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TRAVELS 
 
 IN 
 
 THE SOUTH OF EUROPE AND IN BRAZIL 
 
 A VOYAGE UP THE AMAZON, 
 
 TEIBUTARY THE XINGU', NOW FIRST EXPLORED. 
 
 BY 
 
 HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS 
 
 ADALBERT OF PRUSSIA. 
 
 tranalfiteb bt) 
 H. SCHOMBURGK ANJJ J. E. TAYLOR. 
 
 V.ITH AX INTKODUCTIOX BY 
 
 B A R N V N HUMBOLDT. 
 VOL. L 
 
 LONDON: 
 DAVID BOGUE, PUBLISHER. 
 
 The Unlmslj^ of Hoki Carolina 
 Cliape! liWl 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/travelsofhisroya01adal 
 
TO THE READER. 
 
 
 The j)eculiar circumstances ivhicli accompany the ap- 
 pearance of this Work in the English language call for 
 some acknoiDledgment of the obligation tuhich His Rogal 
 Highness Prince Adalbert of Prussia has been pleased 
 to confer upo7i the Translators. For as this narrative 
 was originally printed in German for 2)rivate circidation 
 only, toe are ifidebted to the condescension of his Royal 
 Highness, not only for his sanction of our labours, but 
 for the copy of the Work from which this translation 
 has been made. 
 
 It is at all times a recreation, which enhances the 
 dignity and usefulness of the most exalted rank, to turn 
 from the duties and agitation of public life into the 
 paths of Science, ajid to cultivate those pursuits which 
 direct the powers of mankind to the advancement of know- 
 ledge in its varied forms. Rut in the present instance, 
 
IV TO THE READER. 
 
 and in the present age, this is more peculiarly the case ; 
 and the ordinary gratification derived from such sources 
 is increased hy considerations of personal interest, a^id hy 
 sentiments of personal respect for the emi7ie7it character, 
 station, and attainments of the Prince who has been 
 our guide and companion in these distant travels. We 
 have only to express a hojje that the English reader may 
 share these feelings, and pier use these pages ivith a similar 
 interest. 
 
 THE TBANSLATOBS. 
 
 London, April 3;y7, 1849. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 
 
 {Extract from a Letter to Sir Robert H. Schomburgk.) 
 
 Nearly eight years have now passed, my dear Sir 
 Robert, since I wrote a Preface to the German transla- 
 tion of your interesting " Travels in Guiana and on the 
 Orinoco." Proceeding from east to west tln'ough the 
 mountain-group of the Parime, after encountering many 
 perils you arrived at the lonely little village of Esmeralda, 
 one of the last missionary-stations on the Upper Orinoco, 
 which I had succeeded in reaching with my astronomical 
 instruments thirty-nine years before, from the opposite 
 side of the globe. Yom* labours have materially en- 
 larged our knowledge of the Geography and Natural 
 History of the eastern part of South America, of the 
 mountain -systems, and the great net of rivers between 
 
VI • INTRODLCTION. ' 
 
 the sea-coast of Guiana, the Rio Branco, and the basin 
 of the Amazon. If human civihzation, which is making 
 such giant strides in North America, should ever pene- 
 trate into these fastnesses (a hope which St. Basil calls 
 " day-di-eams of man "), the structure of this great net 
 of rivers, from north to south, may open channels of 
 communication such as are unknown in any other part 
 of the world. An insignificant canal, in the vicinity 
 of the Brazilian Villa Bella, connecting the basin of the 
 Guapore (a tributary of the Rio da Madeira) with the 
 basin of the Paraguay, would eflPect the possibility of an 
 unbroken navigation throughout the wdiole continent, 
 from Buenos Ayres to the mouth of the Orinoco, op- 
 posite the island of Trinidad. These hydrographical 
 contemplations impart a permanent interest to all that 
 relates to any single portion of the world of rivers 
 in South America, a country which at the same time 
 presents the charms of magnificent tropical vegetation, 
 and the aspect of life in its fi'eest and wildest forms. 
 
 With these brief considerations I may connect the 
 gratification derived from this interesting Work, which, 
 in conjunction with Mr. Taylor, you have undertaken 
 to translate. It conducts us through Brazil to the 
 mouth of the Amazon River, and through this into 
 one of its important tributaries, the Xingu, the com-se 
 of which is now explored for the first time. Prince 
 Adalbert of Prussia, whose younger brother shared in 
 
INTRODUCTION. Vll 
 
 the glorious deeds of the British army diuiiig the 
 last war in India, had previously visited the Crimea, 
 Constantinople, and Greece. A youthful passion for 
 the sea early awakened in Imn ; and a noble thirst for 
 knowledge, the desii'e to enrich life by the acquisi- 
 tion of new and enlarged ideas, subsequently led him 
 to travel through Sicily, along the Spanish coast, to 
 TenerifFe, and Rio de Janeiro. The Jomiial of his 
 Travels, printed originally only for the perusal of his 
 friends, and enriched with sketches made from natiu-e 
 by the Author himself, is not in the strict sense of the 
 word a scientific book ; nevertheless it contains observa- 
 tions and views of natiue and customs which reflect a 
 vivid picture of the scenes which the Prince witnessed 
 and passed through. Instruction is imparted in the 
 most pleasing manner, when an unaffected simplicity 
 and an absence of all pretension pervade a work like 
 this. 
 
 Saus Souci, October, 1848. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 It Avill be in the recollection of all who receive this 
 Work from my hand*, that a few years ago I miclertook 
 a voyage to Brazil. The chief motive that prompted 
 me was a wish to make a long sea-voyage, — one 
 of my favourite desires from childhood; whilst my 
 imagination, attracted by the wonders of the tropical 
 world, gave a purpose and direction to this ambition. 
 His Majesty was pleased most graciously to enter into 
 my views, and grant me permission to accompany my 
 Father on his tour through Italy, and afterwards to 
 prosecute my travels across the Atlantic to Rio de 
 Janeiro. The remembrance of this period will be che- 
 rished by me through life, and, in addition to so many 
 other favours, will ensm'e lasting gratitude toward my 
 Sovereign. 
 
 [* This Work was only designed and printed for private distribu- 
 tion among the Prince's innnediate friends.] 
 
 \ 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 On my return from a voyage in the Neapolitan 
 steamer ' Palermo ' round Sicily and to Malta, in the 
 com'se of which I ascended JStna, accompanied by my 
 Brother Waldemar, I took leave at Naples of my father 
 and Brother, and, joined by my two faithful travelling 
 companions, Captain (now Staff-Major) Count OrioUa, 
 and Second Lieutenant (now First Lieutenant in the 
 Dragoon Guards) Count Bismark, on board the ' Fran- 
 cesco I.,' went to Genoa, to offer my thanks in person 
 to his Majesty the King of Sardinia, for his gracious 
 and most welcome offer of a frigate to convey me to 
 Brazil and back to Em'ope. 
 
 On the 2.2nd of June, 1842, the 'San Michele ' of 
 sixty guns, under the command of Captain d'Arcolliere, 
 weighed anchor, and steering through the Gulf of Lyons 
 in sight of the Maritime Alps and Corsica, sailed past the 
 distant Monserrat, and close under the rugged rocks of 
 Formentera ; then passing the Cape de Gata she entered 
 the bay of Malaga, from whence we made an excursion 
 to Granada. The frigate afterwards sailed to Gibraltar 
 and Cadiz, thence by the Ilhas Desertas to Madeira ; and 
 after touching at Teneriffe, passed close to the Cape Verd 
 Isles, and arrived early in September, 1842, at Rio. The 
 further com'se of these travels will be found in the 
 following pages. 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 111 that portion of the Work which relates to Rio 
 de Janeii'o a brief sketch is given of the history 
 of Brazil, and a cursory geographico-historical review 
 is also prefixed to the last portion : the Reader must 
 not however seek either scientific investigation, learned 
 disquisitions, or a narrative of perilous exploits and 
 adventures in these pages, which contain simply an 
 unadorned journal of travels, undertaken from motives 
 of pleasure and recreation in countries far distant 
 from our own. Let the Reader glance over the contents 
 of this Work, and if he find in them any matter not 
 wholly without interest, my gratification will be great. 
 
 W. ADALBERT, 
 Prince of Prussia. 
 
 Palace of Monbijou, 
 October 20th, 1847. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 VOLUME I. 
 
 MOUNT ^TNA. 
 
 Page 
 Gulf and City of Catania — Excursion to iEtna — Eruption of the 
 
 Mountain — A Roman Aqueduct — The Monti Rossi — Village of 
 
 Nicolosi — The Start — Baron Von Waltershausen — Adventure 
 
 in the Crater — Description of an Eruption — The Casa del 
 
 Bosco — Streams of Lava — Snow-plains — The Val del Bove — 
 
 Shadows of the Mountain — The Casa Inglese — Arrival at the 
 
 Crater — View from the Summit — Descent of the Mountain — 
 
 Convent of St. Nicolo 1 
 
 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 Approach to Malaga — Arrival at Malaga — The Cathedral — A 
 Funeral — The Alameda — View from the Cathedral — Fortress 
 of Gibralfaro — Journey to Granada — A Spanish Diligence — 
 Town of Loxa — Spanish Costumes — Andalusians — Approach 
 to Granada — View of the Alhambra— The Sierra Nevada — 
 Visit to the Alhambra — Moorish Architecture — Interior of the 
 Alhambra — The Generalife — Cathedral of Granada — Church of 
 the Cartuja — Spanish Gipsies — Departure from Granada — 
 Mutiny in the Caravan — Town of Alhama — Andalusian Pea- 
 sants — The Arrieiro — Journey to Velez Malaga — Village of 
 Vinuela ^Return to the Frigate 26 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 Entrance of the Bay — View of the Rock — Coast of Africa — Town 
 of Gibraltar — Historical Sketch— Smuggling Vessels— Cos- 
 tumes— Visit to the Governor — Europa Point— Visit to the 
 Fortifications — The Signal-house — Description of the Rock — 
 Land-front — The Excavations — The Neutral Ground — Forti- 
 fications — Coast-defences — The New Mole — Siege of Gibraltar 
 — General Bombardment — The Due de Crillon — Floating- 
 batteries — Termination of the Siege— Artillery Practice — Mih- 
 tary Exercise — The Garrison — Excursion to Ceuta — The Moors 
 — Town of Ceuta— -Visit to the Moorish Outposts — Spanish 
 Posts — Eastern Manners — Return to Gibraltai' — Anchorage in 
 the Roadstead — Floating-batteries — Storms in the Straits — 
 Ocean Currents — The Mediterranean — Naval Battles in the 
 Straits — Importance of a Steam-fleet — Width of the Straits — 
 Departure from Gibraltar — Sketch of Tangier — Approach to 
 Cadiz , 58 
 
 A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 Visit to the Thunderer— Gunnery Practice — Divine Service — Bay 
 of Cadiz — Defences of Cadiz— The Dry Dock — The Trocadero 
 — Bay of Cadiz — A Bull-fight — The Picadores and Bandelieros 
 — Montes the Matador — The Alameda — Students — Spanish 
 Women — Return to the Frigate 121 
 
 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 Approach to the Desertas — Island of Bogia — Volcanic Phsenomena 
 — Excursion to Bogia — Sharks — Mountain Shepherds — Calms 
 at Sea— View of Madeira — Townof Funchal — ZarcoandTexeira 
 — Discovery of Madeira — Excursion to the Mount Church — 
 Environs of Funchal — Visit to Mr. Webster Gordon — Dress 
 of the Inhabitants — English in Madeira— Excursion in the 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 Page 
 Environs of Fiinchal —Volcanoes of the Canary Isles — Climate 
 
 of Madeira — Excui'sion to the Curral — Ball on board the Fri- 
 gate — Departure from Madeira 143 
 
 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 Approach to TenerifFe — Santa Cruz — Costumes — Canary Islands 
 — Excursion to the Peak — Town of Laguna — Palm-trees — 
 Arrival at Orotava — The Cumbra — Ascent of the Mountain — 
 The Teyde — Lava Streams — The Piton— View from the Cone 
 — The Circus — Adventure of Count Oriolla — Fields of Lava 
 and Obsidian — Stellar Phajnomenon — View from the Crater — 
 Theory of Volcanic Action — The Crater — The Cueva del Hielo 
 — Descent of the Mountain — Trains of Camels — Census of 
 the Canary Islands — Departure from Teneriffe 1/3 
 
 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 Approach to Rio de Janeiro — Entrance of the Bay- — The Sugarloaf 
 Mountain — Aspect of the City of Rio — The Coast by Night — 
 Approach to Land— Villegagnon — Colony of Huguenots — 
 View of the Coast — Orgaos Mountains — City of Rio — The Bay 
 — Landing — The Villa Mangueira — View from the Villa — 
 Environs of Rio — Cove of Botafogo — Cicadas and Fireflies — 
 Historical Sketch of Brazil — Voyages of Pinzon and Cabral — 
 Amerigo Vespucci — Portuguese Settlements in Brazil — S. Sal- 
 vador — The Jesuits in South America — Aborigines of Brazil — 
 S. Sebastiao — Spanish Dominion in Brazil — The Dutch in 
 Brazil — The Count of Nassau — Cession of Brazil to Portugal 
 —Discovery of Gold Districts — Evacuation of Brazil by the 
 French — Arrival of Dom Joao in Brazil — Declaration of Inde- 
 pendence—Lord Cochrane — Inde})endence of Montevideo — 
 Abdication of Dom Pedro — Accession of Dom Pedro II. — 
 Constitution of Brazil — Statistics of Population — Visit to the 
 Emperor — The Princesses — Procession — State Ceremony — 
 
XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Service in the Royal Chapel — National Guards — Presentations 
 at Court — Visit to the Theatre — Visit from the Emperor — 
 Idleness of the Negroes — Visit from English Officers — Valley 
 of Laranjeiras — The Aqueduct — Bamboos — Environs of Rio — 
 Character of the Negroes — The French Theatre — Excursion to 
 the Forests — Adventures in the Bush — Environs of Rio — 
 Plain of S. Christovao — Minas-boots — The Poncho — Tijuca 
 and Orgaos Mountains — A Clearing in the Forest — Village of 
 CamjDO Grande — Imperial Fazenda — A Shooting Excursion — 
 The Lasso and Bolas — Capturing wild Horses — Alligators — 
 A Ball at Court — Excm-sion to the Corcovado— Fort of Santa ; 
 Cruz — Fortified Defences of Rio — Visit to the Naval Arsenal 
 — Naval power and position of Brazil — Harbours — The Navy 
 — Military Arsenal — The Army — Military Tactics — National 
 Guards — Prussian Vessels — Ride to Venda Grande ^11 
 
MOUNT ^TNA. 
 
 May 7th, 1842. — Cape Molino, at the end of the long, 
 rounded mountain of Aci Reale, whose true Enghsh ver- 
 dure is agreeably diversified by niunerous small, wlute 
 villages, already lay behind us. The Cyclops Isles rose 
 boldly out of the sea, close to the promontory, — grotesque, 
 isolated rocks.* Behind the green mountain of Aci were 
 gathered heavy clouds, beneath which was seen the dark- 
 blue foot of ^tna, looking like the truncated base of a 
 gigantic, gently-ascending cone. On a sudden the dark 
 clouds parted, at one small spot, and the outline of the 
 upper portion of the momitain appeared through the 
 opening : this was the summit of Monte Gibello. I 
 should have looked for it at a greater height, but the 
 
 * These basaltic rocks are the only ones in Sicily in wliich Baron 
 von Waltersliausen, after a carefnl examination of the island, has 
 observed a columnar formation. 
 
 '.OL. I. B 
 
2 * ASCENT OF MOUNT .ETNA. 
 
 termination of the truncated lower cone was plainly seen 
 tlirougli tlie break in the clouds. At this point rises the 
 small, black, sharply defined upper cone, with an im- 
 perceptible depression between the two scarcely visible 
 summits, which indicate the upper margin of the crater. 
 From time to time other portions of the outline of ^Etna 
 were disclosed to view, still covered with snow : on the 
 warm surface of the highest cone alone the snow never 
 lies. Ere long the clouds again closed, and veiled the 
 summit of the mountain. 
 
 Scarcely had we passed the Cyclops Isles, when the 
 view extended over the shores of the level sweep of 
 the Gulf of Catania. The base of JEtna slopes gradually 
 down to a wide plain, which stretches to the sea, and 
 terminates in the sandy, yellow-coloured Cape Croce. At 
 the edge of this plain, and close to the coast, rose the 
 domes of Catania. Two black streams of lava, over- 
 grown with cactuses, enclose the city, like walls, washed 
 by the sea. 
 
 It was foiu- o'clock in the afternoon when M^e cast 
 anchor in the roadstead of Catania. Baron von Walters - 
 hausen, who has resided here for many years and made 
 ^Etna his study, came on board, accompanied by Privy- 
 councillor Otto from Breslau. The younger members 
 of the party pressed around, to learn from liis own lips 
 whether, as we had been told, the shortness of the time 
 and the snow would present any insurmountable ob- 
 stacles to om' long-desired ascent of the mountain. To 
 om' great joy. Von Waltershausen saw no difficulty in 
 the way, especially as only a fortnight before a French 
 
CITY OF CATANIA. 3 
 
 lady had, notwithstanding the early season, ascended 
 with her husband to the summit : indeed he offered 
 himself to accompany us. The boat of the 'Palermo' 
 shot quickly over the short distance that separated 
 us from shore ; and sailing round the Mole, now in the 
 com'se of construction, on which is a high bricked bat- 
 tery mounting a few guns and with a telegraph, not 
 uiihke a square tower, we wound om' way among the 
 cables of the only two brigs lying in the harbom% and 
 soon landed. 
 
 Our hotel was in one of the principal streets, running 
 parallel to the harbom% and near the waterside. All the 
 preparations for the expedition were quickly made, and 
 at six o'clock w^e set out merrily in two carriages. 
 
 The little party consisted, beside my brother and 
 myself, of the Counts Oriolla and Bismark, Baron von 
 Waltershausen, and Lieutenant von Daum, of the fom^- 
 teenth regiment of infantry. Catania, although neither 
 a beautiful spot nor a spacious harbour, has yet quite the 
 air of a large city. Our way led us through a long- 
 street, in parts shut in by high houses, called the Strada 
 ^tnea, the mountain forming its point of vicAv. Oiu' 
 attention was excited by the slight iron bridges crossing 
 the middle of the streets, which intersect one another at 
 certain points ; these are rendered necessary by the fre- 
 quent and violent inundations of the mountain-streams, 
 that occasionally rush through the streets into the sea. 
 Notwdthstanding the channels, the middle of the pave- 
 ment is worn by the force of these currents. The dress 
 of the women in Catania, with their long, black shawls 
 
4 * ASCENT OF MOUNT iETNA. 
 
 hanging down to the ground, which persons of all condi- 
 tions di^aw over their head, so as only to allow the pretty 
 face to peep out, gives a foreign character to the whole 
 scene ; and this again is heightened by the lettigas 
 one meets in the streets, — litters or carriages without 
 wheels, which are cbawn by two mules tandem-fashion, 
 whilst here and there is seen a man riding on donkey- 
 back, wearing pistol-holsters. 
 
 The sun had just set, when we found that, without 
 observing it, we had already left the city behind us, so 
 interested had we been in the conversation of Baron von 
 Waltershausen. The ascent up to Nicolosi is very gentle, 
 and the cbiver can proceed at a trot for a great part of 
 the way. 
 
 Near the sea ^tna rises at an angle of between 2° 
 and 3° : the inclination afterwards increases to 5°, and 
 towards the centre of the mountain to as much as 15°. 
 The proper cone rises at an angle of from 15° to 80°, 
 and the acclivity of the last cone, the eruption-cone of 
 the chief crater, is from 30° to 39°. The base of JEtna 
 forms an ellipse, like that of its crater of elevation. The 
 vertical axis of the mountain inclines more inland than 
 toward the sea, its distance from which is 28,000 
 metres, about fom' German or sixteen English miles. 
 This may in some measure explain the reason why, from 
 a distance at sea, ^tna appears less high than it is in 
 reality. The base of Monte Gibello, — the name by 
 which alone it is here known, — consists, in Baron von 
 Waltershausen's opinion, of white or flesh-colom-ed tra- 
 chytic rock, whilst the interior of the mountain is 
 
ERUPTIONS 01? THE MOUNTAIN. D 
 
 formed of JEtnite, a composition of labraclor, hornljlencle, 
 and angite. Tlie best view of tliis species of labrador is 
 in the Val del Bove, an almost perpendicular cleft in tlie 
 side of JEtna, about 5500 feet deep, wliicli commences 
 at tlie crater of elevation, and ^^ddens to an extent of 
 tln*ee-qiiarters of a mile (three English miles). The 
 valley is, on this account, of great interest. Privy-coun- 
 cillor Otto has recently revisited it, notwithstanding 
 his ill state of health ; unfortmiately we had not time to 
 make the exciu'sion. The mountain, from the form of 
 its base, does not incline so gradually inland as toward 
 the sea. Its foot is smTounded by a mantle of lava, of 
 various ages. According to Baron von Waltershausen's 
 calculation, if I mistake not, about sixteen eruptions 
 occiu' in a centiuy : he reckons the epochs of the dif- 
 ferent eruptions by the streams of lava, wliich form this 
 mantle around yEtna, and has found that the incredible 
 number of forty thousand years were required to bring 
 it to its present state. The Baron of coiu'se mentioned 
 this rather as a ciuious speculation, than as a positive 
 fact. In this calculation is not included the formation 
 of the proper nucleus of the mountain, which he thinks 
 may have been formed, according to other laws, in a 
 comparatively short period. 
 
 Of the numerous streams of lava, which have flowed 
 partly from the principal and highest crater, and partly 
 from those eruption-cones and craters formed on many 
 places on the sides of the mountain, only three have in 
 comparatively recent times reached the sea. The lirst of 
 
6 ASCENT OF MOUNT ^TN *.. 
 
 these was the stream of 1329, which flowed mto the sea 
 near Aci Reale ; the second, that of 1381, over which 
 our way led us to Nicolosi, passing it just beyond 
 Catania. The quantity of tall cactuses growing on 
 this stream is very striking ; these are planted arti- 
 ficially, to make the lava fertile : upon the more recent 
 streams, which we had to cross, we also found much 
 cultivation, and on one spot the barley was just being 
 harvested. It is remarkable, that the age of the lava 
 cannot here be distinguished by the amount of cul- 
 tm'e, — a circumstance which is perhaps attributable to 
 the fact, that the inhabitants never foUow any regular 
 system of tillage : moreover the old and recent lavas 
 are frequently un distinguishable. Baron von Walters- 
 hausen for instance lately discovered, in a stream which 
 appeared to him quite recent, a Roman aqueduct, 
 constructed of lava, the date of which must be above 
 a hundred years before Christ. The lava-stream of 1329 
 is visible from the sea, and forms a lofty black wall 
 along the coast, upon which stands an old tower. The 
 tliird cmTent, which flowed into the sea at a more 
 recent period, is that of 1669 ; its two tributary streams 
 did not however reach the sea. The lava issued from 
 the principal eruption-cone on the side of JEtim, that 
 of Monte Rosso, which is nearly as high as the Brocken. 
 This mountain is properly caUed Monti Rossi, for it 
 consists of two cones connected at the base. My father 
 saw in these a resemblance to the Falkensteins at 
 Fishbach, especially from the Hirschberg side, where 
 
THE MONTI ROSSI. 7 
 
 the summits of the Falkenberg hills are more romided ; 
 except that from a distance no rocks are visible on the. 
 Monti Rossi. 
 
 These conical hiUs, standing out against the base of 
 ^tna, are from a distance distinguished by either a 
 dark or red-bro^vn coloming. Viewed fi'om the sea, they 
 look hke molehills at the foot of Monte Gibello, and 
 may serve as a measure of the height of that mountain, 
 which is commonly underrated by the eye. The road 
 toward Nicolosi passes, mthout touching it, the side of 
 the stream of 1669. Tliis is the torrent which destroyed 
 Catania in so fearful a manner, encompassing the city, 
 as we had abeady observed from the sea, on two, nay 
 indeed on tlu^ee sides. 
 
 It was night, the clouds had dispersed, and the stars 
 shone forth with a southern brilhancy ; a single cloud 
 rested upon Mount JEtna, but not so dark and heavy 
 as in the daytime. " The only moment," said Von 
 Waltershausen, " when the summit is generally seen free 
 from cloud is sunrise ; but we can scarcely reckon upon 
 this view, as the clouds have for several days been 
 motionless ; it is however possible to reach the top of 
 the mountain by day -break, and we shall then have a fine 
 and clear view down." 
 
 The Baron thus began to encom^age the hope, which 
 he had at first persisted in denying us. Our looks 
 were tmiied anxiously toward the grand mountain that 
 rose before us. On the left was Monte Rosso, which 
 kept increasing as we ascended. The moon did not 
 come forth, but to om- great joy a beautiful zodiacal 
 
O ASCENT OF MOUNT ^T>tA. 
 
 light appeared in the western sky, — a faint white gleam, 
 which extended in a conical form toward the zenith, 
 and is more visible here than in northern latitudes. 
 Shortly before we observed this light, Von Waltershausen 
 directed our attention to a wall of rock on the right 
 of om- path. This was the well-known tufa-stratum 
 of Fasano, which seems to have arisen from the plain : 
 its stratification and the leaves and plants found upon 
 it indicate its marine origin. We passed successively, 
 at various intervals, Gravina, Massa Lucia, and Massa 
 Annunciata. The nmnber of towns and villages around 
 the base of ^Etna, as well as the size and density of the 
 population, is remarkable : 200,000 inhabitants dwell at 
 the foot of the mountain, giving an average of 10,000 
 to the German square mile. 
 
 It was nine o'clock when we reached Nicolosi, the last 
 village below iEtna, 2100 feet above the sea. We be- 
 took om'selves to the inn, whilst, with great trouble, 
 guides and mule-diivers were procm'ed, and the beasts 
 saddled. Nearly the whole village was already asleep, 
 and the folks had to be called up ; nor was it an easy 
 matter to rouse the mules and horses required for our- 
 selves and the guides. 
 
 At length, at a quarter to eleven o'clock all were 
 ready, — six beasts for om'selves, and three for the guides. 
 We mounted as well as we could in the dark, one 
 groping for the stuTup to the pad which served as a 
 saddle, — another for the rope Avith which he had to 
 manage his steed. Meanwhile the mules proceeded to 
 arrange themselves as usual in file, without paying the 
 
THE START. 9 
 
 slightest regard to the movements of their masters. 
 Many a nag seemed at first ready to stumble over his 
 oAvn feet, which afterwards won lam-els upon much 
 rougher paths. Om- guides, as well as some of the party, 
 had donned the thick, hooded cloaks of the country ; 
 and my bro^vn Syriote served me, dming our night ride, 
 as a capital protection against the cold. 
 
 With two guides, well muffled up, in front, and one in 
 the rear, om' party set ofl" at a brisk pace : a fourth guide 
 with a lanthorn and a lad went at om' side. Before us 
 rose vEtna, and to om' great joy its snowy smmnit was 
 cloudless. Although elated with hope, we could not help 
 env}dng a party, of two ladies and their guides, who 
 had preceded us up the mountain. We could no longer 
 reckon upon reaching the summit by sunrise, neverthe- 
 less the whole party were in high spirits. 
 
 After traversing a gently ascending plain, almost barren 
 of trees, and covered with the white volcanic sand of the 
 Monte Rosso, into which the footsteps of our beasts sunk 
 at every step, we at length reached the lava-stream 
 of 1537, which crosses the plain. The horses and mules 
 picked their way on the tops of the sharp stones, and 
 showed how used they were to these rough paths. In 
 a short time we again followed the road over the volcanic 
 sand. Time passed quickly in the most agreeable con- 
 versation, which natm-ally turned upon the subject of the 
 volcano, rising before us in the silence of a bright star- 
 hght night, as we rode over the traces of its former 
 devastations. A few years ago, and how different a 
 picture chd it present to this peaceful stillness ! Baron 
 
10 ASCENT OE MOUNT ^ETNA. 
 
 von Waltersliausen had many tales to tell of eruptions 
 whicli he had himself witnessed. 
 
 We gave the reins to om' sm^e-footed animals, and 
 listened with eager attention to the words of the " Ba- 
 rone," as the people here call Von Waltersliausen : 
 they regard him as a kind of mountain-spirit, well con- 
 versant, as a matter of com'se, with remedies for all the 
 ills that flesh is heir to. His perseverance and in- 
 trepidity have given him an extraordinary reputation 
 among these mountaineers, and every one knows him. 
 Whenever they come to consult him, — and his office is 
 natm'ally a very troublesome one, — he enters into their 
 superstitious ideas, and, accompanying his advice with a 
 sort of hocus-pocus, he gives them one or more nimibers, 
 which play a great part in then' notions of fate, and they 
 depart content. He of com^se generalizes as much as 
 possible, in true oracle fashion ; so that, if his prophecies 
 fail, his credit at least does not suffer. It made us 
 shudder to hear Von Waltersliausen tell of the nights he 
 had passed on the edge of the crater, — at times obliged 
 to lie flat on the trembling and heaving ground, to pre- 
 vent his being swept by the drifting storm of hail and 
 snow into the bottomless, steaming and glowing abyss ; 
 while at other times he had ventured to descend into 
 the roaring gulf of the crater itself. The whole time 
 that the volcano of JEtna was in eruption, he never 
 quitted his dwelling on the mountain, and at night he 
 was almost constantly on foot, in order to be near the in- 
 teresting but awful spectacle. 
 
 Dming the last eruption, in 1838, he was one evening 
 
ADVENTURE IN THE CRATER. 11 
 
 returning from a long excursion around the mountain, to 
 his cottage, tlie Casa del Bosco or cle la Neve, when two 
 Englishmen met him, who expressed an urgent desire to 
 reach the crater, which was in action, but whose guides 
 could not be persuaded to proceed fm-ther. The " Ba- 
 rone " offered himself to conduct them, but the Sicilians 
 tm^ned back. The three intrepid Northmen, not content 
 with having reached the summit of the volcano, de- 
 scended into the crater. The lava-stream, which issued 
 from the newly formed crater, pom-ed down into the old 
 fathomless abyss, and filled it to within a few hundred 
 feet. With a frightful crash one of the colossal walls of 
 this old crater aU at once fell in, and the glowing, steam- 
 ing, and sputtering lava flowed unimpeded down the 
 cone. The exhausted travellers sank down on a projec- 
 tion of rock in the old crater, a few feet above the glow- 
 ing stream, and, in spite of the noise and tumidt of the 
 mountain, fell fast asleep from sheer exhaustion. On 
 awaking after awhile invigorated, they climbed up the 
 steep edge of their frightful bed. 
 
 It is remarkable how suddenly JEtna. often passes from 
 a peaceful state into one of terrific convulsion : probably 
 the sea- water may enter into the heated mountain tlu'ough 
 clefts, or in some other secret way : white steam rises, 
 just as in the boiler of a steam-engine, which either forces 
 out the stopper that closes the great opening or gidf 
 of ^tna, the upper crater, or tears open the side of 
 the mountain, when a series of small eruption-cones 
 frequently spring out of the chasm. The Baron has 
 counted two hundred and seventy such cones in the cir- 
 
12 ASCENT or MOUNT iETNA. 
 
 cuit of Monte Gibello : lie argues that the vapours which 
 produce these phenomena are merely steam, from the 
 fact that he is always able to breathe in them, whereas 
 a descent into the crater during an eruption would other- 
 wise be impossible. 
 
 On a sudden we saw before us tlie outline of an emi- 
 nence standing out darkly against the clear blue sky, with 
 a tree upon it. " We are now at the commencement 
 of the forest region," said the Baron. Om^ beasts, pro- 
 ceeding at a quick pace, had scarcely mounted this height, 
 when we found om-selves in the midst of oaks, growing 
 upon the old lava. We climbed up the ascent on the 
 sharp pointed masses of lava of 1766 : small, black erup- 
 tion-cones stood out in relief against the sky. The con- 
 versation was resumed, and our interesting guide went 
 on to tell us, how, when the mountain is in action, the 
 white vapom' first casts aloft into the au" black and red 
 volcanic sand, and afterwards ejects red-hot stones, ac- 
 companied by a roar like thunder. Actual flames are 
 never observed ; the masses of red-hot stones, large and 
 small, have that appearance from below, but never when 
 seen near. The largest projected mass of rock which 
 Von Waltershausen himself measm'ed, was five metres 
 (about eighteen feet) long, and had been tin-own to a 
 distance of three thousand feet from the crater. He has 
 observed, by his seconds-watch, stones tln'own u|) from 
 ^tna, fall fi-om a height of three thousand feet, and esti- 
 mates that some may perhaps have been projected as 
 much as ten thousand feet into the air. The eruption 
 concludes with the pouring forth of the steaming cmi'ents 
 
THE CASA DEL BOSCO. 13 
 
 of lava. A remarkable effect is said to be produced by 
 the thick clouds of vapom-, which issuing from the crater 
 roll at times one over another hke enormous casks. One 
 day the Baron observed a small ring, rising from the 
 abyss of the volcano, which at the height of two thousand 
 feet attained a gigantic size, — a spectacle frequently exhi- 
 bited on a small scale by the rings of smoke which rise 
 circling from the cannon's mouth. The noise of JEtna 
 also may be compared to the roar of artillery, and, in the 
 opinion of the Baron, all the cannon of Liitzen and Leip- 
 zig could not possibly have equalled the thunder of this 
 volcano. The stones almost always fall perpendicularly 
 into the crater ; once only, just as Von Waltershausen 
 had placed his barometer on the edge of it, the wind 
 suddenly shifted round, and carried the shower of stones 
 toward him : he and the guides threw themselves hastily 
 under an overhanging rock, but the instriunent was dashed 
 to pieces. 
 
 On reaching the Casa del Bosco, we were astonished 
 to find that it was akeady half-past one o'clock. 
 
 May '$)th. — ^We dismounted, to rest om- animals for a 
 quarter of an hour, and entered the cottage, which the 
 adventm'ous explorer of JEtna built for himself, and in 
 which he once lived forty days successively. It is now 
 empty ; every traveller has the benefit of its shelter, al- 
 though in truth it looks more like a stable than a house. 
 We stii'red up the live ashes which the ladies had left in 
 the hut, and seated ourselves around the little glimmer- 
 ing fire. Had it not been for the cold, we might have 
 imagined ourselves in the East, smi'ounded by figures 
 
14 ASCENT OF MOUNT ^TNA. 
 
 wrapped in brown cloaks, and with hoods drawn over 
 their heads. As we stood before the door of the Casa del 
 Bosco, 4800 feet above the sea, the stars glittered with 
 a brilliancy which I had never before seen ; and what a 
 contrast between the blue of that clear heaven, and the 
 dark firmament by night in our northern regions ! 
 
 Immediately behind the cottage, the path w^as steeper 
 and more stony ; we here left the forest region, and 
 entered the " regione deserta." The huge, black dome 
 of Monte Castellazzo, six thousand feet high, rose on our 
 left. Om- path up the mountain pursued a steep zig-zag 
 com^se in the lava. The animals stepped cautiously, 
 lengthening the tm-ns in the path as much as possible, 
 and wheeling round mth all four feet upon one spot. It 
 is a pleasure to me to ride a sagacious animal, which 
 finds the way for itself, like the mules in the Swiss Alps, 
 the Tm'koman and Arab horses in the slippery and uneven 
 streets of Constantinople, or that pretty race of poneys 
 to whose sagacity the rider trusts himself in the rough 
 mountain-paths of the Crimea. I have always main- 
 tained, that om' method of training horses, which con- 
 verts them into mere passive brutes, is by no means 
 advantageous in all cases to the rider, as it compels 
 him to have his thoughts continually fixed upon his 
 animal. 
 
 We regretted that the darkness prevented our distin- 
 guishing the lavas accm'ately, but we were aware tmce 
 of passing places which appeared to be the dried-up beds 
 of rivulets. It was not until our descent that we could 
 examine these spots of smooth lava closely. The light of 
 
PLAINS OF SNOW. 15 
 
 the stars seemed to us still more brilliant than at the 
 Casa. The zig-zag path grew more and more steep;, 
 those of our party who rode along the upper turns of it, 
 looked do^ni upon the heads of their companions be- 
 neath, and the conversation, although less lively, was 
 still carried on in a vertical direction with considerable 
 spirit. 
 
 We had now to cross some small patches of snow, at 
 an elevation of 5500 feet, the sm^face of which was 
 frozen hard, and so glassy that the animals slipped con- 
 tinually. Oiu" lanthorn blinded, rather than assisted us 
 in finding a path over the black lava, which stood out 
 from the snow in single ridges. At the height of six 
 thousand feet the snow increased so much, that we could 
 ride no fm^ther, and were obliged to dismount. Not with- 
 ou.t a feeling of silent regret, we were now doomed to 
 see the w^arm ingredients of our breakfast, the bouillon 
 and coffee, left behind in company with the animals, — 
 left moreover in charge of our rough guide and his lad, 
 . who, it was natm^al to suspect, might readily enough be 
 tempted to appropriate these treasures : we had not yet 
 forgotten om' hard fate at Nicolosi, where, on setting 
 about packing the baskets for the mules, it was dis- 
 covered that several of the bottles had already been 
 emptied : some of om' P^ii'ty innocently fancied that the 
 corks had started, and the wine run out ! Thus were we 
 left, with only the cold portion of our breakfast to ac- 
 company us on om* cold expedition. 
 
 At half-past two we began our march on foot, and 
 ascended a steep, smooth acclivity of snow : on the top 
 
16 ■ ASCENT OF MOUNT .ETNA. 
 
 we rested for awhile, upon a small black heap of sliarp 
 fragments of lava, until all our party were collected. 
 Lieutenant von Damn was obliged to creep on all fours, 
 for want of a pole, till the guide furnished him with one. 
 Immediately after we came to a second acclivity, on the 
 top of which, like a black point, stood the Pietra del 
 Castello, an old Roman wall. On climbing up this 
 slope, we saw before us, on om- right, the dark summits 
 of Monte Agnolo, 7500 feet in height. We now en- 
 tered on the Piano del Lago, a plain of snow, inclined 
 at an angle of from 7° to 11°, and glad enough we were 
 to reach at length an easier ascent. This plain however 
 seemed interminable ; far away beneath us stretched 
 the wide field of snow, and overhead the sky grew 
 every moment brighter, whilst the stars gradually dis- 
 appeared. As we advanced, the black points at the end 
 of the Piano del Lago seemed to recede before us. At 
 length we reached the edge of the snow plain, which is 
 bounded by the Val del Bove. 
 
 The sun's gleaming orb rose slowly out of the sea, and 
 cast its first rays upon ^tna. On turning round, we 
 saw the shadows of the mountain on the vault of heaven 
 — never had we witnessed such a spectacle ! It was 
 unfortunate that we were not at this moment upon the 
 smumit of ^tna, where we should have been able to 
 see the shadow of its whole outline ; we had only reached 
 the edge of the Val del Bove, a height of 7800 feet, and 
 therefore saw merely the shadow of the acclivity upon 
 which we were standing. An oblique line was distinctly 
 marked on the sky, descending from right to left, at an 
 
SHADOWS OF THE MOUNTAIN. 17 
 
 obtuse angle corresponding to that of the inchnation of 
 ^tna on this side as seen from the sea, or in a reversed 
 direction. The portion of the sky near the horizon was 
 tinged with a rosy hue by the reflection of the dawn, 
 whilst higher up all was blue. The oblique line on the 
 sky, the shadowed outline of the mountain, formed the 
 limits of a darker tone of deeper shade, of two colours 
 standing one above the other, which, commencing here, 
 extended indefinitely on the right. We turned our eyes 
 from this wondrous spectacle toward the rising sun. At 
 om- feet, beyond the dark, sharply defined edges of the 
 Val del Bove, lay the Gulf of Catania, with the black lava- 
 streams, the lofty domes, the ships, and the ' Palermo ' 
 anchored in the roadstead, scarcely visible by the naked 
 eye. The flat, sandy coast in the direction of Syracuse, with 
 the Lake of Lentini and the Simeto, extended to the Gulf 
 of Catania ; even the most southern headland of Sicily, one 
 of the terminal points of Europe, lay before us as distinctly 
 as on the map. From the strand beneath us stretched 
 the deep blue sea, and almost on a level with the eye 
 extended the coast of Calabria, a clear, blue mountain- 
 chain, whilst above it gleamed the bay of Tarentum like 
 a streak of silver. Small, single clouds were skimming 
 over the sea, and flinging their shadow^s upon its wa- 
 ters. One moment Baron von Waltershausen imagined 
 he could even descry Malta, but with the telescope we 
 found that the object was a small white cloud. He di- 
 stinctly remembered having once seen that island, but 
 the notion that the African coast is visible from JEhvd 
 is fabulous. It was five o'clock when the sun rosC: 
 
 VOL. I. c 
 
18 ASCENT OF MOUNT tETNA. 
 
 Reaumui''s tlieimometer stood at only \^° below the 
 freezing point. At noon on tlie seventh of May the teni- 
 peratm*e in Catania had been 16° R. 
 
 The last cone of JEtna now rose distinctly before us, 
 and Ave could even distinguish the two ladies, w^ho had 
 proceeded about half- way up. The ascent began to be 
 more fatiguing to me, and Ave often halted for a minute, 
 seating om'selves on the blocks of lava which peeped out 
 from the snow. Among these scattered fragments, and 
 scarcely rismg above them, stands some Roman brick- 
 work, to which the names of Plhlosopher's Tower (Torre 
 del Filosofo), Altar of Jupiter, or Altar of Proserpina, 
 have been given. With difficulty Ave at length reached 
 the snowed-up Casa Inglese, situated at an elevation of 
 nine thousand feet ; and after crossing the lava edge of 
 the old crater of Pianta del Lago, a scarcely perceptible 
 hillock, we rested for awhile in a hollow basin of the still 
 smoking cmTcnt of 1838, sheltered from the north Avind. 
 
 Seated on the warm bed of lava we were enjoying om- 
 breakfast, AA'hen on a sudden we observed some white 
 clouds, rising from the valley on the south of the moun- 
 tain, and Avere obhged to hasten on our Avay, in order to 
 reach the summit before them. The last black cone, 
 rising 1200 feet above the Casa Inglese, stood out in 
 strong relief against the deep blue sky; its ascent is 
 about as difficult as that of Vesuvius. To avoid con- 
 tinually going upon the loose fragments of lava, where 
 every step must be set AAdth caution, or upon the ashes, 
 in Avhich yom' foot perpetually slips back, we kept for 
 the most part along the narroAv strips of snoAv that fiU 
 
ARRIVAL AT THE CRATER. 19 
 
 up the hollows : but the snow often gave way under our 
 feet, and then we sank deep tlu'ough the broken sur- 
 face. To add to our difficulties, the sun shone down 
 upon us with a southern glow, wliilst the rarified air, 
 though almost imperceptibly, impeded om^ breathing : it 
 was the same as ^A'ith the dreadful cold, which the Italians 
 had represented to us as a bugbear : the slight keenness 
 of the air had indeed proved rather a refreshment dming 
 our ride, and a welcome preventative against sleep. But 
 weariness gradually overpowered us, — no wonder, after 
 the fatigue of riding all night, succeeding our excm^sion 
 the previous day in the noonday heat to the theatre of 
 Taormina — and natm-e claimed her privilege of rest. 
 
 At the Casa Inglese we met the gentleman who ac- 
 companied the two ladies, — a Polish Count, whom we had 
 seen on board the steamer, and who had relinquished 
 the ascent to the summit ; we had how, at about half- 
 way up the cone, the pleasm'e of meeting the two ad- 
 ventm'ous and indefatigable Englishwomen — an elderly 
 lady and her daughter. They were accompanied by two 
 guides, who assisted them ; nevertheless it was a riddle to 
 us how they bore the fatigue so well, — a fresh proof this of 
 woman's resolution, which w^th quiet patience and per- 
 severance so often triumphs over difficulties, and verifies 
 the French proverb, " Si femme le veut, Dieu le veut !" 
 
 I may in truth say that I was fairly tilled out on 
 reaching the edge of the crater. We looked down into 
 the abyss : the sight was still less imposing than 
 that of tlie crater of Vesuvius. Without stopping, we 
 climbed along the edge to the right, toward the eastern, 
 
 c 2 
 
20 ASCENT OF MOUNT ^ETNA. 
 
 pointed summit of ^tna, called the "Dente." Here we 
 looked perpendicularly down into the crater of 1832, 
 about tlu-ee hundred feet deep : the one on which we 
 had first stood, and which is the smaller of the two, was 
 that of the latest eruption, in 1838: they are separated by 
 a wall of partition. The overhanging summit on which 
 we were standing rises 10,130 feet above the sea; the 
 other, on the western or southern side, attains an eleva- 
 tion of 10,175 feet. The Emperor Hadrian, the great 
 traveller, and the philosopher Empedocles, are said to 
 have been the first who ascended ^tna : the philosopher 
 afterwards threw himself into the crater, because he was 
 unable to explore the wonders of the moimtain. 
 
 Smoke was rising from the crater, though not in any 
 great quantity, dming the whole time we stood there ; 
 and the north wind, driving it toward the highest points, 
 prevented our ascending to them : the smeU was like 
 that from a mine. The stones around the crater were co- 
 lom^ed yellow by the sublimation of sulphmic-acid salts ; 
 similar yeUow spots are also seen in the crater, which has 
 for the most part a very hglit grey, almost a whitish 
 grey, colour. Assembled here, at a height of ten thou- 
 sand feet, we raised a " Vivat!" to oiu- beloved King, 
 and the shout resounded far into the clear air. Von 
 Waltershausen, albeit a Hanoverian, proposed the senti- 
 ment, — " To the august Patron of German art and 
 science!" in which we Prussians joined with a feeling 
 of pride and exultation. Never perhaps was there a 
 more hearty cheer given for om^ beloved Monarch since 
 we have enjoyed his paternal government. 
 
VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT. 21 
 
 How august, how grand was Nature all around — 
 how rich in memories of ancient times ! In the waters 
 at om' feet Ulysses once cruised, and navigated the 
 straits between Scylla and Charybdis, which we saw in 
 the far distance, as if di'a\\ing close together. The 
 ancient Taormina, the black rocks of the Cyclops, the 
 old inhabitants of this fire-abyss, Catania and the har- 
 bour of Syracuse, where Archimedes burned the Roman 
 fleet, all lay spread out before us ; in fact, the view 
 extended over the whole eastern, and part of the south- 
 ern, side of the triangular island. Unfortunately an 
 interminable sea of white, fleecy clouds stretched high 
 above the land toward the north-west, casting dark 
 shadows upon the depth below us. But the objects 
 immediately around us well deserved attention. Von 
 Waltershausen showed us on three separate spots the 
 outline of the elliptical crater of elevation. Toward the 
 north it formed a wall of snow, with a black stone upon 
 its top ; then came the point, where the wall is cleft, and 
 the Val del Bove, 5500 feet deep, with black, perpen- 
 dicular sides, begins, laying bare the interior of the vol- 
 cano, and widening gradually to such an extent that the 
 Brocken, if dropped into it, would entirely disappear. 
 Lastly he showed us the small ridge of lava at the Casa 
 Inglese, near the spot on which we breakfasted, where 
 the edge of the crater of elevation separates on the south 
 from the Piano del Lago. In this old amphitheatre of 
 iEtna was the crater, Mdiich the " Barone" recollected as 
 being formerly the principal one of the volcano, and out 
 of which those of 1832 and 1S3S arose. At that time 
 it could be sounded perpendicularly to a depth of about 
 
22 ASCENT OF MOUNT iETNA. 
 
 two thousand feet, although it is said to have been in 
 reahty unfathomable. My uncle, the Landgrave Philip 
 of Hesse-Homburg, had seen this old crater in all 
 its grandeur. Von Walter shausen showed us the spot 
 where the lava of 1838 overtln-ew the partition -wall, 
 inundated, and in part lEilled up, the old crater ; and he 
 also pointed out the projecting rock over the now har- 
 dened lava where he fell asleep in that fearful night. 
 
 It was half-past seven o'clock when we reached the 
 summit, and after barely half-an-hour's rest we started 
 on our return ; the heat was oppressive. We descended 
 the cone quickly, and not without fatigue, to the plain 
 of snow, passing close to the Casa Inglese : the weari- 
 ness in our limbs gradually wore off. On a sudden 
 a fog arose, which rendered it difficult for us to keep 
 together. We went part of the way down the snow 
 declivity at a running pace, which obhged us to keep 
 our bodies bent back. In this manner we soon left 
 the snow behind us, and now traversed the two slippery 
 streams of lava, resembling rivulets, above the edge of 
 the forest region. They have one peculiarity, — the ap- 
 pearance of a stream arrested and stiffened in its com^se, 
 without crack or cleft, and smoothed by the momitain 
 waters. All other lavas appear like a river at the break- 
 ing up of the ice, when mass impels mass, so that only 
 inchned or horizontal, sharp-pointed flat blocks rise up. 
 
 From ten to eleven o'clock we breakfasted and took a 
 nap in the Casa del Bosco, and then started on om- ride 
 to Nicolosi. The cultivation of the forest-region is very 
 small, and is said to have decreased considerably ; here 
 and there only stands a solitary tree. The stream of 
 
DESCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 23 
 
 1766 is remarkable from the tall, scaly forms of its lava, 
 just before the traveller quits this region. The plain 
 extending to Nicolosi, at the foot of the Monti Rossi, 
 is covered with black volcanic sand, which produces a 
 strange and gloomy effect. At one o'clock we reached 
 this place, and at four we drove into Catania, following 
 the carriage of the English ladies, and escorted by a 
 gendarme who was a little the worse for drink. At 
 seven o'clock the next morning the two ladies were up 
 and stu'ring, — no trifle after such a laborious ascent ! 
 We had made the acquaintance of their two predeces- 
 sors^ the Mesclames la Motte, on the passage from Malta 
 to Trapani. The younger lady alone climbed to the sum- 
 mit; the other did not reach the crater, as they them- 
 selves told me when we were entering the Bay of Naples. 
 
 In smnmer the ascent of iEtna is an excursion for 
 ladies, — but in smnmer only, when the tomist can ride as 
 far as the Casa Inglese. AU honour then to these ladies, 
 who accomplished the feat in spite of the snow, and ex- 
 hibited a striking instance of com^age and perseverance. 
 
 May Wi. — This was a warm, bright and cloudless 
 day. In crossing the Strada ^tnea the mountain rose 
 perfectly clear to view at the end of the street; its 
 colom' was a misty dark blue, against which the snow 
 of the upper part stood out in strong contrast, whilst 
 merely single narrow strips continued a little lower 
 down. Rather more than the upper thu'd was covered 
 with snow. We could distinctly perceive the two highest 
 summits, rising from the black cone which peeped out 
 of the snow ; the sharper but somewhat lower summit, 
 
24 ' ASCENT or MOUNT ^TNA. 
 
 on the right, was the one which we had ascended. No 
 smoke was to be seen from below, but this was natm-al, 
 from the height of the mountain. 
 
 The view of ^tna from the garden of the Benedictine 
 convent of St. Nicolo is wonderfully fine : this spot is 
 an oasis of cypresses, shady trees, and the most splendid 
 hedges of rose-trees, situated in the midst of the black 
 lava of 1669. When the stream which destroyed Cata- 
 nia (says the legend) approached this convent, all the 
 monks quitted it in haste, except one. This monk seized 
 the nail of the cross of Cluist which was preserved here, 
 and held out the relic toward the stream, whereupon the 
 glowing lava flowed round the building, without doing- 
 it any injury. We were conducted into the enormous 
 chm^ch, which testifies to the well-known wealth of the 
 convent. Here sat in long rows nearly all the party who 
 had previously met on board the steamer, listening to the 
 tones of the famous organ. The Prior showed my bro- 
 ther and myself his collection of minerals : it is particu- 
 larly rich in sulphate of strontian and crystals of augite, 
 as well as the lavas of ^Etna. 
 
 At twelve o'clock our 'Palermo' weighed anchor: on 
 raising the anchor a pic, we approached the lava, Avliich 
 descends steeply into the sea, like a black, low rock. 
 Mtnat, looked indescribably beautiful from the roadstead, 
 with Catania at its foot. The fm^ther we receded from 
 the mountain, the higher and more blue it became, 
 until by degrees the houses, trees and hills at its base 
 entirely disappeared, and it seemed to rise directly out of 
 the sea, without any intervening foreland. 
 
THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 July 3rd. — The Anclalusian sun shone warm and bright 
 into my cabin : I awoke, cast a look through the wdndow, 
 on the mighty Sierra Tejeda, which stretched into the 
 clouds near us on oiu right, and then went on deck. The 
 high mountainous coast extended far in the distance, 
 with its numerous romided domes rising above and be- 
 hind one another ; single white houses were scattered up 
 the heights, and villages skirted the seashore. Straight 
 before us we could descry Malaga, which we were 
 gradually approaching, with its tall Moorish fortress of 
 Gibralfaro, situated upon a steep hill on the right, and 
 the square tower of the Alcazaba on the acclivity which 
 connects the city mth Gibralfaro. 
 
 There was little wind, and the frigate made her way 
 slowly. The lofty Sierra disappeared behind the eastern 
 points of the wide, sweeping bay upon which Malaga 
 stands. Above the city rises majestically the lofty cathe- 
 
26 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 dral, — a giant among the siurounding buildings, like St. 
 Peter's at Rome. On tlie coast we noticed .single towers, 
 wliicli in ancient times served as a protection against the 
 incursions of the Moors. 
 
 Our crew had dressed themselves in white. Captain 
 d'Arcolliere now seized the speaking-trmnpet, and the 
 officers were all quickly at their posts. The sails were 
 furled, and the anchor was let go in nineteen to twenty 
 fathoms, at about two miles from the shore. At first the 
 spanker had to bring us round; then the fore-top-sail 
 was again set, and thrown aback, to stay us in our 
 com'se, so as not to overshoot the anchor. It was Sun- 
 day, and Mass was said in the battery, soon after which 
 the Prussian Consul, Mr. Rose, came on board, and I 
 immediately landed with him. 
 
 The situation of Malaga is very beautiful. The western 
 cape of the bay, Torre de los Molinos, much resembles 
 Cape ZafFarano, as seen from Palermo. A plain similar 
 to the Bagaria parts it from the mountain-chains of the 
 main-land. Its form is beautiful and massy. The east 
 wind covered it with a light veil of mist, but thicker than 
 on the other parts of the coast. The aspect of the city 
 has a yellowish tone, similar to that of Palermo. The 
 mountains are of a brownish, burnt colom", like the rock 
 of Malta glowing in the sun and the naked mountains of 
 Greece. Toward the eastern points rise two conical hills, 
 united at their base, " Les Tetons de Malaga," which 
 serve as landmarks. Houses, trees, and plantations of 
 cactuses extend right and left of the city, while stem- 
 less vines creep up the heights in all directions, just as 
 
ARRIVAL AT MALAGA. 27 
 
 in Greece, with here and there cactus-plantations on the 
 hill-sides. But this scanty verdure failed to impart va- 
 riety to the general tone of brownish yellow colouring. 
 The harbour of Malaga is cut obliquely into the line of 
 coast, about S.W. and N.E., so that it seems from a di- 
 stance as if the Mole which protects it against the sea 
 ran parallel to the coast. At the end of the Mole stands 
 the white lighthouse, in the little battery of San Nicolo, 
 whilst in the middle of the Muelle Viejo a similar fort, 
 called the Castillo de San Pelipe, is marked by two small 
 white houses. The west side of the harbom' is also de- 
 fended by two batteries, placed on small, rounded, mole- 
 like projections — embarcaderes. 
 
 It being Sunday, the batteries had hoisted the yellow, 
 red-striped Spanish flag, and aU the ships in the harbour 
 were di-est out. There was no man-of-war amongst them, 
 the French sixteen-gun brig L'Argos, an old acquaint- 
 ance from the Gidf of Salamis, having just sailed when 
 we entered the roadstead. 
 
 The Consul's boat landed me near the Casa del Sa- 
 nidad, whence I immediately proceeded to the cathechal. 
 Everything here reminded me of Sicily, even the dress of 
 the women. The men, of all conditions, sailors included, 
 wear lighc stuff jackets of a bright or dark colom*, a red 
 band round the body, and a cmious low hat with tM^o 
 black silk tufts at the side. No Spaniard goes with- 
 out moustachios. The houses much resemble those of 
 Malta, especially in the peculiar kind of balcony : the 
 windows are generally trellised. 
 
 The interior of the cathecbal produces a grand im- 
 
28 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 pression : it is biiilt in tlie style of the period of the 
 revival of art, and its ceiling is ornamented udth curious 
 Moorish arabesques. The choir, celebrated for its carved 
 work, stands in the centre of the church. Of the pictures, 
 tM^o Madonnas by Cano and Cerezo are among the most 
 remarkable. The greatest work of all is the Madonna de 
 los Reyes, which Ferdinand and Isabella took with them 
 into their tent during the siege of Malaga, and presented 
 to the city after it was taken. The statue is of wood ; 
 on each side of the Madonna are kneehng the royal pair, 
 also carved in wood and painted of various colours. 
 
 Before retmiiing on board I made the acquaintance 
 of the family of Mr. Rose. The son of Mr. Ki'ause, 
 whose uncle once entertained me hospitably in Swine- 
 mlinde, — a youth of great promise, — had died a few days 
 before in Malaga : he was to be bmied this day, and I 
 retm'ned on shore immediately after dinner, to fulfil the 
 last melancholy duty to a fellow-countryman. We made all 
 the haste we could, hoping to reach the cemetery in time 
 to witness the interment. The Protestant churchyard lies 
 outside the city on the east. The sun shone fiercely, 
 and on our way along the strand there was not a tree, 
 save a few isolated palms. When we reached the spot, 
 the body had just been lowered. This youth had won 
 the affection of every one here. With our thoughts 
 seriously tuned, and for the time diverted from sm'- 
 rounding outward impressions, we quitted the resting- 
 place of om^ departed countryman, the peaceful bmial- 
 ground extending along the side of a hill. We retm-ned 
 to the city, and directed om* steps toward the Alameda, 
 
THE ALAMEDA AT MALAGA. 29 
 
 or public promenade : tliis word seems to be derived from 
 Al maidan, signifying ' the place' in Arabic. And what 
 town is there in Andalusia which does not boast its 
 alameda? On om^ way thither we were accosted by 
 some soldiers en bonnet cle police, begging, who bared 
 their mutilated limbs to excite om' compassion. 
 
 All the beauty and fashion of the city was assembled, 
 — some seated on chairs and benches under the trees, 
 and the rest sauntering up and down. The ladies, 
 with their mantillas and abanicos, or large fans, are 
 generally speaking handsome, with small feet and dark 
 eyes : almost all have a flower in their hau\ The Spa- 
 nish officers, whom we saw lounging about among the 
 different groups, wear the French epaulets, but nearly 
 twice the usual length : one soldier had fifteen decora- 
 tions in three rows on his breast. 
 
 After our promenade, I went with several officers of 
 the frigate to visit Mr. Rose, who had assembled a 
 small party. The evening was passed agreeably : our 
 attempts to talk Spanish, to play the agreeable to the 
 Senoritas, most of whom understand only their own 
 language, were highly amusing. The pretty daughter 
 of the Consul, a fair-hahed Spanish girl, and the only 
 one who spoke German, played and sang some Spanish 
 songs, boleros and fandangos. As we retmnied on 
 board, the sea was brilliantly illuminated, and on taking 
 some of the water into our hands, it sparkled like little 
 glowworms. The cm'rent from the Straits is perceptible 
 in the roadstead. 
 
 July Mil. — This morning we ascended the tower of the 
 
30 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 cathedral, wliicli commands a beautiful view. The city 
 lies deep below : the eye wanders into the little square 
 courts of the houses, "with their colonnades and small 
 gardens, which give an air of freshness to Malaga. The 
 convent of La Vittoria is distinguished by two palm- 
 trees in its comiyard. On this spot was pitched 
 the tent of Ferdinand and Isabella during the siege, 
 further in the distance the Plaza de los Toros was 
 pointed out to me, where the bull-fights are held in 
 an amphitheatre. The view also overlooked the Al- 
 cazaba, which appears to form a triangle ; it is sur- 
 rounded by a wall, with numerous towers ; and a covered 
 communication, likewise between two walls, leads up the 
 hill to the Gibralfaro. Both fortresses existed in the 
 time of the first occupants, and the Alcazaba was a kind 
 of citadel of the Moors. The valley of the dried-up 
 Guadalmedina, (" the river of the city," in Arabic) re- 
 cedes a little inland, and forms a kind of bay in the 
 parched Sierra of the same name, which rises imme- 
 diately behind Malaga. 
 
 From the cathedral we went to the Alcazaba, the 
 original character of which has been entuely destroyed 
 by buildings, only here and there the Moorish arches 
 being still visible. The Consul obtained permission 
 of the Governor for us to inspect the Gibralfaro : om^ 
 way thither led us through the dirtiest quarter of this 
 otherwise clean city : in these out-of-the way streets alone 
 was the dirt as great as in Italy. 
 
 At the fortress there is indeed nothing remarkable to 
 be seen : it consists of a circular walk between two walls, 
 
FORTRESS or GIBRALFARO. 31 
 
 running round the top of tlie steep hill, and two plat- 
 forms for guns : a few cannons and a single mortar were 
 mounted. There were plenty of wells, and ovens for 
 baking, now in ruin, so that Gibralfaro could hold out for 
 some time ; but not far to the east lies a height, no longer 
 fortified, which might easily be destroyed. The prospect 
 is like that from the cathedral, except that from this spot 
 there is a better view over the valley of the Guadalmechna. 
 The cMed-up river reminded me of the mde beds of the 
 streams which descend from the mountains of Sicily, and 
 flow^ into the straits of jNIessina. We were returning on 
 board just as the San Michele fired the salute, which 
 by the strange fancy of the Governor had been delayed 
 fom'-and-twenty hom^s after om- arrival. When the 
 frigate ceased firing, the ancient banner of Spain, once 
 so proud and mighty, was hoisted in the battery of San 
 Nicolo, and the guns of the fort answered the salute. 
 
 After a hearty dinner at the Prussian Consul's, I ac- 
 companied Lieutenant Count Viry of the San jMichele, 
 Count Oriolla, and Count Bismark, to the little square, 
 whence the cUligence for Granada started. This was a 
 vehicle similar to those in the ihcatrum Europa;mn, hav- 
 ing a chstant resemblance to the mail-coach. It took a 
 long time for the eight mules, with theu yellow collars, 
 to be harnessed and put to ; and it was past five o'clock 
 when the passengers took their seats. At last the door 
 was shut, and away we rolled. 
 
 On leaving the city, our road lay toward the mountains, 
 passing blossoming aloes and oleanders, cactus-planta- 
 tions and vineyards. The company in the diligence con- 
 
32 ■ THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 sisted, beside ourselves, of an elderly lady from Granada, 
 two young Hamburgers, and a Frencliman : outside in 
 front sat two French artists. The conversation was 
 naturally for tlie most part carried on in German, and 
 opened with a description of the dangers of a journey to 
 Granada, accompanied by tales of robbery and murders 
 of the day. " The road to Granada must be very bad," 
 began young Brinkmann ; "I have heard say that more 
 than one diligence has been lost in the ravines." Then 
 the conversation turned on the band of five-and-twenty 
 mounted robbers who were said to hold Malaga in a kind 
 of blockade. " The diligence however is not attacked by 
 them," said another, " for the proprietors have come to 
 an arrangement with the banditti : but even in the city 
 itself one's life is no longer safe : only last night, before 
 ten o'clock, five nuudered persons were brought in." — 
 " That's nothing compared to the horrors of last Christ- 
 mas in Seville," rejoined another; "there never was 
 anything like that ; just imagine five-and-twenty people 
 murdered in one night !" 
 
 As we sat listening to these edifying anecdotes, the 
 diligence crept slowly up the Sierra de Malaga. It had 
 grown cool, and some of the travellers alighted, for a 
 walk. Par away beyond the valleys, which extend between 
 the rounded vine-clad hills to the sea, were seen the 
 roadstead and our frigate. The stars came out, but the 
 Sierra stretched further and further, and seemed inter- 
 minable ; at length all the passengers resumed their 
 places. Eight persons were crowded together in a space 
 which was not large enough for six. We sat as in an 
 
A SPANISH DILIGENCE. 33 
 
 omnibus, in two rows opposite to one another, knee to 
 knee, so that there was not an inch of room to stu' our 
 legs. Sleep was out of the question in the heat and 
 jostling we had to endm^e, although every one longed for 
 a nap, to quiet his sufferings, shut up in this dark, 
 stifling prison. For hom's not a word was spoken, the 
 only sound being an occasional deep sigh. 
 
 At length I had just fallen into a dose, when T was 
 suddenly roused again. A man appeared at the door of 
 the diligence, which opened behind like an omnibus ; 
 he had a musket on his shoulder. At first sight we 
 took the fellow for a robber, but soon found that he was 
 only one of the Guardias de Camino, whose duty it is 
 to guard the public roads, and who was now stopping 
 to demand payment for the trouble of escorting us. 
 Most of these Guardias have themselves been robbers. 
 
 We ascended the hill at a trot. Many hours had now 
 passed, and we had in vain been hoping for a halt, in 
 order to stretch om^ legs, when at length we saw the 
 light of a venta. Here we were allowed to alight, and 
 have a di'aught of water. The landlord was lying on the 
 floor : the room was smalL and on the walls around huno- 
 pitchers and other utensils, as in an Etruscan tomb : a 
 partition of reeds divided the chamber, and behind it 
 slept the Padrona. The road now began to show some 
 signs of life, from the strings of mules Avhich we met 
 from time to time. 
 
 July Mil. — At about four o'clock we alighted at 
 another venta. Maria — all the women are here named 
 Maria — lighted a fire in the middle of the room, around 
 
 VOL. I. D 
 
34 * THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 which the passengers grouped ; over the fire was a chnn- 
 ney like those in Westphalia, and here too the various 
 utensils were suspended to the walls. One of the Trench 
 artists contributed his little provision of chocolate to the 
 common store. Eggs were boiled, the table was laid out, 
 and napkins were given u^s, although the room was just 
 like a stable. After supper we all went out ; at a little 
 distance before us lay the beautiful mountains of the 
 Sierra de Antequera, with the moon rising above them. 
 
 The day dawned, and the diligence now called for 
 us. We passed several pretty villages, one of which led 
 tluough a wood of chestnut-trees and over a kind of 
 barren plain, to Loxa on the Xenil, where we arrived 
 between six and seven o'clock. As we cbove into the 
 little town, between garden-walls, a fellow with a villain- 
 ous look came trotting after us, with a musket resting 
 on his saddle. The Andalusian woman augm'ed tra- 
 gically — the pseudo-Cassandra — and whispered to me, 
 " He '11 watch the diligence for certain when it starts 
 tonight!" — for we had to remain here dming the heat 
 of the day. 
 
 The time passed quickly. Loxa is prettily situated : 
 the valley is not very wide, and the tops of the moun- 
 tains are barren, but the road passes under trees. Upon 
 a rock in the toAvn stands a Moorish castle, the Alcazaba. 
 The women are handsome ; the men have a characteristic 
 look, and are almost all armed with muskets, carrying 
 the bayonet sheathed. They wear tight, striped trowsers, 
 or wide cloth pantaloons, slashed, with leather gaiters, 
 open at the sides, and a jacket, which they throw round 
 
SPANISH COSTUMES. 35 
 
 them like a Dolman. Every one rides on a horse or 
 mule. Here is seen a different kind of hat to that worn 
 at Malaga, of a pointed form, with a tuft on the top. 
 The beggars wear brown jackets, with standing collars, 
 and wide, brown trowsers, generaUy with blue stripes. 
 This is said to be the costume of the Mancha. In front 
 of our posada stood a chmTh, fitted up as a stable for the 
 first royal regiment of dragoons. The uniform consists 
 of a yellow jacket with a light-blue collar, tmiied up 
 with the same colour, and brass epaulets and buttons. 
 The persons standing in front of the stable also wore 
 a sabre and a yellow cap. Some dragoons still retained 
 the old uniform, with red epaulets and heavy sabres. 
 The horses were in a miserable plight. 
 
 Our French companion in the diligence, who spoke 
 Spanish, made himself very useful to the party, although 
 in a noisy manner. The diet of the country did not 
 please me much. The hotels and inns in Spain may be 
 dividsd into tluree classes: the lowest consists of the 
 venta, venda, benta ; then follows the posada, and a 
 large hotel is called a fonda. 
 
 At six o'clock in the evening the diligence started 
 again. On the other side of Loxa we saw before us in 
 the far distance the Sierra Nevada. The country through 
 which we travelled was undidating, planted in parts with 
 olive-trees. Our com'se lay, as it appeared to me, chiefly 
 along the dried-up bed of the Xenil. The night was fine, 
 but seemed interminable, and om' past sufferings were 
 repeated. 
 
 July QfJt. — The stars began to disappear in the grey 
 
36 ' THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 twilight of dawn. Thank heaven, this endless night was 
 past ! There was a general stu' in the diligence, as one 
 after another awoke sighing and groaning. I twisted my 
 neck to look out of the mndow, and find out where- 
 abouts we were. A dark -blue mountain-chain lay on om' 
 left : then came a sudden jolt, and all was confusion to 
 the eye. This had gone on tluoughout the night, and 
 was caused by the nmnerous little ditches which traverse 
 the valley. Single trains of mules, with their bells, passed 
 us at intervals. 
 
 We had hitherto only met Andalusian peasants, 
 mounted on tall horses, mth their muskets fixed to the 
 saddle ; but we now saw from time to time a horseman 
 bestriding a small, Turkish-looking steed, and riding 
 proudly along the road. The saddle, trappings, and 
 stuTups were of an oriental fashion, but the bridles 
 were old Spanish, ^\'ith immense cm'bs. The rider had 
 a distinguished look, much more so even than the 
 countr}^man or contrabandist, who glances proudly do^n 
 upon you from his horse : he appeared to belong to the 
 town. With the low Spanish hat stuck over one ear, 
 and drest in a parti-colom'ed jacket, riclily trimmed 
 vrith braid, w^de pantaloons slashed below, and short 
 leather gaiters, a long narrow scarf thi'OT\m over the 
 shoulder like a plaid, and his gun hanging at his side, 
 — he rode along, in the fresh morning air, looking 
 just like one of the Mexican horsemen in Nebel's 
 sketches. The Andalusian woman stretched her neck 
 out of the "\^•indow, and said to me something in Spanish, 
 which seemed to imply that she saw her home — Granada. 
 
VIEW or GRANADA. 37 
 
 My cooped-up position in the diligence did not allow 
 me any open view, and I had only an occasional glimpse 
 of the comitry. Scarcely had I in the twilight caught, 
 as it seemed, a view of a city, stretching along the hills, 
 when it again vanished from my sight. At another turn 
 in the road, I was able to cast a glance on the grand 
 outlines of the lofty, extended Sierra Nevada, which lay 
 before us clothed in deep blue. Then the city came 
 again in sight, and every eye was gazing eagerly to 
 catch a view of the Alhambra. One pictm^e after another 
 flew past the window, without om' being able to com- 
 mand any general view of the country. 
 
 We could no longer endm^e being boxed up in this 
 vehicle ; the door behind was opened, and every one 
 jumped out. The moment w^as opportune -. the seven 
 strong mules, which had drawn us from Loxa, a distance 
 of eight leagues, mthout stopping, were being watered 
 at a brook, and the diligence stood in the middle of 
 the stream: \Adth a good spring, we reached the diy 
 ground. Before us lay the most glorious panorama that 
 can be imagined. The morning mists rose from the 
 noble plain, in which the Xenil and Darro join. The 
 Vega of Granada may be regarded as an immense valley, 
 encompassed on the west, north, and east by a wdde am- 
 phitheatre of hills and mountains, and bounded on the 
 south likemse by ranges of hills. This semicircle opens to 
 the left of the Xenil on light blue hills, connected mth 
 a dark blue mountain of beautiful outline. In the fore- 
 grown, brown parched hills rise out of the plain, united 
 at their base, and form a single slope of gentle inclina- 
 
38 , THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 tion, Oil which the city of Granada rises in wide extent, 
 from the midst of fresh green, rich fohage and cypresses. 
 The snmmits of the hills above Granada are parched and 
 barren, only here and there the cactus or aloe climbing 
 up them. " Wliere is the Alhambra?" was the general 
 exclamation. To the right, above the city, lay a small 
 shady wood on the hill-side, on the skirts of which, as we 
 approached, the old Moorish fortress rose more clearly 
 to view, — a mass of red-brown towers and buildings, 
 in the midst of chm^ches and monasteries. Still higher 
 up and fm-ther back lies the convent-like Generalife, 
 On the right, a long naked mountain, levelled at its 
 summit, forms a connecting link between the dark blue 
 mountain and hills of Granada and the lofty, steep, and 
 mighty Sierra Nevada. Behind this ridge the sun was 
 just rising, and his rays tinged it with a glorious violet 
 and rosy colom\ This long mountain-range is inde- 
 scribably beautiful, with its grand and noble outline. 
 Here and there an isolated patch of snow lay upon its 
 summit, whilst in other places the snow descended in 
 scarcely perceptible, oblique, parallel stripes. 
 
 Touched by the first morning beams, the loftiest of 
 the numerous little peaks, which rise from the sharp 
 ridge of the Sierra, glowed like an alpine summit. The 
 mountain itself long retained its dark, bluish tints, 
 which gradually passed into a more transparent violet. 
 Then the sun rose with dazzling brilliancy above the 
 hills, clothing the upper third of the Sierra Nevada in 
 the most exquisite rosy light ; while the rest of the 
 mountain assumed its usual, burnt and brownish tone of 
 
THE SIERRA NEVADA. 89 
 
 coloiu", with the single, broad red-brown stripes which 
 give it such a peculiar appearance. 
 
 Lost in admiration we gazed on the enchanting coun- 
 try, and had ahnost forgotten om^ old lumbering diligence, 
 which was just rolling off. The seven mules, rested and 
 refreshed, started at a gentle trot, and we had to hasten 
 along at a good pace, not to be left behind. The brisk 
 httle Zagal ran by the side of his steeds, m^ging them on 
 by words and blows ; nor was this a trifle, for he had 
 already kept up a trot nearly the whole eight leagues. 
 The Majoral, the worthy conductor of the dihgence, did 
 not stir from his seat, but only held the reins with a 
 proud air, whilst the Zagal, all activity, worked himself 
 to death for his master. 
 
 Passing tln^ough a shady avenue we approached Gra- 
 nada. Our road led us past the point where the Xenil 
 and the Darro unite, to the splendid Alameda : a pro- 
 fusion of the most beautiful flowers perfumed the au\ 
 FoHowing this charming promenade, under tall, shady 
 trees, with plashing fountains at each end, the traveller 
 reaches the city from the south. Om* diligence stopped 
 at the custom-house, where the passengers separated ; the 
 German portion of the party alone remained together, 
 and we pm'sued the streets which led, with a gentle 
 ascent, to the Alhambra — the polestar that attracted us 
 so strongly ! 
 
 Through the Puerta de las Granaclas, built in the 
 style of Charles the Fifth, we entered a shady grove 
 lying upon the acclivity, and traversed by broad walks, 
 the Paseo de la Alhambra. The path widens : on the 
 
40 . THE ALHAMBRA, 
 
 left rises a high wall, against which leans the Pilar del 
 Emperador, the fountain of Charles the Pifth. Pass- 
 ing this, and taking a short tm-n to the left, we stood 
 before the lofty Moorish arch which forms the principal 
 entrance to the Alhanibra. The paved way ascends, 
 through the Puerta Principal, turning sharp to the left, 
 up to the plateau of the fortress. We stepped out on 
 the Plaza de los Algibes : on our right stood the square 
 palace of Charles the Fifth, begun in the style of the 
 revival of art, but left unfinished, with the round court- 
 yard in the middle ; on the left rose the towers and 
 battlements of the Alcazaba. The portion of this old 
 Moorish fortress not in ruins is converted into a prison. 
 Opposite the east, a tent-like awning is carried along 
 a wall, as a protection against the bmiiing sun : it re- 
 minded me of the tents at Bakschiserai, under which I 
 had seen troops of Krim Tartars waiting for a camel- 
 race. 
 
 In continuation of these awnings, on the right, hidden 
 by a corner of the palace, is the insignificant entrance to 
 the famous summer-palace of the Moorish kings. A troop 
 of criminals, chained, and guarded by a few soldiers, 
 were just then entering. These men are employed by 
 the Government, to assist the regular workmen on the 
 interior of the palace, and the system works perfectly 
 well, as om' observation convinced us. A row of modern 
 houses is erected on the entrance side of the Plaza de los 
 Algibes, fi'om which the little Puerta del Vino opens on 
 to the square. Although it has now no pm^pose on this 
 spot, it would be a })ity if, as om- Pi-ench companions told 
 
MOORISH ARCHITECTURE. 41 
 
 iiie, the beautiful Moorisli arch were really the property 
 of an Englishman ; who knows but that he might carry 
 it off, like the Elgin Marbles ! 
 
 The breath of the South, with all its mysterious charm, 
 was wafted to us through the lofty entrance arch of the 
 Puerta Principal, — how did it captivate our senses stiU 
 more on entering the interior of the Summer Seraglio ! 
 Any one who desires to witness Moorish architecture 
 in its glory, in its fidl splendom* and finest execution, 
 must seek it here, and here alone : not even in the 
 East is it seen in such perfection, — this at least is my im- 
 pression. To me the Alhambra is a magical fairy-palace, 
 with which nothing can compare. Let not the stranger 
 be deceived by the external appearance of the lofty for- 
 tress, which sits entlu-oned above Granada like a mighty 
 ruler; let him not look for spacious halls or imposing 
 stone architectm^e, nor judge by the exterior of the jewel 
 it encloses. Everything breathes loveliness and the per- 
 fume of roses in this magic castle, with its nooks and 
 corners on every side, and labyiinth of cells, and cool, 
 arched saloons, surrounding the charming little comets 
 and gardens. Eaiiy-hke and lovely, like a lady's per- 
 fumed jewel-casket, is the Alhambra ! 
 
 The Patio de la Alberca, with its oblong basin in the 
 middle, called also the Myrtle Com-t, from the hedges of 
 myrtle which enclose it, sm-passed all my expectations. 
 And yet how entirely different is the impression pro- 
 duced on entering the adjacent Lion Court ! The glow- 
 ing fancy of the East was alone capable of creating such 
 a place. The Patio de los Leones is the pearl of the 
 
42 ' THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 Alhambra, and perhaps the most romantic spot on earth. 
 A shady colonnade, of hght Moorish arches and fine 
 slender marble colmnns, smTounds this little garden of 
 Paradise, — solemn as a cloister, and charming as a pic- 
 tm^e from the Arabian Nights. On the narrow sides of 
 the oblong square, the colonnade projects over the flow- 
 ery carpet of the garden, like two little kiosks, with 
 an overhanging roof. In the centre stands a monmnent 
 of past times, the celebrated Lion Fountain, from which 
 flow fom' little rivulets between myrtle hedges, to supply 
 the fountains in the adjoining apartments. Here and 
 there stands a young cypress, sohtary and solemn, like 
 the mom'nfid watchman at the graves of the Moslim. 
 Supported by the colonnade, dazzling white walls rise 
 all around, covered mth the richest arabesques in stucco, 
 like a tissue of Brussels lace, as the Countess Halm has 
 correctly remarked, while the deep blue sky of Andalusia 
 overarches it with its azure vault. 
 
 Lofty gates lead into the adjoining Salas cle las dos 
 Hermanas and de los Abencerages. These apartments 
 are marvellously beautiful, the walls covered with ara- 
 besques, and rich decorations hanging down from the 
 vaulted ceilings like various-colom-ed drops. The Sala 
 de los Embaxadores is exactly similar, and is connected 
 by the Sala de la Barca with the Patio de la Alberca. 
 The Sala del Tribunal, which opens on to the Lion 
 Court, is not square, like the former halls, but oblong : 
 three doors lead into the colonnade of the Patio de los 
 Leones. 
 
 The baths of the Alhambra resemble those of the Eski 
 
INTERIOR OF THE ALHAMBRA. 43 
 
 Serai at Constantinople, which are lighted from above 
 through the open tracery- work of their marble domes. 
 With the Banos is connected the portion of the Moorish 
 palace which Charles the Fifth and the Catholic kings 
 had repaii'ed for their use. An open gallery conducts 
 on to the adjoining Tocador cle la Reyna, resembling a 
 tower, which stands out toward the precipice : it is here 
 called Charles the Fifth's Pavilion. There is a magnificent 
 panoramic view of the country from this room, the walls 
 of which are ornamented with arabesques. Numerous 
 bow-windows cut up the prospect into various charming 
 pictm'es : the one commanding a view of the Generalife 
 pleased me most. 
 
 The Alhambra forms a little town in itself, houses 
 and lanes extending behind the unfinished imperial pa- 
 lace : within a short time, a pretty, neat fonda has been 
 built at the top of the hill, of which we at once took 
 possession. Here is also a cluuch. 
 
 We enjoyed a view of the sunset from the Torre de la 
 Vela, the tower of the Alcazaba, on which the Christian 
 banners were first planted. From this point there is the 
 grandest prospect over Granada and the plain, the Al- 
 hambra and the Generalife, with the lofty Nevada in the 
 background. Centmies have passed since the Arabs 
 quitted this paradise, the valley of Granada, and yet the 
 traces they have left in the Alhambra remain to this day 
 imperishable. On entering it, a person feels himself 
 transported as by a magic wand to the East, — the land 
 of imagination, of indescribable longings, — into the love- 
 ly yet solemn land of the East. The East has been a 
 
44 * THE ALHAMBRA, 
 
 happy dream of my early days. In the Alhambra — in 
 Granada — I was transported thither again. Whoever has 
 seen the Alhambra in his youth, will retain the remem- 
 brance of it, invested with a rosy light, to the end of his 
 days. I feel myself perpetually attracted thither in 
 thought. From the battlements of the old Moorish 
 fortress, the breath as it were of the East seems to be 
 diffused over Granada and the whole valley. 
 
 From the Torre de la Vela we descended to the Ala- 
 meda, — unfortunately too late to meet the beauties of 
 Granada ; but instead w^e saw an act of Lucia di Lam- 
 mermoor in the theatre close by. The stars shone 
 brightly over the romantic little wood of the Alhambra, 
 as we returned home late in the evening. 
 
 July Ith. — This morning we took a walk to the Gene- 
 ralife. The first of the small gardens in the interior of 
 the palace is similar to those of the Alhambra. The 
 building lying directly opposite the entrance contains a 
 beautiful Moorish gate, leading into a vaulted hall, the 
 ceiling and walls of which are ornamented with the same 
 kind of lace-work and suspended di'ops as we had ob- 
 served before. On the left an arched passage wdth arcades 
 and windows enclose the garden. The view of the Al- 
 hambra from this passage is wonderfully fine, its towers 
 and battlements rising out of the wood on the further 
 extremity of a small intervening valley. The Generalife 
 also contains a second, less remarkable court or small 
 garden. Here stand the tAvo cypresses, under which, 
 as the legend teUs, the romantic love-intrigue was dis- 
 covered which led to the murder of the Abencerages. 
 
CATHEDRAL OF GRANADA. 45 
 
 On the acclivity above the Generahfe is built a small, 
 modern pavilion, which affords a still more extensive 
 view. Granada lies grouped around the foot of the Al- 
 hanibra : on turning round, the Sierra Nevada is seen 
 rising above the hill ; while toward the south, we were 
 shown the height from which the Moors, as they de- 
 parted, cast a parting glance on Granada : it is still called 
 " El ultimo Suspiro de los Moros." I spent the rest of the 
 morning in sketching in the Alhambra. The heat was 
 intolerable : the workmen in the Lion Court appeared to 
 be in eager conversation about the last war. 
 
 In the afternoon we mounted om^ horses, and rode to 
 see the remarkable featm^es of Granada. We first went 
 to the cathedi'al, which has a great resemblance to that 
 of Malaga : the chok is here likewise in the centre. The 
 walls of the Capilla de San Miguel are adorned with the 
 black marble of the Sierra Nevada. In the Capilla San 
 Bernardo is a beautiful altar-piece by Boca Negra. The 
 high grating of the Capilla Real, which divides the high 
 altar and the tombs of the kings from the other part 
 of the chapel, was unfortunately shut, and there was no 
 means of gaining admittance on this day. We saw the 
 holy image of " Nuestra Seiiora de la Antigua," which 
 was borne before the army that took Granada : Ferdi- 
 nand and Isabella presented it to the city. We came 
 too late to the cluuch of San Juan de Dios, and thence 
 rode to the Cartuja, crossing on om' way the Plaza del 
 Triunfo, in the centre of which stands the statue of the 
 " Virgen de Pilar." Upon the wall of a garden on the 
 left grew two palm-trees — the first we had seen since 
 
46 " THE ALIIAMBRA. 
 
 leaving Malaga. The Plaza de Toros lies on the same side. 
 Upon the heights, to the right, are seen two Moorish 
 gates, lying one behind another, — the Puerta del Bira 
 and the Puerta de Monarca, in the Barrio de Albassin. 
 
 Passing between high walls, we reached the Cartuja. 
 The chm'chyard attached to it is a beautiful garden, 
 planted with cypresses. The chui'ch contains some trea- 
 sm^es and precious works of art, — amongst others, four 
 Murillos and several pictures by Cano : in the Capilla 
 Santa Santorum is a splendid collection of different 
 marbles. The sacristy contains two beautiful Nuns, by 
 Murillo : the closets, or tall cabinets, on the walls are 
 inlaid with tortoiseshell and ivory. 
 
 Prom the Cartuja we went up to the little chapel of 
 San Miguel el Alto, which stands upon the heights 
 above Granada. On om" ride back, the Sierra Nevada 
 lay before us ; we reached the chapel just in time to 
 see the sunset from this glorious point of view. Be- 
 neath us, on the left, lay the Generalife, and the red- 
 brown Alhambra with its abrupt towers, separated from 
 us by a deep valley. The steep, wooded hill, which they 
 crown, stretches like a tongue of land into the city of 
 Granada. On the slope of the hill upon which we stood 
 are rows of aloe-hedges ; the old Arab wall runs along 
 it, and may be traced down into the city. The wide, 
 verdant plain, with woods and fields, bordered by pa- 
 rallel ranges of hills, extends up to Granada; and in 
 this plain rises the black, isolated Monte Santo, whose 
 points were more sharply defined by the sun going down 
 behind it. 
 
SPANISH GIPSIES. 47 
 
 From San Miguel we proceeded across the deep valley 
 to the Alhambra. On reachmg the foot of the wooded 
 hill, we struck into a path by which the Abencerages 
 used to pass from the Generalife to the Alhambra : it 
 climbs in a wild and romantic manner along the bed of 
 a mminuring wooded rivulet : a small aqueduct still re- 
 mains on one side. We rode tluough a little gate at the 
 back into the castle. All the inhabitants of the Alham- 
 bra were assembled in the garden of om' fonda, to see 
 the dances of a band of Gitanos, which however did not 
 please us much. The gipsies of Granada are not at all 
 cleaner than those I had seen in Moscow. Before 
 retiring to bed we took another tm'u in the com'ts and 
 halls of the Alhambra. Had it been moonlight, we 
 should have been tempted to spend the night in the 
 Arab castle, but the darkness took from the spot some- 
 thing of its romantic interest. 
 
 July ^th. — The refreshing cool of evening at length 
 succeeded a sultry day : the sun was setting just as I 
 stepped on to the balconies of the Torre de la Vela, to 
 spend the last moments before my departm'e ; and here 
 I bade adieu to the charming Alhambra, the remem- 
 brance of which I shall retain tluough hfe. 
 
 At eight o'clock we rode under the tall, arched 
 Moorish tower, and down through the little wood, — a 
 shady promenade much frequented in the twilight hom% 
 — into the city, and again in front of the cathedral. We 
 had ordered the sexton to show us the tombs in the 
 Capilla Real, but he had by ill luck gone away, and was 
 nowhere to be found : we therefore continued our ride 
 
48 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 past the Alameda, in the clear starlight night. Nume- 
 rous large fires, of bm'ning weeds, were kindled in the 
 fields. Our way led us through several little hamlets, 
 which looked like the subm-bs of the city. 
 
 After proceeding thus for several hom's, we at length 
 reached the heights of " El ultimo Suspiro de los Moros," 
 where we again took farewell of Granada. From this 
 point we saw the long line of lights in the city, at the 
 foot of the dark hill, — the heights once past, it was seen 
 no more. On leaving the next village we took a draught 
 from the leather bottle which we had procured in 
 Granada, and then gradually ascended another hill, 
 on the top of which we met a train of mules, that 
 separated us from our guide. For some time we were 
 left to ourselves, and the road was so bad that we were 
 at last obliged to dismount. On rejoining om* guide, 
 we rode to the village of La Mala, on the other side of 
 the hills, passed through it without stopping, and soon 
 after came to another village, where we halted at a 
 baker's shop. The man at first would not open his 
 door, but having at last prevailed on him to do so, we 
 satisfied our hunger, and then pursued om' way across 
 the plain. The smooth, level road seemed made for a 
 good trot, and we reckoned that, at this pace, a couple 
 of hours would bring us to Alhama, where we intended 
 to rest. This was however impossible, miless I let 
 the driver of the lame pack-horse run by his side, in 
 Spanish fashion : but, although he was a stout fellow, 
 and probably not less indefatigable than the Zagal of 
 our Malaga diligence, yet I could not bear to make a 
 
MUTINY IN THE CARAVAN. 49 
 
 man slave like a horse. Anticipating this result I had 
 ordered our Arrieiro to engage a mounted attendant ; 
 but he had not kept his word, and we were thus con- 
 demned to ride the whole night long at a foot-pace. 
 
 This however was not the only cause of complaint ; 
 it was settled that we were to have the same horses to- 
 day as yesterday : the Aiiieiro had made a high charge 
 for them, but as the beasts proved good ones we had 
 not grumbled. This evening however, just as we were 
 about to mount, we found that, instead of om- former 
 horses, the man had brought us some old, jaded mares : 
 I was the only one who retained his steed. All the sad- 
 dles too were changed. The caravan had hitherto sup- 
 pressed their just indignation, but it now broke forth, 
 when we saw that om^ night jom^ney would be pro- 
 longed several hours through the knavery of this fellow. 
 A formidable conspiracy was now hatched, — we agreed 
 amongst us to plague and tickle the guide's jackass the 
 whole night long, to prevent his going at a regular 
 pace for a single instant, and this office we were to 
 take in tm-n. Thirsting for revenge, we hoped in this 
 way that the crafty Arrieiro would have neither peace 
 nor quiet, and perhaps expiate his sins more fully by 
 a good chafing from his ride : this thought animated 
 our weary spirits. The knavish little fellow leaned comi- 
 cally forward on his jackass : every means was tried to 
 induce him to dismount and go on foot, instead of his 
 servant-lad, but in vain. He grew more and more mali- 
 cious, — the proud Spaniard awoke within him, and point- 
 ing to his pistols, he declared that he would defend him- 
 
 VOL. I. E 
 
50 • THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 self with those httle instruments : a shout of laughter 
 however soon silenced him. 
 
 It was about midnight, when Count OrioUa proposed 
 to remain behind with the guide on foot, and allow the 
 rest of the party to hasten on before. This disinterested 
 offer was thankfully accepted, and away we went at a 
 brisk trot in the dark, which however from the bad state 
 of the road soon subsided into a snail's pace. Tired out 
 we had almost fallen asleep, when suddenly om' little 
 conductor made us dismount. The road here descended 
 steeply into a wide valley ; a venta stood by the wayside, 
 — the temptation was too great — we entered, and the 
 world without was soon forgotten in peaceful slmnber. 
 
 The short halt we had proposed to make was pro- 
 longed to above an hour. From this point we crossed 
 the valley, through which flows a little stream called the 
 Fuente cle Banos. The day dawned, as we skuted the op- 
 posite side of the valley. Here we overtook Count OrioUa, 
 who whilst we were asleep had passed the venta with 
 his companion on foot. Leaving the valley of the Fuente 
 de Banos, we entered on a wide elevated ridge of ground. 
 
 Juhj ^th. — The sun rose this morning on a completely 
 Greek country, — an elevated plain, crossed by valleys in 
 all duections, without tree or bush, and backed by a 
 beautiful and sharply defined mountain-ridge, the Monte 
 del Nevazo, which was gloriously clothed "udth a deep 
 blue and violet colour. We had still an occasional 
 glimpse of the Sierra Nevada, which lay behind us, veiled 
 in a transparent mist ; its outline was nearly the reverse 
 of that seen from Granada. The plain along which om- 
 
ANDALUSIAN PEASANTS. 51 
 
 route lay now descended, and a stony road led gra- 
 dually down into a deep ravine, terminated by a small 
 wliite town, on the top of a limestone rock rising per- 
 pendicularly from the valley. Alhama lay before us, — the 
 complete counterpart of a Greek town. On om^ w^ay we 
 passed several paved tlu'ashing-floors, on which the corn 
 was thrashed in the open air. 
 
 Tired out, and straggling, om* caravan rode up the 
 rock in a zigzag com^se. Tar behind us followed the 
 Arrieu^o's lame servant vnth the lame pack-horse; his 
 tall pole was no longer any help to him. A great number 
 of mules and donkeys were congregated in the market- 
 place, which swarmed with armed peasants. At seven 
 o'clock we stopped at om' posada : a group of Andalusian 
 peasants had collected in the house, all drest in their 
 picturesque national costume, — breeches wdth rows of 
 buttons, slashed leather gaiters, and a little felt or black 
 velvet hat with two tufts stuck at the side. They 
 w^ere all seated round the table, in their shirt-sleeves, 
 with jackets thrown over their shoulders, their w^ar- 
 like, sunburnt featm^es animated by wine and conversa- 
 tion. These men were very cmious to inspect om^ 
 pistols, but above all the fine powder astonished them. 
 Then one after another each fetched his old-fashioned 
 musket, with its clumsy stock, and opening a motley 
 leather pouch which was girded round his body, poured 
 some powder into our hands. They all boasted of ha- 
 ving fought in the last war. Among the rest was an old 
 chap with a dark-red visage, and a mouth that reached 
 from ear to ear, but set with a row of brilliant wdiite 
 
 E 2 
 
52 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 teeth, wlio was escorting a transport of prisoners to Gra- 
 nada. " I always treat my prisoners well," said lie, 
 " for who knows but that I might myself kill a man in 
 the heat of passion, and then I should be transported!" 
 The Spanish peasant considers murder a very trifling 
 offence. The other guard of the prisoners had all the 
 noble look of a Greek palikar. But I had almost for- 
 gotten the most interesting occmTcnce — to us at least. 
 Shortly after om- arrival at Alhama the Arrieu^o secretly 
 went off to another party. He first despatched this new 
 caravan, staying behind himself till the last moment. 
 My horse, which was the only fast and still active beast 
 left, he had prudently retained, — it stood ready saddled 
 in the stable. Count Oriolla observed that the knavish 
 little fellow was bent on some mischief, and he deter- 
 mined to take him before the alcalde ; but just as he was 
 changing his coat for this pm-pose, the culprit slipped 
 away, and my horse carried him off as swiftly as an 
 arrow. Count Oriolla and Mr. Brinkmann, after toiling 
 for hom's, succeeded in finding another Arrieiro, who 
 was however only able to furnish us with one mule and 
 the necessary complement of donkeys. 
 
 At five o'clock p.m. we left Alhama, much more fresh 
 and brisk than when we entered the town. The first 
 point toward which we directed om* com^se was Velez 
 Malaga. Immediately at the back of Alhama we again 
 ascended a barren plateau : behind us lay the Sierra Ne- 
 vada, and before us the steep Monte del Nevazo, with its 
 sharp outline, which the setting sun was beginning gra- 
 dually to illumine. Our path led us round this moun- 
 
JOURNEY TO VELEZ MALAGA. 53 
 
 tain (said to contain silver), into a lovely valley planted 
 witli olive-trees and encompassing its foot. We soon 
 came to anotlier mountain-cliain, of strange form, whicli 
 we had to cross. Night had already veiled the valley at 
 om" feet, and in the far distance the last gleam of day- 
 light rested on the sea, which vanished in the mist. In 
 an instant it was pitch dark. The stars began gradually 
 to appear, but theii' light was too feeble to show us the 
 way along the steep, rugged path. Our column was 
 straggling and far apart ; Count OrioUa on his spirited 
 mule soon distanced the rest of the party. Before me 
 walked the Arrieiro's brisk young lad, driving the sump- 
 ter-mule. Every now and then snatches of some me- 
 lancholy air, sung by the Arrieiro, reached me, and from 
 the scarcely audible tones of this monotonous and truly 
 national melody I judged that he must be far in the 
 rear. On starting from Albania our guide had marched 
 briskly along, shouldering his musket, but he now began 
 to lag behind. " Hombre ! hombre ! " cried the old man 
 repeatedly to his young comrade ; and the last, long- 
 di'awn syllable died melodiously away over our heads, 
 whilst in the same tone the word was echoed back ; the 
 sound gave us a means of measming the extent of om* 
 caravan. Spaniards so commonly address one another 
 by this term " Hombre " — man — that even little boys 
 have caught the expression, which sounds oddly enough. 
 We were just beginning to descend the dark declivity, 
 when the Arrieiro called in a loud voice for the advanced 
 portion of our troop to halt. The rear of the caravan 
 was at last brought up, and our old guide now begged us 
 
54 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 to remain together, as it was not unlikely that in this part 
 of the road we might fall in with robbers. Count OrioUa, 
 on this hint, put his pistols in order, and then giving 
 the reins to his beast galloped off and was speedily 
 lost in the smTOunding darkness. Count Viry also 
 prepared himself for battle, tying his pistols round his 
 body with a red pocket-handkerchief; but at last over- 
 come by sleep, and in a state of half oblivion, he quietly 
 slid over the neck of his jackass ; this accident had the 
 effect of rousing him, and he soon recovered his seat. 
 
 On the narrow path along the dark valley we passed 
 several small troops of country-people on mules, all 
 armed. Young Brinkmann had over-exerted himself, in 
 his efforts for the general good, not having closed an eye 
 since we left Granada : he was now fairly tired out, and 
 we stopped at a house by the wayside to get a draught 
 of water, for the night was warm ; among the inmates 
 of the house we found — where we least expected it — a 
 strikingly handsome Andalusian woman. 
 
 A short stage brought us to the next regular venta. 
 Huge cactuses, like those in Sicily, and tall aloes stood 
 near the house, — a proof that we had entered on the 
 coast-region. We all stretched om-selves on flom--sacks 
 in the venta, and soon fell asleep, while troops of mules 
 were continually passing by. I left my crooked vinestock 
 — my travelling companion for more than six years — on 
 the bench before the door : when I awoke, it was gone ! 
 It is now wandering about in Andalusia — who knows into 
 what hands it may have fallen ! It was one my mother 
 had given me when we were on an excursion in Silesia. I 
 
VILLAGE OF VINUELA. 55 
 
 had intended that it should have visited Africa and Ame- 
 rica, and then quietly have reposed on its laurels in a corner 
 of my chamber, but its fate has fallen out otherwise ! 
 
 The venta was soon left behind : the toil of riding 
 without stirrups, on a sack, in place of a saddle, grew 
 irksome, and one after another of om' party dismounted 
 and went on foot. We crossed a brook, in a narrow val- 
 ley, and at length arrived at the village of Vinuela, — it 
 looked like an abode of the dead ! In one house only 
 was a light visible, around which were clustered a group 
 of people, chiefly women. I was told that a corpse was 
 lying in the house. At the end of this village, by the 
 roadside, a large party was bivouacked: fires were still 
 glimmering here and there. Om* first thought was that 
 these must be robbers or Gitanos ; they however proved 
 to be only country-people, journeying from place to 
 place dming harvest-time. The valley grew more and more 
 narrow and wild, and below us we looked clo^vn into a 
 dark abvss. This continued for some distance : fatio;ue at 
 length overpowered us, just as the day began to dawn. 
 
 J/dj/ lOt/i. — The cool morning air made us glad to 
 dismount and proceed on foot, chiving om^ tKed animals 
 before us. A thick orange-grove, perfuming the air all 
 around, completely filled up the lovely valley ; while tall 
 cactuses, flowering aloes, oleanders in blossom, and high 
 reeds, fined the broad, level road. The mountains on 
 each side rose in numerous lofty domes, similar to those 
 around Malaga. An exquisite, rosy, morning mist suf- 
 fused the landscape and the Sierra, which we had passed 
 early in the night, and which now rose above the valley 
 
56 THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 at our back. A tmii in the road disclosed to view Velez 
 Malaga at a short distance before us, from which the old 
 Moorish castle rises like an acropolis. 
 
 We halted at Velez to rest and refresh ourselves, and 
 then took our seats in the coach that was to convey us 
 to Malaga. If the Malaga diligence was like the coach 
 in the theatrmn Europceum, this vehicle was much more 
 so still ; we were indulged with a perpetual jolting and 
 shaking. The view back upon Velez and the green 
 valley was truly enchanting. Seven tall, noble palm- 
 trees stand in this little town, and behind the Moorish 
 fortress are seen the sharp, grotesque outlines of the 
 lofty Sierras, the highest mountain among which is the 
 rounded Sierra Tejeda, visible at a great distance. 
 
 The sea at length again appeared in view, and a fresh 
 breeze from the east swelled the ship's sails. We now 
 kept along the sandy shore, toward which the high land 
 descends, partly in hills and partly in rocks, more or less 
 distant from the sea. Upon each of the numerous pro- 
 jecting headlands that we passed stood a tower, which in 
 times of old served as a protection against the Moors. 
 There are likewise two forts between Velez and Malaga, 
 the first of which is called " del Marquez." The heat was 
 intolerable, and we at length rounded the last point. Be- 
 fore us lay the ' San Michele ' at anchor in the roadstead, 
 and Malaga, at the foot of the mountains which descend 
 toward the strand. We took leave of our two Hamburg 
 companions, and retm'ned on board. In the afternoon 
 all the preparations were made for sailing the next morn- 
 ing : meanwhile some Spanish ladies visited the frigate. 
 
THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 July 13th. — I was aroused, from sleep by a guard of 
 marines, — we were approacliing the anchorage. The 
 wind blew keen, as I hastened up the steps. Although 
 the day had scarcely begun to dawn, all were astir 
 on the deck of the ' San jMichele.' The Rock of Gib- 
 raltar rose close to us with a thi'eatening frown, like 
 a huge giant, sending his violent squalls down upon 
 us : the slender masts of the frigate bent under their 
 fmy. Em^ope and Africa, veiled in the dim twilight, 
 appeared to form one continuous line of coast, and it 
 Avas some time before I observed that we were already 
 in the bay of Algeznas. I looked up aloft : the topsails 
 were all fmiecl, yet the mighty ship creaked in every 
 timber. All were on deck, — every officer at his post, and 
 the manoeuvre-divisions grouped around the foot of the 
 masts : the boatswain and his mates had set the silver 
 whistle to their lips. All eyes were fixed on the quarter- 
 
58 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 deck : there stood the Captam, with the speakmg-trumpet 
 in his hand, awaiting the moment when the dark brow 
 of the Rock, which frowned npon us, shouhl clear. The 
 shock passed, and the squall subsided : the heavy stern 
 of the frigate rose slowly up, and the ship breathed as 
 it were freely again, and felt all her youthful strength 
 return. M. d'Arcolliere now ordered the topsails to be 
 set : hundreds of footsteps instantly answered the com- 
 mand. The crew, drawn up in long lines on the deck, 
 moved backwards and forwards, to the measure of the 
 shrill fifes : all around was a chaos of sailors, soldiers, 
 and ropes, in which a landsman's eye sees nothing but 
 confusion, whereas it is precisely in this apparent crowd 
 and bustle that everything is regulated with the most 
 perfect order. The officers encouraged the men to 
 alacrity, and hardly were the topsails filled, when the 
 command was given to wear the ship round, in order to 
 bring her up to the anchorage by short tacks ; because, 
 from want of sufficient acquaintance with these waters, 
 the Captain would not ventm-e too far west toward 
 Algeziras, nor on the other hand too near the Rock, 
 within its sweep, on account of the squalls that descend 
 from it in violent gusts. We were thus obliged to 
 tack at least half a dozen times, for toward morning the 
 wind had suddenly shifted round to the east, in which 
 quarter it is always accompanied by squalls from the 
 Rock. 
 
 Day at length dawned. Two ships of the line, the 
 ' Thunderer ' and the ' Formidable,' were lying in the 
 roads ; and as the frigate ran in, they hoisted their flags, 
 
VIEW OF THE ROCK. 59 
 
 even before sunrise, in compliment to her, whilst the 
 Union -jack was displayed on the fortress. On entering 
 the bay, the mountains of Africa lay behind us in the 
 blue distance ; we passed close under the stern of 
 the ' Thunderer,' and anchored at half past six a.m. in 
 nineteen and a half fathoms' water, nearly in a hue with, 
 but a little to the south-east of, the two ships. 
 
 The Rock of Gibraltar is recognized by the sailors at 
 a great distance : I saw it first yesterday morning be- 
 tween eight and nine o'clock, just after we lost sight of 
 Cape Mulinos. The beautiful mountains of Spain de- 
 scended gradually toward the west and south, until they 
 were levelled to a scarcely perceptible plain. With this 
 w^ere connected other hills, at the end of which Gibral- 
 tar projects into the blue sea, like a small, insular- 
 looking rock. At a short distance, — separated only by 
 the Straits, — the Apes' Hill rose like a truncated pyra- 
 mid from the waves, clothed in light vapom% whdst the 
 adjacent coast of Africa was continued on the left, like 
 the faint outline of a height, until it was lost in mists. 
 Thus for the first time I greeted simultaneously the 
 Pillars of Hercules and the coast of Africa, — that still 
 unexplored and desert quarter of the globe. A few 
 moments later the Rock of Gibraltar intercepted the 
 view of the low hills of Andalusia, the last spm's of 
 the Sierra Ronda or Bermeja ; until at fom^ o'clock in 
 the afternoon it was again seen distinctly separated from 
 them. It now appeared to form a perfect island, — the 
 Neutral Ground, the flat isthmus that connects it w4th 
 Spain, not being yet visible. The Rock of Gibraltar, 
 
60 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 seen from this side, has the form of a trapezium, upon 
 the straight riclge of which, to the north, rises a scarcely 
 perceptible elevation, whilst at its foot Europa Point ad- 
 vances from its steep southern wall into the Straits, like 
 a short, flat heel. 
 
 Several ships were cruising, like us, sheltered by Gib- 
 raltar against the west- wind, and awaiting the favour- 
 able east-wind to carry them out to sea ; whilst others, 
 beyond the isthmus, which was not visible, lay at anchor 
 in the bay of Algeziras. The Apes' Hill grew more 
 distinct, and, as we looked obliquely across the Straits, 
 appeared to be connected with Gibraltar by a small chain 
 of hills, which we soon recognized as the line of coast 
 between that mountain and Tangier. At six o'clock in 
 the evening the view was more clear and defined ; Africa 
 and Europe were distinctly separated. To the left of 
 the Apes' Hill we saw Ceuta, with its high-seated for- 
 tress. The evening mists suddenly arose, divided the 
 rock of Ceuta as with a knife, and at length made an 
 immense horizontal opening into its centre, which pre- 
 sented a very remarkable appearance. Night soon set 
 in ; the light on Europa Point guided us like a bright 
 star in the dark ; it was not extinguished until the day 
 began to dawn. 
 
 We now surveyed from our anchorage the bay of Al- 
 geziras, like a glorious panorama, receding deep inland, 
 and stretching between Cape Carnero on the Avest, so 
 dreaded for its rocky reefs, and the proud Gibraltar on 
 the east. On the western and northern sides it is en- 
 closed by brown, parched hills, extending from the west- 
 
APPEARANCE OF THE TOWN. 61 
 
 ern point, to the gently inclined pyramid of the small 
 mountain which bounds on the north the flat tract of 
 the Neutral Ground; toward the latter this mountain 
 descends steeply, and the English call it by the name 
 of " The Queen of Spain's Chair." Not far from Cape 
 Carnero, the white town of Algeziras rises from the 
 blue waves -. before it lies a small island, called the Isla 
 Verde, and a large Spanish brig of war was just then in 
 the roadstead. Upon a hill fm'ther to the east rises San 
 Roque. The sandy isthmus of the Neutral Ground, and 
 the perpendicular Rock of Gibraltar, resembling a lion 
 stretched out at rest, form the eastern side of the bay. 
 Like the other heights which encircle the bay, it has the 
 same browmish, biu"nt colom' as Malta and the Greek 
 coast ; this however is said to change in the spring to 
 a crimson tint, when the Cydamen Nea^jolitanum, which 
 clothes it similarly to the tufa rocks in the neighbom'- 
 lioocl of Naples, is in blossom. 
 
 The town stretches along the seashore at the foot of 
 the Rock, commencing at its north-w^estern corner close 
 to the Neutral Ground, and extending to about the 
 centre of its west side, up which it rises to a thii'd of its 
 height. Gibraltar from a distance has a neat and clean 
 appearance, and gives an impression of being rather a 
 stately town*. In the direction of Europa Point extend 
 
 * I am indebted to the kindness of the Rev. Dr. Pischon for the fol- 
 lowing historical accomit of Gibraltar. The first landing in Spain took 
 place as early as July, 710. Taric ben Zeugad effected a second land- 
 ing on the 28th of April, 711, on the green island of Gezira Alhadra 
 (whence rvlgeziras), and encamped on the extreme point of the nicun- 
 
62 ■ THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 green plantations, cottages and large single buildings, 
 chiefly barracks, magazines, etc. From tlie roadstead 
 
 tain of the Peninsula, which was thenceforth called Geb al Taric 
 (Mons Calpe of the Romans), — either jNIountain of Taric or of Con- 
 quest. The famous battle on the Guadalete, the present Xeres de la 
 Frontera, was fought on July 18-26, in the year 711, and led to the 
 overthrow of the empire of the Visigoths. After the conquest of 
 Seville by Ferdinand VII. in 1248, Gibraltar, as well as many of the 
 southern towns, Niebla for instance, must have fallen into the hands 
 of the Castilians. Muhammed ben Ismail, of Granada, took Gibral- 
 tar from the Christians in 1333, after which it was besieged by Al- 
 fonso XL, but in vain. Abul Hassan of Fez conquered it ; Mu- 
 hammed ceded it to him, and once more saved it from the Christians. 
 In 1349 Alfonso besieged Gibraltar again, but his death in 1350 
 frustrated his hope of gaining possession of the town. In 1462, 
 under Henry IV., Roderigo Ponce and the Duke Medina Sidonia 
 captured the fortress, without difficulty, while the garrison were ab- 
 sent at another battle. In 1540 a subaltern officer of Hairaddin 
 Barbarossa took Gibraltar, and carried off considerable booty ; but 
 General Mendoza soon recaptured the fortress, and either took the 
 infidel garrison prisoners or slew them. In the Spanish War of 
 Succession, the British Admiral Rooke, with the combined English 
 and Dutch fleets, in conjunction Avith Prince George of Hesse Darm- 
 stadt, who conducted the land-expedition as a volunteer, took Gib- 
 raltar, which Philip V. in vain afterwards besieged, and finally at 
 the Peace it was ceded to England. On the eleventh of February, 
 1727, the Spaniards under the Marquis de las Torres again besieged 
 Gibraltar, but the attempt failed. In the American War Spain at- 
 tempted to recover possession of it, and besieged it through the instru- 
 mentality of the minister Florida Blanca, from 1779 to 1783, by land 
 and sea : these terrible attacks however shook neither the Rock of 
 Gibraltar nor the courage of Eliott. The project also of starving out 
 the inhabitants was frustrated by the storm on the 1 0th of October. 
 Admiral Howe introduced supplies of food, and at the peace Gibraltar 
 remained in the power of England. The last attempt to take this 
 place likeAvise failed, if indeed it was ever seriously intended, when 
 the French in 1810 and 1811 approached the fortress, whose rock, 
 the story goes, they projected to blow up. 
 
SMUGGLING VESSELS. G3 
 
 are also distinctly seen the lines of tlie town and coast 
 fortification, and a portion of the embrasures of the cele- 
 brated Excavations, the Galleries, which are formed in 
 the rock in several lines one over another on the north- 
 west corner. From Em'opa Point the view extends over 
 the blue horizon of the Mediterranean to the hill of 
 Ceuta, rising like an island veiled in a transparent mist, 
 and the chain of the Apes' Hill : the latter closes the 
 panorama on the south. 
 
 Immediately on om^ arrival I received some visits, 
 and then landed. We threaded our w^ay through a 
 great many ships, lying in the roadstead, together 
 with mistics, boves and other small coasting-vessels 
 with lateen sails, which usually lie off the Neutral 
 Ground in considerable numbers. These boats carry on 
 a wholesale smuggling-trade from Gibraltar to Spain, 
 which England not only allows but even protects. The 
 small Government steamer the ' Lizard,' lies constantly 
 ready, at the first signal given from the Rock above, to 
 hasten to the assistance of the smuggler wdien pursued 
 by the Spanish Guardias Costas. The ' Lizard ' either 
 tows the smuggler into Gibraltar, or places herself 
 between that boat and the Spaniard, so that the latter 
 recognizing the British flag dares not fire. 
 
 We landed at the Water Port, at the north-west end 
 of the town : a small group of Arabs and Spaniards were 
 collected here. These two nations, intermixed with En- 
 glish soldiers and sailors, constitute the inhabitants of 
 this clean and prettily built town, in which the Spa- 
 nish architecture is found united with English comfort. 
 
64 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 The various costumes of the numerous Orientals are in 
 part very handsome : some wear crimson cloaks, but 
 the majority a white bmiiu, or a similar garment of 
 equally light stuff, but very strong, striped white and 
 black or dark brown. The characteristic white tm'ban 
 is seen frequently, but many go bareheaded. Beside the 
 Arabs and Berbers, there are in Gibraltar many Jews 
 from Africa, who are drest in a garb similar to that of 
 their Polish bretlu'en, but more smart. Among the 
 English troops here the Highlanders of the Seventy-ninth 
 regiment are particularly striking. The same variety of 
 Spanish costumes is seen here as in Malaga ; almost all 
 the women are clad in the Spanish dress, — even the 
 Jewesses, who wear scarlet, hooded cloaks, with a broad 
 velvet trimming. 
 
 The Governor, Sir Alexander Woodford, received me 
 with the greatest courtesy ; I found him with Lady and 
 Miss Woodford in his drawing-room, which looks on to 
 a small garden, rich in all kinds of exotic plants ; among 
 these a beautiful dragon-tree and a splendid oleander 
 were peciJiarly striking. Sir Alexander desu-ed Colonel 
 Bro^vn, the Commander of Ai'tillery at Gibraltar, to ac- 
 company me on horseback to visit the Lower Batteries, 
 that is to say the whole of the coast-defences, from the 
 town to Europa Point. 
 
 As soon as we passed the town, the gigantic lime- 
 stone rock rose steeply at om' side, like a colossal pyra- 
 mid. With its base is connected the horizontal plateau 
 of Windmill Hill, descending perpendicularly 330 feet to 
 a second short plain, Em'opa Point, which terminates in 
 
EUROPA POINT. 65 
 
 a steep declivity of 105 feet to the sea*. Upon this sum- 
 mit is stationed a battery, on which waves the Union- 
 jack ; and close by, but a little to the north-east, stands 
 the new lighthouse, so serviceable to mariners, the foun- 
 dation-stone of which was laid by the Dowager Queen 
 Adelaide. Among the green shrubberies and olives, 
 which extend from the town toward Emopa Point, are 
 seen neat detached houses and true English cottages, 
 nay even a little village. From Em-opa Point Ave rode 
 past the Governor's pretty cottage, a short distance along 
 the eastern coast, to the spot where the rock descends 
 perpendicularly like an enormous wall into the sea. We 
 returned over Windmill Hill, and through the new slu'ub- 
 beries, in which are placed the busts of the Duke of 
 Wellington and General Eliott : among numerous other 
 exotic plants, a pepper-tree was pointed out to me. Close 
 by is the Parade-ground, which is here called the Al- 
 meida. In the evening I dined Avith the Governor ; the 
 military-officers, according to the custom here, wore short 
 red jackets, and the artillery-officers, the same of a blue 
 colom-, with white waistcoats and cravats. 
 
 As I returned on board, the night was closing in, and 
 the black Rock of Gibraltar had exactly the appear- 
 ance of a gigantic couchant lion, Avith innumerable lights 
 glimmering upon its sides ; as if Nature had thus in- 
 
 * The Admiralty chart here perfectly agrees with the accounts of 
 Spix and ]\Iartius. In some other parts they differ wideh', and I 
 have then followed the Admiralty charts, as the latest authority. 
 The height of Europa Point is given from the statement of these 
 two gentlemen. 
 
 VOL. I. F 
 
66 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 tended to indicate, that she had chosen the Lion of Bri- 
 tain as the future guardian of the Mediterranean. The 
 Rock has only this appearance when seen from near the 
 Water Port : on approaching the roadstead, the picture 
 changes*. 
 
 July \^th. — This morning I landed at half-past five 
 o'clock, intending to ride over the remaining part of 
 the fortifications with Colonel Brovm. He conducted us, 
 past the tower attached to the old Moorish castle, to the 
 Excavations. These extraordinary and spacious galleries 
 commence above the north end of the town, running round 
 the north-west corner of the Hock in several connected 
 stories, and then extending to the perpendicular wall of 
 rock, with which Gibraltar descends toward the Neutral 
 Ground. Passing tln^ough these galleries we came to 
 the Rock- Gun-Battery, which lies above them, and from 
 thence along a narrow path to the Signal House. This 
 building is situated on the ridge of the Rock, at a height 
 of 1255 feet above the sea. In front of it stands a small 
 mast and yard for hoisting signals. The old artilleryman 
 who inhabits this lonely station, and whose duty it is 
 to survey with an eagle's glance all that passes upon 
 the waters below, and then to telegraph the news by 
 coloured signal-flags, — in a word, the Eye of the Lion 
 of Gibraltar, — manages to render a stay upon this 
 elevated spot pleasant both to himself and others. The 
 
 * The sailors sometimes compare the Rock of Gibraltar to a man's 
 foot, the heel of which is formed by the steep north side, whilst the 
 toes point toward Africa. 
 
THE SIGNAL-HOUSE. G7 
 
 merry old man offered us a glass of his excellent porter, 
 explained the view, and sold us some small cannons 
 Avhicli he had made out of pieces of the rock. The 
 rock consists of Jura limestone, that is, of compact lime- 
 stone traversed by veins of calcareous spar, which takes 
 a beautiful polish. We found here, as upon Mount Pel- 
 legrino, large cavities, both on the rocky acclivities and 
 in the massy boidders formed by the action of the 
 waves. Among these stones grows a dwarf palm, with 
 a small stem just like other palms ; I have seen this 
 also in Sicily, but very rarely. The view down from 
 this spot must in clear weather be wonderfully fine, 
 but the distance was today unfortunately veiled in a 
 mist, which prevented om' distinguishing either the 
 mountains of Granada or the coast of Africa, although 
 so near. This mist generally prevails with an east- 
 wind, and is indeed at times so thick, that ships have 
 mistaken Apes' Hill for Gibraltar, and been wrecked 
 in consequence. On the contrary we could survey the 
 Rock distinctly, with all its fortifications. We had been 
 made acquainted with the greater part of the works, 
 dming om^ rides on this and the previous day, under 
 the intelligent escort of Colonel Brown, who not only 
 took great pains to show us everything important in the 
 defences, answering all om* questions readily and with 
 frankness, but also gave us a general pictm^e, a clear 
 sm-vey of the whole. 
 
 The summit of the Rock of Gibraltar forms a sharp 
 ridge, which stretches from north to south; this fine 
 however does not lie exactly in the middle between the 
 
 r 2 
 
68 * THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 west and east sides, but approaches nearer to the latter. 
 On the south the mountain descends, as we have ob- 
 served, in terraces, at first perpendicularly toward the 
 plateau of Windmill Hill, then toward that of Europa 
 Point, and lastly steep down to the sea. The form of 
 its base would not be unlike an isosceles triangle, — its 
 small side on the north, and the longer east and west 
 sides united at a sharp angle at the south, — ^but that 
 two projections, one at the New Mole on the west 
 side, and the other near the Sugarloaf on the east, 
 break this figure*. The east and west sides run at 
 first parallel from north to south, until the western 
 coast turns sharply to the south-east just beloAv the 
 New Mole, in the direction of Em^opa Point ; the east 
 coast scarcely deviates from a straight line. The north 
 side is a perpendicular wall of rock. The west side 
 on the contrary has an escarpment from the top of 
 the rock at an angle of 20° to 30°; it then descends 
 perpendicularly eighty to a hundred feet, and slopes ofi" 
 with a gentle inclination toward the line of coast. 
 
 This slope admits of cultivation on this side of the 
 Rock, and the erection of a town ; English perseve- 
 
 * The length of the north side is 1910 paces. 
 
 The greatest breadth fi-om the New Mole to the 
 
 Sugarloaf on the east 2040 ,, 
 
 The length of the highest ridge of the peninsula 
 
 is about 3000 „ 
 
 The base of the Rock from north to south 5340 „ 
 
 The reader who desires further information is referred to the 
 interesting article on Gibraltar in the Archiv filr Offiziere der K6- 
 niglich Preussischen Artillerie- und Ingenieur-Corps, vol. 5. page 34. 
 
THE ROCK-GUN. 69 
 
 rauce has even succeeded in planting trees here and 
 there, which flourish in spite of the barrenness of the 
 soil. The last t^yo-thirds of the mountain are too steep 
 to be built upon. On the east side, like a continuation 
 of the plateau of Europa Point, a short tract of flat land 
 extends under Windmill Hill, up to the point where the 
 Hne of coast turns from its fust more N.N.E. com*se 
 chrectly northward. The perpendicular rock here re-ap- 
 pears, and in some places becomes a steep acclivity. The 
 English have bestowed the greatest attention on the land- 
 front ; it was toward this side that, during the famous 
 siege, the enemy's fii-e was most obstinately directed, 
 while the English were harassed by the batteries which 
 the enemy had constructed upon the sandy isthmus. The 
 batteries at that time erected on tliis side of the Rock 
 are said to have suffered most severely, although from 
 their extraordinarily high position the fact appears al- 
 most incredible. This is even said to have been the 
 case WT.th the Rock- Gmi*, placed at an elevation of 1337 
 feet above the sea, — a point which exceeds the height of 
 the Signal House by about eighty-two feet, and is little 
 
 * On the 12th of October, 1/79, a tweuty-four-pounder was 
 placed on this spot, and called the Rock-Gun. On the 17th of 
 April, 1781, a shot first reached this point, whilst in May scarcely a 
 day passed without some one being wounded by this cannon (see " A 
 History of the late Siege of Gibraltar, -nith a description and ac- 
 count of that Garrison, from the earliest periods," by John Drink- 
 water, Capt., pages 148 and 158). But a still more remarkable 
 circumstance is, that shells from the enemy's mortar-boats, stationed 
 opposite the Old INIole, flew over the ridge of the rock, and fell 
 in different places on the east side. (Drinkwater, pages 157 and 
 179.) 
 
70 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 lower than the highest summit of the momitain above 
 Windmill Hill, the Sugarloaf, which rises 1408 feet 
 above the sea. 
 
 Among the lessons which the English derived from 
 experience during the siege of 1779 to 1783, so re- 
 markable in many points of view, the most important 
 was, the necessity of keeping the Spaniards at as great 
 a distance as possible on the isthmus, both because this 
 is the only side on which a regular siege is possible, and 
 likewise to prevent being too closely shut in on the 
 land-side, and to keep an outlet open. These considera- 
 tions led as early as the year 1789 to the creation of 
 the " Excavations," which offer the necessary protec- 
 tion to artillery, and give it at the same time a wide 
 field of action. In six years this gigantic work was com- 
 pleted*. 
 
 It appeared to me that too great a force was concen- 
 trated upon this point ; for in the first place, a colossal, 
 perpendicular rock requires no defence, and again its 
 
 * Chance first led to the construction of the " Excavations." In 
 the summer of 1/82 an opening was made in the north wall of the 
 Rock, to admit light and air to a gallery that lay behind, which was 
 only to serve as a communication and shelter for the troops, but chiefly 
 for the use of the men themselves who were still at work on the 
 gallery. As this opening afforded a good view over the enemy's 
 works and batteries, the idea suggested itself of using it as an em- 
 brasure, and a twenty-four-pounder was placed in it. In a short 
 time other similar openings were formed by the side of this one, so 
 that in September four or five guns were placed in the gallery, which 
 in the course of a year was continued to the projection of the Rock, 
 where General Eliott had previously planned to open the battery 
 in the rock which is now known by the name of St. George's Hall. 
 > — See Drinkwater, page 247. 
 
THE EXCAVATIONS. 71 
 
 own shots sent down from so great a height are too 
 phmging. Moreover the cannon placed here are compa- 
 ratively of too small a calibre, mostly nine- and twelve- 
 pounders, on depression-carriages ; they however com- 
 mand the greater part of the entrance to the to\^m, close 
 to the north-west corner of the rock, called the Land 
 Port, or at least the flat groimd before it, together with 
 the previously existing triple lines which extend below 
 at the foot of the Rock and are suitable for mounting 
 heavy gmis. This entrance is therefore of great im- 
 portance, with the narrow dyke in front, because it 
 is the only point against which a formal attack could 
 be directed. The enormous embrasm'es formed in the 
 rock, from which the guns of the Excavations are 
 pointed, have occasioned many fatal accidents. An 
 English officer was once trying to gather some flowers 
 for a lady, when he w^as precipitated from one of these 
 openings : at another time a similar fate befell six or 
 eight artillerymen, who were blo^^m tlu-ough one of them 
 by the bm'sting of a piece of ordnance. 
 
 It was interesting to look down upon the two lines 
 of the English and Spanish posts, which cross the 
 Neutral Ground obliquely, — the black sentry-boxes of 
 the former and the white ones of the latter, with the 
 guard-houses behind, and in the background " The 
 Queen of Spain's Chair." The garrison of Gibraltar fre- 
 quently exercises on the Neutral Ground between the 
 two lines. At the point where the Spanish line touches 
 the sea, lie the Eort of Santa Barbara on the east side, 
 and that of San Eelipe on the west, which the English, 
 
I:Z • THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 taking advantage of a favom-able moment, rased to the 
 ground in tlie last war with Prance. Inside the Enghsh 
 chain of posts, toward the Land Port, is a garden, with 
 an excellent spring ; there are others in the town itself, 
 but generally speaking there is rather a want of water. 
 Foreign men-of-war therefore often fetch water from 
 Algeziras : for instance the Prench scjuacbon stationed 
 before Tangier does this frecjuently, and employs the 
 following stratagem to evade the strict Spanish quaran- 
 tine : they first sail to Gibraltar, which lies opposite, 
 remain there about five minutes in the roadstead, to 
 fm^nish themselves -with papers attesting this, and then 
 sail to Algezii'as. Although the Spanish authorities can 
 see perfectly well fi'om their windows how long the 
 Prench have remained at Gibraltar, yet they grant 
 them permission to land, because in fact they have 
 not come direct from Africa, and the letter of the 
 law is obeyed : there is no difficulty, since the certifi- 
 cates of health are all en regie ! Close in front of the 
 Gate, on the bay of Algeziras, lies the wharf for mer- 
 chantmen. 
 
 The passage from the north to the west front is 
 fojined by a kind of crown-work, which wdth a demi- 
 bastion and a cm^tain (the Grand Battery) on the north 
 end of the town constitute the lower connection between 
 the north-west corner of the Rock and the bay. In this 
 curtain is the Land Port, in front of which hes the 
 Inundation. Laider the left face of the bastion, on the 
 capital of the cro^^^i-work, a short emharcadere projects 
 into the bay, and close by lies the Water Port, if I mistake 
 
FORTIFICATIONS OF THE ROCK. 73 
 
 not, in the other curtain. With the UTegiilar left wing- 
 bastion is connected a second, much larger Mole, called 
 the Old Mole ; tliis is of great width, and runs so far 
 into the bay, that, together with the colossal battery ex- 
 tending a jleur cV eaii along its north side, it completely 
 commands the entrances to the Land Port, and flanks 
 a landing on the Neutral Ground so effectively that it 
 has acquired the name of the Devil's Tongue. On the 
 open space in the interior of this work are erected bomb- 
 proof barracks. 
 
 From this point the fortification of the town follows 
 the level ground. The large King's Bastion, fmiiished 
 with two stories of quarters, projecting from the centre 
 of the town into the bay, offers sufficient enfilade. To 
 the south a strong entrenchment divides the town from 
 the rest of the peninsula. With the left flank — that 
 of the South Bastion — adjoining the bay, is united on 
 the east a cm'tain, in which is the South Port : it is 
 continued by a wall up to an inaccessible precipice. In 
 front of this wall is advanced a peculiar place d'armes, 
 formed by high walls, in which three breastworks are 
 thrown up transversely, one above another, with gun- 
 platforms, facing the bay. Before this wall, which rises 
 up to the Signal House, is a second, outer wall, known 
 by the name of Charles the Pifth's Wall, and belonging to 
 his time -. the inner wall is attributed to the Moors. This 
 strong entrenchment renders a hostile landing on the 
 south side, outside the to\Am, next to impossible. Not 
 far from this spot, and close to the shore, lies the only 
 point at which, for want of being effectively flanked, it 
 
74 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 might be possible to eflFect an entrance into the town, 
 although from the natui'e of the ground the attempt 
 would be beset with extreme difficulty. 
 
 The enormously long, uncovered Saluting Battery 
 joins the town on the south; it is quite as destitute of 
 flank-protection as the other coast-batteries, which ex- 
 tend from this spot round Em'opa Point, and to the 
 north-east up to the perpendicular rock, where all the 
 defences of com^se cease. In most parts of the long 
 lines of curtain, a single cannon or at most two are 
 placed behind a corresponding embrasm'e, as the only 
 side defence. 
 
 The English perceive that they have hitherto assigned 
 too little importance to the coast-defences, and are now 
 beginning to strengthen them. Thus it is intended to 
 provide the Saluting Battery with a proper flank, by 
 connecting the point of the J\Iole at the Bagged Staff, 
 (a small landing-place and quay near the South Bastion, 
 but outside the covered way) obliquely with the land, 
 and converting this space into a battery. Since the ex- 
 perience of the English ships at Acre has sho^\^l that 
 a single line of defence is no longer sufficient against 
 a powerful attack, a large new battery is now being 
 erected fm-ther back, above the Saluting Battery. It is 
 built en cremaillere ; the guns also turn on pivots. At 
 several other points similar batteries are in part com- 
 pleted, and partly only projected. The breastworks of 
 the old defences are also to be gradually strengthened, 
 being built too weak and all of masonry. The reason 
 assigned for building stone breastworks is, that the vio- 
 
COAST-BATTERIES. 75 
 
 lent torrents of rain in this climate would wash away 
 the earth ; here likemse, as in Malta, there is a want of 
 earth, for the sand of the Neutral Ground has no co- 
 hesion or firmness. The battery on Europa Point, which 
 flanks the entrance to the bay, was formerly so low 
 that it could be overlooked by all the ships : it is now 
 enthely rebuilt, and the new works are much higher. 
 In general the English consider forty feet a proper 
 height for a coast-battery ; they now build them as 
 high as eighty feet above the level of the sea, since 
 the ricochet is quite as good, and they are better 
 covered from the fire of the enemy's ships. This pretty 
 well agrees with Gribeauval's view, who declared forty- 
 eight to ninety-six feet to be the most serviceable 
 height for coast-batteries, in opposition to those who ad- 
 hered to the low, razing batteries. The author of the 
 Erench " Aide Memoire," like Smola, bases his views 
 on the principle of laying the coast-batteries so as 
 to be able to employ the rolling-shot fire with the 
 greatest possible advantage, without being exposed to 
 the ricochet of the enemy. A cannon-ball ricochets best 
 on the water at an angle of 4° to 5°, especially if the 
 first rebound takes place at 265 paces from the gim. 
 Erom this is calculated the height of the battery, level- 
 ling it by the tangent of the angle of 4° to 5°, which at 
 265 paces gives forty-fom* to fifty-six feet. If the ship 
 cannot approach nearer than 530 paces, the most eff'ective 
 height above the sea is from 67 to 120 feet, and so on*. 
 
 * Compare, Aide Memoire portatif a I'usage des Officiers d'Ar- 
 tillerie. Strasbourg, 1831, p. 249. — Memoire sur la Defense et 
 
76 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 A ship, whose upper tiers of guns are not more than 
 eighteen feet above the water, is obhged to elevate 
 her guns against such a high point so much, that thek 
 range is destroyed by the roUing, as much as their side 
 du'ection is by the pitching ; whilst the balls which 
 strike the water are unable to rise to the battery at 
 all. Even supposing the sea to be perfectly calm, the 
 ship has still to contend AA^th this difficulty, that the 
 small size of her ports admits only of a slight elevation, 
 and the directing gunner has a very limited range of 
 sight through this opening*. The general calibre of 
 the gun on the sea-line is that of tlmty-two-pounders. 
 On some important points the English intend to place 
 the new fifty-six-pounders, on account of their im- 
 mense range ; yet they seem strangely never to have 
 thought of employing mortars f. Some of the guns in 
 the coast-batteries fire through embrasures, others en 
 harhet. 
 
 Excellent roads, well kept up, afford a ready means 
 of communication in all directions, where the natm'e of 
 
 r Armament des Cotes, avec plans et instructions approuves par 
 Napoleon, etc. Paris, 1837, p. 17. — Handbuch fiir K. K. Oester- 
 reichische Artillerie-Offiziere, p. 389. — Allgemeines "Worterbuch der 
 Artillerie, etc. von Hoyer. Part ii. p. 71. — A Treatise on Naval 
 Gunnery, etc. by Major-General Sir Howard Douglas, pp. 108 and 
 252. 
 
 * The French ' Exercices et Manoeuvres des bouches a feu a bord 
 des Vaisseaux de 1' Etat,' etc. 1833, calculates all its tables of 
 firing only up to 3° elevation. 
 
 ■\ With reference to the important use of bombs against ships I 
 refer the reader to, 'Exercices du canon de la caronade et de I'obusier 
 en usage a bord de la fregate d'instruction I'Amazone,' etc. 1841, 
 page 47. 
 
THE NEW MOLE. 77 
 
 the ground permits. There is no want of bomb-proof 
 shelter, and under this head may be mentioned the 
 barracks, in the crown-work, and the wide extent of the 
 Excavations, which can easily be converted to such a 
 use. The Victualling Depot and the Lazaretto are very 
 remarkable. Another important circumstance is, that 
 there are barracks placed on the principal points of 
 the peninsula : thus there is one on Windmill Hill, 
 which with the Almeida form two important points for 
 assembling the garrison. Wliether these barracks and 
 the other military establishments are bomb-proof, I can- 
 not say. The inconsiderable Royal Dockyard lies out- 
 side the town on the New Mole, not far from Em^opa 
 Point. Within this Mole the largest men-of-Avar can 
 anchor, but this marine establishment possesses no means 
 for any considerable refitting works. 
 
 It may be well to introduce here a brief sketch of the 
 siege of Gibraltar during the American War. 
 
 Gibraltar had already been blockaded from the sea, 
 since the 16th of July, 1779, when the Spanish Lieute- 
 nant-General Martin Alvarez de Sota Mayor began in 
 the following month to repair the lines on the isth- 
 mus, distant nearly two thousand yards from the Por- 
 tress, as well as the Forts Santa Barbara and San Fe- 
 lipe on their flanks. At this time the whole garrison 
 consisted of 5382 men*, whilst the Spanish camp in the 
 beginning of October comprised sixteen battalions and 
 
 * In March, 1783, the Fortress numbered 521 cannons, viz. 
 Tl thirty-two-ponnders, 149 twenty-four and twenty-six-pounders, 
 113 eighteen-pounders, etc., with 32 howitzers and 110 mortars; 
 making a total of 663 pieces of artillery. 
 
78 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 twelve squadrons, altogether about foiuteen thousand 
 men. On the 12th of September the Enghsh Governor 
 Eliott opened a fire on the enemy's works. It was 
 however soon perceived that the heavy shells sunk too 
 deep into the sand of the Neutral Ground to be able 
 to do any important damage, and on the proposal of 
 Captain Mercier it was agreed to fire five-and-a-half- 
 inch grenades from twenty-four-pounders, which an- 
 swered very well. Months passed ere the Spaniards 
 had completed the batteries in their lines, so that the 
 19th of January, 1780, arrived before they unmasked 
 the first, while the rest were not ready for service until 
 the 21st.* They lay altogether in the western half of 
 the lines, between the centre of the latter and Eort San 
 Felipe. The number of guns on them amounted on 
 the 25th to more than one hundred, including forty 
 mortars in seven or eight mortar-batteries. About this 
 time Admiral Rodney's fleet arrived, and brought the 
 garrison, who for months had been suffering the great- 
 est privations, the most urgent *necessaries of life, with 
 a reinforcement of troops. Scarcely had the Admiral 
 again left the Mediterranean, when the Spanish blockade 
 was renewed with its usual severity. After an unsuc- 
 cessful attempt to burn those English vessels which had 
 remained behind at the New Mole, by means of fire- 
 
 * The first shots from the side of the besiegers were fired on the 
 10th of January from the Fort Santa Barbara at an Enghsh funeral 
 procession in the cemetery close under the most northern projection 
 of the Rock. On the l^th, Fort San Felipe fired some shots at the 
 town, without any great effect. 
 
GENERAL BOMBARDMENT. 79 
 
 ships, the Spaniards devised a fresh means of annoying 
 the fortress. On the 27th of June they made the first 
 attempt to fire upon the town with gun- and mortar- 
 boats, and repeated this attack, which proved very ef- 
 fectual, ahnost uninterruptedly during the whole of the 
 siege*. On the land- side they were on the contrary 
 less active, for it was not until October that they ad- 
 vanced beyond their lines with new works of attack, 
 600 to 700 yards along the bay, in order to establish 
 there new batteries at a distance of 1100 yards from the 
 Land Port. The appearance of the fleet under Admiral 
 Darby, on the 12th of April, 1781, was followed by a 
 general bombardment from the fortress on the land- 
 side, with 114 pieces of heavy ordnance (about fifty thir- 
 teen-inch mortars, and the rest twenty-six-pounders), 
 which for a short time put an end to the Spanish block- 
 ade. Another important event in this year was the 
 sally which General Eliott made on the 27th of No- 
 vember, to destroy the enemy's works and spike their 
 guns, which was compl^ely successful, and unattended 
 by any great loss. This was an important result, con- 
 sidering that the enemy did not succeed in repairing 
 
 * In June, 1781, a battery of one thirteen-inch mortar, five thirty- 
 two-pounders, and one eighteen-pounder, was established at the head 
 of the Old Mole, both to keep the gun-boats at a distance, and also 
 to sustain a fire upon the distant camps of the enemy. The mortar 
 contained a charge of twenty-eight to thirty pounds of powder ; the 
 cannon were laid at an angle of 42° with the platform trenched 
 into the sand, and held fast in this place by props, beams, etc. 
 The thirty-two-pounders were charged with fourteen pounds of 
 powder, and the eighteen-pounders with nine. (See Drinkwater, 
 p. 167.) 
 
80 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 the destroyed batteries until March, 1782, four months 
 afterwards. 
 
 A new era in the siege began with the summer of 
 1782, when the Due de Crillon, in the end of June, 
 assumed the command of the combined Spanish and 
 Fi'ench army, the strength of which, beside the cavalry, 
 was estimated at forty-five (including eight French) 
 battalions of infantry, two Spanish battalions of artillery, 
 and four French companies of artillery. The command 
 of the sea force was given to Admiral Moreno. In ad- 
 dition to this officer and the French engineer Mon- 
 sieur d' Argon, who was attached to the Duke, and soon 
 became the very soul of the whole siege, two French 
 princes, the Comte d'Artois and the Due de Bom^bon, 
 joined the army, with a view to be present at the taking 
 of Gibraltar, which was now confidently expected. The 
 Due de Crillon set to work in earnest ; in the night of 
 the 15-1 6th of August, he caused the former works of 
 assault to be continued to the Mediterranean by a 
 large parallel of five hundred 3mrds, and united this by 
 a communication thirteen hundred yards long with the 
 lines at the back. The eastern half of these trenches 
 was converted into a colossal battery for sixty-four 
 cannon. The space up to the old part of the paraEel 
 was occupied by mortar-batteries. 
 
 These formidable preparations of the enemy had been 
 long and quietly observed from the fortress, when at 
 length on the 8th of September, on the proposal of the 
 Lieutenant-Governor General Boyne, a heavy fire of red- 
 hot balls was directed against them. This first employ- 
 
SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR. 81 
 
 ment of red-hot balls in great quantities was crowned 
 with the best results. Notwithstanding, the enemy on 
 the following day answered with a fire from one hun- 
 dred and seventy pieces of artillery (including sixty 
 mortars) from the Neutral Ground; whilst a squacbon 
 of nine ships of the line, in connexion with a great 
 number of gun- and mortar-boats, attacked the west 
 front. 
 
 Upon the arrival of the large combined fleet in the bay 
 of Algeziras, on the tweKth of September, they began 
 to put in operation D'Argon's chief plan of assault. By 
 his advice preparations had been made since the month 
 of J\Iay, to convert ten large ships (the ' Pastora,' after- 
 wards Moreno's flagship, was even a two-decker) into 
 floating batteries, and they believed that these were com- 
 pletely shot-proof. The attack by sea on the thirteenth, 
 which was vigorously supported by all the batteries of 
 the isthmus, proved their mistake : Gibraltar remained 
 unshaken, and the floating batteries were bm^nt. The 
 red-hot balls and Eliott's firmness saved the fortress. 
 Although the enemy directed new operations against 
 the Land Port in October, his power had since the thir- 
 teenth of September been crippled, and there was no 
 longer any spirit in the siege. Lord Howe arrived about 
 this time with an English fleet, bringing reinforcements 
 of troops, ammunition, and food to the besieged gar- 
 rison. 
 
 The enemy now saw clearly, that they could no longer 
 reckon upon taking the fortress by a regular assault, and 
 resorted to the chimerical plan of blowing up the north 
 
 VOL. I. a 
 
82 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 front of the Rock. A mine was in consequence driven 
 into the rock near the Devil's Tower, but was hardly com- 
 pleted, when the Peace of Versailles put an end to the 
 siege, after a continuance of three years, seven months, 
 and twelve days : on the second of February, 1783, 
 hostilities ceased. The English had in this time fired 
 205,328 shot and shells; the Spaniards, 258,387. The 
 English loss amounted, in killed and wounded, to 471 
 men, but this number was increased by sickness and 
 desertion to 1231. Eifty-three guns in the fortress had 
 been disabled, whilst it is said that the Spaniards had 
 three times renewed their artillery. 
 
 On quitting the Signal House, we rode down the 
 mountain and under its ridge. I relinquished a visit to 
 St. Michael's Cave, as my time was short, and it can 
 only be seen with a very troublesome illumination : an 
 old tradition said that there was a subterranean pas- 
 sage between this cave and Africa, tlu'ough which the 
 apes came over from that quarter of the globe. As I 
 was riding on before, upon Sir Alexander's black Spanish 
 pony, I suddenly heard a shrill tone, quite new to my 
 ears; and on looking up, I saw fom' light-brown apes 
 run shrieking up the hill, — one of them carrying a 
 young one on its back. 
 
 After breakfasting with Colonel Brown, I went to see 
 the first discharge from the eleven-foot new fifty-six- 
 pounder without chamber, fom' of which guns only had 
 arrived in Gibraltar; their number however was to be 
 considerably increased. I previously witnessed the exer- 
 cise of the ten thirty-two-pounders in the battery at the 
 
ARTILLERY PRACTICE. 83 
 
 Ragged Staff. They fired at first with soUd shot, and 
 then with spherical case-shot, at a flag fixed over a float- 
 ing cask. The fuses burned very regularly. The height 
 was said to be forty feet, and the interval one hundred : 
 both were kept very exactly. One case-shot missed fire, 
 and one went out in the barrel. The fiiring lasted about 
 ten to fifteen minutes ; the bails scattered admirably, and 
 both direction and distance were good : they every time 
 cut the wooden fuse according to the distance ; in the 
 field, various coloured ones are used for the different di- 
 stances. The immense, heavy fifty-six-pounder rested on 
 a kind of frame-carriage, which moved round on a pivot, 
 and, on account of its length, upon two traversing circles. 
 At the side of the breach is an arrangement, by which 
 the degrees are marked, and at the side of the muzzle 
 an incision corresponding with it. On one side of the 
 carriage is fixed a wooden index, which gives the eleva- 
 tion necessary for any particular range. It was incorrectly 
 fitted, and seemed moreover to be very unsteady. The 
 range of this gun is said to be seven thousand yards, ac- 
 cording to accounts from England. With the highest 
 elevation (about 25°) which could be attained at this 
 first trial, coincided the greatest range, computed at five 
 thousand yards, the time of flight being twenty-five 
 seconds from the flash to the last rebound of the shot. 
 The carriages in Gibraltar are mostly of iron ; but in 
 case of war Colonel Brown intends to substitute wooden 
 ones, of wliich he possesses the necessary store ; as the 
 iron ones are soon destroyed by the discharges, although 
 they resist the weather better upon the ramparts. The 
 
 G 2 
 
84 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 number of guns at Gibraltar he stated to be 650 to 
 660. 
 
 From the artillery practice, I went with the Governor 
 to the barracks of the Seventy -ninth regiment of infantry, 
 the Cameron Highlanders, whose apartments, like those 
 in the barracks of the marine infantry at Naples^ are 
 fitted for the reception of a considerable body of men. 
 Admirable order was observed throughout : to economize 
 room, the iron bedsteads are made to tmii up, so that 
 the foot lies on the head. The Scotch appear to me bur- 
 dened with much unnecessary baggage, and their plaids 
 sown in tight folds seem c^uite useless : the pouch which 
 they wear in front supplies the place of pockets. In 
 the barracks we found a prettily arranged theatre for 
 the garrison, and an extremely elegant mess-room for 
 the officers. 
 
 Before going to dinner at the Governor's residence, I 
 returned to the roadstead, and visited Captain Pring 
 on board the ' Thunderer.' After dinner I saw the Fifth 
 Regiment exercise on the Almeida. This regiment is di- 
 stinguished by its fine-looking men, with good carriage, 
 calm deportment, and great regularity, precision and 
 good aim in the use of then* arms. The march^ 108 
 paces of 30 inches in a minute, was very free. The Eng- 
 lish form whole companies into fusileers : some signals, 
 such as to spread, to charge, etc., are the same as with 
 us ; the new regulations also appear to be in part 
 formed after ours. The garrison of Gibraltar consists 
 of the First Regiment of infantry, called " the Royals," 
 with blue facings, — the Fifth Regiment of infantry, " the 
 
THE GARRISON. 85 
 
 Nortliiimberland Fusileers," with green, — the Seventh, 
 " the Royal Pusileers," with blue, — the Eorty-eighth, with 
 yellow, — and the Seventy-ninth Regiment, " the Cameron 
 Highlanders," with green facings. In addition to this 
 force there are four companies of artillery, and two of 
 sappers and miners. 
 
 A short ride with Sir Alexander Woodford concluded 
 the day. I have not seen any English horses here ; 
 the officers mostly ride Spanish ponies or small Barbary 
 horses. 
 
 July 15//^. — Prom the Rock of Gibraltar, from its sun- 
 burnt, barren coasts, and from the deck of the ' San 
 Michele,' our glance wandered continually to the coast of 
 Africa, veiled in light semi-transparent mists. How I 
 longed to lift the veil, and set foot on that quarter of 
 the globe which had been for days in view ! I had 
 looked forward to this visit to the land of the Moors, 
 which my imagination pictured in the most splendid co- 
 lours, as one of the bright spots of my travels ; and I 
 now awaited impatiently the moment when, upon the 
 shore of Africa and on its fm'thest limits, I should again 
 greet the East, like an old friend. Yet it was no easy 
 thing to accomplish such a design : we had much to 
 consider and to plan. 
 
 It was agreed that \A^e should first direct om- com-se 
 to Tangier, the principal port of Morocco, and thence 
 proceed on horseback across the country to Tetuan, 
 which was practicable with an escort. Tetuan was re- 
 presented to me as a place which gave rhe best idea 
 of a Moorish town ; and the Governor of Gibraltar, who 
 
86 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 some time before had visited his Morocco colleague there, 
 politely offered to give me the best introductions. He 
 described the commander of Tetuan as a friendly per- 
 son, who had received him with great hospitality, and 
 given a splendid Jerid exhibition of the cavalry in 
 honour of his visit. From Tetuan it was proposed that 
 we should sail to Ceuta, where the Arab and Spanish 
 outposts stand opposite each other. 
 
 Attractive as was this plan, it would have occupied, 
 under the most fortunate circumstances, at least three 
 days ; but in that time the wind might probably shift 
 round from the east, which was in our favour, to the 
 west, and the Erigate in that case be detained at Gibral- 
 tar from eight days to a fortnight, — a risk which I did 
 not feel it right to incur. But there was also the diffi- 
 culty that we had no means of crossing the Straits. The 
 ' Lizard,' the only British cruiser, was just then absent ; 
 and the Spanish sailors of the coasting-vessels raised 
 difficulties on account of the quarantine to which they 
 should be exposed in the Andalusian harbours on their 
 return. While this subject was being canvassed, an op- 
 portunity presented itself most unexpectedly; Captain 
 Ponsonby, of the " Seventh Foot," invited me, through 
 the friendly mediation of Captain Morittes, an aide-de- 
 camp of the Governor who kneV of oiu" difficulty, to a 
 pleasure excursion to Ceuta in his yacht. It may be 
 imagined how thankfully this kind offer was accepted, 
 and all difficulties being now removed this day was fixed 
 for the exciu^sion. 
 
 At ten o'clock in the forenoon I saw Mr. Ponsonby's 
 
EXCURSION TO CEUTA. 87 
 
 cutter sail out of tlie royal dock, and vainly attempt to 
 approach tlie Frigate : slie appeared spell-bound under 
 tlie shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar, where alternate 
 squalls and calms kept her stationary. I therefore de- 
 sired a boat to be manned, which carried us quickly 
 to the ' Hornet.' We went on board the cutter, which, 
 while waiting for her owner, was every instant rudely 
 laid on her side by the violent gusts of wind. 
 
 As soon as Captain Ponsonby, with a party of friends, 
 arrived, we steered first across the bay, describing a 
 large circle toward Algezkas, and then straight away 
 to the castellated mountain of Ceuta. On the right the 
 view extended to the Straits, in which the lighthouse 
 of Tarifa*, the most southern point of Em^ope, rose like 
 an island; whilst on the left, behind us, the Rock of 
 Gibraltar assumed by degrees more and more the form 
 of a pyramid. The strongest line of the influx of the 
 ocean, which is easily discerned by the increased smooth- 
 ness of the water, was soon passed. Long, dark blue 
 waves began to toss the cutter about in a disagreeable 
 manner, though we had not yet taken in a single reef in 
 the mainsail. The mountains of Afiica, which are all 
 wooded, passed from a light blue to a dark green tint, 
 and the rocks on them stood out more clearly ; while the 
 picturesque chain of the cloud-capped Apes' Hill, above 
 
 * The light of Tarifa is a revohing oue, which at regular intervals 
 vanishes from sight, and then re-appears. We have many such on 
 our coast. There is no douht that the dangers of the rock of Scjlla 
 would be much lessened, if a revolving light were placed there ; for 
 the present Faro light is indistinguishable from those on the Cala- 
 brian coast. 
 
88 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 two thousand feet high*, the Djebel Zatoot of the Arabs 
 (Mons Abyla of the ancients), was distinguished by its 
 beautiful outhne. The apparent island of Ceuta gradually 
 became a peninsula, as the hilly ridge which connects it 
 with the spurs of Apes' Hill came in sight. Upon this 
 ridge we perceived numerous black and white points, — 
 invariably standing in pairs, close together ; and through 
 a telescope we soon observed that these were the huts of 
 the Spanish and Moorish posts, planted opposite to one 
 another. Close to the coast, behind the right wing of 
 the Spanish line, was a stable destined for a picket. At 
 the back of the Arab posts, on the contrary, we observed 
 the ruins of an old wall with towers. 
 
 For centuries a semi-warlike state of things has existed 
 here, which threatens on any trifling occasion to break 
 out into open strife. The Moorish inhabitants of this 
 coast are known as the wildest and most hostile of their 
 race ; no boat's crew dares to land in their territory. 
 Even the English, fond as they are of sporting, are 
 obliged to forgo the amusement of hunting the wild- 
 boars, which abound in the forests of Apes' Hill; for 
 the Moors fire upon every European who approaches 
 their territory. A short time ago, a hunting-party from 
 Gibraltar resolved to brave these dangers, and, quitting 
 the yacht in w^hich they had crossed the Straits, got into 
 a boat and rowed up a secluded creek. Here however 
 they met with such a warm reception from the guns of 
 some Arabs who were lying in ambush, that they thought 
 
 * Major von Cler, of the Prussian General-staff, states its height, 
 according to his measurement, to be 2200 feet. 
 
I VIEW OE CEUTA. 89 
 
 themselves fortunate to regain their cutter without any 
 serious accident. 
 
 The inhospitableness of this coast was an additional 
 reason for our at once relinquishing the idea of pro- 
 ceeding to Tetuan, although so near. The land-journey 
 thither from Ceuta is considered impracticable, as the 
 influence of the peaceable Governor of Tetuan does not 
 extend to the intermediate territory. Tetuan being the 
 only approachable point where a landing can be effected, 
 and there being no anchorage between the two towns, 
 the owmer of the ' Hornet ' did not ventm-e, with the 
 prevailing east wind, to coast along the shore. 
 
 Let us now return to Ceuta, to which we were so 
 near that the hill crowned by the fortress seemed almost 
 to encompass us. Betw^een this hill, — projecting into 
 the sea, and rising from three to fom^ hundred feet 
 high, — and the spm*s of Apes' Hill, a series of seven 
 or eight small cones gradually came in sight, united at 
 their base : upon these rises the snow-white, real Spanish 
 Ceuta, enclosing a wide sweeping bay, with almost the 
 stateliness of a large town. 
 
 The parched heights wdiich separate Christendom and 
 Islamism adjoin the seven hills of the town, forming a 
 link between it and the loftier and darker mountains 
 on the right. The towers scarcely appear at all on this 
 ground, and the red Lazaretto or hospital of Ceuta, with 
 its pointed gable, forms the most striking object among 
 the buildings. The hills above the town are in part 
 covered with shady woods, while in other parts rows of 
 tall aloes extend along their summit. In the place itself 
 
90 THE STRAITS OP GIBRALTAR, 
 
 we found two palm-trees, after looking about for a long 
 time. There is at all events plenty of life at Ceuta, 
 for behind the low walls on the quay, many hundred 
 chained galley-slaves were seen moving about, divided into 
 several gangs ; they certainly seemed to constitute the 
 greater part of the population. After a voyage of two 
 hours and a quarter our swift-sailing ' Hornet ' anchored 
 in the roadstead, by the side of the small cutter ' Aline,' in 
 which Captain Morittes with Mrs. Paget had preceded us. 
 
 Captain Morittes and Count Oriolla landed imme- 
 diately on our arrival, to make all needful preparations. 
 Meanwhile a general " luncheon " was served in the 
 pretty and comfortable cabin of the ' Hornet,' which 
 entirely removed all the disagreeable effects of the 
 voyage. After breakfast the little boat was manned, 
 a party of five or six persons pressed into it, and I 
 steered to a kind of bridge, close to which we intended 
 to land. 
 
 Scarcely had we set foot on the soil of Africa, when 
 we joyfully hastened to the Alameda close by. From 
 this little promenade, lined as usual with trees, we had 
 a view of Cape Negro, lying on the bay beyond Ceuta, 
 in the direction of Tetuan. We then descended to a 
 small square, in which was stationed a Spanish artillery- 
 officer, a perfect pictm'e of misery. A number of chas- 
 seur horses stood ready saddled, which may be hii^ed at 
 a cheap rate, like the donkeys at Ems : for a trifle we 
 engaged some for our excm^sion. Om^ military leader 
 was drest in a worn-out, dark blue uniform, with a 
 shabby round felt hat on his head, and a switch in his 
 
TOWN OF CEUTA. 91 
 
 hand, which supphed the place of any other weapon. 
 Following oiu' leader, we proceeded, one minute at a 
 foot-pace, the next at a jog-trot, on the heavy cavalry 
 horses tlu'ough the tovra to the ontposts. 
 
 The streets in Centa, like many of the toT\Tis in Hol- 
 land, are paved with very small stones, in various ara- 
 besque figm-es or flowers : the clean appearance of this 
 pavement at once caught the eye of our English com- 
 panions. Ceuta lies on a tongue of land, stretching 
 from east to west, and forming a large bend toward 
 the south. The narrow land-front, consisting of two or 
 three lines of badly flanked works, one behind another, 
 has a strong profile and a wet ditch, which converts 
 Ceuta into an island*. We consequently did not pro- 
 perly set foot upon the continent of Africa, until after 
 w^e had safely stumbled over the ricketty drawbridge 
 with our clumsy horses. 
 
 Directly before the land-front rises the parched and 
 commanding height on which the Spanish vedettes ex- 
 tend, dividing the tongue of land at its root. The stable, 
 which we had observed fi'om the sea, remained on the 
 right of our road, in a hollow not far from the shore of 
 the northern bay. The chassem- picket was in a kind 
 of semi-bivouac, only a part of the horses being sta- 
 bled ; the rest stood outside ready saddled. The picket 
 
 * Ceuta was taken in the year 1415 by Joao I. of Portugal, on 
 which occasion his sons, especially Don Henrique Navegador, distin- 
 guished themselves greatly. Subsequently, in 15/0, it fell, vnth 
 Portugal, to Philip II. of Spain. In the revolution, and at the 
 conclusion of the peace in 1668, it remained in the possession of this 
 monarchv. 
 
92 . ■ THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 has tliree posts in front of it, opposite to Vv^liich stand a 
 corresponding number of Moorish ones. 
 
 We turned to the left, and galloped up the height to 
 the central vedette. The chasseur — for the Spanish posts 
 are single, not like the Arab ones in pairs — was dis- 
 mounted, and standing before the covered water-trough 
 of his horse. At about twenty paces opposite to him 
 was the tent-like cabin of the Moors. This is the best 
 proof of the good understanding which exists between 
 the two parties, and which is mainly ascribed to the 
 friendly conduct of the present Governor of Ceuta; a 
 few years ago, it is said, the outposts were much more 
 on the alert. 
 
 At the door of the hut stood an unarmed, haggard- 
 looking Arab, with bare head, and wrapt in a large 
 woollen cloak with black and white stripes and sleeves : 
 he had jet-black eyes, and black but not very bushy 
 whiskers. On the ground in front of the cabin lay a 
 heap of something which looked like a sack, with a coni- 
 cal top : it was not till after some minutes, on a closer 
 examination, that I discovered under the pointed hood 
 the face of an old man, bmied in a white beard, whilst 
 a white burnu covered the rest of his figiu-e. I began 
 to sketch, which seemed to excite the curiosity of the 
 younger Moor ; and taking advantage of this circum- 
 stance I approached him : he looked at the di'awing, 
 and we endeavoured, as well as we could, to come to 
 a mutual understanding in scraps of Tm-kish, Spa- 
 nish, Italian, etc. On my asking him how he liked the 
 sketch, he replied like a good Mussulman in a straight- 
 
MOORISH OUTPOSTS. 93 
 
 forAvard manner with a laconic " No," — it contained 
 figures of men ; but thinking this not enough, he added 
 in good Tm'kish a significant " Jock." 
 
 Encom'aged by his frankness, I went Avith him into 
 the hut. The hole through which we had to creep was 
 low, and the hut was small, but very clean, cool and 
 shady. Some finely platted straw mats, of a long, oval 
 shape, upon which the Arabs lie, and a few trencher- 
 shaped mats which serve as pillows, lay on the ground : 
 there were also several broad shelves of cork, the use of 
 which I could not understand. In the further corner 
 stood the Turkish firearms, and close to them lay rolled 
 up on the floor two little black puppies. The Arab was 
 amused to see me playing Avith them, and the expression 
 " Kutschiick," which I used, sufficed to explain to him 
 why I was so pleased with them. A lute lay on the 
 ground, nearly within reach of the little dogs. Several 
 earthenware vessels also stood about, one of them filled 
 with milk. Beside the muskets, I discovered an old En- 
 glish sabre, with a black leather scabbard, and " George 
 Rex " upon the hilt, which amused the Englishmen of 
 om* party greatly. It is so usual to pictm-e to oneself 
 the Ai^ab as inseparable from his faithful charger, that 
 we were natm-ally struck by observing that the Moorish 
 posts had no horses : they seemed to belong to the irre- 
 gular infantry. 
 
 The huts of the Moors, and the attitude and posi- 
 tion maintained by their adversaries, alike led us to 
 infer the permanence of these outposts ; they have at 
 all events remained unchanged from time immemorial. 
 
94 • THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 The Spaniard's horse stood under a shed, formed of a 
 narrow roof of wood, with straw mats hanging down to 
 the gromid on the sides ; a wooden sentry-box is pro- 
 vided for the man himself, in front of the covered water- 
 trough. 
 
 The view from the Spanish post was very picturesque 
 and peculiar : — in the foreground the Arab hut, with its 
 strange-looking inhabitants ; behind, at the foot of the 
 rising ground, the ruins of the above-mentioned old 
 walls with their dilapidated towers ; in the distance the 
 dark, bluish-green chain of Apes' Hill, stretching on the 
 right into the sea, and on its side a lonely Moorish 
 village. 
 
 From this central vedette we galloped to the Spanish 
 post of the left wing, close above the southern bay in 
 the direction of Tetuan. The \T.ew from this point is 
 very similar to that just described. The little village on 
 the mountain lay straight before us, Cape Negro pro- 
 jecting into the Mediterranean on the left. The Moorish 
 hut, in every respect similar to the former, stood in like 
 manner here only twenty paces distant from the Spanish 
 chasseur. These tent-like cabins are thatched with the 
 fans of the same dwarf-palm as is found so plentifully 
 at Girgenti and Selinunte. Here I discovered the pur- 
 pose of the broad shelves of cork, — two Arabs were 
 seated upon them in front of the hut : each wore a 
 white bm^nu, and the elder, a thin grey-headed old man 
 with a white beard, had drawn the hood over his head ; 
 the other had twisted a white turban round it. The old 
 man endeavoured by signs to find out whether I had a 
 
EASTERN MANNERS. 95 
 
 small knife about me. I pulled out my penknife, and 
 showed him how I used to cut the leaves out of my 
 sketch-book. He expressed a wish to have it, and I 
 gave it him ; whereupon he bared his left arm, to make 
 me understand how useful the instrument was for let- 
 ting blood. Presently I missed my knife, — the old man 
 had retained it : to him this was quite natural, — he 
 thought it pretty, and anything that a Tm'k praises he 
 mshes to possess ; so delicate and at the same time so 
 significant a request a polite Mussulman can never re- 
 fuse, — it is the custom of the race. I first learned this 
 fact in Gitomir, on the road to Wosnessensk, where I 
 met several hundred Km^dish horsemen, who were on 
 their way from the Caucasus to Warsaw, to relieve a 
 Tm^kish regiment. The officer in command arranged a 
 Jerid performance in one of the squares of the town, in 
 honom' of Prince August of Prussia and myself. A hand- 
 some bay horse struck me especially amongst the nume- 
 rous Persian and Tscherkessian chargers ; and with the 
 innocent wish to say something civil to its master, I 
 praised the beauty and agility of the animal; but the officer 
 no sooner perceived my admiration of his horse, than 
 he instantly dismounted, and leading him by the bridle 
 presented him to me. I was not prepared for this 
 oiFer, and politely disclaimed any such idea, adding 
 that I could not think of depriving him of his horse, 
 and so forth. At this he began to take the matter 
 seriously, and to feel himself excessively offended ; nor 
 was it until after a long explanation that he could be 
 induced to retract his kind and well-meant offer. The 
 
96 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 Sultan Maclimud was clever enough at taking advantage 
 of this national custom : one day he went up the hill 
 of Candeli, extolled the view, and the kiosk, — and from 
 that moment it all became imperial property ! Thus at 
 ahnost every spot which commands a fine view of the 
 Bosphorus, and offers temptation for a residence, may be 
 seen — the fruit of similar Grand- Seignorial praises — a 
 summer-house transferred to the imperial possessions ! 
 
 The praise of anything therefore expresses at the same 
 time a wish to possess it, and it is impossible ever 
 to decline accepting an offered present. The old Arab 
 had, in his fashion, politely asked me for my penknife, 
 — accompanying the request with a suggestion that, 
 in giving it to him, I should assist in reheving suffering 
 hmnanity. I had given it to him, and considering me a 
 man of the world, he naturally felt obliged to accept the 
 present. I did the old man great injustice therefore, in 
 fancying that I could trace a certain craftiness in his 
 features, and thinking him even capable of theft. But so 
 entirely had I forgotten the manners of the East, that I 
 actually asked for my knife back. The old man might per- 
 haps, strangely enough, have suspected from my manner 
 that his oriental title would not be so readily recognized 
 by an European, for he had wisely stowed away in time 
 the corpus delicti, and now pretended to assist me in 
 finding it ! — it may easily be imagined that it was not 
 forthcoming. 
 
 As there appeared to be such an absence of vigilance 
 in the advanced Moorish posts, — the arms standing peace- 
 fully stowed away in a corner of the hut, — we determined 
 
RETURN TO GIBRALTAR. 97 
 
 to see whether the Arabs would allow us to pass a few 
 steps into the Morocco territory. A flock was feeding- 
 just beyond the line, and we rode toward it ; but no 
 sooner did the shepherd perceive our motions, than he 
 advanced from behind a hillock with his gun at his back, 
 while the Moorish soldiers seized their arms, and followed 
 our cavalcade with their eyes. Having thus convinced 
 om'selves by experience of the difficulty of penetrating 
 into the interior of Africa, we rode back to Ceuta, and 
 went on board the yacht, which directly weighed anchor. 
 The breeze was at first light, but freshened by 
 degrees, and soon filled the sails of the two graceful 
 cutters, which danced lightly upon the long rolling 
 waves. The dark cloud still lay upon the rocky pyramid 
 of Gibraltar, — a sure sign of the prevalence or approach 
 of the east-wind. At the foot of the Rock, the beacon- 
 light on Em^opa Point was visible, — the beaming me- 
 morial of Queen Adelaide, which guides the sailor safely 
 through the Pillars of Hercules. Gradually the moon 
 rose, and the waters of the Straits gleamed like a silver 
 band on the waves of that arm of the sea, which, 
 whilst it separates two quarters of the globe, forms the 
 azm-e bridge from one sea to the other, — the path 
 of commerce, navigation and wealth, wdiicli boldly 
 stretches over from the old and narrow world of the 
 Mediterranean, once bounded by the Pillars of Hercu- 
 les, to the wide expanse of ocean, whose distant coasts 
 allured the dauntless mariner on and on, until he dis- 
 covered an unknown world, and found ever-new lands, 
 which exchanged the rich products of their soil for the 
 
 VOL. L H 
 
98 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 treasures of tlie Old World, Europe's culture and civi- 
 lization, and wliicli still offer an extending field to tlie 
 enterprising spirit of their inhabitants and the spread of 
 human knowledge. A voyage of about two to three 
 hours brought us back from Ceuta on board the ' San 
 Michele.' Thus ended oiu- trip to Africa ! 
 
 In order not to lose the favom^able east-wind, I the 
 same evening took leave of the Governor of Gibraltar 
 and his amiable family. As I entered the room, Lady 
 Woodford was singing some Spanish songs with her 
 children. Crossing a narrow drawbridge at the Ragged 
 Staff, I passed out of the fortress, and in a glorious 
 moonlight the boat, with a few sturdy strokes of the 
 oar, carried me c[uickly on board. 
 
 July \^th. — As early as two o'clock this morning the 
 capstan was set in motion on board the ' San Michele,' 
 to the roll of the cbum. The dark shades of night still 
 brooded over the bay of Algeziras*. Morning twilight 
 
 * The bay of Algeziras is famous for its quantity of fish, although 
 this had struck us much more still further eastwards. On the first 
 of July especially a number of whales had engrossed our attention 
 near the mountains of Adra. Here a strange scene presented itself. 
 From time to time dark-blue furrows opened in the silver-grey surface 
 of the sea, and there rose up the backs and fins of large, black fishes, 
 rolling about, and every now and then spouting water from their 
 nostrils ; they were a small species of whale, called by the French 
 " Souflleurs," (grampuses). In the second cutter a party went out 
 to pursue the whales, and fired among them ; this however seemed 
 only to give the fish a momentary annoyance, but they went away. 
 At nightfall three or four " Souflleurs" swam up to the ship and 
 rubbed themselves against her side, which seems to be the chief 
 amusement of these fishes ; they made a continual snorting noise, 
 but I myself did not hear it : they were distinguishable by the 
 white light which they caused in |he sea. 
 
ANCHORAGE IN THE ROADSTEAD. 99 
 
 came on, ere the last anchor was apeak, for we lay, as 
 aheadj mentioned, in nineteen and a half fathoms, 
 and outside the northern of the two anchorages laid 
 down by the English Admhalty charts. On this north 
 anchorage, the head of the Old Mole is E.S.E. f S., at 
 eight and one-fifth cable-lengths' (2050 paces*) distance, 
 and the Spanish fort of San Eelipe at the same distance 
 N.E. f E., with about nine fathoms' depth of water. 
 The south anchorage has eight to ten fathoms, the head 
 of the New j\Iole is three and three-quarters cable- 
 lengths (about 950 paces) S.E., and the Ragged Staff 
 the same distance E.N.E. ^ N. 
 
 The bottom of the sea in the roadstead contains 
 many dangerous and rocky places, and is by no means 
 adapted throughout for anchorage. Along the whole 
 line from the "Dock" to the Old Mole, forming as 
 it were a protection against any landing or approach 
 of large men-of-war, extends a bank, or more properly 
 a reef of rocks, which commences just at the point 
 where the protecting steep coast terminates, and is con- 
 tinued on the north like a connecting sandbank around 
 the whole Bay. Eor this reason we find the depth of 
 four and a half to five fathoms (the least into which a 
 ship of the line can ventm'e,) only at a considerable 
 distance from the works, and about 2200 paces west 
 from Bay-side-Barrier, lying at the end of the Dam in 
 front of the Land Port, about 1200 paces from the head 
 of the Old Mole, and 1050 from King's Bastion. On 
 the west, in front of the northern half of the long curtain 
 
 * A pace is equal to two feet and twofifths. 
 
 H 2 
 
100 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 between the King's and South Bastions Hes a three- 
 fathom bank at a distance of about nine hundred paces, 
 within which is a narrow passage, impassable for ships 
 of the hne : these are therefore obhged to remain out- 
 side the bank, at about 1300 paces from the land. Op- 
 posite the Ragged Staff, on the contrary, at 450 paces 
 there is a depth of four and a half fathoms ; and near 
 Jumper's Bastion, at 600 paces, five and a half fathoms ; 
 whilst ships of the line can lay-to along the New Mole 
 and run into Bosia Bay, to take in stores of provisions 
 from the magazines there. 
 
 In the above statements I have of course mentioned 
 the extreme limit of the depths at four and a half to five 
 fathoms ; but I am by no means of opinion that a 
 hostile fleet, desiring to honour the fortress with a sharp 
 iron greeting, could, even with the most favom-able wind 
 and tide, sail close to this line of limit. Any change of 
 circumstance, a difficulty in recognizing the landmarks 
 amid the smoke of the guns, in fact the slightest acci- 
 dent of any kind, might easily prove fatal. An enemy's 
 fleet would therefore remain some hundred paces outside 
 of this line, if it only sailed past ; if it wished to an- 
 chor, the room for swinging the ships must be taken into 
 calculation. Moreover it should be remembered, that 
 the three-fathom bank I have before mentioned, together 
 with the rocks lying a cable and a half's length to the 
 west of it, would easily separate any large fleet, if the 
 ships should not succeed in casting anchor within the 
 narrow space between these two insecm^e spots, without 
 approaching too near to the shallows. It was perhaps 
 
i^'LOATING-BATTERIES. 101 
 
 with a view to avoid these difficulties that the famous 
 attack of the ten " battering ships," under Admiral 
 Moreno, September 13th, 1782, was confined to that 
 part of the town-front between the King's and Mon- 
 tague Bastions. These " battering ships" were men- 
 of-war, converted into floating batteries, the largest 
 measming 1400 tons. Instead of making a breach in 
 this front, as the Spaniards had intended, the project 
 was frustrated, and all the ships, in spite of their 
 protection which was considered impenetrable, fell a 
 prey to the flames. The thirteenth of September was 
 a day rendered memorable by the service of the red- 
 hot balls, but not less signalized by the generosity ex- 
 hibited by the British sailors, who, at the risk of their 
 own lives, came to the rescue of their unhappy foes, and 
 carried off the living and mutilated from a death in the 
 flames. Moreno had anchored in line of battle at a di- 
 stance of 1350 to 1800 paces from the works, conse- 
 quently in fom- and a haK to fifteen fathoms ; and on a 
 close examination of a map, in reference to the above- 
 mentioned particulars, the distance of 1350 paces (five 
 and a half cable-lengths) from the works appears to be 
 the least at which a fleet would be able to lay along- 
 side the fortress, — a distance at which the thhty-two- 
 pounders of the ships of the line (for only ships of the 
 line can be taken into calculation in a sea-attack on 
 Gibraltar), together with some sixty-eight- or eighty- 
 pound bombs, may teU with excellent effect. Perhaps 
 the time is not far distant, when ships of the line and 
 frigates may carry still heavier metal, especiallj^ guns of 
 
102 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 sixty-eight-pound calibre : hence the efforts of the Eng- 
 hsh to strengthen the sea-hne of Gibraltar by a new 
 series of batteries. 
 
 The open roadstead of Gibraltar, situated on the east 
 side of the Bay of Algezhas, which at its entrance is four 
 nautical miles mcle*, and runs inland six nautical miles, 
 aflPords little shelter ao;ainst the violent storms fi'om the 
 east and west, which sweep tlu'ough the Straits with 
 great fury in autumn, winter and spring. It is there- 
 fore often deemed advisable to seize the first oppor- 
 tunity that oflPers to sail before the coining on of such 
 storms, and to gain the middle of the Straits, where 
 wind or tide carries the ships out into the open sea. 
 Smaller vessels find shelter behind the Old j\Iole ; but 
 those which are unable to do so are frequently T^TCcked 
 on the well-known Pmita Mala. These storms have also 
 proved disastrous to many a large ship, and not long 
 ago an American frigate lost all her tln-ee masts in this 
 roadstead. Dming the siege, in 1780, a violent storm 
 from the south-west put the fleet under Sir George 
 Brydges Rodney, anchored opposite Rosia Bay, into the 
 greatest peril. Two years later, in the autmnn of 1782, 
 one of the forty-seven ships of the fine of the combined 
 Spanish and French fleet, at anchor in the fm-thest 
 corner of the bay, between Orange Grove and the road- 
 stead of Algezu'as, was cast on shore by a violent hurri- 
 cane, under the guns of the fortress. Dming a storm 
 fi'om the south-east, in November, 1796, the English 
 
 * A nautical mile is equal to a mimite of the equatorial .«cale, 
 or a fourth of a Gentian geographical mile. 
 
STORMS IN THE STRAITS. 103 
 
 seventy-four-gun ship ' Courageux,' dragged her an- 
 chors in the roadstead, and they did not take the ground 
 again till close to the Spanish batteries : the ship could 
 not however remain there, and she therefore stood across 
 to Africa under close-reefed topsails, not ventming out 
 to the ocean for other reasons : that same evening in 
 the dark she was lost against the rocks at the foot of 
 Apes' Hill. 
 
 The south coast of the Straits is for the most part 
 very dangerous, especially as the roadsteads of Tangier 
 and Ceuta afford no safe places of refuge. Two sliips 
 in company with the ' Com'ageux' were the same day in 
 the greatest peril. The ' Culloden' of seventy -fom' guns 
 drove before her anchors, set sail, and narrowly escaped 
 the dangers of the Perla, the well-known reef to the 
 south of Cape Carnero. The ' Gibraltar,' of eighty 
 guns, fearing the frightful hurricane which followed the 
 storm in the evening, slipped her cables, set sail, and 
 ran along the bank of Cape Carnero, or Cabrita Point 
 as it is called by the English. A rock ran into the 
 keel of the ship, was wedged in fast, broke off, and 
 the ' Gibraltar ' continued her course \\ithout fm'ther ac- 
 cident. 
 
 It was broad day when we got under weigh, and stood 
 across toward the white Algeziras and Cape Carnero ; 
 for dming the continuance of the east-wind this is the 
 best com-se, to escape the squalls from the Rock. The 
 first rays of the morning sun fell upon the cheerful little 
 town and the Spanish brig of war at Isla Verde. This 
 was the spot where the brave Admiral Linois, under 
 
104 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 shelter of the coast-batteries, which on both sides joined 
 his squadron by gun-boats, defied a superior force of the 
 enemy ; and — a rare occiuTence indeed — the Enghsh 
 were on tiiis occasion repulsed with the loss of a 
 ship of the line. Sailing round Cape Carnero and the 
 Perla, and steering along the Spanish coast, in order 
 to avoid the force of the current, we now directed our 
 course seaward, where all at once the wind almost en- 
 tirely subsided. 
 
 The current in the Straits of Gibraltar, this continual 
 influx of the ocean waters into the Mediterranean, is 
 well known to be a branch of the North-African stream, 
 Avhich in turn may be considered the termination as it 
 were of the great Atlantic chcle of currents, — the grand 
 movement of waters which, coming from the Indian 
 Ocean, overflows the Agidhas Bank, and enters the At- 
 lantic under the name of the Cape Stream ; then turns 
 northward along the African coast, disappears for a time, 
 and afterwards re-appears under the Tropics in the 
 violent ^Equatorial current, which, passing Cape Roque 
 and the mouths of the Amazon and Orinoco, pom^s its 
 warm tide through the Caribbean Sea into the Gulf 
 of Mexico ; from thence this mass of waters passes 
 through the Straits of Bahama as the Gulf-stream, 
 shoots like an arrow along the United States toAvard the 
 southern edge of the bank of Newfoundland, and then 
 empties itself like a horn of plenty in the direction of 
 the Azores. It will also be remembered that we find, 
 to the north and east of the Gulf-stream, as a continua- 
 tion of the general eastern oceanic movement, the Arctic, 
 
OCEAN CURRENTS. 105 
 
 the North- Atlantic ciuTent and the whirlpool of Rennell, 
 — that remarkable, refluent stream which passes through 
 the Bay of Biscay, and then flows back in a north-east 
 direction toward the Irish coast. 
 
 In the south-east corner of this general movement of 
 the North- Atlantic Ocean, in 45° north latitude, which 
 unites with the cold waters of the Polar Sea on its way 
 to warmer regions, and is also joined at times by 
 the overflowing waters of the Gulf-stream, arises that 
 immense accumulation of waters fi'om which the North- 
 African cmTcnt issues. Commencing between the meri- 
 dian of the Azores and the coast of Portugal, it runs in 
 a southern direction along the coast of Africa, until it 
 terminates under the name of the Guinea Stream in the 
 cul-de-sac of the Gulf of Benin and the Bay of Biafra, 
 the terminus of the general oceanic movement. 
 
 A part of the waters of this southern stream is di- 
 verted in passing by the Straits of Gibraltar, and tm'us 
 into the Mediterranean, supplying the water which is 
 lost by evaporation, and uniting mth the salt which is 
 left behind in that process. According to RenneU, this 
 com'se of the oceanic waters toward the Mediterranean 
 begins at about 130 nautical miles west of the coasts of 
 Em'ope and Africa, between 30° and 40° north latitude. 
 At Cape St. Vincent it is said to be so strong, that a 
 fresh and favourable wind is required to sail round the 
 point. In the Straits its velocity, according to Spix 
 and Martins, amounts to from 4 to 5, and according to 
 Captain Smyth, R.N. to 2-4 up to 4' 5 knots an horn*. 
 Many a good ship has been turned from her course by 
 
106 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 this stream at Tarifa, where its force is tlie greatest, 
 when the wind had not sufficient power to carry her 
 through the Straits. 
 
 In the Mediterranean the current extends towards 
 Cape de Gata*, and its influence is even very perceptibly 
 felt in the roadstead of Malaga, a fact of which I con- 
 vinced myself. 
 
 By the junction of the salt waters of the ocean with 
 the salt which is left in the Mediterranean by evapora- 
 tion, there would be too great an accumulation of salt in 
 this inland sea, were such a result not provided against 
 by a regular efflux. This discharge, which equalizes the 
 balance between the greater specific gravity of the Medi- 
 terranean (1 •03384) and the lesser gravity of the ocean 
 (1 •02944), seems to be constant, and to pass through the 
 Straits in an under counter-cmTent. In confirmation 
 of this opinion, Drinkwater, in his History of the Siege 
 of Gibraltar, adduces the oft-told story, that the wreck of 
 a Dutch vessel sunk by a privateer off Tarifa, rose again 
 at a later period in the roadstead of Tangier ; and that, 
 probably on account of this under-current, the sounding- 
 lead had not yet found the ground in the Straits. The 
 simple law of rotation, as well as the incessant influx 
 from the Black Sea, in the north-east corner of the 
 
 * It is well knowu that Cape de Gata is rounded ■v^'ith great dif- 
 ficulty against the cui'rent : the Sardinian sixty-gun frigate ' La Re- 
 gina,' on her To^-age to the Brazils, took twenty-two days to double 
 this Cape. Soon after the departure of the " Souffleurs," on the 
 first of July, I fancied that I heard them again ; but I was de- 
 ceived, — it was the current, which was perceived here for the first 
 time during our voyage palpably and on a sudden. 
 
CURRENTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. 107 
 
 Mediterranean, tlirougli the Bospliorus and the Darda- 
 nelles, together with the continual pressure from the 
 masses of water of the numerous streams that empty into 
 this great inland sea of the Old World, all strengthen 
 the existence of a western cmTent. It is indeed even 
 believed, that the Mediterranean poured into the ocean 
 at the first disruption of the Pillars of Hercules ; for 
 Em'ope and Asia appear to have been originally con- 
 nected at this point by an isthmus, in the same man- 
 ner as Africa and Asia are by the isthmus of Suez, — a 
 fact which may be inferred from the identity of for- 
 mation in the rocks of Gibraltar and Ceuta. But on 
 the surface, as well as at a depth, a counter though 
 weak cmTent is perceptible^ which seems to be partly a 
 side-action of the chief stream, and partly attributable 
 also to the influence of the tides. The chief stream of 
 the oceanic influx, which has only one movement toward 
 the east, flows in the middle of the Straits mth a width 
 of 2 "8 nautical miles ; it is accompanied on both sides 
 by a narrow zone, two nautical miles broad, the waters 
 of wdiich are within the influence of the six-homes' rise 
 and fall of the tide, which is daily perceived on the sea- 
 shore ; and mth this zone is connected the band of water 
 that washes the coasts of the two quarters of the globe, 
 where the sea ebbs and flows with perfect regularity. 
 
 In order to take advantage of this weak counter- 
 current, out-bound vessels keep a short distance off 
 land, as om^ Frigate did. In general the current is said 
 to carry ships more to the middle than the sides of 
 the channel, and many accidents are thus avoided. 
 
108 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 No square-rigged sliip is able with a contrary wind 
 to stem the current in the Straits. Only smaller ves- 
 sels, with gaff or lateen sails, can do this, beside the 
 steamers, since they lie as much as two points nearer 
 to the wind, and consequently at a sharper angle to the 
 stream, jDresenting to it a much less surface*. With a 
 west -s^dncl therefore no fleet can pass the Straits from 
 the Mediterranean, — these Straits which, in aU the naval 
 wars of France and Spain against England, parted the 
 fleets of Brest and the other ports on the Atlantic from 
 those of Toulon, and those of Terrol and Cadiz from the 
 squadrons of Carthagena. AVhat an important ally to 
 England against her enemies in the Mediterranean is the 
 west-wind ! AATiilst Britain's fleets were mnning battles 
 at a distance, the west-"\vind guarded for her the entrance 
 
 * A square-rigged ship, a ship of the hne, a frigate, and so forth, 
 cannot he nearer to the wind than six to five points, or 67° 30' to 
 56° 15'. The so-called line by the wind which fleets generally choose 
 for a line-of-battle amoimts therefore to &7° 30', whereas in cruising 
 or tacking, on account of the bad sailers and not to destroy the order, 
 it is generally necessary to lie as much as seven points from the 
 wind. Small vessels with gaflp and lateen sails, — as schooners, cutters, 
 luggers, xebeques, mistics, in a word what the English designate as 
 "fore-and-aft vessels," — can approach the wind-line nearer than five 
 points, nay within four and a half points, that is 50° 37' 30''. It 
 is even said that some can approach to Avithin four points, i. e. 45°, 
 but this seems erroneous. A brilliant instance of the advantage 
 which such a fore-and-aft vessel has in mastering the current was 
 given by the ' Buck' cutter (see Drinkwater, Siege of Gibraltar, p. 
 73), which fortunately escaped the whole squadron of Admiral Bar- 
 celo, trusting to the stream, whilst the Spaniards in pursuit of her 
 were carried so far away by the same current, that Captain Fagg 
 succeeded by a clever manoeuvre, and great intrepidity, in reaching 
 Gibraltar in safetv. 
 
NAVAL BATTLES IN THE STRAITS. 109 
 
 to the ocean. Nevertheless this ally has not unfre- 
 quently proved treacherous and gone over to the enemy, 
 carrymg past the Rock into the Mediterranean, under 
 the very eyes of the garrison, the English convoys which 
 were bringing the much-needed provisions to the star- 
 ving inhabitants of Gibraltar ; whilst the same wind car- 
 ried the French and Spanish squadrons safely tlu'ough 
 the Straits to join their friends. In May, 1799,* the 
 west-wind swept a Cadiz fleet of seventeen ships of the 
 line, which from their distrest state especially needed 
 its aid, with such fmy through the Straits, that nine 
 ships of the line, one frigate and one brig were dis- 
 masted, and two other sliips of the line broke their 
 tillers. 
 
 As long as England keeps possession of the Straits, 
 any combination of the two great fleets of Erance is 
 always in danger; here consequently lies the strategeti- 
 cal point for England's naval operations. Many a proof 
 of the truth of this assertion is written in blood, and 
 I have only to refer to any of the battles which have 
 been fought in these waters, — the undecided battle 
 between Rooke and Toulouse in the vicinity of Malaga 
 in 1704, Rodney's victory over Langara in 1780 off 
 Cape St. Vincent, Lord Howe's over Cordova in 1782, 
 west of Cape Spartel, the famous battle of St. Vincent 
 under Sir John Jervis, and lastly Nelson's victory at 
 Trafalgar. But of all the battles that have taken place 
 here, none is so peculiarly connected with the Straits of 
 
 * Naval History of Great Britain, vol. 2, p. 200. 
 
110 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 Gibraltar as the battle of Cabrita Point. In the evening 
 of the twelfth of July, 1801, two hostile squadrons ran 
 out of the bay of Algeziras. Admiral Moreno had hardly 
 doubled Cabrita, when Sir James Saumarez gave chase 
 to his fleet before a fresh east-wind. At twenty mi- 
 nutes past eleven o'clock at night the vanguard of the 
 British line opened her fire upon the ' Real Carlos,' of 
 112 guns, which was soon in flames. Another Spanish 
 ship, the ' San Hermenegildo,' also of 112 guns, attacked 
 the bmiiing three-decker, which she mistook for an 
 enemy's ship : but before the ' San Hermenegildo ' dis- 
 covered her error, she likewise was on fire. Ere long, 
 at the solemn hour of midnight, illuminating the coasts 
 of Europe and Africa with their glowing flames, the two 
 three-deckers one after another blew up into the air ; 
 and seventeen hundred Spaniards, who had just been 
 engaged in mutual conflict, and had only the instant 
 before recognized one another, met then' death in fire 
 and flood ! At fifty minutes past seven a. m. on the 
 thirteenth of July, the ' Venerable ' was grounded on 
 the bank of San Pedro (Sancti Petri), to the north of 
 Conil. Thus ended the battle, which began at Cape 
 Carnero ; the rest of the combined squadron reached 
 Cadiz in safety. 
 
 Important as is the possession of the Straits to En- 
 gland in times of war, yet no British fleet can remain 
 here under all circumstances, as there is no safe harbom'. 
 The roadsteads of Ceuta and Tangier, as we have seen, 
 afford little shelter, but the anchorage in the bay of Al- 
 geziras is better, although not without defects. Gib- 
 
IMPORTANCE OF A STEAM-FLEET. Ill 
 
 raltar moreover, with the exception of a large victualling- 
 office and a fine naval hospital, does not offer a fleet the 
 means of thoroughly repairing and laying in necessary' 
 stores — among others of water — in sufficient quantities*. 
 The central point of England's power in the Mediterra- 
 nean therefore lies in La Valetta in Malta, with its mag- 
 nificent and spacious harbours, and the important esta- 
 blishments for the fleet now in progress. But the im- 
 portance of Gibraltar will increase, whenever England 
 establishes here a large coal-depot for her steam-fleet in 
 the Mediterranean, and this she will be obliged to do. 
 Wliat an entirely new position would England assume, 
 as the mistress of the Straits, if, in case of a war with 
 France, she had a numerous and powerful squadron of 
 steamers permanently stationed here, — a squadron which 
 with every wind could cross the Straits in all directions, 
 in storms could easily change its anchorage, fly from 
 approaching danger, and hold on long after any fleet 
 of sailing ships would have been lost ! What a noble 
 station then is the Straits of Gibraltar for the steam-fleet 
 of Britain ! 
 
 If the Spanish gunboats in the bay of Algeziras, like 
 the Danish boats in the Sound, have gained a lasting 
 fame, how much more will the steamers of Gibraltar 
 figm-e in the future annals of naval tactics, which, co- 
 operating with calms, west-wind and current, will stop 
 an enemy's passage through the Straits, or make him 
 pay dearly for the attempt ! But may it be said that the 
 
 * The covering of the present watermg-tanks is not bomb-proof, 
 and they are therefore hable to be easily destroyed from the sea. 
 
112 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 fleet of the enemy can overcome contrary winds and cur- 
 rent, towed by tlieir steamers ? Even with a cahu this 
 seems ahnost impossible, if the statement, of which I 
 have no doubt, be correct, that the stream runs at the 
 rate of 2 "4 to 4'8 sea-miles an hour. On the twelfth of 
 May, a few days after our ascent of ^tna, I was on 
 board the ' Devastation,' one of the finest steam-frigates 
 in the British fleet, whose engines, Captain Henry told 
 me, were of 400 horse-power, when she towed the 
 'Howe' of 120 guns and 2619 tons, and the 'Thun- 
 derer ' of 84 guns and 2279 tons, out of the harbour of 
 Malta, — the tlu'ee-decker at the rate of fom' knots, and 
 the two-decker at that of five knots an liom\ The sea 
 was smooth, and the breeze, which blew toward us, was 
 scarcely perceptible. The 'Devastation' therefore, power- 
 fid as she is, could hardly tow a ship of the line through 
 the Straits even in a calm ; she would only be able to 
 keep the ship in her place, or at the most draw her at 
 the rate of 2" 6 knots; whilst the steamer alone, without 
 any incumbrance, would cut through the stream at six and 
 a half to seven and a half knots an hour. What an ad- 
 vantage therefore does a squadron of steamers possess in 
 these waters over a fleet of sailing ships ! But supposing 
 even that, by the employment of more powerful steamers 
 or the aid of a favouring breeze, the enemy shoidd suc- 
 ceed in towing his sailing fleet through the Straits, the 
 superiority of steamers with a west-w^nd and a calm is 
 not the less certain : the amount of this depends how- 
 ever on the circumstances of each particular case. The 
 great thing is to turn these circumstances to proper ad- 
 
STEAM-SHIPS OF WAR. 113 
 
 vantage. A new sera in navigation and naval warfare 
 seems to be opening ; it is contemplated to adapt steam- 
 engines with screw-propellers to ships of the line, in 
 order to protect them in calms against the attacks of 
 steamers, — engines powerful enough to move these large 
 ships at a rate of five knots ; but even this would 
 not suffice in all cases to oppose the necessary force to 
 the cmTent. Straits are therefore peculiarly and under 
 all cu'cumstances the proper theatre for the operation of 
 steamships in warfare, which vdll in a certain degree 
 — I must be excused the unseamanlike comparison — 
 transfer the harassing character of a Cossack or Bedouin 
 attack, combined with the obstinacy of a murderous 
 fire of sharpshooters, to the watery element ; and naval 
 tactics wiU perhaps one day be transformed in like man- 
 ner as the irregular bodies of troops in revolutionary 
 forces have changed the stiff tactics of land armies. 
 
 Steamships introduce an enthely new element into 
 naval warfare ; they admit the possibility of arranging and 
 leading on to a battle, and of relieving and replacing 
 damaged ships. In attacks on fortified places, they 
 afford the means of strengthening isolated points in the 
 line by ships in tow, and consequently suggest the first 
 idea of a reserve at sea; lastly by then- aid ships are 
 enabled to escape from a superior enemy, even when in 
 a damaged state, in cases where this would be impos- 
 sible with sails alone. In fact steamers may ventm^e 
 into waters which any cruiser would endeavour to avoid ; 
 they wiU even prefer such waters, to obtain a superio- 
 rity over their enemy in sailing ships ; they will welcome 
 
 VOL. I. I 
 
114 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 groups of islands, Avitli their alternate calms and squalls ; 
 sandbanks and rocks will afford tliem protection ; the 
 ocean calms will open to them an unlimited field of 
 activity, and the currents in straits will combine mth 
 them against their foes. Two things alone are neces- 
 sary for the realization of these sanguine ideas of steam 
 power, namely the Archimedian-screw, by the employ- 
 ment of Avhicli steamers can be exposed to an enemy's 
 fire uninjm'ecl, and depots of coal in the vicinity of their 
 scene of action, — that is to say, as long as coals are in- 
 dispensable. Gibraltar forms the coal-depot, — the Straits, 
 the open scene of action ; let us ascertain its extent : 
 this is not small, and ample enough for the exercise of 
 important warlike forces*. 
 
 The extent of the Straits of Gibraltar from west to 
 east amounts to 32' 20", or rather more than thirty-two 
 English geographical miles ; theh opening into the Medi- 
 
 * The following comparison of breadth may be of some interest to 
 the numerous travellere who now visit the Mediterranean : — 
 
 Cape Spartivento 37° 56' 0" N. 
 
 „ Passaro 36 40 „ 
 
 „ Matapan 3G 21 30 „ 
 
 „ Europa 36 * 6 20 „ 
 
 Tarifa 36 50 „ 
 
 Valetta 35 53 b^ ,, 
 
 Cape Beuhsa (Malta) .... 35 49 „ 
 The north point of Africa, Cape Bianco (Tunis), lies in 37° 20' 0" N., 
 consequently 1° 2' = 20 German miles more north than the south- 
 point of Europe. Yaletta in Malta (35° 53' 5b" N.) is about 1| 
 German mile more south than Tarifa, and about 21-|- German miles 
 more south than the most northern point of the African coast. See 
 ' A C/omplete Epitome of Practical Navigation,' etc., by J. W. Norie, 
 1840. Table LVI. p. 297, seq. 
 
"WIDTH OF THE STRAITS. 115 
 
 terranean between Ceiita and Europa Point, 1:2' 10", or 
 about twelve Englisli miles ; and tlieir broad opening 
 toward tlie ocean, between Espartel and Trafalgar, 23' 
 10", or twenty-tbree English miles. At about the middle 
 of the Spanish coast the peninsula of Tarifa projects to- 
 ward the middle of the Straits, lying in north latitude 
 36° 0' 50", the true southern extremity of Em^ope. Erom 
 Tarifa to Cape Alcazar the distance is 8' 20", or rather 
 more than eight English miles. East of this line up 
 to that between Punta de Em^opa and Punta de la Al- 
 mina (near Ceuta) lie the proper Straits ; to the west 
 they widen considerably, and the Spanish coast recedes 
 abruptly in the direction of Trafalgar. The point at 
 which Europe and Africa approach the nearest is be- 
 tween Punta de Canales and Punta Cues ; the distance 
 between the two quarters of the globe being here only 
 7' 20", or rather more than seven English miles. Whilst 
 the south coast of the Straits is feared on account of 
 its reefs, the north coast is di'eaded for its sandbanks, 
 which form two groups, one lying southward between 
 Punta Paloma and west of Tarifa, the other between 
 Trafalgar and Conil. But we will now retimi on board 
 the ' San Michele.' ■ ■ 
 
 After the lapse of some hours the wind blew again 
 fresh from the east, and the Erigate dashed along at 
 the rate of 12'3 to 12' 5 knots, under single reefed top- 
 sails and courses. We passed the most southern point of 
 Europe, the little town of Tarifa lying at the foot of 
 a steep conical mountain, obliquely across to Tangier, 
 and approached the roads, in order better to survey the 
 
 I 2 ■ 
 
116 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 foreign men-of-war anchored before this chief port of 
 the empire of Morocco, to give by their imposing pre- 
 sence proper weight to the demands of their respective 
 Powers. 
 
 The coasts of Em'ope were veiled in a bhiish mist, 
 wliile the dark green monntains of Africa grew gradually 
 more distinct, and then' beautifid outlines more sharply 
 defined. The Pillars of Hercules, the far-projecting 
 Gibraltar, and the truncated pyramid of Apes' Hill, lay 
 behind us in a misty distance, like the extreme van- 
 guard of Em^ope and Africa, separated only by the nar- 
 row, azure arm of the sea. But soon the town and 
 rock of Gibraltar — the guardian and key of the Medi- 
 terranean — vanished ; and in its place appeared in 
 the north-west, scarcely distinguishable, the light blue, 
 rounded Cape Trafalgar, like a long flat cm'ved island 
 stretching into the ocean, — that Trafalgar which con- 
 ferred on Great Britain the sovereignty of the seas. Here 
 it was that Lord Nelson at length came up with Admiral 
 Villeneuve, whom, after his fortunate escape from Toulon, 
 Nelson had sought first tlu^oughout the Mediterranean, 
 as far as the coast of Egypt, then pursued tlu'ough the 
 Straits to Barbadoes and Trinidad, and again across the 
 ocean back to the Straits ; when, not finding him there, he 
 explored the Irish Sea in pursuit, and turning southward 
 again at length came up with him oflP Trafalgar. This 
 unparalleled perseverance here met "with its complete 
 reward ; the naval power of Spain w^as destroyed, Eng- 
 land's foes were annihilated, and Nelson found the no- 
 blest reward of a hero — a victor's death. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF TANGIER. 117 
 
 Behind the wooded shores of Africa rose in the far 
 distance the last bine snmmit of Monnt Atlas. We sailed 
 past the woods of Cala Baca, and saw behind Cape Mala- 
 bata the wide bend of the steep sandy coast, in the centre 
 of which the white city of Tangier* rises up the acclivity 
 
 * I am indebted to the kindness of the Rev. Dr. Pischon for the 
 following sketch, as well as for some others in subsequent parts of 
 this Work. 
 
 Tangier derives its name from the ancient city of Tingis, which lay- 
 not far from the present site of the city ; at a very early period in- 
 habitants from this place were transplanted by the Phoenicians to 
 Spain. On its rebelling against King Bogud of Mauritania, the 
 Emperor Augustus granted it a free constitution, and the Emperor 
 Claudius, on changing the whole comitry into a province, made 
 Tingis its capital, and named the province from the city Tingitana. 
 It was conquered by the Vandal king Genserich in 429, and after- 
 wards by Belisarius in 534, and remained in the hands of the 
 Byzantines until, imder the khalif Walid I. the celebrated general 
 Blusa Ben Nosair about the year 705 subdued the country of Tanja, 
 took the capital, Tangier, and garrisoned it with ten thousand men 
 under the general Tarik Ben Ziad, who sailed from hence and landed 
 in Spam. After 804 it fell into the power of the Edrisides, who 
 freed themselves from Harun al Raschid, and it remained in their 
 hands, until the Ommaijades from Spain, who had shortly before 
 lost a battle here, took it together with the whole of western Mauri- 
 tania, JNIagreb al Aksa. On the overthrow of the dominion of the 
 Ommaijades it had rulers of its own, the last of whom, the old Socra 
 al Barqueti in 1078 lost his life in a battle against the Moravide 
 Jussuf Ben Tasfiu, whereupon Tanja fell into Jussuf's hands. WTien 
 the Muahedim (Mohades) appeared against the Moravides, and Abd- 
 el-Mumen besieged Morocco, Tangier went over to him in the be- 
 ginning of October 1146. In the thirteenth century it passed into 
 the hands of the Castilians, from whom the Merenide Abu Jussuf 
 took it by storm in September or October 1273. A Castilian and 
 Genoese fleet, in July or August 1291, destroyed the African ships 
 which were going to attack Sancho of Castille in sight of Tangier. 
 Joao I. of Portugal, with his three sons and bis brave general Pe- 
 reira, took Ceuta by storm in 1415. A Portuguese army, led 
 
118 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 on the west side of the bay ; foreign men-of-war were 
 lying before it in the roadstead, which is exposed to 
 the north and north-east winds. The ' Jena/ Commo- 
 dore Turpin, had just hoisted his flag and top-gallant 
 sails, at the same instant with the ' Africaine ' frigate, 
 the brig ' Le Cerf,' and a large steamship also belong- 
 ing to the squadron. Her example was followed by the 
 Spanish frigate ' La Cortez,' and the American corvette 
 (or " Jackass-frigate "), which both hoisted the Commo- 
 dore's flag. Many coast-batteries extend along the town, 
 
 by the Infant Don Henrique and Don Fernando, brothers of king 
 Eduardo, besieged Tangier in 1437, but was surrounded by a large 
 Morocco army, and compelled by starvation to purchase a free 
 exit, on the promise of delivering up Ceuta to the Morocco people. 
 Don Fernando remained behind as a hostage ; and as the Cortes 
 refused to consent to the surrender of Cevita, he remained in 
 imprisonment at Fez, where, after enduring great suffering, he 
 died a martyr's death on the 5th of June, 1443, and gained the 
 name of the " resolute prince," and " the saint." In subsequent 
 struggles with Africa, the Portuguese in 1471, under the sway of 
 Alfonso v., took Arzila by storm with great bloodshed; this so 
 terrified the inhabitants of Tangier that they quitted their city, 
 which was at once occupied by the Portuguese. When king Sebas- 
 tian undertook his great warlike expedition against Morocco, he 
 landed on the 24th of June, 1578, in Tangier. On the change of 
 government in Portugal in 1640, Tangier remained in possession of 
 the House of Braganza, whilst Ceuta was transferred to Spain. 
 When Charles II. of England married the princess Catharine of 
 Portugal, the daughter of John IV. of Braganza, Tangier was given 
 him as part of the dowry of the princess. The cost of mamtaining 
 it was too great for the English, and they demolished the place in 
 1684, whereupon the inhabitants of Morocco retook possession, re- 
 built it irregularly, and fortified it. Ever since Tangier has re- 
 mained in their hands, until recently the bombardment by the Prince 
 de Joinville, on the 6th of August 1844, has again brought it forward 
 in history. 
 
CITY OF TANGIER. 119 
 
 whilst a high wall terminates it on the north side, which 
 leads down from the top of the heights to the strand. 
 
 In Tangier itself, which has quite a Em^opean aspect, 
 neither chm'ches, mosques, nor minarets are distinguish- 
 able ; but I saw upon the heights at the back of the 
 town the cupolas of a group of mescheds or Mussulman 
 chapels. The east-wind carried us out of the Straits 
 like a flash of lightning, past Tangier and the green hiU 
 of Cape Spartel, descending to the sea. Spartel and 
 Trafalgar were soon lost behind the horizon, and now 
 for the first time we felt the long waves, giving the Fri- 
 gate a motion quite diflJerent from that experienced in 
 the Mediterranean, and which announced oiu' entrance 
 on the Atlantic Ocean. Through the windows of the 
 cabin I saw behind us the white foam upon the azure- 
 blue waves, which began to follow us in long connected 
 lines. The sun was burning hot. 
 
 At noon we were in north latitude 36° 29', and 6° 18' 
 36" west longitude. After sailing in this manner for 
 some time, in order to round the banks of Trafalgar 
 and Conil more safely, we shaped om^ course direct for 
 Cadiz. 
 
 Scarcely had an hour elapsed, when we again came in 
 sight of Cape Trafalgar. A straight, short mountain, de- 
 scending steeply to the sea, lay behind us on the right, 
 whilst the flat, sandy coast of Spain, with isolated, low, 
 bluish mountains in the background, extended in a long 
 uniform line on om' starboard beam and bow, like 
 the Baltic coast, terminating with the snow-white town 
 of Cadiz. The turret-like gables or embattled house- 
 
120 THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR. 
 
 tops of Cadiz were seen rising out of the dark-blue 
 waters, together with its towers, and the lofty yellow 
 dome of its cathedral, looking like a mosque in the 
 centre of the town : the white lighthouse stood in the 
 foreground. 
 
A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 July 17tli. — It was Sunday : one of the Frigate's boats 
 conveyed me as early as ten o'clock to the ' Thunderer/ 
 lying at a short distance, on board which ship I wished 
 to attend divine service. The east- wind, which had car- 
 ried us across the Straits to Ceuta on the fifteenth, had 
 brought the ' Thunderer ' in seven hours from Gibraltar 
 to Cadiz. On my arrival I found all the ship's company 
 dravm up in lines on the different decks. This mustering, 
 which takes place regularly every Sunday, and in many 
 ships on one week-day besides, is called by the English 
 " Mustering by divisions." Captain Pring showed me 
 the spacious holds of his fine two-decker, and at the 
 same time his choice crew of seven hundred and fifty 
 men, who, with the exception of a recent accession of a 
 hundred men, had taken an active part in the bombard- 
 .jment of Acre and the attack on Sidon (Seyda). The 
 snip was in the most perfect and admirable order, and 
 in a condition for battle. Dming a practice of the 
 
l-2'2 A SrxPAY IV CADIZ. 
 
 gims. in tlie coiu'se of the ensuing week. I liad an 
 opportimitY of obseniug tlie skill and science of the 
 crew of the •'Thunderer.' SLx shots at seven and eight 
 liiindi-ed yai'ds were lii'ed, and each time the target- 
 cask with the httle flag was sunk : most of the balls 
 likewise flew so close to the cask, that it was eveiy time 
 splashed bv the water. I haA'e seldom A^itiiessed such 
 correct aim and precise dii'ection : I might almost sav 
 that this filing with great guns was as exact as rifle- 
 shooting. Such skfll and precision is the fi'uit of the 
 school for naval gunnery established for many yeai's on 
 board the -Excellent." Eveiw ship of the Ime, frigate, 
 and lai'ge-class steamship of the British naAw has, among 
 her oflicers, a heutenant or mate who has been trained 
 in this school, and who superintends the gimneiy in- 
 stiaicrion in his ship. Air. Jenuer is the •'■' gimnery- 
 lieutenant'" of the "' Thunderer," and most efi'ectively su- 
 peiintends this impoitant branch of the service. It was 
 cjuite a pleasiu'e, when the last soimds of •■ Hearts of 
 Oak'"'" were just d^Tiig away, to see the .starboai'd grms 
 iim in, and charged with force and precision by the 
 fine active young fellows, who worked and seiwed them 
 with true seamanlike ease and dexterity. The black, 
 shining growlers seemed to have won the respect of the 
 crew, and the weU-kno'^'n soimds awakened the re- 
 membrance of the days of Acre and Sidon, and a thirst 
 for fresh exploits, — those soimds which had re-echoed 
 thi'ough the •' Thimderer ' on the eve of battle, siimmon- 
 ins so manv brave British tais to rictorv. and so manv 
 to another world 1 
 
VISIT TO THE ' THrNDERER.' 123 
 
 The two lower batteries of this ship of the hne are 
 armed "^vith thirty-two-pounders, and each battery- ^ith 
 four sixtT-eight-poimders for shot or shell. The deck- 
 batten* of the eightT-four-gim ship consists of thirty- 
 two-pound carronades, which hit with great accuracy 
 at eight hundred yards. The new kind of pumps can 
 be manned, if required, and worked alone on the orlop 
 under the lowest batteiy. 
 
 In oui' walk over the ship, I inquired of Captain 
 Pring for the " Troop-deck," fitted for one thousand 
 men, which 'Mi. Ohver Lang, the builder of the ' Thun- 
 derer,' had shown me when I saw her on the stocks ten 
 years before at Wool^wich. This deck was very soon 
 removed, as it impeded the free circulation of the air. 
 The cabins of the heutenants and "' young gentlemen" 
 ai'e spacious and comfortable : the same may be said, in 
 a much greater degree, of the Captain's cabin, lying 
 under the poop, which was fitted up with great taste and 
 unusual " comfort," — an aiTangement in which !Mrs. 
 Pring, who was on board, had doubtless contributed her 
 aid. The galleries on the stem of the two-decker gave 
 this floating dwelling a peculiar chann. 
 
 ^Tien the mustering was ended, the boatswain sung 
 out in a rough voice, with the shrill accompaniment 
 of the silver whistle, " All hands rig chmxh !" and in- 
 stantly the crew pom-ed forth from every comer and 
 hatchway, bringing the folded benches ; these were ar- 
 ranged in rows, one behind another, facing the altar, 
 which was placed on the quarter-deck. We took our 
 seats with the ofiicers on each side, and the crew sat on 
 
124 A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 the opposite benches, — the marines, with their red coats 
 closely buttoned up, parted from the " blue-jackets," who 
 sat perfectly at their ease and seemingly quite com- 
 fortable in their Sunday's dress : it looked like a flower- 
 bed, accm^ately squared off. 
 
 It was a fine morning, and not a cloud was to be seen 
 in the blue sky, toward which the masts of the mighty 
 ' Thunderer' arose. The assembly sat bare-headed in rows 
 before us, Avith their eyes lowered to the prayer-book, 
 and repeating the responses. The deck glowed under 
 our feet, and an oppressive sultriness lay upon the bay 
 of Cadiz, girt by a flat coast ; but now and then a little 
 cooling breeze stirred, though scarcely perceptible, — the 
 forerunner of the approaching fresh sea-wdnd. Unfor- 
 tunately, from the chaplain's indistinct pronunciation and 
 broad accent, I could understand little of the sermon. 
 After an excellent luncheon with Mrs. Pring, I returned 
 on board the ' San Michele.' 
 
 The reader may picture to himself the bay of Cadiz 
 as a small Ilaff, similar to those along the coast of the 
 Baltic, but on a larger scale ; he must however imagine 
 one with a considerable depth of water, and a very 
 broad mouth, opening to the west ; on its south side 
 lies Cadiz, with the little town of Rota opposite. The 
 town of Cadiz rises from the blue waters at the end of 
 a flat, sandy tongue of land, which stretches from the 
 mainland northwards, or more properly from S.S.E. to 
 N N.W., and then tmiiing west at a sharp angle, pro- 
 jects into the ocean with a small hook, which the town 
 and fortifications cover. This hook is continued by a 
 
THE BAY OF CADIZ. 125 
 
 reef, on which is erected the low fort of San Sebastian 
 with its hghthouse. The narrow land-front consists 
 of a ciu'tain A\ith two demi-bastions, with ravehn and 
 counter-guard in a dry ditch in front. The to^YU is sur- 
 rounded by connected casemates, and a wide platform 
 for mounting gmis. I scarcely in any instance saw 
 an under line of embrasures ; they are perhaps walled 
 up temporarily. The platform, on which are mounted 
 a few badly appointed guns, serves as a public walk. 
 At certain points the profiles are remarkable ; for in- 
 stance I estimated the profile on the connexion of 
 the demi-bastion toAvards the bay, at the point where 
 a barrack is said to be placed in the casemate, at 
 from seventy to eighty feet, when I went under it at 
 low water : on other spots it amounts to about thirty 
 feet ; this is regulated, as I have said, entii'ely by the 
 ground. 
 
 At the point where the sand-bank joins the mainland, 
 and the Torre Gorda rises, (the fust of the eight towers 
 which extend along the coast to Algeziras,) commences 
 the flat south side of the bay, a large plain traversed by 
 a system of artificial ditches, which are converted by 
 intervening narrow strips of ground into a net of con- 
 nected squares, united by small sluices. The sea-water 
 is let into these scpiares, and the sluices are then dammed 
 up. The water evaporates, and after about a month the 
 pure salt is removed, and laid on the intervening spaces. 
 There are likcTvase large salt-depots here in the shape of 
 tall, white trapeziums. 
 
 On a plateau in the middle of this plain, which is 
 
126 ' A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 covered with salt-works, rise the towns of Isla de Leon 
 or San Pernando (the former celebrated for its obser- 
 vatory, which is charmingly situated among rich woods 
 and groups of palms) and San Carlos or La Niieva Pob- 
 lacion, that gigantic project which was strangled in the 
 birth. Three high buildings stand close together, — a 
 large barrack, an unfinished church, and an enormous 
 government-house with a colonnade, — all empty ! they 
 look like one of Nebel's sketches in the market-place of 
 Mexico. To the east lies the naval arsenal, La Caraca, 
 on the opposite bank of a broad and deep arm of the sea, 
 which, running from the south-eastern corner of the 
 bay, describes a large bend to the south and east, before 
 joining the sea at the insular fortress of Sancti Petri. 
 This Rio de Sancti Petri converts the spot upon which 
 lie San Pernando and San Carlos, and with which is con- 
 nected the isthmus of Cadiz, into an island. The Puente 
 de Zuazo, east of Isla de Leon, the only passage over 
 this principal channel, is defended by a small closed 
 work upon the bank on this side, a kind of walled tam- 
 bour, whilst three stone redoubts are advanced over the 
 bridge. On the other side of these works is a narrow 
 and short tributary to the arm of the sea, which is 
 bridged over by the Puente del Espartero. A weak and 
 dilapidated earthwork here forms the tete duponf. Over 
 this bridge the road leads to the neighbouring Chiclana, 
 the summer residence of the " Gadetanos," behind which 
 rises a little chain of hiUs that reminded me of the 
 Potsdam hills. On both sides of the Rio de Sancti Petri 
 extends the wide salt-plain, which with its impassable, 
 
THE DRY DOCK. 127 
 
 wide and deep ditches, renders the island at the ex- 
 tremity of which hes Cadiz, impregnable on the land 
 side. This intersected ground no doubt greatly favom^ed 
 the resolute defence of the fortress of Cadiz against the 
 Trench. 
 
 A navigable water of at least fom* fathoms' depth (one 
 point excepted, where the depth is only twenty-one feet) 
 leads from the roadstead to the naval arsenal La Caraca, 
 situated near the opening of the Sancti Petri into the 
 bay, which with its labyrinth of dilapidated buildings 
 looks like the ruined palace of a bankrupt nobleman. In 
 the middle of the broad channel lay a tndy piteous 
 spectacle — the old, worn-out ' Soberano,' of seventy-four 
 guns, one of the few relics which Spain has saved from 
 the shipwreck of her past greatness. 
 
 I found the Dry Dock ready to receive her, in which 
 the French ninety-gun ship ' Le Suffrein', had been 
 repaired, after being stranded, together with all the 
 merchantmen in the roadstead, by one of those violent 
 squalls which at times sweep over the bay of Cadiz. 
 
 This Dry Dock is the only one whose gates are still 
 serviceable ; those of the two others are rotten : the 
 granite of the three basins has alone withstood the 
 storms of time. I counted about five building-stocks 
 for large ships : they were \vithout roofing (Cuff's), which 
 is not needed in this warm climate, and a considerable 
 cost of maintenance is thus saved. A few guns lay 
 ranged in good order, and some timber was immersed 
 in the mud of a canal, to preserve it : there appeared 
 to be few or no other stores. Before the entrance-gate 
 
128 * A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 into the Caraca a ragged, barefooted sailor kept guard, 
 with a naked boarding-knife; and the few individuals, 
 who in some degree enliven this sohtude, harmonize 
 strangely with the lamentable condition of the whole. 
 
 T\Tiilst the flat south side of the bay of Cadiz, seen 
 from om^ anchorage, with its three villages, vanished in 
 the blue mist, the eastern coast came out more distinctly. 
 On this side the bay, which forms several smaller bays 
 or inlets, is girt with sand-hills, in parts wooded, on 
 which he the towns of Puerto Real and Puerto de Santa 
 Maria. Upon the last point of the sand-hills, between 
 Santa Maria and Rota, extend detached coast-batteries, 
 in a cm've to the south-west ; but the only important one 
 is that of Castillo de Santa Catalina, erected on a pro- 
 jecting point of land. Close by Puerto Real, a low sand- 
 bank on the south-west, indiscernible from the road- 
 stead, projects toward the opposite sand-bank, narrow^- 
 ing the bay to a channel, and dividing the inlet into a 
 shallower one on the south and a larger one on the 
 north, which properly forms the roadstead. This flat 
 peninsula is the famous Trocadero, w^hich appeared to 
 be separated from the mainland by a line of weak earth- 
 works. 
 
 It was natural that I should here call to mind the 
 hero of Trocadero, who had graciously placed at my 
 service the fine frigate. The King of Sardinia was the 
 first to mount the ramparts at the storming of this work, 
 and here w^on for himscK the title of a "premier Gre- 
 nadier de Prance." In the gorge of the Trocadero is the 
 small, closed Castillo de Matagorda, and opposite to it 
 
BAY OF CADIZ. 129 
 
 on a projection of the sand-bank beyond the channel, 
 which is foiu* to six fathoms deep, the Castillo de Pun- 
 tales, celebrated for its defence. At a few hundred yards 
 south of this, the strong fort of San Fernando obliquely 
 intersects the tongue of land, nearly in the centre of its 
 length, which from this point narrows gradually. The 
 latter is strengthened by a walled dam, upon which the 
 road leads inland past the Torre Gorda ; dming earth- 
 quakes however the flood pom's over it into the bay. In 
 order to keep the connnunication open as long as pos- 
 sible, for foot-passengers at least, the road is here en- 
 closed by walls from three to foiu* feet high, supported 
 on open arches. 
 
 Let us now turn from the wide circuit of the coast 
 around the bay of Cadiz, to its entrance. On the north 
 side of the town we observe a group of banks and 
 reefs, stretching half way toward the opposite shore : 
 the perils of the Puercas, the Cochinos, the Frayle, the 
 Galera, and the Diamante had all to be encountered be- 
 fore the proud Frigate could unfmi her sails, and steer 
 across the wide expanse of ocean to the New World ! 
 
 The afternoon of this day was spent very differently 
 to the morning. I landed at half-past three, to be pre- 
 sent at a bullfight. Following the crowd we passed 
 through the centre of the town, and soon came to the 
 seashore, where stands the immense, open, octagonal 
 Circus set apart for these cruel sports. Above it wave 
 the Spanish, the white English, the French, and the Por- 
 tuguese flags. 
 
 It was stiU early when we took om- places, nearly in 
 
 VOL. I. K 
 
130 • A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 the top row of seats. Wliat a motley crowd filled the 
 amphitheatre, and thronged the sandy arena ! and what 
 an incessant bustle and noise, mingled with shrill cries ! 
 The people are perfectly wild and micontroUable in the 
 Torrida, and have everything their own way ; the poor 
 National Guards hardly interfere at all. 
 
 If any harmless individual has by chance the misfor- 
 tune to attract the notice of the multitude, all eyes are 
 tmiied to the place where he is seated, staring up at him, 
 and a frightfid screaming begins, which continues until 
 the people at length are tired and gradually become quiet 
 again. The Spaniards like on these occasions to be true 
 Spaniards ; nearly all the men, of all classes, wear jerkins, 
 elegant parti-colom^ed jackets ornamented with braid 
 and broad colom^ed edging, black jackets trimmed with 
 bugles, or simple wdiite and striped stuff ones, like 
 those of the lower classes, with the universal addition of 
 the national Spanish hat. The common people wear a 
 red band round their body. 
 
 The public here, as I said, have their caprices ; I was 
 told that they once compelled a stranger to pull off 
 his yellow kid gloves, and obliged another to leave the 
 place merely because his elegant dress-coat did not 
 please them. There were many strangers present today, 
 including a large attendance of the officers from the 
 different ships in the roadstead. The ' Thunderer' was 
 most numerously represented, for, beside Captain Pring 
 at the head of a large portion of his staff, a strong muster 
 of stout British sailors had also seated themselves com- 
 fortably on the rows of benches. Mrs. Pring's presence 
 
A BULL-FIGHT. 131 
 
 likewise was indispensable, and slie was seated beside 
 her Imsband, liaving reluctantly yielded lier scruples 
 against the desecration of the Sunday. Below us sat two 
 Frenchmen : the as^nrant de preiuiere classe came first, 
 took his seat, pulled on his yellow kid gloves, without 
 being at all incommoded, took a French newspaper out 
 of his pocket, and attempted to read ; but being dis- 
 turbed by the noise and bustle, he finally tucked it under 
 him. The other Frenchman in the frock-coat suffered 
 greatly from the heat ; he pulled a yellow handkerchief 
 out of his pocket, and drew it over his head on the sunny 
 side. We sat waiting for the shade, having taken our 
 " shady seats," for which we had to pay a higher price ; 
 en attendant some fellows scrambled about the benches 
 with refreshments. 
 
 But the most eager spectators, without whom a Torricla 
 is not conceivable, are the women. On the lower rows 
 of seats was a perfect swarm of red, yellow, and various- 
 colom^ed shawls, red being the predominant ; whilst a 
 sea of fans was in perpetual motion in front, the heads 
 covered with handkerchiefs keeping up a corresponding 
 motion. These women belong to the lower classes, and 
 are frequently seen carrying babies in their arms, which 
 are thus early familiarized to these spectacles, and draw 
 in a love for such cruel sport with their mother's milk. 
 On the top benches, shaded by a slight awning, are 
 seated the delicate beauties of the higher circles ; these 
 tender ladies, veiled in black lace, with dark fiery eyes 
 and glossy raven-black hair — these ladies who could not 
 see a fly killed without fainting — are here insatialile ; the 
 
 K 2 
 
132 A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 spectacle can never be savage or exciting enough, and 
 tliey can scarcely repress a scream of joy when tlie bull 
 rips up the poor horse's belly, and the bleeding entrails 
 hang trailing on the ground. 
 
 What a collection of fans is seen in the Torrida — from 
 the elegant abanicos of these delicate ladies, down to 
 the gaudy, paper fans of the lower classes ! for even the 
 beggar-women understand, with Spanish coquetry, the 
 art of playing with a fan. There are moreover abanicos 
 of all sizes ; I have seen them on the lower benches full 
 tln"ee feet long, so that whole families could sit behind 
 them. 
 
 The chief municipal officers had taken their places in 
 a gallery, and on the ground below were assembled, also 
 in a separate box, the Espadas, in their rich Spanish 
 costumes embroidered with gold and silver, and bright- 
 colom^ed cloaks, — ^just such figm^es as are frequently seen 
 upon the stage. 
 
 On a sudden was heard the loud ringing of a bell, amidst 
 a continued din. The arena was instantly cleared, and 
 the barriers opened on the left. Five Picadores, in two 
 parties, the two reserve combatants forming the second 
 body — large-made, robust men, every one a fellow of 
 iron — rode into the arena, followed by the fom^ mules, 
 decorated with little red and yellow flags and ribands, 
 intended to drag away the dead horses. On the opposite 
 side the Espadas, headed by the celebrated Montes, the 
 Matador, stepped into the middle of the arena, with 
 the Bandelieros, di'essed in the old Spanish costume 
 with shoes and stockings, and bowed to the centre tri- 
 
A BULL-FIGHT. 133 
 
 bime, whilst the Picadores lowered their finely-pointed 
 lances. The trumpets sounded ! the Espadas and 
 Bandelieros, with long coloui'ed shawls under their 
 arm, retreated behind the wooden screens, which are 
 placed as guards to the numerous doors leading to the 
 rows of seats. The Picadores, with their enormous, 
 broad-brimmed, trencher-shaped hats of whitish grey 
 felt, with a small round crown, are dressed in richly 
 embroidered velvet jackets, their legs cased in iron 
 leggings, and with one or two iron rings round their 
 body ; over all is drawn the yellow leather trowsers, 
 forming with the yellow leather boots and large spm-s 
 one single dress, which gives an indescribable clumsiness 
 to the lower part of these heavy horsemen : the effect of 
 this cbess is heightened by large, square, sallow or brown 
 faces, with black, bushy eyebrows. I know not why, but 
 the Picadores reminded me, in their whole form and 
 figure, of the singer Blume in the character of Bertrand, 
 in " Bobert le Diable." They were mounted on mares, 
 yielding neither in age nor ugliness to the worn-out 
 jade of any cockney huntsman. Three Picadores, with 
 their lances in rest, stationed themselves around at equal 
 distances, with their backs close to the band. 
 
 The trumpets sounded again ; the door under the tri- 
 bune opened, and the bull bounded at full gallop into 
 the circle. For an instant he stopped short, and then 
 rushing at one of the Picadores, who stood quietly await- 
 ing him, he received a stab from the lance ; wdiereupon 
 he dashed close past the second Picador, and flung the 
 third to the ground. This sport continued for a long 
 
134 A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 time. The Picadores have a difficult part to play : if 
 they were allowed to act on the offensive, it would be 
 much easier. These men may be said to be bred up 
 with the cattle ; their proper business is to drive the 
 beasts from place to place, like the peasants armed with 
 pointed sticks who are seen trotting Cossack-like over 
 the Campagna of Rome on theii* active little nags. Thus 
 the Picadores from theii' youth are accustomed to deal 
 with these bulls. If one of the men falls, he cannot rise 
 again without great difficulty, on account of his iron 
 leggings, and the horse almost always lies upon him. 
 In this case the Bandelieros run nimbly into the circle, 
 and with their colom^ed shawls tease the bull, which 
 generally pursues them furiously. But as the beast every 
 time rushes at the cloth, they run little risk, unless unfor- 
 tunately they chance to fall in the quick and short tiun- 
 ings. Meanwhile the man of steel and ii'on is helped 
 from under his horse. 
 
 The whole sport consists in the number of horses that 
 are killed. The first victim was an unfortunate grey 
 horse, which was thrown to the ground, quivered for a 
 few seconds, and then stretched his legs. When a steed 
 is wounded— that is to say, fauly struck — the Picador 
 rides out of the circle, and has the animal's eyes ban- 
 daged : he then returns to the combat. Por half an 
 hoiu we saw a poor grey horse with his entrails actually 
 hanging down to the earth ; nevertheless his rider spared 
 not the spm', as the poor creature, aware each time when 
 the bull was rushing at him, endeavoured to escape the 
 attack of his foe. At length, when the bull — one of the 
 
A BULL-FIGHT. 135 
 
 last that appeared in tlie lists this day — would no longer 
 repeat his attacks, the Picador rode up close in front 
 of the animal, in order to irritate him ; nevertheless, in 
 spite of his renewed wounds, it was a long time before 
 the poor horse fell dead upon the ground. 
 
 Fortunately for the Picadores who fall under their 
 horses, the bull shares the fault of many a general, and 
 neglects or is unable to follow up his advantage. I only 
 once or twice saw the horned victor turn round, to give 
 his victim the coui) de grace ; a couple of unlucky chest- 
 nut horses shared this fate. The bull pm^saes the Ban- 
 delieros only a few yards : if his eagerness for the fight 
 abates, the whole assembly becomes restless ; there is a 
 ringhig of bells, an uproar and cries ; the ladies vie 
 with one another, exclaiming, "Euego!" and the men 
 shout, " Another j'jftc?'?/*? ! " At length all break forth 
 into a general chorus of exultation, " The brave bull ! " 
 The animal has regained com'age : there lies the Pica- 
 dor, and the poor horse drags itself along on three legs. 
 But with this last effort the bull's fury is exhausted ; 
 he can do no more, his spirit is gone, and he bleeds 
 freely under the mane and on his neck. The music now 
 strikes up ; the Bandelieros have armed themselves mth 
 short sticks, tipped at one end with a barbed goad : 
 swinging above their heads these sticks, which are 
 bound with white or colom-ed paper, they run straight 
 at the bull, face to face, and thrust the goad into his 
 neck in front, just at the instant when the infmiated 
 beast again lowers his head and prepares to dash at 
 them. The bull now runs madly forwards, but the 
 
136 A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 Bandeliero has kept his body on one side, and springs 
 behind the screen. 
 
 Sometimes they also fix a kind of rocket and red-hot 
 irons into the animal's flesh, but this I cannot distinctly 
 remember. These instruments of tortm-e it is which 
 the excited beauties of the circle, inflamed with cruel 
 ardom', intend, when the exclamation " Fuego, fuego!" 
 rises from their ruby lips, while their sparkling black 
 eyes shoot dowm fiery glances full of scorn and fury on 
 the poor exhausted, horned hero of the arena. Fresh 
 Bandelieros are always ready to gratify those beautiful 
 eyes, and to replace the goads as the bull shakes them 
 off, that his rage may not too soon subside. 
 
 A third time the music sounds ! the third and last act 
 begins. Montes, the famous JMontes, the darling of the 
 Spanish people, the chief of all the Espadas of the Pen- 
 insula, drest in a green jacket, advances against the 
 bull with di'awn sword, and holds before him his scarlet 
 cloak edged with a white border. At the moment when 
 the fm-ious beast is about to rush at the cloak, the Ma- 
 tador stabs him mth his sword between the horns, 
 just at the point where the mane terminates. The bull 
 sinks on his hind-quarters, then falls upon liis side, and 
 Montes, the prince of his profession, is overwhelmed with 
 marks of applause. The black mantillas move to and 
 fro, the enraptured dames wave their handkerchiefs, and 
 as the victor walks around the arena bo^raig to the 
 multitude, the gentlemen tlu*ow down to him their hats 
 from the top galleries, which he catches cleverly and 
 throws up again to their owners with great adroitness. 
 
MONTES THE MATADOR. 137 
 
 Monies himself, before lie went lo look for the bull, had 
 throAYii his black velvet cap lo an acquaintance, and now 
 received it back. 
 
 Immediately a second champion aWHi broad forehead 
 and large horns, but of small make, was let loose in the 
 arena, and the same scenes were repealed until eight 
 victims had thus fallen. The first was the most power- 
 ful animal, although we should not have considered it by 
 any means remarkable for strength. 
 
 At the appearance of every new bull, oiu" excitement 
 increased, and we soon began to discern at the first 
 glance Iheu' character stamped upon their forehead. The 
 multitude were dissatisfied, for the beasts would not 
 show sport properly, or rather knew not what to make 
 of the whole aflair. Several times Monies volunteered lo 
 act as a Bandeliero with great com^age and dexterity : he 
 placed himself before the bull, and looked him straight 
 in the face, and the animal seemed really to fear him. 
 Another lime he seized hold of the bull's tail, and let 
 himself be dragged round and round, or gave the beast 
 a kick between his horns. But Monies only played these 
 tricks with the more poAverful bulls. Once the mad 
 animal had nearly mastered him, for Monies stumbled 
 and fell ; but by a fortunate accident the bull also at the 
 same instant tripped and came to the ground. 
 
 Wlien the Torrida was ended, three horses were lying 
 dead in the Circus, but fifteen horses were in all the 
 sacrifice of this day's sport. The people were greatly 
 displeased, for they had set their minds upon having at 
 least forty such victims ! 
 
138 A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 At fii'st I trembled for the life of the Picadores, not 
 knowing that they were clad in armour ; but I soon saw 
 that they came to no harm, except two, who were thrown 
 to the ground ; they were however so little hm"t, that, 
 leaning quietly against the wall, they remained to wit- 
 ness the rest of the Torrida. It was clear that the plea- 
 sm*e of these scenes turns principally on the slaughter of 
 horses, — the bidl and men are only secondary objects of 
 interest. 
 
 The bull-fight on the whole leaves a revolting im- 
 pression on the mind : one is involuntarily annoyed by 
 the cruelty of the sport, and disgusted at the sight of 
 the people thirsting for blood, staring greedily upon the 
 scene, and often acting Kke madmen. This feeling of 
 repugnance, of horror, which at the first instant fills 
 one's whole soul, gradually lessens, and pity is suc- 
 ceeded by impatient excitement, into which the mad- 
 dening fight hmiies the spectator : he takes part for or 
 against, and it is impossible to deny that he shares 
 in a certain degree the frantic interest of the moment 
 — an interest which is near akin to a sense of plea- 
 sure. But the better feelings predominate, and one 
 shudders at these constantly repeated scenes of blood- 
 thirsty horror, which excite in the panting bosom of the 
 fiery Spanish dame a sympathy, increasing every in- 
 stant, and almost bordering on a sensual delight. With 
 feverish, glowing cheek and sparkling glance she peeps 
 out from the black lace mantilla drawn over her head, 
 and forgetting all around showers her applause on each 
 combatant in tur]i, — encouraging the bull with loud 
 
THE ALAMEDA. 139 
 
 cries, or transporting herself to the side of her hero in 
 the perils of the arena ; every onset of the bull against 
 the favourite Matador makes her tremble, and yet she 
 cannot resist the torturing pleasm'e of gazing down 
 again and again into the arena, until the beast, struck 
 by the sm'e arm of the Espada, rolls over at her pretty 
 feet! 
 
 We followed the crowd, through narrow streets and 
 across small squares, to the Alameda, which extends 
 along the shore of the bay shaded by fine trees. The cos- 
 tumes seen in Cadiz are not at all different from those 
 in other parts of Spain, but it struck us that all the 
 country-people of this part go about unarmed. Among 
 the slender, black, female forms and their Mayos, 
 who enliven the promenade, among the lively southern 
 throng, were seen the naval officers in tlieii* plain blue 
 dress, in parties according to their nations, who, like 
 all those belonging to the unstable element, feel them- 
 selves strangers on land. Soldiers, in then' various 
 colom-ed uniforms in the Erench cut, are rarely seen in 
 Cadiz, for the whole garrison is said to consist, beside 
 the militia, of a single battalion of infantry of six hun- 
 dred men, — surely a great mistake, considering the size 
 and importance of the place. 
 
 But who would expect to meet, among the elegant 
 young gentlemen, attired in fashionable dress-coats, 
 who ornament the public promenade with tlieu presence, 
 those very students, who now in then- holidays spend 
 an hour of the day in wandering through Cadiz, drest 
 
140 • A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 in fantastic costumes, and performing grotesque dances 
 at tlie corners of the streets, to the sound of the tam- 
 bourine? after which, hke common street-singers, they 
 go round among the crowd of gaping spectators, to beg 
 the money which is to pay for their education. 
 
 A part of the throng of black-veiled ladies had seated 
 themselves on the side-benches, under the shade of the 
 trees, to enjoy the evening cool and whisper together 
 undisturbed, quietly contemplating the scene around, 
 or attracting the admiration of the passers-by. The aba- 
 nicos of these ladies were in constant motion, and the 
 Andalusian eyes behind them vied in fiery lustre with 
 the beams of the evening sun, which diffused a purple 
 glow over the light foliage that overshaded the Alameda 
 and its busy scenes, the sea and the distant shores of 
 Santa Maria. This play of eyes and fans seems to con- 
 stitute half the life of these Spanish ladies, and what 
 grace do they exhibit ! The same is everywhere seen in 
 the Alamedas of Spain, — in the broad avenues of Ma- 
 laga, under the shady trees and by the splashing foun- 
 tains of Granada, in the noble vaUey at the foot of the 
 Nevada, or at Seville, romantic Seville, where in the 
 silvery moonlight the forms of handsome females may be 
 observed seated on the high balconies or in the open door- 
 ways, listening to the soft speech of their lovers ; whilst 
 peeping through the grated doors and narrow entrance- 
 hall into the smaU lighted com-tyard behind, surrounded 
 by a colonnade, the inmates of the house are seen sitting 
 sociably together beside the plashing fountains, and here 
 
THE ALAMEDA. 141 
 
 and tliere the sound of a guitar reaches the ear, — every- 
 where you meet the same women, and the same play of 
 fans and eyes among the youthful senoritas and the hand- 
 some doiias, throughout the whole of Andalusia as here 
 in Cadiz. And yet the Alameda of Cadiz has one pe- 
 culiar charm ; beside the motley, moving throng, it pre- 
 sents at the same time a view of the sea, the ever-rest- 
 less element, whose waves come rolling and roaring up, 
 and break at the foot of the rampart which forms our 
 promenade. The noise of the waves, that sound of 
 music sweet, which the ear listens to for hom's together 
 untired and unsatisfied, that whisper of the ocean, one 
 instant threatening to swell into an angry roar and 
 thunder, and then subsiding again and reaching us in 
 scarcely audible sounds — the noise of the breaking 
 waves caught our ear, and riveted our attention in the 
 midst of the busy throng, like some beloved voice that 
 finds its way to om^ heart. 
 
 From the Alameda we repaired to the theatre, to hear 
 the opera of " Lucretia Borgia" in Italian. All the 
 boxes of this house, which is not very spacious, together 
 with the wooden ceiling, are painted scarlet, which pro- 
 duces a strange impression. 
 
 The most glorious Andalusian moonlight silvered the 
 smooth surface of the bay, as we retm^ned to the road- 
 stead. Between oiu Frigate, lying in six-fathoms' water, 
 and the ' Thunderer,' anchored within that line, we 
 were shown the anchorage from which the ' Suffi-ein' 
 was torn by a violent south-west storm. The storms 
 
142 A SUNDAY IN CADIZ. 
 
 from the west are here generally considered the most 
 dangerous, althongh m smnmer the roadstead is some- 
 times visited by such violent storms from the east, that 
 the ships drag their anchors and are carried out to 
 sea. 
 
THE DESERTAS AND MADEIUA. 
 
 July 29tli. — The sun was already sinking, when at six 
 o'clock P.M. the four isolated, hills of Porto Santo, in 
 N.W. 17° W. on the right before us, at a distance of 
 thirty-eight nautical miles, rose out of the waves, into 
 which foul' days before the low, sharp promontory of 
 Cape Trafalgar, the extreme point of Em^ope, had sunk 
 at nightfall, just as the vesper-bell was calling the crew 
 to evening prayers. Two of these hills were small 
 and pointed, and rose alternately with the two others 
 which appeared to be larger and cap-shaped. In the 
 south the chain commenced with a hill of the former 
 description, terminating with a cap-shaped hill on the 
 north. The two middle elevations were soon united by 
 a ridge, which rose from the ocean between them. The 
 sun's golden orb now dipped into the sea, flooding Porto 
 Santo with a red evening glow, whilst the low land of 
 the Desertas, stretching out before us, assumed a blue 
 coloming. Between the two, a dark cloud lowered upon 
 
144 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 the liorizon, in which we imagined that we could distin- 
 guish Madeira. 
 
 The au" this morning was pleasantly cooled by a re- 
 freshing rain, and the sky was richly decked with clouds 
 of varied and beautiful forms, which, after the constant 
 blue firmament that we had been used to in the Medi- 
 terranean, had a peculiar charm. Soon after the fii'st 
 glimpse of Porto Santo had been descried at fom- o'clock, 
 some birds came in sight, those harbingers from land, 
 which Spix and Martins also noticed in the proximity of 
 Madeira. The mnd, which since om' departm^e from 
 Cadiz had blown almost continually from the west and 
 north, shifted yesterday after a short cahn to the north- 
 east, and favom-ecl om' com'se throughout this day and in 
 the clear starlight night. 
 
 July 30//^. — This morning my first glance feU on the 
 long-extended, rugged and rocky islands of the Deser- 
 tas, which, just illumined by the early rays of the sun, 
 were clothed in the most splendid, rosy colom*, on the 
 Frigate's starboard side, hke a reef rising out of the 
 dark-blue ocean. Behind them was seen the misty, blue 
 outline of Madeira, like a long, gently rounded mountain 
 with a jagged summit, which appeared to move gra- 
 dually from right to left behind the Desertas. At 
 five o'clock we took the bearings of these islands in 
 N.W. at a distance of about three nautical miles from 
 land. As the sun rose, the lovely red colom^ diffused 
 over these rocks disappeared, and was changed into that 
 pecuhar deep-red Avhich remarkably characterizes these 
 islands. 
 
ISLAND OF BOGIA. 145 
 
 Let the reader imagine two long, colossal rubies, witli 
 a smaller one attached, lying in a line from south to 
 north, in the sapphire bowl of the ocean, and he will 
 have a pictm'e of the Desertas, as it appears to the 
 winged tenants of the air in their flight from our cold 
 climes to the fields of Hesperia. 
 
 Bogia (Bujio), the southernmost of these islands, has a 
 great resemblance on all sides to Capri, and changes its 
 form as frequently, only that it appears more elongated. 
 Both have that peculiar depression in the middle of their 
 upper contour, which distinguishes Capri at first sight 
 in the entrance of the Bay of Naples A channel, from 
 sixty to three hundred fathoms deep and one to one 
 and a half nautical miles wide, separates Bogia from the 
 largest of the three Desertas. Although free from rocks 
 and shallows, this passage is dangerous, as the high 
 northern shore takes the wind from the ships. The 
 largest island forms a long, sharp ridge, which extends, 
 with a slight irregularity of outline, in a perfectly straight 
 line. Separated by a second but narrower channel, the 
 small flat island of Bheo Chao rises in a line with the 
 two others, like a tabulated rock, just above the sur- 
 face of the sea. North of this, and consequently to 
 the right, we saw distinctly from the deck the appear- 
 ance of a ship, which seemed to be steering towards us .- 
 she did not move, but this was not surprising in the 
 calm that prevailed. 
 
 A few minutes afterwards I was sitting in the splendid 
 and spacious cabin in the stern of the Frigate, and 
 consulting my Horsburgh — that seaman's oracle — about 
 
 VOL. I. L 
 
146 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 the Desertas, — and what did I find there ? that this 
 imagined ship was nothing else than a pyramidical rock, 
 which many a one before had in hke manner mistaken 
 for a vessel under sail. 
 
 The whole extent of the Desertas amounts, according 
 to James Wyld's map, to eight and a fourth nautical 
 miles. Madeira, with its rounded, gently ascending 
 hill, now rose above the channel between the two chief 
 islands ; at seven o'clock it lay behind Bogia, and in an 
 hour afterwards it was entirely separated on the left from 
 the Desertas. The faint land breeze, which, breaking 
 the calm, rose at times from the W.N.W., rather impeded 
 the progress of the ' San Michele,' than favoured her 
 voyage to Funchal ; Captain d'ArcoUiere therefore pro- 
 posed an excursion to Bogia, in the hope of a rich 
 booty of birds and fishes, whilst the Frigate should 
 double the southern point of the island and take us 
 on board again on the other side We gladly acceded to 
 this proposal ; and presently the silver whistle sounded, 
 and the boatswain's call was heard, " Anna il terzo 
 canotto ! " The third cutter was lowered ; fowling-pieces, 
 powder and shot, sketch-books, wine, water, fishing-lines, 
 bread, oranges, cartridges, etc. were stowed in the boat, 
 and the Captain, we three German companions, with 
 Captain Bellegarde of the Regi Navi (the marine in- 
 fantry), our zoologist, jumped cpiickly in, without stop- 
 ping for breakfast. The cutter pushed ofi^, and with a 
 few sturdy strokes of the oar w^as distanced from our 
 floating abode, and steered for the island, the narrow 
 side of which was now turned toward us. It seemed to 
 
EXCURSIOX TO THE BOGIA. 147 
 
 be low water, for in spite of every effort the boat re- 
 mained stationary, as if fixed by some invisible power. 
 Fortmiately we were not pressed for time, as tlie Fri- 
 gate also, altliongli all her sails were set, made scarcely 
 any perceptible progress on her mde, circuitons com^se 
 round Bogia. 
 
 I had thus leism'e to amuse myself with speculating on 
 the strange red colom' of the islands ; this puzzled me 
 not a little, and I at first attributed the cause to flowers 
 or mosses, with which I fancied they might be covered. 
 Om* boat rowed and rowed, but yet we approached no 
 nearer to the land, the narrow side of which, facing us, 
 looked like a rock cleft in numerous places. Numbers 
 of birds, chiefly seagulls, now came flying over the cutter 
 and far over the island, or dropped gently down and sat 
 rocked on the long waves. Count Bismark shot a petrel ; 
 several white sea-swallows also, Avith bright-red beaks 
 and feet, fell under the vigorous fire of om' guns, while 
 every one pressed forwards jumping from seat to seat 
 to take aim. Enveloped in a cloud of smoke w^e ap- 
 proached the rocky coast. At last — at last we came 
 under the high rocks of the Desertas. What a sight ! 
 what a picture of volcanic power and activity, of volca- 
 nic upheaving and elevation ! From what fearful, sub- 
 marine, fiery abyss, from what cleft in the earth's crust, 
 have these burnt-out lava-reefs arisen, which stand before 
 us stiff and rugged, as if just cooled, and burnt so red 
 that they appear to be still red-hot ? Thus then was 
 the riddle of the colom* at length explained. In several 
 places the rock rose perpendicularly, in crimson or ver- 
 
 L 2 
 
148 • THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 milion walls of lava, the coloiu' of wliicli reminded me 
 forcibly of the fiery-looking masses of lava found here 
 and there under the crater of ^tna. On these bright 
 red walls rested, but mthout any regularity, darker or 
 black horizontal strata, which in tm-n were again often 
 separated by isolated stripes of an orange-coloured, earthy 
 mass. In other places the walls of rock were black 
 down to their base ; they here consisted of a multitude 
 of black grains, which appeared to us like sand, simi- 
 lar to those orange layers. The rock was often merely 
 a hollow crust of scoria, the upper smiace of which 
 had in parts fallen in ; and tlu'ough the holes thus 
 caused the daylight forced its way from above into the 
 caverns, while at the same time the sea entered from 
 below. But not only at the foot of the rock, high up 
 also where the cleft walls rose into the air, were seen 
 similar red crusts, which seemed to have fallen in ; 
 the whole had the appearance of being burnt out 
 and fused, just like the scoria resulting from volcanic 
 action. 
 
 In many places narrow, grey veins had risen in these 
 fu-e-colom'ed masses, and pom-ed over the sm^face of the 
 island, forming an immense, thick crust. This hard, 
 grey lava seemed to me the same as that with which 
 Rome and Naples are paved, — so much resembling basalt 
 that the eye cannot tell the difference. I sought for 
 columns, and found some of the grey veins cleft almost 
 in a columnar manner ; the regularity of their sides alone 
 was wanting. Large grey blocks of basalt or lava with 
 bands of olivine were strewm over the coast, on some of 
 
EXCURSION TO BOGIA. 149 
 
 which I fancied that I could discover traces of a black, 
 scoriaceous covering. 
 
 Scarcely Avere oiu' boat's crew landed, when this vol- 
 canic waste began to spring to life in various ways ; 
 every one found some occupation. Armed with a knife, 
 the sailors were busy pm'suing various sea animals 
 upon the beach, — among others some red shellfish, 
 called in Italian grancld, which ran quickly away, and 
 small, black, prickly cliafons de mer, — whilst some of our 
 party roamed about the shore, and climbed up the clefts 
 in the rocks. Meanwhile others were engaged in shoot- 
 ing sea-swallows or catching fish, shoals of which, of the 
 richest colom's, were seen swimming in the clear water 
 at a depth of ten to twenty feet under the boat ; there 
 Vv^ere red and yellow, some very small, others larger 
 fish, darting about and glancing in the most splendid 
 and magic coloiu-s. But om' chief booty, beside a large 
 species of eel {JSLiiranci), was a small lilac fish like a 
 flounder, the fins of which were of a marvellous blue 
 colour with quite a metallic lustre, like the wings of the 
 blue Kolibri in the Berlin Museum. I now left the 
 strand, and climbed up a steep ravine over loose scones 
 and boulders, in the hope of reaching the summit of the 
 rocky island, around which the seagulls swarmed. Sud- 
 denly the I'eport of shots, fired at some seals, called 
 me down again -. they unfortunately missed, and only 
 frightened away the animals, so that I was disappointed 
 of a near view of them. I however saw the black fins of 
 a shark, that sworn enemy of man, rising out of the sea. 
 When this fish follows a ship, it is said to bring death to 
 
150 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 any one wlio is ill on board : as we were entering Cadiz, 
 the sailors said tliey liad seen a sliark, and before we left 
 the harboiu' one of the men who was sick died : this 
 circumstance failed not to produce an impression on the 
 superstitious crew. At least a dozen sharks were seen, 
 in quick succession, but only their dorsal fins appeared 
 above the water. Om* shots made them every time 
 dive do\m, but did not seem to hm't them. After follow- 
 ing them for some time backwards and forwards in 
 om- boat, we were rowing to the Prigate, when sud- 
 denly a cry was heard : there was a general silence. A 
 second cry ! — all listened breatliless. I coidd no longer 
 resist the impulse, and instantly answered with a dis- 
 charge of both barrels of my fowling-piece. No one 
 was missing in our boat, — the crew were counted and 
 behold, '■'■ es feldte keiii tJieures Hmipt !'' The sailors 
 maintained that the cries came from the seals, but we 
 soon distinctly recognized a hmnan voice. Expecting to 
 be called upon to save from certain death some fright- 
 ful-looking, half-starved Robinson Crusoe, we tmiied 
 the boat and rowed back to shore. With my glass I 
 peered into every cleft and cranny in the rock, but in 
 vain. At length I descried what appeared to be a man 
 — presently two more — clown in a remote cavern on the 
 shore \ by degrees how^ever we convinced om'selves that 
 these were nothing but two white rocks. Again we 
 heard the call ! what unhappy mortal might be cast 
 on this desert island — what chance could have brought 
 him here ? 
 
 Bogia had again changed its form ; a rocky pyramid 
 
MOUNTAIN SHEPHERDS. 151 
 
 rose upon tlie island on the left, like that of Capri, which 
 we had so often seen, and the reflection from the high 
 rocks now tinged the sea again blood-red. All at 
 once we observed two sheep, walking along the edge of 
 this precipice, and presently a third, and then two men 
 clad in white seated in a cavern at the very top of the 
 rock : we saw that they were shepherds ; but why had 
 they called to us — was it only out of sport, or did they 
 imagine we had stolen one of their sheep ? Thus ended 
 om' amusing Robinsonade, and we rowed quietly back 
 to the Frigate. I wondered how the sheep could fatten 
 here, for we found scarcely any trace of vegetation in 
 the island, except a few handfuls of herba fflaciata^^ , and 
 some small white flowers. 
 
 As we approached the Frigate, which was lying per- 
 fectly motionless, Count OrioUa jumped into the sea, in 
 spite of the sharks, and swam to the ship. We had pre- 
 sently an excellent feast off the rich booty of fish, the 
 produce of om^ day's sport. At sunset the Desertas lay 
 behind us, and Madeira to the north ; at noon the 
 Frigate had been in 32° 19' 2" north latitude and 16° 
 29' 25" longitude west of Greenwich. We spent the noon 
 on shore, where the heat was considerable, but not so 
 
 * Sevha glaciafa is the MesembryantJiemum crystallhmm. Ac- 
 cording to Broussoiiet, tlie Gvianches used the seeds of this plant, 
 bruised, as a substitute for flour. In Spain, where the plant is known 
 by the name of Barilla Moradena, it is pretty largely cultivated, for 
 the sake of the alkali which is extracted from it and used in the 
 glass-houses. The export of the ashes of this plant, produced in the 
 Canary Islands, amounted, according to the same authority, to the 
 value of 000,000 francs. 
 
152 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 oppressive as in Spain and Italy. The night was won- 
 derfnlly fine, a glorious starlight night. Through the 
 port-holes of my cabin I observed the Cassiopeja low on 
 the horizon, and discerned the long line of Madeira in 
 the misty distance. Single stars were reflected in the 
 sea, the smooth surface of which — for not a breeze stirred 
 — was from time to time strongly illumined. It is re- 
 markable, that calms are so frequent in the vicinity of 
 this group of islands, although, as Horsburgh correctly 
 observes, every morning the clouds are seen towering 
 above Madeira, which bring the land-wind, but carry it 
 only three or four miles out to sea, so that it did not 
 reach us. These calms were the reason why our Captain 
 kept to the south of the Desertas, for in the channel 
 between these islands and Madeira, the calms, together 
 with the prevailing cm'rents near shore, might easily 
 prove dangerous, — the more so, as there is no anchorage 
 under the perpendicular rock at the Cabo do Garagao, 
 (Brazen Head, i. e. of the seabird) nor in many other 
 places on the coast. 
 
 July 31 6-^. — This morning Mass was performed, and 
 the weather was so fine that we spent the forenoon in 
 nearly the same place as the day before, and found om*- 
 selves at noon still in 32° 5' 15" north latitude, and 16° 
 39' 36" west longitude. It was not until between four 
 and five o'clock that the land-wind reached us, against 
 which we now tacked. Madeira gradually became more 
 distinct ; and the ravines, indentions, and valleys in 
 the mountains were soon visible. We had the day be- 
 fore seen single houses on the mountains, Avhich noAv 
 
VIEW OF MADEIRA. 153 
 
 increased in number, and before sunset Fimclial was 
 distinguishable. 
 
 August \Hf. — Very early this morning the Frigate 
 steered straight to the anchorage off Sundial . At about 
 seven o'clock the topsails were taken in, the lead was 
 cast, and all was in readiness to let go the anchor. The 
 wind suddenly dropped ; the ' San Michele' had reached 
 the limit between the faint sea-breeze and the land-wind, 
 and was now at the point where the two counteract one 
 another, which rendered it perpetually necessary to brace 
 about. The Captain of the Portuguese eight-gun schooner 
 ' Esperanza,' and the Sardinian and Prussian Consuls 
 meanwhile came on board. At half-past nine o'clock, 
 a favom'able gust of wind carried us straight to the 
 desired anchorage, which the Portuguese Captain had 
 pointed out to us, where, with the citadel to the w^est 
 of the Loo Rock, we dropped the starboard anchor in 
 forty-fom' fathoms*. We had now time to sm^ey this 
 paradise of an island from the roadstead, for I did not 
 expect until twelve o'clock the military and civil Go- 
 vernors of the island, who had politely sent w^ord of 
 their intention to pay me a visit. The chain of moun- 
 tains before us had quite the character of those of Genoa 
 and the maritime alps at Villefranche and Ventimiglia ; 
 the pictm'esque forms of the mountains, the sharp out- 
 Hnes, the numerous defiles, water-clefts and little valleys, 
 which in parts descend precipitously to the shore, — all 
 reminded me of the charming acclivities of the Riviera, 
 
 * Compare James Horsburgh's India Directory, vol. 1. pp. 8, 9. 
 
154 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 with only this difference, that the fresh verdm-e here 
 reached ahnost to the ruo-Q-ed summits. 
 
 Do 
 
 At the foot of the momitains, partly on the acclivity, 
 and commanded by its citadel the Torte do Pico, which 
 looks down upon the town from a steep height on the 
 north-west, hes the pretty, clean town of Funchal, ex- 
 tending far along the shore of the level, sweeping bay. 
 Tunchal is distinguished by the great verckue between 
 its pointed, northern roofs, among which we here and 
 there discerned with the telescope a black cypress, the 
 cro^vn of an isolated palm, or (a sight which was new to 
 us) the bright green gigantic leaves of the banana, by the 
 side of the red arborescent oleander. Small detached 
 white houses are seen on the acclivity of the hills, look- 
 ing like innumerable bright specks ; while high above 
 all, as if perched on the top of a pyramid, stands the 
 small ^vhite church of Nossa Senhora do Monte at the 
 limit of the verdure, with its two towers, on the nar- 
 row, arched ridge between two steep ravines. From 
 the centre of the town below rises the dark, scjuare 
 tower of the cathedral, with a pointed spire ; whilst the 
 large, white Government-house is easily distinguished 
 among the dwellings on the shore by the little tower 
 which projects from the midst of the wall, not so high 
 as the roof. At a short distance stands a tall, slender, 
 ■ cylindrical tower, the prosaic use of which, as a crane, it 
 is not easy to guess. On the west side of the town the 
 black Loo Rock (Forte do Ilheo) standing in the sea, 
 with the battery upon it, is detached from the short 
 
VIEW OF FUNCHAL. 155 
 
 precipice wliicli terminates the gently sloping green hills 
 and rounded summits on the left above Funchal toward 
 the sea. On this precipice of the Ponta da Cruz are di- 
 stinctly seen the rib-formed basaltic columns. Still further 
 west, beyond this Cape, rises perpendicularly the dark 
 colossal wall of the Ponta do Sol, with which the ridge 
 of the high mountain-chain of Madeira plunges abruptly 
 into the ocean : in the same manner the lofty, wooded 
 mountain on the right of Punchal sinks perpendicu- 
 larly to the sea. Plere also appears the red rock, wdiich 
 descends into the sea in terraces under the name of 
 the Cabo do Garagao. The coast-defences of Punchal 
 begin with a battery of a few guns west of the detached 
 Porte do Ilheo ; and in all, not including the Loo Pock, 
 we saw through the telescope five coast-batteries, which 
 terminate at the east end of the town with the Porte S. 
 Jago, consisting of three terraces. 
 
 After the visit of the two Governors I went on shore 
 to retm-n the compliment. Notwithstanding the w4sh I 
 had expressed to preserve my incognito, and although 
 the Prussian flag was not hoisted, the Portuguese schooner 
 manned her yards, and fired a salute simultaneously with 
 the Loo Rock battery. A number of people had gathered 
 on the shore, and accompanied me to the bastioned en- 
 trance of the Government-building, where the sentry 
 stood under arms. The two gentlemen came to meet me 
 and conducted me through the saloon, in which were 
 hung the portraits of then' predecessors in office — from 
 the first governor, Zarco — into a cool apartment, in which 
 hung a picture of the Queen. 
 
156 • THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 Who, at the mention of Zarco's name, does not recall 
 to mmd the discovery of Madeira, which, it is well 
 known, occmTcd in the palmy days of Portugal, when 
 Don Henrique from his villa on Cape San Vincent di- 
 rected the transatlantic expeditions of his country, and 
 spent a great part of his income as Grand Master of the 
 Order of Christ in promoting those voyages of discovery 
 which proved so advantageous to science ? The Infante 
 first tm^ned his glance to the west coast of Africa, and, 
 after many attempts, his countrymen succeeded in round- 
 ing the dreaded Cabo de Nao; they then sailed south 
 as far as Cape Bojador, which was for a long time the 
 limit of navigation. Two gentlemen of the Prince's suite 
 ofiPered to undertake the bold attempt to circumnavi- 
 gate the dreaded promontory ; these were Joao Gonsal- 
 vez Zarco and Tristao Vaz Texeira, who had before di- 
 stinguished themselves in the eyes of the Prince at the 
 taking of Ceuta, the former having been knighted 
 on the spot by the Infante himself. In the year 1418 
 they set out on their expedition, but did not reach the 
 coast of Africa, being cast by a violent storm upon an 
 unknown island, which, out of gratitude for theii" deli- 
 verance, they named Porto Santo. Here they settled, 
 and desisted from prosecuting their projects fm-ther. 
 Don Henrique, full of joy at the discovery of this fertile 
 and well-watered island, immediately despatched colo- 
 nists thither. Por a long while a cloudlike form on the 
 distant horizon of the sea, which never changed its posi- 
 tion, had engaged Zarco's and Texeira's attention : they 
 one day sailed in that direction, and found a larger, 
 
DISCOVERY OF MADEIRA. 157 
 
 wooded, iminliabited island, on wliicli they landed at 
 the Camara dos Lobos, July the 8th, 1419, and which 
 they named Madeira, from the abundance of wood 
 upon it. 
 
 The island was subsequently divided by the Infante into 
 two Capitanias, the Camara dos Lobos and Machico, which 
 were respectively placed under the government of the 
 two discoverers. Joao Gonsalvez Zarco together with his 
 family took the name of Da Camara, after his Capitania, 
 the Camara dos Lobos, and founded Punchal. The thick- 
 ness of the woods greatly impeded his settlement, and he 
 consequently set fire to some forests in the neighbom*- 
 hood of Funchal. The fire spread, and lasted for seven 
 years, consuming nearly all the wood on the island ; but 
 the ashes fertilized the soil : the corn at first bore sixty- 
 fold, and the wood that was spared by the fire, which 
 was of a superior kind, supplied Portugal and many 
 other countries. Don Henrique transplanted the sugar- 
 cane from Sicily, and vines from Cyprus, to Madeua, and 
 both flourished weU. ^Vhen king Duarte ascended the 
 throne, he presented his brother, the Infante (September 
 the 26th, 1433), with the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo 
 and Desertas, for the services he had rendered to his 
 country. Ever since that time Madeira has remained in 
 the undisputed possession of the Crown of Portugal, and 
 is one of her finest dependencies. Only in the year 1835 
 the English for a short time seized the island, to exact 
 some arrears of subsidy from Portugal. 
 
 The present JNlilitary Governor is Colonel Noronha, 
 who, if I mistake not, commands the Eleventh Battalion 
 
158 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 of the Line quartered here. The Civil Governor, who, 
 hke his colleague, has the title of Excellency, is Dr. 
 Correa, formerly a barrister. They both showed me the 
 most courteous attention. 
 
 A crowd of people accompanied me to the house of 
 Mr. Hasche, a Hamburgher, who at this time exercised 
 the functions of Prussian Consul. We had arranged a 
 rendezvous here with some of the officers of the Fri- 
 gate, to make an excm'sion on horseback to the church 
 of Nossa Senhora do Monte. 
 
 The path ascends boldly between walls up the steep 
 acclivity, at the top of which was seen the small white 
 chm-ch. Illumined by the noonday sun it glitters like a 
 bright star on the edge of the forest, looking doAvn on 
 the peaceful and smiling valley, the green vine-clad hiUs, 
 the pergolas and vine-roofs which shade the acclivity, — 
 on the lovely little gardens at the foot of the ascent, 
 which ^Yiih tropical luxmiance are interspersed among 
 the fresh green of the vines, and the numerous country- 
 houses, the charming Quintas, white as the purest snow — 
 on the villa of many a rich Englishman, beside which 
 the fan of a pine-tree unfolded by the sea-breeze or the 
 dark cypress rises in solemn beauty — lastly on the lovely 
 Eunchal, skirting the mountain's base, and seeming 
 to bathe in the waves of the azm'e ocean, in which the 
 glowing heaven of the south is muTored. 
 
 But what is it that attracts the eye so magicallv, look- 
 ing as strange as a pictm-e in a di'eam ? it is the luxu- 
 riance of the bananas, which grow by the roadside and 
 impart a peculiar charm to this country. They stand in 
 
ENVIRONS OF FUNCHAL. 159 
 
 groups close together, tlie representatives of the gigantic 
 vegetation of the tropics, — like strangers, which far from, 
 their native clime cling to one another with a brotherly 
 attachment. Their large shield-like leaves form an im- 
 mense green roof, which casts a deep shadow on the 
 ground. But these shadows niove^ — the leaves rustle in 
 the fresh wind from the sea, which fans the air with a 
 refreshing coolness. 
 
 Sometimes the walls at om^ side, which never impede 
 the open view, are succeeded by hedges ; and what 
 hedges ! hedges of roses, fuchsias, and the sweet-smell- 
 ing heliotrope ! If here and there brambles are seen 
 mingling with these plants, the eye is richly recompensed 
 by the splendid arborescent oleanders which grow by the 
 roadside "with a beauty I had never before seen. Occa- 
 sionally the white bell of the lovely Datura hangs like a 
 dewdrop among the tendiils, or bends gracefully down 
 on the passer-by; and some of om- party even disco- 
 vered the passion-flower in this magnificent display of 
 bloom. 
 
 At every step as we ascended, the view increased in 
 beauty, and the mountain-path in steepness. We gave 
 our poneys the rein, and they chmbed briskly up the 
 hill, although sometimes their hind-feet slipped on the 
 smooth lava-pavement. Two tall dragon-trees stood be- 
 fore us, and numerous blue Hortensias hard by raised 
 their globe-shaped heads at the entrance of the shady 
 garden of the English Consul. We rode past, and en- 
 tered a wood of chestnuts, walnuts and maples, in 
 the cool, refreshing shade of which, enjoying the sea- 
 
160 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 breeze and listening to the murmuring brook, we fancied 
 ourselves transported back to om- dear Germany. Sud- 
 denly we stopped at tlie little cliurcli of Nossa Senliora 
 do Monte, and hastening up the wide flight of steps to 
 the terrace we looked around — what a glorious view ! 
 The eye wanders down the lovely declivity to the toAvn 
 and the wide bay, lying at a depth of 1774 feet beneath, 
 into which the Loo Rock seems as it were dropped. 
 Then raising om^ eyes to the distant sea-horizon, we 
 caught a faint glimpse of the Desertas. 
 
 Leaving the small and modest church, to which the 
 English have given the name of the " Mount Church," 
 we retmiied to the pleasant cool of the adjacent wood, 
 and in a few minutes came to the paradise of a garden 
 belonging to Mr. J. D. Webster Gordon, a rich merchant 
 and head of one of the first commercial houses in Tun- 
 chal. As soon as we passed the slight fence which parts 
 the garden from the skirts of the wood, the neat, well- 
 kept footpath announced the near residence of the En- 
 glishman, whose care and attention are visible even in 
 the smallest detail. Mr. Gordon's sons joined our party, 
 and their young tutor, Mr. Andrew Picken, was our 
 guide. The splendid flower-garden, containing a rich 
 collection of rare exotics, surrounded us. Trees from 
 all parts of the world enclosed the " greens," enliven- 
 ing the view on every side, or rose among them in pic- 
 turesque groups. Em'ope had contributed her silver- 
 leaved fir and oaks, New Holland an abundance of large 
 Banksias, nor was America behind the rest : the flora 
 of every country had here its worthy representatives, 
 
VISIT TO MR. GORDON. 161 
 
 forming the frame to the noble prospect, which does 
 not yield in beauty to that of Moimt-ChmTh. Mrs. 
 Gordon received us with great politeness in her com- 
 fortable country-seat, the charming " Mount-house," and 
 placed before us some of the excellent fruits of her gar- 
 den, with wine and water. She showed us a beautiful 
 work on Madeira, which Mr. Picken had published, and 
 dedicated to her as an acknowledgment of the kind- 
 ness he had met with in her house. Mr. Picken had 
 arrived in Madeii-a four years before, dangerously ill 
 Avith consumption, this island having for many years 
 been an asylum, especially in winter, for English persons 
 suffering from chest affections, who seek restoration in 
 its soft and equable climate. The average number of 
 these invalids who reside here is stated variously at be- 
 tween four and eight hundred. In the case of this 
 young and clever artist the hope of recovery was soon 
 fulfilled, so that he was able to undertake the instruc- 
 tion of the children in the family, and to make the 
 sketches which he afterwards himself transferred to 
 stone with a masterly hand. 
 
 On our return to Punchal we found an excellent re- 
 past prepared in the house of our Consul, in which there 
 was no lack of either the dry ]\Iadeira or Malvasia of 
 the island. Herr Hasche also placed before us some 
 bananas, the first I had ever eaten ; I did not at all like 
 them ; a person must become accustomed to this fruit, 
 to acquire a relish for it. After dinner we took a second 
 ride to the wooded hill on the east side of the town, pass- 
 ing through the whole length of Fuiichal. The architectm'e 
 
 VOL. I. M 
 
162 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 of the houses is very different from that of the towns in 
 Spain, and reminded me of the views of Rio de Janeiro, 
 which the Consul- General M. Theremin has published. 
 The roofs are pointed, and the balconies, although fre- 
 quent, appear to be rather unnecessary. The pavement 
 of the streets consists, as in Ceuta, of small stones laid 
 in arabesque patterns in front of the house- doors : great 
 cleanliness is everywhere observed. In some parts, as 
 in Messina, dried-up mountain streams intersect the 
 town, which is encompassed by shady avenues, chiefly of 
 maples. 
 
 The dress of the inhabitants of Madeira is extremely 
 simple. The men go about in their shirt-sleeves, cloth 
 waistcoats and linen trow^sers; on the crown of their 
 head is stuck a comical little cap of dark-blue cloth, the 
 top of which, not unlike a rat's tail, sticks up in a tuft 
 several inches tall, giving to the whole an almost Chinese 
 appearance. In addition to the same little cap, the wo- 
 men wear a large pelerine of dark-blue or scarlet cloth. 
 The country-people have generally dark-brown, knitted 
 caps. The countenances of the inhabitants of Madeira 
 are not very prepossessing, on account of their high 
 cheek-bones, — a defect which the women share, who have 
 also large lips ; they cannot compare in beauty with the 
 women of Spain*. 
 
 * The island of Madeira is seven and a half German miles long, 
 and about three German (twelve English) miles wide, and upon an 
 area of sixteen and a half square miles (according to the Weimar 
 Almanack of 1844) had 116,200 inhabitants, of whom 15,200 
 belong to Funchal, according to a statement of the year 1836. 
 In the same year Porto Santo had about 1600 inhabitants. 
 
ENGLISH IN MADEIRA. 163 
 
 Although mendicity is ahiiost as prevalent here as in 
 Italy, the extraordinary courtesy of the inhabitants pro- 
 duces a favourable impression. On meeting any one they 
 pull off their cap in a polite manner, and indeed this at- 
 tention is carried so far, that if an inhabitant meets a 
 stranger on foot, whether master or servant, he imme- 
 diately offers him his horse : one might imagine that the 
 com'tesy of former times had retreated gradually into 
 this remote corner of Europe. 
 
 The only strangers v^e met this afternoon were some 
 English invalids, coming down from the hills. The 
 effects of the great intercoiu'se with England are visible 
 in everything : the food and drink are quite English, 
 and the English language is known by nearly all classes 
 of the inhabitants. Even the cut of the garrison uni- 
 forms recalls that of the British troops ; the uniform 
 of the Eleventh Battalion of the Line is dark-blue with 
 yellow collars, and the Artillery dark-blue tm^ned up 
 with red : indeed the whole of the Portuguese Infantry 
 have red collars and facings. 
 
 Our horses carried us quickly up the hill, as we were 
 obliged to ride fast, to reach the object of om* excur- 
 sion in daylight. An islander armed with a long iron- 
 shod pole ran panting by the side of each hack-horse, 
 occasionally hanging on the tail of the animal, to be 
 dragged along. Although these people have astonishing 
 perseverance and enviable lungs, of which om' guides 
 today gave ample proof, yet where this practice pre- 
 vails, it costs an effort to get into a quicker pace. But 
 the steeds of our cavalcade, which came from all quar- 
 
 M 2 
 
164 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 ters of the globe, presented even a livelier picture than 
 their sweltering conductors. Count Bisniark managed a 
 spirited bay horse, Count Viiy was mounted on a pretty 
 English chestnut, and another of om' party was pulling 
 away at the lank jaws of a strong grey horse from New 
 York, without effecting any perceptible slackening of 
 its pace, whilst my Seville stick figured away upon the 
 hind-quarters of a Spanish pony, which, vying labori- 
 ously with his high-boned companions, bore me ever 
 and anon triumphantly past them. As we followed the 
 steep path up the hill, the view around was open and 
 extensive, Funchal and the roadstead forming a wonder- 
 fully fine picture. 
 
 The region of the bananas soon ceased, and the vine, 
 aloe and cactus succeeded : the two last attain a greater 
 height in Sicily, and the aloes are said not to blossom 
 here ; indeed we did not see in Madeira a single speci- 
 men of their large flowering-stalks. A beautiful Yucca 
 attracted om^ notice by the roadside, rising high into the 
 air from a short thick stem, with an enormous flower- 
 stalk ; and deep below, at the extremity of the town, 
 grows a Brazilian pine. Here and there were seen the 
 sugar-cane, which formerly constituted an important 
 article of commerce in Madeii-a, and the coffee-plant. 
 
 After a hard ride of about an horn' we reached the 
 wooded back of the momitain, a branch of the prin- 
 cipal range of the island, running out toward the 
 sea. Here, in the midst of perfectly German woods of 
 fijs, beeches, oaks, chestnuts, and maples, which thrive 
 vigorously at about the same height as the Mount- 
 
EXCURSION IN THE ENVIRONS OF fUNCHAL. 165 
 
 Church, Hes the Palheiro, the object of our excursion, 
 the park of Don Joao da Camara, a descendant of the. 
 celebrated Zarco. From this mountain we looked down 
 upon Funchal, lying at om- feet, with the Loo Rock in 
 front. Close behind I perceived a second, smaller rock 
 rising from the sea, and connected with the shore by a 
 kind of mole, forming a small haven, which greatly faci- 
 litates the landing in boats. 
 
 In the roadstead we recognized our Frigate, in the 
 last gleam of twilight. The other view of the sea to 
 the east, over a wooded valley, was interrupted by the 
 sudden coming-on of darkness. Our ride down to Fun- 
 chal in the cool of the evening was truly romantic, 
 the lights glimmering high up on the dark hill-side 
 like innumerable glowworms. At the summit, as we 
 began to descend, the air was so cool that we were 
 obliged, as in om* northern climes, to button up our 
 coats, but on proceeding lower it became milder and 
 more tropical. Here and there a peaceful islander was 
 standing in the open doorway of his house, playing on 
 a guitar. At nine o'clock we reached the shore and 
 the boat of the Frigate : the sea was luminous as we 
 returned on board, and the lights on the hills, seen from 
 the roadstead, looked almost more pictm^esque than from 
 the land. 
 
 August 2nd. — This day was devoted to an excm'sion to 
 the Curral das Freiras, a deep hollow among the rocks, 
 situated to the north-west of Funchal, nearly in the 
 middle of the volcanic mountain -chain which runs the 
 length of the island. On the opposite, north-east margin 
 
166 THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 of this crater-like ravine rises the Pico Riiivo, which is 
 not visible from Pimchal, — the highest mountain in 
 Madeira according to Bowdich's measurement, — 5788 
 feet above the sea ; whilst Pico Arriero, east of it, rises 
 to a height of 5110 feet*. Following the general advice 
 I had relinquished the ascent of the Pico Ruivo, which 
 would have occupied much time and not rewarded us 
 
 * Von Spix and Von Martins state the height of the Pico Ruivo 
 to be only 5250 feet. For comparison, I subjoin the heights of 
 some of the principal volcanos of the various groups of islands in 
 the Atlantic Ocean, as given in Von Buch's work on the Canary 
 Islands : — 
 
 Canary Islands. (Von Buch, pp. 102, 103). 
 
 Pico de Teyde, in TenerifFe 11,20G feet. 
 
 Pico de los Muchachos, in Palma 7234 , . 
 
 Pico de las Nieves, in Grand Canaria 5842 „ 
 
 Islands of the South Atlantic Ocean. (Von Buch, pp. 343 to 345). 
 
 Tristan da Cunha 7000 to 9000 feet. 
 
 Green Movmtain, in Ascension 2646 „ 2694 „ 
 
 Diana Peak, in St. Helena 2534 „ 
 
 The Azores. (Von Buch, pp. 336, 341). 
 Pico, in Pico ; according to Tofino (Von Humboldt, 
 
 Relat. i. 93.) 7561 feet. 
 
 „ „ according to Ferrer 6588 „ 
 
 Pico de Vara, in St. Michael 5000 „ 
 
 Cape Verd Islands. 
 
 Volcano of Fuego 7400 feet. 
 
 Pico San-Antonio, in S. Jago 6950 ,, 
 
 The Antilles. (Von Buch, pp. 402 to 405). 
 
 Dominica 5700 feet. 
 
 La Soufriere, in Guadeloupe 5100 „ 
 
 Morne-Garou, in St. Vincent 4740 „ 
 
 Montague Pelee, in Martinique 4416 „ 
 
 Mount Misery, in St. Kitt's 3483 „ 
 
 St. Lucia...., 1800 „ 
 
CLIMATE OF MADEIRA. 167 
 
 for the toil, and resolved instead to make an excursion 
 to the Curralj which was greatly extolled. Tavoiired by 
 the most splendid weather, we started at an early horn". 
 It was a fine fresh morning when we mounted om" 
 horses at the landing-place, rode through the town, 
 and following the route under the Forte do Pico soon 
 reached the open couatry. We had here an extremely 
 picturesque view of Funchal, with the fort in the fore- 
 ground. The vegetation on this west side is equally 
 rich as on the other, but the land is capable of better 
 cultivation. The small white houses scattered on the 
 green hills, interspersed with straw-thatched cottages, 
 attracted our notice. Wliat a paradise is this island of 
 Madeira, where the genial and equable climate fosters 
 the richest vegetation of every zone on its volcanic 
 soil, — where on the shores of the dark-blue ocean, a 
 mild tropical air, tempered by the sea-breezes, pre- 
 vails, acquiring fresh coolness at every additional hun- 
 dred feet of elevation, until under the shades of these 
 German woods we breathe the bracing air of the North, 
 invigorating both to mind and body ! Refreshed and 
 animated by the home-recalling impression of the ob- 
 jects around us, we looked down upon bananas, palm- 
 trees, cactuses, agaves and oleanders, whilst luxmiant 
 vines climbed up to om' feet on the rugged and fertile 
 acclivities of the lava. The mean temperatm^e of Tun- 
 chal is stated by Leopold von Buch to be 16°,40 R.* : 
 
 * According to recent observations only 15°,0 E.., whilst the mean 
 temperature of winter is 1.3^,0, and that of svxmnier 1 6°, 9 R. See 
 Humboldt's Central Asia, in German bv W. Mahlmann, vol. 3. 
 
168 THE DESEIITAS AND MADEIllA. 
 
 the winter here is said to be warmer than in Italy, and 
 the summer cooler than in London. 
 
 After passing the first rows of hills, at the back of the 
 Pico da Cruz, the traveller arrives near Camara dos 
 Lobos at the deep valley of Ribeira dos Soccorridos, one 
 of those diied-up mountain-streams, the rugged bed of 
 which is hoUoAved out in the sides of the mountain, 
 forming a precipitous defile. On our ride down to the 
 new stone bridge, which boldly arches the abyss, we had 
 a view on the right between high walls of rock over 
 the upper, narrow valley, which is closed in the back- 
 ground by black, pointed rocks, whilst on the left the 
 eye follows, in the direction of the sea, the Ribeira dos 
 Soccorridos through the smiling portion of the valley, 
 which is thickly overgrown with vines, tall reeds, yams 
 (one of the chief articles of food in Madena), and large 
 groups of bananas. At the point where the naked 
 rock is not exposed to view, the sides of the valley are 
 also covered with vines, amongst Avhich one group of 
 bananas had a pecidiarly pictm-esque appearance, look- 
 ing like an enormous nosegay springing from a high- 
 arched, dark cavern in the rock on the opposite acclivity. 
 The fresh green of the colossal leaves, which grow in 
 wild but graceful luxuriance, contrasted remarkably with 
 the dark, heavy, over-hanging roof. 
 
 Immediately after passing the bridge, we ascended 
 on the other side the heights of the Estreito, AA'here the 
 paved road is bordered by small villages. The people 
 crowded on the balconies, at the Avindows, and under 
 the vineroofs, full of curiosity to see our cara^'an. All 
 
EXCURSION TO THE CURRAL. 169 
 
 around Funchal, as far as this spot, are seen wells 
 and fountains beautifully enclosed, wliicli offer refresli- 
 ment to tlie traveller. On reacliing the edge of the 
 chestnut wood the road narrowed to a rough footpath, 
 and between the shadows of the trees w^e saAv before us 
 a rising ground. Hardly had we ascended this, when 
 we looked straight down into an abyss, a large crater- 
 like chaldron, green and rugged, lovely and yet fearful, 
 like a beautiful Swiss valley. This is the Curral ! On 
 the opposite side, near the rocky projection, stands a 
 nunnery upon a green sward. 
 
 We breakfasted on the wooded slope, drank to my 
 brother's health, in honour of his birthday, and then 
 rode back to Punchal. Rain-clouds had driven us from 
 the edge of the majestic abyss, out of which issues the 
 Ribeira dos Soccorridos ; but soon again the blue sky 
 appeared in unclouded serenity overhead, and the coast 
 stretched in all its loveliness at our feet. 
 
 At noon the roadstead was enlivened by the arrival of 
 two small British cruisers. Shortly before we sat down 
 to dinner in the ' San Michele,' the eighteen-gun corvette 
 the ' Satellite' anchored close beside us ; her destination 
 was the Pacific : and hardly was the cloth removed, when 
 the thunder of cannon announced the arrival of the six- 
 teen-gun brig the ' Albatros,' wdiich had on board eighty 
 men above her complement, and among them a troop 
 of fom'teen " youngsters," who were on their way to the 
 West Indies, to be transferred to other ships of the 
 squadron stationed there. 
 
 Aufpid 'iril. — A visit on board the ' Satellite,' and an 
 
170 " THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 excellent limclieoii with Captain Fitzgerald Gambier, 
 filled up the forenoon pleasantly enough. The polite 
 proposal of this officer to accompany me with his cor- 
 vette to Uio Avas gladly accepted, — a fresh instance of 
 the great courtesy which I have everywhere experienced 
 on my travels from the officers of the British navy. In 
 the afternoon a thud English man-of-war joined those 
 already anchored in the roadstead, — the ' Cleopatra' of 
 twenty-six guns, which was to convey the new Governor, 
 General Sir William Gomm, to the Mauritius, and was 
 likewise to touch at Rio. I must also mention a Trench 
 war-steamer, carrying a large collection of wild beasts 
 from Senegal to France, which we found on om' arrival. 
 Thus there were six men-of-war and only four merchant- 
 men in the roadstead of Funchal, — a disproportion sel- 
 dom seen, and a proof how almost all the courses to the 
 various fleet stations here cross on& another. 
 
 Towards evening I went on shore, on the east side of 
 the town, and met two palanquins with women and chil- 
 dren : these conveyances have the form of a cradle "with- 
 out wheels, and are provided with curtains. Carriages 
 are unknown here ; for transport the people use small 
 wooden sledges, drawn by oxen, which glide admirably 
 over the small paved stones. Eetm-ning on board I found 
 the deck of the ' San Michele ' quite transformed ; a 
 party of gentlemen and ladies from Funchal were assem- 
 bled at a ball a ririqjroviste, which, it must be confessed, 
 could not compare with the splendid entertainment 
 Admiral Count Viry had given me on board the Frigate 
 before oiu departm*e from Genoa, when the spacious 
 
BALL ON BOARD THE FRIGATE. 171 
 
 deck Avas adorned with flags and lamps, surpassing 
 many ballrooms in splendour, and certainly all in its 
 peculiar and romantic charm. The dance was at its 
 height, and a general animation prevailed, in spite of the 
 confusion of tongues. We were able to converse with 
 most of the fair islanders (an epithet to which few of 
 these ladies have properly a claim) in English, French or 
 Italian ; some understood only om- smattering of Spanish, 
 others not even that ; nevertheless they were very well 
 content, if their partners only waltzed well, rounded the 
 capstern cleverly, and were successful in the figures of 
 the quadrihe. With the harmonious sounds of om' music 
 was mingled the rattling of the heavy chains of a large 
 East Indiaman, which after her long voyage dropped 
 anchor in the night beside the ' Cleopatra.' At half- 
 past ten the fleet of boats, which were to land the party 
 of guests, pushed off from the Erigate. 
 
 August ^tli. — The Lisbon Packet, for which we had 
 waited here several days, arrived in the past night, but 
 brought us no letters ; we therefore left the bay of 
 Eunchal today. Notwithstanding the good anchorage, 
 which affords ample shelter, especially during the preva- 
 lence of the north-east wind in the summer months, the 
 roadstead is exposed to violent storms from the south- 
 east and south-west. These dangerous winds prevail 
 from November till the beginning of March, and are most 
 fatal to the shipping off Eunchal in the first of these 
 months. A heavy sea usually precedes them, rolling 
 upon the coast, and accompanied by squalls ; there is 
 then just time to set sail and get out to sea, in order to 
 
172 ' THE DESERTAS AND MADEIRA. 
 
 avoid being wrecked in the ensuing storm on the rocks 
 of Madeira. 
 
 Our departui'e was delayed until the afternoon, as two 
 anchors had to be weighed ; for in the morning the ship 
 had dragged her starboard anchor, and we had therefore 
 been obliged to let go the port anchor. This doubled 
 the laboiu" of the crew ; the best bower anchor too had 
 got foul, the heavy chain was twisted round one of its 
 flukes, and we now heaved it on board crown upwards. 
 A violent squall sweeping down from the cloud-topped 
 mountains on to the valley of Punchal and the roadstead, 
 obliged us to set the jib, for casting ; and shooting ahead 
 under this single sail, we bade adieu to the coast of Ma- 
 deira. The 'Satellite' and 'Albatros' followed our ex- 
 ample. The squall subsided as suddenly as it had come 
 on : a light variable wind succeeded, until at length we 
 caught the north-east wind, and could steer om' course. 
 Under reefed topsails and courses we waited for om^ new 
 companion the ' Satellite ; ' whilst the brig, soon chan- 
 ging her course, sailed for Bermuda and the West Indies. 
 
 A dark, towering cloud lay heavily upon Madeira. The 
 Myalls of rock on the east and west of Funchal rose more 
 and more gigantic to the clouds, until the whole island 
 gradually disappeared in the mist. 
 
THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 August 5tli. — Scarcely twenty-four hours had passed 
 since the island of Madeum disappeared from sight, 
 when, on the evening of the 5th of August we had an 
 intimation of om- approach to the mountains of TenerifFe. 
 In the morning, after steering past the Pitons and Sal- 
 vages, at a distance of nineteen nautical miles, without 
 seeing them, we found ourselves at noon in 29° 33' north 
 latitude, and 16° 23' 36" west longitude. The crew of the 
 ' San Michele,' I may observe, had enjoyed great sport 
 this morning from a good haul of Scomber-fish. Shortly 
 before six o'clock a slightly darkened appearance was 
 observed under the white clouds, and toward this point 
 we steered. By the aid of the telescope I could dimly 
 distinguish the outline of a mountain descending from 
 the clouds to the level of the sea. The light north- 
 east wind, which had hitherto carried us along, now 
 dropped ; the sails hung to the mast, and the Trigate 
 rolled more than usual : the sea was luminous. 
 
174 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 August Qith. — Early this morning the mountain, which 
 had been yesterday only dimly visible, stood off in dark 
 relief against the fog; and soon afterwards a second 
 declivity was seen, descending to the sea west of the 
 other. 
 
 The mountains of Teneriffe, their tops covered with 
 clouds, were now in sight : a warm, brownish vapour 
 lay spread out upon the grand rocky chain, the forms of 
 which became gradually more distinct, and upon the 
 clouds towering high above them, which seemed to 
 form a single, compact mass with the steep range on 
 which they rested, rising from the waves. We approached 
 the coast near Punta de Anaga (Punta di Naga), the 
 north-eastern point of the island. Not far off a pyra- 
 midal rock (La Mancha according to Von Buch's map) 
 rose out of the sea, whilst two of the three Rocas 
 de Anaga came in sight behind it. At the same time 
 we observed a single white house high up on the 
 mountains, which I soon recognized to be the Vigie 
 of Atalaya. The mountain on which it stands com- 
 mences on the north-east of the plain of Laguna, and is 
 distinguished, as Von Buch observes, by its grotesque 
 forms. This is especially true in its south and south- 
 eastern acclivities, between Atalaya and La Santa 
 Cruz. 
 
 It is impossible to imagine more fantastic forms than 
 nature here presents, — the most extraordinary conical 
 mountains, pointed and indented ridges, separating 
 the deep ravines which run parallel to one another 
 and descend into the sea. The banana-grove at the 
 
VIEW OF TENERIFFE. 175 
 
 mouth of the valley of Igueste did not escape my notice, 
 — it was well known to me, from the valuable work 
 on the Canary Isles by om^ celebrated fellow-country- 
 man Von Buch, as a representative of the vegetation of 
 the East Indies. This grove appeared only a small green 
 spot, but through the telescope we could clearly discern 
 the gigantic leaves of the bananas. We soon also per- 
 ceived San Andi*ea, at the entrance of one of these de- 
 files, shaded by a few bananas and defended by a little 
 fortified tower. Leaving this town on our starboard 
 beam, as we sailed along the east coast, Santa Cruz came 
 in sight, with its two high towers, forts, and fiat roofs, 
 — a perfectly Spanish town. 
 
 The sharp ridge of TenerifFe, the Cumbra, was still 
 veiled in mist, a heavy mass of clouds resting upon it 
 and darkening the horizon ; when suddenly a white 
 pyramid broke through these masses, towering one above 
 another, and high above, from his sublime and dusky 
 castle in the clouds, the upper cone of the colossal Pic 
 de Teyde looked down upon us proudly and majesti- 
 cally, — that gigantic volcano rising from the ocean, 
 which breaks the force of the trade-winds and turns 
 them from their com'se. On the left of the Peak, a 
 small portion of the Cii'cus stood forth above the clouds 
 like a black ridge. 
 
 This glorious spectacle lasted only for a moment, — 
 in an instant it vanished. Santa Cruz was seen more 
 distinctly. We took in the top-gallant-sails, spanker, and 
 jib, and after awhile the topsails, and then the anchor 
 was let go in thirty fathoms' water. The anchorage 
 
170 * THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 agreed nearly with Horsburgli's account* ; at the same 
 time Captain Fitzgerald Gambler anchored with the 
 English corvette so far seaward, that he was in some 
 fear lest, as the ground was steep, his anchors should 
 not hold. 
 
 Santa Cruz, viewed from the roadstead, has an ap- 
 pearance of cleanliness, like all Spanish places. In the 
 verdure close to the town are seen single bananas, whilst 
 beside one of the two chief towers rises a tall slender 
 palm-tree high above the roofs. At a short distance 
 stands the white Government-house, on which waves the 
 Spanish flag, and in fi'ont of it lies a battery, abutting 
 on a short Mole. In aU I counted five or six batteries or 
 detached works intended for the defence of the coast, — 
 amongst these, a tower and another small closed work 
 on the north side of the town, which is said to have 
 been erected after Lord Nelson's unsuccessful attack. 
 This attempt to land, on the 25th of July, 1797, which 
 failed in spite of the most devoted bravery of the British 
 sailors and soldiers, is historically memorable from the 
 sacrifice of life it occasioned, which was scarcely less than 
 the loss sustained at the battle of St. Vincent shortly 
 before; indeed the number of officers of rank killed 
 and wounded was even greater f. In the fu'st instance, 
 when the Spaniards, descrying the squadi'on of boats 
 which under shelter of night came rowdng within half- 
 gun-range, opened a fire from thirty to forty guns, the 
 
 * Horsburgh, India Directory, vol. 1. page 11. 
 t Compare James' Naval History of Great Britain, etc., vol. 2. 
 page .56. 
 
SANTA CRUZ. 177 
 
 ' Fox ' cutter which accompanied the boats was sunk, 
 struck by three cannon-balls (only one a fleiir cV emi), 
 together with her commander Lieutenant Gibson and 
 ninety-seven men. Admhal Nelson, springing from the 
 boat on shore, was in the act of drawing his sword, when 
 his right arm was shattered. At the taking of the Mole- 
 head Captain Bowen of the ' Terpsichore ' fell, together 
 with the first lieutenant of his frigate. After a very 
 obstinate battle, dming which the English forced their 
 way up to the Prado, and made a vain attempt on the 
 citadel. Captain Troubridge was obliged to desist from 
 the enterprize : the Spanish Governor however granted 
 him a favourable capitulation, which ensm^ed him a free 
 re-embarkation. 
 
 Santa Cruz has no defences on the land-side. Behind 
 the town, toward Laguna, the ground rises gently, and 
 the heights are crowned by some mills. Laguna itself 
 is not discernible from the roadstead, but Nuestra Se- 
 nora de Gracia lying on the acclivity is seen clearly. 
 The colouring of these slopes is just the warm, parched, 
 brown tint of Malta and Malaga ; whilst the oft-men- 
 tioned and remarkable mountains on the north-east as- 
 sume, from the cactus which grows upon them sparely, a 
 darker and greener colour, similar to the mountains in 
 the Highlands of Scotland. On the east, the dazzling 
 white mass of clouds, which since leaving Gibraltar had 
 seemed to me like a harbinger of the vicinity of Africa, 
 concealed Canaria and the other islands. The heat was 
 oppressive, — more so than in Madeha : Reaumiu"'s ther- 
 mometer stood at + 20° in the shade, in the roadstead. 
 
 VOL. I. N 
 
178 THE PEAK OE TENERIEEE. 
 
 A few ships lay between us and the strand, and amongst 
 the rest some old, heavy, worn-out " schooner brigs." 
 
 As I was going on shore for a few hom^s in the after- 
 noon, to take a ramble through the town and sketch in 
 the neighbourhood, a number of naked youngsters, who 
 were bathing off the Mole in the black muddy water at 
 low-tide, came wading round our boat. The view from 
 the head of the Mole, (which is only a few yards long) 
 of the mountains on the north-east is very peculiar. 
 The principal streets of the town are clean, but the same 
 cannot be said of the back streets. Most of the houses 
 are one-storied, and have fiat roofs ; balconies are not so 
 common as in Spain ; in their stead, wooden galleries 
 run round some of the houses, which reminded me of 
 the style of iDuilding in Switzerland. The dress of the 
 lower class of women is more strange than tasteful : the 
 round man's hat, made of straw or black felt, stuck on 
 to a white, not always clean cloth, which falls down on 
 the shoulders and neck, fails to divest the faces of these 
 women of any of their ugliness. One can easily fancy 
 these rude, quarrelsome creatm^es the descendants of the 
 old Guanches, — those dwellers in caves whom the first 
 conqueror of the island, Jean de Bethencom't, found here 
 on his arrival in the year 1403*. 
 
 * The islands known by the name of the Isles of the Blest, or the 
 Insulee Fortunatse, were probably discovered by the Carthaginians in 
 their voyages along the west coast of Africa. They were not known to 
 the Romans until after the time of the destruction of Carthage, and 
 Statins Sebosus, who lived in the time of the Cimbriau war, and was 
 a friend of Lutatins Catulus, gave the first description of them, which 
 now only exists in the imperfect abstract of Pliny. Voyages were 
 
CANARY ISLANDS. 179 
 
 I met here in the streets a sio-ht which I Kttle ex- 
 pected, some half-starved camels with a single hump, as 
 in Von Buch's time they existed only on Lanzerote. The 
 country outside the town has a waste appearance, but in 
 the gardens and close around them grow single palm- 
 trees, plantains, and oleanders in blossom. The cactus 
 seems to be much cultivated here, but it hardly rises 
 above the ground. I noticed a house very picturesquely 
 situated in the midst of cypresses, in a glen among the 
 hills. It began to grow dark when I retmiied on 
 board : the night was clear and fine, and the stars shone 
 brightly. 
 
 frequently made to these islands, and Pertorius was so delighted with 
 the charming accounts given him hv sailors, of the place and its 
 fertiUty, that he was for some time inclined to settle there -with his 
 followers. Two islands in particular were designated as " the For- 
 tunate," — named Conyallis and Planaria, now known as the islands 
 of Teneriffe and Canaria, — so called from the large dogs there. 
 King Juha gave a closer description of these islands, which likewise 
 only survives in a poor abridgment of Pliny ; he calls Teneriffe 
 Nivaria, perhaps from the eternal snows which cover the top of its 
 Peak, but which he does not mention. 
 
 In the ^liddle Ages they were discovered by the Genoese UgoHno 
 Vivaldi and Tedisio Dorio, toward the end of the thirteenth centmy, 
 and later by Castilian and Portuguese ships. Their inhabitants were 
 known by the name of Guanches, who were celebrated for their 
 ci\dlization. In the year 1344 Pope Clemens VI. granted the Canary 
 Islands to Prince Ludovico de la Cerda, of the race of Alfonso X., 
 who possessed the earldom of Clermont in France, and nominated 
 him their sovereign. He required the Kings of Castille, Portugal 
 and Aragon to aid the Prince to obtain possession of these islands ; 
 the only result of which was, that Alfonso XI. ceded to the Prince 
 his right to the islands, who however received no assistance in 
 attaining possession of them. The conquest of them which the 
 Spaniards are said to have effected m the year 1316 can therefore 
 have been only temporary. A conquest by a French adventurer, 
 
 V ^^ 
 
180 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 August Ifh. — It was a splendid morning, the air fresh 
 and cool, and the long lines of the Cumbra were clothed 
 in a light greyish mist : all seemed to promise well for 
 om" expedition today through Orotava to the Peak, whose 
 highest, scarcely perceptible summit looked like a small 
 white point rising above the mountain-ridge. We landed 
 as early as half-past six o'clock, and went straight to 
 Richardson's Hotel, where the small party assembled by 
 the fountain in the banana-com^t. Om^ party consisted 
 of Count Vuy and Lieutenant Mantica of the ' San 
 Michele,' Lieutenant Egerton, Dr. Poster and the little 
 
 De Bethencourt from Normandy, in the years 1402, 1405, and 1417, 
 related only to the islands of Lancerote and Fuertaventura. 
 
 In the year 1432 the celebrated Infante Henrique of Portugal 
 fitted out a vessel, and committed it to the courtier Gilianes. The 
 latter landed on the Canary Islands, and in various attacks took many 
 of the inhabitants prisoners, but without being able to obtain a per- 
 manent footing. It was not until the year 1478 that a powerful force 
 was sent by Spain against these islands, especially against Tene- 
 riife ; and after a sanguinary struggle, which lasted until 1497, all 
 the islands were conquered. 
 
 The aborigines (Guanches), a fine, powerful and brave race of 
 men, of Berber descent, whose chief place was the charmingly situated 
 town of Orotava on the north coast of TenerifPe, were only reduced 
 by the superior weapons of the Spaniards, as they were unacquainted 
 with the use of iron ; and in the seventeenth century they were, prin- 
 cipally by the Inquisition, entirely exterminated. Mummies of them, 
 sown up in goatskins, are still occasionally found in caves in the rocks, 
 but they fall to dust when exposed to the air. 
 
 It is remarkable that the Pic de Teyde, which the Guanches at 
 the beginning of the fifteenth century regarded as sacred, is not at 
 all mentioned by the ancients. Compare Epitome de la Cronica 
 del Rey D. Juan el Segundo por D. Joseph INIartinez de la Puente. 
 — The History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary Islands, 
 translated from a Spanish Manuscript lately found in the Island of 
 Palma, by George Glas : London, 1764. 
 
EXCURSION TO THE PEAK. 181 
 
 fii'st-class volunteer, Mr. Scowell, of tlie ' Satellite'. The 
 Doctor had recently accompanied our Sovereign on his 
 voyage to England, as physician of the ' Black Eagle'. 
 
 After a short delay, oiu' party pushed on through the 
 still quiet streets of Santa Cruz, to the plain which 
 ascends gradually toward Laguna. Close behind the 
 town the broad paved road crosses the Baranco de los 
 Santos, accompanying it for a short distance. Baranco 
 (pronounced Waranco) here signifies the bed of a moun- 
 tain-stream hollowed deep into the rock, or a ravine : in 
 this season most of the streams were diied up. The 
 basalt at the bottom of the Baranco de los Santos was 
 clearly visible, washed smooth by the water. The fine 
 road terminates at the lava-stream, which issuing from 
 the cones above Laguna at the end of the Cumbra tm^ns 
 down toward the sea. Our horses and a loaded camel 
 which we met proceeded over this stream with difficulty 
 and caution, although the lava seemed less uneven than 
 that of Vesuvius. 
 
 At the commencement of this field of lava stands a 
 mill, and close to it a very small, walled fort, without 
 guns and weakly garrisoned : its object seems to be to 
 serve, in case of the lancUng of a superior hostile force, 
 as a last shelter on the east side of the island for the 
 defeated garrison of Santa Cruz, and eventually to cover 
 then- retreat over the mountains to Orotava. The wide 
 paved road recommences on the opposite side of the 
 lava-stream. 
 
 The vegetation improves a little, at least in the 
 Baranco de los Santos, where cactuses and aloes cover 
 
182 THE TEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 the walls. By the roadside also grow some straight 
 columnar cactuses, but, like the other plants of this 
 genus, they do not attain the usual height. The face of 
 the country grows by degrees more verdant, and the 
 first trees since leaving the gardens of Santa Cruz make 
 their appearance : detached houses stand by the road- 
 side. We passed the church of Nuestra Senora de 
 Gracia, whither the inhabitants of the surrounding farms 
 were wending their way, for it was Sunday : in front 
 were erected some booths ; I understood the Arrieros to 
 say that it was the festival of this chm'ch. The scenery 
 around became more peculiar ; on om^ right the moun- 
 tains extended in six or seven successive lines, of gro- 
 tesque forms and varied colom'ing, descending in the 
 direction of the sea toward the plain in which Laguna 
 lay ; whilst on om' left the eruption-cones rose at the end 
 of the Cunibra, the outbreaks of which probably pre- 
 ceded the elevation of the Peak, and may even indicate 
 the spot where it first made an effort to break forth 
 from the bottom of the sea, which however it did not 
 accomplish until at a later period further to the south 
 and west. 
 
 We rode into the little town of Laguna, which is 
 situated at a height of 1620 feet above the sea, and has 
 a cheerful and lively aspect : here I was again reminded 
 forcibly of Nebel's views in Mexico, especially that of 
 the market-place. The Sunday costumes are very origi- 
 nal ; both sexes commonly wear the high, round hat, but 
 today the women had veiled their head and neck in fine, 
 glossy kerchiefs of white or yellow wool, with broad, 
 
TOWN OE LAGUNA. 183 
 
 white silk trimmings, and were clad in clean, striped 
 dresses. Tlie men seemed to think it cold, although the . 
 sun was already high, for they still kept their woollen 
 covering wrapt about them, fastened round the neck with 
 a cord, and worked at the bottom like a blanket with a 
 narrow strip of a darker colour ; while others w^ore long 
 fm" jackets or heavy cloaks, some with fur collars. The 
 peasants or Arrieros looked less chilly, and had thrown 
 off their wrappers : their simple dress consists of a white 
 shirt, a parti-colom-ed waistcoat, generally with red and 
 black stripes, linen trowsers, with one leg stript half way 
 up the thigh, or breeches of various colom^s slashed on 
 the side in the Spanish fashion. We met some elegant 
 Spanish ladies in black mantillas, on their way to church. 
 The women here are prettier than in Santa Cruz, — a re- 
 mark which applies especially to the north-west side of 
 Teneriffe. Most of the houses in Laguna consist of one 
 story, with wooden balconies or galleries. I noticed the 
 houseleek growing here and there on some flat roofs, per- 
 haps the remains of those " Sempervivum-roofs " which 
 Von Buch mentions. 
 
 We halted on the plain to breakfast, at a short di- 
 stance from the town. The spot was well-chosen. On 
 one side we had the acclivities of the Cumbra, above 
 which just peeped the summit of the Peak ; and on the 
 other side the little towm of Laguna, with its tall dark 
 tower, and the long rows of windmills on the right, in 
 the middle of the smooth, flat basin which separates the 
 Cumbra from the mountain-chains in the north-east of 
 the island. Beyond the heights, at the back of Laguna, 
 
184 THE PEAK OF TENERIFrE. 
 
 was seen the ocean, and lightly traced the beautiful out- 
 lines of Gran Canaria. The long rows of windmills are 
 mentioned by Herr von Buch, who observes that they 
 clearly show the change of the north-east trade-wind to 
 the north-west wind in October. 
 
 Prom hence we rode through a barren country, re- 
 lieved occasionally by green fields of maize, round the 
 acclivities of the Cumbra. Before us on the right lay 
 the ocean, and other parts of the coast of TenerifFe ; whilst 
 below, at the end of the plain sloping toward the sea, 
 we saw the villages of Tacaronte and Tegueste, and at 
 length reached the fountain of " Agua Garcia," Avhere 
 om' horses were watered. Behind the trough-shaped 
 spring opens a narrow dark ravine, out of which issues 
 the clear mountain-water. The high bank on the other 
 side of the brook was shaded by beautiful trees, among 
 which single palms here and there proudly raised their 
 heads. The nearer the traveller approaches to the north- 
 west coast, the more luxuriant does the vegetation be- 
 come. 
 
 I had for a long time been seeking the tall heath- 
 plant, which Von Buch had mentioned to me ; and I 
 now for the first time discovered that the young pine- 
 trees by the roadside were nothing else than this plant ! 
 Presently we looked down into a baranco, the sides of 
 which were thickly covered with these Ericas, many 
 twenty feet high. The country was noAv prettier : the 
 sloping ground from the sea, up to the cloud-topped, 
 wooded mountains of the Cumbra, was covered with vines, 
 fig-trees, with occasional orange-trees and laurels, whilst 
 
PALM-TREES. 185 
 
 articulated Euphorbias grew plentifully by tlie roadside. 
 At every step tlie vegetation increased in luxuriance and 
 variety up to Matanza*, where it reaches its climax, 
 whilst innumerable single slender palm-stems raised their 
 rich, graceful crowns among the other trees and bushes : 
 they are not a wood of palms, and yet they might form 
 one, if they could all be brought together. I should call 
 Madeira the island of bananas, and TenerifFe the island 
 of palms. Although the crowns of some palms are bar- 
 barously lopped off, or their branches bound together 
 over their heads into a tall erect bundle, yet there is an 
 abundance of splendid, perfect crowns. 
 
 Passing several barancos, on the sides of which the 
 tosca, the tuff, is clearly recognized, we rode through the 
 village of Vittoriaf , and from thence down again through 
 a baranco, until we reached the slope of Santa Ursula. 
 The road leading up to the palm-covered hill upon which 
 
 * " Following the route to the port of the Orotava, we passed the 
 pretty villages of Matauza and Victoria. These names are found 
 together in all the Spanish colonies : they contrast disagreeably with 
 the feelings of peace and calm which these countries inspire. Ma- 
 tanza signifies butchery, or carnage, and the very word recalls the 
 price at which the \dctory was achieved. In the New World it 
 generally indicates the defeat of the natives ; at Teneriffe, the village 
 of Matanza was founded on a spot where the Spaniards were con- 
 quered by those very Guanches, whom they soon after sold as slaves 
 in the European markets." See Voyage au Nouveau Cont. par Alex, 
 de Humboldt, tom. I. chap. 2. page 113. 
 
 ■f In the battle of Vittoria Don Alonzo de Luga subdued the 
 island of Teneriffe, and immediately after, on the 25th of June, 1495, 
 laid the foundations of the new town of San Cristoval de la Laguna. 
 See Von Buch's Physikalische Beschreibung der Canarischen Inseln, 
 page 123. 
 
186 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 the village lies is lined hy an avenue of aloes, twenty feet 
 liigli and with yellow blossoms. 
 
 The eye had hitherto only followed the slightly curved 
 line of coast as far as Puerto Orotava : the road noAv 
 turned sharply to the left, around the spur of this moun- 
 tain, which had hitherto shut in the view, when all at 
 once we reached the edge of a steep declivity, and looked 
 down upon the smiling plain stretched out at our feet. 
 On its skirts, toward the mountains of the Cumbra and 
 the Circus rising on the east into the clouds, six to seven 
 thousand feet high, lay the small white town of Villa 
 Orotava, lighted up with the bright gleams of the noon- 
 day sun. Our brisk young Arrieros ceased their melan- 
 choly Spanish songs, and exclaimed with one voice, " La 
 villa! la villa!" In the north, the noble plain is 
 bounded by this mountain, which, rooted high up in the 
 Cumbra, descends obliquely in a straight line from one 
 of its domes, the Perexil, 5658 feet high, toward Santa 
 Ursula ; whilst seen from the south, it has the appearance 
 of an immense precipice. Opposite to it, encompassing 
 the charming plains on the south, rises the rugged Ti- 
 gayga, which also descends like a colossal wall from out 
 the clouds to the azm-e waves that wash the western 
 limit of the smiling valley. Here lies Puerto Orotava, 
 at the foot of two eruption-cones, which appear from a 
 distance almost like molehills : in its roadstead were two 
 or three schooners. 
 
 We descended to the plain. Although here and there 
 yellow fields of maize mingled with indescribably fresh 
 verdure, yet the splendid plain, with its smiling fields, 
 
ARRIVAL AT OROTAVA. 187 
 
 its endless, shady pergolas, weiglied down by luxuriant 
 vines, its border of cliestnut-trees and laurels, which on 
 the east rise up the gentle slopes of the mountains, ap- 
 peared like the most luxmiant garden. Hedges of black- 
 berry-bushes lined the road, and a number of fine speci- 
 mens of the Piniis canariensis grew by the wayside. The 
 palms disappear in the lovely valley, and are not seen 
 again till the traveller comes to the gardens of Oro- 
 tava; but their loss is compensated by some large and 
 handsome dragon-trees of strange, fantastic forms, which 
 are the more impressed upon my memory as being the 
 only ones I met with on my travels. 
 
 On approaching the town of Orotava, which is built 
 pictm'esquely on a gently sloping hill, the road runs 
 between garden- walls. Splendid bananas, the first we 
 had seen since leaving Santa Cruz, overtop these walls 
 with their gigantic leaves, and bend over them in lofty, 
 shady arches. It was three o'clock in the afternoon 
 when we dismounted from om* tired horses in the small 
 courtyard of \\\q fonda near the cluu-cli. I took a stroll 
 before dinner, and had the pleasure of discovering an 
 immense dragon-tree in the garden of the " Casa Fran- 
 qui* ;" an enormous palm stood as a pendant on the 
 other side of the house ; bushes of dark-red roses and 
 red oleanders in the foreground, intermixed with the 
 fresh, bright green of the banana-leaves, gave a finishing 
 touch to the picture. After dinner we went — a matter 
 
 * See the Voyage de Humboldt et Bonpland, Part I. tome I. 
 page 117. The height appeared to Humboldt to be fifty to sixty 
 feet, and the circumference at the root was forty-five feet. 
 
188 . THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 of coiu'se ill Spanish countries — to tlie Alameda, a broad 
 terrace, shaded by fine trees, but not much animated. 
 The view of the town is very pictm-esque, but the sun 
 had unfortunately already set, and the Peak, the crown 
 to the whole prospect, was veiled. ]\Iy companions 
 spent the rest of the evening in a party at the resi- 
 dence of the beautiful Doha Ines de Lobo, to whose 
 house they had been invited by the uncle of that lady, 
 a certain Don Balthasar, who was staying at om- fonda. 
 They amused themselves greatly, and danced until a late 
 hour. Little Mr. Scowell and 1 meanwhile remained at 
 home. 
 
 Augud Sf/i. — Notwithstanding the revels of the pre- 
 ceding night, om* beasts were ready momited this morn- 
 ing at half-past six o'clock : my companions had aU 
 ordered mules, but I remained true to my active little 
 pony. Om' caravan rode over the blooming plain of 
 Orotava, from which a refreshing morning mist arose, 
 directing its course toward the Peak, whose yellowish 
 white summit rose before us on the left, above the top of 
 the Tigayga. Pm'ther left, the mountains of the Cumbra, 
 which accompanied om' road, shut out all prospect ; so 
 that the Peak, with the declivity of the Tigayga descend- 
 ing obliquely toward the sea, seemed to form one mass, 
 and had exactly the same aspect as the right side of 
 ^tna. Close behind Orotava we rode thi-ough the wide 
 Baranco de San Antonio, descending from the chesnut- 
 woods of the Cumbra, which is green to its summit. 
 Tall chestnut-trees, ericas, and laurels shade the edges of 
 this ravine, which is encompassed with black, perpendi- 
 
ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 189 
 
 cnlar walls. The view back on Orotava, on tlie smiling 
 plain, bounded by tlie steep mountain of Santa Ursula, 
 which rises from the sea up to the Cumbra, is one of the 
 most pictm-esque that can be imagined. 
 
 From hence the road continues for some time ob- 
 liquely in the direction of the mountains, over fields and 
 vine-clad hills, past isolated groups of small huts, up to 
 the edge of the thicket. We entered a low underwood 
 of ericas and lam^els, scarcely the height of a man on 
 horseback, very different from the shady woods, wdth 
 their tall stems, in which the Baranco de San Antonio 
 takes its rise. But the green of the laurel refreshes the 
 eye, and compensates for much. We rode on and on in 
 this wood for a long while, traversing many barancos, 
 the black, rocky bottom of which reminded me strongly 
 of the lava, washed smooth by the mountain-waters, just 
 above the cottage of the Baron von Waltershausen, at 
 the limit of the wood-region on ^tna. This similarity 
 struck me yesterday at the Baranco de los Santos. 
 
 The air became gradually cooler. Without observing 
 it, we had already ascended a considerable way ; the 
 laurels had disappeared, and instead the perfumed Brezo 
 mingled its pale green with the darker green of the 
 erica-bushes, which were more and more stunted. The 
 mists and clouds rose gradually up the Tigayga from 
 the sea, swimming freely in space. I looked around — 
 a perpendicular, dark wall of cloud stood some thousand 
 paces distant behind me. Its lower edge touched the 
 erica-woods on the slope of the mountain at my feet, 
 and shut out from my view Orotava with its gently 
 
190 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 rising plain and tlie ocean. High up, on the edge of 
 the gigantic wall of cloud, I saw here and there a narrow 
 dark-blue stripe, which with some difficulty I recognized 
 as the faint glimmer of the sea-horizon. As we ascended, 
 the view enlarged over a fleecy or undulating sea of 
 clouds, similar to that we had recently seen on ^tna. 
 The narrow path led along the upper acclivities of the 
 Cumbra, under a cone of red and yellow pumice-stone, 
 in parts broken down, which our guide called " Hajar ;" 
 and ascending gradually we came, shortly before it reached 
 the upper limit of the erica-zone, to some boulders of 
 lava thrown in wild confusion over one another. Upon 
 these blocks we sat down to breakfast, in the warm sun- 
 shine. 
 
 For the first time the Peak appeared distinctly sepa- 
 rated from the Tigayga. The Teyde, a gigantic conical 
 mountain, similar in form to the upper cone of JEtna, 
 but of much greater magnitude, rose high above the 
 sloping ground before us, scattered over with boulders 
 of lava. Its side walls had a gentle inclination ; on the 
 left hand the mountain was a little rounded toward the 
 summit, marking the point where the Piton begins, — 
 that small cone of whitish pumice-stone, which appears 
 from this spot like a small white cap set upon the large 
 cone. The right wall of the Piton on the contrary 
 formed a continuous line mth the right wall of the 
 Peak, which is steeper near its base, as if descend- 
 ing into a ravine, and prevented om- seeing the slope 
 before us. Purther to the right, distinctly separated 
 from the base of the Peak, rose the Tigayga with a short 
 
ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 191 
 
 ascent, as if springing from the same valley ; as we ap- 
 proaclied, it assmnecl a steeper aspect. Whilst the dark 
 outline of the mighty Peak stood out sharply against the 
 sky, like a greenish-black mass, with clefts and streaks 
 of various shades, the fields of yellow pumice-stone, con- 
 trasting strongly with it, descended on the left down the 
 lower part of its great cone in broad stripes, spreading out 
 as it were over the round, sandy back of the Monte Trigo*, 
 which here leans on the foot of the mountain, dazzling 
 as streams of white sand pouring into a sea of sand. 
 
 After resting for half an hour we again set out in the 
 burning heat. We soon left the heath, which was now 
 scarcely three to fom* feet tall, and with it all vegetation 
 disappeared except the " Retama blanca" of the Cum- 
 bra. I imagined that we must be in the country of the 
 Portillo, and asked the Arrieros, but they knew no such 
 name. Did it still lie before us, or might it perhaps 
 have been the very spot where we had breakfasted ? All 
 doubt of our having passed it was soon removed, when 
 we came to the Llano de las Retamas f , belonging to the 
 Canadas j . A broad, yeUow plain of pumice-stone lay 
 
 * Monte Trigo, also "la Montana Blanca." Bertlielot, II. 1. 
 page 89. 
 
 ■I' According to Yon Buch's work, page 185, the Retama, the 
 Spartiiwi nubiyenum {Genista, broom) never occurs at a less height 
 than .5900 feet, and never above a height of 9700 feet. " The road 
 over the Cumbra from Orotava to Gviimar is the north-east limit of 
 the appearance of this shrub. It is found in great quantities in the 
 Canada mader the Cone of the Peak, which is thence called Llano de 
 las Retamas." 
 
 X " The entire mass of the Teyde rises to a height of 3030 feet 
 above the plateau of the Caiiadas." Berthelot, II. 1. page 317. 
 
192 THE PEAK OE TENERIFFE. 
 
 before us, out of which rose the Peak of Teyde more 
 and more gigantic into the dark-bhie air. It had as- 
 sumed the form of a rugged, trimcated, wide cone, from 
 four to five thousand feet in height, with precipitous 
 sides, rising in colossal majesty above the wavy sea of 
 pumice-stone, the fine sand of which gleamed in the 
 sun in iridescent colom's passing from white into yel- 
 low, brown, and even bright red. Every object, even the 
 black Peak itself, now took a warmer tone, from the 
 bm'uing sun on the Llano at a height of six to seven 
 thousand feet above the sea*". 
 
 As the eye grows dazzled by wandering over large 
 plains of snow, and loses its power of measuring height 
 and depth, so we were unable to measm^e the height of 
 the dazzling weaves of pumice-stone which smTounded 
 us. Continuous ridges of red jagged rocks of lava ran 
 along the back of this hill, resembling the long lines of 
 foam often seen on the tops of waves as they roll on 
 shore in a rough sea, whilst here and there rose pointed 
 cones of lava from out the sea of sand. Prom the burnt- 
 out, volcanic base of the Teyde, the dazzled eye rises 
 involuntarily upwards to the colossal volcano, to seek 
 refreshment in the dark-blue colour of the heavens. 
 
 We rode, as it seemed, between streams of lava stif- 
 fened in their com^se, the valleys of which were filled 
 with pumice-stone. The Piton, which at first rises high 
 out of the upper section of the conical mountain, became 
 
 * According to Captain Vidal's statement the summit of the Peak 
 is 28° 17' north latitude and 16° .39' west longitude. Horsburgh, 
 India Direct, etc. Vol. I. page II. 
 
VIEW FROM THE CONE. 193 
 
 smaller as we approached it, and as the upper surface 
 of the volcano widened, until at length it was quite im- 
 mersed in the latter. The sandy ridge, which we had 
 seen from om^ breakfast-place, at the foot of the Peak, 
 had gradually become a hill, nay almost a mountain : 
 we soon reached it, and our tired beasts climbed upon 
 its pumice-stone slope ; large single blocks of basalt lay 
 at the side. At length we stood at the foot of the dark 
 mountain-cone. After riding up this in a zigzag com'se, 
 between sharp blocks of obsidian, such as Von Buch 
 describes, a last ascent of scarcely two hundred feet 
 brought us to the Estancia de los Ingleses*', the well- 
 known bivouac, sheltered by black masses of rock. Thus 
 ended om* day's labour. 
 
 On our ride up, I had remarked that, at the commence- 
 ment of the plain of pumice-stone, the mountains of the 
 Cumbra closed behind us and joined others ; nor had it 
 escaped my notice, that w^e rode round the base of the 
 Tigayga ; nevertheless the Circus which encompasses the 
 foot of the Peak on the south-west, south, and east sides 
 had not yet appeared so clear to view as the map had led 
 me to expect. In the afternoon therefore I ascended a 
 little way up the black cone. How shall I describe 
 what I there beheld, looking down on the long violet- 
 coloured ridge of the Cumbra, which with its indenta- 
 tions formed bays and promontories, right and left, in 
 the white sea of fleecy clouds, whilst it descended gently 
 towards the Llano de las Retamas ! On the right, a long 
 
 * According to Von Buch, page 100, the "Estancia Abaxo," or 
 " de los Ingleses," Ues at a height of 7756 feet above tlie sea. 
 
 VOL. I. O 
 
194 THE PEAK OF TENEllIFFE. 
 
 wall of rock joined these acclivities of the Cumbra, — 
 a continuation of the margin of the pumice-stone plain. 
 Ascending between the obsidians of the cone, I saw at 
 every step this colossal wall, nearly two thousand feet 
 high, curving more and more round the base of the Peak, 
 whilst its upper contour, quitting the straight line, be- 
 gan to form single cupolas. I recognized the Circus — the 
 mighty, semicircular portion of the elevation-crater, which 
 alone had braved all the later eruptions of the volcano — 
 the Circus, with its horizontal strata, which at times re- 
 semble narrow terraces, or rather small steps, wlidst high 
 up along its wall is seen the narrow, white, trachytic 
 band, the silver stripe of Angostura. I looked down : 
 my eye glided quickly along the steep declivity on 
 which I was standing, over the huge, black mass of 
 pointed glassy blocks of obsidian scattered deep below 
 in wild confusion, upon two rounded cupolas, which 
 rose close to the base of the Peak from the subjacent 
 plain of pumice-stone, passing from yellow into red, and 
 contrasting strongly with the edge of the black obsidian 
 field. This lower surface, the bottom of the elevation- 
 crater, from which the Teyde arose, is covered with 
 black masses and red blocks of lava ; on every side rise 
 up ridges and cones, between which wind single streams 
 of lava. Below on the right, close under the highest 
 precipice of the Circus, stand the dark-red waves of a 
 mighty stream, arrested and stiffened in its com-se, the 
 force of whose current is still perceptible. Above this 
 fearful scene oi volcanic action, this gigantic wall, which 
 once rose out of the depths of ocean — high above all 
 
ADVENTURE OF COUNT ORIOLLA. 195 
 
 these scenes and objects, the giant Peak Hke a colossal 
 pyramid, purpled by the setting sun, flung his shadow 
 over the mists which covered the ocean. 
 
 The wonderful line of shadow had not yet reached 
 the glorious mountain, whose base was lost in the 
 mists. The noble, alpine chain of the Gran Canaria — 
 that island which once braved for eighty years the Spa- 
 nish dominion of the world — lay spread out before me in 
 the most beautiful cUstinctness. The further I ascended, 
 the higher my spectral guide rose out of the sea of mists, 
 until it entirely concealed Canaria. It was now night : 
 the fires of the Estancia were the beacon which lighted 
 me along my steep descent, and led me back to my com- 
 panions. At the moment I rejoined them it was dis- 
 covered that Count Oriolla was missing. 
 
 Sharing the general attraction of the fearful and ma- 
 jestic scenes around us, the Count had left the Estancia 
 at the same time with myself ; but whilst sketching upon 
 the acclivity, I had soon lost sight of him. With his 
 usual boldness and perseverance, accustomed never to do 
 anything by halves, he climbed up the cone, to explore 
 the secrets of the mountain. At half-past seven o'clock, 
 shortly after sunset, the Count reached the edge of the 
 crater ; but to return was not so easy, and he wandered 
 about nearly the whole night in the dark among boulders 
 and sharp masses of rock, where a false step might at 
 any moment have proved fatal. His joy may readily be 
 imagined when groping about on the stones he at length 
 felt again the first trace of vegetation under his hand — 
 a little tuft of moss, which, as the harbinger of hope, he 
 
 o 2 
 
196 THE PEAK OF TENEllIFFE. 
 
 took with him to keep in remembrance of this fearful 
 night. He descended lower and lower down the cone ; 
 and had already given up the hope of finding his com- 
 panions again, when high above his head he beheld our 
 bright, blazing fire. It was half-past twelve when Count 
 Oriolla rejoined us ; wearied out with his solitary ascent 
 of the Peak — perhaps the most adventAUOus one ever un- 
 dertaken — he sank down upon the ground at our side. 
 Great was the joy, at least among those who were still 
 awake, at seeing him amongst us again. All our cries had 
 been ineffectual, and whoever has ascended the Peak will 
 easily imagine the impossibility of searching for om^ com- 
 panion in the dark over those fields of lava and obsidian. 
 
 The stars shone with the same brilliancy as in the 
 night when we ascended Mount iEtna. The fire cast the 
 faint glimmer of its expiring light on my companions, 
 who lay scattered about fast asleep, and on the masses 
 of rock that smTOunded us like the walls of an apart- 
 ment ; whilst the flame, blazing up among the adjacent 
 blocks, illumined the motionless groups of our Practices 
 and Arrieros, who lay wrapped in their woollen cloaks, 
 the only bright point in the surrounding darkness. A 
 solemn stillness reigned through all natm'e. 
 
 The Teyde has now rested from his convulsions for 
 nearly half a centiu-y* ; he sleeps a long sleep ; yet who 
 
 * The last eruption, which broke out on the side of the Peak, 
 took place in the year 1718, and destroyed a great part of the vine- 
 yards at its foot. On the 17th of June, 1798, four cones broke out 
 deep down on the west foot of the Chahorra, and almost at the end 
 of the environs of the Circus. The lava reached the rocks of the 
 Circus, and extended over the Caiiada. 
 
FIELDS OF LAVA AND OBSIDIAN. 197 
 
 can foretell when he may again awake ? or who can say 
 that life is yet extinct within him ? It was a glorious 
 night — at an elevation of 775G feet above the ocean — 
 but though the air was fresh it was by no means cold. 
 
 August ^tli. — After a short night's rest I was awakened 
 at two o'clock, and in half an horn- we were on oiu- march 
 by starlight. Count OrioUa was mifortunately too much 
 exhausted to be able to accompany us. At first we fol- 
 lowed a zigzag path, at a gentle pace, momiting in the 
 loose pumice-stone ; and in about an hour after passing 
 Alta Vista, we reached the point where last evening I 
 had seen the sun go down. Alta Vista lies at 9753 feet 
 above the sea, on the edge of the Malpays del Teyde, 
 that large field of obsidian blocks precipitated one over 
 another in A^dld confusion, which, commencing high up 
 on the cone of the Peak, descends to the pumice-stone 
 hill below the Estancia. 
 
 Every trace of a trodden path here ceases. Leaping 
 from block to block, over innumerable clefts and fissures, 
 we proceeded onwards, folloAving one another closely 
 but slowly over the black sea of obsidian. We could 
 not see where we stepped, and continually slipped on the 
 smooth sm-face of the lava, often obliged to balance om^- 
 selves on the glassy edge of an unsteady block, until the 
 foremost of om' party had found a firm footing, or ven- 
 tm-ed on a leap, which we were compelled to follow. We 
 repeatedly stopped an instant to take breath, for the toil 
 was increased by the constant care necessary to prevent 
 om- slipping between the sharp masses of obsidian. 
 
 The day at length began to dawn, and the difficidty 
 
198 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 of the ascent was lessened. We had akeady ascended 
 a great part of the cone, and the stars were still shining 
 in the clear blue sky, when we saw, high above the 
 colossal Circus, the streaks of the glimmering dawn. 
 Just over this rosy-coloured border one star particularly 
 attracted my attention : instead of falling perpendicu- 
 larly, like a shooting-star, it had a quick, fitful, horizon- 
 tal motion. I pointed this phenomenon out to my com- 
 panions, who saw it as distinctly as myself. When 
 looked at through a telescope the star appeared to form 
 two, united by a winding tail, the motion of which was 
 the same as seen by the naked eye. 
 
 In other stars also we discovered through the te- 
 lescope a similar but feebler motion, which was not 
 visible to the naked eye. We thought it possible that 
 this extraordinary phenomenon might be attributable to 
 the heated state of our blood, which had been set in 
 violent motion by om^ laborious passage over the Mal- 
 pays. I may add, that during the night we also saw a 
 number of shooting-stars, but could perceive no such tail 
 attached to them as is said to be frequently witnessed 
 in these latitudes. The flitting motion of the star above 
 described near the horizon does not moreover at all 
 resemble the motion of a falling-star*. 
 
 The steep obsidian-field was at length crossed, and a 
 footpath led us through a small, crater-like hollow, on 
 the opposite edge of which we reached the narrow plateau 
 called the Rambleta. At this point, which according to 
 
 * Compare Humboldt's Voyage aux Re'gions Equin. clu Nouv. 
 Cent, tome I. cha]». 2. 
 
STELLAR PHENOMENON. 199 
 
 Bertlielot lies at a height of 10,992 feet above the sea, 
 we stood close to the foot of the Piton, which shone 
 brightly before us. It was now a quarter to five o'clock, 
 and we had no time to lose if ^^^e desired to reach the 
 summit of the Peak before sunrise : without allowing 
 om^selves therefore any rest, we resolved at once to climb 
 up this last cone, eight hundred feet in height. In spite 
 of the loose pumice-stone, which yielded to om* feet at 
 every step, and the ascent over which is as difficult as 
 that of Vesuvius, we reached half the height of the 
 Piton* without a halt, thanks to the ridges of trachytic 
 rock projecting just above the pumice-stone. Here we 
 stopped to rest, and witness the sun's orb emerging 
 from the sea, for it was now impossible to climb to the 
 top of the volcano before its rise. 
 
 Although the thermometer stood at 3°' 9 R., om^ hands 
 were quite cold. In ascending ^Etna on the contrary 
 the au appeared to me more rarefied than at this mo- 
 ment, but at Alta Vista and a little way further up it 
 seemed somewhat more rarefied than at this elevation. 
 
 About a quarter of an horn* after sunrise we reached 
 the edge of the crater, and immediately ascended to its 
 highest point, on the north-east side. The temperature 
 had now risen to 5°"0 R. We gazed first upon the crater, 
 a small, flat hollow, ^^dth rocky or rather stony edges, 
 and then on the sea of clouds to the north and west of 
 the island, above which the sharp outline of the pyramidal 
 shadow of the volcano stretched in immense extent. 
 
 * According to Von Buch the height of the Piton is 800 feet ; 
 Von HumbokU makes it .504 ; and Berthelot only 438. 
 
200 THE PEAK or TENERIFFE. 
 
 Let the reader call to mind the " fleecy sheep," so 
 often seen m a blue sky, and imagine them at fom^ to five 
 thousand feet beneath him, but closely compressed into 
 a white, fleecy or wavy surface, its edges rising to a 
 level with the eye on the edge of the dark azure vault 
 of heaven, and he will have an idea of that sea of clouds, 
 above which the Teycle flung its black shadow, whose 
 outline was now marked still more distinctly than yes- 
 terday. The long upper ridge of the reddish, illumined 
 rocky wall of Palma* had penetrated through the sea of 
 clouds, whilst the remaining part of the island was con- 
 cealed from om* sight. La Gomera was only half visible, 
 and looked like a long, flat and sharply articulated hill 
 vnth a curved back ; whilst a light field of clouds, veiling 
 its western half, formed again the transition to the white, 
 fleecy clouds. Above the Gomera, in the far distance, 
 an indistinct, scarcely perceptible, dark-bluish ridge rose 
 out of the clouds, — this was Ferro ! — that name familiar 
 to us from childhood, and associated with our flrst study 
 of geography, — that little island in the "wdde ocean, from 
 whose meridian some of om' geographers even at the 
 present day reckon the longitude, although to all other 
 nations, and to the nomadic dwellers on the ocean, it has 
 long yielded to the observatories of the two great cities 
 of the world. 
 
 Following with our eye the verdant, undulating west- 
 ern acclivity of the Teyde, with its outrunning ravines, as 
 
 * Palma, i. e. Pico de los Muchachos, is 75 leagues distant from 
 the Peak of TenerifFe. Ferro is the same distance. Canaria, i. e. 
 Monte del Pozo de las Nieves, is 5S leagues, and Gomera 27. 
 
VIEW FROM THE CRATER. 201 
 
 far as the blue ocean, or looking down on tlie declivity 
 of the Tigayga in the direction of Icod el Alto, we saw the 
 lower edge of the sea of clouds, one while concealing 
 Puerto and Villa Orotava from our view, at another un- 
 veiling it for a few instants, and playing with the line of 
 the coast of Teneriffe. The country around Garachico, 
 once the flomishing chief town, with its harbour (the 
 only good one in the island) filled up with lava, remained 
 obstinately concealed from sight by a grey mist. The 
 sharply articulated mountain-ridge of the Cmnbra, of an 
 azure-blue passing into violet, lay stretched out far below 
 us, but rising clear above the clouds and mist. Toward 
 Santa Cruz the view extended obliquely for some di- 
 stance beneath the mists, and upon the small speck of 
 blue water which remained open to view we discerned 
 clearly the frigate and corvette, among the other ships 
 lying in the roadstead. 
 
 On looking up to the point where the sun had just 
 risen, the ridge of the blue mountain-chain of Cana- 
 ria came in view, with its noble outlines, rising high 
 above the grey mists, which in smaller or larger de- 
 tached fields were swimming over the deep-blue ocean 
 on the east of Teneriffe. Below, at the foot of the Peak, 
 we looked down into the wide semicircular rocky w^alls 
 of the Circus, and the pumice-stone and lava plains of 
 the Cahadas, which skirt the foot of the volcano on this 
 side ; while beyond these the eye followed the line of 
 coast round the Punta de Abona, Punta Roxa, and Punta 
 Rasca, as far as the steep mountains lying beyond San 
 Jago, in the direction of the western point, Punta de 
 
202 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 Buenavista. Walking a few yards round tlie edge of 
 tlie crater, we looked down into tlie larger and some- 
 what deeper crater of tlie Clialiorra*, 9276 feet in lieiglit, 
 and on to tlie declivity of tliis twin volcano, as Von 
 Bucli designates it, whicli is separated only by a slight 
 depression from the Teyde, and strewn with the pumice- 
 stone of the Peak as if with yellow sand. 
 
 A glorious panorama surrounded us ! we stood upon 
 the central volcano, — at its foot the scene of desolation 
 out of which it arose, skirted by the smiling fields of 
 Teneriffe, and all around the volcanic islands rising from 
 the ocean, looking up to the Teyde as their common 
 head : he is the fixed star — they the moons ; theii- fii-es, 
 their eruptions are all his work. 
 
 How is it, that on the crater's edge of a mighty vol- 
 cano, our feelings are so much more excited than when 
 we stand upon the dizzy summit of an Alpine mountain ? 
 There is the same sense of elevation on both spots : all 
 around is grand and majestic; we are removed from 
 earth, and feel ourselves nearer to heaven, to the illimit- 
 able, dark azm'e space ; for we breathe the pm'e, rarefied 
 air, — often too rarefied for us imperfect beings. To all 
 these rapturous feelings we can give om-selves up undis- 
 tm^bed on the summit of the primaeval Alpine moun- 
 tain, whereas when standing beside the volcano's crater, 
 they are stifled by sulphurous exhalations, which, like 
 messengers from a fearful subterranean power, remind 
 us continually that beneath the thin crust under our 
 feet lie concealed the horrors of a fiery abyss. A death- 
 
 * Chahorra, or PicoYiejo, or PicoQuebrado: — Berthelot, II. 1 . p. 89. 
 
THEORY or VOLCANIC ACTION. 203 
 
 like stillness crowns the Alps — the volcano is instinct 
 with life, — and what life ! Here, on the snmmit of the 
 Peak, we may aptly reflect on the sublime pictm^e of 
 its formation, which Von Buch depicts so simply and yet 
 so forcibly*. 
 
 According to the views of that acute observer, the 
 Circus, upheaved by the volcanic forces in the centre of 
 our planet, rose out of the depths of the earth through 
 the ocean a complete circle. Not finding any cleft in 
 the covering crust, the active subterranean powers in the 
 effort to force an outlet increased in strength, from the 
 resistance of the superincumbent strata of basalt and con- 
 glomerate, until they acquii-ed a resistless power, which 
 tearing open the earth's crust, and forcing up to the sur- 
 face the basaltic and conglomerate strata lying at the bot- 
 tom of the sea, formed this mighty elevation-crater, and 
 thus found a vent. On examining the Circus more closely, 
 it appears to be broken up in the trachyte, and to have 
 pushed aside the basaltic strata that covered it. But this 
 huge, upraised mass fell back again, and soon closed the 
 opening which such a force alone had created. No vol- 
 cano arose; the permanent connection of the interior with 
 the atmosphere was not yet opened : to establish this, 
 and to afford a regular vent to the vapours, the Peak of 
 Teyde and the Chahorra now rose out of the colossal 
 elevation-crater, united in a single, immense trachytic 
 dome, and enveloped in a mantle of basalt, — the whole 
 mass at once, like a vault over the internal forces, which 
 here open to themselves an outlet through the crater. 
 
 * See A'on Buch, pages 220, 236, 237, 326. 
 
204 ' THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 All the action of the internal forces of the mountain 
 centres in this forge, and as the upper portion falling 
 in offers a greater resistance than single points in the 
 circumference, especially when upheaved masses of lava 
 stop the opening above, the vapour and lava bm-st 
 out at the sides. These lateral eruptions have broken 
 down the Circus on the north-west and north sides ; 
 immense streams of obsidian have flowed into the sea 
 on the north-west toward Icod los Vinos, whilst in the 
 west, at the foot of the Chahorra, those brown eruption- 
 cones are seen of which Cordier counted about eighty 
 in the direction of Garachico, — a sufficient proof of the 
 enormous forces which here co-operated to throw down 
 the elevation-crater, the first barrier against the ocean. 
 
 The crater of the Peak is no longer a fiery abyss, but 
 merely a solfatara, of rather more than two English 
 miles in circumference, and a depth of betAveen 100 
 and 160 feet*. Sulphurous vapours are almost con- 
 stantly rising from this warm basin, or breaking out on 
 the sides of the cone, but not in a greater degree than 
 on JEtna. These vapours of sulphuric acid have not 
 however destroyed the hardness of the rose-coloured tra- 
 chytic rocks forming the edge of the crater. In the in- 
 terior of the latter are found masses of stone and rock, 
 which appear to have been detached from the edges. 
 On touching any object, at this height, the fingers are 
 whitened with a clammy substance, which may perhaps 
 be an effect of these vapours. The ground of the solfa- 
 
 * Berthelot (I. pag. 162) states the diameter of the crater at 
 600 feet, and its depth at 120. 
 
THE CRATER. 205 
 
 tara is warm, — in some places indeed hot ; nevertheless 
 we could walk about in every part without inconvenience. 
 The whole basin has a greyish-yellow colour, apparently 
 occasioned by the sulphm', which frequently here forms 
 the most beautiful crystals. 
 
 Climbing up the rock to the highest point of the 
 crater's edge, we all in turn drank to the health of the 
 three Sovereigns, whose subjects were met upon this 
 spot — the Queen of England, our beloved King, and the 
 King of Sardinia, — at an elevation of more than eleven 
 thousand feet above the sea ; whilst the west wind of the 
 upper region, the counter- cmTcnt of the eastern trade- 
 wind of the ocean, drove the vapour toward us*. The 
 wind blew from Palma, and comparing it with the point 
 of sunrise I took it to be west-north-west ; whilst in 
 Santa Cruz the wind was blowing from the north-east, 
 consequently nearer to the trade- wind. Thus we had 
 personal experience on om* own cheeks of this pheno- 
 menon, so well known but so seldom witnessed. 
 
 To escape the loose pumice-stone sand, we descended 
 along the single ridges of trachytic stone, down to the 
 foot of the Piton, which we reached in half an horn*. 
 From thence, tormented all the while by thirst and 
 under a burning sun, we continued our descent for full 
 an hour more, across the sloping, black field of glassy 
 
 * The height of the Peak is given variously as follows. Accord- 
 ing to Cassini, 15,804 feet — Feuillier, 13,278 feet — Borda's barome- 
 tric measurement, 11,856 feet — Von Buch's chart, the arithmetical 
 mean of two of Borda's measurements, 11,624 feet — Horsburgh, 
 11,539 feet — Borda's trigonometrical measurement, 11,430 feet — 
 Alexander von Humboldt, 11,424 feet — Bouguer, 9,846 feet. 
 
206 THE PEAK OF TENEllIFFE. 
 
 obsidian-blocks, " El Malpays," until at length tlie shouts 
 of our Praticos announced "La cueva, la ciieva! Agua, 
 agua!" The Cueva del Hielo, or " de la Nieve," is a 
 cave twenty feet deep in the plain of obsidian, in which 
 is found fresh ice-water, for the crust of ice was plainly 
 seen on the edges. We stopped here to refresh our- 
 selves, and on starting again we perceived that one of 
 our party, the young Count Viry, had lost his way 
 among the slippery blocks : with the assistance of the 
 guides however, who grumbled that the " Caballerito " 
 had gone on before alone. Count Bismark soon found him. 
 
 At a short distance below the " Cueva " the blocks 
 ceased, and with them the misery of our passage over 
 the Malpays. We now came to a footpath and the first 
 Retamas, and met some people from Orotava, who were 
 coming to fetch ice from this cave, at a height of 9312 
 feet above the sea, in order to carry to Santa Cruz. At 
 nine o'clock we again reached the Estancia de los In- 
 gleses, wdiere a good breakfast, with some of the choco- 
 late intended for our expeditions in Brazil, awaited our 
 arrival. We had expected that Captain Eitzgerald Gam- 
 bier, the Commander of the ' Satellite,' who was to have 
 come a shorter way from Santa Cruz across the Cumbra, 
 would have reached the Estancia the previous evening : 
 but he had not even yet arrived, at our return, and all 
 hope of his joining our party vanished. It had first been 
 arranged that, after ascending the Peak together, we 
 should all return over the Cumbra ; but this plan had 
 to be given up, as our guides did not know the way. 
 
 Although we had much wished to traverse the road 
 
DESCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 207 
 
 over the long, basaltic mountain-ridge, we relinquished 
 the idea with the less reluctance, as this path would have 
 been much longer and more toilsome in the bmiiing 
 heat, after our excursion to the crater, than the easier 
 route back to Orotava, which we now determined to fol- 
 low. Captain Gambler, we afterwards heard, had given 
 up the passage of the Cumbra for the same reasons, 
 and had reached Orotava the previous evening; there 
 however he found neither mules nor guides for his 
 jomiiey, and was therefore obliged to relinquish the 
 ascent of the Peak altogether. 
 
 The sun's heat was oppressive, the sky dark blue, the 
 Peak rose behind us in all his majesty, " a mountain 
 upon a mountain/' when reaching the skirts of the erica- 
 wood, and bidding adieu to the Peak and the beautiful 
 clear day, we descended into the damp sea of clouds, 
 which now hung heavily over our heads. I stopped to 
 sketch on the Llano de las Retamas, and it was four 
 o'clock when, together with Count Oriolla following the 
 rest of the party, I reached Villa Orotava, making the 
 little detom" which is always chosen in descending the 
 mountain, to ease the animals. After dinner we went 
 once more to the Alameda, and the rest of our party 
 again joined a party at the house of the Dona Ines. 
 
 August \^th. — At seven o'clock this morning we left 
 Orotava, and trotted briskly over the plain, for knowing 
 the way we were not today obliged to remain with the 
 Arrieros. Prom the heights of Santa Ursula I recognized 
 clearly, on the north-west end of the island, the hghter 
 mountains of Gomera, stretching out on the right 
 
208 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 like a promontory into the sea beyond the spurs of the 
 Tigayga. Pahiia, the rainy island among the Canaries, 
 on the contrary, with its momitains seven thousand feet 
 high, was again concealed from view by mists, although 
 it lies at a short distance immediately before Orotava ; 
 from the summit of the Peak its rocky ridge appeared 
 alone above the clouds. The beautiful palms and bloom- 
 ing aloes delighted us again on the rich acclivities to- 
 wards Matanza, and Agua Garcia was chosen, as before, 
 for our halting-place. Pollowdng the clear little brook we 
 today entered the narrow ravine, where thick-stemmed 
 erica-trees, thirty to forty feet tall, interlaced with 
 lianas, united with stately laurels to form a charming, 
 cool, and shady retreat, which can perhaps only find its 
 equal in the primaeval forests of the New World. Dr. 
 Poster and my servant, who had with him the necessary 
 remedies, here found an occasion to exercise their skill, in 
 restoring an Arriero who was overpowered with fatigue. 
 
 Behind Laguna we met several trains of camels, some 
 of them carrying two or three riders ; the animals went 
 single in file, that is to say not tied by a cord to the 
 one before and the one behind, as is so frequently seen 
 in the streets of Smyrna. Although to several of om- 
 party the sight of the camels was no novelty, none of us 
 had ever been seated upon one, and we seized this op- 
 portunity to gratify om' cmiosity, and taking it in tiu'n, 
 rode three at a time a short distance on this ship of the 
 desert. In the banana-court of Richardson's hotel at 
 Santa Cruz, the little travelling party separated. 
 
 The oppressive heat in the town and its environs ap- 
 
RETURN TO SANTA CRUZ. 209 
 
 peared to us remarkable, as we had suffered scarcely at 
 all from it on tlie north-west side of the island. A din- 
 ner, which I gave to the Commander and Officers of the 
 ' Satellite ' on board the Frigate, concluded the day. A 
 Spanish brig-of-war in the meantime entered the road- 
 stead ; she appeared to be the only royal cruizer at that 
 time in the waters of Teneriffe*. 
 
 August Wth. — At six o'clock this morning the top- 
 gallant yards were crossed, and the topsails sheeted 
 home ; soon after the top-gallant sails were set, the jib 
 hoisted, and the anchor raised. The corvette was wait- 
 ing for us under sail. We steered S.S.E. until in a 
 short time we caught a fresh north-east wind, which 
 carried us swiftly along the south-east coast of Teneriffe. 
 Grand Canaria was not visible from the deck. On the 
 other hand Teneriffe appeared to form a long, lofty, con- 
 nected line of mountains, above which was seen the 
 
 * According to the census of the year 1812, Teneriffe had about 
 70,000 inhabitants, on 41*4 square miles. The seven inhabited of 
 the Canary Islands (including Teneriffe) have, according to the same 
 statement, on 152'5 square miles, a population of about 194,000 in- 
 habitants, whilst an official census of the year 1836 gives the last at 
 about 200,000, but an estimate for the year 1829 (according to 
 Macgregor) makes it 230,000, consequently on the average 1364 
 souls on the square mile, whereas in Teneriffe there are 1971 ;' 
 about the density of population of the province of Prussia, but in 
 fact for the inhabited parts of the islands much more considerable, 
 and at least twice or thrice as large. The following statement in 
 the Weimar Almanack of 1844 may serve for comparison. The 
 Azores have, upon 54 square miles, 214,300 inhabitants: the Cape 
 Verd Islands, on 79'31 square miles, 65,000; which gives for the 
 former a population of 4000, but for the latter one of only 820 in- 
 habitants on the square mile. 
 
 VOL. I. P 
 
210 THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 
 
 pointed cone of the Peak*. The clay was very clear : 
 sea and sky vied in displaying the most varied shades 
 of blue ; the sky passing almost into grey, and the 
 ocean on the contrary of the deepest azure. A greyish 
 lilac tinge, passing slightly into red, was diffused over 
 the mountains of the island, which as we proceeded 
 south became more and more compressed into a fiat py- 
 ramid, sm^mounted by the Peak, which appeared in the 
 mist that veiled the whole scene to form only one con- 
 nected mountain with the chain in the foreground. Long 
 did we gaze upon this picture, — it was om' farewell to 
 the land. How would that land appear which should 
 again first meet om^ sight ? Would it bear comparison 
 with the Peak of Teyde, that giant mountain in the 
 midst of the ocean, against which the force of the north- 
 east trade-mnd breaks in the autumn, dramng down 
 from the summit to its foot the upper eminent of air, 
 which arises at the equator, and forcing it to sweep 
 across the sea throughout the winter ? 
 
 A few hours later every trace of land had disappeared. 
 The proud Frigate felt in her element, and dashed gal- 
 lantly onwards in her com'se in the direction S. 62° 30' 
 W. toward the heights of the Cape Verd islands. At 
 noon we found om'selves in 27° 35' 0" north latitude and 
 16° 37' 36'' longitude west of Greenwich, so that we 
 had already made fifty-six nantical miles. The night was 
 clear and fine, but the Prigate rolled more than usual. 
 
 * According to Alexander von Humboldt the Peak is visible at a 
 distance of 1° 57' 22" or 29i German miles. Mont Blanc on the 
 contrary, 14,811 feet high, is visible at a distance of 33:| ; and Chim- 
 borazo, 20,100 feet high, at a distfi^ce of 38^ German miles. 
 
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RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 September 5th. — The splashing sound of the waves, 
 which sent their spray tln'oiigh the port-hole of my 
 cabin, awoke me from my pleasant dreams before five 
 o'clock. I jumped from my hammock, and fastened the 
 window, to prevent a repetition of this greeting from 
 the ocean, — the first of the kind I had experienced in 
 my cabin during om' long voyage. When I went on 
 deck, the sailors had just taken in two reefs in the top- 
 sails, and handed the top-gallants. We were keeping 
 our old com^se ; yesterday, or in the previous night, an 
 east-north-east, and afterwards a north-east or north- 
 north-east wind, which prevails around Cabo Frio, had 
 succeeded the south-east trade-wind. In the coiu-se of 
 yesterday we passed the line of no magnetic variation, 
 which touches on Cabo Frio, corresponding to the first 
 magnetic meridian, — that line which three centm-ies 
 ago Columbus to his astonishment discovered one hun- 
 dred leagues west of Flores, and which subsecjuently, at 
 
 p 2 
 
212 • RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 his suggestion, determined in a great measiu'e the boim- 
 daiy-hne which the Pope estabhshed between the newly 
 discovered and acquired territories of Spain and Por- 
 tugal. In order to stand off from the land, the proxi- 
 mity of which was anticipated with certainty, we changed 
 our course before midnight, and with a fresh wind and a 
 swelling sea made a tack to the south until four o'clock 
 this morning*. 
 
 Every one was anxiously on the look-out to catch a 
 sight of Cabo Prio. At sunrise some fancied they could 
 descry land, but the first glimpse of it was not seen until 
 between ten and eleven o'clock. By degrees the outline 
 of a chain of mountains came in sight, although indi- 
 stinctly, and subsequently a conical mountain was seen 
 connected with this range on the west : Cabo Prio how- 
 ever was not discernible, but a faint shade, which con- 
 tinued the range toward the east, indicated the spot 
 where this sharp angle of the great continent of South 
 America was to be looked for. Our chart gave the ship's 
 place at noon in 23° 20' south latitude, and 42° 40' 15" 
 longitude west of Greenwich^ and the entrance into the 
 Bay of Rio in the north-west thirty-eight leagues a-head 
 of us : the range, on the contrary, parallel to which we 
 had been steering, proved to be the mountains at Cabo 
 Negro, distant twenty-four leagues in nearly a northerly 
 direction. 
 
 * On the morning of the fourth of September the variation ac- 
 cording to the Master (Piloto) of the ' San Michele,' Mr. Vian, was 
 5° W., and at noon we were in 21° 32' 33" south latitude, and 39° 
 25' 59" west longitude ; we had at sunset 0° 45' east variation. 
 
APPllOACH TO KIO DE JANEIRO. 213 
 
 Wind and waves had subsided, the studding-sails 
 had been for some time set, and our new course north- 
 west allowed us gradually to carry full canvass. The 
 temperature of the air and sea was equally and remark- 
 ably low, and the azure blue colom' of the latter had 
 changed to a light-green. A milky bluish mist de- 
 prived the atmosphere near the horizon in part of its 
 transparency, and the high coast was seen as through a 
 veil. 
 
 The dinner-hour — an important one on board ship — 
 had been fixed earlier today than usual, as we expected 
 to be off the entrance of the Bay by fom' o'clock. When 
 we went on deck again after dinner, a part of the crew 
 had already exchanged their coarse colom^ed shirts for 
 white ones and trowsers, and all were busied in clear- 
 ing and coiling down the running rigging and tackling, 
 washing the decks, getting the guns ready for the sa- 
 lute, and clearing the anchor. The officers made their 
 appearance one after another in dress-uniform, and the 
 deck of the ' San Michele ', with all this unusual festal 
 array, was hardly to be recognized. I hastened to join 
 a group of cmious spectators, who were gathered on and 
 about the bowsprit and forward on the gunwale, while 
 even up aloft on the yards of the foremast were perched 
 some white figm'es. 
 
 All gazed with astonishment at the strange forms of 
 the mountainous coast, which lay stretched out before us 
 in vdde extent from west to east. On the extreme left rose 
 a small cone out of the sea, like an island, with which 
 was connected on the right several small islands that 
 
214 * RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 looked like points. Then followed the wonderfid moun- 
 tain-chain, the outlines of which resemble a giant lying 
 on his back, — a sm-e landmark to sailors at the entrance 
 to the harbour of Rio — that king of harbours ! The 
 head of " the Giant," with an immense aquiline nose 
 and wide open mouth, is formed by the steep rock 
 called the Gavia (the Topsail), to which the British sail- 
 ors have given the far more significant name of " Lord 
 Hood's Nose." The giant's hands are crossed over the 
 belly, and are formed by the two points of the Tijuca, 
 the Pico do Papagayo and the other on its right, which 
 together are called " Os dous Irmaos " (the two Bro- 
 thers) : these were today almost concealed by the fog. 
 The raised knee is formed by the pointed Corcovado (the 
 Hump-backed), and the Pao de Assucar (the Sugarloaf) 
 describes the immense foot, — a huge conical rock, which 
 does honour to its name. On the right of the sleeping 
 guardian's foot, and close to the steep wall of the Pao de 
 Assucar, lies the narrow entrance, and in front advance 
 the small islands, on one of which, the Ilha Baza (flat 
 island), stands a lighthouse. Behind this group extends 
 a steep, rugged chain of mountains, or rather a series 
 of single mountains united at their base, of strange yet 
 beautiful and noble forms, which continued the line of 
 coast eastwards, and vanished in the mist in the direction 
 of Cabo Prio. Some schooners were cruising before the 
 coast. 
 
 Stretched out before us — at first visible only through 
 the telescope, but soon by the naked eye — lay those won- 
 ders of tropical vegetation, which seen in books and draw- 
 
ENTRANCE OF THE BAY. 215 
 
 ings often appear to border on the fabulous. Wherever 
 the eye ranged, the mountahis were clothed with forests, 
 above the outline of which rose single slender palms ; 
 while various trees, of forms which a Em"opean has never 
 seen, overtopped the plants and shrubs that covered the 
 hiU-sides, — trees with full, gigantic crowns, or shoot- 
 ing lightly upwards, and stretching their slender arms 
 and fantastic boughs high into the ah. But it is impos- 
 sible to form a conception of the beauty of outline of 
 these mountain-ranges, broken here and there by the 
 tall stems and branches of picturesque, colossal trees. 
 Smooth, black walls of rock in some places form the 
 precipitous sides of the mountains, or shoot up in de- 
 tached pinnacles and cones, while a narrow line of white 
 sand, washed by the sea, extends along their base. 
 
 The islands lying before the entrance of the Bay — 
 which were now so close to us that we could hear the 
 noise of the breakers dashing over the slanting shelves 
 of rock upon the shore — are clothed with thick foliage, 
 magnificent palm-trees, and every variety of underwood 
 and shrubs. On these lovely islands the richness and 
 beauty of natm'e under the tropics first opened on 
 us. No one who has not visited the torrid zone can 
 form an idea of such a thicket, a labyrinth of vege- 
 tation. On the mountains of the continent, on the 
 other hand, we could by degrees discern whole forests 
 of pahn-trees, the crowns of which were bowed to 
 the west by the trade-wind; while the slender stems 
 of the cactus climbed up the naked rocks. Canoes 
 with negroes were passing and repassing the islands. A 
 
216 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 large black bird, the first Urubu {Cathartes A-Ura) that 
 came in sight, flew screaming, with outspread wings, 
 high over om^ heads. Every object around was new to 
 us, and our minds were filled with one impression — the 
 different aspect of the land before us to that of Europe, 
 — whether America, India, or Brazil, it was at all events 
 not Em^ope. This was the first impression that America 
 made upon us : everything appeared strange and won- 
 derful. 
 
 We sailed between the above-mentioned groups of 
 islands : what a beautiful scene ! On om* right hand the 
 mountains of the coast (amongst which was prominently 
 seen one dark rugged wall of rock, and the water-chan- 
 nels in its sides) formed, together with these isles, a 
 charming picture, enriched with the most noble, and 
 luxuriant tropical vegetation. Scarcely had we passed 
 the islands, when the entrance to the Bay opened di- 
 stinctly on our view. 
 
 The mountain-ranges on our right declined gradually 
 from east to west toward the Bay, terminating in a ridge 
 of rock, at the end of which, but parted from it by a 
 narrow cleft, the white fort of Santa Cruz projects into 
 the entrance. Opposite to this the smooth rocky colos- 
 sus of the Pao de Assucar rises almost perpendicularly 
 out of the sea, and behind it is seen a small, green, 
 insular-like point of land, with the forts of S. Joao and 
 S. Theodosio, which w^ere hardly discernible. The shore 
 of the Bay is flat, and looks like a line of low bluish 
 islands ; on a broad projection of land in the western 
 corner, forming several terraces^ is built the city of Rio 
 
THE SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN. 217 
 
 de Janeiro, and behind it on the right is seen the 
 forest of masts of the ships in the harbour, while 
 still further in that direction toward the middle of 
 the bay, the men-of-war lie anchored in the road- 
 stead. 
 
 The Sardinian flag had for some time floated from 
 our gaflp-peak, and through the telescope we could de- 
 scry the green flag of Brazil with the yellow square, at 
 Santa Cruz. The falling wind and ebbing tide allowed 
 us to make but slow way. In front of the city two for- 
 tified islands now came in view, — Fort Lagem, and 
 behind it the other larger one, Villegagnon. The city 
 and roadstead became by degrees more clearly visible. 
 An American schooner, the ' British Commodore,' and 
 the ' Malabar ' hove in sight, and soon afterwards our 
 companion the ' SateUite,' at anchor, which had just fired 
 her salute. 
 
 The sun was setting, and the gigantic form of the 
 Sugarloaf rose straight up, near us on the left, whilst 
 the mountains on the west side were accumulated in 
 a mass of the strangest forms. The cones, pinnacles and 
 summits in the front line were coloured deep-blue, — 
 those behind had more of a greyish- violet tone. But 
 how shall I give an idea of the wonderful forms of these 
 mountains ? they prodr^^e the same kind of impression 
 as the decorations in ^ me theatrical representation of 
 magic, in which the marvellous supersedes altogether 
 any imitation or eff'ect of nature. 
 
 It was about five o'clock, when the breeze dropped 
 just as we came close under the Fort of Santa Cruz, — 
 
218 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 near enough to distinguish the guns and sokhers ; the 
 houses in Rio also were now more clearly seen. Each of 
 the two terrace-like slopes of the city terminates in a 
 long building, with two towers, the convents of Santa 
 Thereza and S. Bento. The Sugarloaf resumed its first 
 form, except that it seemed as if a portion had been 
 struck off from the perpendicular wall on its summit. 
 A small Brazilian steamer was coining out of the Bay, 
 and several fishing-canoes manned wdth negroes were 
 entering. Black and white water-birds flew screaming 
 over our heads. The red orb of the sun was sinking 
 behind the mountains of the Corcovado, suffusing them 
 with a fiery glow, and casting a copper-red gleam on the 
 surface of the water at the entrance of the Bay. The 
 evening-gun boomed from the ' British Commodore,' 
 and the squacbon struck their ensigns and top-gallant 
 yards. 
 
 The Sardinian and soon after the Prussian Consul, 
 Mr. Theremin, came on board the Frigate. I had made 
 the acquaintance of the latter shortly before my depar- 
 ture from Berlin. Rio is his second maternal city ; he 
 has spent here the greater part of his youth, and now, 
 grown up to manhood, he has succeeded his father in the 
 Consulate. After the first joy at meeting again, he ex- 
 pressed his regret that the mist veiled from om- sight 
 one of the chief beauties in the splendid bay — the Serra 
 dos Orgaos, from three to fom- thousand feet in height, 
 which with its pointed summits forms the background in 
 the grand pictm'c. Nevertheless it seemed not to require 
 this featiu'c, for the general impression of all we had 
 
ASPECT or THE CITY OF RIO. 219 
 
 seen this day, of the nearer environs of the Bay, Avas so 
 overpowering, that nothing was left for the most vivid 
 imagination to supply. Never had any view impressed 
 me so forcibly : even the aspect of Naples, imposing 
 and animated Naples, with Vesuvius and her magnifi- 
 cent bay, sinks in the comparison ; even the oriental 
 splendoiu" of Constantinople, where white cupolas and 
 slender minarets rise proudly on her charming hiUs, 
 where cypress-groves overshadow the graves of the Mos- 
 lini, and the bine belt of the Bosphorus, skirted by serais, 
 hissars and innumertiule little hamlets, animating the 
 wdiole scene, winds beautifully between Asia and Europe 
 — even Constantinople did not transport me so much as 
 the first view of Rio de Janeiro. Neither Naples, nor 
 Stambul, nor any other spot J have seen on earth, not 
 even the Alhambra, can compare with the strange and 
 magic charm of the entrance to this Bay. Wonders 
 revealed themselves to our sight, the existence of which 
 we had never imagined, and it was now clear why the 
 first discoverers of this land gave to it the name of the 
 New World. 
 
 We waited for the wind to bring the Frigate up to 
 the anchorage, which was near at hand : all stood ready 
 at the braces, for the command " Divisioni a posto " had 
 long been given. Conn Oriolla and Mr. Theremin had 
 just left us in the third .utter for Rio. Darkness sud- 
 denly came on : no wdnd appeared to stir, but at the 
 least breath the command was immediately given to 
 brace the yards, and the shrill sound of the accompany- 
 ing whistle gave the time. At length we perceived, by a 
 
2:20 ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 " Hulk " aiicliored further in the bay (the Brazilian 
 guard-ship, I was told) that we were making progress. 
 All stood watching eagerly the moment of letting go 
 the anchor, tired of the faint breeze, which every instant 
 seemed as if it would die away altogether, when we 
 heard the music on board the English squadron, and 
 the sound of the bells— the fii*st sound that reached us 
 from land — fell on om' ear with a solemn tone. On 
 high, above the spectral-looking mountains on the left, 
 shone the four stars of the Southern Cross, beneath 
 the two brilliant stars which guide the eye in dis- 
 covering that constellation. Straight before us all was 
 darkness ; on the left extended a line of lights, ranging 
 along the shore of Botafogo toward Rio, while to the 
 right was seen the long line of lights of Praya Grande. 
 The scent of the land reached us ; it reminded me 
 strongly of lona (Icolmkill), where ten years before I 
 stood by the graves of fifty kings. We fancied that we 
 could hear the mm-mming buz from the city, but this 
 was rather by anticipation. The Hulk akeady lay at 
 some distance behind us ; I stood in the fore part of the 
 ship, and looked forth into the darkness ; nothing was 
 to be seen, not a trace even of the ships in the road- 
 stead. 
 
 On a sudden I heard Captain Scofhero's voice ; his 
 patience seemed gone ; the pipes sounded, and all the 
 sails were at once braced. " Fondo !" A " stopper " still 
 held the anchor ; the axe was applied, and it fell with a 
 loud noise, covering the waves with sparkhng foam. 
 At ihe words " Arriva Gabbieri ! " all pressed round the 
 
APPROACH TO LA^N^D. ' 221 
 
 shrouds to haul m the sails. It was about eight o'clock, 
 when we anchored in eighteen fathoms' water : in a 
 quarter of an hoiK the yards were braced parallel, and 
 all was so far in order that the crew could be allowed 
 to disperse. I hastened down, to read my long-expected 
 letters, and did not retmii to the quarter-deck until 
 eleven o'clock, to enjoy the view of the beautiful starry 
 heavens. 
 
 All was silent around: it seemed as if we had been 
 transported, instead of from one quarter of the globe to 
 another, from one planet to another. If nature can be 
 so varied upon one small planet, how grand and mani- 
 fold must the glory of the Creator be revealed in the 
 millions that circle in the boundless realms of space ! 
 Powerful indeed was the impression which the first aspect 
 of America produced upon us, and yet liow^ much that 
 was new still awaited us here ! 
 
 I stood on the threshold of the immense continent of 
 the New World, which still lay before me a deep un- 
 fathomed som'ce of mystery — a mighty enigma. Ima- 
 gination pictured to me the solitude of the endless pri- 
 mgeval forests, and peopled them with all the forms of 
 savage life, so attractive to us Europeans. I already an- 
 ticipated a thousand perils and adventures, full of charm 
 for a youthful spirit ; and yet a regret mingled with my 
 feelings, as if parting from a friend, when I thought back 
 on the happy days I had passed on the glorious ocean : 
 nevertheless the path to my home, to all Avhom I loved, 
 leads back across those same azure waves ! 
 
 SejJtember %th. — On awaking my first glance rested 
 
222 * RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 on the fort of Boa Viagem*, on the east side of the bay 
 of Rio de Janeiro, crowning a picturesque headland, a 
 mass of rock which appears dropped into the water hke 
 an island, close to the shore of the wide and lovely bay 
 of Sacco de S. Trancisco. The strange conical mountains 
 of the east coast extended in the background, behind 
 which the glowing orb of the sun rose, tinging the 
 bright green waves of the bay with an orange glow. 
 Beautiful and lovely as this pictm-e was, framed by the 
 port-hole of my cabin, I felt impelled to exchange the 
 small chamber for the open air. 
 
 We were lying close to the charming island upon 
 which stands Fort Villegagnon on a shelf of rock, 
 washed by the foaming breakers, the gigantic fans of the 
 cocoa-palms bending gracefully over the fortifications 
 and houses, consequently just in the central point of 
 view of all the glories of this wonderful Bay. The name 
 of this insular fortress points to its French origin. Nico- 
 las Dm'and de Villegagnon was an intrepid sailor, who 
 conveyed Mary Queen of Scots in his squadron safely 
 through the English cruisers, from Leith round Scotland 
 to France. At a later period he originated the propo- 
 sal to form a French colony in America, and obtained 
 Coligny's support, on representing the real secret purjDose 
 of the undertaking to be the establishment of an asylum 
 for the Huguenots beyond the seas. Tlu-ough the in- 
 fluence of the Admiral he succeeded in obtaining from 
 Henry the Second the necessary ships, mth which in the 
 
 * So called from a church of pilgrmiage for mariners which is 
 built upon the spot — " Nossa Senhora de Boa Viagem." 
 
FORT VILLEGAGNON. 223 
 
 year 1556 he arrived safely in the bay of Rio cle Janeiro, 
 where he erected a wooden fort upon the island that 
 bears his name, which he called after his patron Fort 
 Coligny. A more favommble spot for a colony the little 
 band of Huguenots could not well have found : the cir- 
 cumstances of the time also were not unfavom^able to 
 them ; for although the Gulf of Nitherohy had been dis- 
 covered in the year 1533 by Martini AflFonso de Souza, 
 who, taking it for the mouth of a large river, named it 
 Rio de Janeiro, the Portuguese had not as yet settled 
 there. The natives were inimically disposed toward 
 them, and easily to be won over by the French ; added 
 to which, the conscience of the Protestants felt little 
 scruple about interfering with the pretended claims of 
 Portugal, which were only founded on a decretal of the 
 Pope*. 
 
 The new colony — " la France Antarctique," as the 
 French named it — promised ample success, and the 
 hopes raised upon it would in all probability have been 
 realized, had not Villegagnon proved a traitor to his 
 people. Won over by Cardinal de Guise, he threw off 
 
 * After Christopher Columbvis found m 1492 to his great astonish- 
 ment the Hne of no magnetic variation a hundred leagues west 
 of the Azores, and in the Island of Guanahani discovered the fourth 
 quarter of the globe, the hope was excited that much more land 
 would be found toward the west, but at the same time the anxiety 
 lest these discoveries should lead to great contention. A Bull 
 issued by Pope Alexander VI. on the fourth of May, 1493, decreed, 
 that all islands and continents already discovered and which should 
 thereafcer be discovered, lying east of a line one hundred leagues 
 (Jeuces) south and west of the Azores and the Cape Verd islands, 
 should belong to the kingdom of Portugal ; but that any discovered 
 
224 " mo DE JANEIRO. 
 
 the cloak of Calvinism, and began to persecute liis for- 
 mer fellow-believers in the most cruel manner, so that 
 the majority returned to France. For fom' years the 
 Portuguese left the French in undisturbed possession of 
 the Bay ; but in 1560 the Governor Mem de Sa attacked 
 them in their stronghold, and, in spite of the support 
 of the Tupinambas and Tamoyos, drove them from the 
 island, carried off theii' guns, and destroyed the fortifica- 
 tions. The French who survived fled to the Tamoyos, 
 in common with whom they waged war for a long period 
 against the Portuguese. 
 
 I can touch but lightly on the glorious panorama 
 which presented itself from the quarter-deck of the ' San 
 Michele ' : to describe it is impossible, and I feel inca- 
 pable of giving any picture that can even faintly recall 
 the scene. Yet who that has gazed on the panorama 
 of Rio de Janeiro can ever lose the impression it pro- 
 duces ? 
 
 The bay of Nitherohy*, or Nictheroy (the old Indian 
 name) stretches twenty nautical miles inland from south 
 
 west of this line should pertain to the kingdom of Castille. Alex- 
 ander von Humboldt assigns the reason why this great oceanic boun- 
 dary-line, instead of passing through Corvo or Flores, the two islands 
 most west of the Azores, was drawn a hundred miles from that group, 
 to the above-mentioned magnetic meridian of Columbus. — Compare 
 Examen Critique de I'Histoire de la Geographic du Nouveau Con- 
 tinent, etc. par iVlexandre de Humboldt, torn. III. pages 45-56. 
 This line of demarcation could never reach Brazil, had not the Por- 
 tuguese geographers Nuiicz and Teixeira placed it many degrees too 
 much east. Compare Yon Feldner's Travels, etc., Part I. page 6. 
 
 * The word signifies "hidden water" — from hy, water, and 
 nithero, concealed. 
 
VIE\Y OF THE COAST. ^ZO 
 
 to north, in the form of a pear, widening to the breadth 
 of eighteen nautical miles and three-quarters. On the 
 south it is reduced to a narrow strait, about four nauti- 
 cal miles in length, which connects the bay ^\T.th the 
 ocean. 
 
 All the pictm^esquely formed mountains between which 
 we had sailed yesterday were now grouped around the 
 entrance of the bay, forming the high shores of the strait. 
 On the west the group commenced vdth. the two-capped 
 Tijuca, rising gradually from a broad base on the shore. 
 With this was connected the beautiful, arched ridge 
 of the Corcovado, with its advanced spurs, behind which 
 was seen the Gavia and the truncated mass of rock on 
 its summit. Then followed the Sugarloaf, terminating 
 this great mountain-range, which may be considered as 
 connected with the Serra do Mar ; the latter extends 
 along the south coast of Brazil, and branching out in 
 various directions passes from S. Paido into the pro- 
 vince of Rio de Janeiro. On the opposite side of the 
 strait advance the last spm's of the eastern table-land 
 of this province, and among the numerous cupolas and 
 cones one steep and lofty ridge rises prominently, sm*- 
 mounted at its extremities by two cones, the Pico 
 and the Lion's Head ; upon it stands the dilapidated 
 Fort do Pico, above Santa Cruz, which it covers on the 
 land-side. These mountains extend on the east up to 
 the river Parahyba do Sul ; their declivity toward the sea 
 follows the coast only as far as Lagoa de Saquarema; 
 from whence the ridge of hills runs parallel to the coast 
 at a greater distance, until between S. Pidelis and Cam- 
 
 A^OL. I. Q 
 
226 ■ RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 pes dos Goaytacazes it reaches the lower course of that 
 river. West of this hue the table-land extends over the 
 greater part of the pro\dnce of Rio de Janeu^o, bounded 
 throughout on the north by the Parahyba. On the north 
 side of the bay rises tlie Serra dos Orgaos, separating it 
 from the Parahyba, on the left bank of which begins the 
 mountainous land of Minas Geraes, rich in gold and cUa- 
 monds, whose highest summits rise to about 5600 feet 
 above the sea*. The picturesque range of the Orgaos 
 mountains forms the highest elevation in the table-land 
 of the pro\duce of Rio de Janeho, and stretches, parallel 
 to its general direction, from S.W. to N.E. Numerous 
 little streams flow from its sides to the northern shore 
 of the bay of Nitherohy ; but the chief rivers, the Rio 
 Macacu and the Rio de Iguassu, discharge themselves 
 at the north-east and north-west corners of the bay, 
 where two wide plains approach the shore, which sepa- 
 rate the Orgaos from the other mountains on either 
 side. 
 
 The weather was again foggy today, and the Serra 
 was entirely hidden from om' view, so that the north side 
 of the bay appeared, as yesterday, a level surface with 
 numerous islands in the foreground, among which was 
 plainly discerned the long ridge of the Ilha do Governa- 
 clor. Nevertheless aU the other mountains and hills 
 which encompass the bay were seen from om' anchorage 
 with perfect distinctness in the beautiful hght morning 
 vapom\ 
 
 * According to Mr. ]Malilmann's map of America (Berlin 1835), 
 the Itambe' is 5590 feet high. 
 
THE CITY OP RIO. 227 
 
 But let us descend from the heights to the shore, 
 which is the true point of view for the pictm-e. On the 
 north-east foot of the great mountain-range, siumounted 
 by the Corcovado and Tijuca, — at the point where the 
 west coast of the bay, quitting its first northerly di- 
 rection, tmnis sharply to the west, — in other words, 
 where the strait ends and the glorious bay begins 
 to open, rises the noble city of Rio de Janeiro*, — " a 
 muita leal e heroica Cidacle de Sao Sebastiao do Rio de 
 Janeiro," with its sea of roofs, chiu-ches, convents and 
 towers, covering the pictm^esque terraces, the flat, short 
 and steep plateaus, and the rocky projections of this 
 corner, and occupying a wide and lovely \alley, extend- 
 ing inland between charming hills, — truly an imperial 
 city, fidl of beauty and majesty ! 
 
 The city of Rio, with its numerous suburbs, embraces 
 two sides (north and east) of the foot of the Corco- 
 vado, into the very defiles of which the adjacent villages 
 rise picturesquely. Along the strand are seen rows of 
 houses extending from the city as far as the Sugarloaf, 
 and reflected in the waters of the bay ; these are the 
 white line of the suburbs of Largo da Ajuda, Praya da 
 Gloria, Cattete and Praya do Plamengo, which stretch 
 uninterruptedly up to the charming Botafogo, encircling 
 that romantic bay whose narrow emboucluue opens close 
 to the foot of the Sugarloaf. Among the hills nearest to 
 
 * According to the "Weimar Almanack for 1844, Rio has 160,000 
 inhabitants, but according to the Diccionario Geographico do Brazil 
 of the year 1845, 1/0,000, of whom 60,000 were Brazilians, 25,000 
 foreigners, and 85,000 slaves. 
 
 q2 
 
228 llIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 tlie city and the strand, the Signal-hill and the lovely 
 banana- and palm-hill, with the small white church of 
 Nossa Senhora da Gloria, attract the eye prominently. 
 The Signal-hill, called also Morro do Castello, is covered 
 with trees and houses, among which stands the old- 
 est cluu-ch of Rio, S. Sebastiao. Various-coloured flags 
 hoisted on the mast and its yard-arm, at the top of the 
 hill, signal the ships that arrive. 
 
 On the north point of Rio, the fortified island, Ilha 
 das Cobras, rises out of the waves : it has the appear- 
 ance of a steep projection of rock, upon which stand 
 large buildings, and seen from our point of view formed 
 a continuation of the city and the steep heights of S. 
 Bento at its back. In the corner between the Ilha 
 das Cobras and the east side of the city is the anchor- 
 age for coasting-vessels, especially Sumacas, a kind of 
 schooner-brig, resembling those seen at Santa Cruz in 
 Tenerifie. 
 
 On the north side of this little island is the road- 
 stead for merchantmen, among which were some tall 
 masts, apparently belonging to men-of-war. The naval 
 arsenal, in front of which they were anchored, lies on the 
 north side of S. Sebastiao, at the foot of the convent of 
 S. Bento; the military storehouse is situated near the 
 south-east corner of the city, at the Ponta do Calabouco, 
 which projects into the bay close to the foot of the Morro 
 do CasteUo. Between the ' San Michele ' and the city 
 were anchored the English men-of-war, in the proper 
 roadstead. Two-masted post-boats called " Faluas," with 
 tall lateen sails and manned by blacks, were crossing 
 
THE BAY OF RIO. 229 
 
 the bay in all dii'ections ; while long canoes roAved by 
 negroes, or small ones carrying only one or two men, 
 together with numerous ships entering and leaving the 
 bay, and the boats belonging to the various cruisers, 
 enlivened the beautiM expanse of water. Every hour a 
 small steamer, and at all times in the day faliias, start 
 for Nitherohy, a pretty little town lying opposite at a 
 distance of tlu'ee and a half nautical miles, and extend- 
 ing at the foot of lovely lulls along the strand of the 
 small bay of Praya Grande*. The point of this bay 
 with Port Gravata at S. Domingos, narrows the strait to 
 about two nautical miles, and separates the bay of Praya 
 Grande from the southern, lovely bay of Sacco de S. 
 Praucisco, or " Tluee Pa thorns Bay," above which I had 
 from my cabin seen the sunrise. 
 
 Still narrower is the strait between Santa Cruz and 
 S. Theodosio, where its width is only one nautical mile 
 and a fifth. Near this entrance lies the insular fortress 
 of Lagem with its submarine prisons, whilst Villegagnon 
 is distant about two nautical miles and a half from 
 Santa Cruz, and not quite one nautical mile from the 
 city. The bay of Rio contains an archipelago of about 
 eighty islands, which, like the smi'ounding coast, are 
 clothed in the most glorious and fresh green ; I will only 
 mention the Ilha do Governador, the largest, and Pa- 
 cjueta, Avliich is much visited. 
 
 * Praya Grande (large strand) is the collective name for all the 
 villages which stretch along the shore of this bay. Nitherohy conse- 
 quently forms a part of Praya Grande, and was for a long time called 
 " Villa real da Praya Grande." 
 
280 • RIO DE JANEIllO. 
 
 Before nine o'clock in the morning the Brazihan man- 
 of-war lying in the roadstead hoisted the Prussian flag, 
 and fired the customary royal salute of twenty-one guns ; 
 and about an hour afterwards the officer on duty sum- 
 moned the boat which was to convey me ashore. It gave 
 me a painful feeling of regret to part, although for only 
 a few months, from the fine Frigate, on board of which 
 I had passed so many happy days, and from her amiable 
 and distinguished corps of officers, who had in every 
 way established a claim to my respect and gratitude. 
 We pushed off : the ' San Michele ' and the British 
 squadi'on manned their yards, the guns boomed forth 
 their echoing salute, mingled with the hurrahs and " E 
 viva!" of the crew. The smoke circled high in the 
 air, smiuounted by the white fiag, with cross and eagle, 
 which waved aloft ; whilst between the columns of smoke, 
 flying before the sea-breeze, was seen the line of coast 
 backed by misty mountains, in shifting and smihng pic- 
 tures. 
 
 I landed not far from the imperial castle at Rua 
 Fresca, close to the Largo do Paco and opposite the 
 Hotel Pharoux ; the tall, obelisk fountain of Chafariz do 
 Largo do Paco was on my right hand. A number of 
 people had collected out of curiosity ; the carriage was 
 standing ready, and we quickly roUed ofi". Wherever I 
 looked, negroes and mulattos were seen on all sides ; 
 they seem to constitute the greater part of the popula- 
 tion ; and although the featm-es of the negroes were fa- 
 miliar to me from my Eastern travels, I had never before 
 seen such a midtitude of? blacks collected ; these, together 
 
THE VII;LA MANGUEIRA. 231 
 
 with the mixed races, gave a peculiar appearance to the 
 whole scene. We drove at a quick pace through some 
 wide and bustling streets, the houses of which with 
 then- high roofs reminded me again of Madeira; the 
 shops in this part of the city did not strike me parti- 
 cularly, but we did not pass tlu^ough any of the principal 
 streets. 
 
 After fu'st driving a little way tlu'ough the city, we 
 tmiied to the left, along the above-mentioned rows of 
 houses on the strand. The immense crowns of the cocoa- 
 palms and the gigantic leaves of the bananas rose above 
 the garden-walls by the wayside, and through the lat- 
 ticed doors we caught peeps of the most exquisite 
 flowers ; but these very gardens soon intercepted om* 
 view of the sea. The steep Sugarloaf rose before us, 
 and on our right the Corcovado. We now tm-ned into 
 a garden-gate, and a short, dark avenue of mango-trees, 
 the thick crowns of which closed into a kind of arbour 
 over om' heads, led to a walled terrace, on the bushy 
 hill-side, upon which stood the elegant villa that had 
 been hired for me. 
 
 It is impossible to imagine a more charming spot than 
 the " Chacara das Maugueiras " or " a Mangueii-a," as this 
 villa is called from the magnificent dark-green mango- 
 trees which give such an an of solemnity to its avenue. 
 The views down from the terrace, from the verandah with 
 its numerous windows, and from the bow-window facing 
 the north and east, are unsurpassably beautiful. Two 
 fine black cypresses stand upon the terrace, at the point 
 where the flight of steps descends to the mango avenue, 
 
232 • RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 and at the corners are two arbours ; parterres, inter- 
 sected with narrow paths, occupy the rest of this narrow 
 plateau. In the distance, far over the gardens, houses 
 and trees, the eye catches a view of the narrow, long, 
 blue strip of the bay. Between the two cypresses, and 
 over the dark-green carpet of the high-vaulted crowns 
 of the mango avenue, is seen, set as it were in a frame 
 which separates it from the rest of the view, one pictm^e 
 upon which the eye rests with peculiar pleasure, — the 
 rock of Boa Viagein, with light-blue hills behind it, and 
 two palm-trees gracefully bending their heads in front. 
 To the right of the cypress on the south is a view of 
 the mountainous east coast beyond Santa Cruz, and 
 of the peninsula of S. Theodosio, wdiere the small bay 
 of Botafogo begins. Next follows the rocky cone of 
 the Pao de Assucar, rising above the Morro do Fla- 
 mengo, the outline of which is broken by slender palms 
 and various kinds of tall trees, while the wooded acclivi- 
 ties of the Morro descend precipitously, in part like a 
 wall of rock, to the narrow valley on the south near the 
 villa. On the right of the Sugarloaf is seen the beauti- 
 fully formed ridge of a mountain, connected with this 
 conical hill. The narrow valley on the south is covered 
 with houses, the roofs and gables of which stand out 
 among the foliage ; the fantastic branches of the North 
 American pines*, looking like inverted fans of the palm- 
 tree, rise high into the air, waving in the wind. In 
 
 * This was the name of the tree mentioned to me, which is said 
 to have been introduced Avithin a few years into the gardens around 
 Rio. 
 
VIEW FROM THE VILLA. 233 
 
 the foreground, by the side of the stables belonging to 
 the villa, stand a thick group of bananas clothed in the 
 freshest green, but on the other hand there are scarcely 
 any palms. 
 
 Tiu'ning oui' eyes to the dark cypresses on the east, 
 and following the bay northward from Boa Viagem on 
 the opposite shore, w^e see first Praya Grande, a long 
 line of white houses backed by hght-blue hills, like a 
 string of pearls upon a turquoise ground, and bounded 
 by the Morro da Armacao. Pm'ther to the left the azm*e 
 muTor of the bay disappears behind the tall houses and 
 trees of the shore on this side, between which low hills 
 rise in a pleasing, rounded outline, intercepting the view 
 of the greater part of Rio, and depriving the city of the 
 cool breath of the viracao, or sea-breeze, which in this 
 hot country may be regarded not only as a refreshment, 
 but almost a necessary of life, at least for us Europeans. 
 The Signal-hill, in the background of which are seen in 
 clear weather the blue Orgaos mountains, rises above a 
 depression between these liills ; whilst a long and lofty 
 mountain-crest, connected with the acclivities of the 
 Corcovado, bounds the glorious valley on the north ; the 
 latter, opening on the left by the side of the Mangueira, 
 is closed on the south by the wooded acclivities upon 
 the last spur of which this villa is built. These hills also 
 belong to the most advanced spm-s of the Corcovado, 
 which, with its sharp rocky summits, forms the back- 
 ground of the valley, clothed to its base with woods. 
 A tract of meadow succeeds ; on the other hand, the 
 remaining space, as far as the opening of the valley, is 
 
234 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 covered with the most splendid banana grove that can 
 be imagiued. The long mountain-ridge which bomids 
 this lovely valley on the north forms, although but 
 slightly cm'ved, a noble line, surmounted by trees of 
 fantastic forms, and numerous single palms, which stand 
 out in sharp relief against the dark tropical sky. Its 
 sides are only wooded in parts ; here and there it de- 
 scends in rocky walls or pictm^esque terraces and plat- 
 forms, upon which stand detached buildings sm-rounded 
 by beautiful gardens, some of them cpiite stately edifices. 
 Below, from out the banana grove rises one tall, splendid 
 palm, and several other lower ones ; but the greatest 
 ornament of this valley is the high-arched crowm of an 
 immense tree, resembling a colossal flower of a splendid 
 red or violet, almost crimson colom*, which is a promi- 
 nent object in the landscape ; while the valley extends 
 in fall exotic beauty and tropical luxmiance on the north 
 of the villa ; seen from the windows of my sleeping- 
 room it presents an indescribable pictm'e — one which 
 I had now daily in view. 
 
 Scarcely had we taken luncheon, when the Minister 
 of Foreign Affairs, Aureliano de Souza e Oliveira Cou- 
 tinho, and the Mordomo of the Emperor, Paulo Barboza 
 da Sylva, waited on me with an invitation from his 
 Majesty to an audience at ten o'clock the next morning, 
 and also to attend the anniversary of the independence 
 of Brazil, which was to take place the same day. When 
 these gentlemen left me, I could no longer resist my 
 impatience to go out into the open air and sm-vey the 
 wonderful objects in the vicinity : the little hill behind 
 
ENVIRONS or RIO. 235 
 
 the house was ascended hi quick tmie ; I remarked that 
 the mica in the granite rock which forms this acchvity 
 appeared to be reniarkabl}^ large-leaved. 
 
 The view from the top is even finer than that from 
 the ^dlla : on the terrace I could see every ship entering 
 or leaving the bay, but at this point the eye follows the 
 vessels fm-ther inland, and observes their entrance still 
 more distinctly. 
 
 I wished to penetrate into the thicket of underwood 
 which covers the acclivity, to reach the palms and the 
 various fantastic trees, but in vain : the creepers scarcely 
 allowed me to advance ten paces. I picked up a stick 
 and walked doAvn to the meadow, adjacent to the ba- 
 nanas. It w^as intersected by small ditches, in the 
 mud of which a troop of naked negroes were wading 
 about, cleaning them out, wdiilst a lazy white fellow 
 sitting by, with a large straw hat and a stick in his 
 hand, made a face as if he were overworking himself in 
 the noonday heat. In the middle of the meadow stood 
 a group of strange-looking trees, wdth a small garden 
 close by, in which I observed many large and beautiful 
 butterflies ; one in particular, of iridescent colours, azure- 
 blue bordered with black (the Aeronauta nestor), I shall 
 never forget. I next went up to the red tree above- 
 mentioned, and found that its leaves were crimson, and 
 the thousands of flowers upon it were violet blossoms. 
 Dr. Lippold considered it a Nissolia, darker and more 
 violet than the Scqjucaja. 
 
 On the road to the suburb of Rio I passed many half- 
 naked, black women standing in a brook washing linen ; 
 
236 • RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 I also met a number of negroes, and hackney carriages 
 drawn by mules, and driven by Creoles or blacks drest 
 in a blue coat with a red collar and liigli boots. This 
 reminded me of the old Prussian livery, and it is in fact 
 of Prussian origin, for the ex-Major von Suckow, the 
 proprietor of all these carriages, was formerly in the 
 Kaiser-Pranz Grenadier regiment. After the war he 
 quitted om' service, and entered the German legion in 
 Brazil ; when the legion was disbanded he went back to 
 Rio, where he established this hackney-coach trade, and 
 got the whole horse and mide business of the metropolis 
 into his hands : from that time no jom^ney into the inte- 
 rior, no drive in the city, no ride into the country with- 
 out Herr von Suckow ! I met many negroes carrying 
 glass boxes upon their heads, with all kinds of articles 
 for sale, and also bundles of sugar-canes : the singing 
 and roaring tones "with which they offer theii- wares are 
 strange and ludicrous. The sound of the breakers on 
 the shore attracted me from the straight road, — I was 
 delighted to find that my house was so near to the 
 sea. 
 
 After dinner I walked out with Mr. Theremin, along 
 the " Caminho Novo," to which my villa belongs, and 
 which extends to within a short distance of Botafogo, 
 until a tmii on the left past the row of houses of Praya 
 do Plamengo brought us to the shore. Here lay two of 
 the canoes, formed of the hoUowed trunks of trees, in 
 wliich the negroes navigate the bay. Prom the strand 
 we ascended a small hill — backed by the Sugarloaf — the 
 Morro do Plamengo, on whose sides a quarry is cut in 
 
COVE OF BOTAFOGO. 237 
 
 the micaceous granite, called Pedreira de Botafogo. Ne- 
 gro-slaves were busy moving a huge stone with heavy 
 crowbars, accompanying their work with a song to give 
 the time ; this seemed to be the chief part of the busi- 
 ness, for half that number of Em'opean workmen would 
 have done the task without the least difficulty. On the 
 side of the Morro do Tlamengo stood a mass of Tilland- 
 sias, and some tall cactuses with angular stems. The 
 view of the bay of Rio de Janeiro from its simimit is 
 wonderfully fine. 
 
 At our feet lay the narrow entrance into the cove of 
 Botafogo, which, like an enormous cleft, separates the 
 Morro from the rugged side of the Pao de Assucar. We 
 walked down the steep path to the shore of this small 
 secluded bay — a little paradise ! A semicircle of elegant 
 villas, A^ith beautifid flower-gardens, encloses it on the 
 north and west sides, and on the other sides it is sm-- 
 rounded by luxmiant tropical wood scenery and moun- 
 tains of the most glorious forms. In the east rises the 
 Sugarloaf, pointing like a gigantic finger to the sky, and 
 opposite to it the simnnit of the Corcovado looks threat- 
 ening down from a giddy height upon the peaceful little 
 bay, smooth as the sm'face of a lake. Botafogo is quite 
 like a Em-opean bathing-place on the edge of the pri- 
 maeval forests, — a seaside summer resort of the diplo- 
 matic circles. 
 
 We set out to return. As the blood-red orb of the 
 sun was sinking behind the mountains, the little leaves 
 of a tall Mimosa by the roadside closed, just at the 
 minute that the booming sound of the gim from the 
 
238 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 ' Commodore' readied us from the roadstead, — the sig- 
 nal for the British squadron to strike their flags and 
 send down their top-gallant yards. 
 
 The short road to the villa led us again through the 
 Caminho Novo. Orange-coloured flowers, called here 
 Trombetas, covered in places the high garden-walls, be- 
 liind which appeared the crowns of palm-trees and the 
 jagged leaves of the bananas. In front of almost all 
 the houses stands the straight-stemmed melon-tree, 
 Mamoeira {Carica Papaya), a tree which bears a quantity 
 of round green and yellow fruit, overshaded by a small 
 vaulted roof of large palmated leaves. 
 
 The walk from Botafogo to my villa did not take a 
 quarter of an hom% but it was dark, and the cicadas Avere 
 chirping, when we reached the Chacara das Mangueiras. 
 The sound which these Brazilian chirpers make is enough 
 to split your ears ; I can only, in miniature, compare it 
 with the harsh, whistling sound of a railway engine at 
 starting. 
 
 Before going to bed I again walked on to the terrace 
 and through the avenue of mangos, to see the fireflies, 
 which glittered upon the meadows on either side of the 
 road. Their light reminded me strongly of the glow- 
 worms that swarm about the traveller in Italy, especially 
 in an evening, when I saw myriads of them moving 
 about like little stars in the glens near Salerno : but the 
 flies here came out in such quantities, that the meadow 
 looked quite like a phosphorescent sea. 
 
 Before I pass to the description of the celebration of 
 the " Dia da Independencia do Brasil," I may be per- 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF BRAZIL. 239 
 
 mitted to give a short sketch of the history of that 
 widely extended empire, which will better explain the 
 importance of this festival. 
 
 Scarcely had seven years elapsed after the first voyage 
 of Colmiibus, when Vicente Yaiiez Pinzon, who had ac- 
 companied the intrepid discoverer of the New World as 
 commander of the ' Nina' on that ever-memorable voy- 
 age, sailed again in December 1499 from Palos with 
 fom' carvels, which he fitted out in company with his 
 nephew Arias, to prosecute new discoveries. He passed 
 the Cape Verd islands, then tmiied south and west, 
 crossed the line, which no Spaniard had before passed, 
 and on the 26th of January, 1500, came in sight of the 
 long, rounded palm-hill of Cabo S. Agostinho, projecting 
 from the cocoa-woods of the coast : this he named Cabo 
 de Consolacion, and was thus the first discoverer of 
 Brazil. He then turned northward, and following the 
 line of coast, passed the mouth of the Amazon and 
 arrived at the Orinoco, from whence he returned to Eu- 
 rope with the loss of two ships. But ere Pinzon reached 
 the coast of Spain, the Portuguese had abeady taken 
 possession of this new continent, which, as before re- 
 marked, the Pope had assigned to Portugal. Scarcely 
 had Vasco de Gama, after the discovery of the passage 
 to India round the Cape of Good Hope, safely entered 
 the Tagus, when the king, Dom Manoel, equipped a 
 
240 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 second squadron to sail for India, and gave the com- 
 mand of it to the Kdalgo Pedi^o Alvarez Cabral. Great 
 ceremonies preceded the departm-e of the fleet, which 
 took place on the 9th of March. Cabral first directed 
 his course to the Cape Verd isles, in order to take in the 
 necessary store of water, and then sailed west, to avoid 
 the calms which had detained Diaz and Gama. It hap- 
 pened that storms and currents carried the Portuguese 
 squadron so far west — according to their reckoning, 
 G60 to 670 leagues from the above-mentioned islands — 
 that on the 21st of April, Easter Tuesday, they observed 
 masses of sea-wrack, the first indications of land. On 
 the follo^^dng morning they saw the first birds, " called 
 Fourabuchos," and the same day, Wednesday evening, 
 the 22nd of April, discovered land, " a large mountain, 
 very high and rounded, with another chain of hills to 
 the south, and wooded plains." Cabral named this 
 mountain Monte Pascoal (Easter Mount), and the coun- 
 try, which he took for an island, Ilha da Vera Cruz (of 
 the true Cross)*. 
 
 On the 23rd of April the Portuguese anchored oppo- 
 site to the mouth of a river, but were compelled by 
 stormy weather to set sail again the next morning. They 
 steered ten leagues northward along the coast, and in 
 16° 27' south latitude, ran into a large, safe harbom-, 
 which they named " Porto Seguro " — a name which it 
 
 * Compare the account given by Pedro Vaz de Caniinha to the 
 kmg Dom Manoel, of the discovery of Brazil, in Von Feldner's Tra- 
 vels, etc. vol. 2. pages 159-200. Accordhig to Southey, the Por- 
 tuguese first named Brazil, " Ilha da Santa Cruz." 
 
VOYAGES OF AMERIGO VESPUCCI. 241 
 
 bears to the present day. Cabral staid here a short while, 
 during which Mass was performed several times, and 
 on these occasions little tin crosses were hung about 
 the necks of the natives, and a large cross was erected 
 on the shore ; on the 5th of May he continued his voy- 
 age round the Cape toward Calicut, but at the same 
 time despatched Caspar de Lemos to Lisbon with the 
 news of this unexpected discovery. Fom' ships of Ca- 
 bral' s squadron were lost in this passage round the 
 Cape, and 'udth them perished the discoverer of the 
 Cape of Good Hope himself, Bartolomeo Diaz. 
 
 In the follomng year, 1501, King Dom Manoel sent 
 Amerigo Vespucci, a Castiliaii whom he had taken into 
 his service, ^^dth three ships to the new country, the 
 coast of which he first saw in 5° south latitude (at Cabo 
 Roque), and followed as far as 52°, — near the entrance 
 of the Straits of Magellan. Had he prosecuted his voy- 
 age only 4° further south, the southern point of America 
 would have been discovered'''. 
 
 No sooner had the Portuguese landed, in S° south 
 latitude, near the present Pernambuco, than they Avit- 
 nessed the frightful spectacle of one of their countrymen 
 roasted and eaten before their eyes — a miserable sight ! 
 and yet more lamentable is it to consider that even at 
 the present day, after the lapse of three centmies, this 
 horrible custom still exists among some tribes of Brazil. 
 This first voyage lasted sixteen months, in which Ame- 
 rigo Vespucci again came to Pinzon's Cabo de Consola- 
 cion, to which he gave the name of S. Agostinho; but 
 
 * Cape Horn lies in 55° 58' 40'' south latitude. 
 VOL. I. E 
 
242 ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 lie found neither the harbour of Porto Seguro, nor the 
 cross erected by Cabral. On the other hand he is said 
 by some to have discovered the Bahia de Todos os San- 
 tos, of which however Southey, in his celebrated History 
 of Brazil, says nothing. 
 
 As early as the year 1503 Vespucci repeated the voy- 
 age, and established the first settlement on the soil of 
 Brazil in 18° south latitude, and 3 5° west of the meridian 
 of Lisbon, on the heights of the Abrolhos, in Espirito 
 Santo. He erected here a fort, which he mounted with 
 twelve guns, and garrisoned with twenty-four men, the 
 sole sm-vivors of the crew of his lost flag-ship. 
 
 No sooner had the Spaniards discovered the South 
 Seas, than they despatched a squadron to explore their 
 connection with the Atlantic, but especially with a view 
 to forestal the Portuguese. On this voyage Juan Diaz 
 de Solis discovered by chance, in the year 1515, the 
 mouth of the river La Plata, the shores of which were 
 soon after colonized by the Spaniards. The Prench also 
 sought thus early to establish commercial dealings with 
 Brazil; and, according to Southey, it was the French 
 who in the year 1516 discovered the noble Bahia de 
 Todos OS Santos, in 13° south latitude, of which how- 
 ever the Portuguese under Clu'istovao Jaques nearly at 
 the same time took and retained possession. 
 
 Dm'ing the first thirty years after the discovery of the 
 Hha da Vera Cruz, the Portuguese showed little interest 
 in this newly acquh'ed land; they appear to have sent 
 thither yearly only two ships with emigrants, which 
 brought wood and parrots as back-freight. It was 
 
PORTUGUESE SETTLEMENTS IN BRAZIL. 243 
 
 not until this period had elapsed that Dom Joao the 
 Thii'd began to divide the colony into Capitanias, each 
 of which received a strip of the coast territory fifty 
 leagues in length, — an allotment which however was 
 not afterwards properly observed. Many large districts, 
 stretching fifty leagues into the interior, were given to 
 single families and persons as fiefs of the crown, and 
 with almost unlimited dominion, even over the natives. 
 As the sugar-cane, which was imported from Madeira, 
 thrived well, they established sugar-plantations, which 
 were cultivated by negro slaves from Congo or Angola, 
 as well as by native slaves, procured by slave-hunting, or 
 prisoners taken in war. At the same time they carried 
 on smuggling in Em'opean manufactm^es with the Spa- 
 nish silver countries. 
 
 The colonization excited in general little interest 
 among the Portuguese, partly because the first settle- 
 ments had not been attended with the rapid success ex- 
 pected, and partly because the more important and ex- 
 tensive conquests which were at that time prosecuted, 
 attracted the public attention and drew colonists to 
 India and Africa, by the allm^ement of gold and precious 
 stones, which Brazil was not then supposed to offer. 
 Thus it was that only expatriated Jews and criminals — 
 and even these, especially the latter, very unwillingly — 
 emigrated to Brazil, since no path was opened to them 
 here, as in the bloody but glorious wars in India, to re- 
 gain a position in society by deeds of valour in the field. 
 
 Although the newly discovered country was poor in 
 the precious minerals, it displayed on the other hand a 
 
 R 2 
 
244 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 great variety and fruitfiilness in products of the vege- 
 table kingdom. A certain kind of wood, wliicli yielded 
 a dye, was tlie first object tliat particularly attracted tbe 
 attention of the new possessors. Amerigo Vespucci had 
 already carried this to Portugal, and named it " Ver- 
 cino." At a still earlier period a dye-wood, known by 
 the name of Brasil, Bresil, and Bresilje, was procured 
 from the East Indies, where, according to an old Nubian 
 geographer who called it Batram, it grew in Sumatra. 
 Wliether this East Indian name was transferred to the 
 dye-wood found in South America, or, as others suppose, 
 the wood of the Ibiripitanga, which yields this bright- 
 red colour, took its name from the word braza, red-hot 
 coal or the glow of fire, or the Erench brasiller, — it is at 
 all events certain that this wood had early the name of 
 Brasil, and that the present name of the country, which 
 it bore even in the time of King Dom Manoel, is derived 
 from this source. In the year 1530, the Englishman, 
 William Hawkins, who visited this country and took 
 back with him to London one of the native kings, called 
 it Brazil. A century later the central part of Brazil, 
 where the first settlements lay, exclusively bore this 
 name. 
 
 In the same year, 1530, Duarte Coellio Pereira laid 
 the foundation of the present city of Pernambuco on the 
 spot where a Erench factory had once stood. At the 
 sight of the spot he is said to have exclaimed in raptui-e, 
 "0 linda situafam para se fundar huma Villa!" (Oh 
 what a beautiful place to found a city ! ) and hence the 
 name of Olinda is said to have arisen. At this time 
 
PORTUGUESE SETTLEMENTS IN BRAZIL. 245 
 
 (1531) the first of the larger and more fixed settlements 
 in the southern part of Brazil, S. Vicente on the bean- 
 tiful gulf of Santos, was established by the Captain- 
 General Martini Aftbnso de Sonza, who, as we have seen, 
 discovered in the same year the bay of Rio de Janeiro. 
 He planted the sugar-cane, and introduced the breeding 
 of cattle. The Fidalgo Pedro de Goes, who in 1531 re- 
 ceived a grant of territory extending thirty leagues along 
 the coast between S. Vicente and Espirito Santo, was 
 less fortunate. He sailed to the mouth of the Parahyba 
 do Sul, and found there the Goaytacazes, with whom he 
 lived in peace for two years ; a war afterwards broke 
 out between them, and he was expelled. Ten years 
 later the Spaniard Francisco Orellana made his adven- 
 tm'ous voyage, and was the first who sailed down the 
 Amazon river from Peru to its mouth ; but of this more 
 elsewhere. 
 
 We now come to a principal event in the history of 
 Brazil. Up to this time the efibrts of the Portuguese in 
 South America wanted unity, the numerous Captains- 
 General a common chief, and the country a centre. To 
 remedy this want, Dom Joao the Thud sent Thome de 
 Souza as his lieutenant (Capitao Geral) to Brazil, in- 
 vested him ^vith judicial and civil powers, and appointed 
 him over aU the Captains- General. At the same time he 
 commanded the new metropolis of Brazil to be erected 
 on the magnificent Bahia de Todos os Santos, and named 
 it S. Salvador. Thome de Souza arrived at the place of 
 his destination in the beginning of April, 1549. In 
 three ships he carried over with him a thousand men, 
 
246 . RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 of whom four hundred were degradados, crimmals ; the 
 squadron was under the command of Pedi'o de Goes, 
 who had been driven away by the Goaytacazes. But 
 more important than all this warlike equipment was the 
 small unpretending band of six men, who accompanied 
 the Governor- General of Portugal, — the first Jesuits who 
 set foot on the soil of Brazil, having at their head 
 the Padre Manoel de Nobrega as the chief and most 
 distinguished. The first and anxious desire of Dom 
 Joao the Third, in his heart a pious though bigoted 
 monarch, was to extend the blessings of Christianity to 
 his new heathen subjects. As a friend and admirer of 
 Loyola, and a zealous protector of the Society of Jesus, 
 he joyfully opened to them the wide bounds of his 
 transatlantic kingdom, and invited them to direct their 
 efforts to enlighten the poor savages, who were still 
 lost in the night of paganism, — darker even than the 
 shades of their primaeval forests. The residence of the 
 Jesuits in this country, for more than a century, was 
 not without beneficial results : they laboured with un- 
 wearied perseverance in the education of youth, took 
 the poor and oppressed natives under their protection, 
 and defended them against the cruel persecutions of the 
 Portuguese. At the same time they sought to inspire 
 the Indians with confidence, to accustom them to a set- 
 tled mode of life, and by degrees to introduce among 
 them civilization, and even to convert these former 
 heathens and their descendants into a strong defence 
 against their still savage neighbours. Every year they 
 extended the net of their missions wider and wider, car- 
 
THE JESUITS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 247 
 
 lying civilization and humanity into countries where, 
 ^vithout their agency, the savages would probably have 
 lived in a state of war and cannibahsm down to the 
 present day. On the other hand it cannot be denied, 
 that their motives were probably not always pure ; and 
 indeed the pernicious effects of their influence were inso- 
 far manifest, as they imposed shackles on the minds of 
 the white population, succeeded in keeping the natives 
 more or less in tutelage, and suppressing the free moral 
 development of the people. Regarding their operations 
 from the Christian point of view, it is natiual to ask, 
 whether their efforts for conversion were directed to the 
 outward form, or to the inward mind ; and the reply to 
 this question may perhaps not be much more satisfactory 
 than with respect to the conversions going on at the 
 present day in many parts of Brazil, where baptism is 
 degraded into a mere act of subjection to the crown, and 
 no explanation of its meaning is ever thought of. 
 
 The city and fortress of S. Salvador arose quickly : 
 the Tupinambas, the most powerful race of the abori- 
 gines, who possessed a large portion of the coast-region, 
 themselves assisted in building this their future op- 
 pressor; so that as early as the year 1552, the first 
 bishop appointed to Brazil, Dom Pedro Fernandez Sar- 
 dinha, took possession of his see in Bahia. 
 
 Let us now cast a passing glance on the aborigines of 
 Brazil. A chaos of names and contradictory accounts 
 meets us on entering the very limit of this inquiry, and 
 we feel an uncertainty at every step in its history. "When 
 the Portuguese discovered Brazil, its east coast was in- 
 
248 " RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 liabited almost exclusively by one race : tliese were the 
 tribes of the Tupis, whom we meet with under various 
 names, and Avhose common language is understood to 
 the present day by the inhabitants of the coast from S. 
 Paulo to Para. The Jesuits, in their intercourse with 
 the natives, derived great assistance from this so-called 
 " lingoa geral"* on account of its general extension, 
 and have left behind them an excellent grammar of it, 
 written by the Padre Joze de Anchieta. To the Tupi 
 race belong, among many others, the Tupinambas (Tupi- 
 nambazes) and the Tamoyos in the province of Rio de 
 Janeiro. One of the few foreign races — perhaps the 
 only one — who dwelt on the east coast among the tribes 
 of the " lingoa geral " were the above-mentioned Goayta- 
 cazes : the plains of the lower Parahyba do Sul, where 
 the city of S. Salvador now stands, are still called after 
 them, " OS Campos dos Goaytacazes." Prom this race, 
 who have long disappeared, the Coroados, the Coroposf, 
 and perhaps also the Puris j are descended, who are met 
 with at the present day in the vicinity of the above- 
 named river. 
 
 The first Em-opeans who visited the country met with 
 the tradition among the Tupi tribes, that this large na- 
 tion had come from the interior toward the coast, and 
 had driven back to the interior another large tribe, the 
 Tapuyas, whose hordes had possessed the coast territory 
 
 * Southey, History of Brazil, vol. 1. page 225. Spix and Mar- 
 tins, vol. 3. page 1093. 
 
 ■f Southey, vol. 2. page .599 et seq. 
 
 X A'^on Fcklner's Travels, vol. 1. page 38. 
 
ABORIGINAL TRIBES OF BRAZIL. 249 
 
 before tliem. Whilst now the Tnpi tribes were becoming 
 gradually more and more thinned by the persecutions of 
 the Portuguese, a large swarm of the Tapuyas gathered 
 in the interior, parallel with the strip of coast from the 
 mouth of the Rio de S. Francisco to Cabo Frio, and 
 inundated the coast territory anew under the dreaded 
 name of the Aymores. Another opinion is that the 
 Aymores, the ancestors of the Botocudos (whom the 
 Prince von Wied has described in so detailed and inter- 
 esting a manner in the second volume of his celebrated 
 work on Brazil), were a people of the south, — a supposi- 
 tioTi which is said to be confirniecl by their large stature ; 
 while the important differences between their language 
 and that of the Tapuyas appear to disprove then- having 
 any relationship with the latter. This is the opinion of 
 Southey, whose account we have followed up to this 
 point*. 
 
 The Portuguese historian Vasconcellos, on the con- 
 trary, divides all the tribes of Brazil into two classes, the 
 Indios mansos (tame Indians), and the Tapuyas, or the 
 savage hordes, hostile to the Em'opeans. With the first 
 he classes all the Tupi tribes, while the latter, whose lan- 
 guages vary greatly among themselves, include all the 
 restf. Thus the Goaytacazesj and the Aymores with 
 
 * Southey, vol. 1. pages 281 and 3/8. 
 
 f Southey, vol. 1. page 378. — Spis and Martins, vol. 2. page 
 752. — Maximilian Prince of Wied-Neuwied, Travels m Brazil, vol. 
 1. pages 28 and 35. — Denis, Resume de I'Histoire du Bresil, pages 
 10-39. 
 
 j Maximilian Prince of Wied-Neuwied, Travels, vol. 1. page 119 
 pf seq. 
 
250 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 their descendants are comprised in this latter classifica- 
 tion, which has gradually extended more and more. All 
 the various opinions however agree in one point, that 
 the savage hordes have in the course of time retreated 
 further and further into the interior, before the persecu- 
 tions and slave-hunts of the Portuguese, and that the 
 last traces of the Tupi tribes especially are at this day 
 met with far in the interior on the shores of the Ama- 
 zon*. A wonderful apparition indeed! what intermi- 
 nable, toilsome migrations for these tribes, in small bands 
 with their wives and children, across a continent covered 
 with impenetrable forests, and what a contrast to the 
 mounted hordes of the Huns, Goths and Tartars ! 
 
 But we have anticipated the course of events ; let us 
 resume the thread of history. The result of Villega- 
 gnon's expedition, the expulsion of the French from the 
 insular fortress in the gulf of Nitherohy, has been already 
 related ; and we have observed that the sm^ivors join- 
 ing the Tamoyos carried on war against the Portu- 
 guese for many years. But Brazil had a new misfor- 
 tune to suffer, — the first fierce incursion of the Ay- 
 mores (before whom the Tupi tribes had retired) into 
 the Portuguese colonies in Ilheos and Porto Seguro in 
 1560. A calamitous fate hung like a heavy cloud over 
 Brazil, until the conquest on S. Sebastian's day, 1567, 
 dispersed it. The victor, Mem de Sa, and his faithful 
 companion Nobrega, who, like all the members of his 
 Order, was on all occasions fearless of danger and 
 
 * Spix and Martius, vol. 1. pages 213-215, and vol. 3. page 
 1061. — Denis, Resume de I'Histoire du Bresil, page 36. 
 
SPANISH DOMINION IN BRAZIL, 251 
 
 ready to risk his life, founded Rio de Janeiro in the 
 same year, and named it, in honour of their tutelary 
 patron, S. Sebastiao. Three years later, after the death 
 of both these great men, Brazil was partitioned into two 
 General-Capitanias ; Luiz de Brito received the north 
 with S. Salvador, and Dom Antonio Salema the south 
 with the metropolis of S. Sebastiao. It was reserved for 
 the latter to give the death-blow to the combined French 
 and Tamoyos : from eight to ten thousand men were 
 slain on the field of battle or made prisoners. Happily 
 for the colony this double sway did not last long, for 
 after a few years one of the General-Capitanias ceased to 
 exist. 
 
 The union of Portugal with Spain in 1580 was at- 
 tended by the most lamentable consequences both to the 
 mother-country with her colonies and Brazil ; Spain even 
 seemed purposely to neglect this large and fine pos- 
 session of her subjugated rival. Brazil likewise, as a 
 Spanish colony, was soon threatened and laid under con- 
 tribution by the enemies of her new master. English 
 freebooters, under Fenton, Withrington, Cavendish and 
 Lancaster, carried on their traffic with more or less suc- 
 cess on her coasts in the latter part of the sixteenth 
 century. S. Vicente, Santos, the Reconcavo (Bahia) and 
 Recife (Pernambuco) were laid waste by them, whilst in 
 the beginning of the seventeenth century (1612) some 
 Erench under Rasilly and Ravardiere settled in Maran- 
 hao, and founded there a city upon an island at the 
 mouth of the Meari, which, in honour of their sovereign, 
 they named St. Louis ; this was however captured three 
 
252 • RIO DE JANEIRO . 
 
 years afterwards by the Portuguese Jerouymo Albuquer- 
 que. In tlie same year the Capitao IMor Francisco Cal- ' 
 cleira cle Castello Branco founded Nossa Senhora de 
 Belem (the present Para), at the southern embouchure 
 of the Rio das Amazonas. Some years before (1608) 
 Ceara had been declared a Capitania. 
 
 But these small advances in colonization were insuffi- 
 cient to indemnify Brazil for the losses which she suffered 
 from the ensuing war with Holland, the formidable 
 enemy of Spain and her colonies. Scarcely had the Dutch 
 West-India Companybeen formed (1622), when two years 
 afterwards it made a great attack on Brazil. We find 
 the names of Willekens, Piet Hein and Vandort at the 
 head of the sea and land forces which advanced upon 
 Bahia, and took possession of S. Salvador almost without 
 a blow. In the March foUov^dng a Spanish-Portuguese 
 fleet, under Don Padrique de Toledo and Dom Manoel 
 de Menezes, consisting of sixty-six ships with twelve 
 thousand troops, appeared before Bahia de Toclos os 
 Santos, — an armada larger than had ever before crossed 
 the line. Notwithstanding that the Dutch had materially 
 strengthened the fortifications of S. Salvad5r, in spite of 
 the ninety-two guns upon the ramparts (the new fort on 
 the strand fired red-hot balls), and the ten men-of-war 
 in the harbom*, they found themselves compelled, by a 
 mutiny which broke out among the troops of the gar- 
 rison, to restore the important conquest to the enemy. 
 Not long afterwards the Dutch flag was again victorious 
 in these waters : the brave Piet Hein twice ran into the 
 bay of S. Salvad5r (1626), in spite of the vigorous fire 
 
THE DUTCH IN BRAZIL. 253 
 
 of the enemy, — the first time mth liis flag-ship alone, 
 which was sunk ; he was however amply revenged by 
 the capture of twelve of the enemy's vessels. On his 
 retm'u home the silver fleet of Mexico fell into his hands. 
 Pom' years later Holland assembled a new force off the 
 Cape Verd islands, under Hendrik Loncq and the admi- 
 ral Peter Adrian, which was destined to make a second 
 attack on Brazil. They took possession of Pernambuco 
 in 1630, which thenceforth became the chief arsenal of 
 the Dutch. In the course of the next five years the 
 provinces of Pernambuco (Itamaraca), Parahyba and Uio 
 Grande do Norte fell into the hands of the Dutch, who 
 had also garrisoned Porto Calvo in Alagoas, but lost it 
 again. 
 
 Count Johann Moritz of Nassau found the Dutch pos- 
 sessions in Brazil in this position, when in 1637 he re- 
 ceived the command of them from the United Provinces 
 of the Netherlands. He immediately retook possession 
 of Porto Calvo, erected Port Moritz on the S. Prancisco, 
 made an incm^sion into the province of Sergipe del Rey, 
 and in the same year also reduced the province of Ceara. 
 With equal activity and success he in the interim, which 
 he mostly spent in Recife, undertook the important task 
 of administration. The perfectly lawless condition of the 
 colony and the abandoned life of the immigrants were 
 reformed, and the numerous frauds and gross abuses 
 stopped, which had hitherto impoverished the revenues 
 of the country. The neglected sugar-plantations were 
 sequestrated and sold as state property, culture and colo- 
 nization were encouraged in every way, and even the ex- 
 
254 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 pelled Portuguese were summoned to resume possession 
 of their former property, under the dominion of Holland. 
 Towns, fortifications and bridges were erected, cliurclies 
 and palaces built, gardens and plantations laid out ; 
 much was especially done for Pernambuco ; whilst on 
 the other side the great Stadtholder labom'ed with equal 
 zeal to promote art and science. 
 
 Although in 1638 the fortune of war was less favour- 
 able to the Count than in the preceding year — his at- 
 tempt on S. Salvador having entirely failed after a siege 
 of forty days — he could nevertheless look back with 
 pride and pleasure on the great colony, which, by the 
 might of his arm, had abeady extended its power over 
 six provinces, — Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Parahyba, 
 Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceara. The Avar was from 
 this time carried on more by sea than land, and con- 
 sisted chiefly in a mutual devastation of the territory and 
 harbours along the coasts; until in 1640 a great and 
 unexpected event, the separation of Portugal from Spain, 
 put an end to the struggle for some time. Soon after 
 Joao the Pom^th of Braganza ascended the throne of 
 Portugal, he concluded a truce with the Dutch for ten 
 years, which however the latter broke in 1641 by the 
 capture of S. Luiz de Maranhao ; and the Count of 
 Nassau had shortly before his recall, in 1644, also the 
 mortification of being obliged to siu-render this import- 
 ant place to the Portuguese. On the departure of the- 
 Count the Dutch colony lost its powerful head, its 
 strong arm ; instead of the wise moderation with Avhich 
 that great man had governed the country, acts of op- 
 
CESSION OF BRAZIL BY THE DUTCH, 255 
 
 pression of every kind were committed by the fmic- 
 tionaries of the Company, which, embittered by the reh- 
 gious hatred against the heretical Dutch, gradually ex- 
 cited the Portuguese to rebellion. In the following year 
 a general insiuTection broke out in Dutch Brazil, headed 
 by Joao Fernandez Vieira, who was soon joined by the 
 new Governor- General Erancisco Baretto de Menezes. 
 From this time fortune tmiied against the Dutch, and 
 their tottering power received a deadly blow from a de- 
 feat in the mountains of Guararapi near Pernambuco in 
 1648. The commencement of the war with Cromwell, 
 added to aU these misfortunes in South America, com- 
 pleted their downfall, and in 1654 they were expelled from 
 Brazil, with the loss of their chief town Recife. Holland 
 however did not cede all her claims on this country to 
 the crown of Portugal until the Treaty of the Hague, in 
 1661, for four millions of cruzados, and meanwhile she 
 effected rich conquests in the East Indies. 
 
 Although many outbreaks occmTcd among the natives, 
 in consequence of the imposition of serfage, and quarrels 
 arose with Spain from the establishment of the colony of 
 S. Sacramento on the Rio de la Plata, opposite to Buenos 
 Ayres (1679), which favom-ed smuggling, repose was at 
 length in some degree restored to Brazil, after the sup- 
 pression of the thirty years' Dutch invasion. A subject 
 of vast interest, which had long been kept in the back- 
 ground, was now revived, namely the search of the 
 precious metals in the interior of the country. The 
 Paulistas — a mixed population, of whites, natives and the 
 descendants of both (Mamelucos), who formed a kind of 
 
256 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 independent republic in the neiglibonrhood of S. Paido 
 — had hitherto roamed the interior, penetrating to the 
 hmits of Mato Grosso and Goyaz, in search of treasure. 
 At the close of the seventeenth century the Portuguese 
 likewise began, and not mthout hope of success, to send 
 expeditions with the same object into the interior of the 
 present province of Minas. One of these met a troop 
 of Paulistas, and both expeditions, it appears, discovered 
 simultaneously, and almost together, the rich gold dis- 
 tricts which were afterwards such an important source 
 of wealth to the kingdom of Brazil. After long struggles 
 between the Portuguese and Paulistas, the Government 
 at length, in 1709, founded the new Capitania of Minas 
 Geraes and S. Paulo, which however in the year 1720 
 was divided into two Capitanias. 
 
 Since Villegagnon's expulsion Rio de Janeiro had 
 been spared the storms of war and foreign invasion ; but 
 now, after a lapse of more than 140 years, the Prencli 
 renewed their attempts upon this country. In the year 
 1710 M. du Clerc anchored off Guaratyba, twenty-seven 
 nautical miles west of the entrance to the bay of Rio de 
 Janeiro, landed mth a thousand marines, and marched 
 for seven days tlu^ough the forests straight for the me- 
 tropolis. He entered Rio on the west side, but was 
 overpowered and taken prisoner. On the 12th of Sep- 
 tember in the following year* the celebrated Du Guay 
 Trouin, favoured by a fog, forced the entrance of Rio de 
 Janeko with seven ships of the line and four frigates, 
 
 * Compare Eugene Sue, Histoire de la Marine Francaise, torn. 5. 
 page 304, and Southey, History of Brazil, vol. 3. page 113. 
 
EVACUATION OF BRAZIL BY THE FRENCH. 257 
 
 but not Avitliout considerable loss, wbicli he himself 
 stated at 300 men. After bombarding the city through- 
 out the night, he the next morning took possession of 
 the Ilha das Cobras, with 500 men, then landed 2750 
 more troops and sailors, and immediately erected a bat- 
 tery upon the island ; indeed the inactivity of the Portu- 
 guese Governor, Prancisco de Castro de Moraes, even 
 allowed him to erect another upon a peninsula on the 
 shore. In the night of the 2 0-2 1st of September he 
 opened such a deadly fire upon the city, during a violent 
 thunder-storm, that at daybreak he saw himself in pos- 
 session of the place without dramng a sword. 
 
 Du Guay Trouin was well-aware of the difficulty of 
 his position, and the impossibility, notwithstanding the 
 ready capitulation of the foi'ts, of maintaining it for any 
 continuance with his handful of men ; nevertheless he 
 was unwilling to leave the bay without reaping all the 
 fruits of his victory. By threats he succeeded in bring- 
 ing the Portuguese Governor, who had retreated to a 
 fortified post a league distant from the city, to guarantee 
 the payment of a very heavy contribution. The treaty 
 was honestly fulfilled, although on the day after its con- 
 clusion considerable reinforcements joined the Portu- 
 guese, under the command of the Governor of S. Paulo 
 and Minas, Antonio de Albuquerque Coelho de Carvalho, 
 who had ordered each of his 1500 horsemen to take be- 
 hind him one of the infantry. The Prench thus saw 
 themselves obliged to embark again in the beginning of 
 November, and on the 13th of that month to quit the 
 bay, laden with rich booty. 
 
 VOL. I. s 
 
258 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 In the year 1728 tlie first diamonds were found in 
 tlie province of Minas, and from tliat time the mining 
 operations, the gold- and diamond-Avashings, and the in- 
 crease of the duties levied in the commercial and market 
 towns (Uegistos) of the interior, engaged the principal 
 attention of the Government, and very little was done 
 for the civilization of the country. The Jesuits gradu- 
 ally tightened the bonds in which they held the immi- 
 grants and natives fettered ; whilst the grandees, on the 
 lands which the Crown had granted them, ruled with 
 increasing despotism, and adventurers, sanctioned by the 
 Government, undertook the conquest of unknown lands 
 at their own cost. This not only led to many battles 
 with the savages (as with the Botocudos, in 1767), but 
 gradually laid the foundation to the hatred of the native 
 Brazilians toward the Portuguese. 
 
 We now come to the time when the celebrated mini- 
 ster Pombal held the reins of power in Portugal. It w^as 
 he who expelled the Jesuits in 1760, upon their arro- 
 gating excessive power, and in 1763 transferred the seat 
 of the Viceroy from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro. After his 
 fall and the death of the king Dom Joze, S. Sacramento 
 was ceded to Spain at the peace of S. Ildefonso in 1777 : 
 on the other hand the island of Santa Catharina was 
 recovered, and the Punta de CastiUos, as had been 
 settled in the treaty of Madrid (1750), was fixed to be 
 the most southern point of Brazil. 
 
 With the beginning of the present centmy, and the 
 transference of the seat of the royal family of Portugal 
 to Rio de Janeiro, commences a new sera in the history 
 
ARRIVAL OF DOM JOAO IN BRAZIL. 259 
 
 of Brazil. When on the 29th of November, 1807, the 
 advanced guard of Marshal Jmiot appeared on the 
 heights of Lisbon, the Prince Regent, Dom Joao (after- 
 wards Dom Joao tlie Sixth), who had seized the reins of 
 government in the name of his deranged mother Dona 
 Maria the First, embarked at the last moment on board 
 a fleet consisting of eight ships of the line, fom- frigates, 
 and twelve brigs, for Brazil : an English squadron ac- 
 companied him. A storm dispersed the fleet, and forced 
 some of the ships to run into Bahia ; but it at length 
 anchored safely, on the 7th of March, 1808, in the road- 
 stead of Rio de Janeiro. 
 
 On the' arrival of the royal family the colony was 
 speedily freed from the leading-strings of the mother- 
 country, from the bondage in which Portugal had hither- 
 to held this transatlantic fairyland. This change was 
 chiefly effected by the celebrated royal decree of the 28tli 
 of January, 1808, throwing open to the ships of all nations 
 the harbom's of Brazil, which had been closed for cen- 
 turies. Industry was from that moment emancipated, a 
 national bank and an upper tribmial for aU afiJairs of 
 justice and finance were established, an academy for 
 art and another for medicine decreed, the first print- 
 ing-press introduced, the rich treasm'es of the royal 
 library thro^vn open to the public, — in a word, institutions 
 for the liberal sciences were called into existence, and at 
 the same time numerous reforms effected in the admi- 
 nistration of the government and laws. A consciousness 
 of independence began to awaken in the nation : a new, 
 vigorous and self-relying spirit pervaded the country, 
 
 s 2 
 
260 mo DE JANEIRO. 
 
 prosperity rapidly advanced, and customs outgrown by 
 time were laid aside. Foreigners, wlio had been almost 
 denied admission to the soil of Brazil, now flocked 
 thither in great numbers ; while Portuguese of rank, and 
 amongst them many adventurers, collected around the 
 court of their native princely house, whose splendour flat- 
 tered the Brazflian love of pomp, and whose liberality won 
 the attachment of the nation, notwithstanding that the 
 jealousy between the Brazilians and Portuguese increased 
 from day to day. Even the erection of Brazil into a 
 kingdom, like Portugal and Algarvia (1815), failed to 
 stop this jealousy, which the short-lived insurrection 
 that broke out in Pernambuco in 1817, in the second 
 year of the government of Dom Joao the Sixth, 
 manifested in the most decided manner. Two years 
 after the proclamation {acdamagdo) of the King, which 
 took place on the 5th of February 1818, the revolution 
 broke out in Portugal, in August 1820, which excited 
 such a powerful sympathy on the other side the ocean 
 — and how could it be otherwise in a country which 
 saw the old Spanish colonies in full insmTection all 
 around, not to mention the example given by the United 
 States in the preceding centmy? — that on the 26th of 
 February, 1821, the Crown-Prince Dom Pedro de Alcan- 
 tara, twenty-three years of age, proclaimed to the revolted 
 populace of the metropolis, in his father's name, the 
 royal assent to the Constitution, which the Portuguese 
 Cortes should frame. On the 24th of April Dom Joao 
 the Sixth embarked for Lisbon, after appointing the 
 Crown-Prince Regent of Brazil and his Viceroy. 
 
DECLARATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF BRAZIL. 261 
 
 The Prince Regent soon saw himself in a most em- 
 barrassed position. The Provinces, smnmoned purposely 
 by a decree of the Cortes of Lisbon, began to negotiate 
 with the latter independently, so that Doni Pedi'o's sway 
 in fact only extended over Rio de Janeiro and the ad- 
 joining provinces. To this tronble was added the insol- 
 vency of the Bank, and, to fill np the measnre of embar- 
 rassment, new decrees of the Cortes continually appeared, 
 which, from jealousy of the Prince Regent's growing in- 
 fluence, abolished the most important com'ts and institu- 
 tions of the country granted by King Dom Joao, sum- 
 moned Dom Pedi'o back to Portugal, and even ordered 
 troops to be sent to Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro. 
 These hasty and extreme measm-es roused a spirit of 
 resistance ; the hostility of the two parties increased, 
 and a single measure only was needed — that the rulers 
 in Portugal should prohibit the importation of arms and 
 ammunition into Brazil— to determine the powerful Co- 
 lony to declare her absolute independence of the mother- 
 country. Dom Pedro yielded to the persuasions of the 
 municipality of the metropolis, on the 3rd of May, 1822, 
 and placed himself at the head of the insmTcction. On 
 the 7tli of September of that year, dming a short excm*- 
 sion into the province of S. Paulo, he proclaimed on the 
 banks of the Rio Ypiranga the independence of Brazil, 
 and on the 12tli of October, 1822, his bnthday, upon 
 the Campo de Santa Anna, assumed the title of " Em- 
 perador Constitucional e Defensor perpetuo do Brasil." 
 On the 1st of December his coronation took place, and 
 at the same time an assembly was convened to frame a 
 
262 . IIIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 constitution for the kingdom. Lord Cochrane, who had 
 previously commanded the Chih fleet, was induced to 
 enter the Brazihan service ; for a naval power was above 
 all things necessary to the new State, to expel the Por- 
 tuguese from the places on the coast, to reduce the 
 extended coast-territory under the dominion of the Em- 
 peror, to restore rest, and to protect the country from 
 any hostile attempts of Portugal. Cochrane organized 
 a squadron with great expedition, consisting of one ship 
 of the line, fom' frigates, one corvette and two fireships ; 
 he hoisted his flag on board the ' Dom Pedro I.' on the 
 21st of March, 1823, sailed from Rio on the 3rd of 
 April, and returned thither on the 9th of November, 
 after having defeated the Portuguese fleet, subjugated 
 Bahia, Maranhao and Para, and cleared the whole coast 
 of hostile troops. 
 
 The Constituent Assembly had meanwhile by no means 
 completed the project of a constitution ; on the contrary 
 they began gradually to assume a formidable and tlu'eat- 
 ening attitude toward the Government, which caused the 
 Emperor to dissolve the Assembly by force on the 13tli 
 of November. A new commission was appointed on the 
 26th of that month, which in the beginning of January, 
 1824, submitted to the Emperor a di-aft of a constitu- 
 tion, dated the 11th of December, 1823, which more 
 accorded with his wishes, and was accepted by him and 
 sworn to on the 25th of March. Most of the provinces 
 gave in their adhesion to the new constitution ; the north 
 alone formed an exception, seduced by the example of 
 Pernambuco ; several of the coast provinces north of 
 
INDEPENDENCE OF MONTEVIDEO. 263 
 
 tliat place revolted, and attempted to set up a " Confede- 
 ra^ao do Equador/' with a republican form of govern- 
 ment. General Francisco de Lima and Lord Coclu'ane 
 however restored peace, which lasted until November. 
 On the 2 9 til of August, 1825, the treaty of peace was 
 concluded with Portugal, which now recognized the in- 
 dependence of Brazil. 
 
 Nearly at the same time however fresh clouds gathered 
 around the political hemisphere. Li the Banda Oriental 
 (Montevideo) or " Provincia Cisplatina," as it was called 
 since its incorporation with the kingdom in the year 
 1823, an insurrection had broken out, which led to a 
 conflict with the neighboming state of Buenos Ayres, 
 and at length in the year 1825 to a protracted war, 
 which entailed an immense expense upon Brazil and 
 yielded her little profit. This war lasted until the 28th 
 of August, 1828, when it was ended by a treaty effected 
 through the mediation of England, which declared the 
 contested province independent, and gave her the choice, 
 at the expiration of five years, either of joining one of 
 the two contesting parties or remaining an independ- 
 ent state. Montevideo (Uruguay) subsequently chose the 
 latter, as was to be anticipated. 
 
 Since the first session of the Chambers, on the 6th of 
 May, 1826, the members of which had been already 
 chosen in 1824 in accordance with the new constitution, 
 these sessions were held annuaUy until the year 1830, 
 without any budget being settled or the means found to 
 avert the threatening financial crisis. Meanwhile the 
 disposition of the representatives of the nation grew 
 
264 . RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 more disinclined to monarcliical government. Partly it 
 was that the members considered themselves personally 
 aggrieved, partly that they thought the constitution 
 endangered by the measm^es which the Government had 
 taken for the suppression of an insurrection in Pernam- 
 buco. Their discontent indeed was so plainly declared, 
 that, notwithstanding the state of peace, the army was 
 still maintained on a Avar footing ; but the especial cause 
 of dissatisfaction was the unsuccessful mission of the 
 Emperor's daughter, Dona Maria da Gloria (in whose 
 favour he had resigned his claim to the Portuguese 
 throne) to Em'ope, and the large sums which had been 
 expended in her interest and for a purely Portuguese 
 affair. The malcontents went even fm^ther, and accused 
 the Emperor Dom Pedro of being in his heart more Por- 
 tuguese than Brazilian. 
 
 The Chambers Avere dissolved on the 3rd of Septem- 
 ber, but again summoned on the 8th. Noav for the first 
 time a budget Avas declared*. The expenditm-e was 
 restricted to the most necessary items, the army and the 
 fleet were considerably reduced, and a ncAv penal code 
 AA^as adopted. The liberal party had this time completely 
 obtained the upper hand in both Chambers. Then came 
 
 * The Gotlia Court-Calendar for 1846 gives the following state- 
 ment for the year from July 31st 1843 to 1844, taken from the re- 
 port laid before the Chamber of Deputies by the Finance Minister. 
 Expenditure, 27,894,922,543 Reis. Revenue, 20,500,000,000 Reis ; 
 leaving a deficit of 7,394,922,543 Reis. An average of the years 
 1826 to 1829 gave— Expenditure, 19,271,645,000 Reis. Revenue, 
 13,808,928,000. Thus during the last fifteen years a considerable 
 and nearly equal increase under both heads has taken place. 
 
ABDICATION OF DOM TEDRO. 265 
 
 the news of the French revolution of July, which tended 
 not a Uttle to increase the dangerous excitement of the 
 country. The state of ]\Iinas Geraes especially, in which 
 the chief symptoms of discontent appeared, induced the 
 Emperor to visit that province in person, accompanied 
 by his second consort, the amiable Princess Amelie von 
 Leuchtenberg, whom he had married in October 1829, 
 three years after the death of his first wife, the Arch- 
 duchess Leopoldine, who left behind her a son and two 
 daughters. The cold reception he met with in Ouro 
 Preto (formerly Villa Rica) induced the Emperor to 
 make but a short stay : his retm^n was celebrated by the 
 Portuguese with rejoicings of all kinds, which led to 
 quarrels v/ith their opponents, who were however worsted. 
 Highly incensed by this defeat of their party, twenty 
 Deputies met in the metropolis, and had the audacity to 
 call the Emperor to account in an impudent address 
 couched in the most violent terms. The dismissal of 
 the ministry was the consequence ; but at the same time, 
 and notmthstanding this measm'e, an open insm-rection 
 broke out in Minas, S. Paulo and Bahia. The revo- 
 lutionary tendency daily acquired increasing sympathy 
 throughout the whole kingdom, and even the officers 
 and troops were soon seized with the spiiit of revolt. 
 Dom Pedro knew the desperate state of his position ; he 
 saw that the only hope for safety was in firmness. On 
 the 6th of April the Emperor dissolved the ministry, 
 whose composition he did not approve, and collected 
 around him men devoted to his interest ; but it was too 
 late ! Crowds of people assembled on the Campo de Santa 
 
266 . RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 Anna, and demanded the recall of the dismissed minis- 
 try. At six o'clock in the evening three justices of the 
 peace repaired to the palace of S. Christovao, and laid 
 before the Emperor the demand of the people. " He 
 would do all for the people, but nothing by the people," 
 was the energetic answer of Dom Pedro, which was im- 
 mechately the signal for the rebellious masses to take 
 arms, and the open desertion of the military under the 
 command of General Francisco de Lima to the revolu- 
 tionary party. The Emperor, on being informed of this 
 by an adjutant of the General, seized a pen at two 
 o'clock in the morning, and wrote of his own accord the 
 following memorable document, which he handed to that 
 officer: — "In the exercise of the privilege which the 
 Constitution gives me I hereby declare, that I abdicate 
 the throne of my own free-will in favour of my beloved 
 son Dom Pedro de Alcantara. Boa Vista*, the 7th of 
 April, 1831, in the tenth year of the Independence of 
 Brazil." The Emperor then dismissed his ministers, 
 appointed Joze Bonifacio de Andrada to the guardian- 
 ship of his children, and embarked on board the English 
 ship of the line the ' Warspite't, never more to set foot 
 on the soil of Brazil. 
 
 On the same morning Dom Pedro II. de Alcantara, 
 not yet six years of age, was proclaimed Emperor, amidst 
 the general acclamation of the people, and a new regency 
 
 * Usually called S, Christovao. 
 
 f Dom Pedro made the voyage on board the British twenty-six- 
 gun frigate the ' Volage', and the French corvette ' La Seine ' ac- 
 companied him. 
 
PROCLAMATION OF DOM PEDRO II. 267 
 
 nominated consisting of three members. This was suc- 
 ceeded in the year 1832 by a similar one, whereupon in 
 1835 the weU-known Diego Antonio Teijo, (whose suc- 
 cessor, in 1838, was Pedro de Araujo Lima) was ap- 
 pointed sole Regent. At the desire expressed by both 
 Chambers, Dom Pedi'o, on the 23rd of July 1840, de- 
 clared himseK of age, and summoned a new ministry, 
 includhig among the rest Am'eliano de Souza e Oliveu'a 
 Coutinho, who frankly told the youthful monarch the 
 dangers that had threatened his empke, torn as it was 
 by parties, from the repubUcan tendencies and efforts of 
 the different regencies. 
 
 How difficult indeed the position of the Emperor is, 
 can alone be estimated from the numerous insmTections 
 which, since the abdication of Dom Pedro the Ph'st, 
 have broken out in the different provinces of the empii'e, 
 and which stiU in part continued at the period of my 
 visit. In the year 1835 the formidable Indian revolu- 
 tion in Para took place ; in the same year the insmi'ec- 
 tion in Rio Grande do Sul broke out; in 1837 occiu'red 
 that of the negroes in Bahia; in 1839 the revolt in 
 Maranhao, and in 1842 Minas and S. Paulo rebelled*. 
 
 Among the last important events were the coronation 
 of the Emperor, on the 18tli of July, the appointment of 
 the Council of State on the 21st of November, 1841, 
 
 * All these insurrections are now quelled. The merit of ha^dng 
 restored peace to Brazil belongs in the first place to General Baron 
 Caxias, of the family of Lima e Silva, who finally suppressed the 
 revolution in Rio Grande do Sul in 1845, and for this achievement 
 was elevated by the Emperor on the 25th of March in that year to 
 the title of Conde de Caxias. 
 
268 • RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 the revisal of the penal code, and above all the betrothal 
 of the Emperor with the Princess Theresa of Naples*. 
 
 We shall here close our historical sketch, which has 
 extended to a much greater length than we had origi- 
 nally purposed ; but we considered it necessary to form 
 this historical bridge, in order to transport the reader 
 to the following day, which without a knowledge of the 
 past would have little interest. This may also be the 
 proper place to ofiPer a few general observations in refer- 
 ence to this transatlantic empire. The constitution of 
 1824 recognizes fom' powers: the legislatwe, which is 
 administered by the general assembly, consisting of the 
 Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, — the moderative 
 and the executive, which are solely lodged in the hands 
 of the Emperor, — and lastly the judicial power, which is 
 quite distinct from the others. There has hkewise ex- 
 isted, since 1834, in each of the eighteen provinces! a 
 provincial assembly, whose office it is to watch over its 
 particular interests. Each province has a president at 
 
 * The squadron despatched to convey the young Empress left 
 Rio for Naples early hi March, 1843. The marriage by proxy took 
 place on the 30th of May, 1843, and the actual marriage was cele- 
 brated at Rio on the 4th of September in that year. By the birth 
 of the Crown-Prince Dom Aflfonso Pedro, on the 23rd of February, 
 1845, the succession is secured to the male line; until then Dona 
 Januaria, the present wife of the Count d'Aquila, was the pre- 
 sumptive-heiress to the crown. 
 
 "f The names of the fifteen provinces which touch the coast are 
 from south to north, — S. Pedro or Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catha- 
 rina, S. Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Bahia, Sergipe, Ala- 
 goas, Pernambuco, Parahyba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara, Piauhy, 
 Maranhao, Para ; and the names of the three provinces of the inte- 
 rior, — Minas Geraes, Govaz, and Mato Grosso. 
 
THE IMPERIAL EQUIPAGE. 269 
 
 the head of its administration ; its subdivisions are 
 named Comarcas (districts), and these are again divided 
 into Freguezias (dioceses). 
 
 To describe the boundaries of the Empire would lead 
 us too far ; we will only observe, that Brazil extends at 
 the present time from 33° 47' south to 4° 17' north 
 latitude, and from 34° 47' to 69° 59' west longitude, and 
 covers an area of about 130,000 geographical square 
 miles, equal to about three-fom'ths of Europe ; whilst its 
 population, not including the Indians living in a per- 
 fectly savage state, is estimated at about five millions*. 
 
 * There exists no official statement of the population of the 
 countiT, with the exception of a few provinces, and the most recent 
 estimates vary from seven to fom' millions ; according to Von Feldner 
 (■s'ol. 1, page 43) the population of all classes appears to amount to 
 not much more than three millions. Von Roon (Grundziige der 
 Erd- Volker- und Staatenkunde, Part III. Sect. II. page 1088.) 
 states that of the population about thirty-five per cent, are free, and 
 sixty-five per cent, slaves, and that these are divided according to 
 their chief elements : — 
 
 1. Whites (Brazilians, i. e. Creoles, Portuguese, 
 
 Germans, etc.) 1,000,000 
 
 2. Negroes 3,116,000 
 
 Free 180,000 
 
 Slaves 2,936,000 
 
 3. Mestizos and Mulattoes 1,009,000 
 
 Free 600,000 
 
 Slaves 409,000 
 
 Total 5,125,000 
 
 4. Indians 1,990,000 
 
 Under subjection 360,000 
 
 Independent 1,630,000 
 
 Total population of the country /, ] 1 5,000 
 
270 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 September 1th. — Soon after nine o'clock this morning 
 an imperial state-carriage, harnessed wdtli fom^ mules 
 and attended by servants in livery, drew up before my 
 residence. The imperial livery is green and gold; the 
 outriders wore large boots and three-cornered hats ; the 
 reins are also green, ornamented "with little gilt stars. A 
 body of cavalry of the line, in dark-blue jackets with red 
 collars, drew up to form an escort, and the Chamberlain 
 De Werna Magalhaes came to accompany me to an 
 audience of the Emperor. We rolled quickly along the 
 same road by which we had yesterday entered the city. 
 The high double arches of the aqueduct, which I had 
 seen in Mr. Theremin's sketches, bridged the street 
 before us, and I recognized the beautiful bananas grow- 
 ing among the houses, over ^vhich the mighty aqueduct 
 stretches far away. At a brisk trot we passed under 
 the aqueduct into the heart of the city. The crowds in 
 the streets gave indications of the great festal day — 
 the day on which, twenty years before, Brazil had de- 
 clared her independence. The cavahy of the National 
 Guard, in uniforms of green with yellow collars, formed 
 in the streets, and single horsemen were seen mounting 
 with the help of their negro attendants. We now ar- 
 rived at the wide, somewhat desolate-looking square of 
 Santa Anna, called also the Campo da Honra or Campo 
 da Acclamagao, — the same in which Dom Pedro the 
 First was proclaimed Emperor of Brazil, — and gradually 
 came again out of the city. The fine high-road leads 
 over an extensive tract of marsh and fields covered with 
 rushes and encompassed by wooded hills. Upon one 
 
DRIVE TO THE PALACE. 271 
 
 of tliese, on the right of the road, I saw a perpendi- 
 cular granite rock, apparently traversed with veins of 
 quartz. Large, black Urubus flew circling over the 
 marshes. This valley is watered by small arms of the 
 sea or canals, connected with the bay, the surface of 
 which I also discerned after a time in an open tract of 
 country on my right. Upon a steep acclivity on the 
 shore stands a large white building, named the hospital 
 " dos Lazaros." We were soon again in the midst of 
 houses and gardens, surrounded by tropical plants which 
 excited oiu' admiration. A pecidiar tall shrub, frequently 
 growing to the size of a tree, especially attracted my 
 notice by its splendid, scarlet flowers, larger even than 
 roses : it was a tree-like Camelia. It brought the Chi- 
 nese tapestry to my mind ; I had always laughed at the 
 strange figm^es, the fabulous trees with flowers, depicted 
 on that work; but I now saw such trees actually in 
 existence. 
 
 A green square, ornamented with flags, lay on the left 
 of the road, upon which was pitched a large tent ; great 
 multitudes of people had collected, and were awaiting 
 the ceremony, at which the Emperor was to assist in 
 person, and to which I was also invited, of laying the 
 foundation-stone of an imperial institution for the orphan 
 daughters of faithful servants of the State. This was to 
 take place in an hour. An instant afterwards we tm^ned 
 into the gates of a park, and a short avenue led straight 
 to the imperial palace of S. Christovao ; a two-storied 
 building, with two wings in the course of erection — a 
 proof that the palace has insuflicient accommodation for 
 
272 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 the imperial residence — stood before us, with a large 
 basin and fountain in front. Two winding flights of 
 steps outside the building, upon which were groups of 
 persons in uniform and com't-di'ess, led up to the chief 
 entrance. All the Ministers and the Com't came to meet 
 me at the door of the carriage, and conducted me 
 thi'ough several apartments to the Emperor, who, stand- 
 ing in the middle of the Audience-chamber, received 
 me in a very gracious manner. I handed to his Ma- 
 jesty the letter from my most gracious Sovereign, ac- 
 companied by the insignia of the Order of the Black 
 Eagle. The Emperor accepted the Order with evident 
 pleasm'e, and expressed his thanks for the royal present 
 in a few words, saying how happy this proof of the 
 friendship of his royal brother made him. His Majesty 
 then added in the most gracious manner, that he was 
 pleased to create me a Knight of the most honom'able 
 Order of the Southern Cross. Delighted at receiving 
 this proof of imperial favom', I unmediately put on the 
 new Order and the blue ribbon, and then followed the 
 Emperor into a more retired apartment, where his 
 Majesty sat down and conversed with me in the most 
 friendly manner upon the plan and objects of my 
 jomiiey. 
 
 Dom Pedro the Second is remarkably advanced in 
 mental vigour and acquirements for his age ; he is of 
 small stature, and rather stout, with a largish head, 
 blond hair, and well-formed featm-es ; his blue, speaking 
 eye expresses earnestness and benevolence. Although 
 only seventeen years old he has the gravity of deport- 
 
THE EMPEROR 01' BRAZIL. 273 
 
 ment of a full-grown man. He evinces great pleasure 
 in tlie advancement and acquisition of knowledge, and 
 has pursued every branch thoroughly. History is his 
 favomite study, although he takes an interest in various 
 other subjects, and among the rest botany. The young 
 Sovereign likewise manifests great talent in art, in paint- 
 ing ; and here the earnestness of his character is seen, 
 his interest in all that is great and noble, for he gene- 
 rally chooses as the subjects of his pencil the portraits 
 of great rulers, celebrated m history, whose example he 
 desires to emulate. 
 
 The Emperor rises as early as six o'clock in the 
 morning, and devotes himself to the affau's of state : 
 a great portion of his spare time is spent in reading, in 
 which an excellent memory assists him greatly. There 
 is a noble spirit of amlDition in the youthful Emperor, to 
 educate himself more and more for his exalted but diffi- 
 cult station, — an ambition which we cannot but respect 
 and admire. What a happiness for this beautiful coun- 
 try to be governed by a ruler who knows so perfectly 
 the duties of his position, and has such an earnest desire 
 to make his people happy ! May Heaven grant its 
 blessing on his efforts ! 
 
 His Majesty wore a dark-blue uniform, embroidered 
 on the seams, with a collar and cuffs of the same colour 
 and a white lining ; over this, in the Portuguese fashion, 
 a band composed of the ribbons of several different 
 Orders with the Southern Cross, upon his breast three 
 stars, and the Golden Eleece with large brilliants around 
 his neck outside the collar. The gold epaulets Avith long, 
 
 VOL. I. T 
 
274 . RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 heavy tassels, were ornamented with the arms of Brazil. 
 At his side hung a golden sword, upon a white and 
 gold belt, with a light-blue enamelled hilt, upon which 
 was the Southern Cross in brilliants. His crimson silk 
 sash was completely covered by the sword-belt, the gold 
 tassels alone hanging down in front on the gold-em- 
 broidered Hungarian knot, over long white casimir 
 trowsers, ornamented on the sides with broad gold 
 stripes. A three-cornered, black velvet hat completed 
 the costume. 
 
 At the close of our conversation the Emperor gra- 
 ciously presented me to his sisters. Both Princesses are 
 fair, like their brother, but rather older; both pretty, 
 especially the younger. Dona Trancisca, now the Princess 
 de Joinville. They wore green and gold robes, em- 
 broidered with small stars and spheres, and birds formed 
 of brilliants in their hair. Each had the star of the 
 Southern Cross, and the ribbon of an Order composed 
 of several others. The ladies of honour were dressed in 
 similar robes, every one here being clad in green and 
 gold, — chamberlains, ministers, and indeed the whole 
 court from first to last. 
 
 After awhile we all repaired to the fore part of 
 the palace. The state carriages drove up in front. My 
 six-vdndowed carriage was the first, then came Dona 
 Francisca's, then Dona Januaria's, then the Emperor's. 
 In this order the procession started, accompanied by 
 a squadron of National Guards as an escort to the 
 Emperor, and many coiut carriages. On our arrival 
 at the spot where the ceremony of laying the stone 
 
STATE CEREMONY. 275 
 
 was to take place, the diplomatic corps, the clergy, the 
 naval and military officers of rank, the municipality, 
 etc. were abeady collected mider the tent. When the 
 Emperor appeared, a short religious service commenced. 
 His Majesty pointed to me a place on his right hand, 
 while his two sisters stood on his left according to 
 their age : this is the order invariably observed in all 
 ceremonies. The Bishop of Clu"ysopohs, his Majesty's 
 former tutor, consecrated the foundation-stone, which was 
 suspended from two elegant polyspasts ; the Emperor 
 himself laid it. 
 
 The procession retmiied slowly in the same order, but 
 considerably increased, to the city. The large Urubus 
 circled aloft overhead, and crowds of negro-slaves, with 
 here and there dark-coloiu-ed Indians dressed like Em-o- 
 ropeans, and the black drivers of the heavy oxen-waggons, 
 stared at and greeted the procession of carriages. With 
 European pomp it proceeded on its way, under a bmniing 
 sun and enveloped in thick clouds of dust, passing clear 
 rivulets, in which stood clumsy half-naked female slaves 
 busy washing, slender palms, large-leaved bananas, trees 
 with red flowers, marvellous exotic plants and lovely 
 wooded hills. 
 
 The streets of Rio were filled with people ; at all the 
 corners were gathered groups of black slaves, to greet 
 the Emperor; all shades of colour were here seen col- 
 lected, from the negro and mulatto to the half-brown 
 or white dandy. Out of the windows and over the 
 half-doors at the entrance of the houses, hung crimson 
 silk shawls, and over these generally smaller ones of 
 
 T 2 
 
276 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 white stuff. In the background stood smart fat mu- 
 latto women, black nm-semaids, and the elegant white 
 ladies of Rio, who for the most part appear to be very 
 kindly treated by natm^e. Black hair and eyes pre- 
 dominate, but here and there the fair complexion had a 
 somewhat equivocal, almost brownish tint. 
 
 Several battalions of the National Guard were drawn 
 up on the Campo de Santa Anna, and presented arms, 
 whilst the music played. Whites, mulattoes, and free 
 negroes stood promiscuously in rows. At length we 
 reached the Quay : all the merchantmen, coasters and 
 men-of-war in the roadstead were drest out mth flags. 
 The procession stopped before the palace, on the Largo 
 do Pa CO, the square with the obelisk fountain. In the 
 vestibule was a throng of gentlemen of the court, cham- 
 berlains, and archeiros (archer-guards) clad in green 
 and gold, with tall halberds, to receive the Emperor. 
 We all went up into an apartment with light-blue de- 
 corations, from the balcony of which is the finest view 
 of the roadstead. Among the numerous streamers float- 
 ing in the breeze, I observed with a feeling of joy the 
 Prussian flag. 
 
 After a short pause the Emperor went to Mass. The 
 way to the royal chapel led through several saloons and 
 long corridors. The Brazilian flags worked in cloth, 
 or rather green cloth hangings embroidered with the 
 Brazilian arms in the old Portuguese fashion, serve 
 here, as at S. Christovao, for door-curtains. In general 
 the apartments of the imperial palace are decorated in 
 a simple style. In former times this building was the 
 
SERVICE IN THE ROYAL CHAPEL. 277 
 
 seat of the Portuguese viceroys ; the Emperor now only 
 hves in it for a short time, as his chief residence is S. 
 Christovao. 
 
 On entering the church I received a hint to follow 
 the Princesses to the tribune on the right side. The 
 box was closed with a crimson silk cm'tain, which w^as 
 immediately undra^vn, when the two exalted ladies had 
 placed themselves behind their kneeling -cushions. At 
 the same time the Emperor, followed by the whole court, 
 entered the church, knelt before the altar, and then 
 took his place under the canopy opposite to his sisters. 
 The Bishop of Chrysopolis performed Mass, with the 
 accompaniment of vocal and instrumental music : when 
 it was ended, the procession returned the same way to 
 the throne-room. The Emperor approached the window. 
 The National Guards were drawn up in front of the 
 palace ; they were formed into appropriate bodies, and 
 had a field-train of six guns of different calibres. The 
 Emperor was received with the usual honours, amidst 
 shouts of "Viva o Imperador!" Presently I heard, to 
 my no small astonishment, a well-known sound, — our 
 signal to charge, upon which salvos were fired by three 
 battalions of infantry and twenty-one guns from the 
 battery. After each of the volleys the Emperor gave 
 the sign with a handkerchief to stop firing. 
 
 The uniforms of the infantry have a similar cut to those 
 of the English riflemen ; they are dark-blue with light- 
 green half-collars and turned up with yellow, the tscha- 
 kos and muskets are quite English : the officers also wear 
 dark-red silk sashes. The cavalry and artillery of the 
 
278 . RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 National Guard are clad in the same colours, but the 
 artillery of the line have black collars with crimson fa- 
 cings. The National Guards looked very well, and, re- 
 garded as a militia, displayed a creditable military de- 
 portment and a fair share of discipline. They performed 
 garrison duty at this time in Rio de Janeiro, the metro- 
 polis being almost deserted by the troops of the line, 
 who were just now concentrated in the provinces of 
 Minas and Rio Grande do Sul, to suppress the insurrec- 
 tion which had broken out there. I had also today an 
 opportunity of offering to the Emperor my congratula- 
 tions upon a victory which the arms of his Majesty had 
 just obtained in Minas under General Baron Caxias, the 
 consequences of which were soon decisive. 
 
 The troops defiled before the palace in detachments, 
 and thus ended this short review. Cannoniers — almost 
 all whites — drew the guns instead of horses, eight to 
 twelve men being harnessed to each. When the troops 
 had passed, the Emperor left the window and took his 
 place with his two sisters on the top step under the 
 green velvet throne-canopy, whilst the Court ranged 
 themselves on each side ; the English Ambassador pre- 
 sented the new Governor of the Mamitius, General Sir 
 William Gomm, whose acquaintance I had made in 
 Madeira. Mr. Hamilton afterwards appeared, at the 
 head of the diplomatic corps, and read the address to the 
 Emperor in the name of that body, congratulating his 
 Majesty on the anniversary of this important day. After 
 the Emperor had retiu-ned an answer to the address, the 
 diplomatic corps retired, walking backwards to the door, 
 
RECEPTION AT COURT. 279 
 
 as is the custom likewise in England. The military and 
 civil authorities now advanced in different corps, to kiss 
 hands, and it had a most strange appearance, when an 
 old negro officer (kno'wn in Rio by the name of " Bona- 
 parte ") and several mulattos kissed the white hands of 
 the Princesses. Lastly were presented a numerous de- 
 putation from a scientific society. 
 
 As soon as this ceremony — rather a fatiguing one 
 under such a tropical heat — was ended, the Emperor 
 went back to the light-blue apartment. Here we sepa- 
 rated for half an hour, after which the Court assembled 
 again at dinner. One interesting thing I remarked at 
 this dinner, that the ice had been brought from North 
 America, and consequently had passed the line. But 
 a short time ago this luxury, doubly salubrious and 
 refreshing in a hot climate, was unknown here, the 
 North American ice having been imported only within 
 the last four or five years. 
 
 On my retm^n from the city to my country villa I 
 passed a spring, at which the negroes with their pails 
 and pitchers stood ranged in two rows under the inspec- 
 tion of the police. The reason of this regulation was 
 said to be that at this time there was a scarcity of water 
 in the city. 
 
 At eight o'clock in the evening I repaired to the large 
 Theatro de S. Pedro de Alcantara, where the Emperor 
 was expected. As soon as his Majesty arrived, and had 
 taken his place on the platform set apart for the seats 
 of the Imperial Eamily, his sisters standing on his left 
 hand, the curtain of the box was undrawn, and the band 
 
280 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 struck up the national hymn amid loud acclamations. 
 Hardly were these silenced, when a gentleman in a black 
 dress-coat leaned out of his box, and recited aloud to 
 the Emperor with great animation a poem upon the 
 festival that had taken place this day; four others fol- 
 lowed his example, some of whom seemed to have 
 learned their task by heart imperfectly : at last one of 
 the National Guards declaimed his poetical effusion from 
 the upper circle : the overture then began. At the con- 
 clusion of the first part the Emperor sat down, and 
 when it was ended his Majesty retired with all the Com-t 
 into a small anteroom for conversation, the Princesses 
 going to and fro from one to the other. The Emperor 
 did not return to his box until the ballet, at the con- 
 clusion of the performance, when he resumed his 
 place upon the platform. The house is spacious and 
 well-lighted, but the ballet did not please me much. 
 I must not however omit to notice one amusing sport 
 of natui'e in the ballet corps, — several mulatto ladies 
 with white, flesh-coloured legs, and one man with 
 a long tunic which gave him all the air of a clumsy 
 woman. 
 
 Sepiemher %th. — This morning at ten o'clock the 
 Emperor surprized me with a gracious visit, and re- 
 mained for an hour and half, most of the time in the ve- 
 randah, conversing in a very affable manner on a variety 
 of subjects. His Majesty also presented to me in the 
 kindest manner two very pretty Daguerreotype views of 
 S. Chris tovao, taken by a foreign artist, which he had 
 mentioned to me yesterday. The Emperor has himself 
 
VISIT FROM THE EMPEROR. 281 
 
 made many experiments witli the Daguerreotype, and 
 expressed his opinion that chance has a great share 
 in this process, in which I quite concm" : I have myself 
 taken great pains to produce something Avith the Da- 
 guerreotype, but in vain. Count Oriolla made the last 
 attempt with my apparatus in the Alhambra, but he 
 entirely failed, as a part of the quicksilver had, by the 
 jolting of the Malaga diligence, been spilled upon the 
 plates. 
 
 Today I experienced the first instance of the idleness 
 and negligence of the negroes. A black was despatched 
 to the ' San Michele' before eight o'clock, to announce 
 that I should be happy to receive at two o'clock on 
 board the frigate the Officers of the British squadron, 
 who had sent to intimate their desire to call on me. 
 When I arrived on board, shortly before the appointed 
 time, I found that the messenger had preceded me 
 scarcely a quarter of an hoiu". The utmost time that 
 could be required for this errand was from two to three 
 hours, whereas he had been gone at least five. One 
 great cause of this laziness lies in the irresistible at- 
 traction of the " Vendas cle Caxaca" (spirit-shops) to all 
 blacks. We shall hereafter see how other points of the 
 negro's character likewise conduce to give him this 
 slothful habitude. 
 
 Notwithstanding such a late invitation the English Of- 
 ficers soon paid a visit to the Frigate. On this occasion 
 Commodore Purvis had the kindness to offer me the ser- 
 vice of the steamship the ' Growler ' for my voyage to Para, 
 knowing that it was my intention to visit that province. 
 
282 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 The offer was in every respect welcome to me, and I 
 hailed -with pleasure this first opportmiity of availing 
 myself of the service of a British man-of-war, the English 
 Admiralty having shown me so many instances of com-- 
 tesy, which I had been hitherto prevented by cuTum- 
 stances from accepting. Among the rest, the ' Malabar,' 
 of seventy-two guns, had received instructions on her 
 departm-e from England to place herself at my service 
 in case she fell in with me at Madeii-a, as likewise the 
 ' Talbot' of twenty-six guns. I had the pleasure today 
 of making the acquaintance, among the other Officers, 
 of the Captain of the ' Malabar,' Sir George Sartorius, 
 Dona Maria's victorious adnmal. They were all full of 
 a comical scene which occmTed yesterday. "Whilst the 
 ' San Michele' and the ' Satelhte' were awaiting in the 
 roadstead of La Santa Cruz de Teneriffa my retiurn from 
 the Peak, an English frigate, which had likewise come 
 from Eunchal, passed them : she was celebrated as a 
 fast sailer in the fleet, and had jestingly inquired of the 
 corvette whether she had any commands for Rio. The 
 Captain of the frigate, in the expectation of meeting a 
 quartering wind south of the Equator, and thence to be 
 carried with a flowing-sheet to Cabo Erio, held his com'se 
 so far east on the northern hemisphere, that he reached 
 11° longitude west of Greenwich, whilst we cut the line 
 in 24° 57' 36". Yesterday, when the important moment 
 arrived of entering the Bay, and aU the telescopes on 
 board the British cruiser were in activity, the officer 
 on watch suddenly announced that he descried the Sar- 
 dinian frigate among the men-of-war lying in the roads. 
 
VISIT FROM ENGLISH OFFICERS. 283 
 
 At this news the Captain put on a serious face ; pre- 
 sently a second gratifying announcement was made, — 
 the ' Satelhte' was Hkewise seen anchored off Rio, — he 
 could restrain himself no longer, and the storm broke 
 out. It was disheartening to see himself so out in his 
 reckoning, and yet highly amusing to the bystanders. 
 He who attempts too much, often attains nothing — and 
 so it is with the trade-wind, which sometimes leaves the 
 sailor in the lurch. 
 
 I retm-ned to the Mangueira full of delight at this 
 settled prospect for my projected expedition to the Hio 
 das Amazonas. Had it not been for the ' Growler,' I 
 should have had to regulate my plans by the times of 
 departm'e of the Brazilian steamer, which since 1839 
 had sailed monthly for Para, and should have been 
 obliged to spend fom* weeks on board the packet, in- 
 stead of, as now, making the voyage in about a fortnight 
 in the most interesting manner, and being consequently 
 enabled to give the rest of the time to my river expedi- 
 tion : this was an important consideration. 
 
 September ^th. — I availed myself of a bright, cool 
 morning to take a short walk to that paradise of a spot 
 Botafogo, and was in perfect delight with the glorious 
 aspect of natm'e and the variety of exotic trees and 
 plants in the gardens. In the afternoon I walked with 
 Mr. Theremin into the narrow valley behind the " red 
 tree," called Laranjeiras, which extends to the foot of 
 the Corcovado. The Rio das Laranjeii'as, a brook 
 in which a number of negresses were washing linen 
 under thick groups of bananas, — the little village of 
 
284 " RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 Cosmo Velho, with its pretty houses shaded by high 
 trees, together with the thick woods on the acchvi- 
 ties intermixed with tall stems, the type even here of 
 the primaeval forests, — render Laranjeiras a charming 
 walk. In this valley I learned much that was new to 
 me : here I saw for the first time one of the troops of 
 little brown ants, which issuing from a house in the 
 road, pursued its way in a straight line across the path. 
 AVliat a busy throng — what restless activity ! The little 
 animals, heavily laden, formed different streams, running 
 parallel in opposite directions : it is enough to make one 
 giddy to look long at them. Each ant is dragging some- 
 thing — not one is idle ; and thus they go straight on, 
 tlnrough or over whatever lies in their path. The little 
 white ants or Termites, here called Cupim, are more 
 mischievous ; dming my absence of three weeks from 
 the Mangueira, they made their way into my chest of 
 drawers, through the greater part of my linen — and 
 luckily out again — so that I could distinctly trace their 
 path. 
 
 At the entrance of the valley, beside the first detached 
 houses, stand some tall trees, spreading their branches 
 and vaulted crowns (formed, not of leaves, but of yellow 
 blossoms) high over the shrubs and bushes growing 
 on the edge of the little green meadow. Here I saw 
 the fijst Cadeirinha, the old-fashioned palanquin, borne 
 past by negroes. My guide showed me the first Orchi- 
 deae and the ananas-like Tillandsias, growing up aloft on 
 the branches of the large trees, or appearing to sprout 
 from their trunk. On the deep bed of the Rio das 
 
VALLEY OF LARANJEIRAS. 285 
 
 Laranjeiras, the rivulet which runs through the valley, 
 I observed another strange and fantastic object, — a 
 long, hairy-looking trunk, stretching its huge branches 
 over the stream, from which hung down a kind of Til- 
 landsia in long tufts like horses' tails. Other trees bore 
 bunches of a sort of w^oolly beard-moss on their branches. 
 On the edge of the primseval forests of the Corcovado 
 was seen here and there brilliant silvery foliage inter- 
 mingled Avith the green, which reminded me involuntarily 
 of the " patriarch with the silver beard," that venerable 
 trunk with its silvery roof of foliage and beard floating 
 in the wind, beneath whose shade fearfid scenes of mur- 
 der were perpetrated, which I had read of in an exciting- 
 story during an illness last winter, and which often 
 haunted me when suffering from attacks of fever. There 
 are likewise palms here, and, as the name of the valley 
 indicates, orange-trees, which are called in Portuguese 
 Laranjeiras. 
 
 We extended our walk a little further, beyond the cha- 
 lybeate spring at the end of Laranjeiras, called " Aguas 
 ferreas" — the usual object of attraction to the inhabitants 
 of Rio in their walks -. on our return, the cicadas, those 
 dear little creatures, which seem to be particularly in 
 voice at night, filled the air with their noise, and dark- 
 ness set in ere we reached the Mangueira. 
 
 Septemher 10///. — This morning I and my guide were 
 early in our saddles ; following the line of subm^bs, we 
 rode along the strand to the commencement of the city, 
 the most charming spot on the whole shore of Rio : then, 
 leaving on our right the lovely hill of the Gloria with 
 
286 ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 its little church, its splendid palms and bananas — an 
 exquisite scene, which must be witnessed to be conceived 
 credible — we passed under Santa Theresa, the other hill 
 on the left, with its clim^ch, visible from afar, up to the 
 " Aqueducto." 
 
 We now arrived at the heights, where the double 
 row of arches of the aqueduct is rooted in the moun- 
 tains, and came to a footpath, following the low wall 
 which conducts the water down from the mountains 
 to the antique-looking aqueduct. The prospect over 
 the bay, the view of Rio, with its subm*bs of Mata- 
 cavallos and Rio Comprido far below in the charm- 
 ing valleys on the acclivities of the Corcovado, and 
 lastly the wide, smiling plain of S. Christovao at om' 
 feet, formed a pictm'e which no words can describe. 
 And what vegetation surrounded us on this excursion, 
 — numbers of the finest palms, ]\Iimosas, Mamoeiras, 
 and innumerable species of trees wholly new to us ! 
 One tree in particular, of frequent occmTence, was 
 remarkable for its beauty, with dark-green foliage and 
 blue blossoms, like the periwinkle, only passing rather 
 more into lilac. It is strange how often we meet with 
 trees here which have so exactly the form of pines as 
 to be indistinguishable from them, until on approach- 
 ing them we perceive that they have no needles. All 
 around Rio the trees present a thick mass of foliage, 
 excepting the North American pine, which is seen in 
 many places. Such a variety of green is never found 
 together in Em'ope. 
 
 The path led gradually into the thicket, and we looked 
 
EXCURSION TO LARANJEIRAS. 287 
 
 down tlie steep declivity on the left in the direction of 
 Laranjeiras. Masses of lianas hung from the branches, 
 and interlaced the trees so closely that the forest was 
 often impenetrable, while the underwood by the wayside 
 shut out all prospect like a wall. Here and there a 
 colossal Tillandsia peeped out of the thickly tangled 
 bushes, its heavy, pointed leaves hanging far down, not 
 like the leaves of a pine-apple, but those of an aloe. 
 When at length the view opened on to the valley, I was 
 astonished at the gigantic stems of the trees, which rose 
 up to us straight as a taper, their hght vaulted crowns 
 reaching to the elevation at which we stood. The 
 aqueduct terminates in the midst of this impervious 
 thicket, at a shelf of rock from which the fresh spring 
 gushes. Beautiful, large butterflies of various colom^s 
 were flying about. The path, on which the horses 
 continually slipped, now led down to the first houses of 
 Laranjeiras, tlirough a thick shrubbery of exotics, which 
 enveloped us in a delicious perfume as if stepping 
 into a hothouse, whilst the gigantic yellow crowns of 
 the trees at the entrance of the valley looked like old 
 acquaintances. 
 
 I took a luncheon at home, and then mounting 
 Theremin's horse (for mine seemed to have done work 
 enough for the clay) I galloped toward Botafogo. Early 
 in the morning there had been a considerable mist, 
 which had gradually increased; but so many new and 
 strange objects by the roadside were continually at- 
 tracting my attention, that I could well dispense with 
 the pleasure of an extensive prospect ; a walk or ride 
 
288 • RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 into the open air always repays itself. Following the 
 semicircle of this little hamlet, my way led romid the 
 small bay, and then off to the right along the straight 
 road lined with houses, the Rua de S. Clemente, until 
 on arriving at the " Lagoa" I slackened my pace. Some 
 groups of houses, shaded by palms and thick foliage, 
 reflected in the little lake, presented lovely pictm^es. 
 Without perceiving it I rode past the Botanic Garden, 
 and came to a marshy tract, where a pleasurable sur- 
 prize awaited me. Isolated groups of reeds twenty 
 to thirty feet in circumference rose from the meadow, 
 like sheaves of lances thii-ty to forty feet in height, and 
 each only a few inches thick, whose waving elastic 
 tops moved to and fro "\\dth indescribable grace. Al- 
 though their little stems stood so closely pressed toge- 
 ther as scarcely to admit a hand between them, yet the 
 fans of single palms rose here and there out of the 
 compact labyrinth, bending in graceful arches. Amidst 
 these sheaves, whose tops sometimes touched and formed 
 a kind of arbour, were seen by turns the smooth surface 
 of the Laguna and the picturesque Corcovado rising 
 above it. Thus then for the first time I saw the bam- 
 boo — without recognizing it : let every one who wishes 
 to travel, study botany ! 
 
 From the Lagoa de Rocbigo de Freitas I rode, tm^ning 
 to the right, tlu'ough a lovely valley ascending up to the 
 w^ooded heights, a high rock skirting the road for some 
 distance. I passed some farm-houses lying scattered in 
 the thicket, and detached clay cottages, similar to those 
 I had seen this morning : they are here called " Cazas 
 
ENVIRONS OF RIO. 289 
 
 de pao a pique." The wooden framework in the clay 
 walls is formed of small beams, about a foot square. 
 Wooded hills rise at the side, and close to the road 
 are fewer tall trees and more copse; the trees I had 
 seen in the morning with the periwinkle-like blossoms 
 occmTed again frequently, but in the form of tall shrubs. 
 Passing two lonely houses I reached the top of the 
 ridge, and looked down on the other side upon the sea 
 and the liills which extend to the small plain on the 
 sandy shore. I afterwards heard that this point is 
 named Boa Vista. 
 
 I descended and crossed the plain. Thick bushes in- 
 terspersed with trees hned the roadside, with here and 
 there a house smTOunded by coffee-plantations. At the 
 aqueduct this morning I had fu^st tasted red coffee-ber- 
 ries. In the distance before me the mountain, descend- 
 ing steeply toward the sea, approached the coast, whilst 
 on the left was distinctly heard the sound of the waves 
 upon the shore. I stopped at a cottage and inquired 
 v/hither the road led. " To Dom Luiz rrancez," was the 
 reply, my informant pointing to a house or farm upon a 
 rounded height, in the middle of the wood, a kind of 
 terrace on the mountains risino; above the sea. I soon 
 reached the foot of this hill, and ascended its steep side. 
 The house before me, sm'mounting some shelves of rock 
 overgrown Avith Agave Americana, which disappeared be- 
 low in a small group of bananas, — the tall leafy trees 
 and splendid palms on the acclivity, and far beneath the 
 green expanse of sea, into which projected a tongue of 
 land, with some small islets in the distance, — all com- 
 
 VOL. I. u 
 
290 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 binecl to form a charming pictm^e, which was neverthe- 
 less far surpassed by the scene that lay before me when, 
 on passing the farm and follomng the bend of the hill 
 to the right, the path emerged from a small banana- 
 grove interspersed with rocks. A second farm, sur- 
 romided with luxmiant vegetation, crowmed the hill, 
 which covered with noble woods (just such as I had 
 pictured to myself the primseval forests) descended 
 steeply on the left before me, projecting into the sea 
 with a kind of headland, — a picturesque palm-hill, be- 
 yond which was seen another similar one in the di- 
 stance. 
 
 I rode up to the neat little cottage, at the door of 
 which a lady was sitting : a black cloud hung over it, 
 coming from the hills at the back. The lady in vain 
 tried to understand the questions which I put to her 
 in broken Portuguese. At last a little negress made 
 out what I said, and told me in reply that I was at the 
 residence of Dom Luiz Prancez, whereupon recovering 
 breath I continued the conversation in French. The 
 fair dame answered my questions with great fluency in 
 a long and well-turned speech, the purport of which was 
 in brief, that this house was situated close under the 
 gigantic wall of the Gavia, which was concealed from 
 view by the dark clouds. It was clear therefore that I 
 was on the way to the " Lagoa da Tijuca," and stand- 
 ing under the head of the " Giant." Resisting with 
 difficulty the alluring charms of this beautiful and wild 
 scenery, I now turned round and took the road home- 
 ward, having received a gracious invitation from the 
 
CHARACTER OF THE NEGROES. 291 
 
 Emperor to attend the French theatre this evenmg at 
 half-past six o'clock. 
 
 The clouds gradually lowered, and the rain soon fell 
 in torrents ; it may be imagined that my linen sailor's 
 jacket could not long resist such drenching wet. A 
 beautiful bird of a light-blue colour flew over my head, 
 apparently too large for a Colibri. On the road I met a 
 person wrapped in a dark Macintosh cloak, mounted 
 on a mule, and presently after a number of negroes dri- 
 ving strings of mules, or carrying small burdens on their 
 head. The red clay soil was slippery from the rain, 
 and I therefore led my horse over the hill, amusing 
 myself with Avatching the negroes as they passed me 
 on the road, and observing their imperturbable good- 
 humom'. 
 
 What a curious race are these negroes ! when walking 
 alone, they talk to themselves, or laugh aloud, whistle 
 or sing. Singing seems to be their great pleasm'e, but 
 without melody. The Black (in Portuguese " o Preto") 
 is always cheerful, and his tongue is incessantly in mo- 
 tion. His soliloquy generally relates to his master and 
 himself, and he often invents a lively conversation, in 
 which the master is introduced as a speaker, scolding his 
 slave, whilst the latter defends himself. When two ne- 
 groes meet, the conversation or a silly laugh begins 
 at a hundred paces' distance. A black seldom passes 
 another without speaking, and they always rack their 
 brains to talk in Portuguese ; this habit indeed is carried 
 so far, that not even in their soliloquies do they speak 
 their native tongue. The slaves are forbidden by their 
 
 u 2 
 
292 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 masters to talk to one another anything but Portuguese, 
 pEirtly that they may the sooner learn the language of 
 the country, but partly also to prevent their holding any 
 secret intercourse in their presence. The figm-es of the 
 negroes are often handsome, and in general strongly 
 built ; their faces, on the contrary, are almost always 
 ugly, especially those of the women. 
 
 I retm^ned to the Mangueua shortly before dark, 
 and drove at once to the theatre. The Emperor and the 
 Princesses took then- places, as before, in the box behind 
 the green cm'tain. A^'Tien the cm'tain was undrawn the 
 overtm'e began, and the Com-t were not seated mitil the 
 conclusion of the first part. The performances were 
 " Le Chevaher du Guet" and "Lousiette"; the actors 
 did not appear to be at all remarkable, and the decora- 
 tions were in the highest degree amusing, the scenes 
 being laid in the Boulevards at Paris, under the shade 
 of the most splendid palm-trees and bananas, so that 
 the inhabitants of Rio must have carried away a very 
 correct notion of the Prench metropolis ! The Theatro 
 de S. Januario is smaller than the Portuguese theatre, 
 which I had before \dsited ; this evening the festival of 
 the 7th of September was celebrated, and the boxes 
 were hung mth di-apery of different colours ; the house 
 was also brilliantly lighted with wax-candles in bell- 
 glasses. 
 
 September 14///. — Another rainy day ; but we had not 
 yet witnessed the real heavy tropical rain. This morn- 
 ing, while standing at the window Avith Count Bismark, 
 I saw the fii'st Colibris, flying about under the roof, and 
 
EXCURSION INTO THE FORESTS. 293 
 
 humming like wasps. To my great regret the projected 
 party to the Tijiica, to which the Emperor had invited 
 me for this day, came to nothing. All that I heard had 
 led me to form great expectations of the excm^sion : the 
 Princesses and the whole Court were to go on horse- 
 back ; we were to appear in thi'ee-cornered uniform hats 
 and dress-coats, and I was also to be decorated with my 
 new Order, and in this costume to enter the solemn 
 precincts of the primseval forests for the first time ! The 
 rain had cooled the air pleasantly : only the first few 
 days I spent in Rio had been really hot, but even then 
 the air Avas not so oppressive as in Malta, Gibraltar, 
 Seville, and above all as in the vicinity of the coast of 
 Africa. 
 
 September I'otJi. — This evening I was tempted to go 
 abroad, in spite of the bad weather. As soon as a 
 stranger sets foot over the threshold, objects of attrac- 
 tion appear on every side : all is new to him, he be- 
 comes quite like a child, and wants to see everything 
 at once : with eager cm^iosity he penetrates into the 
 thicket, where a net of lianas envelopes him, like a 
 fly in a spider's web. These he has to tread down 
 underfoot, for it is impossible to clear a way with his 
 hands ; he grasps at once ten or twelve of these little 
 stalks, the thickness of a finger, and slender creepers 
 hke iron-wire, of all possible forms, colom^s and species, 
 but with all his strength it is impossible to break 
 them. 
 
 This morning, for the first time during several days, I 
 ascended the hill behind the Mangueira, and penetrated 
 
294 ■ RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 resolutely into the thicket, turning, twisting and stoop- 
 ing as well as I could, and at last creeping on all fours, 
 scratched and lacerated by the thorns. There was life 
 and movement all around ; ants and every species of dis- 
 agreeable creeping things seemed here indigenous, and in- 
 numerable cicadas chirped on every side. I saw nothing 
 more, — even the tall Tillandsias, which looked down like 
 giants from the short, withered stumps, as if enticing 
 me into this tangled wilderness, were now indifferent to 
 me ; I had one thought alone, how to get out again. 
 In vain I looked around — there was no path, no outlet, 
 but on every side a thick wall of lianas ; I could not see 
 twenty steps before me. All at once a thought struck 
 me, — I worked my way up on to the tops of the bushes ; 
 some gave way under me, but at last perseverance 
 triumphed ; I saw the sky overhead, and around me a 
 sea of tops of the thickest bushes, while, before and be- 
 hind, this dense labyrinth of foliage descended to the 
 bay of Botafogo. I was not far from the declivity. To 
 prevent my sinking I lay down flat, stretching out my 
 arms and legs, as if in the act of swimming, and thus 
 distributing the weight of my body over a larger surface 
 of bushes. This plan succeeded ;' but a mere recum- 
 bent position would not help me much, — to reach Bo- 
 tafogo, I must move onwards ; this I attempted in a 
 swimming fashion, and with admirable success ! Occa- 
 sionally I fell rather roughly among the bushes, thorns, 
 and stones, and had to work my way up again to the 
 top, when lying down I continued my descent, until at 
 length I reached the foot of the declivity and felt the 
 
ENVIRONS OF RIO. 295 
 
 ground once more under my feet : after about half an 
 hom-'s hard work, I arrived safe and sound at the gar- 
 dens of Botafogo, arranged my di-ess as well as I could, 
 and then set out homeward m high spirits. 
 
 This evening I took my way up the hill, which rises 
 above the banana valley on the north, and which I had 
 constantly in sight from my sleeping-room. At first I 
 followed a slippery footpath, and had afterwards to make 
 my way as well as I could, climbing from one side to 
 another. It rained : numbers of buds were flying about 
 in the wet thicket, and shrill notes, such as I never be- 
 fore heard, resounded on every side. A complete botanic 
 garden siuTounded me, with an infinite variety of plants 
 and shrubs, of which we in om' northern climes can form 
 no conception : it seemed just as if some scientific pro- 
 fessor had for years laboured to discover all the various 
 species of plants and to collect them into one spot, in 
 order to present the vegetation of the tropics to the eyes 
 of his audience, for not two shrubs or trees were alike. 
 Upon one prostrate trunk adhered a number of large 
 snails, full half a foot in diameter. When I at length 
 reached the crest of the hill, the view well rewarded the 
 toil of the ascent. In the open spaces between enormous 
 palm-fans I saw, on one side, the entrance of the bay of 
 Rio and the small bay of Botafogo, — on the other, deep 
 below me, Rio de Janeiro, with its subm'bs stretching 
 into the valleys at my feet, and the rest of the bay with 
 the Ilha do Governador and the men-of-war in the road- 
 stead. 
 
 September \^t]i. — It was a clear and splendid morn- 
 
296 ■ RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 ing, and we rode to the city as early as eight o'clock. 
 From our tall " Minas-boots" it might be seen, and truly, 
 that we had today no trifling excursion in view ; a ride 
 of eleven leagues to Santa Cruz was projected, to visit 
 an estate or fazenda belonging to the Emperor, west of 
 the metropolis. 
 
 We passed the Gloria, cast a glance on the roadstead 
 with its shipping, then proceeded under Santa Thereza, 
 through the lofty arches of the aqueduct, and so com- 
 pletely round Rio de Janeiro. What a glorious ride ! The 
 most luxuriant vegetation, splendid palms, dark mangos, 
 and bananas of the freshest green, grow close up to 
 the houses. We traversed the suburbs of Matacavallos, 
 Catumby and Mataporcos, charmingly situated at the 
 foot of wooded hills, and partly in the small side val- 
 leys and ravines of the mountains, and, after stopping 
 at some picturesque fountains to water the horses, again 
 proceeded. 
 
 As soon as the city is passed, the view extends over a 
 wide plain, on the edge of which stands Rio, — a plain 
 encompassed on the south and west by the mountain- 
 chain reaching from the Corcovado up to the graceful 
 horns of the Tijuca, and expanding toward the Bay of 
 Rio on the east and north. In clear weather, as today, 
 the blue misty Orgaos mountains are seen in their full 
 extent in the north and north-east, over the furthest 
 corner of this lake-like bay. In the wide plain rise 
 single, green, wooded hills, and among others the hill 
 already mentioned in the vicinity of the city, which 
 stretches out to the bay, and descends to the road of S. 
 
PLAIN OF S. CHRISTOVAO. 297 
 
 Christovao in a large, oblique shelf of granite, traversed 
 witli veins of white quartz. At the foot of the pictu- 
 resque mountain-chain, forming the noblest outlines, 
 rises the dark-brown rocky cone of Engenho Velho, 
 completely isolated and visible on all sides. Prom the 
 city up to the rock of Engenho Velho and S. Christo- 
 vao, gently rising above the misty plain, villas and coun- 
 try-seats are everywhere scattered among lovely gardens, 
 rich meadows and tall picturescpie groups of bananas. 
 Indeed the whole plain forms a single tropical garden, 
 intersected by the broad paved road which connects the 
 imperial palace with the city : this road however leads 
 still further — at least its continuation (for the proper ar- 
 tificial road soon ceases) extends to the gold-works and 
 diamond-washings of Minas, and through Santa Cruz 
 to the Campos of S. Paulo, so rich in herds. 
 
 We rode past the palace of S. Christovao, and through 
 the little place of the same name. Here we met the 
 first travellers from the interior, who, like om-selves, 
 wore " Minas-boots" — a fashion in riding which is very 
 common in this country. These boots are made of 
 brown, unblacked viado leather, and are di^awn half way 
 up the thigh, like the boots which play such an im- 
 portant part in the costume of Wallenstein on om' stage ; 
 they also tm'u down at pleasm^e, somewhat like the 
 Tm'kish cloth boots, or are plaited in folds, like the 
 boots of Cortez in the opera, from which they may 
 probably be derived, as well as the heavy military spurs 
 which the Brazilian wears, and the massy old-Spanish 
 bridle. 
 
298 * RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 At the last houses of the village were hung out blue 
 ponchos, with a scarlet lining, similar to those which 
 some of our party had pmxhased. The poncho is the 
 chief article of dress of the " Mineiro," — a simple cloak, 
 consisting of a large, square piece of cloth, with a round 
 hole in the centre for the head to go through. The Bra- 
 zilian is very skilful in putting on the poncho ; he throws 
 it picturesquely over one shoulder, or folds it over his 
 breast so that the arms (for there are no sleeves) re- 
 main uncovered, and the red lining appears outside, 
 which has a very pretty and peculiar look. This cloak 
 is light, offers a good protection against the rain, and for 
 this reason is very suitable for such a climate ; it is 
 easily packed and carried about, can serve for a bag 
 to contain clothes and other things, and frequently 
 during our travels furnished a warm blanket and a soft 
 pillow. The handsomest and richest ponchos are to be 
 had in Buenos Ayres. Outside the city all classes here 
 wear jackets, chiefly of linen, but also cloth ; a straw-hat 
 is the common covering for the head, and the Chili hat 
 of palm straw is the most valued. The Arrieiros fre- 
 quently wear a grey, broad-brimmed hat, with a low, 
 somewhat pointed crown ; they likewise occasionally 
 wear the " lasso," or long leather thong used in catching 
 horses and oxen, as a girdle round the waist. A traveller 
 is seldom without a shelter from sun and rain, " a sun- 
 umbrella" in the true sense of the word; this is an 
 essential part of his equipment. 
 
 After we had crossed the bushy heights behind S. 
 Christovao, the Tijuca lay close to us on the left : its 
 
TIJUCA AND OllGAOS MOUNTAINS. 299 
 
 form had gained in grace and variety of outline, the two 
 horns (" os dous Irmaos") rose higher, and the space 
 between them was more depressed. True primaeval 
 forests cover this mountain, the high stems forming so 
 many articulations in its noble outline. Before us on 
 the right, the blue range of the Orgaos mountains was 
 distinctly seen, — today for the first time perfectly clear 
 and cloudless. The rock formation on the eastern decli- 
 vity of the Serra dos Orgaos, which gives it this name, 
 is remarkably fantastic, resembling a row of organ-pipes 
 of different lengths. With the exception of this decli- 
 vity, the contour of the mountain forms a long, gently 
 rounded line. 
 
 At the bridge of Praya Pequena we saw some decked 
 boats, schooner-rigged, lying in the narrow stream of 
 Maracana, which empties into the bay or inlet called 
 the Bahia cle Inhaume near this spot. The road now 
 traversed a hilly plain for some distance, turning off be- 
 hind Venda Grande to the right over Nossa Senhora de 
 Iraja in the direction of Minas. We continued straight 
 on. The vegetation was rich and varied; on the heights 
 before us a row of palms rose high above the under- 
 wood, and single houses, or rather farms, were seen 
 on the slopes of the hills by the roadside, affording 
 very picturesque view^s, especially on the side of the 
 Tijuca. 
 
 These estates are not important enough to be called 
 fazendas, small mandioca or sugar and coffee plantings 
 only being occasionally seen in their vicinity, whereas 
 large plantations are inseparable from the idea of the 
 
300 ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 fazenda. For small farms, like these in tlie comitry 
 behind S. Christovao, the proper term is " Sitio," whilst 
 comitry -honses such as those in the vicinity of the city 
 are designated by the word " Chacara." 
 
 Behind the village of Pedregulho a tall copse-wood 
 skirts the road, intermingled with single trees. It is 
 difficult, as T have said, to form a conception of the im- 
 pervious closeness of such a thicket, interlaced with thou- 
 sands of lianas. To the trunks of the trees adhere large 
 Orchidese and Tillandsias as tall as a man, while all kinds 
 of long-hahed mosses float like transparent, round birds' 
 nests high upon the tops of some dead bush, or hang 
 down like horsetails or wigs from the branches. Here 
 and there are seen high up in the trees single red, lilac, 
 or yellow blossoms, and wild pine-apples with a red fruit 
 full of seed grow by the roadside. There were also nu- 
 merous slender palms in the thicket, and groups of that 
 small- palm, or large palm-like reed, with rows of prickles 
 encircling the stem-like black rings ; also enormous palm- 
 branches, with such short stems that they appear to 
 spring out of the earth or thicket. In many places large 
 leafy trees — their wide-spreading branches overgrown 
 with Orchideae — had quite the appearance of enormous 
 candelabra. The great variety of creepers, and the 
 graceful forms which they give to the bushes, are ex- 
 tremely attractive. The black, parrot-like Anu, the small, 
 yellow Bemtevi (which is continually repeating its own 
 name Bem-te-vi, i. e. " I saw you") and a species of 
 brown bird mth yellow wings, enlivened the thicket, 
 together with quantities of beautiful butterflies, among 
 
CLEARING IN THE FOREST. 301 
 
 which I again particularly noticed those of an iridescent 
 blue coloiu'. With the twittering of the birds was min- 
 gled the chirping of the cicadas. 
 
 A broad road is cut through the thicket, well-adapted 
 for riding on horseback, and which was formerly used 
 occasionally by the Emperor and the Princesses as a car- 
 riage-drive. Prom time to time we passed houses by 
 the roadside, generally surrounded by a small garden, 
 but seldom with any regular plantation, and occasionally 
 came to a spot where the thicket had been recently 
 bm-nt. AVhen a piece of land has to be brought into 
 cultivation, the first thing is to cut down the forest-trees 
 and burn their stumps ; the earth is then brought under 
 tillage, in a shorter or longer time according to the seed 
 that is sown. It is afterwards generally left for awhile 
 fallow, in order not to exhaust it, and during this time of 
 rest a young copsewood springs up, — the " Capueira," 
 or young forest, as contrasted with the virgin forest, 
 the " Mato virgem." The same process is afterwards 
 repeated, and thus all around Rio is seen this kind 
 of underwood, which has been burnt do^^m once or 
 oftener. Only the forests of the Tijuca and a part of 
 those of the Corcovado have escaped the fire, and retain 
 their original character. The Government watches over 
 their preservation, because these high-stemmed impene- 
 trable forests draw down the clouds upon the mountain- 
 tops, where arise the springs that supply Rio with water 
 for di'ink, and likewise because they shade the Aqueduct 
 along the greater part of its course with a cooling roof 
 of foliage. 
 
302 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 The road led gradually to a wide, open plain, skirted 
 on the left hand by high wooded hills, extending 
 from the Tijiica to the Serra Barata, which soon 
 came in sight. In front on the right i-ose the long 
 ridge of the Serra do Campo Grande, which is con- 
 nected on the west with the Serra dos Orgaos. Along 
 the whole road from S. Christovao we had passed nu- 
 merous strings of mules, driven by negroes, — the 
 "Tropas" which bring the merchandize from the in- 
 terior of Brazil to the coast. We also met travellers, as 
 might be expected t)n a road where every house is at 
 the same time an inn or venda. The sun's heat had gra- 
 dually increased, and Mr. Theremin was just remarking 
 that it was weather to bring out the serpents — a burn- 
 ing sun succeeding several days of rain — when we per- 
 ceived a slender, grass-green serpent almost three feet 
 long, of a perfectly harmless species, sunning itself in the 
 middle of the road ; as soon as the creatm^e perceived 
 us it glided away with the swiftness of an arrow. Before 
 arriving at the village of Campinho, nearly four leagues 
 distant from the city, the road runs under a rocky hill, 
 which, shaded by beautiful groups of palms, forms per- 
 haps the most picturesque spot between Rio and Santa 
 Cruz. 
 
 At twelve o'clock, under a bm^ning sun, we arrived 
 at Campo Grande, a large village about half-way to 
 Santa Cruz, where Ave turned in at the venda of " As 
 Creolas or Brizida," five leagues and a half from Rio. It 
 had an open verandah, like aU the houses on this road, 
 and only a single story. We were shown into an apart- 
 
VILLAGE OF CAMPO GRANDE. 803 
 
 ment, in which stood some slender bedsteads, with straw 
 mats, esteiras, and upon them mattresses and pillows. 
 Although these comforts are not found in every Brazilian 
 venda, yet the bedsteads and esteira are scarcely ever 
 missing. The dinner was very good, with no lack even of 
 bread, which is seldom met with at a few leagues di- 
 stance from Rio, the mandioca-flom*, farinha, being eaten 
 with everything instead : I tried this today for the first 
 time, but could hardly get it down ; on the contrary, the 
 dried " goyabacla" tasted excellent. 
 
 The situation of Campo Grande, on a broad plain be- 
 tween the Serra of the same name and that of Barata, 
 is very pleasing; but at a short distance behind this 
 place the country is still far prettier, three high, 
 wooded hills advancing in front of the Serra do Campo 
 Grande, but without concealing it. The road now 
 again led through tall underwood, intermixed with 
 beautiful trees : on the left lay the mansion and 
 estate of Lieutenant-Colonel Bangu, where the Em- 
 peror usually sleeps. Large pools of rain-water had 
 formed in the road, and the brooks which crossed it 
 were swollen. In passing one of these streams, we 
 met an elegant, fair-featured lady on horseback, with a 
 groom behind her. To the right and left paths led 
 into the thicket, and it was evident that all this land 
 belonged to some large estate. Presently after we saw 
 another considerable fazenda, with extensive sugar- and 
 coffee-plantations, and meadows, upon which herds of 
 cattle were grazing : the name of this place was " Casa 
 Viega." 
 
304 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 At Santissimo, an insignificant village consisting of a 
 few houses, among wliicli the church stood prominent 
 upon a small hiU, the view extends more widely over the 
 valley. The splendid Agave Americana, with its straight, 
 narrow gladiate leaves, forms bushes by the roadside, so 
 high that a man on horseback can conceal himself be- 
 hind them. Near the church is a small fort for two 
 guns, which serve to announce the arrival of the Em- 
 peror, when he travels to Santa Cruz ; a flagstaff stands 
 by the side. 
 
 On approaching' the little village of S. Antonio, 
 whose church likewise crowns a rising ground, the 
 country appeared to me prettier than any we had passed 
 through. Here we came to the first rancho, a large shed 
 for the accommodation of the Tropas : under it were a 
 number of saddles, and the mules, fastened up to posts, 
 bivouacked on the wide road. We saw something similar, 
 but on a larger scale, soon afterwards at Curral Palso, 
 where the steward received me at the entrance-gate of 
 the imperial domain, the Fazenda de Santa Cruz. He 
 conducted me in the twilight through a beautiful avenue 
 half a mile long, and over several bridges, to the pa- 
 lace, the approach to which is a very wide road lined 
 with single-storied houses, and joining the end of the 
 avenue. 
 
 This is the negro-village, in which live the greater part 
 of the 1700 imperial slaves who belong to this estate. 
 All the young blacks were on their legs. I was con- 
 ducted through the spacious rooms of this (for Brazil) 
 grand palace, to the apartments prepared for me, where 
 
IMPERIAL FAZENDA. 305 
 
 an excellent dinner awaited us. This castle was built 
 by the Jesuits, who retained possession of it, together 
 with the extensive lands attached, until tlieii" expulsion 
 from the country, when it was seized by the Cro^Aii, 
 Before retiring to rest, I cast a glance out of my window 
 upon the meadows : the night was not dark. It gives 
 a strange feeling to gaze thus on the limit of civiliza- 
 tion, — of the immense uncultivated continent of South 
 America ; a journey of a few days, nay even of a few 
 miles, into the interior, and how changed must be the 
 aspect of hfe and nature, how different to the scene 
 which here surrounded me, — here, on the threshold of 
 an interminable wilderness ! 
 
 September Yith. — On going to the window this morn- 
 ing, I saw beyond the meadows the Serra de Itaguahy 
 appearing partially above the grey mist and the high 
 woods in front. In the immediate vicinity of the 
 castle I observed a small cotton-plantation, — the first 
 I had seen. Beside the white flocks of cotton, hanging 
 like ripe fruit upon the branches, the shrubs bore beau- 
 tiful yellow blossoms, which gave them a pleasing ap- 
 pearance. 
 
 We had hoped today to have good sport in shooting 
 birds, and had been also promised a shot at some Jacares 
 (alligators) ; our little party therefore started early in the 
 morning, and crossed the meadows to the capueira. At 
 the first shot I had the good luck to bring down an 
 Anu, a black parrot-like bird : they are here very plenti- 
 ful, and do not appear shy. We then passed over a canal 
 
 VOL. L X 
 
806 " RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 or side branch of tlie Tagnaliy by a stone bridge, not 
 far from a large imperial tilekiln. 
 
 The neighbouring wood was soon reached. Here we 
 dismounted, being told that we could only proceed on 
 foot to the " Lagoa," the lake or pond, which the alliga- 
 tors were said to frequent. A number of negroes armed 
 mth large knives {facdez) went on before, to cut a 
 path through the forest. Tall, slender trunks, mth co- 
 lossal Orchideae attached to their branches, venerable 
 trees, laced and entwined wdth a thick net of creepers, 
 splendid groups of Hehconias, "Bananas bravas" (wild 
 bananas) mth their densely compressed masses of foliage 
 and gracefully bending heads, and lastly actual colon- 
 nades of large palm-fans, under the shade of which the 
 path continued for some distance, — let the reader ima- 
 gine all these scenes and objects, enlivened moreover 
 by innumerable, various-colom^ed birds, and he will still 
 have but a faint pictm^e of the forest through which we 
 wandered. 
 
 After a few minutes the blacks who preceded us 
 stopped short; we had come to a deep pond, about 
 twenty yards across, shaded by palms and other trees, 
 long creepers hanging down to the surface of the water. 
 This was the spot of which we had heard so much, and 
 tJiis — the famous lake ! we saw om^selves bitterly deceived, 
 for what hope was there of here meeting with any game 
 worth powder and shot ? The negroes were sent into the 
 water, and partly summing, partly wading, they drew the 
 pond with a net, but found no Jacares. Wliat giants of 
 
A SHOOTING EXCURSION. 307 
 
 the deep these alligators must be, the reader may easily 
 imagine. The whole affair with the negroes pleased me 
 little, and the end of it was that the alligator chase was 
 given lip wdthout a single Jacare being caught, and we 
 took the field against other more innocent creatiues, 
 especially variegated birds : a chase followed, without 
 plan or order, the field of om* operations lying partly in 
 the forest, partly in the capueu-a, and on the meadows, 
 where at a distance stood the castle of Santa Cruz upon 
 a gently rising ground. My passion for the sport in- 
 creased every instant, and, beside the pleasm'e of a suc- 
 cessful shot, I was interested in obtaining a near inspec- 
 tion of those beautiful birds which had attracted my 
 notice at a distance. Eleven birds — an Anii, two Bem- 
 tevis, a Tie, a Sabia, a Picapao, three Piasoccas, a Peru- 
 inho do Campo and a Gaviao — were brought doAvn by 
 my gun. The most beautiful of the birds we shot was 
 a Tie-fogo, a male Tie : its breast is of a splendid red 
 colom'. I took aim at several, but could not succeed in 
 shooting any. 
 
 Aftpr dinner we went into the castle-garden, and wan- 
 dered through the wonderful dark arbom% 1185 feet 
 long, of bamboo-canes, more than thirty feet taU and one 
 to one and a half inches thick ; at the termination of this 
 we again came to a large tract of meadows, adjoining the 
 garden, in which lies the " Coral," a spacious enclosm^e 
 set apart for the reception of wild horses. A great 
 number of these animals had here been driven together, 
 to give us an opportunity of seeing the Emperor's negro- 
 slaves fling the lasso and the " bolas." The lasso is a 
 
 X 2 
 
308 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 very long platted leather thong, with an h'on ring fastened 
 to its end ; through this ring is drawn the other end, so 
 as to form a running noose. The negro, holding the 
 end of the lasso in his left hand, swings the noose high 
 above his head with his right, and then throws it so 
 skilfully as to drop it round the neck or leg of the 
 horse which he wishes to catch. He then draws up the 
 noose, holding fast with both hands to the end of the 
 lasso, and letting himself be dragged along. The strength 
 which he exerts in this manner is so great, that the 
 horse, after dragging him a few yards, is generally 
 knocked up. Frequently several negroes throw two or 
 three lassos at once round the neck or legs of a mid 
 horse, and in this manner pull him to the ground ; 
 whereupon a number of other negroes immediately run 
 up, to hold the horse by the lassos, while the animal 
 makes all imaginable efforts to get free, leaping, rearing, 
 and plunging in an unheard-of manner. Sometimes it 
 is necessary to bring the horse down again by means of 
 the lassos, and lay him on his side, in order to bind 
 him faster and impede his freedom of motion ; when this 
 is done they let the horse jump up again and saddle 
 him. 
 
 The bow of the lumbilho, or saddle, is like that of the 
 German saddle ; the leather girths on the contrary are 
 similar to the rope girths of the Hungarian saddle-bow. 
 Over the saddle is thrown a skin covering, and upon 
 this a small sheepskin, to give the negro a firm seat. A 
 halter is then put upon the horse, as he stands stamping 
 and foaming with impatience ; his tongue is tied fast to 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES. 309 
 
 the under-jaw with a thin string, and to this is fastened 
 another thicker cord of hemp or horsehair for a bridle. 
 The " Peao," the black horse-breaker, now comes np, 
 distinguished by long military spurs on his naked heels, 
 which give his whole figm-e a comical air. A\Tien he 
 mounts, another negro keeps the horse's eyes closed 
 with a thick bridle; the rider flings liimself into the 
 saddle, and twists the long end of the halter, which also 
 works upon the lower jaw, several times round his body. 
 The lassos are then loosened, and instantly the horse 
 begins to plunge and rear. No one can form an idea of 
 such plunging. The task of the rider is now to bring 
 the horse into paces, which, if the black succeeds, that 
 is to say if he is not flung off (which happened re- 
 peatedly today), generaUy ends in the animal's running 
 away, until after five or ten minutes he stops again of 
 himself. With the halter twisted roimd his body, the 
 horse is now unmercifully screwed up and contorted in 
 his limbs, until, wdth his head forced on one side, he 
 yields. The method generally adopted when a horse is 
 captm-ed, is to tire liim out in this manner and with in- 
 cessant riding, until from sheer exhaustion he can go no 
 further, and submits to his fate. 
 
 We witnessed another method of capturing wild 
 horses : a feeble old negro, in a green coat, flung the 
 "bolas" in the manner practised at Buenos Ayres, but 
 only once successfully, faihng at least ten times ; this 
 w^as however from no want of will, for he exerted him- 
 seK bravely, but strength and luck seemed, at least for 
 today, to have left him. The bolas consist of a cord, to the 
 
310 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 end of which is fastened a httle ball, the other end being 
 parted like a fork into two short cords, of equal length, 
 to which are fastened two heavier balls. These balls are 
 thrown between the horse's legs, in such a manner as 
 to wind round them ; the horse is thus stopped in his 
 course and falls. This race of animals is neither par 
 ticularly strong nor handsome, and mostly of a small 
 make. 
 
 This evening, before dark, I had again the pleasure of 
 shooting off the orange-trees live green honey-suckers, a 
 large species of Colibri, with a true metallic lustre. On 
 my return to the castle, the gamekeepers brought in two 
 living Jacares, one about four feet, and the other which 
 was younger about one foot long ; they had been taken 
 in the little river of Taguahy. The difference between 
 these Jacares and the proper alligators is said to consist 
 in the teeth, not in their size ; we were told for instance 
 that on one occasion an alligator was caught from seven 
 to eight feet long, for the consort of Dom Pedro the 
 Fii'st, the present dowager Duchess of Braganza. 
 
 September 18///. — Early this morning, on emerging 
 from the long avenue, the Serra de Itaguahy lay before 
 us perfectly cloudless. On our ride back Ave met at S. 
 Antonio the Justice of the Peace in his carriage, with 
 the yeUow and green band over his shoulder. The elec- 
 tors were riding up to the cluu-ch, where an election 
 of Deputies was to take place ; and among the rest a 
 gentleman clad as a civilian, with a star on his breast, 
 was riding up the hill at the head of a number of horse- 
 men in dress-coats and jackets. I made several sketches 
 
A BALL AT COURT. 311 
 
 on the road. Tlie day was very fine, and not too warm : 
 we again dined at Campo Grande. In the neighbour- 
 hood of S. Cliristovao several German famihes have 
 settled. The Tijuca was suffused with the rosy light of 
 the evening sun, when from behind the castle we saw 
 the Emperor approaching with his escort. Swarms of 
 Sunday horsemen had been enticed out by the beauti- 
 ful weather this afternoon. The moon was already mir- 
 rored in the waters of the bay, and imparted an air of 
 enchantment to the Gloria and the shores of the Bay, 
 when we reached the Mangueira. 
 
 September \^th. — Dona Januaria's nameday was cele- 
 brated by a Com-t dinner and a large ball in the palace 
 at Rio. At one end of the baUroom was a raised floor, 
 upon which the Emperor and the Imperial Family took 
 their places. I was invited in turn by each of the Prin- 
 cesses, in a very courteous manner, tln^ough Senhor Paulo 
 Barboza, to dance a quadrille, and afterwards to waltz. 
 I waltzed ! No one can imagine the import of that word 
 but one who, Uke myself, possesses not a particle of 
 natural tact for this dance, — borrowed surely from the 
 com'se of the planets, — and who either hears the hurried 
 time of the music flying before him like a phantom, or 
 panting after him as he vainly tries to escape. In fact 
 the pivot-like repose of the gyrating bodies is absolutely 
 requisite in order to stand up in the struggle against 
 time, music, giddiness and corners, and the slippery 
 smoothness of the floor, and to accomplish these circum- 
 volutions with true planetary accm^acy and regularity. 
 But practice makes perfect ; by degrees I fell into the 
 
812 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 measure, and liad I continued to waltz for another hour, 
 who knows what a dancer I might have become ! 
 
 The heat might be called tropical in the true sense 
 of the word, and the Emperor occasionally left the ball- 
 room to enjoy the fresh air in an antechamber. I coidd 
 then step down from the platform for an instant, and 
 converse with the persons standing around. At midnight 
 we all repaired to the supper, at which chamberlains 
 served the Emperor and the Princesses. Etiquette is 
 observed with extreme strictness at the Court of Rio de 
 Janeiro, and isolates the Royal Eamily perhaps still more 
 than in other countries ; I was told for instance that, 
 until the visit of the Prince de Joinville, the Princesses 
 could only dance — waltz at least — with foreign princes 
 or with ladies ; since that time the ice is broken, inas- 
 much as they are generally allowed, dming the visit of a 
 foreign prince at the Brazilian cornet, to dance with gen- 
 tlemen. Except at these times however the Princesses 
 waltz only with the ladies of the court. 
 
 September '2\st. — Our excursion to the Orgaos, which 
 had been fixed for the 21st, was yesterday postponed, as 
 no steamer went to Mage. I have subsequently heard 
 such interesting accounts of these mountains, their pe- 
 culiar and wonderful rock-formation, and the charming 
 estate of Mr. March, who lives high up amid the forests 
 and is said to be remarkably hospitable to strangers, 
 that I greatly regret having relinquished this celebrated 
 excm'sion. I advise all who visit Rio to see the Orgaos, 
 were it but that in Europe every one who has been at 
 Rio inquires about these mountains : so it is all tlie 
 
EXCURSION TO THE CORCOVADO. 813 
 
 world over — there are certain points which a man who 
 has travelled must have visited. 
 
 Instead of making this excm'sion, we agreed to de- 
 vote a few more days to om* projected trip to Canta- 
 gallo. In order not to lose the fine weather this morn- 
 ing, we took a ride to the Corcovado. The way leads 
 through the charming valley of Laranjeiras, which has 
 already been described. At the end of the village 
 we rode up a steep path into the thick capueira and 
 among wild coflFee-plants, until we gradually came into 
 the shade of the forest, where the eye ranges in asto- 
 nishment from one trunk to another. The horses are 
 generally left at a farmhouse, about half an hour's ride 
 from the summit of the mountain. Up to this point the 
 path is so admirably kept, the bridges all new and sub- 
 stantial, that a person might fancy himself in the most 
 splendid park. The path now became steeper : on se- 
 veral high trees I noticed a kind of short, thin props 
 growing out of the trunks, like narrow planks set on 
 edge. There are a great variety of palms likewise on this 
 road, and higher up we gathered some handsome flowers 
 which were new to us. But above all om' attention was 
 caught by a beautiful serpent, lying by the wayside, — 
 not large, but of the most splendid scarlet colom^ with 
 black rings. 
 
 The summit of the Corcovado consists of two rocks, 
 parted by a narrow ravine. Formerly there was a bridge 
 from the platform of the first rock over to the higher 
 detached rock which rises perpendicularly above the 
 valley. This bridge is now destroyed, so that it is almost 
 
314 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 impossible to reach the proper summit of the mountain ; 
 the view from the platform however is wonderfully fine,, 
 the opposite peak concealing very little of the land- 
 scape. The eye wanders down to the valley of Laran- 
 jeiras, then to Rio and the whole extent of the Bay. 
 Unfortunately the Serra dos Orgaos was today hidden 
 from sight by the mist, which in clear weather forms 
 on this side the vapomy background of the picture. On 
 the other side of the peak which intersects the pano- 
 rama, you look down upon the Lagoa de Rodrigo de 
 Freitas, and the fertile plain which separates it from the 
 bay of Botafogo ; next is seen the Sugarloaf, and on the 
 further side, as if depicted upon a map, the entrance 
 of the Bay, Santa Cruz, and the islands, floating as it 
 were in the mist. On turning round, the spectator 
 sm'veys the wooded range of mountains, topped by the 
 Gavia and Tijuca, which exhibit the true character of 
 virgin forest. 
 
 On a second ride to the Corcovado, which I subse- 
 quently took alone on the 23rd of October, I had the 
 good fortune to see the range of the Orgaos perfectly 
 clear. At the very commencement of the ascent they 
 have a most picturesque aspect, lying at a distance in a 
 line with the road, enclosed in a pleasing frame of tall, 
 graceful palm-fans and luxmiant bushes ; whilst in the 
 foreground I saw deep below at my feet the muTor-like 
 sm-face of the Bay with its numerous islands, and the 
 city of Rio. On this second excursion to the mountains 
 I discovered a new and charming road, turning off along 
 the Aqueduct at the farmhouse where the horses are left, 
 
FORT OF SANTA CRUZ. 315 
 
 with the Botanic Garden lying deep below. My desire 
 to sketch the fine trees in the forests induced me to 
 make this excursion ; but after the primaeval forests 
 which I had seen in my jom'uey to the Parahyba, I 
 could not find any tree that seemed worth sketching. 
 It was however a dififerent thing today, when I entered 
 for the fij'st time these forests of the Corcovado, which 
 fill the traveller just arrived from Em'ope with astonish- 
 ment, and leaves notliing for his imagination to desire. 
 
 We returned to luncheon at twelve o'clock, and at 
 half-past one were on our way to the fort of Santa 
 Cruz in the third cutter of the ' San Michele.' The 
 fortress is situated upon a flat tongue of land on the 
 eastern side of the entrance to the Bay, and separated 
 by a cleft in the rock from a steep hill or ridge between 
 two cones, on the summit of which stands the old Torte 
 do Pico. In time of war this fort is capable of being 
 restored without much trouble, — an important cii'cum- 
 stance, as it would otherwise be open to attack and 
 might easily be taken from these heights at the back. 
 Santa, Cruz, according to the statement of the Com- 
 mandant and the artillery-officer of the place, has from 
 111 to 130 cannon, but their heavy carriages are perhaps 
 not in a completely serviceable state for war ; the ac- 
 counts I received of the garrison ranged between 800 
 and 1200 men. There are as yet no mortars, which 
 might be here of great service. The side facing the 
 entrance of the Bay, opposite the Sugarloaf, has three 
 stories, or more correctly platforms, one over another, 
 for guns ; the sides facing the sea and the Bay have 
 
316 ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 eacli two stories. The lines toward the sea are so skil- 
 fully broken as to maintain an excellent raking-fire 
 against any ships that approach. The stone breastworks 
 on the contrary, over which the guns fire, appear so low 
 and weak, that a few broadsides from a ship of the line 
 sailing past might easily sweep ofi" the men serving the 
 guns or drive them from their post. 
 
 The fort of Santa Cruz on the east side, Lagem in the 
 middle, and S. Theodosio and S. Joao on the west side 
 of the entrance, thus command a cross fire and form a 
 semicircle, through which any enemy's ship intending to 
 force an entrance into the Bay of Rio is obliged to pass. 
 Supposing all these works to be strongly fortified, 
 mounted with a full complement of heavy guns, and the 
 artillerymen protected as much as possible against the 
 enemy's fire, — they would, even if unable wholly to pre- 
 vent the entrance of an enemy's fleet, at least damage 
 the ships so materially that it would require some 
 time to refit them for service. In the same manner 
 as the south front of Santa Cruz, Fort Lagem in a 
 second and Fort Villegagnon in a third line are so 
 advantageously situated for a raking-fire, that a large 
 walled work of at least two stories, perhaps a strong 
 tower, would be very serviceable, which mounted with 
 mortars could annoy the enemy's ships at a distance 
 and hinder their approach. 
 
 Supposing the enemy's fleet to have forced the en- 
 trance, it would encounter the forts of Gravata or S. 
 Domingos and Boa Viagem, situated upon two points on 
 the east coast, which, if their fortifications were restored, 
 
FORTIFIED DEFENCES OF RIO. 317 
 
 would form in conjunction with Villegagnon a second 
 chief Hne in the defences, the efficiency of which might 
 be considerably increased by some men-of-war anchored 
 with a spring between these islands and the forts. The 
 east side of the city, with its adjacent subm^bs, is pro- 
 tected against a landing by the above-mentioned insular 
 fortress advanced far in front of it, and by the Ilha das 
 Cobras projecting like an immense caponniere, whose 
 present state of defence I do not exactly know ; it is also 
 in some measure defended from the approach of large 
 ships by banks and reefs, — at least, according to the 
 charts of the Bay, from their anchoring within about 3f 
 to 1\ cables-length, or 950 to 1900 paces from the Ponta 
 do Calaboufo. The north side of Rio, on the other hand, 
 is quite exposed to any hostile attack by sea. On the 
 land side also the metropolis may be considered un- 
 protected; for the Morro do Castello, which stands 
 like a bulwark at the Ponta do Calabouco, can hardly 
 be regarded as a fortification ; and a hostile landhig 
 therefore on the west side of the entrance of the 
 Bay might easily prove dangerous. To protect Rio 
 at least on the south against a coiq^xle-main — which 
 would be practicable along the Bay through Botafogo — 
 the forts da Praya Vermelha and do Leme have been 
 erected south of the Sugarloaf. Opposite to them we 
 find at Praya da Pora also an emplacement for a strand- 
 battery, the chief object of which might be to oppose 
 any landing directed against the Porte do Pico*. 
 
 * Amongst the above-mentioned forts the following have Com- 
 manders of note, and appear therefore to be kept up in a state of 
 
318 ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 Our swift-oarecl cutter carried us from Santa Cruz to 
 tlie Naval Arsenal, situated on the north side of Rio 
 de Janeiro under the heights of S. Bento, — a glorious 
 passage in briUiaiit weather. 
 
 There seemed to be little life in the spacious arsenal, 
 which contained no " Dry Docks," nor any roofing 
 for the ships in the course of construction ; a single 
 steamer only, of small size, was on the stocks. The 
 'Euterpe' corvette, of twenty guns, was just arming. 
 The cabins of the officers appeared to me too high, and 
 those for the crew on the contrary to have compara- 
 tively insufficient comfort; she had moreover a round 
 stern, with only one porthole. The ' Dom Pedro II.' of 
 seventy-four guns, on board which is the naval school, the 
 frigates ' Principe Imperial' and ' Constituifao' of sixty 
 guns, a second and third very small corvettes (the last 
 used for experimental trips by the School), and two 
 small steamers, were anchored before the Arsenal, whilst 
 some brigs-of-war lay in the roadstead. 
 
 On my way from the ' Euterpe' I visited the ' Consti- 
 tuigao,' the interior fitting-up of which was in rapid 
 progress, as this frigate was destined to fetch the 
 Emperor's Bride. She was built in the United States 
 about twenty years ago, and for a sixty-gun ship is 
 extremely small; I heard that she was of only 1200 
 
 defence: — Santa Cruz, Ilha das Cobras, Lagem, Villegagnon, S. 
 Joao, Pray a Vermelha, and Boa Viagem. If the reader desires to 
 learn the former state of defence of Rio de Janeiro, he may refer to 
 Duguay Trouin's interesting account, dated December Gth, 1/12, in 
 Eugene Sue's Histoire de la Marine Fran9aise, vol. 5, pages 306, 
 307. 
 
VISIT TO THE DOCKYARDS. 319 
 
 tons burden, not mncli more than half that of the ' San 
 Michele'; she is however very high between decks; on 
 the other hand her quarters are extremely confined ; and 
 the chainwales, on account of the guns, divided. She 
 carries throughout twenty -four -pounders. The state 
 cabins for the Empress and her suite were already 
 fitted. 
 
 From her geographical and political position, Brazil 
 appears to be destined by nature to be a naval Power. 
 Commerce and navigation constitute the only connection 
 with the transatlantic, civilized woiid, whilst the fleet 
 offers by its cruisers the means of gaining for the young 
 State consideration and respect among the nations of 
 Em'ope. If the trade-wind, on the one hand facilitates 
 the communication between Europe and Brazil, and thus 
 narrows in some degree the wide gulf that separates the 
 two countries, it on the other hand considerably length- 
 ens the passage of ships from North to South America. 
 Brazil is therefore perfectly isolated as a naval Power, 
 or at least cut off by a tedious navigation from all the 
 important naval states, in which number we of course 
 include, together with the great Powers of Em-ope, the 
 United States of America. Now tliis isolated position is 
 a somxe of strength to the young Empire, inasmuch as 
 it gives her time to prepare for a defensive war, and in 
 certain circumstances also offers at the commencement 
 of a war an opportunity of developing superior forces 
 against the enemy. Moreover as the com'se round the 
 Cape of Good Hope to India, and that round Cape Horn 
 to the Pacific — those two great highways of commerce 
 
320 • RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 to all maritime nations — nearly touch the coast of Brazil, 
 the latter Power can with ease, in such a case, cut off 
 the enemy's commerce and whalefishery, by sending 
 swarms of privateers and cruisers, which, without going 
 far from home, might deluge the ocean from the Ama- 
 zon River to the La Plata, and at the same time convoy 
 Brazilian vessels safely in and out of the harbom^s of 
 the Empire in spite of all the enemy's force. 
 
 If a hostile fleet is actually ofi" the coast, it has an 
 extent of nearly 3600 nautical miles to blockade, and 
 this at a great distance from any means of aid or 
 relief. This last circumstance presents the chief ob- 
 stacle to steamers, on account of the coal they require ; 
 and yet these vessels are peculiarly adapted for such a 
 service, since they alone have the power to coast back- 
 ward and forward at pleasm'e, in spite of the equatorial 
 stream and the Brazilian branch of it, as well as the 
 trade-wind. Hence it is that the imperial navy would 
 derive great advantage from having a superiority in 
 steamers. But in a country where a sea-passage offers, 
 if not exactly the shortest, at all events generally the 
 safest, quickest and most convenient channel of commu- 
 nication between the coast provinces and the metro- 
 pohs, steam-navigation is an essential requisite, especially 
 when, as here, revolts in the provinces and the conse- 
 quent despatch of troops, are events of not rare occur- 
 rence. No country in the world moreover possesses such 
 an extraordinary inland water commanication as South 
 America ; gigantic rivers traverse its continent like life- 
 arteries, branch out far into the interior, and, whilst they 
 
ADVANTAGES FOR A FLEET. 321 
 
 form the only path that wmds through these endless 
 wildernesses, open to steam-navigation a new and fertile 
 field of activity. By this means the imperial banner can 
 penetrate hundreds of miles into the interior, to the 
 furthest settlements, and there unfold to command, to 
 chastise, or to conciliate. 
 
 Brazil possesses noble harbours ; those of Santa Ca- 
 tharina, Santos, Rio de Janeii'O, Bahia and many others, 
 are capable of sheltering the largest fleets. The extensive 
 coast of the empire offers, as we have seen, an immense 
 basis for the operations of her own squadrons, an open 
 field for her cruisers and privateers, which every foreign 
 T*ower, desiring to conclude an alliance offensive and 
 defensive with the young State, mil suj-ely take into ac- 
 count. If strongly fortified, these fine harbom's would 
 serve as a bulwark for their own force, and as a safe 
 asylum for the squadi'ons of allies, which would find here 
 shelter, rest and every recjuisite to refit and enable them to 
 ventm-e out again upon the treacherous element. In all 
 this natm^e has done much, but much remains for art still 
 to effect. There is no want of excellent wood for building, 
 although in Brazil, as well as elsewhere, complaints are 
 heard of its deficiency ; but how can these complaints 
 be reconciled with the fact, that a siuuaca once sailed to 
 Rio from Para which was hoUowed out of a single colos- 
 sal tree ? Another essential requisite, for the economical 
 maintenance of a fleet and the conduct of a naval war, 
 are Dry -Docks for building, which I do not remember to 
 have seen either at Rio, Bahia, or Para. It has been 
 recently proposed to establish larger iron-founcbies, for 
 
 VOL. I. Y 
 
322 ' RIO DE JAT^EIRO. 
 
 the manufacture of boilers and macliineiy, but coals for 
 tliis purpose mil have to be imported from abroad. 
 
 The chief obstacle to the growth of the naval power 
 of Brazil is undoubtedly the circumstance that, although 
 the places along the coast are among the most populous 
 in the country, they do not supply a sufficient number 
 of sailors for the navy and merchant-service, which is 
 the reason that blacks or coloured people, mostly slaves, 
 are almost exclusively seen on board Brazihan ships. 
 The Indians are especially in request, being considered 
 to have a great talent for seamanship, and are said 
 to be drawn from the very heart of the country into 
 the naval service. This has some resemblance to the 
 Erench and Russian conscription for the fleet, which 
 seems to have confounded the military with the sea 
 service in no very advantageous manner. Although it 
 might be difficult to reconcile this view of recruiting for 
 the fleet with that of other maritime nations, yet Brazil 
 —in her excuse be it said — is so circumstanced as to be 
 obliged to make a virtue of necessity. If the Emperor 
 could, like the United StateSj command eighty thousand 
 stm'dy, northern sailors, and if the finances of the em- 
 pire were equal to the maintenance of such a force, what 
 a position might he assume in the face of the world ! 
 
 Eor a country however so remote as Brazil less is re- 
 quired to place her, for a time at least, among the first 
 naval Powers. The seven Dutch two-deckers, for in- 
 stance, are not of much account among the naval forces 
 of Europe ; nevertheless if we imagine these ships, fully 
 armed and equipped, transported to the Dutch posses- 
 
THE BRAZILIAN FLEET. 323 
 
 sions in India, they would form unquestionably the first 
 naval power in those seas, and at the same time would 
 extend a strong arm commandingly over the Pacific ; 
 they would exercise an unlimited sway over aU those 
 countries — a sway which no naval power in the world 
 (at least for the first half-year) however formidable, 
 could oppose ; since at the present time no fleet is in a 
 position to send a squadron into those waters, within 
 that period, able to encounter these two-deckers. Con- 
 sequently if in Europe only those ships of the line repay 
 their cost which are built in large masses, and kept 
 together in strong squadrons and fleets, yet the Bra- 
 zilian navy — which might occupy a position in the 
 western portion of the southern hemisphere somewhat 
 similar to that of the Dutch two-deckers in the East — 
 would at least derive advantage, in its isolated position, 
 from possessing some such ships, if the great cost of 
 building and manning them did not make it more ad- 
 viseable to relinquish this, and to apply those two rare 
 requisites in Brazil, money and sailors, to other purposes. 
 We have already shown the necessity of steamers for 
 the imperial fleet : these would natiu"ally be divided into 
 two chief classes, — those destined for the rivers, lakes, 
 and shallow harbours, and those to be employed upon 
 the ocean. The first of these would have to be re- 
 stricted to the minimum, but the latter to be fully 
 equipped in point of tonnage, number, horse-power and 
 armament, as far as the resources of the State would 
 permit. In recent times the Ministry of Marine has 
 very decidedly advocated the employment of steamers, 
 
 Y 2 
 
324 RIO DE JANEIKO. 
 
 and proposes to have two steam-cruisers built in En- 
 gland, of 250-liorse-power and armed with mortars. 
 
 The liability of steamers to have their machinery and 
 paddles damaged, as well as the fact of their presenting 
 no powerful broadside — two defects which, it is hoped, 
 the Archimedes-screw may perfectly remove — ^liave ren- 
 dered these vessels hitherto unadapted either for fight- 
 ing at close quarters, or for the destruction of artificial 
 defences and the bombardment of fortified places. In 
 the present position of things, a navy therefore like the 
 Brazilian requires some stout sailing ships for the ser- 
 vice, not merely to harass but to vanquish the enemy. 
 Next to the two- and three-deckers, the sixty-gun frigate 
 is the ship best fitted for this service, taking the thirty- 
 two-pound calibre as her minimum weight of metal, in- 
 cluding a number of mortars, discarding the carronades 
 on the quarter-deck, and lastly rendering her capable of 
 a burden of above 2000 tons. The frigates which Brazil 
 now possesses date, as we have seen, from a period when 
 the requirements were not so great as at present, and 
 when for instance the twenty-four-pound calibre was fully 
 sufficient. It is now proposed to adapt, by boring, not 
 only these twenty-fom'-pounders, but most of the guns 
 in the fleet, to a greater calibre. With regard to the 
 equipment of the small sailing cruisers, only a few of 
 them are armed in an equal manner to the correspond- 
 ing vessels in other navies ; the same may be said of 
 the gunboats. But another standard must in part be 
 applied to these smaller vessels, as some classes of them 
 may be used rather in the suppression of revolts, in the 
 
THE IMPERIAL NAVY. 
 
 325 
 
 police service, and against the natives, than in conflict 
 with regular men-of-war ; their chief requisite therefore 
 is to be able to wind their way through shallow waters, 
 whilst the smallest number of guns is sufficient. 
 
 To the above observations I will here add the most 
 recent list of the Brazilian Navy, with which I am ac- 
 quainted, taken from the " Relatorio da Repartigao dos 
 Negocios da Marinha" of the year 1845. 
 
 ARMED VESSELS. 
 
 Frigate. 
 
 Paraguassu 
 
 Corvettes. 
 Dois de Julho . . 
 Dona Janiiaria . . 
 
 Euterpe 
 
 Bertioga 
 
 Uniao 
 
 Brigs. 
 Tres de Maio 
 Capibei'ibe . . . . 
 Imperial Pedro 
 Brasiliero . . . 
 
 Schooner-Brigs. 
 
 Calliope 
 
 Fidelidade 
 
 Guararapes 
 
 Leopoldina 
 
 Nicterohy 
 
 Oliiida 
 
 Piraja 
 
 Schooners. 
 
 L'Egalidade 
 
 Prinieiro de Abril . 
 Rioffrandense 
 
 34 
 
 26 
 24 
 20 
 16 
 16 
 
 14 
 12 
 
 10 
 
 8 
 
 14 
 12 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 
 8 
 5 
 
 Cannons. 
 
 26 18-p'-^ 
 
 26 
 2 
 
 2 
 2 
 2 
 
 12 
 
 18 
 12 
 
 18 
 12 
 
 2 12 
 2 12 
 
 2 12 
 
 2 12 „ 
 2 9 „ 
 
 1 12 
 
 1 12 
 
 Carronadea. 
 
 8 24-p'-^ 
 
 22 32 
 
 18 32 
 
 14 32 
 
 14 24 
 
 12 18 
 
 10 18 
 
 8 18 
 
 8 12 
 
 14 
 12 
 10 
 
 18 
 18 
 18 
 
 10 18 
 
 8 18 
 
 8 18 
 
 10 12 
 
 8 12 
 4 18 
 4 9 
 
326 
 
 RIO DE JANEIRO, 
 
 Schooners. 
 
 Fanfa 
 
 Guahiba 
 
 Jacuhy 
 
 Rio Pardo 
 
 Cassapava 
 
 Gravatahy 
 
 Pataxos. 
 
 Argos . . . 
 Januaria 
 Desterro 
 Camarao 
 
 Guns. 
 
 3 
 3 
 3 
 3 
 1 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 Cannons. 
 
 2 6-p". 
 
 9 „ 
 
 9 „ 
 
 9 „ 
 
 12 „ 
 
 12 „ 
 
 2 6 
 
 2 12 
 
 1 12 
 
 I 12 
 
 Carronades, 
 
 1 IS-p'^. 
 
 1 18 „ 
 
 1 18 „ 
 
 1 18 „ 
 
 8 18 
 
 6 18 
 
 4 18 
 
 2 12 
 
 Hyates (Yachts). 
 
 Veinte ocho de Julho 
 
 Cahy 
 
 Capivary 
 
 S. Gon9alo 
 
 Jaguarao 
 
 Ibicuhy 
 
 Parker 
 
 Neptuno 
 
 Quince de Noviembre 
 Ca9ador 
 
 Cutter. 
 Guarany 
 
 Canonieres. Nr. 1. 
 
 1 12 
 
 9 
 
 18 
 12 
 18 
 12 
 12 
 12 
 
 1 12 
 
 1 18 
 
 Steamers. 
 
 Guapiassu . 
 Thetis . . . 
 Urania . . . 
 Amelia . . . 
 Cassiopea . 
 Fluminense 
 
 
 
 
 Horse 
 
 
 
 
 Power 
 
 3 
 
 18 
 
 
 70 
 
 3 
 
 18 
 
 
 70 
 
 2 
 
 12 
 
 
 45 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 
 25 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 
 12 
 
 _ 
 
 
 
 
 25 
 
 Also seven Transport-vessels, 
 
MILITARY ARSENAL. 327 
 
 In addition to the above : — 
 
 Dismantled : — One ship of the line (Pedro Segundo), two frigates 
 (Principe Imperial and Constitui^ao), one corvette, two schooners, 
 two steamers (one of 120 horse-power), one charrua and one life- 
 boat. 
 
 Vessels no longei' fit for service : — Two frigates (Imperatriz and 
 Campista), one corvette, two barques, one canoniere and one charrua, 
 also two prizes. 
 
 The manning of the fleet consists of 234 officers in 
 active service, and 283 third-class officers (those who are 
 withdi-awn from active service, without any pension or 
 claim to promotion, but who are employed on various 
 commissions), — consequently in all, 517 officers, whilst 
 the Etat-major strength amounts to 521 officers. The 
 fleet has moreover from three to four thousand sailors, 
 and a corps of marine artillery of 36 officers and 1166 
 men. 
 
 The Admiral, who conducted me round the Naval 
 Arsenal, afterwards took me in his elegant barge, rowed 
 by a crew drest like those of the Dutch boats of this 
 kind, over to the Military Arsenal situated on the Ponta 
 do Calabougo, where the Minister of War, Joze Clemente 
 Pereira, received me. This establishment has more the 
 appearance of a general depot than an arsenal, yet ap- 
 pears to be of insufficient extent, as the Emperor has be- 
 fore him a plan for a new and larger one. There are five 
 other Arsenaes de Guerra in the provinces, namely in 
 Mato Grosso, Bahia, Pernambuco, Para and Rio Grande 
 do Sul. The manufactm*e of arms is not inferior to 
 that in the great Em'opean armies. In the pistols, a con- 
 nection between the barrel and raim'od attracted my 
 
328 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 attention ; a hinge of a peculiar kind holds the ramrod 
 fast, but allows it so much play, that the loading is 
 in no degree impeded. This contrivance, which is very 
 useful in quick firing, is also adopted by the North Ame- 
 rican cavalry ; I noticed these pistols the next day on 
 board the American ship of the line ' Delaware,' — in- 
 tended for boarding. 
 
 Before I left the Arsenal, the Minister to my great 
 joy presented to me, by command of the Emperor, a 
 complete collection of the imperial Brazilian weapons. 
 I was especially interested by the peculiar and national 
 equipment of a horseman of Rio Grande do Sul, which 
 formed part of the Emperor's gracious present ; amongst 
 other things there were the dark-blue poncho, with a 
 grey lining, and a round hat covered with oiled silk ; 
 also the basket-hiltecl sabre, the firearms with the cart- 
 ridges, and a genuine lumhWio. 
 
 The revolts still rife in the provinces, as I have said, 
 had completely emptied the metropolis of troops of the 
 line ; and the horse-artillery were likewise called away^ 
 so that I could form but an imperfect idea from obser- 
 vation either of the Brazilian army or of the artillery. 
 The few guns remaining in the Arsenal of Rio were 
 constructed quite on the English system, the adop- 
 tion of which by an army like that of Brazil, where 
 the troops are subject to such frequent sea-transport 
 both in peace and war, certainly appears to be very 
 convenient. 
 
 The army is not above 23,000 men strong, and seems 
 to be somewhat disproportioned to the innnense area of the 
 
THE BRAZILIAN ARMY. 329 
 
 country ; but we must not here apply the same standard 
 as to European armies, which are chiefly engaged in war- 
 fare on a grand scale. In Brazil the system of war is more 
 confined to partial enterprize, as we have seen in the 
 history of this country. There are consequently three 
 principal objects for the service of the Brazilian army, 
 which absolutely requires the strength and organization 
 sufficient to effect these, — to preserve peace and se- 
 curity in the interior, to watch the accessible points of 
 the land-frontier, and to co-operate in the defence of the 
 extensive line of coast. 
 
 Brazil comprises three very different kinds of terri- 
 tory, — impenetrable forests, mountain-ranges, and large 
 plains or Campos, — upon which the troops have to 
 act, in maintaining peace in the interior, suppressing 
 revolts in the provinces, and defending the frontier 
 against an enemy. The accessible points are not nu- 
 merous, and, on account of theii* remoteness from 
 all civilization, possess little military interest. The 
 only frontiers on which a serious war has been waged 
 are, as we have seen in the history, those of Buenos 
 Ayres and Montevideo, where noble Campos, peculiarly 
 adapted for the use of all three weapons, present a fa- 
 vourable field for warfare. 
 
 The Brazilian force in active service here, at the time 
 when it was under the command of General Braun, 
 (now resident in Dresden,) amounted to between 7000 
 and 8000 infantry, and 5000 cavahy, with three batte- 
 ries of four guns, — one five-inch howitzer and three 
 nine-pounders ; the fine German Legion, which has since 
 
330 ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 been disbanded, belonged to tliis force. There was one 
 strange circumstance connected witli the cavalry liere, — 
 that three to five horses were assigned to each man. On 
 the march each cavalry regiment was followed, at a dis- 
 tance of about a thousand paces on the side tmiied from 
 the enemy, by a Trupilho (a troop), consisting of the 
 second horses of all the men, and driven by some ca- 
 valry and a small number of Indian men or women. A 
 second, but larger troop, consisting of the third and 
 fourth horses for each man of the regiment, followed the 
 baggage, together with the di'oves of cattle. When the 
 second Trupilhos of several regiments fell in with the 
 baggage, a commingling was always most carefully 
 avoided. A third troop, of one or two more reserve 
 horses for each soldier, formed a kind of " flying horse- 
 depot," which seldom approached the army within 
 twenty leagues, and was generally left much fm'ther 
 behind. 
 
 Dming the march the cavalry regiments were accus- 
 tomed to change horses daily, and they never neglected 
 to do this when on the eve of battle. " It was as dif- 
 ficult to wean them from this custom," said General 
 Braun to me, "as to overcome their predilection for 
 the carbine." These large troops of horses and cattle 
 obliged the Brazilian General, as well as the enemy, al- 
 ways to bivouac on the banks of rivers, where alone could 
 be found sufficient fodder for the animals, of which 
 there was frequently a deficiency in the plains. The 
 movements therefore of the troops on both sides were 
 often directed merely to obtaining possession of a parti- 
 
THE BRAZILIAN ARMY. 331 
 
 ciilar valley, or tlie dispersion of the enemy's troops of 
 horses, whilst these wide tracts of country enabled them 
 easily to evade any decisive engagement. 
 
 In other parts of the empire likewise, where revolts 
 had to be suppressed and internal war raged, the same 
 system, of postponing as long as possible any decisive 
 movement, seems to have prevailed both with friend and 
 foe, or these disturbances must have been sooner quelled. 
 The interminable Campos in the south, in the Banda 
 Oriental and Rio Grande, and in other provinces the 
 endless virgin forest or impassable mountain districts, 
 may have equally impeded military operations, in addi- 
 tion to the enervating effects of the tropical heat, both 
 mental and physical, upon officers and men. In the last- 
 mentioned description of country the light infantry con- 
 stitutes the principal force, formed into small moveable 
 columns, which are alone here able to advance ; the 
 cavalry is impeded by the narrow footpaths, and the 
 artillery, with the exception of a few light howitzers 
 packed on mules, has to be left behind or its place sup- 
 plied by rockets. 
 
 As it is seldom that many thousand men are concen- 
 trated upon any spot, the division of the infantry into 
 independent battalions, light-armed, with light baggage 
 and a dress suitable to the climate, seems best adapted 
 for the service required, and for overcoming the natural 
 obstacles of the country. 
 
 The old military principle, of keeping the forces as 
 much as possible together, and bringing them to bear 
 upon decisive points, may be recommended to no army 
 
332 ■ RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 more properly than to that of Brazil, from its deficiency 
 in numerical strength ; and this is especially the case 
 when it is called upon to defend the immense extent of 
 coast. To effect this, the land and naval forces when- 
 ever practicable must co-operate, and restrict their efforts 
 to holding a few commanding points. In this case the 
 skill of the military engineer is required to fortify and 
 strengthen these points as much as possible, by taking 
 every advantage of the soil and the configuration of the 
 coast, as soon as he has clearly ascertained in what di- 
 rection and in what force an enemy's fleet is able to ap- 
 proach for the purpose of bombarding the fortress or land- 
 ing troops, and what points of attack the land-side offers 
 to the latter. Such places, amongst which we reckon 
 for instance Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, require a large 
 number of artillerymen to man their extensive works ; 
 and we therefore see sufficient reason for the four bat- 
 talions of foot-artillery in the Brazilian army, which at 
 first sight seem to be disproportioned to the rest of the 
 troops. Preparations must also be made to facilitate, in 
 case of necessity, the concentration on these points of 
 a considerable body of the National Guards, since the 
 troops of the line stationed in the vicinity will seldom 
 suffice, and since less practised troops, when supported 
 by a strong and efficient artillery, would oppose a power- 
 fid resistance to any attempts to land. Almost every 
 landing has its weak moment at the beginning, and only 
 acquii'es strength by degrees ; if therefore the enemy is 
 attacked at the right time and with a superior force, it 
 will be easy to stop the attempt at the outset. 
 
THE BRAZILIAN ARMY. 333 
 
 The Imperial Army, according to the " Relatorio da 
 Repartiyao dos Negocios da Guerra," of the year 1845, 
 was at that period composed of the following troops : — 
 
 TROOPS OF THE LINE. 
 
 19 Generals. — 177 General Staff-officers. 
 
 Infantry. j^jg^ 
 
 8 Battalions of Fusileers 4918 
 
 8 Battalions of Chasseurs 4418 
 
 Detached corps of these 883 
 
 9 Depot-Companies 1 102 
 
 10 Provisional (including 6 Chasseur) Companies.. 1015 
 
 4 Corpos Fixos , 1450 
 
 1 Corpo de Deposito in Rio Grande do Sul 3(55 
 
 1 Depot of Recruits in Pernambuco 34 
 
 1 Contingent das Alagoas in Ceara 200 
 
 1 Corps of German Volunteers in Rio Grande do 
 
 Sul 90 
 
 14,475 
 
 883 
 
 Cavalry. 
 
 3 Light Regiments 673 
 
 3 Companies of Cavallaria Fixa 210 
 
 Artillery. 
 
 4 Battalions of Infantry 1 576 
 
 1 Corps of Cavalry 403 
 
 Several Companies of Artillerymen 279 
 
 2,258 
 
 Pioneers 60 
 
 Total of Troops of the Line 1 7,676 
 
 (including 159 Staff and 1018 Subaltern Officers) 
 
 Also, a National Guard ^Mobile 4,405 
 
 5 Companies of Pedestres against the wild Indians in 
 Maranhao, Goyaz and ]\Iinas Geraes 440 
 
 Invalids in Santa Catharina 146 
 
 Total amomit of the Army, including Officers .... 22,863 
 
334 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 The National Guard has been completely organized 
 in only ten Provinces of the empire ; its strength is as 
 follows : — 
 
 Men. 
 
 In the Province of Para 13,827 
 
 Maranhao 10,324 
 
 Piauhy 3,824 
 
 „ „ Rio Grande do Norte 9,973 
 
 „ ,, Parahyba 13,255 
 
 „ ,, Pernambuco 25,782 
 
 BaMa 18,259 
 
 „ „ Rio de Janeii'o* (exclusive of 
 
 the Metropolis) 24,300 
 
 „ Metropolis 6,579 
 
 „ Province of S. Paulo 23,933 
 
 „ „ Santa Catharina 6,282 
 
 156,338 
 
 The entire force of the National Guard which may 
 be raised in the other eight provinces — Mato Grosso, 
 Goyaz, Ceara, Rio Grande do Sul (which during the last 
 revolt furnished 4000 men, including about 3000 horse), 
 Espirito Santo, Sergipe, Alagoas and Minas Geraes — 
 may probably amount to not less than 55,000 to 60,000 
 men ; so that the strength of the whole National Guard, 
 when the complete organization is effected, will amount 
 to between 215,000 and 230,000 men. Besides this, the 
 Metropolis, Bahia and Pernambuco have also consider- 
 able bodies of Municipal-Police, — Rio de Janeiro about 
 900 men, Bahia 600, and Pernambuco about as many, 
 all well disciplined and maintained. 
 
 * The organization in this province is not yet completely finished, 
 but it can be readily seen that the above statement will be within 
 the mark. 
 
VISIT TO PRUSSIAN VESSELS. 335 
 
 Septemher 2^th. — This morning I attended, in full Ge- 
 neral's uniform, tlie funeral service for Dom Pedro tlie 
 First in tlie churcli of Nossa Senliora da Gloria, wliicli 
 took place in tlie presence of tlie Emperor and the 
 Com't, I arrived early, and had time to enjoy in this 
 beautiful weather the splendid view of Rio and the Bay. 
 After the ceremony I drove into the city, and went on 
 board the Prussian barque ' Charlotte,' Captain Rein- 
 trok, a pretty vessel, in good trim, with spacious cabins ; 
 she had (a thing I had never before seen) no bitts, 
 and was provided with a simple stopper worked by 
 means of a hook. The crew consisted of sixteen men, 
 who unhappily were destined never to reach their homes : 
 the barque sailed from Rio, and no tidings were ever 
 heard of her again. In this vessel was lost, to my great 
 regret, the arms and accoutrements which the Emperor 
 had graciously presented to me. Not long after the loss 
 of this barque, the Prussian Chaplain to the Embassy, 
 Neumann, whose acquaintance I made in Rio, also 
 perished by ship'wreck : he had crossed the ocean in 
 safety, and met with this lamentable end at the mouth 
 of the Elbe, in sight of his native land ! 
 
 Erom the ' Charlotte' I passed over to his Majesty's 
 merchant brig ' Der Kronprinz,' Captain Sievert, at 
 whose topmast waved the Prussian pendant, which mer- 
 chantmen are only allowed to hoist south of the Line*. 
 
 * His Majesty's corvette the ' Amazone', as is well known, hoisted 
 the Prussian pendant two years later, for the first time after more 
 than a century, in the waters of the northern hemisphere out of the 
 Baltic Sea. 
 
33G ' RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 Both the brig and the barque were well-rigged, with 
 everything in perfect seamanlike order ; the cabin of the 
 ' Kronprinz' was also very spacious. The same remark 
 applies to a fine ship the ' Johns ' of Hamburg, which I 
 visited last ; her cabin was fitted up quite luxuriously. 
 The German ships all hoisted their flags when they 
 heard of my presence in the roadstead, — a voluntary 
 tribute of interest and sympathy ; but the further from 
 home, the more do Germans cling together. 
 
 September 26f/^. — As early as half-past nine o'clock 
 I galloped off in the direction of the city, following, 
 wherever possible, the shore of the Bay. On my road 
 I got into a number of by-ways and streets, which 
 had little the appearance of belonging to a metro- 
 polis. Upon a rising ground, near the small bay called 
 the " Bahia de Inhaume," stands a large white build- 
 ing, the hospital dos Lazaros. Several palm-islands 
 greatly enhance the beauty of this bay, which looked 
 quite a paradise in such heavenly weather. I had 
 wished to extend my ride today some leagues northward 
 along the west shore of the bay, but to my regret the 
 road I took was soon obstructed by various impedi- 
 ments, not often encountered in Brazil, such as hedges 
 and fences ; I therefore turned off to S. Clmstovao, and 
 following thence the road to Minas and Santa Cruz came 
 to Venda Grande. Before the point at which the road 
 branches off to Minas I turned sharp to the right, and 
 then proceeding parallel to the shore of the Bay, which 
 receded from my sight, I rode on through low capueira, 
 interspersed with the stems of tall cactuses. 
 
RIDE TO VENDA GRANDE. 337 
 
 Shortly before reaching the bare rock of the Peuha, 
 upon which stands the httle church, the capueu'a became 
 taller and more fragrant ; splendid forest-trees rose here 
 and there like giants out of the underwood, vnih a dark 
 and solemn air, and the hills extended behind the Penha 
 before me on the right. For some distance the wood 
 approached nearer to the road, converting it into a shady 
 avenue, and then by degrees the country became again 
 more open and hilly. I stopped at a brook near some 
 fazendas, and met a cattle-dealer, with high, black, shi- 
 ning boots, who told me, in good French, that I was on 
 the road to Porto da Estrella, and pointed out the di- 
 rection. In half an horn- I passed a second brook and 
 some detached houses ; and presently a negro, who was 
 journeying the same way, joined me, and we jogged 
 on for some distance together. The sun's heat was 
 oppressive ; my horse was tired, and I was hungry, — I 
 longed for a venda. My black companion, who could 
 not very well understand what I said, soon disap- 
 peared, and my charger refused service, so that I was 
 obliged to dismount and lead him along. After wan- 
 dering about for some hom's, I came upon a straight, 
 interminable path cut through the capueira, leading up 
 to some detached houses smTounding a square, on 
 one side of which stood a chm'ch. I believe the name 
 of this place was Nossa Senhora da Iraja. A young 
 Parisian showed me the inn, where I refreshed my- 
 self with bread and oranges, and then proceeded in 
 the direction of the road to Minas, which soon led 
 me to Venda Grande. The country through which I 
 
 VOL. I. z 
 
338 RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 passed today was hilly and covered with capueira, but 
 I noticed more palms than on the road to Santa Cruz. 
 The cattle-dealer had told me that a large body of troops 
 were escorting a number of prisoners on this road from 
 Minas to Rio, but I saw no trace of them. 
 
 It was past four o'clock when I again reached Venda 
 Grande, where I turned in to rest for awhile. Having 
 ordered coffee, in a few words of broken Portuguese, I 
 was going to look after my horse, when in crossing the 
 yard I heard the landlady rating her daughter soundly 
 in good German. My pleasui^able surprize may be 
 readily imagined; and the good woman, in an instant 
 forgetting her wrath, was very anxious in her attention 
 to my comfort and accommodation ; she was a native of 
 Baden, and had been settled here for some time. 
 
 Soon after I passed San Christovao it grew dark : in 
 the city I met the Emperor, on his way from the Botanic 
 Garden, and it was seven o'clock when I reached 
 home. I went to bed early, in order to enjoy a good 
 night's rest after my ride, for at daybreak the next day 
 we were to set out upon a longer excursion thi'ough the 
 Province of Rio de Janeiro. 
 
 END or VOLUME I. 
 
PRINTED BY 
 
 RICHAKD AND JOHN EDWARD TAYLOR, 
 
 RED LION COURT, PLEET STREET.