A558.2    Beagle Library:     Hall, Basil. 1824. Extracts from a journal, written on the coasts of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, in the years 1820, 1821, 1822. 2 vols. Edinburgh: Constable. vol. 2.   Text   Image

having, u usual, fled to Tepic, and other inland towns, to avoid the discomfort and sickness which accompany the rains. As soon as the rains subside, in the latter end of October, or beginning of November, the people return, although that is the period described as being most unhealthy, when the ground is still moist, and the heat of the sun not materially abated. No. XV: San Blas, round Cape Horn, to Rio de Janeiro. 15th June to 12 th September 1822. (89 Days.) THE navigable distance of this

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

coasts of Spain and Morocco, and resembles in its form the tropical parasites Aphyteia Hydnors, Cynomorium cayennense Balanophora, and the Langsdorffia hypog a, which we discovered at Rio de Janeiro, of which we shall speak in the sequel. [page] 5

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

among others, who, returning as express from Rio de Janeiro, in an English packet-boat, was attacked and plundered, and even in danger of his life. On the sight of that ship, the necessary preparations for defence were made; but we soon found, from the course which it steered towards the coast of Africa, that it had no hostile intention. It was probably a Portuguese slave ship, bound for Guinea. While the co-operation of the elements became more and more harmonious, the starry firmament began also

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

-countrymen, who had settled at Rio de Janeiro with mercantile views, endeavoured to serve us to the utmost of their power. Besides our common country, we were united with them by the interest which they felt in the ample treasures of nature with which they were so imperfectly acquainted. In justice to our own feelings we must gratefully mention the names of our worthy countrymen, Messrs. Scheiner, Hindriks, Schimmelbusch, Deusson, Fr hlich, and D rming. We also received most friendly counsel in the

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

), Conselho da Fazenda (Ministerial Council of the Finances), Junta do Commercio (Supreme Tribunal of Commerce), Meza da Consciencia (Ministerial Council of Religious Worship), the Rela o (Court of Appeal) of Rio de Janeiro was raised to the rank of Supplica o (Supreme Court of Appeal), a general intendancy of the police for the whole kingdom was established, and also an independent police for the capital, a royal treasury, a mint, and a record office. In the year 1805, the bishopric founded in 1676

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

undeveloped before the regulating mind of the sovereign, the latter feels himself elevated above petty, interested opposition, and called by exalted duties to the creation of a better system for posterity. On a more intimate acquaintance with the spirit of the Brazilian people, and with that of the society of Rio de Janeiro, the traveller, indeed, finds that these intentions of the government are, in general, not duly appreciated, and that the character of the Brazilian has been too powerfully

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

profession; but though provided with good masters, and especially favoured by the king, its sphere of action is very limited, for it has hardly any scholars; but in the newly established Aula do Commercio, the lectures on commerce, and also those on chemistry, are numerously attended. Immediately after the arrival of the king, it was intended to give a university to the new monarchy. It was, however, yet undecided whether the seat of it should be at Rio de Janeiro, or at S. Paulo, which is situated in a

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

political edifice by art, must be preceded by the consolidation of its foundations. There is scarcely any taste here for painting and sculpture, and hence we see even in the churches, instead of real works of art, only ornaments overloaded with gold. Music, on the contrary, is cultivated with more partiality by the Brazilians, and particularly in Rio de Janeiro; and in this art they may perhaps the soonest attain a certain degree of perfection. The Brazilian, like the Portuguese, has a refined

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

changes of the temperature are greater than in the more northern provinces of Brazil. The syphilis, which is so prevalent throughout the torrid zone, is not unusual at Rio de Janeiro. The ravages of this disease, which, as we afterwards convinced ourselves, is foreign to the original inhabitants of America, are not so dreadful and extensive here as they have been in colder climates, for instance, in the islands in the South Sea, but the [page] 17

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

, more easily receive and develop certain diseases, according to the respective state of education and civilisation. From this account it may be inferred, that at Rio de Janeiro there are indeed dangerous diseases, but none that can be properly called endemic. Perhaps even the hydrocele is only conditionally to be considered as such. It may be easily supposed that where so many strangers, from many different climates resort, the mortality must be greater in the city than in the country; but this is

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

CHAPTER II. EXCURSIONS IN THE ENVIRONS OF RIO DE JANEIRO. WE withstood the temptations of the beautiful natural scenery, which displayed itself before our windows, in all the splendour of the south, only till we had provided for the most urgent wants of our domestic arrangements. It was particularly the neighbouring mountains, clothed with thick verdure, that attracted us, and thither we accordingly undertook our first excursion. The way led still within the suburbs over that marshy level

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

his noble commander. Nature always maintains her creations unimpaired by the influence of time, and they survive all the monuments of human greatness. It was, therefore, a very happy idea in botany to perpetuate the names and merits of distinguished enquirers, by impressing them on flowers, whose races never become extinct. When we landed on those low islands in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro, we were astonished at the vigour and luxuriance of their vegetation, which is occasioned by their low damp

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

the fertility of the soil, many leave their native land, to seek another home in a foreign hemisphere, and in a quite different climate. However true the suppositions are on which they found the expectations of a happy result of their enthusiastic enterprise, it is far from realising the hopes of the emigrants, especially those from the north of Europe; and how shall the inhabitant of the temperate zone, suddenly removed as a cultivator of the soil to Rio de Janeiro, or perhaps even to the

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

transports of joy with which a happy people welcomed the first German princess to a throne of the new continent. Our long-expected colleagues, too, the Austrian naturalists, were now likewise arrived, and we hoped that we should commence our journey in their company. This wish, however, was not accomplished, because the Austrian embassy declared that our learned countrymen should remain a longer time in the province of Rio de Janeiro. We were therefore compelled to prosecute our plan of

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

inhabitants of Taubat have the appearance of more prosperity and refinement than those of the other small places through which we had before travelled; which is perhaps owing to their more lively intercourse with Rio de Janeiro and S. Paulo. A few vines also are cultivated here, the fruit of which was just ripe, and of an agreeable flavour. Southwards of Taubat the road extends through the valley of the Paraiba, over several woody and moist hills, which are covered with beautiful ferns, melastomas, and

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

in the animal as well as in the vegetable kingdom increases towards the equator. Before we departed from this place we sent all the collections we had hitherto made, in chests, by way of S. Paulo and Santos, to Rio de Janeiro; and on the 10th of January, 1818, left the pleasant Ypanema, our kind host, and the honest Swedes, whom, being from the north of Europe, we almost considered as our countrymen. [page] 9

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

which are universally employed in the country instead of the genuine ipecacuanha, and almost in the same doses. There is also a sort of Peruvian bark, which is taken from a moderately sized tree with large leaves; it has considerable bitterness, but very little aroma, and is often sent to Rio de Janeiro. We were obliged to the activity of the capit o m r of Jundi hy for procuring us a new Arrieiro, who immediately repaired the pack-saddles, and on the evening of the following day, conducted us two

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

, are extremely important to the botanist by their richness, particularly in numerous medicinal plants. The genuine ipecacuanha root (Poaija) is found here in pretty large quantities; it belongs to a low shrub (Cepha lis Ipecacuanha, Rich.) which grows, and always in groups, on the greater part of the Serra do Mar, from Rio de Janeiro to the north, as far as the capitania of Bahia, in damp shady places in the woods. Now, in the month of April, the plant had berries nearly [page] 22

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

Villa de Campanha, and the neighbouring S. Joz ; in both which places it is washed from the loam which abounds there. Instead of the gold mines, it is now the inland trade which daily increases the prosperity of this little town; we were told that the comarca was formerly indebted 40,000 crusadoes to Rio de Janeiro, but that since the arrival of the king it had not only discharged this old debt, but had put out to interest there a large capital of its own. What a brisk trade is carried on here

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

bottom was found at a less depth than seven hundred feet, he judged it prudent to keep farther off the coast during the night. The small coasting vessels which sail backwards and forwards during the whole year between Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, do not always keep to the east of that dangerous chain of shallows and cliffs, but, when the wind is not favourable to carry them out to sea, often remain very near the coast I 4 [page] 12

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

under the care of our countryman, Lieutenant-Colonel Von Eschwege, is not in a good condition, because he is generally absent from Rio de Janeiro. It consists of Baron Ohain's collection, described by Werner , to which no very great additions have * According to the plan laid down, they study in the first year Anatomy, Chemistry, Pharmacy; in the second, the same branches, with the addition of Physiology; in the third, tiology, Pathology, Therapeutics; in the fourth, Surgery, Midwifery; in the

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

grieve that means so cruel, so contrary to the rights of mankind as the slave trade, were required to afford to that unhappy race, degraded even in their own native country, the first school of moral, education. These feelings affected us still more deeply when we were obliged to go to the slave-market to look for, and purchase, a young negro for ourselves. The greater part of the negro slaves who are now brought to Rio de Janeiro, come from Cabinda and Benguela. They are made prisoners in their

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

.E. winds prevail: when it returns to the south, the winds are less constant. The rainy season commences along the coast, as in Rio de Janeiro, with the months of October or November, and continues till April; the most rain falls in January. In this month, when we resided in the city, we often saw in the morning the neighbouring hills covered with a thick and very cold fog, which did not disperse till towards the hour of noon, when the sun broke through it. In the interior of the country, in the

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

, are called pacov ; their roots and unripe fruits, on account of their aromatic properties, are employed as stimulants in addition to other medicines; the genuine ginger, too. Zingiber officinale, Rosc., and the Curcuma longa, L. are here and there cultivated. 10. PERIPAROBA, in Rio de Janeiro and S. Paulo; CAAPEBA, in Minas Gera s Piper umbellatum, L. The roots of this fine species of pepper have a distinguished place among the domestic remedies of these parts; and a has been used with great

A560    Beagle Library:     Spix, Johann Baptist von and Martius, Carl Friedrich Philipp von. 1824. Travels in Brazil, in the years 1817-1820. 2 vols. [Two volumes in one] London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green.   Text

envelope the summits of the neighbouring mountains. The heat is accordingly less through * Mr. Von Eschwege (V. Molla's new Annals of Mining, vol. iii. No. 3. p. 338.) observes, that Fahrenheit's thermometer in the heat of summer, never rose above 82 in the shade at noon, and in the winter, never fell below 54 . His barometer fluctuated between 26.564 and 26 090 (English). He observed at Rio de Janeiro, a magnetic inclination of 28 44 30 S., and 21 vertical oscillations in a minute; at Villa Rica