and the improved domestic accommodations of its owner. -This is descriptive of the Brazilian section of the country, before -we came in the neighborhood of the German colony; though the same -fact was observable in a more marked degree among the European -immigrants. - -Night overtook us when yet a league from our destination. Most of -this distance was made in such darkness that we could not -distinguish an object around us; not even the road we were -travelling. We could only follow the lead of our guide, trusting to -the eyesight and sagacity of our beasts, for security in mounting -sharp hills and in making steep descents beside the roaring waters -and shelving precipices. The way thus began to be tedious and we to -feel weary. A bright light from a large and cheerful dwelling near -the road side, before which our guide halted, led to the hope that -we had reached the end of our day’s journey. This Adams was desirous -of making it; but, after an animated parlance in German, in which -the whole of a large family, men, women and children, who had -crowded to the door, joined, while we, wayworn riders, looked -wistfully at the brightness and seeming comfort within, he was told -that we could not be accommodated, and must push our way through the -darkness and chill mists of the mountains, a mile further. Slight -showers of rain now began to fall from the heavy clouds overhead. -When at last we did come to a halt, and were invited to dismount, -the only object discernible was the dim light of a lamp amidst the -bottles of a little grog-shop and grocery, six feet by ten. We -found, however, that it opened on one side into a room of somewhat -greater dimensions; and this again in the rear into a kennel-like -hole, filled with children of all ages, from one to eight and ten -years, most of them very primitively clad, and some so much so as to -be entirely naked. - -It was at once very evident that this barnlike room, open overhead -to the rafters, and furnished only with a coarse heavy table and two -or three rude wooden benches, was to be both our supper room and -dormitory: the grog-shop on one corner and the kennel behind, -constituting the rest of the dwelling. Hungry and weary we gladly -made ourselves at home in it. The civility of the landlord, and his -manifest desire to do honor to guests under the protection of so -distinguished a patron as Mynheer Adams, but especially the early -appearance of a trim and active little German girl of eighteen, with -neatly arranged hair and blooming complexion, moving about with the -self-possession and dignity of an heiress, though without stockings, -and for shoes the clumsy sabots or wooden slippers of the country, -began to raise our hopes as to fare and accommodations. - -Soon the savory fumes and musical hissing of ham and eggs, in a -frying-pan in the adjoining penthouse, and the aroma of coffee, gave -further encouragement to our empty stomachs. A snowwhite cloth was -at the same time spread over one end of the bar-room table; and it -was not long before we were seated at a very palatable meal, which -the personal cleanliness of the little cook and waiting-maid -encouraged us to dispatch without any very close inspection of the -plates on which it was served, or the particular condition of the -black knives and five-pronged German silver forks with which it was -eaten. In the mean time we had become somewhat enlightened as to the -domestic condition of the household. The lady of the mansion had -given birth the day before to a sixth son, and was lying in a little -dark recess on one side of the rear shanty: mother and son doing -well. The maid-of-all-work was a sister in charge of the household -during the confinement. - -Shortly after our arrival a new character was introduced, in the -person of a German doctor, in attendance on the mother and child: a -man of talent and education, we were told, but now, from habits of -drunkenness, a poor degraded wretch, shabby in dress, and filthy in -person. He soon rendered himself utterly disgusting to us, by the -profaneness and vulgarity of the broken English by which he -attempted to commend himself to us, as travellers. He came from the -fatherland somewhat more than a year ago, with the German legion -furnished by Brazil, in the allied armies of the Plata, for the -overthrow of Rosas. In this, he was a surgeon, but forfeited his -commission through intemperance. He was disposed at first to be very -friendly, and to address us as “hail fellow well met.” The advances -were received so very coldly, however, especially on the point of -most interest to him, the participation of a glass of grog, that -after a word to the sick, he took his departure in the darkness and -rain for another grog-shop, as we were told, to meet more congenial -companions. - -The cravings of hunger relieved, we began to cast a look around as -to the promise of rest for the night, after the weariness of a rough -and rapid ride of twenty-five miles. The bare and dirty floors, and -narrow and hard benches along the walls, seemed to furnish the only -choice of couches. We had made up our minds to this alternative; -and, so far as my companions were concerned, with a half shiver as -to the degree of comfort held out. The mountain air was not only -damp, but positively cold. In addition to my saddle for a pillow, I -had a thick cloak in which to wrap myself, but G—— and S——, with -nothing to cover them but their light ponchos, had the prospect of -half freezing. A shrug of the shoulders, however, chiefly indicated -the nature of their thoughts on the subject. To our relief, a large -rush mat was early spread in one corner of the room, and immediately -afterwards, with triumphant looks of gratulation to one another, we -beheld our host with his little sister-in-law lugging in from the -adjoining apartment an immense straw bed, of dimensions sufficient -for the accommodation of half a dozen persons. Spread out to its -largest extent, and furnished with bolsters, clean sheets and -blankets, it looked so tempting, that, arranging the cloak and -ponchos for additional covering, and laying aside our coats, boots, -and cravats, we were soon in the indulgence of the rest to which it -invited us. We were constrained by Christian civility to offer to -our guide a fourth part of the couch. In anticipation of his -acceptance, I had chosen for myself an outside berth, where I -supposed I should be the farthest removed from him. He declined the -place offered, however, and spreading a sheepskin saddlecloth and -other gear on the floor, took up his quarters beside me. Thus my -selfish manœuvre was in vain, and the big German was my next -bedfellow. It was well for my repose that I was right weary; for he -soon began puffing and snorting in his sleep with the labor and -noise of a high-pressure steam-engine, which otherwise would have -effectually kept me awake. We were four in a row; but there was no -lack, as I soon discovered, of numerous other bedfellows. Flattering -myself that they were nothing worse than fleas in clean and polished -armor, I did not allow myself to be disturbed by them; but leaving -them to skip, hop, and jump as they pleased without hindrance, I -slept soundly till morning, and rose without a vestige of fatigue. - -I was all impatience to know what kind of a place, under the -disclosures of daylight, San Pedro d’Alcantara would prove to be. On -hastening to the door, for the windows without sash or glass were -closed by board shutters, the first object that met my eyes was the -little rustic chapel of the settlement, perched on the top of a -beautifully wooded and round-topped hill. It is picturesque and -rural, and the most conspicuous and ornamental object in the -landscape. The place itself is a hamlet of a dozen dwellings, most -of them mere huts. Half the number are plastered and whitewashed, -and in place of thatch have roofs of red tile. The mountain stream, -whose course we had followed from the bay at San José, here a small -rivulet, flows through its centre. The little valley in which the -hamlet is embosomed, is encircled by hills of more or less -steepness, most of them still covered with trees and underwood, and -presents all the features of a new and frontier settlement at home. -After breakfast, accompanied by Adams and our host, who adds to his -occupation of publican the office of sexton to the church, we -ascended the hill to the chapel. It is most rude in its architecture -both within and without, and is furnished with several frightful -daubs, of what are intended for saints and angels. A cemetery -surrounds the chapel. It contains a few graves, and is encircled by -a broad path for the convenience of religious processions. There is -no parish priest; but an itinerant ecclesiastic makes a quarterly -visit for confession and absolution, and the celebration of mass. In -answer to my inquiries on the subject, our host said, “We come up to -the chapel every Sunday morning and every saint’s day, and make a -procession, and do what we can, and then go down and drink, dance, -and sing, and enjoy ourselves the rest of the day!” - -It had rained heavily in showers during the night, and the weather -was still drizzling and unsettled. Still we felt disposed before -returning, to push our observations a little further in the -interior. To this Adams offered no objection, and we again mounted. -Shortly after leaving the hamlet westward, we came to a very steep -and long hill—quite a mountain. The soil is an adhesive oily clay, -and the ascent was difficult and amusing. It was almost impossible -for our animals to obtain a sure foothold; and they constantly -slipped and floundered, and slid backwards in a manner that at first -was startling. The view from the top, of the little valley and -hamlet, the stream meandering through it, and of the rude chapel and -its surmounting cross, was picturesque and quite Alpine. - -The descent on the opposite side was as steep, and more hazardous -than the ascent had been: our beasts, with their fore-legs stiffly -outstretched, often made involuntary slides of eight, ten, and -fifteen feet, till “brought up all standing,” as the phrase is, by a -cross gully or a large stone. As the whole ride was but the constant -ascent and descent of a succession of spurs of hills, running down -into the little valley through which the mountain stream flowed, it -proved a regular morning’s sport of “coursing down hill” after a new -fashion. At first it was a little startling; for when the slide -began, whether backwards, in a precipitous ascent, or headforemost -down a breakneck descent, there was no calculating where one would -fetch up; a little experience, however, begot such confidence in the -self-management of the animals—especially the mules, to one of which -I still adhered—that I soon began to enjoy it, and rather to look -out for and encourage a good long slide upon the well-braced limbs -of my beast. This was particularly the case on our return, in the -descent of the long hill immediately overhanging San Pedro. This is -quite precipitous, and for nearly half a mile we slipped, slipped, -and slipped, one after another, first in one direction in the road, -and then in another, zigzagging here and zigzagging there, but -bringing up at every successive point safely, till we were -constrained to laugh outright, as we looked from one animal and his -rider to another, and felt that each of us presented the same -comical figure. - -The general features of the scenery were much the same as those -passed over the preceding evening. Steep hills, well-wooded, rose -abruptly on either side from the little valley. In this lay rich -bottomlands, some in long peninsulas, and others in horse-shoe form, -according to the varied windings of the stream flowing through them. -Many beautiful pictures, some of nature in her wildness, and others -with intermingled cultivation and improvement met the eye, with -evidences in the dwellings and farms of the settlers of increasing -comfort and progressive civilization. At the end of three miles, our -guide proposed that instead of following the public mule-track -further, we should turn aside by a gateway upon the more level -valley. This we did, and soon entered upon a section more like -farming-land at home than any thing before met. After passing two or -three comfortable-looking dwellings, we came in view of an extensive -plantation of comparatively level and well improved ground, with a -cluster of buildings a half mile in the distance, superior to any we -had yet seen. It proved to be the residence of a cousin of our -guide, at which he wished to give us an introduction. Widespread, -meadow-like fields lay before us, and on one side upon an open lawn -stood a neatly-finished little ‘chapelet,’ if I may coin a word. -This looked pretty in the landscape, from its whiteness in contrast -with the green of an encircling hedge. It was not more than twelve -feet square, open in front, and probably intended to be scarcely -more than a canopy over a shrine of the Virgin or some favorite -saint. - -From the time of entering the German colony the day previous, -salutations of good will and pleasure were addressed to our guide -from the habitations we passed far and near—often at distances as -great as the voice could well carry them; now, as soon as he was -recognized among the party approaching, the demonstration was most -cordial and prolonged; while before we would alight, father, mother, -daughters, and sons gathered around the cavalcade with the most -cheerful welcome. Every thing indicated that we had arrived at the -mansion of a magnate in the colony, if it were not that of the lord -of the manor himself. It must not be inferred from this, however, -that we met any very impressive display of aristocratic life, either -in costume, manners, or dwelling. The proprietor was unshaven and -unshorn. His dress, though clean, was very thoroughly patched, and -included neither coat, stockings, hat, nor cravat. The costume of -the lady consisted principally of a single essential garment, made -and arranged so inartistically as to give to her figure very much -the outline of a bean-pole. The forms of two strapping daughters of -sixteen and eighteen were much more after the German model; but -their toilette was little more elaborate than that of the mother, -and the skirt of the single robe worn by them, scarcely the length -of that of a Bloomer without the pantalets. The sinew and muscle -thus displayed in bare arms and bare ankles and feet, would have -justified the belief that they had spent their lives in -tree-chopping or log-rolling, and led one of our party in his -astonishment to exclaim, with the favorite expletive of ‘by George,’ -“either of them would thrash any one of us in a minute!” - -It was beginning to rain quite smartly as we dismounted, and whilst -the sons took charge of our horses, we were hastily ushered into a -good-sized room, which, though exhibiting a combination of hall and -parlor, bedroom and kitchen, took us quite by surprise in its style -and finish. It presented a neatly panelled wainscot, of the handsome -cedar of the country, extending from the floor to the cornice; the -ceiling also being panelled with the same material. A long table and -benches beside it, a sofa of mahogany with cane seat, and half a -dozen chairs to match, an old eight-day clock in a straight black -case, and a high dresser with drawers of the same color and -material—both manifestly brought from the ‘faderland’—constituted, -with the accustomed display of delf and china, the principal -furniture of the room. - -In the early morning, at San Pedro, the first indoor object that -arrested my attention, was the thickset and burly figure of our -guide, beside the counter of the little grog-shop and grocery, -stirring with a spoon the contents of a shallow earthen pan, on the -surface of which played the blue flames of burning spirits. The -interest with which he watched the operation was not limited, it was -very evident, to the beauty of the flashing and leaping flame, as he -stirred and stirred the liquid. Half suspicious of the reply that -would be given, I asked him, “what he was making?” And received for -answer, with a smack of his lips, “Oh, something very good for the -stomach in these damp mornings in the mountains—very necessary -against the fogs! it is cachasa,”—the common rum of the country—“and -sugar,” of which, at the end of fifteen minutes’ preparation, he -would fain have persuaded us to partake, with the assurance “that -all the bad of it was burned up.” And now, at the farm-house, we had -scarcely become seated, before our host made his appearance with a -tumbler of the same, with a regret that he could not in its place -offer us wine. On declining this, bowls of milk were presented. And -such milk! The like of it I have not seen since leaving the banks of -the Hudson. An excellent loaf of bread, a mixture of wheat and -Indian meal, was added, with the sweetest of butter and equally good -cheese. A plate of the farina of mandioca being also placed upon the -table, I made my lunch chiefly on a bowl of milk thickened with it; -and found the diet a capital substitute for the hasty pudding of New -England and the Dutch _suppawn_ of the Middle States. - -In the mean time, a feat of agility performed by the younger of the -two daughters mentioned, came near proving too much for the gravity -of some of our number. She had not entered the room when we did, -having received an order at the time, of some kind, from her mother. -This obeyed, she was unwilling, probably, to lose the interest of so -unusual a visit; and perceiving at the door that but one seat in the -room was vacant—the farther end of the sofa, ten or twelve feet -off—and suspicious of the undue exposure before strangers of her -nether limbs, in a deliberate movement over the intervening space, -she measured well the distance, and with a gathered momentum, by a -single lofty hop, skip, and jump, came down _à la Turque_ upon it, -with feet and ankles entirely concealed beneath her scanty skirt, -but with a snapping of the bamboo that threatened to be fatal to the -bottom of the sofa. - -After luncheon, we sallied forth for the inspection of a mandioca -and a sugar mill in an adjoining building, and a view of the piggery -and gardens—the entire household forming our suite. We had already -discovered the wife to be very decidedly the head of the family. Her -will and word, doubtless, were law in the domain, outdoors as well -as within. The husband seemed a meek, good-natured but inefficient -person, while his better half was full of energy and enterprise; -and, probably, besides the exercise of better judgment, had -accomplished more hard work, in the field as well as in the kitchen, -than any other person on the place. She at once took the lead in -showing off the premises, and in giving all the information desired -in regard to them. Her husband and herself were so poor at the time -of their immigration, twenty-four years ago, as to be necessarily -indebted to their cousin, Adams, for their passage-money. Their -plantation was a gratuity from the government, as an encouragement -to colonists. It is a mile in length, by half a mile in width, and -was then in a state of nature, and of little value. It is now -reclaimed and well cultivated; and could not be purchased, as we -were informed, for less than ten thousand milreis or five thousand -dollars. In addition to this fine property and comfortable home, -with good buildings and a stock of all necessary animals, Mr. S—— -the proprietor, is a capitalist, and has money at interest. Mrs. S—— -has been handsome, and still has a finely chiselled face and good -expression. The daughters, too, are pretty: at least they appeared -so to us. It is so long since we have seen the fair skin and the -fair complexion of the Northern woman, or met the energy, activity, -and elastic movement of the fair Yankee, that we are scarcely -competent to the exercise of unprejudiced judgment in the case. - -At the end of an hour we took our leave, pleased with the visit, -which evidently had also been a pleasure to our hosts. The wetness -of the morning had increased, and before we had accomplished a mile -on our return, the rain began to pour in torrents. We sought the -shelter of an orange-grove till the shower should pass; but finding -it inadequate to the emergency, Adams, exclaiming, “This will not -do!” pushed ahead a short distance, and dashed, all mounted, into a -mandioca mill at one end of a dwelling near by. We of course -followed, and found ourselves with our beasts snug and dry in the -kitchen as well as mill of the proprietor. Here, during the delay of -half an hour, we had an opportunity of witnessing again the whole -process of converting the root of the mandioca into farina; while -Adams, having, through an open door, spied the family of the house -at their noonday meal, alighted, and notwithstanding his previous -hearty luncheon an hour before, of bread, butter, cheese and milk, -sat down and made a full dinner: and this, only as was afterwards -proved, by way of stimulating his appetite for the repast we had -ordered to be in readiness on our return, at San Pedro, and to which -he did as ample justice as if he had not broken his fast before for -a day. - -While waiting for this meal to be served, a very pretty and -modest-looking German girl of fifteen rode up to the door of the -little inn. She wore a neatly fitting dress of pink calico, a -pocket-handkerchief tied under the chin as a covering for the head, -and French gaiter boots, and sat her horse à la caballero. She was -on her way to San José under the escort of a friend, without whose -protection, the Germans told us, she could not possibly make the -trip with safety, such was the villainy and licentiousness of the -Brazilians of the country. In the state in which the roads are, her -attitude as a rider was unquestionably the most secure. - -When ready to set off ourselves, rain had again began to pour; and -for a time the prospect of being able to start was unpromising. The -drunken doctor, once more in attendance, persisted in assuring us -that it would rain thus all the afternoon; and said it would be -madness to think of leaving. His urgency for our stay was an -additional motive for us to be off; and as soon as there was a -slight improvement in the weather we mounted, and after making up a -purse, much to the delight of our host, as a gratuity to the -sixth-born son, bade adieu to San Pedro d’Alcantara. It was now four -o’clock, and Adams said we could not reach San José at the earliest -before nine. We started notwithstanding, with the will and purpose -of making the shortest possible work of the intervening distance; -and certain of our road, left our guide to gossip by the way as he -chose, with the many friends hailing him from the heights above or -the valleys below, as far as the voice could be carried, while we -rode pell-mell, up hill and down dale, often slipping and sliding -for long distances, at the seeming hazard of both limbs and neck. In -this way, we accomplished half the distance before nightfall, and -reached a lower region of country, where there had been little or no -rain. - -During the ride, we met several troupes of mules, and their -muleteers, returning with empty pack-saddles from the bay. Among -others, one belonging to our host of San Pedro, which we had seen -setting off in the early morning with articles for the market of -Desterro. Occasionally, too, we overtook, and, after riding for a -time side by side, passed horsemen and mule riders going the same -way with ourselves. Just as darkness was beginning to fall rapidly -around, we thus fell in with a well-mounted, fine-looking Brazilian, -having the appearance of a respectable planter. Adams was far -behind, and S—— had the lead of our party, his horse being a -tolerably good traveller. My mule, a sure-footed beast, came next, -and then G——’s. The Brazilian, after riding side by side with each -of us in turn, by degrees got in advance of all three. As he was -evidently well acquainted with the road, S—— and I made up our minds -to follow him closely, as the pioneer in the darkness for any unsafe -spot ahead. As both man and horse appeared fresh, however, this -required pretty brisk riding. With the thickening of the night, our -new friend accelerated his speed; and the faster he led, the faster -we followed. Presently it was impossible to discern a trace of the -road, or to discover whether it were smooth or rough, tending up -hill or down. The white Guayaquil hat of the Brazilian, was all that -was left visible to S—— of horse, or rider, and a line of deeper -darkness hastening from me ahead, was all that I, with the most -fixed gaze, could perceive of S——. I lashed my mule to keep up in -the chase, S—— kept snapping his riding whip in the fashion of a -French postilion, while the Brazilian seemed to be spurring on his -steed at full tilt. Away we thus went, S—— managing to keep before -him the vision of a white hat, which threatened each moment to be -lost in the darkness, and I at an equal remove from him, with all -the powers of sight intently fixed, to follow a moving speck of -concentrated blackness. To make sure of the identity of the phantom -of my own chase, I occasionally called out, “S——, do you still see -him?” to which the reply would come, “Yes! but I tell you he is -going it: but I’ll take good care not to lose him,—there can be but -one road, and I’ll make sure of so good a lead.” - -It was amusing, though it might have proved no joke, to be thus -trotting at full speed in impenetrable night, and that on a -hard-motioned animal at the end of a thirty-miles’ ride. We had kept -the gait for an hour perhaps, without venturing to slacken its pace -for a moment, or to take our eyes from the respective points, white -and black, before us, when all at once, that on which mine were -fixed was gone: urging my mule forward, in the attempt to regain it, -I perceived him begin to stumble, and found that he was off the -path. Reining him up, I called out for S——. He, I discovered, was at -a stand also at no great distance, and in answer to the question, -“Have you lost your guide?” answered, “He has just vanished like a -veritable ghost—he disappeared in a moment in a mass of blackness, -and but for the creaking of a gate, I should have been headforemost -into a hedge after him.” The darkness was so great that it was -impossible to move with safety without some indication of the -direction in which we ought to go, and we had patiently to wait the -approach of G—— and Adams to relieve us from our dilemma. Soon the -whip of the former, urging on his little mule, and the jingling of -the stirrups and heavy iron spurs of the latter were heard at no -great distance; and giving place in the lead to Adams, at the end of -a half hour we alighted safely at the point from which we started. I -was too much fagged to care for any refreshment but that of sleep; -and, while S—— and G—— sat down to a supper of “pain perdu” and -green tea, made my way to a clean and comfortable cot beneath the -tiled roof of the garret, and was soon lost in a repose— - - “above - The luxury of common sleep.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - - DESTERRO. - -_May 24th._—Mr. Wells, an American gentleman of wealth, long -resident in Desterro, is a person of leading influence in the -commerce and society of the place. For many years he held the office -of American consul with honor and popularity; but was superseded two -or three years ago, through the political influence of a partisan -office-seeker at home. The new incumbent, disappointed in the -profits expected from the office, soon resigned it. Through private -pique against Mr. Wells, he left the papers of the consulate and an -acting appointment to the office with Captain Cathcart, though he is -in no way qualified for the duties or honor of the situation. - -Among others to whom Mr. Wells, as the only representative of the -United States here, has at different times extended his hospitality, -are the present Emperor and Empress. Their majesties and suite were -entertained by him at a magnificent fête, in their progress through -this section of the Empire in 1845. I was furnished with letters to -him by Dr. C——, an old friend, and by F—— of the Congress. These I -delivered before making the excursion to San Pedro; and on my -return, became a guest beneath his roof. His house is on the palace -square, in the immediate neighborhood of the residence of the -President of the Province. It is one of the finest dwellings in the -place, and commands from the windows and balconies of the -drawing-roomy an extensive view of the town, bay, and surrounding -mountains. It has been my lot to occupy a great variety of sleeping -rooms, from those of the palace to the wigwam, but I think the bed -assigned to me here must have precedence, in its dimensions at -least, above all I have before met. It is truly regal, taking even -that of his majesty of Bashan in the days of his overthrow, as a -model. I have not measured it, and its area may not quite be, as his -was, “nine cubits by four;” but its elevation I suspect is quite as -great; the upper mattress, as I stand beside it, being nearly on a -level with my shoulders, and accessible only by a flight of mahogany -steps. The canopy is of proportionate altitude. The dignified -feeling with which one ascends to this place of rest, is not a -little increased by the remembrance that it was by these very steps -their Imperial Majesties, when in St. Catherine’s, mounted to their -couch. - -Mr. Wells has been bereft of a wife and child, and is left alone; -but has borne his afflictions with the resignation of a Christian. -It was pleasing to discover, that though so long a resident of a -place “wholly given to idolatry,” and cut off from all the public -means of grace, he maintains the regular worship of God, morning and -evening, with his household of African servants. - -The quietude and comforts of such an establishment are a great -luxury after the weariness of long confinement on shipboard; and I -feel that the visit at Desterro will constitute quite an episode in -the tedium of our cruise. The town itself presents every where a -pleasing mingling of city and country, giving to the whole a -village-like simplicity. The walks, in every direction, are varied -and beautifully rural; and whatever Desterro may be as a permanent -residence, it is certainly delightful for a sojourn of a few days. - -Yesterday afternoon my attention was attracted by the sounds of -music in the Matriz, or mother church, at the head of the square; -and walking over, I discovered it to be that of a funeral service in -a mass for the dead. A beautiful catafalque, with richly festooned -draperies of pink satin and gold and silver tissue, occupied the -centre of the nave. Upon this, in a straight coffin of pink velvet, -trimmed with gold lace—so formed as when thrown open to expose the -entire figure—upon a satin mattress lay the corpse of a little girl -of three years, most tastefully and expensively arrayed in what may -be concisely described as a full ball-dress of pink and blue gauze, -with edgings of gold and silver fringe over a white satin robe: the -whole being wreathed with garlands of exquisitely finished -artificial flowers. The feet were in silk stockings and satin shoes, -and the head crowned with fresh roses. Death had evidently done his -work quickly and gently. There was no emaciation; no traces of -suffering; the face was full and perfect in its contour; and the -limbs round and symmetrical. A placid and smiling expression, in -place of the ghastly look of death, led to the impression of its -being only a deep and quiet sleep that we gazed on—an illusion -strengthened by the delicate tinge of rouge that had been given to -the cheeks and lips. - -On all former occasions, when I have seen the corpse of a child thus -decked out—according to the usage here—I have felt as if it were a -mockery of death and the grave, thus to mingle the tinsel and -vanities of the world with the sad lesson they teach. But now, -however incongruous with the solemnity of such an occasion these -fanciful adornments may seem to us, there was nothing repulsive in -the spectacle presented. Indeed, I found myself insensibly impressed -with the extreme beauty of the child, and the exquisite taste and -artistic effect of the drapery in which she was laid out. -Ingeniously constructed wings of gauze are often appended to the -other adornments of an infant corpse, emblematic of the truth that, - - “With soul enlarged to angel’s size,” - -the spirit has taken its flight to a station of blessedness near the -throne of the Redeemer. All persons of wealth and position in -society, are thus, in Brazil, borne to the grave in full dress—the -soldier in his uniform, the judge in his robes, the bishop in his -mitre, and the monk in his cowl. - -On this occasion, the officiating priest with the bearers of the -crucifix and censers, and other attendants, stood in the midst of -the blaze of wax lights by which the bier was encircled; while the -walls of the church were lined by hundreds of gentlemen of the first -respectability, in full black, and each supporting a candle of wax -of the length and size of an ordinary walking-stick. The child was -of the family of Andrada; a name pre-eminent in the Province and -Empire for patriotism, scientific attainment, and political -distinction. - -Towards evening I took a long walk with Mr. Wells. The suburbs in -every direction are full of rural imagery and picturesque beauty. -The rising grounds command extensive views of undulating land, of -water and of mountains; and the roads and lanes are so walled in by -luxuriant hedges of the flowering mimosa, running rose, orange-tree, -and coffee bush, as to embower one, even within a stone’s throw of -the town, as if in the heart of the country. The flowers of the -mimosa hanging in thick pendants, cover the hedges with a mass of -whiteness, more entire and more beautiful than that of the -hawthorne, while those of the running rose, clustering closely like -the multiflora, make the roadside they border one bed of bloom. -There is too a repose and tranquillity in the evenings, and a -delicacy in the tintings of the colors at sunset, that make a stroll -at that time of the day peculiarly delightful. - -After a circuit of two miles by an inland route, we approached the -town again by a suburb which constitutes the west end, both in the -topography and the fashion of the place; and exhibits a succession -of pleasant residences surrounded by tastefully arranged -flower-gardens. Just as we were passing the grounds of one of the -most attractive of these, a vehicle, the first I have seen, except a -Roman ox-cart, since I have been here, overtook us and drove through -an iron gateway into a court, beyond which appeared long vistas of -gravelled walks and embowering shade. The carriage was a caleche, or -old-fashioned chaise, of rather rude construction, painted -pea-green, with orange-colored wheels and shafts. It was drawn by a -single horse guided by a postilion, and contained a very stout -gray-headed gentleman of sixty, who entirely filled up a seat -designed for the accommodation of two. It was no less a personage -than Lieut. Gen. Bento Manuel, the highest military officer of the -southern section of the Empire, recently from Rio Grande, where he -was long chief in command, and where he did efficient service for -the government during great political agitation and threatened -revolution. He is so stout as to be readily excused from walking or -riding, and possesses, with a single exception, the only wheeled -carriage in the Island of St. Catherine’s. - -The ringing of a cracked bell at the Matriz, and the gathering of -the population in that direction on the evening of the 21st, led me -to it again as a point of observation. It was the beginning of a -Novena, or daily service, of nine days’ continuance, in -commemoration of the descent of the Holy Ghost—the following Sabbath -being Whit-Sunday. This celebration is universal in city and -country; and is distinguished by an observance, the origin and -specific meaning of which I have been unable to trace, that of the -choice and induction into office for a year, of a lad under the -blasphemous title of Emperor of the Holy Ghost. He presides in mock -majesty at the festival, and is regarded with special honor at all -others during his continuance in office. The selection is usually -from a family of wealth, as the expenses attendant upon the honor -involve an outlay amounting at Rio and other chief places to five -hundred, a thousand, and fifteen hundred dollars. This is -appropriated to the furnishing of dress, music, lights, and -refreshments during the celebration. The empire over which he sways -the sceptre comprises the apartments of the church, in which the -gifts brought to him by the people in the name of the Holy Ghost are -deposited, and an enclosure adjoining, where auctions are held for -the disposal of these to the highest bidder. On this occasion, two -rooms opening from the church were gayly fitted up, one—a -side-chapel with altar and crucifix—as a throne-room for the -Emperor, and the other for the temporary deposit of the gifts. In -front of these, and communicating directly with them, a large -auction-room was erected, screened by canvas over head, and -furnished with benches for the accommodation of spectators and -purchasers. The gifts are brought gratuitously by the people, and -the proceeds of the sales go to the treasury of the brotherhood of -the Holy Ghost for purposes of charity. - -As I arrived a procession was just approaching. It was led by a -negro, in a dirty coarse shirt and pantaloons, the common dress of a -slave, bareheaded and barefooted, who bore a large flag of red silk, -with a dove embroidered on one corner, and long streamers of ribbons -flowing from the top of the staff on which it was suspended. It was -the sacred banner of the Holy Ghost, a kiss of which, or the burying -of the face in its folds, insures all needed blessing. A little -fellow, eight or ten years of age, followed, beating a small drum -with all his might, then came a man in ordinary dress, thrumming on -a guitar the accompaniment of a monotonous ditty, sung at the top of -his voice as loud as he could bawl; the complement of the music -being made up by a fiddle on which a round-shouldered old Portuguese -was sawing and laboring, with fingers, elbow, and head, with an -earnestness, to give full effect to the squeaking and screeching -sounds he was sending forth, as if life itself depended on the zeal -he should display. - -The Emperor elect now made his appearance, a lad of eleven or twelve -years, neatly dressed in the fashion of a man, as the usage with -boys here is, having a broad red ribbon across his shoulders, from -which was suspended on the breast a large silver star stamped with a -dove, emblematic of the Holy Ghost. Six or eight men robed in short -cloaks or mantles of red silk, the dress of the brotherhood, -bareheaded and carrying lighted wax tapers, followed him. A rabble -of noisy and excited boys and men, white, black, and yellow, made up -the cortège. They had been to escort the Emperor from his residence -with becoming honor, to open the festival. - -Previous to his arrival the church had become densely filled, -principally with females, seated closely together on the -floor—mistress and slave, lady and beggar, without distinction of -rank or name, black, white, and every intermediate hue, the whole -number amounting to six or eight hundred. Through this crowd the -procession made its way up the nave, the musicians still drumming -and thrumming and scraping on their instruments, and bawling out -their song louder than ever. A priest met it at the high altar; and -the whole returned through the church to the depository in which -were the gifts. These he consecrated by prayer, the sprinkling of -holy water and fumigations with incense, after which, escorted in -like manner, he again entered the church. Hundreds of men in -addition to the women, now lined the walls and stood closely packed -together along the entrance to the church, and the service of the -Novena commenced. It was chanted throughout to the accompaniment of -a lively, and to me any thing but a devotional air. The whole -sounded very much like that of a song I recollect to have heard in -childhood, beginning with the line “Marlbro’ has gone to the war,” -as a theme, followed with variations. At different points in the -chanting the whole audience joined pleasantly in a lively chorus. At -the end of an hour this service closed. The Emperor made his way in -the manner in which he had arrived, to the throne-room, while the -audience hastened to fill to suffocation that for the auction-room -in front of it. Bonfires were kindled, rockets sent up, a general -illumination outside displayed, while any number of negroes and -negresses, venders of refreshments in cakes, candies, and orgeat, -rivalled one another in bawling out the superior qualities of their -individual stores, the whole scene much like that of a Fourth of -July night at home. A band of music struck up in an orchestra near -the throne-room, and the auctioneer issuing from the depository, -bearing a bouquet of crystallized sugar, began the sale by a -solicitation for bids, setting off the value of the article with the -merriment and sallies of humor which give reputation to the office. -A passage through the centre of the place was kept clear; in this he -walked backwards and forwards, giving exercise to his wit, as he -exhibited the article under the hammer. Most of the gifts, this -first evening, consisted of cakes and confectionery. Some of the -bouquets of sugar flowers were most artistically manufactured; and -one sold for ninety milreis, or forty-five dollars. - -Additional gifts were constantly brought in. They were generally -borne in trays on the heads or in the hands of servants, accompanied -by the giver. Children too were often the bearers; and one of the -prettiest sights of the evening was that of a beautiful little girl -in the arms of her father, carrying in her bosom two young doves, -white as drifted snow, and as gentle and innocent in look as they -were white. - -Each offering was made to the young Emperor on the bended knee, and -to each one thus kneeling before him, he extended a silver dove, -forming the end of his sceptre, to be kissed, and gave in return a -small roll of bread. At ten o’clock the auction closed for the -night, and the Emperor was escorted to his home by torchlight as he -had arrived, but with an additional rabble for his court, and a -higher effort in noise and screeching from his band. - -_May 29th._—Commodore McKeever and Dr. C—— have been fellow guests -with me at the residence of Mr. Wells for some days. Previous to -their arrival I had taken two or three pleasant rides with our host, -and this afternoon our whole party enjoyed another. The Commodore -and I were particularly well mounted; our animals were at once so -spirited and willing, so playful and gentle, with a gait as easy to -the riders as if swaying on the springs of a well-poised carriage. -The weather too was charming; and our route after the first half -mile being one which we had not before taken, had the additional -attraction of novelty. It led southward along the curve of the -beach, and was thickly bordered on one side with the American aloe, -now in full flower, and on the other by a succession of neat -cottages embowered in orange groves, overtopped by palm trees, with -dooryards gay in the bloom of the scarlet geranium and the dazzling -brilliancy of the poinsetta. The road for a mile was a continued -hamlet, with greater evidences of thrift and general prosperity than -any suburb we had passed through. On leaving the water we struck -into a narrow valley, lying between two ranges of hills; and were -delighted with the homelike appearance of the well-cultivated fields -and rich pasture lands of the small farms scattered through it. But -for the tell-tale palm tree, the rustling banana, and the golden -orange, we might have fancied ourselves in some prosperous and -well-cultivated little valley in New England. There was nothing to -remind us of being in a slave country. All the labor in cultivating -the small plantations is done by the owners of the soil. The -district is well peopled, and the inhabitants are healthful, -prosperous, and seemingly light-hearted. We met and passed many -groups of men and boys, engaged in various rural employments. They -were invariably bright and cheerful in looks, and most civil and -courteous in manners. In general, they are light and slender in -figure, and elastic in movement; but apparently without much -stamina, and are far from good looking in feature. The females in -early youth are passably good looking, and having fine eyes and -teeth, might in some instances, be called pretty; but as mothers, -they soon become haggard and homely. The climate is salubrious and -not excessively hot, yet the complexions of the mass are like those -with us who are under the influence of the ague, or just recovering -from a bilious fever. This is true of the pure-blooded natives, if -any such there be, as well as of those who clearly are a mixed race. - -The special object of our ride was to gain a point of view, on the -top of a mountain, said to be the finest on the island; and, after a -ride of two miles in the valley, we turned into a side road for the -ascent. We followed the meanderings of a stream as it babbled along -its course, and soon came among the cabins of the dwellers among the -hills, perched like birdsnests on terraced points, on either hand -above us, in the midst of groves of orange trees and coffee plants. -The road gradually changed into a mere bridle-path, till at the end -of an additional two miles it suddenly terminated altogether, at a -barn near which two men were standing. To these Mr. Wells mentioned -the object of our ride, and made an inquiry of them as to the best -way to reach it; when, for the first time since I have been in -Brazil, I heard a reply of ill-nature and incivility. The elder of -the two, in a most gruff and surly manner, said there was no way to -go up, and if there were, there was nothing to go for—wishing to -know what business we had there at all. Without regarding his mood -and manner, Mr. Wells again said, “Is there not a fine prospect from -the top of the mountain, and a path by which we may reach it?” to -which the man again said, “No! there is nothing but rocks, and I -don’t know what you can want with them!” Fortunately, at this -juncture, a third person made his appearance, whom our friend at -once recognized as a regular customer in the sale to him of coffee. -From him we readily learned that there was a fine prospect, at a -short distance further, but that the ascent to it would not be -easily made on horseback; and, volunteering to lead our animals to -his cottage close by, he said he would accompany us the rest of the -distance on foot. We soon discovered our conductor to differ as -widely from his boorish neighbor in taste for scenery as in -disposition. He was not only aware of the magnificence of the -prospect to which he was leading us, but said he very often went up -to the point commanding it, for the mere enjoyment of so fine a -scene. Its elevation we judged to be two thousand feet; and we were -well repaid for the ascent by the grand picture spread before us. -This embraced the greater part of the entire island; its mountains -and valleys, rivers and bays, bold promontories, low points and -curving beaches, with the whole of the straits, and the coasts along -the continent as far as the eye could reach. - -On descending to the cottage of our guide, he urged us to partake of -a cup of coffee before leaving; and we entered his cabin, more for -the purpose of a peep at the domestic economy of the establishment -than with a view to the refreshment. If this home, in its aspects of -comfort, may be taken as a fair specimen of its class, it indicates -a very low state of civilization among the rural population. It -consisted of a single room with a floor of earth. The few articles -of furniture visible were of the rudest kind, the whole interior -exhibiting little more cleanliness and order than the wigwam of an -Indian. A slatternly-looking wife, surrounded by two or three dirty -children, did not promise much for the nicety of the coffee she -might prepare; and we availed ourselves of the near approach of -night and the length of the ride to the town, as excuse for -declining the proffered hospitality. - -The habits of life among the people are simple, and their diet -unvarying and frugal. A cup of coffee and a biscuit made of the -farina of mandioca, are the only food of the morning, and there is -but one set meal during the day, served at noon. Preparation for it, -however, is the first duty of the household, in the morning; and -consists in putting a kettle of water over the fire. In this a small -piece of _carne seche_, or jerked beef, and black beans, in -proportion to the size of the family, are placed, and kept boiling -till the middle of the day. - -The leisure of the evening had begun, as we made our way down the -mountain; and the inhabitants were seen in groups around their -doors. Every cabin had its crowd of children, the ring of whose -joyous laughter in their varied sports and play, echoing from side -to side of the little valley, added fresh impressions of pleasure to -the scene. The ignorance in which they are brought up, however, is -lamentable. Ignorance not only of letters and books, but of almost -every thing. A bright-looking and handsome lad of twelve years, the -son of our civil guide, on being asked his age, said he did not -know, and seemed equally uninstructed in other commonplace matters. -Yet he was evidently as full of natural intelligence in mind as he -was active in body. He is one of the little milkmen I have -mentioned, who crowd the market square in the morning, and who, with -his can of milk on his shoulder, leaves his mountain home every day -before the dawn, for the walk of four miles at least, by the most -direct path: he is home again to his breakfast of coffee and farina, -by eight o’clock. - -The Indians and the snakes of this section of the Empire have been -among our topics of conversation with Mr. Wells. The settlement of -the white man extends but a short distance inland from the coast: -not more than fifty or sixty miles at farthest. The interior is -still a wilderness in the possession of wandering bands of the -Aborigines. These cherish a deadly hatred against the whites; and, -prowling along the frontiers in small companies, rob and murder -them whenever they find opportunity. Sometimes they venture within -twenty and thirty miles of the coast. A party of seven, not long -since, made an attack at daybreak upon the shanty of an American, -who has put up a saw-mill on the borders of the forest. Though -single-handed, he hazarded a shower of their arrows, and -afterwards put them to flight by the show of a musket, that, from -the dampness of the priming-powder, missed fire. - -Venomous snakes are said to be numerous on the island, and some are -found occasionally even in the town. Not long since, a German lady, -in returning from a party in the evening with her husband, trod upon -one whose bite is considered to be death. Fortunately, her foot was -placed near its head, and she escaped its fangs; and though it -coiled itself about her ankle, she succeeded in throwing it off -without injury. A remedy said to be a specific for the most virulent -poison of these reptiles is kept at the apothecary’s; and families -in the country make it a point to have a supply on hand. The mixture -consists of six drachms of the oil of amber, two of the spirits of -ammonia, and one of alcohol. The dose is twenty-four drops in a -wine-glass of brandy, or other spirit, three or four times a day; -the wound being also washed and kept wet with it. The ammonia is the -active agent in the cure; and should be given freely till a profuse -perspiration is induced. If the theory of some be true, that the -virus of all snakes is but a modified form of prussic acid, the -volatile alkali, ammonia, is the antidote, as that is known to -neutralize the fatal acid. Alcohol alone is thought to have effected -cures. A young German here was bitten not long since in the country, -and being without the prescribed antidote, and unable to obtain it, -unwilling to meet in consciousness the doom which he believed to -await him, he swallowed a whole bottle of the common rum of the -country, that he might be thrown into a state of insensibility. This -was soon the case, and remaining dead drunk for twenty-four hours, -on recovering his consciousness he was free from all effects of the -bite. Here too, there may have been philosophy in the cure. The -poison of a serpent being a powerful sedative, its effects may be -best counteracted by a powerful stimulant. - -A sad case occurred some three weeks ago at Santa Cruz. A fine young -man of twenty, the proprietor of a small plantation, was at work -with his slaves preparing a piece of ground for a plantation of -sugar-cane. Coming to a spot in which the bushes and undergrowth -were particularly thick, he cautioned the negroes against working in -it with their naked feet and legs, as it had the appearance of a -piece that might be infested with snakes. Protected himself by -boots, he entered to open a way in advance, but had scarcely done so -before the fangs of a _jacaraca_, one of the most poisonous of -reptiles, were fastened in an unprotected part of his leg. -Neglecting to apply immediate remedies, he was in a short time a -corpse. - -_May 29th._—I have been complying here with the injunction recently -received to “make hundreds of sketches;” and this morning, while -taking one, of the lower parts of the square and market-house, from -the balcony of the drawing-room, had an opportunity of introducing -the Commodore as a conspicuous figure. In a stroll in the square -before breakfast, he stopped for a little observation near the -groupings of men, donkeys, and milk-boys in front of the market. -Espying among them the bright little fellow we had seen at his -father’s cabin on the mountain, with the benevolence and good-will -of his nature, he bought the whole stock of boiled beans and farina -of an old negro woman seated on the grass near by, and gave the boys -in general a breakfast. They all seemed delighted, especially the -old negress in receiving the pay, and had quite a frolic. The -gratuity of a penny also fell to each boy. With characteristic -improvidence and a development of the national passion, the little -fellows, after having their stomachs well filled, set to and gambled -with each other for the next hour, till every penny they had thus -received had made its way to one pocket. - -_May 21st._—The Novena and subsequent auction was in regular -continuance every evening of the last week. On Thursday our party -again attended the former to hear the music, and the latter to -catch the manners of the people. All the chief dignitaries of the -place were present, the President of the Province, the Chief -Justice, the Treasurer, and the Captain of the Port. To the -residence of the last we were invited to a supper at the close of -the auction, and the next morning waited on the President at the -palace, or Government House. This is a spacious and lofty -building, the ground-floor in front serving both as the -entrance-hall and as a guard-room for a company of soldiers, and -the corresponding rooms above being divided into a cabinet for -official business on one side of the staircase, and a grand sala -for reception on the other, with an intervening ante-room common -to both. When our visit was announced, the President was engaged -with official visitors in his cabinet, but soon made his -appearance. He is a small, black-eyed, intelligent-looking man, -careless and slovenly in dress, and most simple and republican in -his manners. As he spoke Portuguese only, the conversation was -necessarily carried on through interpretation by Mr. Wells, and -the interview was more brief than it otherwise would have been. - -The Presidents of the Provinces are appointed by the Emperor, and -their salaries paid from the Imperial treasury. These vary in -amount, in proportion to the extent and importance of the Province. -That of the President of St. Catherine is four thousand milreis, or -two thousand dollars. The selection for the office is usually from -persons who are strangers in the Province for which the appointment -is made, that the influence of family connections and personal -friendships may not prove temptations to partiality in the -distribution of the gifts and emoluments under his control. - -An anecdote related of a former incumbent of the office, throws -light upon the spirit sometimes induced by party politics here, and -shows the despotism in small matters which a high official may -exercise with impunity. The public square had been lined, at great -care and expense, with a closely planted row of date palms. Uniform -in height and size, in the course of a few years they became -sufficiently grown to furnish by their plumed tops a beautiful -screen against the sun, and were a great ornament to the place. The -individual referred to, whose name—Pariero Pinto—like that of -Erostratus, deserves for a similar reason to be perpetuated, was -unpopular as President. Ambitious, however, of becoming at the -expiration of his term the Deputy of the Province in the Imperial -Legislature, he offered himself to the people as a candidate. An -opponent was elected by acclamation. To avenge himself for the -slight manifested by his utter defeat, he deliberately set the -soldiers under his command at work in felling the palms; and in the -course of a single day, the stately trunks and graceful foliage of -the whole were laid in the dust. - -_May 31st._—On Saturday the 29th, great preparation was seen to be -making around the principal church for the festival of Whit-Sunday, -which occurred yesterday. A row of palm trees were planted in front; -the verandah, in which the auction during the Novena had been held, -was draped and festooned anew with wreaths of evergreen and gay -flowers; and tar-barrels, filled with combustible materials, were -placed on the square for bonfires at night, though the moon is now -in her full. The dawn of the next day was ushered in with the -ringing of bells, the setting off of rockets, the beating of drums, -and the playing of bands of music. On looking out, every thing in -the vicinity of the church was seen to indicate a grand festival. -The temporary palm grove looked as if it had sprung up by magic. Gay -flags and streamers of all colors floated from their plumed heads, -from the roof of the church and its verandahs, and from various -other points. After a service of worship in the drawing-room of Mr. -Wells, Dr. C—— and I walked over to witness the scene. The -congregation, consisting chiefly of females, had just begun to -assemble. There are no seats or pews in the churches here, the whole -interior being an open area in which all seat themselves, or kneel -upon the bare pavement or floor, without the mat or rug which I have -seen elsewhere. Soon the whole space became closely crowded. Most of -the women were in full dress; the predominating materials being -black silks, satins, and velvets, with short sleeves and low necks, -and a half handkerchief of fancy-colored silk fastened round the -throat by a brooch. A black lace mantilla upon the head, and the -indispensable fan, completed the costume. The variety of garb, -however, was considerable; and varied according to the circumstances -and position in life of the wearer. Some, as penitents, were draped -in mantillas of black cloth, so folded over the head as to reach to -the eyes, and fall on either side over the whole figure to the feet. -Two or three colored women, whether veritable Arabs or not, wore the -thick white cotton veil of the women of the East, so arranged as to -leave little of the face except the eyes and nose exposed, while -long cloth cloaks reaching to the floor, enveloped their persons. -Many of the most expensively and most tastefully dressed persons -were negresses. These entered with a self-possession in air and -movement, if not with a stateliness and grace, rivalling those of -the most aristocratic of the whites; and were followed, like them, -by one or more well-dressed servants. We were told that they were -the wives, and in some instances the mistresses, of some of the most -wealthy of the citizens. A few were in colored silks and dress -bonnets of Parisian make, but the black lace veil, with or without -the addition of a simple flower, either natural or artificial in the -hair, was the general head-dress. All the children were arrayed as -if for a dress party. By degrees there was a perfect jam on the -floor; the greatest order and propriety however prevailed, each -person sitting quietly with the face turned reverently towards the -high altar. - -At length a movement and bustle in the crowd without—the whizzing -and explosion of rockets; the pealing of bells, the heathenish -beating of drums, the tinkling of a guitar, and scraping of a -fiddle, with the bawlings of the accompanying songs indicated the -approach of the young Emperor. He soon entered the church with the -cortège before described, and forced his way through the dense mass -of women up the nave to the chancel, where seats were in reserve for -his mock court and for the officiating priests. The boy was now -robed in imperial dress—white small-clothes, silk stockings, and -gold-buckled pumps; a flowing mantle of state of crimson velvet and -gold, lined with white satin, a ruff of broad lace around the neck; -and over all, the ribbon and decoration of the Holy Ghost -before-mentioned. A crown of silver of the imperial pattern richly -wrought, and a silver sceptre were carried before him on a cushion -of velvet. A little girl of five or six years, apparently his -sister, followed him. She was in full dress as an Empress, in -tissues of silver and gold over pink satin, with a train of green -and gold, and head-dress of ostrich feathers. The lad was seated on -a throne, at the right of the high altar, the mock Empress on a -chair of state beside him; the twenty or thirty gentlemen in -attendance stood on the left opposite, while the vicar and his -assistants in the richest of their priestly adornments, took their -stations in the centre at the altar. All this was done with the most -perfect stage effect. As if to give full opportunity to impress the -imagination with this, a kind of interlude was introduced in the -form of a procession from the vesting-room or sacristy, into a side -chapel near the chancel, from which the vicar, under a canopy of -crimson velvet, supported on four gilt staves by an equal number of -attendants, fetched some seemingly precious thing, the consecrated -wafer, a relic, or the anointing oil, and placed it on the altar -where the crown and sceptre were already laid. The full coronation -service was now commenced and performed in all its parts, including -the consecration, the anointing, the crowning, and the enthronement, -followed by the obeisance and kissing of hands, and ending with the -coronation anthem; the whole was gone through with, seriously and -solemnly, as it could have been at the coronation of Don Pedro -himself. Mass was then chanted, after which the vicar was escorted -through a side chapel to a concealed staircase; and making his -appearance in a pulpit projecting overhead from the wall, proceeded -to deliver a sermon of fifteen or twenty minutes’ length. It was for -the most part legendary and fabulous in matter; but throughout -impressive and eloquent in voice and manner. The eager and solemn -attention which was given, and the fixedness of every eye and every -ear upon the speaker, proved the readiness of the people to hear and -receive instruction; and I could but think with deep feeling of the -effect which the preaching of the Gospel in its simplicity might -produce, in speedily substituting the sacrifices of the heart for -the crossings and bowings, the genuflexions and prostrations, with -which the pantomime of the priests at the altar is now accompanied. -I was never before so deeply impressed with a sense of the profanity -and idolatry of what is here called religion, as while contrasting -in my mind this evidence of a “hearing ear,” among the people, with -the puerilities and impiety of the childish show which preceded the -discourse. It is seldom that a sermon is preached, and more seldom -still one that is calculated to edify or produce any practical -effects upon the morals, or true devotion in the heart. The people -are not bigoted, and are desirous of religious instruction; so much -so that, I am told, instances are known in which individuals have -sent fifty miles for a tract; and, it is thought that they would -here readily attend Protestant preaching in their own language. - -The vicars of the churches are appointed by the Emperor, and paid by -the state. The salary of the incumbent at the Matriz is fifteen -hundred milreis, or about seven hundred and fifty dollars; a living -which, with the perquisites of marriage, burial, and baptism, -amounts to about two thousand dollars a year. In general the -character of these pastors is dissolute. Their vows of celibacy are -openly disregarded; they live almost without exception in a state of -concubinage. One of the priests here has a family of ten mulatto -children; and another, a former confessor in the royal family of -Portugal and long resident at St. Catherine, who recently died of -yellow fever at Rio, left also a large family. The Jesuits are more -exemplary in regard to their vows of celibacy, and the bishop of Rio -is among those who are above reproach in this respect. - -After the sermon the young Emperor and Empress, attended by the -sacred banner, the noisy musicians, and the usual cortège of -dignitaries, proceeded to their stations in the auction-room, where -the sales, we were told, continued with increased animation and -mirthfulness till 10 o’clock at night. - -To-day is a fête also, and an auction day. During it we made a call -at the residence of the Captain of the Port, in acknowledgment of -the civility of the supper-party to which we had been invited. This -dignitary was at the church. He was sent for, and apologized when we -took our leave, for not joining us in a walk, by saying that duty -required his attendance upon the Emperor. - -The variety and the quantity of the confectionery made, presented, -and sold at these festivals is surprising. Every device of ingenuity -is put in requisition for the production of it in new forms. The -lady of the Captain of the Port showed us a very large tray of work -in sugar and flour, most elaborately wrought in its forms, and -tastefully finished in coloring and gilding. It had been purchased -at the auction for forty-two dollars, and presented to her by a -friend. The whole was the workmanship of an old lady of more than -three-score years and ten, who had given four months’ time to its -manufacture. The chief object seemed to have been to furnish the -greatest variety in man, beast and bird. Every article was true to -nature in figure and coloring; cottages and groves, fruits, flowers, -and vegetables, specimens in conchology, entomology, and the whole -range of natural history, with a wide margin in the catalogue for -what was purely imaginative. The whole presented a striking evidence -of the ingenuity, taste, and unwearying industry of the aged -devotee. - -And now, you will say, “Why give so much time to the observation and -to the description of such puerilities, to say the least of them, as -constituted the chief services of the church here on Sunday?” I -answer, that I may certainly know by the “seeing of the eye,” as -well as by the “hearing of the ear,” the distance to which this -people are removed from the simplicity and purity of the Gospel; and -that you may judge of the causes of their ignorance and -superstition. These plays are acted, and these festivals prolonged -and varied for the amusement of the populace, and to keep the masses -content under the control of their spiritual guides. Lights and -music, dress and flowers, form and ceremonies, the waving of banners -and swinging of censers—the glare and glitter of the stage, are thus -made to excite the imagination, and satisfy the thoughtless and -ignorant mind with fleeting shadows, in place of enduring good. The -whole system of Romanism as exhibited here, is little else than -Paganism in disguise; a system in which old idols are presented -under new names, and heathen processions and ceremonies substituted -for that worship which is “in spirit and in truth.” - -_June 18th._—We took leave of Mr. Wells and of Desterro the day -following my last date; and two days ago made an attempt to get to -sea; but a head wind set in, and still prevents our departure. All -hands are pleased with the delay; we cannot soon weary of such a -place, the scenery is so beautiful, the climate so fine, the walks -and rides so picturesque and rural, and the supplies for the -refreshment of all hands are so abundant and so cheap. In addition -to the fresh beef furnished to the ship’s company, any quantity of -pigs, turkeys, chickens, eggs, vegetables, and fruit is offered -alongside in canoes, for private trade with the different messes and -with individuals of the crew. - -In the attempt to get to sea, we changed our anchorage two or three -miles northward from the forts, and were brought into the immediate -neighborhood of two beautiful little bays, encircled by gracefully -curving beaches of white sand. Both abound in picturesque and wild -scenery; and are in many places filled with orange groves -overburdened with fruit, now in full season. Far from any grog-shop -or means of dissipation to the crews, the boats ply backwards and -forwards from the ship to the shore at all hours of the day, filled -with officers and men in the enjoyment of a kind of saturnalia, in -search of fruits, and flowers, and every thing rare and curious in -nature. Some of the cacti, air plants, and parasites now in full -bloom, are superb in their beauty. A hundred delicious oranges can -be purchased for a penny; and, but for the presence of our ship, -would not be worth to their owners the shaking from the trees. It -is, too, the season of sugar-making. The apparatus and entire -process are most rude and simple: each small plantation being -furnished with a primitive mill of two rollers of timber to extract -the juice, and a rough trough or two to conduct it to a boiler. The -eating of the cane, and an occasional dip into the troughs and into -the half crystallized contents of the cooling-pans, offer to all -quite a tempting pastime. St. Catherine seems to be a province of -small proprietors, whose productions, derived from their own labors, -exceed but little the supply of their private wants. Each carries to -the market a few hundred pounds only of coffee and of sugar -annually—brought to the purchaser in small quantities, at different -times, when some foreign article is needed. - -The coffee of the island is of a superior quality, and the chief of -its products: as it also is of the whole empire, though introduced -into the country by the Franciscan Friar Villaso so recently as the -year 1774. The first bush was planted by him in that year in the -garden of the convent of San Antonio, at Rio de Janiero. It was not -till the revolt of St. Domingo that its price became such as to lead -to its general culture here. In 1809, when coffee was first imported -into the United States from Brazil, the whole produce of the empire -amounted only to 30,000 bags; this year it is estimated that it will -amount to 2,000,000, or a value of more than $16,000,000. The plants -blossom in August, September, and October; and the crops are -gathered in March, April, and May. - -My last ride at Santa Cruz was with Captain Cathcart, in a visit to -an estate called “Las Palmas,” or the palms, recently purchased by -him. It lies on the coast, ten miles north of his present residence. -Mr. W——, Captain Pearson’s clerk, accompanied us, for the purpose of -making some correction in the “plot” of the plantation, drawn by a -surveyor. We were to have started at an early hour of the day, but a -pouring rain prevented. This state of the weather, however, changed -afterwards into occasional heavy showers; and, at the risk of being -drenched by these, we ventured to set off at eleven o’clock. The -road is a mule-track, and at places, for long distances, consists of -the hard sand of the beach. The frequent streams flowing into the -sea from the interior are so swollen by late rains, that we found -difficulty in fording them in safety. A second heavy shower after we -started, came hastening upon us just as we were entering upon the -longest stretch of beach on the route. This was smooth and hard, and -afforded us a good opportunity of trying to outstrip the storm, till -we could reach some place of shelter. Captain Cathcart is an -exceedingly stout and heavy man—fairly stuffed into his clothes, and -weighing 250 or 280 pounds. Mr. W—— is very long and very lean, with -legs and neck like a crane, and arms to correspond. My own -_physique_ is familiar to you; and you would have been amused at the -sight, could you have witnessed the manner in which we three -scampered over this part of the road, with the pelting rain and -rushing wind in full pursuit. A cotton umbrella and an overcoat kept -me from the wet: but it was the last of the old umbrella—before the -wind had well reached us, the outside had become the in, the top the -bottom, and the whole structure of whalebone, steel, and muslin, an -irremediable ruin. - -About midway of the distance we came to a hamlet of two or three -miserable huts, the remains of a settlement of poor Germans, who had -been tempted from their distant homes by the flattering inducements -to immigration held out by the government of Brazil, but to whom, on -their arrival, the poorest sections of land in the region had been -allotted as the promised gratuity. These, the settlers had no means -of making profitable; and they are now left to disappointment and -neglect. They are wretchedly poor; and those of them whom we saw -looked pale and thin, careworn and ill. Immediately beside the steep -and worn-out lands assigned to them, there is a wide tract of level -country belonging to the government, upon which these poor -foreigners, had it been appropriated to them, would not only have -gained a living, but in all probability acquired an independence. - -On leaving these cabins, at which we halted a moment for a cup of -water, we began to ascend the spur of a mountain which forms a -headland on the coast, separating the bay along the beach of which -we had come, from that on the opposite side, where the estate we -were to visit is situated. The hill is unwooded and steep, the path -was very slippery, and the ascent difficult; but we accomplished it -slowly, with fine views on our right over a widespread alluvial -plain covered with thick set forests: - - “A habitation sober and demure - For ruminating creatures: a domain - For quiet things to wander in; a haunt - In which the heron should delight to feed - By the shy rivers, and the pelican - Upon the cypress, and the pine in lonely thought, - Might sit and sun himself.” - -In place of the heron and the pelican, however, we had the -_Urapongo_—a large bird of the parrot tribe, which, like - - “A flaky weight of winter’s purest snow,” - -was clearly seen at a long distance in brilliant whiteness amid the -dark green of a tree-top—sending forth its peculiar and solitary -song, in notes as shrill and metallic as the gratings of a coarse -file upon steel, of which they forcibly reminded me. - -Cathcart, from his Anglo-Saxon enterprise and energy, and consequent -thrift and increasing wealth, has become quite the great man of the -region; and seems to be in favor and on most familiar terms with all -the inhabitants, black and white. He gave to every dwelling we -passed by, whether near at hand or afar off, a hail of good will in -one form or another, calling forth a quick response from the unseen -occupants, and the speedy appearance of master, mistress, or slave. -After gaining the level of the mountain, we came upon a cluster of -mud houses surrounded by an orange grove, situated upon an elevation -on one side of the road, the owner of which, an old Portuguese, we -were told was worth a hundred thousand milreis, or more than fifty -thousand dollars. As he will be the next neighbor of our host on his -new estate, we turned aside for a moment to interchange salutations -with the family. The whole aspect of things, in huts and negroes, in -the mistress and an only child, a boy of ten or twelve years, was -very slovenly, very slip-shod, and very filthy. The wife is a -lively, black-eyed, chatty woman, scarcely yet in middle life; but -the husband a gray-headed and withered old man of more than -three-score years and ten. He is a great miser; and had on an old -jacket of many colors, with patch upon patch, till it appeared to be -of treble thickness. This he always wears both at home and abroad, -and never by any chance lays aside. It is said to be inlaid with -gold. The captain began at once to banter with him for the purchase -of it, offering a very large sum, and causing by his jests in regard -to it, great laughter among the negroes, and one or two white -laborers near by; but the owner seemed to have no notion to close a -bargain in the case. We did not dismount; but accepted the offer of -a drink of fresh cane-juice from a sugar mill near by. It was -brought to us in an old calabash, and tasted neither sweet nor -clean. - -Before reaching this place, we had entered into a wood, and were -charmed with the variety and brilliancy of the bloom—scarlet and -yellow, pink, purple, and white—exhibited in air-plants and -parasites, creepers and flowery trees. Besides a great variety of -the palm, there were wild figs, laurels, myrtles, cassias, and a -kind of silk cotton tree—_chorisia speciosa_—with large rose-colored -blossoms. The climbers are superb; and give to the trees they -overrun an air of great magnificence. This is particularly the case -in the _Solandra grandifiora_, with its large trumpet-shaped -flowers; and a species of fuchsia—_fuchsia integrifolia_, which, -running up to the tops of the loftiest trees, falls down in graceful -festoons of crimson flowers. Among the undergrowth the scarlet -blossom of the _cana speciosa_ glared brightly on the eye. The -forest did not appear to be primitive; but here and there a monarch -of the wood was seen, which could have attained its height and -widespread dimensions only by the growth of centuries. - -While yet high on the mountain’s side, we opened a full and -magnificent view of the new purchase of Captain Cathcart. It -embraces the entire superficies of a rich valley, ten miles at least -in circumference, encircled on three sides by lofty timber-covered -mountains, whose tops are the boundaries of the possession. These -terminate on either hand in bold promontories, jutting into the sea, -while between them sweeps a curving sand-beach, a mile and more in -extent. A fine stream meanders through this domain. A rocky islet, -in the centre of the bay formed by the projecting headlands, is -tufted with palm-trees, and gives name to the estate. Though but -partially reclaimed from its primitive condition, and for the most -part a luxuriant mass of woodland only, in its wide expanse, -manifest richness of soil, and evident capabilities of improvement -under the axe and the plough, it seemed to the eye as thus pointed -out to us, to be quite a principality. As an isolated possession I -have seen nothing like it in Brazil. The history of the property may -have added, perhaps, to the interest with which I looked upon it now -in the hands of a new possessor. The late proprietor, Señor De L——, -a man of good family, good education and good breeding, had been -reduced by his imprudence, mismanagement, indolence, and I may add -vice, to the necessity of disposing of it at a ruinous sacrifice. I -had seen him the day before on board the Congress, bearing the air -and address of a gentleman, mingled with the dejection of a -confessed bankrupt: one not able to work, and too proud to beg. In -the morning before setting off from the consulate, I had met, too, a -daughter of his, of eighteen, decidedly the finest-looking and most -attractive native female I have seen in Brazil: lovely, not only -from positive beauty, but from evident amiability and feminine -gentleness. And now, when I saw the exulting eye with which the new -purchaser, the rough and uneducated whaleman, surveyed the lordly -domain, I could not but think of the dispossessed and impoverished -gentleman and his children, and sympathise with them in the loss of -such an estate. - -Shortly after commencing the gradual descent of the mountain, a -rustic gate was pointed out as the entrance to “the Palms.” The -distance from this to the house is about two miles; and a little -taste and labor would convert it into a parklike and lovely -drive—first through interlacing woods down the declivity, and then -over the green sward of a natural meadow, belted and dotted for a -mile with groves, and clumps, and single trees of natural growth. -The house is a substantial old mansion of brick stuccoed, with tiled -roof and encircling verandahs. It stands in the midst of a lawn -fronting the small river, which here empties with a serpentine sweep -into the sea. It commands the entire view of the valley and -encircling mountains, of the bay, its promontories and islets, and -the distant sea. These lands have been a seigniory from the earliest -settlement of the country; and the house was built a hundred years -ago, when the proprietor was in office under government. It is most -substantially constructed; and the window frames, door-posts and -doors, and the columns of the verandahs, though never painted, are -yet in perfect preservation; the close-grained wood of which they -are formed, on being slightly scraped, exhibits the soundness and -brightness of mahogany. In all things more perishable the -establishment is in a most neglected and dilapidated state. The -furniture has been removed, excepting that of a lofty and spacious -dining-room, where a long and heavy old table—a fixture, with -benches along each side, of corresponding fashion, still remains: -all else is the perfect picture of ruined fortunes and deserted -halls. - -A servant had preceded us on foot with a basket of refreshments. To -the contents of this was added an abundance of fine oysters from the -mouth of the river, into which a heavy surf and daily tides pour -floods of salt-water over the oyster-beds. When called to this -repast, I was quite surprised to see, lying open on one end of the -table, a large mahogany case with lining of crimson velvet, filled -with a full dinner-set of heavy old plate of rich and massive -patterns—including knives, forks, and spoons, of all sizes. In -explanation, the captain told us it was the property of Señor De -L——, left here on his removal from the house; and now brought -forward in the hope of having it bought by him, adding, “but I was -born with an iron spoon in my mouth, and am used to one still; and I -have made up my mind, unless I can get the set for——,” naming a sum -not one third of its value, even as old silver, “I will never take -it.” Conscious, probably, from the knowledge he had of the -necessities of the poor señor, that they were sure to be eventually -his at his own price. - -But why, you will ask, these details in a matter of no moment? I -answer, because I know not when my feelings have been more -interested, or my sympathy more excited than by an incident of the -day, directly associated with them. Every thing without was so wet -after the heavy rain, that we were confined on our arrival very much -to the house and verandahs. Knowing that the family of De L—— had -removed, and that a few slaves only of Captain Cathcart were in -charge of the place, I was surprised to see a fine-looking, and -strikingly handsome young man approach from a thicket near by. His -only dress was a white cotton shirt, open at the throat, and a pair -of pantaloons of blue nankeen, old and faded, but both perfectly -clean and neat. Though bareheaded and barefooted, he moved with the -self-possessed air and manner of a gentleman. Before I could ask, I -was told he was a son of the late proprietor; brother of the young -lady I had met at the consul’s in the morning, and between whom -there is a very strong attachment, as well as a very striking -resemblance. The father, like too many others in this country, was -never married; but as is extensively the custom here, he has several -sets of children by different women—the secret of his wasted -fortune. After an introduction to the young man, struck with his -Adonis-like beauty both in figure and face—so like his sister as to -lead to the supposition that they were twins, I felt some curiosity -to know his age, and after a little conversation asked him in -Portuguese how old he was? Though evidently bright and intelligent -by nature, his reply was, “I do not know—my father can tell!” The -captain immediately said to me in English, “There you have a sample -of the utter ignorance in which these people are brought up; they -know nothing, and are taught nothing worth knowing. This is a very -nice young man as you see; but his father has given him no -education. Poor boy! I felt very sorry for him the day I closed the -purchase of this place and ‘clinched’ the bargain. He knew I had -been some time in negotiation for it; was present at the moment, and -seemed very anxious about the result; and when he saw that the whole -was sold without any reservation, and the case settled, the tears -started to his eyes, and he said—‘So, father, you have sold all your -property, and I am left to be like a negro! You always told me I -should have a part of this land. Had you done any thing for me, had -you given me any education, or taught me to do any thing, the case -would have been different, and I would not have cared. But you have -done nothing for me, and have not taught me to do any thing for -myself; and now have sold all your land, and left me to work like a -negro!’ The father could only reply with tears, ‘I know it, my son, -but I cannot help it: I am in debt eleven thousand milreis, and have -nothing to meet it but the two thousand five hundred which Captain -Cathcart pays me for this property.’” I thus became acquainted with -the terms of the purchase—about twelve hundred and fifty dollars for -two or three miles square of the finest land in the region, parts of -which at least have been long under cultivation! Antonio, the name -of the young man, had himself, previously to the sale, planted a -piece of the land with cane and mandioca, and asked the consul -afterwards whether he might still work upon it, and gather the -crops. He says his reply was, “Yes, my son, and call upon my negroes -here to help you, and bid them work for you as if they were your -own.” He is now there with a single remaining slave of his father, -for this purpose. Captain Cathcart invited him to join us at -luncheon. He seems interested in him, and says that as soon as he -removes from Santa Cruz himself, which he intends to do almost -immediately, he will take the lad to live with him, and will be his -friend. I trust he will be true to his word, and faithful to the -promise in the case which I exacted from him. He is evidently -greatly elated by the purchase, as well he may be, if he can -reconcile his conscience to the price which the necessities of the -seller forced him to accept for it. While looking over and pointing -to a very small section of it, he said to me, “Mr. S——, if, when, as -a boat-steerer on board a whale-ship I first met you at the Sandwich -Islands, I had thought I should ever have been the owner of such a -hillside as that, I would have felt amazing proud!” the continuation -of the sentiment being of course—“judge then how I feel now, as the -lord of this widespread manor, and the monarch of all I survey!” -Wherever he turns his eyes, he sees and speaks of its varied -capabilities for sugar, mandioca, rice, corn, cotton, coffee, -cattle, hogs, timber—and if spared in life and health a few years, -it is probable his present visions of the wealth to be derived from -it, will be fully realized. While he was speaking thus, I again -begged him to befriend Antonio, whose sad and dejected looks during -our whole stay were in such strong contrast with the self-satisfied -air and high spirits of his dispossessor. The deep pensiveness -spread over the manly and handsome face of the young man as we bade -him adieu, and his attitude—till we lost sight of him in the -distance—leaning his head and shoulders against a pillar of the -verandah with folded arms, as if lost in sad abstraction, still -haunt me. - - BUENOS AYRES. - -_June 30th._—For a third time I date from Buenos Ayres. The -continued prevalence of the yellow fever at Rio de Janiero forbade a -visit of the Congress there, on leaving St. Catherine; and the -alternate was a return to Montevideo. On arriving at that place, -general liberty on shore was accorded to the crew; and a bearer of -despatches to the American minister here being required, I gladly -availed myself of the Commodore’s kindness in appointing me to the -duty. - -When I left Buenos Ayres in February, the town and province were -under the rule of the Provisional Governor, appointed by Urquiza. As -speedily afterwards as possible, a constitutional election was held -for that office, and the same person was chosen by the people. Since -then, a Congress of the Governors of the Provinces has been held at -San Nicolas de Aroya, a city two hundred miles from Buenos Ayres up -the Parana. This was preparatory to a general convention of -delegates, for the formation and adoption of a federal constitution -for the United Provinces, after the model of that of the United -States; Urquiza being appointed for the interval Provisional -Director of the Argentine Confederation. The result of the -deliberations of the Governors has just been proclaimed, and the -articles of agreement have been published. These, though seemingly -wise and just, are unsatisfactory to the Portenos or Buenos Ayreans. -Claiming, from their larger population, greater wealth, and higher -civilization, a preponderating vote and influence among the States, -they are unwilling to confirm the act of the Governors, which will -limit them in the proposed general Congress, to the same number of -representatives or delegates, with each of the other Provinces. The -House of Representatives of Buenos Ayres, or Sala, as the body is -here styled, immediately denounced the proceeding by strong -resolutions; and great public excitement took place. On learning -this, Urquiza, who has returned from St. Nicolas, withdrew his -troops from their quarters in the city, planted a battery of guns on -the parade ground near the cavalry barracks, which commands the -town, and despatched a messenger to the President of the Chambers, -with orders for the immediate dissolution of that body under the -alternative of having it dispersed by his guns. The announcement of -this led each member quietly to take his hat and leave the hall, -notwithstanding the valorous resolution of the previous day, in -which the determination had been avowed of sacrificing their lives -rather than their liberty. - -Two thousand or more of the citizens not long since organized -themselves into a national guard; each individual having equipped -himself at his own outlay, in a showy and expensive uniform. During -the agitation of the Chamber, under the action of the Congress of -San Nicolas, these sent a messenger to the house to assure the -representatives that they would repair to their sittings and stand -by them to the death. They were, however, at the time, much in need -of percussion caps for their muskets. Urquiza hearing of this, and -that diligent search was being made in the city for a supply, sent -his own orderly to their barracks, with a couple of packages; and, -it is said, called himself in the afternoon of the same day to -inquire whether they had been received, and to say he would be happy -to furnish them with a larger quantity if needed! Thus showing his -utter contempt for the bravado of the ‘shop-keepers,’ as he calls -them. On the dissolution of the Chamber this brave guard very -speedily disbanded; and the next day small parties of the soldiers -of Urquiza, in command of subalterns, went from house to house -throughout the city, and took possession, without resistance, of all -the arms they could find. Urquiza proclaimed himself Provisional -Chief, but continued in office under him the Governor who had been -elected by the people. All things are going on quietly under this -coup d’état. - -The general judgment of those who have had the best opportunity of -knowing the people, is, that they are incapable of enlightened and -stable self-government. Urquiza is regarded by these as greatly in -advance of other chieftains of the Plata, in enlarged and patriotic -views and principles. Full confidence is placed in his integrity of -purpose, as well as in his firmness and daring of will. - -His personal bravery at all events cannot be doubted. During the -height of the excitement of the last week, while execrations loud -and long were poured upon him by designing partisans and their -followers, he rode fearlessly about the city attended by a single -officer; and is resolved, at all personal hazard, to carry out the -measures and policy which he thinks needful for the best interests, -not only of Buenos Ayres, as a city and province, but of all the -Argentine States. He believes the consolidation of the whole under a -constitutionally appointed chief executive, indispensable to their -permanent prosperity; and this it is his purpose to achieve. - -_July 20th._—It is seldom that the Rev. Mr. Lore of the Wesleyan -Mission can avail himself of the assistance of a brother clergyman; -and I have cheerfully taken upon myself, at his solicitation, on -each Sabbath of my several visits here, two of the three services -held in the chapel on that day and evening. The ordinary number of -worshippers amounts to about four hundred, of whom fifty are church -members. The established religion of the State being that of the -Roman Church, and the civil regulations of the country not -permitting Protestant preaching to the natives in their own -language, the congregation and church consist exclusively of foreign -residents—American, English, Scotch and Irish: of these, the -greatest number are English. An interesting and flourishing Sunday -school of two hundred and fifty scholars, is attached to the church, -and in addition to the public services of the Sabbath, a weekly -lecture and prayer-meeting are held in the chapel. The Sabbath after -my arrival was that of the Communion. On the Thursday evening -previous, Mr. Lore preached a preparatory sermon, and on the Sunday -six new members were received into the church. They were all young -persons, and of both sexes. A more than ordinary proportion of the -church members are in their youth. It is a cheering sight to -perceive among them so many young men, thus openly and decidedly -choosing a life of piety in the midst of a city of general -indulgence in worldliness and pleasure, and almost universal moral -dereliction. In the full toleration of Protestant worship thus -allowed, and in the open example seen and acknowledged by all—even -of a few consistent and truly spiritual Christians, there is hope -for this land: there is light shed abroad which cannot be hid, and -seed sown which has already sprung up and borne fruit. Many things -seem to indicate that, in the providence of God, the ignorant, -superstitious and benighted population, is destined in the progress -of time to give place by immigration from foreign lands, to those -better fitted in mind and education, in energy and enterprise, and -in enlightened principles, political, moral and religious, to mould -the destinies of the nation and build up a free and prosperous -empire. One cannot fail in passing along the streets, to be forcibly -struck with the prevalence of the English language. You can scarcely -move a square in any direction without overhearing it; while French, -German, Portuguese and Italian—the patois of the Basques and the -Gaelic dialect of the Scotch and Irish, are liberally intermingled. - -Mr. Lore is deservedly popular in his position, both as a man and as -a minister. He is an able and interesting preacher, and a faithful -and affectionate pastor: ready to every good work—the comforter of -the sick and afflicted, and the friend and benefactor of the poor -and destitute. Mrs. Lore too, is admirably fitted for her station, -and, full of gentleness and amiability, is universally beloved. The -history of Protestant worship in Buenos Ayres may be briefly given. -Its origin dates as far back as the year 1820. On Sunday, the 18th -of November in that year, Protestant religious worship was first -held here in a private house. The assembly numbered nine persons, -the worship being led by Mr. Thompson, a Scotch Presbyterian, who -had arrived in the city under the auspices of the “British and -Foreign School Society,” with the purpose of establishing schools on -the Lancastrian system; and had so far succeeded in his object as to -be then employed by the government as superintendent of a school of -this description. This lay worship was continued till the year 1822. - -In 1823 the Rev. Dr. Brigham, now long the secretary of the American -Bible Society, and the Rev. Mr. Parvin, an associate, arrived as -agents of the Bible and Missionary Societies, and by them preaching -was established in a private house. Dr. Brigham, after a time, -carried his agency to Chili and Peru, and returned to the United -States; while Mr. Parvin continued resident here, as a preacher and -teacher, till the year 1827. In this year he was joined by the Rev. -Mr. Torrey, first as an assistant, and soon as successor, both in -teaching and preaching. Mr. Torrey continued in Buenos Ayres till -the year 1836; when relinquishing his position and returning to the -United States, worship according to the Presbyterian form ceased, -without any attempt having been made to organize a church. - -The field was thus left open to the labors of the Methodist -Episcopal Church; the Rev. Mr. Pitts, a missionary of this -denomination, having arrived at Buenos Ayres about the time Mr. -Torrey left. He preached, however, but a short time, and returning -to the United States, was succeeded in the year 1837 by the Rev. Mr. -Dempster. Public worship was continued by him in the same house in -which Mr. Torrey had held his services; and his preaching was soon -followed with such success as to demand an enlarged place for the -congregation. In the ensuing year a lot in a very eligible situation -was purchased for the erection of a church and mission house; the -funds being provided for the purpose, partly by subscription in -Buenos Ayres, and partly by an appropriation from the Methodist -Missionary Society at home. The buildings subsequently erected are -the present chapel and parsonage, on the principal street of the -city, immediately opposite the stately church of the Merced. The -chapel, a neat and simple structure, sixty feet in length by forty -in width, with a façade in Grecian architecture, fronts upon the -street; while the mission house or parsonage, approached by a -passage on one side of the chapel, occupies the rear of the lot. A -court, ornamented with shrubbery and trellised grape-vines, -separates the two, giving to the premises a retired and rural -aspect, attractive, and appropriate to the character of the -occupants. The Rev. Mr. Dempster was succeeded in 1843, by the Rev. -Mr. Norris; and this gentleman again in 1848, by Mr. Lore. The -church and congregation are now not only self-sustaining, as to the -support of the pastor and all the incidental expenses of the -mission, but contribute liberally, according to their means, to the -general societies at home for the promotion of the cause of Christ. - -Besides the Wesleyan congregation and church, there are now in -Buenos Ayres three of other Protestant denominations: one British -Episcopalian, one Scotch Presbyterian, and one Reformed German. All -these have much larger and finer buildings for worship, and much -larger and more wealthy congregations. The salary of the Rev. Mr. -Falkner of the British Church, amounts to $4000. The Scotch -congregation, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Mr. Smith, is of the -Established Church of Scotland, and also partly under governmental -support. The German Church, whose pastor is the Rev. Mr. Seigle, has -just completed a new place of worship; a beautiful specimen of -Gothic architecture, and an ornament to the city. These -congregations have each a large and flourishing day school under its -supervision and patronage, beside Sunday schools. - -I have renewed my intercourse most agreeably with several families -here—particularly with that of Mr. H——, who is a fellow-Jerseyman. -Mrs. H—— is also from Jersey; and I have a standing invitation to -breakfast with them on buckwheat cakes, so favorite an article of -diet there. The L——s and the Z——s of Montevideo, too, are now here. -Among the acquaintances newly made, and to whom I am indebted for -hospitality, are the J——s; Mrs. J—— being the daughter of an old -friend, Captain M—— of the Navy. They occupy a tasteful and -pleasantly situated quinta in the eastern suburbs of the city, where -they entertain their friends with elegance; adding to a generous -hospitality, the charm of fine music, in which, both vocal and -instrumental, Mrs. J—— excels. - -I have been desirous for some time, of making an excursion into the -“Camp,” as the flat country of the Pampas south of the city is -called, in a visit to the estancia, or cattle farm of an American of -respectability, but have not yet had it in my power to accomplish -the purpose. My opportunities for sight-seeing have consequently -been limited to the city. The room I occupy is on the second floor -of a house finely situated on the edge of the bluff upon which the -town lies. Its windows on one side overlook the quadrangular court -communicating with the street. In this there are some magnificent -specimens of cacti; among which are a prickly pear twenty feet in -height, with a trunk like a tree, now covered with primrose-colored -blossoms; and an octagonal plant of the same genus nearly as tall, -filled with those that are of brilliant crimson. There is in it also -a magnificent specimen of the “Uca Gloriosa.” The view from the -other side commands the whole length of the alameda or public walk, -the river, with the inner and the outer anchorage, and all the -movements of the roadstead and landing. When the tide is out, the -sands to the east, for a mile or more, are nearly or quite bare. At -all times, except when the water is at flood, the landing of -passengers and freight is by cart. Familiarity with the sight does -not take from its interest. Sometimes both horses and carts are seen -half submerged in the water—intermingled with boats, some under sail -and others pulled by oars,—the drivers, to keep themselves from -being wet, standing on the shoulders of their beasts, in the manner -of circus-riders. It is amusing to see them start from the shore on -the approach of a boat or boats with passengers. They rush off under -the shouts and lashings of the drivers, plunging and ploughing -through the water, over the rocks and into holes in the rough -bottom, in utter disregard of every thing except a first chance at a -customer. The horses are so well trained to the business, that the -carts are as readily turned and backed up to a boat on reaching it, -as a fish is moved in the water by its fins. The whole performance -is so droll and amphibious, that I never cease to be amused in -witnessing it. When the water is low, freight and passengers are -often taken on board these carts from small vessels at their -anchorage. At such times too, horsemen and dogs, and various other -animals, are seen scampering over the sands in the shoal water, as -if the mirror-like surface were the ice of a frozen river. - -When the wind is fresh, a heavy sea rolls over the sands. Then the -vocation of the carts is at an end, and they seek the security of -the shore. The boats too, securely anchored outside the rocks, are -left to toss upon the water by themselves, and for the time-being, a -non-intercourse occurs between the shipping and the shore. - -The construction of a mole to extend beyond the sands is entirely -practicable, and would be of immense importance, and a great saving -of expense in the trade of the place. So essential a work should -have been accomplished a century ago. Had the amount lavished by -Rosas in redeeming the marshes of Palermo, and in rearing upon them -his country palace, been thus appropriated, it would long since have -secured a convenient and safe landing both for goods and passengers, -and have been a lasting and honorable monument of his public spirit -and patriotism. A day or two since a detachment of the troops of -Urquiza embarked from this landing on their return to Entre-Rios. It -is the winter season; the weather was wet, cold, and piercing, and -the whole number, amounting to some hundreds, were kept for hours, -shivering in the exposure incident to the slow means of getting off -to the transports in which they were to sail; first in squads of -eight or ten in a cart, and then in equal numbers in small boats. - -The _lecheros_ and _panderos_—the milkmen and bakers—form striking -features in the scenes of the street in the early morning. Both -grades are invariably mounted on shabby, rough-coated little horses -or mules. They seat themselves very longitudinally on the -shoulder-blades of the beasts, their legs being stretched out almost -at full length; while the supplies they carry for distribution are -balanced on either side from neck to tail—the milk in long tin cans -of different sizes, stowed in different compartments of leather -fixtures, something in the form of old-fashioned saddle-bags. The -bread is distributed from immense panniers of ox-hide, cured with -the hair on, made oval, in bandbox form, burying the animal beneath -their ponderous shapes, and half blocking up the street as they -pass. There is nothing especially peculiar in the dress of the -bakers, they being, dwellers in the city, and generally French, -German, or Spanish by birth and in costume; but the milkmen from the -country, at distances from five to fifteen miles, furnish -illustrations of the grotesque and comical worthy of the pencil of a -Cruikshank or Wilkie. None but an artist could do justice to their -slouched hats of every form, the cotton handkerchief of divers -figures and colors in which their necks and faces are bundled up, -their ponchos of every hue—their cheripas of various materials from -scarlet broadcloth and gayly-figured merinos, to horse-blankets, and -fire-rugs; while half-yard wide pantalets of white cotton tamboured -and fringed and worn over heavy boots or leggings of calfskin, make -up the sketch. - -On entering the plaza about seven o’clock a few mornings ago, I saw -some hundreds or more of these figures, with their horses and -milk-cans, grouped before the police office at the Cabildo or town -hall. The spectacle was one of the most singular I have met, and led -to an inquiry as to the cause of the unusual gathering. In answer, I -learned that the extent to which the watering of the milk had been -carried had led to the interference of the police. On that morning, -every milkman as he entered the city found himself unexpectedly -under arrest, and was hurried to the office of the chief, to have -the product of his cows put to a test. All were now busy lugging -their cans into the town hall to be thus cleared from the imputation -of defrauding their customers, or, if found guilty, to pay the fine -imposed by the laws of the municipality. I did not wait to learn the -result, but believe few escaped the penalty. - -To one informed of the extent of vexation and labor required in -securing the milk, it is scarcely a wonder that it should be well -watered before being brought to market. The cows of the native breed -are impracticable to all domestic training or discipline. They not -only require to be lassoed every time they are milked, but must be -also tied head and foot, and during the operation have their calves -by their sides. These must be permitted to draw the milk alternately -with the use of the hand by the milkman, or nothing can be obtained -from the animal. Much time is thus taken up in the operation; and -the result is only about a quart of milk a day from each cow, and a -pound of butter a week. The consequence is that milk commands from -twelve to fifteen cents a quart; and butter from sixty-two to -seventy-five cents a pound. The supply is furnished chiefly by the -German and Basque settlers. The natives are for the most part too -indolent to take so much trouble for the returns made, either for -their own use or for sale. - - RIO DE JANEIRO. - -_September 20th._—We returned to this port on the 13th inst.: -bringing passengers with us, Mr. Schenck, Chargé d’Affaires at the -Court of Brazil, and a nephew, his private secretary. In addition to -the diplomatic office he holds here, he was recently appointed by -our government Envoy Extraordinary to the Republics of the Plata, -for the purpose of negotiating, in conjunction with Mr. Pendleton, -treaties of friendship and commerce. The unsettled state of affairs -in the Argentine Provinces, however, interfered with the completion -of this mission, and he has returned for a time to Rio de Janeiro. - -Mr. Pendleton accompanied him as far as Montevideo; and during a -brief sojourn there, the two diplomatists, with the aid of Mr. -Glover as interpreter and secretary, formed a treaty with the -Republic of Uruguay, by which the United States are placed here upon -a footing with the most favored nations. The promptitude, industry, -and despatch of the ambassadors in the negotiation quite astonished -the ceremonious, indolent, and procrastinating ministers of -Spanish-American blood. After it was once initiated, they allowed -themselves scarcely the relaxation of an hour till the parchments -were engrossed; and the ink in their signatures was not well dry -before the Chief Envoy was on his way with us to this place. - -I will let an incident occurring at Buenos Ayres speak his general -character. While last there, I occupied furnished rooms in the -establishment of a shrewd, sharp-eyed, talkative Englishwoman. The -window of her private apartment commanded the well-guarded portal, -opening from the street into the pateo or quadrangle of the house; -and from it she kept a watchful lookout on the movements of her -lodgers and their visitors. A short time after I had taken up my -quarters there, Mr. Schenck called upon me. My landlady soon became -informed, by some means, of his name and position; and with the -notions of rank common among those in humble life in her own -country, was quite excited by the distinction conferred upon her -lodger, and seizing the first chance afterwards of waylaying me, -gave vent to her feelings on the subject by the exclamation—“And -indeed, sir! so you have had the honor of a visit from your -minister, the new ambassador! La me! I said to myself as I saw him -come in, ‘Why who can that very genteel, delicate-looking, strange -gentleman be?’ But I knew him at once for a diplomat. I can always -tell them. I have had a great deal to do with them—Sir Charles -Hotham, Sir William Ousely—and I know them at once, they are so -clever—so very, very clever! Oh! rely upon it, sir! your ambassador -is a very clever man: I could see it in his eye, sir! and then it -was so kind in him to call. I knew him for a diplomat—so very -genteel, and so clever,” adding, “Clever, sir, clever—very, very -clever!” as she bowed herself backwards into her little room, as if -retreating after a presentation at court. And clever, indeed, Mr. -Schenck is, both in the English and American use of the term. In -regard to the last, he has given very decided proof in his great -kindness to the Rev. Mr. Fletcher, seamen’s chaplain here, who with -Mrs. Fletcher arrived from the United States shortly after the -Congress left, eight months ago. They early became settled in a -hired cottage, but when Mr. Schenck received the diplomatic -appointment to the Plata, he constrained them to leave it, and with -their family to take possession during his absence, of the embassy -and all its appointments, in furniture, servants, carriages and -horses; and as it will be necessary for him to return to Buenos -Ayres at the end of two or three months, wrote to them before -leaving the river, that he came now only to be their guest till he -should be recalled there by duty for an indefinite time. They are -thus permanently at home with him. - -Mr. Fletcher on his arrival, entered at once zealously upon the -discharge of the duties of his position; and, while the yellow fever -has again raged for months as an epidemic among the shipping and on -shore, has been indefatigable in preaching the Gospel to the well, -in nursing and comforting the sick and dying, and in consoling the -afflicted, of whom there have been many among American and English -shipmasters, who have had members of their families in greater or -less numbers on board their ships with them, some of whom have died -under very affecting circumstances. - -The Rev. Mr. Graham, rector of the English Episcopal Church, has -service in a neat chapel in the city on the morning of the Sabbath; -Mr. Fletcher at the same time preaches to the seamen in port, on -board some ship in the harbor, and in the afternoon holds worship in -the drawing-room of the American Consulate. I have assisted him in -this service since our arrival, and have felt it a privilege and a -blessing to join the “two or three,” who assemble there for praise -and prayer, and to hear the preached word. The music is led by Mrs. -Fletcher at the piano; and she is assisted vocally by Mrs. K——. This -excellent person is a good representative abroad of her -fellow-countrywomen of New England at home—sensible, intelligent, -practical: ever decided in her expression of moral principle, and -ever constant in the exhibition of her religious character. She has -been greatly afflicted by the bereavements which have befallen her -here in a strange land; but resigned in spirit, seems by them to be -the better fitted for the duties of a Christian in this life, as -well as for the inheritance which is to be the reward of such in the -life to come. Mrs. F—— is not less strikingly the type of her class -in Europe. She is a daughter of the distinguished and apostolic -minister of Geneva, Cæsar Malan; and highly educated and -accomplished, seems fitted alike - - “to shine in courts, - Or grace the humbler walks of life.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - - CONSTANTIA. - -_November 22d._—A few days at “Boa Esperenza” in the mountains of -Tejuca, ten miles from Rio, proved so interesting to my friend Dr. -C—— and myself, that we determined to make a more distant excursion -of the kind to this place, in the midst of the Organ Mountains, -fifty miles from the city. The route to it passes near San Aliexo, -and on our way we made an agreeable visit of three days to our -friends there. - -Constantia is the estate of Mr. Heath, an Englishman, which has -become a favorite resort of the citizens of the metropolis in the -summer season as a watering-place, for the enjoyment of pure and -invigorating air, and the luxury of fresh and wholesome diet in the -country. By previous arrangement, mules and a guide were sent for us -two days ago to San Aliexo by the proprietor; and taking leave of -Mr. and Mrs. M——, we were off for our destination after an early -breakfast this morning. The day was splendid in its coloring, and -full of freshness. Our guide, a bright, intelligent little negro of -twelve, was all activity and good-nature; and mounted on a mule -scarcely larger than himself, with a carpet-bag slung on each side -of him in the manner of a pair of saddle-bags, went on his way -whistling and singing as if he knew neither sorrow nor care. Instead -of leading us, however, he rode behind in the fashion of a groom; -but not so much for appearance, as we soon discovered, as to give a -poke with the pointed end of his whip to one or the other of the -animals ridden by me and my friend, when they became disposed to lag -in their gait, or to start them forward by a sharp cut across their -rumps with its lash. - -The first stage of eight miles northward was to Freischal, an inland -venda, or store, where the turnpike begins the ascent of the -“Sierra.” For that distance, the plain is very similar in its -general features to the country between Piedade and San Aliexo, -before described. The mountain scenery to the west, close upon the -left, was, however, very fine; and was marked now, after heavy -rains, by numerous watercourses and cascades, which foamed down from -the heights above, in single shoots of hundreds of feet. Most -travellers from Rio make Freischal a stopping-place for the first -night; but the “Barriera,” or toll gate, midway up the ascent, four -miles further, is a much more picturesque and attractive spot; and -we pushed on to this for luncheon, without alighting at the other. -The road after passing Freischal winds at first in gradual ascent -along the broad bases of the mountains. It is wide, smooth, and well -graded; and paved at intervals for long distances with large cubes -of granite, like a Roman highway. It was enlivened by troupe after -troupe of mules passing in both directions, with heavy loads of -produce from the interior, and of merchandise from the capital: each -company of seven animals being under charge of a troupiero, or -muleteer, though frequently moving by hundreds together, and -sometimes crowding the road thickly for a half mile in succession. -As thus seen _en masse_ in the distance, either in meeting or -overtaking them, they present an odd spectacle. The mules with heads -bending to the ground beneath their burdens, are themselves for the -most part completely hidden by the bulky loads they carry. The tips -of their long ears, bobbing up and down with the motion of their -step; the cross ends of the clumsy wooden saddle or frame, to which -the panniers or other burdens on either side are affixed—something -like the buck of a woodsawyer—sticking out above their shoulders; -and the dried ox-hides surmounting the whole, to protect the -articles transported from the weather, flapping like wings up and -down in the irregular tread of the beasts, are alone seen: and to -one unacquainted with the sight, would present objects in natural -history difficult to be guessed at. There is a leading mule to each -troupe, whose bridle and head-stall are gayly ornamented with tufts -of scarlet and blue worsted, and often with showy plumes of the same -material, and also strung with bells of varied sizes and tones—the -whole a matter of rivalry in the taste and vanity of the respective -troupieros. The leaders are so well trained as to allow no one of -their own troupe, under any circumstances, to pass ahead of them on -the road; so that the muleteers have to look out only for such as -lag behind or stray by the wayside. These men themselves are black, -and white, and of every shade of complexion; are of all ages, and in -an endless variety of costume, as to the material and condition of -old shirts and old jackets, old trowsers and old drawers, old hats -and various head-gear—from the well clothed, to those almost in a -state _puris naturalibus_. - -The Barriera is as wild and romantic a spot as can be well imagined. -I recollect nothing on a public road surpassing it, in these -respects, unless it be the site of Alhama, in the sierra of the -Alpuxares. It is a narrow ravine high upon the mountain’s side, -above which the fantastic pinnacles called the “Pipes of the Organ,” -bristle thousands of feet. From these a mountain torrent, foaming -and roaring over and around gigantic boulders of granite, comes -rushing down, and divided into two streams by an islet over which -the road crosses, plunges headlong into a gulf below. In the midst -of this islet, to which a bridge from either side is thrown, a neat -little chapel, surmounted by a cross, rises upon the sight with -pleasing effect, in contrast with the savage wildness of every thing -around. At a neat venda just beyond, to which we had been directed -by Mr. M——, we were served with a luncheon of boiled eggs and bread -and butter. Our host was a civil young Portuguese, and the neatly -whitewashed walls of the room in which we ate, were ornamented with -a set of colored engravings, illustrative of the fate of Inez de -Castro in the hands of Peter the Cruel. For the first time in my -rambles in Brazil, I here saw a book in the hands of any one—it was -a copy of the “Complete Letter Writer” in Portuguese, which the -keeper of the shop was reading behind the counter when we went in. - -We were now more than a thousand feet above the level of the plain. -For some time before reaching this point, a beautifully shaped and -luxuriantly-clothed mountain in front of us, had particularly -attracted our attention. It here stood directly beside us on the -right. Nothing of the kind can surpass the beauty of its foliage in -varied forms and tints of green—interspersed with masses of white -and of yellow, of purple and of scarlet. The white in many instances -is not a blossom, but the leaves of the sloth tree—_cecropia -peltata_. The under sides of these are covered with a white down; -the leaves curl upward under the hot rays of the sun, and give to -the whole tree-top, amid masses of verdure, a whiteness almost as -pure, and more silvery, than that of the snowball. The yellow -blossoms are chiefly of the acacia; the purple and the scarlet those -of climbers—bignonias and fuchsias. An American forest in October -can scarcely compare in gorgeousness with these gay woods, in the -seasons of their bloom. - -From the Barriera the ascent becomes increasingly steep, and the -road is formed by zigzag cuts in the sides of the mountains, and, at -places, around their projecting shoulders. The angles at the turns -are very sharp, and the road rises in terrace above terrace—at some -points edging upon precipitous ravines and deep chasms, hundreds of -feet in perpendicular descent. In these sections, the long lines of -mules, as seen both above and below, struggling up or moving -cautiously down, are particularly striking. In several places the -way was wet and miry, and many a poor beast was down in the mud with -his burden upon him, but lying quietly and patiently, as if -accustomed to such accidents, waiting for the coming up of his -troupiero to relieve him of his load, and thus enable him to rise. -As we mounted higher and higher, the landscape became more and more -extensive. By degrees the northern end of the Bay of Rio opened to -view, followed rapidly by the islands which cluster in it; the -mountain-ranges of its eastern coast; the Sugar Loaf, Raza and Round -Islands in the offing; the Corcovado, Gavia and peak of -Tejuca—embracing a panorama more than a hundred miles in circuit, in -the midst of which the imperial city, though forty miles distant, -was distinctly seen gleaming in the afternoon’s sun. Such was the -scene on one side of us, while on the other the pikes of the Sierra -close at hand, rose in savage nakedness three thousand feet above -our heads. The world boasts many pictures in nature, in which -loveliness and sublimity are combined, but I doubt whether this “Boa -Vista”—“Fine View,” of the Organ Mountain does not rival any single -combination of mountain, valley, and water, that man ever beheld. I -can remember nothing in my own experience equal in interest to this -day’s ride; unless it may be the travel through the mountains of -Granada, followed by the first view of the “Vega,” with the city, -the walls and towers of the Alhambra, and the snow-covered heights -of the Nevada above, all gloriously lighted by the glowing hues of -the setting sun. - -Though uncertain of the length of time it would require to reach our -destination before nightfall, we lingered long in silent admiration -of the picture; and at last, found it difficult to make up our minds -to turn the point of a projecting rock marking the highest elevation -of the road, and which shuts it from view. From this point the -descent on the north commences. It is gradual, and unmarked by any -striking features, except the jagged peaks on the left. Thick mist -and clouds soon enveloped these, and for a time the way became -comparatively tame and uninteresting. - -H—— Hall, the mountain home of Mr. H——, an English merchant of Rio, -whom we had been invited to visit, is situated a short distance from -the sierra. We called upon the family for a short time; but, anxious -to reach Constantia, resisted their persuasions to remain over -night, or at least to dinner, and hastened on our way. At the end of -six miles, we turned from the public road into a bridle-path leading -through thick woods, filled with the music of birds. Many of the -trees overhanging us were magnificent in size—monarchs of the -primeval forest, stately and venerable with the growth of centuries. -One, whose branches entirely overarched the road, at an elevation of -more than a hundred feet, particularly excited our admiration. -Though its limbs were gnarled and distorted, and in themselves -leafless, they were so fantastic in shape as well as gigantic in -dimensions, and so adorned and draped with parasites and creepers, -and festoons of gray moss, as to be a fit study for an artist. - -At the end of three additional miles, we came suddenly upon a fine -field of luxuriant Indian corn enclosed by a hedge. Into this a -rustic gate led, which our guide threw open without dismounting, and -uttered the announcement, apparently with as much pleasure as it -gave us to hear it, “Esta Constantia!” “This is Constantia!” We were -at the entrance of a little valley, two miles in length by a half -mile in width, encircled by high hills, in the midst of which the -buildings of the establishment of Mr. Heath are clustered. These -consist of a principal house of two stories, plastered and -whitewashed, and having a steep shingled roof; four cottages of one -story in the same style, in front of this; and various out-buildings -and offices in the rear, with quarters for the negroes—the whole -having the general appearance of a Swiss or German hamlet. The -approach is by a well-made drive, half a mile in length. Trees of -natural growth have been left here and there near this and in the -adjoining grounds; giving to the whole somewhat the aspect of a -park. - -Our host met us at the gate of an inner enclosure which protects the -gardens and shrubbery. He is six feet and more in height, of a -portliness in full proportion, and frank, open-hearted and cordial -in manner. He had been expecting us for two days, and dinner was now -a third time waiting our arrival. We had heard of his facetiousness, -and that his anecdotes were irresistible; and had determined before -meeting him, to maintain a becoming dignity. Before the dinner was -half through, however, we found all our precaution vain; and under -the rehearsal of some of his personal adventures in Brazil, were -obliged to give way to fits of laughter, which made the tears run -down our cheeks. - -_November 24th._—The estate of Constantia is two miles square. Its -first owner was a Swiss, who gave it the name it bears, with the -intention of cultivating the grape on its hill-sides, in the hope of -producing a wine that should rival that of Constantia, at the Cape -of Good Hope. But his expectations in regard to the production of -wine were disappointed; and an experiment with coffee succeeded no -better. The soil is too cold and too poor to produce the best -qualities of either; and Mr. Heath purchased the whole property for -a small sum. The house and adjoining cottages are situated in the -midst of flower-gardens, which indicate by their growth any thing -but poverty of soil; and are fragrant with the perfume of the -tuberose and heliotrope, cape jessamine and white lily, and -beautiful in moss-roses and camellias, the most splendid carnations, -beds of violets and mignonette, and an endless variety of choice -flowers. The stems of the tuberose exhibit eighteen inches of -closely-clustered blossoms, and while the white lily at home seldom -produces, I believe, more than six or seven flowers on one stock, I -have here counted thirteen. The vegetable gardens and fruit-yards -present a like display of exuberant growth, in peas, beans, -potatoes, artichokes, cabbages, beets, cauliflowers, strawberries, -raspberries, limes, lemons, peaches, pears, apples, quinces and -grapes. These in constant succession bring a rich return to the -proprietor from the market at Rio, to which, distant as it is, -troupes of mules carry cargoes as far as Piedade, twice every week. - -The work of the estate is performed by slaves, of whom, including -women and children, there are thirty-three on the premises. They are -well-fed, well-clothed, and well-treated, and seem to be contented -and happy. Their master is a humane and kind man, and intends to -give to all their freedom: in earnest of which he has already -manumitted several, who still continue with him, and to whom he pays -regular wages. The children come round him at his call with laughter -and gambols, and scramble playfully for the biscuit and cakes and -the other niceties which he carries with him from the dining-hall, -for the purpose of distributing among them. The gardens are under -the care of females exclusively: the superintendent, of the same -sex, being thoroughly skilled in the business. Every thing in that -department is under her sole direction, from the turning over of the -earth for planting, to the gathering of the produce, and the -arrangement of it in panniers for the market. - -All hands are turned out for work at daybreak; are mustered by name, -and receive orders from their master at a window of his room. A -custom is observed here, and I am told in all well-regulated -families in Brazil, which, were it any thing more than an unmeaning -form, would be interesting. It is the asking of a blessing from the -master every morning and every evening at the close of the day’s -work by all the slaves, of both sexes and of every age. The full -form of words is the following: “I beseech your blessing, or grant -me a blessing, in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!” To -which the master replies, “Jesus Christ bless you for ever!” But it -is the usage to epitomize these expressions by the interchange of -the shortest possible abbreviations of them, and in words rather -startling at first to the ear uninformed of the designed object; the -slaves as they present themselves merely exclaiming, in all manner -of intonations of voice and in every mood of humor—“Jesus Christ!” -While the master, be he talking or laughing, eating or drinking, or -in whatever way employed, without any interruption and seemingly -without any regard to the import of the salutation as abruptly -replies, “Siempre!” “Forever!” The effect last night was quite -ludicrous, as fifteen or twenty men and women came in from labor in -the fields—probably weary and hungry and impatient of any delay—and -thrust their heads rapidly, one after another, into the windows and -doors of the verandah as we were at the tea-table, with the above -exclamation of two words only; followed instantly by the single one -from the master, much in the manner of a _feu de joie_. - -No bell, nor similar means of summoning the outdoor servants is -used; but the clear, trumpet-like voice of the master is often heard -far and wide, sending forth with a distinctness not to be mistaken, -the names of those needed. While listening to these stentorian -calls, I have been struck with the euphony and romance of many of -the names, especially those of the females—Theresa and Rosa, Justina -and Juliana, Januaria and Theodora: a list fit for the court -calendar. - -Within a few hundred yards of the houses on either side, sharp hills -rise to the height of several hundred feet, partially covered on -their sides and crowned on their tops with intermingled woods and -cliffs. That on the south is marked in its whole length by the broad -channel of a watercourse; this, at times, becomes a foaming cascade, -compared with which, the artificial shoot down the hill at -Chatsworth, would appear but the plaything of a child. At present -the quantity of water, though flowing with great swiftness, is -small, but furnishes an abundant supply for plunging-baths at the -foot of the hill, and for keeping a corn-mill near by, in operation -day and night. This mill is a curiosity in one respect—it is -self-tending; so far, at least, as to cease working when the hopper -becomes empty. The contrivance is very simple, and consists of a -fixture at the bottom of the hopper, which, acting through a spring, -shuts off the water from the wheel when the weight of the grain is -removed. - -The day after our arrival was one of rain, and we were kept for the -most part indoors. This, however, we scarcely regretted. Indeed, we -were more than content with confinement in the midst of such verdure -and bloom; and were satisfied for the time, in the freshness, -quietude, and rural repose of this secluded spot, with the -companionship, through the windows and from the verandah, of the -mules and cattle, the sheep and pigs, geese, ducks and chickens, -turkeys and guinea-fowl, with which the pasture-grounds and -enclosures are filled; and not less with that of our intelligent -host in his hours of leisure, in listening to his anecdotes and -reminiscences of life in Brazil. He has pre-eminently the talent of -making one forget that he is a stranger in his house and a boarder -at his table. You feel yourself rather to be the welcome guest of -friendship under the hospitable roof of the lord of the manor, on -whom you are conferring a personal favor by your visit. His sporting -stories are very amusing and somewhat marvellous. There is no end to -the rehearsal of the adventures of twenty years, in hunts after the -leopard and ounce, the tapir and deer, the peccary and other game of -the forests. He has, too, often been the guide and companion in this -region, of the most distinguished travellers who have visited Brazil -in that period. He ascended the loftiest peaks of the Organ -Mountains with Dr. Gardiner; and gives details of privations and -hair-breadth escapes in wildernesses before untracked by man, and -upon cliffs and precipices previously unscaled, not found in the -published records of the accomplished naturalist. - -Yesterday and to-day the weather has been clear and fine, and -delightfully bracing and elastic: the mercury varying from 65° to -70° Fahrenheit. The elevation of Constantia above the bay of Rio, is -about 3000 feet. The highest point of the intervening range of -mountains is 6000. The site of the houses does not command a view of -the Organ chain: but, from the hill-side on the north, it is -distinctly seen. We walked a short distance up this last evening, -just before nightfall, and found the entire range magnificently -clothed in the gorgeous colorings of the setting sun. Though at the -distance of fifteen miles in an air-line, the sight was sublime. The -serrated part presents aspects on this side altogether new; and more -wild and fantastic, if possible, than those on the other. I secured -the outline of a sketch, which, when seen by you, may lead you to -suppose me sporting with your credulity. - -We have rambled with delight at different times through the little -valley in the rear of the establishment. It is two miles in length; -is prettily watered by a winding stream and diversified by glade and -dell—pastoral in its herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, and vocal -with the murmuring of water and the music of birds. I do not include -in the melody of these, however, the noisy chatter of flocks of -parroquets; though the beauty of their gay plumage, added to the -attractiveness of our walks, as, fluttering through the air, it -flashed upon the eye in the bright rays of the sun, like masses of -emeralds and gold. We made the attempt to ascend some of the hills -for more commanding points of view; but found, even those which were -without wood, and which appeared at a distance to be almost as -smooth as the turf of a lawn, to be altogether impracticable, from -the thickness and rankness of the growth of ferns with which they -are covered. On a near approach, these were seen to rise far above -our heads in impenetrable thickets. We undertook to advance a short -distance among them; but, though Dr. C—— is of no contemptible -height—six feet four inches—and not without proportionate strength -of muscle, we were very willing, at the end of a few minutes, to -give over the effort. Progress can be made through them only with a -sharp bramble-scythe, or a sickle in hand. They are so thick-set, -and so even in height, that the negroes, Mr. Heath tells us, in -returning from labor on the hills, often make short work of the -descent by projecting themselves headforemost for long distances, in -steep places, over the compact surface of their tops. - - PETROPOLIS. - -_November 30th._—We bade adieu to Constantia on the morning of the -26th inst. It was not yet sunrise when we took leave of our host for -the ride of forty miles through the mountains to this place. We set -off in the following order; first, a sumpter-mule, with our luggage -and provender for the day, led by a negro on foot; then a courier, -the counterpart in age, size, and blackness, of our guide from San -Aliexo, but a perfect dandy in comparison, in his costume—being -dressed in a trimly-fitted jacket and trowsers of new nankeen, a -highly polished castor hat with velvet band and broad rim, beneath -which was worn, in Brazilian style, a scarlet silk handkerchief, -floating loosely down the shoulders behind; leggings of untanned -leather, so wide at the top as to serve for the reception and safe -carriage of all kinds of small packages and parcels, but terminating -in bare feet well-spurred; the Padre, as I am styled, and his mule -came next; while the fleet-surgeon, last in position, but first in -height and dignity, brought up the rear. I was quite impressed with -the appearance of respectability in our departure, by the long line -thus formed, till, at the outer gate, it was suddenly shorn of its -“proportions” by the loss of our footman, who, tying the halter of -the beast he was leading, firmly into the long hair of the tail of -our little courier’s mule, gave us his benediction and returned to -the house. - -The morning was beautiful, the air fresh as the breath of June, and -the light, fleecy clouds floating in the sky, tinted with bright -hues. Our way for some miles was a grass-edged and dewy path through -the woods. From these, unnumbered birds poured forth their matin -songs as if - - “every sense and every pulse were joy.” - -There is an untiring charm in the woodland scenery here; the growth -is often so majestic and widespreading, and the foliage so varied in -form and coloring. We were gratified by the near view, in two or -three instances, of a fine, lofty, forest-tree, which had at other -times attracted our attention at a distance, by the flowers of -mingled pink and lilac with which it was thickly studded. These grow -singly, and not in clusters; but the general effect, from the -intermingling of strongly contrasted shades of one color in the same -flowers, is that of the apple blossom. The lowest branches, however, -were too lofty to allow a satisfactory examination of them. Among -the most graceful of the growth, which in some places fringed and -overarched our way, was the bamboo, shooting up in thick clusters to -the height of fifty, and even a hundred feet. The tree-ferns, too, -were conspicuous, their umbrella-like tops giving them in the -distance the appearance of palm trees in miniature. Parasites and -creepers entangled the whole woods, while the former, mounting to -the tops of the loftiest branches, descended low again towards the -ground in gracefully sweeping pendants. Surrounded by such imagery -and breathing such air, with the golden sun flickering through the -tree-tops upon our path, or gleaming brightly over a glade on its -side, I felt as buoyant in spirit as when a boy I roved over the -pine-covered hills of Otsego. - -At one place the road merely skirted the woods and commanded a broad -expanse of cleared land in a valley. A striking feature here, was -the number of stately old trees which still studded the landscape. -They were leafless and lifeless, however, and so blanched from top -to bottom as to seem whitewashed. Masses of gray moss hanging in -long pendants from the skeleton limbs, gave to them, in contrast -with the vigor of life by which they were surrounded, a melancholy -and funereal aspect. Just as we were emerging from a thick wood on a -side hill which overlooked the trees below, my friend said to me, -“All that is needed to make our ride perfect in its kind, is a sight -of some of the wild animals of the country.” I replied, “Yes, any -thing but a tiger or a leopard.” I had scarcely finished the -sentence, when a succession of fierce and angry shrieks and screams -burst forth beneath us; and looking in the direction, we saw a whole -tree-top filled with black, long-tailed monkeys—they were in -terrible commotion—a regular family quarrel. Every branch of the -tree swayed to and fro, as they leaped about and swung themselves by -their tails from the end of one limb to that of another. The tread -of our mules or the sound of our voices, however, suddenly put an -end to their squabble, and in an instant, the whole troop in -affright disappeared in the thick wood. - -At the end of a few miles we came to the turnpike by which we had -mounted the Sierra, and followed it northward a short distance. It -was crowded with troupes of mules, just setting off from the ranchos -at which they had passed the night. The muleteers at one point, were -engaged in replacing the burdens on their animals. Their occupation -is far from being a sinecure. Besides making the journey of hundreds -of leagues on foot, they have daily, and sometimes repeatedly each -day, to load and unload their beasts, and to readjust the many -straps by which the freight they transport is kept well-balanced, -and secure from damage. The ordinary load of a mule is from six to -eight “_arobas_” of thirty-two pounds each, and the usual distance -travelled in a day, from twelve to sixteen miles. - -The middle section of the journey was marked by a succession of -pyramidal hills of bare granite, a thousand and more feet in height, -rising from the bosoms of the valleys which encircle their bases -like so many gigantic sugar-loaves. They appeared to be utterly -inaccessible, and presented cliffs on some of their sides hundreds -of feet in almost perpendicular descent. About noon, surrounded by -parroquets in flocks and other birds of gay plumage, we gained the -highest point of land on the route. It commanded sublime views of -the mountains, both before and behind us; and, among other objects, -one of special interest to us personally in the cabin of a free -negro a short distance ahead, to which we had been directed as a -good place to refresh our animals and to take our luncheon. We had -accomplished fifteen miles of the journey. The next fifteen were -less interesting in every respect; the general surface of the -country was bare, and the mountains sterile and naked. The glare of -the sun was oppressive, and by the time we had finished that -additional distance, we began to be fagged and weary. And this, you -will ask, while still surrounded by much that was strikingly novel -and magnificent? I will refer you for our vindication in the case, -to any one who has been ten hours in succession on muleback, riding -up hill and down dale, over a scarcely practicable mountain road. A -mule is a very nice animal for the ride of an hour over smooth -ground, and one that is full-blooded and well-broken, very passable -perhaps for the ride of a day; but to be mounted from sunrise to -sunset on such beasts as we had, and to travel for a whole day over -such a road, are enough to make anyone who has suffered the -experience groan afresh at the remembrance of it. I was not aware -before that there was such entire antagonism in the peculiar, short, -broken, and half-finished motions of the brute; causing one to feel -at the end of a day’s journey very much as it might be supposed he -would, if subjected in rapid succession for the same length of time, -to a constant simultaneous jerk of the shoulders, twist of the hips, -rap on the ankles, and thump in the back; while the head has been -kept incessantly bobbing up and down in involuntary motion, like -that of a Chinese image when once set going. I know nothing like it -in travel for weariness, at least to the unpractised rider. - -Late in the afternoon, we came upon the other great highway from the -metropolis to the mines in the far interior, and following it, found -the last ten miles, through the valley and beside the rippling -waters of the Rio Piabanha, to be beautiful, not only in natural -scenery, but from cultivation and long settlement. I must confess, -however, that it required an after ride over it fully to persuade us -of this. At the time, we were too much done over for high admiration -of any thing; and were chiefly occupied in straining our vision for -some indications of being near our place of rest. At length, the -little guide, a short distance in advance of us, reining in his mule -at the top of an ascent in a gorge of the hills, exclaimed to us in -Portuguese—“Come see Petropolis!” We doubted whether it might not be -still miles distant; but pushing on, were well pleased to catch -sight of the town, pictured in beauty before us, not a quarter of a -mile off, at the bottom of the hill. We were glad to see our little -courier ride to the door of the first house at the entrance of the -place, as the hotel which Mr. Heath had recommended to us as the -best: had it been the worst, scarcely any inducement could have led -us a hundred yards further in search of any other. We were barely -able to dismount. - -I never saw a place of which the common phrase “nestled among -hills,” is so descriptive as Petropolis—in fact, it is doubly -“nestled.” First, by a half-dozen beautiful hills which rise -abruptly around it to the height of two or three hundred feet, and -then again by mountains which tower to an elevation of as many -thousands. The central part of the town lies in a little triangular -basin, a half-mile in extent each way. From this, glens filled with -cottages and pleasant residences, diverge in various directions. -Each has a mountain-stream running through it, two of the principal -of which, flowing from opposite directions, meet in the centre of -the place. The surrounding country is the private property of the -Emperor, by the purchase of his father Pedro I. It was the design of -this sovereign to colonize it at the time with Germans, but his -abdication prevented the accomplishment of this. His son carried it -out, by offering, ten years ago, such inducements to immigrants in -gratuities of land, that the colony now numbers six thousand -inhabitants, chiefly Germans. The Emperor early built a cottage for -himself in the centre of the village, with the view of making an -occasional visit to the place. The appearance of the yellow fever in -Rio as an epidemic, has since led to the construction of a palace on -the same site, which is to be a regular summer residence of the -Imperial family; and Petropolis, from the sickliness of the city and -the example of the Emperor, has become the favorite resort, as a -watering-place, of the rich and fashionable. - -Though it is not yet the “season,” there are many visitors here at -present, among whom we were happy to meet our friend Lieut. F—— of -the Congress, and a party of his English friends, residents of Rio. -The whole place has the air of an enterprising, thrifty, and -prosperous new settlement at home, attributable to the fact that -instead of enervated and indolent Portuguese and Brazilians, the -inhabitants are industrious, managing, and hard-working Germans. The -walks and drives in the vicinity, for miles in every direction, are -varied and beautiful. It is only a mile and a half from the “Alto do -Sierra,” the point at which the great highway from Rio to the mining -districts gains the height of the chain; the view from which is -thought by many to outrival that of “Boa Vista” in the Organ -Mountains: we have enjoyed it under great advantages of light and -shade, and think if there is a difference, it is that the latter has -more wildness and sublimity of foreground, and the former more -softness and beauty in the general panorama. The road by which the -passage of the mountain is here made, is, in its grading and -construction, an exceedingly fine work, equal to most of those found -in the similar passes of Europe. The first railroad projected in -Brazil is now in construction, from the bay of Rio to the foot of -the mountains. Its line, clearly traceable from the “Alto,” is a new -and most hopeful feature in a landscape of this Empire. Among the -most interesting of our fellow-guests at the hotel here, are the -Chief Engineer, an Englishman—Mr. Bragge—and his family, and his -assistant, Col. Golfredo, a Neapolitan exile. - -The German population is about equally divided as to religious -creeds; about three thousand being Protestants and three thousand -Romanists. On the Sabbath Dr. C—— and I attended worship in the -Protestant chapel. Places for Protestant worship are prohibited the -external architecture of a church building; and but for the -assemblage of people at the door, we should not have been able to -distinguish the chapel from the row of houses under one roof, among -which it stands. The interior is simple and rude, and sufficient -only to accommodate three or four hundred worshippers. About that -number were present. They are just now without a pastor, and the -schoolmaster of the town officiated. The order of the services, -including the reading of a sermon, was that of the Lutheran Church. -The worshippers seemed serious and devout; and though the whole was -to us in an unknown tongue, we endeavored—not in vain we trust—to -make “melody in our hearts,” with their singing, and with their -prayers to pray “with the spirit and with the understanding.” - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - - BUENOS AYRES. - -_January 18th, 1853._—I am again in Buenos Ayres, and find it for -the fourth time within the two years past, in an entirely new -aspect. The contrast between its present condition and that in which -I first saw it, is peculiarly striking. Then, all that met the eye -gave evidence of peace, quietude, public order, safety, and seeming -prosperity. There was the bustle of active business every where—at -the crowded landing in boats and lighters plying rapidly between the -shipping and the shore, and in the thronged thoroughfares in the -trucks of the warehouses, and the ponderous carts with their long -lines of oxen from the interior. Pleasure, too, was heard and seen -on every side, in the gay chat of the promenaders on the sidewalks, -the dashing by of equipages through the streets, and in the laugh -and gallop of riders, both male and female, coursing along the -shore. Now, in place of peace, there is war; in place of quietude -and order, anarchy and confusion; in place of safety, danger; and of -seeming prosperity, apprehended ruin! All business, foreign and -domestic, is suspended; the mole is like a place of the dead, the -shops and houses are all closed, the street deserted; every native -male inhabitant, between the years of sixteen and sixty, under arms -and on daily duty, and the city begirt, within a dozen squares of -its centre, by hostile troops composed of its own people. By these, -all intercourse between the city and the country is prevented, and -all supplies of provision cut off; while they daily direct the -murderous fire of their muskets and cannon down the streets occupied -by their neighbors, relatives, and friends. And what, it will be -asked, is the cause of this state of things, and what the origin of -the civil war? Even the best informed on the subject here, whose -feelings and judgment have not been perverted by partisanship, reply -by saying, “Who can tell?” One thing is clear, the cause is not a -spirit of patriotism excited by oppression, or the origin a sense of -right under the pressure of wrong; nor are either traceable to the -conflicting policy of contending parties in regard to the public -good: patriotism, right, and public good, are but empty words here. -The highest principle seems to be that of personal ambition, in a -few military aspirants, sustained by ignorant and mercenary -followers; and the ruling motive the attainment of power—power over -“the receipt of customs,” and power over the “Paper Bank,” with the -opportunity of robbing the public, under the name of office and the -form of law. This may be thought a harsh and summary judgment in the -case, but it is sustained by facts. - -The history of public affairs at Buenos Ayres for the last six -months may be briefly told. After Urquiza had found it necessary to -dissolve the House of Representatives in the manner described during -my last visit, and to assume the supreme authority, he gave full -evidence of the enlightened and public-spirited policy of the -government he purposed to exercise. His first measure was the -establishment of the public schools which Rosas had suppressed; and -the introduction into them of the Bible as the text-book of morals -and religion. Another project was the building of a breakwater and -mole, for the protection of ships and the benefit of the commerce of -the port; and a third the construction of a railroad into the -interior. This policy, in acts and purposes, begat confidence in him -among capitalists and the friends of progress; and high hopes were -entertained of future prosperity to the city and state. In -September, however, he was called from Buenos Ayres to the Congress -appointed by the different States, to convene at the city of Santa -Fé on the Parana, for the formation of a general constitution and -the consolidation of the Republics into one government. He left a -small body only of his own troops at Buenos Ayres, and embarked on -his mission. But the smoke of the steamer which carried him to his -destination had scarcely faded on the horizon before a revolution -was effected by his enemies, and a new government organized. The -first measure adopted by it, was a resolution to invade Entre-Rios, -the State of Urquiza. For this a force was despatched both by water -and by land: that by water was summarily defeated and dispersed by -the Entre-Rians, and that marching by land, informed of the -disaster, halted on the frontiers. Money was of course necessary for -the subsistence of the troops on this expedition; and the new -minister of war obtained the issue of a large amount of paper money -by the bank for this purpose. He forwarded it to the disbursing -officer, however, with instructions to keep it in safety till he -could arrive himself to attend the distribution of it among the -soldiers. He left the capital professedly on this errand, proceeded -to the camp, obtained possession of the money, crossed the frontier, -exchanged the paper for gold, and emigrated beyond the jurisdiction -of the government of which he was a member! The soldiers, -disappointed in their pay, were conducted by their leaders to Buenos -Ayres, to obtain redress by a new issue from the bank; but before -they reached their destination a second revolution took place. The -government which had enlisted and promised to pay them had been -overturned; and that now in power refused their demands. In -consequence of this the troops invested the city; and hence the -civil war—the parties being the ‘insiders’ and the ‘outsiders.’ -Those without are not in sufficient force to take the city by -assault; and those within have no power by which to drive the -besiegers from the suburbs. It is said that Urquiza has furnished -material aid to the outsiders, and on the adjournment of the -Congress of Santa Fé will join them in person with his Entre-Rian -troops. - -One can scarcely give credit to the atrocities committed in the -guerillas, which almost daily take place—atrocities which would -disgrace a horde of savages. What think you of the execution of -prisoners by stretching them on the ground, making their wrists and -ankles fast with thongs of raw hide to four horses faced in four -different directions, and then, by starting these on the gallop, at -a single spring, to tear them into quarters! Yet this has been done -within a few days in public, and in the presence of an officer, from -whom, an eye-witness, Mr. Lore received the account. A few mornings, -since the coachman of Mrs. Z——, coming into the town from a quinta -or country-house near the lines, which the family had been obliged -suddenly to abandon, perceiving two horsemen of the outside party -riding furiously down the street towards him, stepped on one side to -let them pass; and in doing so he observed something attached to a -rope dragging behind them. A second look as they flew by, showed it -to be the body of a man, in the uniform of the national guard, who -had been either just lassoed or shot by them. At a short distance -these fellows met three or four of their comrades; and drawing up to -speak to one another, the whole party amused themselves by beating -the head of the dead victim with the butts of their carbines! - -For an hour or two, almost every morning and every evening, -sharp-shooting is heard in various directions around the city. A -party of twenty or thirty outsiders, will, at such times, dash up to -the barricades at the ends of the streets, or a party of the same -number of insiders will rush out beyond them—without any object in -either case, but that of having a shot at each other—and blaze away -till tired of the sport; fortunately, for the most part, without -much bloodshed or a loss of life. Occasionally, one or two on either -side fall, or an innocent spectator or passer-by receives a fatal -shot. The people along the lines have now become so used to this, as -not to regard these skirmishes. Last evening Commodore McKeever, Dr. -C—— and I, went to the quinta of Mr. K—— to take tea. This is in the -midst of the battle-ground between the lines. As we arrived, a sharp -skirmish had just ended, during which musket-balls had struck the -house, and one, the drawing-room window, near which Mr. and Mrs. K—— -were sitting. A few evenings ago we were at the parade-ground, at -the north end of the city, witnessing the evening drill. A skirmish -was at the time taking place about half a mile distant, along the -flat towards Palermo; and it was notable to see the perfect coolness -with which one and another—some singly and others two and three in -company—would catch up their muskets and walk or lope towards the -scene of the guerilla, laughing and chatting as they arranged their -arms for firing, as if it were a shooting-match for goose or turkey -they were about to try a hand at, in place of the life of a -fellow-being. The whole contest is boyish in its mode of operation, -as well as murderous in its motive and end. I am told by those who -have witnessed it at the lines, that the manner in which the parties -challenge each other to these skirmishes—their taunts and ribaldry, -shoutings and insults, are both amusing and ridiculous. Every two or -three days a sortie is made by a body of three or four hundred from -the inside, on a forage for grass. These generally lead to the loss -of lives on both sides. A few mornings ago, on such an occasion, an -officer from the inside performed quite a feat of valor and presence -of mind. He suddenly found himself cut off from the party he was -commanding by a mounted band, who had awaited him in ambush. The -first intimation he had of danger was in finding a lasso around his -neck. He freed himself expertly from this with his knife, just in -time to receive one of the attacking party, coming at full charge -upon him with a lance: this he not only parried, but wresting it -from the grasp of its owner, unhorsed and pierced him through with -it. By this time another lancer was upon him, but only to be run -through with the same weapon. He then drew a revolver, with which he -brought a third to the ground; and by wounding a fourth in another -shot, effected a return to his own party. - -_March 12th._—The chief interest in public affairs still centres in -the civil war. The presence of Commodore McKeever continues to be -important and essential for the interest and safety of American -residents and their property. His flag is borne by the “Jamestown,” -on board which a detachment of marines from the Congress, under -Lieut. Holmes, is quartered, in addition to the guard belonging to -that vessel. The quarters of the Commodore and his suite are on -shore. - -No important change in the attitude of the conflicting parties has -occurred; though the arrival of a deputation appointed by the -general Congress of the Provinces at Santa Fé, with proposals of -mediation on the part of Urquiza, has given rise to some hope of an -amicable adjustment of the difficulties. A corresponding deputation -has been appointed by the government of the city; an armistice -proclaimed; and a conference on neutral ground is now being held. - -_April 30th._—All overtures for reconciliation between the -belligerent parties have failed, and guerillas are again taking -place, with the usual loss of blood and life to both parties. A -rigid blockade has been added to the investment of the city by land; -and the consequence is a limited supply of provisions among the -rich, and suffering and starvation among the poor. The skirmishes of -the last two or three mornings have been very heavy; but such -creatures of habit are we, that with cannon roaring all around us, -and constant volleys of musketry at the distance of a mile or two -only, bringing death with each discharge to some fellow-mortal, we -now hear the sounds for hours without scarcely a thought of the -fatal results. This morning as we sat down to breakfast at Mr. -H——’s, two or three gentlemen descended from the flat roof of the -house, where they had been watching with a glass the progress of a -guerilla. They reported that they had just seen many on both sides -fall from their horses, as the parties fired upon each other; but no -one present seemed to feel that it was a matter of more moment than -the issue of any common sporting-match. The besiegers have no -mortars or bombs; but frequently send cannon balls far into the -city. Two mornings ago, one of these took off the head of a poor -woman a short distance only from the neighborhood in which we were, -just as she had risen from her bed and was combing her hair. It is -thus that they scatter firebrands, arrows, and death, and say, are -we not in sport? My views of the reign of Rosas are much modified by -passing events, and the knowledge they give of the people. In the -various revolutions and counter-revolutions of years which preceded -his accession to power, thirty thousand of them perished from -bloodshed and violence at the hands of each other; and more lives -have been sacrificed here, in the same manner, within the last three -months, than during the whole of his despotic rule. His policy was -to put summarily to death, those whom he regarded as factionists and -dangerous citizens, and thus, by inspiring terror, to secure peace, -order, and safety to the mass. How far was he in error? - -Commodore McKeever, after the detention here of four months by the -exigency of public affairs, during which he has rendered most -important public service, is obliged by duty elsewhere, to leave the -further protection of our countrymen and their interests to the -commander of the “Jamestown;” and will bid adieu to-morrow to Buenos -Ayres for the last time. We must therefore let the curtain drop on -the tragedy in performance here; and be content to learn its -uncertain issues in our own distant and blessed land. The last -mail-packet brought to us the welcome intelligence that the Congress -would return to the United States without waiting the arrival of ‘a -relief;’ and on taking our anchors at Montevideo in a few days we -shall be HOMEWARD BOUND! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - POSTSCRIPT. - - -This volume has already been enlarged beyond the intended number of -pages. In closing it, I would very briefly state that the experiment -in naval discipline, with which the cruise of the Congress was -commenced, previously to the abolition of the lash by law, was -carried out with marked and satisfactory success. This is mainly to -be attributed to the unwearied efforts, and the indefatigable -devotion to duty, of the officers most interested—equally from -motives of philanthropy towards the sailor, and a jealous regard for -the honor of the navy—in the result. This is especially true, in -regard to Mr. Turner the first lieutenant. During the last eighteen -months of the cruise, good order, activity in duty, quickness and -skill in the military exercises and naval evolutions of a -man-of-war, and a general spirit of contentment were characteristic -of the crew, in an extraordinary degree. The frigate entered the -port of New York under the happiest auspices; and the conduct of the -men at the time the manner in which they left her, and their -deportment afterwards, were such as to challenge the admiration of -those most familiar with such scenes. Intelligence which from time -to time has since reached me, in regard to individuals of their -number, has been most gratifying; while there has not been wanting -proof, in the cases of some, of the highest results of the preaching -of the Gospel, in a life of professed and consistent piety. - -In regard to the countries to which so much of the preceding record -refers, little of material importance has occurred since it was -closed. Thirteen of the States of the Plata, bordering on the rivers -Parana and Paraguay and their tributaries, have become consolidated -under a constitutional government, to the Presidency of which -General Urquiza is elevated. Buenos Ayres has pertinaciously refused -to enter into this union; and left to pursue her own course, has -fallen into a state of anarchy, to which there appears at present to -be little prospect of a speedy termination. The same is the case -with the Republic of Uruguay. - -The condition and prospects of the Empire of Brazil are in wide -contrast with these republics of the South. Political quietude and -order pervade her widespread dominions, and a striking proof is -presented by the stability of her government and her consequent -prosperity, of the advantage she possesses in a well-balanced -constitutional monarchy. Till the half-civilized people of South -America become more enlightened, intellectually and morally, and -better instructed in the true principles and right exercise of -republicanism, a fixed and hereditary Executive in government is the -only safeguard against the evils to which the struggles, among -ambitious and unscrupulous military aspirants, constantly give rise. - -The few years past have witnessed extraordinary progress in the -material wealth, prosperity, and power of this Empire; a progress -attributable to the stability of her government; to the -necessities of commerce; and to the advancing and controlling -civilization of the times. The greatly increased demand for her -principal staple, coffee, as well as for many of her other -important products—India-rubber, sugar, cotton, tobacco, -dye-woods, and minerals—has led to a wise, liberal, and widespread -system of internal improvements and inland and ocean steam -navigation, for the development of the varied and vast physical -resources of the empire. Don Pedro II. has imbibed and obeyed the -spirit of the times as fully, during the few years of his actual -reign, and advanced the material and social prosperity of his -country as safely and rapidly, as any ruler living. - -The importance to the United States of the trade of Brazil will -hardly be credited by those not particularly informed on the -subject. We derive from that empire a large number of articles of -commerce indispensable to us; and send to it many of the most staple -and valuable products of our agriculture and manufactures. We -receive from Brazil our largest supply of coffee, India-rubber, -hides, cocoa for chocolate, sarsaparilla, and other articles; and in -exchange supply her with nearly all her bread-stuffs—with beef, -pork, lard, and butter; with corn, cotton fabrics, the implements of -agriculture and the arts, with machinery, and the manufactures of -iron and wood. This trade amounts to nearly nineteen millions of -dollars annually; the balance against the United States being six -millions paid in cash. It is believed by those best informed on the -subject, that the establishment of a regular line of mail steamers -to Brazil, with a suitable subsidy from the government for postal -service, would be the means of doubling the amount of trade in the -course of five years; and by the increased demand for our -productions arising from the facility of communication and -correspondence, would equalize the exchange, if not turn the balance -in our favor. It is a reproach to us, that for the want of direct -communication by steam, our correspondence, both commercial and -diplomatic, with Eastern South America, is carried by English mail -steamers, by the way of England, a distance of near eight thousand -miles. From the same cause the disbursements of our government to -its public agents there, are made only at a heavy percentage. To -place the salary of nine thousand dollars in the hands of a chargé -d’affaires at Rio, costs the government at home usually one thousand -dollars, and the naval disbursements on that station are made at a -corresponding loss. - -Aware of the vast public and commercial interests to us as a nation -of this matter, it is with great satisfaction I have learned that an -association of capitalists of the city of New York, bearing the name -of the “North and South American Steamship Company,” has brought the -subject before Congress in a memorial for aid, in consideration of -mail service, in the establishment of a line of steamers between New -York and Para. It is proposed to intersect the several European -lines running to Brazil at the Island of St. Thomas, and to form a -junction at Para, with the Brazilian mail and passage steamers which -now regularly coast the empire a distance of four thousand miles, -from the mouth of the Amazon to the Rio La Plata. Dr. Rainey, one of -the gentlemen engaged in this enterprise, has by personal research -informed himself fully of the practicability, under the suitable -patronage of the government, of making this initiatory line of steam -communication with Brazil and with the Plata, through the -intervention of the Imperial lines, of incalculable value to the -commerce and general interest of the United States. The committee to -whom the memorial was referred, have reported unanimously in favor -of granting the subsidy solicited; and there is reason to hope, that -by the early action of Congress on the report, an abiding channel of -friendship, commerce, and reciprocal good, will be opened directly -between the United States and BRAZIL AND LA PLATA. - - - THE END. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - Transcriber’s note: - -Variations in hyphenation have been retained. - -Formatting of the table of contents has been regularised. - -All instances of ‘Dona’ changed to ‘Doña.’ - -All instances of ‘Guacho’ changed to ‘Gaucho.’ - -All instances of ‘unitarian’ changed to ‘Unitarian.’ - -All instances of ‘cortege’ changed to ‘cortège.’ - -All instances of ‘fuschia’ changed to ‘fuchsia.’ - -Second frontispiece, ‘CATETTE’ changed to ‘CATETE,’ “O. -CATETE New York G. P. Putnam & C^o.” - -Page v, ‘acomplished’ changed to ‘accomplished,’ “easily -accomplished. In attempting” - -Page ix, ‘Miseracordia’ changed to ‘Misericordia,’ “Hospital of the -Misericordia” - -Page x, ‘locomotion’ changed to ‘Locomotion,’ “Disinclination to -Locomotion” - -Page xi, ‘Senor’ changed to ‘Señor,’ “Señor de L——” - -Page 10, ‘physcically’ changed to ‘physically,’ “The crew, -physically, are” - -Page 15, double quotes changed to single quotes around ‘All hands, -Ahoy!’ - -Page 18, ‘trivialty’ changed to ‘triviality,’ “of the triviality of -the alleged” - -Page 38, ‘cabalero’ changed to ‘caballero,’ “Here a caballero -admirably” - -Page 48, full stop inserted after ‘Lieut,’ “beautiful, that Lieut. -R——, the officer” - -Page 52, ‘Farenheit’ changed to ‘Fahrenheit,’ “with the mercury by -Fahrenheit” - -Page 66, em-dash inserted before ‘The,’ “September 10th.—The first” - -Page 66, full stop inserted after ‘Lieut,’ “Captain McIntosh and -Lieut. T——” - -Page 67, ‘Portugese’ changed to ‘Portuguese,’ “the old-fashioned -Portuguese Calesa” - -Page 84, ‘Vilegagnon’ changed to ‘Villegagnon,’ “grant to -Villegagnon two vessels” - -Page 102, ‘moluscæ’ changed to ‘molluscæ,’ “are molluscæ with long -feelers” - -Page 109, double quote inserted after ‘majesties,’ “presentation to -their majesties.”” - -Page 117, ‘tho’ changed to ‘the,’ “party left the ship for” - -Page 121, ‘it’ changed to ‘if,’ “appears, as if there really” - -Page 122, ‘Catètè’ changed to ‘Catete,’ “Hill, Flamengo, Catètè, -Larangieras” - -Page 134, ‘hibiscus’ changed to ‘hybiscus,’ “the double scarlet -hybiscus” - -Page 144, full stop changed to comma after ‘lake,’ “glassy as a -lake, one vast” - -Page 150, ‘entree’ changed to ‘entrée,’ “to the entrée; and at -night” - -Page 151, ‘quarelling’ changed to ‘quarrelling,’ “no intoxication, -no quarrelling, no” - -Page 153, ‘epaulets’ changed to ‘epaulettes,’ “officer in epaulettes -and chapeau” - -Page 155, ‘recolhiemento’ changed to ‘recolhimento,’ “recolhimento, -or female orphan asylum” - -Page 170, ‘cabilda’ changed to ‘cabildo,’ “cabildo, or town hall -and” - -Page 176, ‘Alemeda’ changed to ‘Alameda,’ “from the Alameda, or -public” - -Page 177, ‘Alemeda’ changed to ‘Alameda,’ “through the Alameda -fronting” - -Page 181, ‘chirepas’ changed to ‘chiripas,’ “and petticoat-like -chiripas were” - -Page 208, double quote inserted after ‘world,’ “for ever in this -world.”” - -Page 218, ‘azalia’ changed to ‘azalea,’ “branch of an azalea” - -Page 222, ‘Cateté’ changed to ‘Catete,’ “open street of the Catete” - -Page 233, ‘abreviated’ changed to ‘abbreviated,’ “and much -abbreviated, we” - -Page 251, ‘marquee’ changed to ‘marqueé,’ “we perceived the marqueé -of the” - -Page 255, full stop inserted after ‘Lieut,’ “encampment. Lieut. T—— -and I” - -Page 268, full stop inserted after ‘trial,’ “a severe trial. Every -officer” - -Page 269, double quote inserted before ‘All,’ “or “All hands wash -hammocks!”” - -Page 269, ‘ancle’ changed to ‘ankle,’ “wade ankle-deep, in search” - -Page 273, ‘ommnibus’ changed to ‘omnibus,’ “if the omnibus suddenly -starts” - -Page 282, ‘constrution’ changed to ‘construction,’ “but to material -and construction” - -Page 300, ‘commited’ changed to ‘committed,’ “has been committed. -This examination” - -Page 300, full stop inserted after ‘us,’ “as with us. One custom” - -Page 307, colon inserted after ‘prisoner,’ “made prisoner: a -foreboding shadow” - -Page 314, ‘musquitos’ changed to ‘mosquitoes,’ “oppressive heat, -fleas, and mosquitoes” - -Page 330, full stop inserted after ‘principle,’ “moral principle. -Rosas did not” - -Page 336, ‘peacable’ changed to ‘peaceable,’ “a quiet and peaceable -life” - -Page 337, ‘carred’ changed to ‘carried,’ “stray line carried away” - -Page 342, comma changed to full stop after ‘José,’ “of San José. He -is a kind” - -Page 349, ‘Josè’ changed to ‘José,’ “from the bay at San José” - -Page 355, ‘cabellero’ changed to ‘caballero,’ “sat her horse à la -caballero” - -Page 363, ‘caléche’ changed to ‘caleche,’ “The carriage was a -caleche” - -Page 377, ‘civilty’ changed to ‘civility,’ “the civility of the -supper-party” - -Page 388, ‘Ayrians’ changed to ‘Ayreans,’ “the Portenos or Buenos -Ayreans” - -Page 397, full stop inserted after ‘inst,’ “to this port on the 13th -inst.” - -Page 399, ‘epedemic’ changed to ‘epidemic,’ “raged for months as an -epidemic” - -Page 414, ‘wellbroken’ changed to ‘well-broken,’ “is full-blooded -and well-broken” - -Page 419, ‘diferent’ changed to ‘different,’ “appointed by the -different” - -Page 423, ‘reslts’ changed to ‘results,’ “the fatal results. This -morning” - -Page 426, ‘Uraguay’ changed to ‘Uruguay,’ “the Republic of Uruguay” - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Brazil and La Plata, by C. S. 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