George Gardner

“ Frequent visits were made to the mountains, which are all covered with dense virgin forests—to the humid valleys—to the swampy tracts which lie to the north of the city—to the sea-shores—and to the islands in the bay. From these rambles there resulted a rich botanical harvest, besides numerous specimens belonging to other branches of natural history. But as an eternal spring and summer reign in this happy climate, and as almost every plant has its own season for the production of its flowers, every month is characterized by a different flora. ”

“ Of reptiles there are numerous snakes, many of which are beautifully coloured, a vast variety of lizards, and innumerable hordes of frogs and toads of all sizes, from the small tree kind not more than an inch long, to those marsh ones which are nearly large enough to fill a hat. Till one gets accustomed to the sounds which they produce, particularly previous to rain, they are almost deafening. During the day the air is full of beautiful butterflies of all colours, now flying from flower to flower, and now alighting on the moist sandy banks of pools and small streams in countless numbers. ”

“ How I felt the truth of the observation of Humboldt, that, when a traveller newly arrived from Europe penetrates for the first time into the forests of South America, nature presents itself to him under such an unexpected aspect, that he can scarcely distinguish what most excites his admiration, the deep silence of those solitudes, the individual beauty and contrast of forms, or that vigour and freshness of vegetable life which characterize the climate of the tropics. ”

“ Along the stream at the bottom of the fall there are several middle-sized trees, the branches of which are festooned with the long branches of a Fuchsia, loaded with splendid crimson flowers. By the side of the fall there are several bushes of a large-flowered Pleroma, and, along with them, a few of a red-blossomed Esterhazya, and a broad thick-leaved species of Clusia (C. fragrans, Gard.) , loading the atmosphere with a delightful odour arising from its large white blossoms; beneath these grow the Amaryllis, an Eryngium, several Tillandsias, and many Ferns. ”

“ Resuming our journey at three o’clock in the afternoon, and travelling through the same sort of country, we passed a small town towards dusk, called Villa de San Bernardo, which is ten leagues from Aracaty. It is built in the form of a square, the west side of which is principally occupied with a handsome church; and as it stands in the open plain (vargem) which is studded with occasional wide-spreading Zizyphus trees and Carnahuba palms, and as all the houses are white-washed, it offers an imposing appearance when seen at a distance. ”

“ The rich black soil, which has been forming for centuries in the broad ravines from the decay of leaves, &c., is covered with herbaceous ferns, Dorstenias, Heliconias, Begonias, and other plants which love shade and humidity; while above these rise the tall and graceful Tree-ferns, and the noble Palms, the large leaves of which tremble in the slightest breeze. But it is the gigantic forest trees themselves which produce the strongest impression on the mind of a stranger. ”

“ In almost every house, whether Indian or Brazilian, I observed a large pot of this fruit preparing, either indoors over a fire made on the floor, or on the ground under a tree in the neighbourhood of the house. As soon as they are nearly ready, groups of children in a state of nudity, and half naked men and women seat themselves around the pot, each furnished with two stones, a larger and a smaller one, for the purpose of breaking the nut after they have devoured the outward fleshy part; the taste of the kernel is not unlike that of boiled beans. ”

“ The leaves of the tree are about six inches long and three broad, with fruit about the size of a large gooseberry. In the evening I strolled through the village, and found that nearly all the inhabitants had turned out of their houses to enjoy the beautiful moonlight and the delightfully cool evening breeze; many of them were squatted on the bare ground, some were lounging on mats, while others were stretched out on cocoa-nut leaves. In most of these groups, one or more of the individuals, generally young men, were amusing the others by playing lively airs on the guitar. ”

“ The large nests of wasps hang from the boughs of the trees, and smaller ones are often hidden among the leaves and small branches of shrubs, the inhabitants of which, when disturbed, rush out and inflict summary punishment on the unhappy transgressors. In open places the leaves and flowers of bushes and other plants, abound with Diamond and other beetles; while at night the air is lighted up with fire-flies of various sizes, which, from their brilliancy, give the idea that part of the stars have fallen from the firmament, and are floating about without a resting place. ”

“ We left Olho d’Agoa in the afternoon, and shortly afterwards entered a country very similar to that between Icó and Crato, but as the rain had been falling for nearly a month, everything was quite green. The rapidity with which vegetation advances in these deserts, after the first few showers, is quite astonishing; the annual grasses spring up through the white sand, the trees burst into leaf and bloom, and the perennial herbaceous plants, which during the drought were apparently destroyed, throw up their flowering stems in an incredibly short period. ”

“ Our luggage was taken over by an old Indian in a canoe, which was so small that only one horse-load could be transported at a time. We took up our mid-day quarters under the wide-spreading branches of a large Cashew tree, but the shade which this kind of tree yields, does not shelter well from the rays of the sun, as it is never very thickly covered with leaves. We all bathed in the waters of the beautiful stream, and rejoiced that for several days to come, we should still have this enjoyment, as our route to the westward lay along its margin. ”

“ The district which gives rise to this curious source of industry, is comprised within the space of fourteen leagues square, and it is beneath the mark to state that 10,000 individuals subsist entirely upon the product of diamonds and gold extracted from its soil. It is not, however, so much the miners as the shopkeepers who reap the greater share of profit from this source of industry, all of whom trade more or less in diamonds and gold-dust, which they take from the miners in exchange for the supply of their own wants, and those of their slaves. ”

“ It is quite impossible to express the feelings which arise in the mind while the eye surveys the beautifully varied scenery which is disclosed on entering the harbour—scenery which is perhaps unequalled on the face of the earth, and on the production of which nature seems to have exerted all her energies. ”

“ This part of the country is very thinly populated; the greater part of the soil being of a gravelly nature, is neither adapted for cultivation, even were water abundant, nor for feeding cattle. It is besides very hilly, some of the ranges being the highest we had yet passed over; from the top of one of the elevations I obtained a fine view of the undulating thinly-wooded country below; scattered here and there were to be seen large pink or yellow Bignonias, or the azure-blossomed Jacaranda, raising their magnificent diadems above the other denizens of the wood ”

“ At this season from the flatness of the country, the roads are so completely flooded, that it is impossible to move out on foot; and the atmosphere is so thoroughly saturated with moisture, that everything acquires a coating of blue mould; even books get so damp, that, unless exposed to the first sun-shine, they become musty and are spoiled.
As it was impossible to stir much abroad, I occupied myself with arranging and packing my collections from Alagoas, in making preparations for my inland journey, and in dissecting and examining the structure of numerous animals found in the neighbourhood. ”

“ In the course of my rambles in this neighbourhood, I met with many plants that were new to my collections; the flora of Maranham has greater affinity with that of Guiana, than with any other part of Brazil I have visited, as might indeed be expected from its northerly position; it is also well known that such plants as grow only near the sea, have a far more extensive geographical range than those which grow inland. I was particularly struck with this fact in travelling into the interior from Pernambuco and Aracaty. ”

“ Being a man of a mild and benevolent disposition, and having received a good education, he is looked up to and respected by the inhabitants of all the surrounding country. During our residence at this fazenda, and the several times I visited it during my residence at Arrayas, I made several excursions in its neighbourhood. On these occasions I was always accompanied by Senhor Lagoeira, who was a keen sportsman; sometimes we went to an upland grassy plain, thinly covered with Vellozia and Diplusodon, the latter, a beautiful little shrub, bearing a profusion of small rose-coloured flowers. ”

“ At about two leagues from Boa Esperança, three of the cargo horses plunged up to the middle in a swamp; the surface was covered with grass, and appeared perfectly solid, but the soil beneath had become so saturated with water, that it was quite a mass of tenacious mud. It was with no small difficulty that the animals were extricated; in leading them across they often sank again; all the loads had to be carried over, and as we had to lend a hand at this work, we shared the same fate as the horses, being frequently up to the middle in the mud. ”

“ If the aspect of the country, and the nature of the vegetation were so different from those of the old country, how much more strange were the human beings which first met my sight on landing. The numerous small boats and canoes which ply about in the harbour, are all manned with African blacks; the long narrow streets through which we passed were crowded with the same race, nearly naked, [4] many of them sweating under their loads, and smelling so strongly as to be almost intolerable. ”

“ It was long past noon before we reached the entrance to the Bay of Rio, which is very remarkable for the number of conical hills and islands which are to be seen on both sides of it. One [3] of these hills is the well-known Pão d’Açucar, so called from its resemblance to a sugar-loaf. It is a solid mass of granite, rising to the height of about one thousand feet, and destitute of vegetation, with the exception of a few stunted shrubs on its eastern declivity. Seen from a great distance at sea, it is an admirable land-mark for ships making the port. ”

“ The latter are the most conspicuous objects that meet the eye of a voyager; some of their trunks are of immense thickness, and their branching tops reach to a great height above the surrounding vegetation. These are certainly the most remarkable looking plants of the many which clothe the surface of our globe, their huge fleshy branches seeming more the work of art than of nature. It is only plants such as these, that are able to retain their verdure during the long droughts to which the country here is subjected. ”

“ The young man who conducted us to his house, we found to be her son by a former husband. Dr. Saporiti is an Italian by birth, but had been upwards of twenty years in Brazil. About ten o’clock we sat down to an excellent supper, and altogether the evening passed away most agreeably, from the enlivening conversation of our host and hostess, the latter in particular amusing us with the pictures which she drew of rustic life in the distant province of Mato Grosso, of which she is a native. Next morning breakfast was prepared early on our account, as we wished to start in good time. ”

“ In the more distant parts of the country, I always met with the most unbounded hospitality, even from the poorer classes, and often the only recompense which these poor beings would accept was a little gunpowder or salt, articles which very often are not to be procured at any price.
When I left Rapoza, Major Martins gave me a letter to the Juiz de Paz of Parnaguá, and a note to receive the keys of an empty house in which he puts up when he visits the Villa. On our arrival, I found that the Juiz had gone to visit his fazenda, at a distance of six or seven leagues. ”

“ To them, as well as to most of the English residents at Rio, I am indebted for many attentions during the different periods of my residence in that neighbourhood.
In order to present some general idea of the splendid scenery of the country, and the leading features of this part of Brazil, I will give an account of some of these excursions. There is a path by the side of the great aqueduct which has always been the favourite resort of naturalists who have visited Rio; and there is certainly no walk near the city so fruitful either in insects or plants. ”

“ Having slung my hammock under a Zizyphus tree, I remained in it till the rays of the sun became less powerful. It was six o’clock in the evening before the sea breeze reached the island, and it being then too late to proceed on our voyage, we remained where we were for the night. The sun had no sooner set, and the breeze become more fresh, than the greater number of the inhabitants left their houses, and seated themselves either at their doors or by the side of the river, to enjoy the delicious coolness of the evening air ”

“ In the marshes of this valley the Boa Constrictor is often met with of considerable size; it is not uncommon throughout the whole province, particularly by the wooded margins of lakes, marshes, and streams. Sometimes they attain the enormous length of forty feet: the largest I ever saw was at this place, but it was not alive. Some weeks before our arrival at Sapê, the favourite riding horse of Senhor Lagoeira, which had been put out to pasture not far from the house, could not be found, although strict search was made for it all over the fazenda. ”

“ As the country around the house was covered with a thick Catinga forest, abounding in many places with a small kind of Bamboo, of the leaves of which the horses are remarkably fond, we concluded he would be found grazing somewhere near at hand, but all the forenoon was in vain spent in search of him; the vaqueiro, who was a most obliging man, and well acquainted with the country, then mounted his horse, in quest of the lost animal, but he returned in the evening, without having been able to find the slightest trace of him. ”