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BINGHAM CAPE BRASSBY : SMYTHS SOUND How dear to me the hour when daylight diet And ninheaiMS melt along the silent sea > SIXTH EDITION TORONTO : ROSE-BELFORD PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1879. ■v- I'lzns Entered according to the Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight, by the Rose-Bei.foru Pub- lishing Company, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture. HmmD ARD aooifD BT HT7NTBB, KOSE k CO. TOROBTO. //c^^^ •"-> DEDICATlOiX To THE FRIENDS tu many climes and countries, of the white and coloured races, and of every grade in society, who have made our year of travel a year of happiness, these pages are dedicated by the ever grateful Author y/?^^^ PREFACE. This volume needs no elaborate preface. A general sketch of the voyage which it describes was pub- lished in the 'Times' immediately after our return to England. That letter is reprinted here as a con- venient summary of the ' Sunbeam s performances. But these prefatory lines would indeed be incomplete if they did not contain a well-deserved tribute to the industry and accuracy of the author. The voyage would not have been undertaken, and assuredly it would never have been completed, without the impulse derived from her perseverance and deter- mination. Still less would any sufficient record of the scenes and experiences of the long voyage have been preserved had it not been for her painstaking desire not only to see everything thoroughly, but to record her impressions faithfully nnd accurately. The practised skill of a professional writer cannot vUi PREFACE. reasonably be expected in these simple pages, but their object will have been attained if they are the means of enabling more home-keeping friends to share in the keen enjoyment of the scenes and adventures they describe. Thomas Bkassev. mm^^ >m ^ ut le :o d CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Farewell to Old England II. Madeira, Teneriffe, and Cape de Verde Islands III. Palma to Rio de Janeiro .... IV. Rio de Janeiro V. The River Plate VI. Life on the Pampas VII. More about the Argentine Republic VIII. River Plate to Sandy Point, Straits of Magellan IX. Sandy Point to Lota Bay X. Chili XI. Santiago and Valparaiso , XII. Valparaiso to Tahiti XIII. The South Sea Islands XIV. At Tahiti PAGE I XV. Tahiti to Sandwich Islands.- Kilauea by Day AND BY Night XVI. Hawaiian Sports XVII. Honolulu— Departure for Japan XVI II. Honolulu to Yokohama . 13 3i 46 67 81 97 II I 134 '55 177 194 211 227 254 275 291 303 II I CHAPTER XIX. Yokohama CONTENTS. XX. Kioto, late Miaco • • • XXI. The Inland Sea XXII. To Canton up the Pearl River XXIII. From Macao to Singapore XXIV. Singapore • " • XXV. Ceylon XXVI. To Aden XXVII. Via Suez Canal XXVIII. 'Home' APPENDIX • • • • . »AGB . 316 • 333 • 353 • 376 • 392 . 408 . 426 ■ 443 456 473 489 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. MAPS AND PLANS. General Chart showing the 'Sunbeam's' Track Ai commencement, before Frontispiece. To face page 154 The Straits of Magellan The Sandwich Islands ■. Paumotu or Low Archipelago * Japan The Linschoten and Lu Chu Strait of Singapore Ceylon 226 V J' ;i8 » „ 426 Chart showing Monthly Average Temperatures of Water and Air during the Voyage At end oj book, after Appendix FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS The 'Sunbeam' Fro7ttispiece RETAMA Fi^AlNS . . T^fnr.J..,r. ^. 10 /ace page 24 Cape Froward . >» „ 136 Native Feast at Faatafa • • • jj ,, 252 „ 266 Cpjiter of Kilauea by Day . ' ' • * jy Lake of Fire by Night )> „ 270 Leap at Hilo .... • . „ .. 278 Chock-sing-Toon . " • • » 402 The Corals we collected , 488 xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. WOODCUTS IN TEXT. PAGB Cape Hrassey : Smyth's Sound .... TWe-pagi Portrait of the Author v Sunset on Southampton Water i Nearly Overboard 5 The Derelict 'Carolina' laden with Port Wine 9 Our First View of Madeira 13 Madeira Fish-carrier .17 A Cozy Corner 22 A Palm-tree in a Garden, Orotava, Teneriffe . . 31 Tarafal Bay, Sr. Antonio 37 Fathf.r Neptune 39 His Doctor (Crossing the Line) 40 Lulu and her Puppies 41 Vespers 42 Botafogo Bay 46 The Slave Vill\ge, Fazenda, Santa Anna . . . . 56 Thi-: Three Navigators 67 Prairik Dogs and Owls ^^^ Devil's Horns 84 La Calera 87 Indians at Azul 104 Lassoing Horses 106 'MONKSHAVEN' ON FiRE 112 Shipwrecked Crew coming on Board 115 FuEGiAN Weapons 127 FuEGiAN Bow and Arrows 129 Pin for fastening Cloak, made from a Dollar beaten out 131 FuEGiAN Boat and Oars 132 UST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, Xlll PACK Bartering with Fuegians 135 Thornton Peaks ,37 Glaciers, Snowy Sound ,30 Unfit Bay ,^^ Two-peaked Mountain j^c Indian Reach ,47 Catching Cape-Pigeons in the Gulf of PeSas . .153 Chilians waiting for the Train ,64 A Fellow Passenger 167 Baths of Cauquenes ,71 Up the Valley towards the Andes 173 Cacti of the Cordillera 174 HuASSO Huts ,7, HuASso of Chili ,75 Morning Mass at Santiago 177 What makes Horses go in Chili igi Juvenile Scrubbers ,0^ Conversation at Sea 107 Inscription from Easter Island 204 Tatakotoroa or Clarke Island 20S Going up the Mast in a Chair 209 Children looking up 209 Our First Landing in the South Pacific, Hao or Bow Island 214 Maitea 220 Maitean Boatman 221 Quarantine Island, Papeete 2. > Under the Trees, Papeete 227 Ch^todon Tricolor 229 Ch>etodon Plagmance 232 Waterfall at Faataua 235 'i I ' i ' ii I I Xlv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOB A Tahitian Ladv 247 Tropic Feathers 251 Ch^todon Besantii 253 Tattoo in the Tropics 256 Feather Necklace 279 War Necklace 283 Ancient War Masks and Costumes from the Museum AT Honolulu 284 Chalcedon Imperator 287 Feathered Cloak and Helmets 294 The Pali-Oahu 295 Zeus Ciliaris 301 Amateur Navigation 308 Little Redcap 313 Japanese Boats . . 315 Fujiyama, Japan 316 A Drag icross the Sand in a Jinrikisha . . .327 INOSHIM/ by a JAPANESE ARTIST 328 Japanesi. Boatman 329 Facsimile of our Luncheon Bill 330 A Family Group 338 Wayside Travellers 349 Arri.ma. The Village of Bamboo Basket Work . 357 The Yacht on Fire 360 Yoken San or Sacred Mountain, Inland Sea . . 363 HuRUsiMA, Inland Sea . 364 How we were boarded by Chinese and dispersed them . 371 Chinese Visiting Cards 377 Pearl River 37^ Bogue Forts 38, Chinese Pagoda and Boats 382 m LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. vf PAGB The French Consulate, Canton 389 Chinese Foot and Boot 398 Maharajah of Johore's House 414 The Pet Manis 417 Malacca 419 How the Journal was written 423 . ACOCK Mountain, Cevlon ....... 439 SouMALi Indian, Aden 451 Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb 457 Beating up the Red Sea 4^62 Homeward Bound 473 Faldetta, Malta 475 Armoury in the Governor's Palace, Valetta . . . 477 Tangier 482 Vasco da Gama 484 Belem Cloister Gardens 485 Our Welcome back off Hastings 487 Home at Last . . 488 :A^%|I, NOTE. -.; I HAVE to thank Mr. W. Simpson, author of ' Meeting the Sun,' for the passages given on pages 341 to 343 referring to the Japanese temples and their priesthood. The vessel which has carried us so rapidly and safely round the globe claims a brief description. She was designed by Mr, St. Clare Byrne, of Liverpool, and may be technically defined as a screw composite three-masted topsail-yard schooner. The engines, by Messrs. Laird, are of 70 nominal or 350 indicated horse-power, and developed a speed of 10T3 knots at the measured mile. The bunkers contain 80 tons of coal. The average daily consumption is 4 tons, and the speed 8 knots in fine weather. The principal dimensions of the hull are -length for tonnage, 157 ft. ; beam ex- treme, 27 ft 6 in. ; displacement tonnage, 531 tons ; area of mid- ship section, 202 sq. ft. A. B. ^ Sanset on Southampton Water A VOYAGE IN THE 'SUNBEAM'. CHAPTER I. FAREWKLL TO OLD ENGLAND. Masts, spires, and strand receding on tht. right, The glorious main expanding on the bow. At noon on July ist, 1876, we said good-bye to the friends who had coine to Chatham to see us off, and began the first stage of our voyage by steaming down to Sheerness, saluting our old friend the 'Duncan,' Admiral Chads's flagship, and passing through a perfect fleet of craft of all kinds. There was a fresh contrary wind, and the Channel was as disagreeable as usual under the circumstances Next afternoon we were off Hastings, where we had intended to stop and dine and meet some friends ; but, unfortunately the weather was not sufficiently favourable B PASSENGhRS AND PETS. for us to land ; so we made .1 long tack out to sea, and, in the evening, found ourselves once more near the land, off Beachy Head. While becalmed off Brighton, we all — children included — availed ourselves of the opportunity to go overboard and have our first swim, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We had steam up before ten, and again pro- ceeded on our course. It was very hot, and sitting under the awning turned out to be the pleasantest occupation. The contrast between the weather of the two following days was very great, and afforded a forcible illustration of the uncertainties, perhaps the fascinations, of yachting. We steamed quietly on, past the ' Owers ' lightship, and tjhe crowds of yachts at Ryde, and dropped anchor off Cowes at six o'clock. On the morning of the 6th a light breeze sprang up, and enabled us to go through the Needles with sails up and funnel down, a performance of which all on board felt very proud, as many yachtsmen had pronounced it to be an impossibility for our vessel to beat out in so light a breeze. We were forty-three on board, all told, as will be seen by reference to the list I have given. We had with us, besides, two dogs, three birds, and a charming Persian kitten belonging to the baby. The kitten soon disappeared, and it was feared she must have gone overboard down the hawse pipe. There was a faint hope, however, that she might have been packed away with the new sails, which had been stowed in a great hurry the day before. Unhappily she was never found again, and the children were inconsolable until they discovered, at Torquay, an effective substitute for ' Lily.' The Channel was tolerably smooth outside the Isle of Wight, and during the afternoon we were able to hold on our course direct for Ushant. After midnight, however, the wind worked gradually round to the W.S.W., and blew directly in our teeth. A terribly heavy sea got up ; and, as we were making little or no progress, it was decided to THE CHOPS OF THE CHANNEL. ,'n in :o put in to Torquay or Dartmouth, and there await a chant;e. We anchored in Torbay, about half a mile from the pier, at 8.30 a.m., and soon afterwards went ashore to bathe. We found, however, that the high rocks which surround the snug little bathing cove made the water as cold as ice. Nothini^ more iiaving been heard of our poor little kitten, we can only conclude that she has gone overboard. Just as we were leaving the railway-station, however, we saw a small white kitten with a blue ribbon round its neck ; and all the children at once exclaimed, ' There's our Lily!' We made inquiries, and found that it belonged to the young woman at the refreshment room, who, after some demur, allowed us to take it away with us, in compliance with Muriel's anxious wish, expressed on her face. About ten o'clock we got under way, but lay-to for breakfast. We then had a regular beat of it down Channel — everybody being ill. We formed a melancholy-looking little row down the lee side of the ship, though I must say that we were quite as cheery as might have been expected under the circumstances. It was bright and sunny over- head, which made things more bearable. Sv.nday, July 9///. — A calm at 2 a.m. Orders were given to get up steam ; but the new coals from Chatham were slow to light, though good to keep up steam when once fairly kindled. For four long hours, therefore, we lolloped about in the trough of a heavy sea, the sails flap- ping as the vessel rolled. By the time the steam was up so was the breeze — a contrary one, of course. We accord- ingly steamed and sailed all day, taking more water on board, though not really in any great quantity, than I had ever seen the good ship do belore. She carries a larger supply of coal and other stores than usual, and no doubt the square yards on the foremast make her pitch more heavily. We were all very sorry for ourselves, and ' church.' postponed from eleven until four o'clock, brought together but a small congregation. B 2 /\ THE BAY OF BISCAY. On the 8th we were fairly away from Old Ens^land, and on the next day oft' Ushant, which we rounded at about 4.30 p.m., at the distance of a mile and a half; the sea was tremendous, the waves breaking in columns of spray against the sharp needle-Uke rocks that form the point of the island. The only excitement during the day was aftbrded by the visit of a pilot-boat (without any fish on board), whose owner was very anxious to take us into Brest, ' safe from the coming storm,' which he predicted. In addition to our other discomforts, it now rained hard ; and by half-past six I think nearly all our party had made up their minds that bed would be the most comfort- able place. Two days later we sailed into lovely, bright, warm, sunny weather, with a strong north-easterly breeze, a following sea, and an occasional long roll from the westward. But as the sun rose, the wind increased, and we got rather knocked about by the sea. A. good deal of water came on board, anc! it was impossible to sit anywhere in comfort, unless lashed or firmly wedged in. We were, however, going ten knots through the water, on our course, under our new square head canvas ; and this fact made up for a good deal of dis- comfort. The thirty extra tons of spare sails, spars, and provi- sions, the fifteen tons of water, and the eighty-four tons of coal, made a great difference in ^.ur buoyancy, and the sea came popping in and out at the most unexpected places ; much to the delight of the children, who, with bare feet and legs, and armed with mops and sponges, waged mimic war against the intruder and each other, singing and danc- in|;{ to their hearts' content. This amusement was occa- sionally interrupted by a heavier roll than usual, sending them all into the lee scuppers, sousing them from head to foot, and necessitating a thorough change of clothing, despite their urgent protest that sea-water never hurt anybody. NEA RL Y O I 'EJi/JO.l RD. After our five o'clock dinner, however, we very nearly met with a most serious accident. We were all sittings or standing about the stern of the vessel, admiring the magnificent dark blue billows following us, with their curling white crests, mountains high. Each wave, as it approached, appeared as if it must overwhelm us, instead of which, it rushed grandly by, rolling and shaking us from stem to stern, and sending fountains of sprny on board. .^■^M- Nearly Overboard. Tom was looking at the stern compass, Allnutt being close to him. Mr. Bingham and Mr. Freer were smoking, half-way between the quarter-deck and the after-companion, where Captain Brown, Dr. Potter, Muriel, and I, were standing. Captain Lecky, seated on a large coil of rope, placed on the box of the rudder, was spinning Mabelle a yarn. A new hand was steering, and just at the moment when an unusually big wave overtook us, he unfortunately allowed tiie vessel to broach-to a little. In a second the sea came pouring over SPA US CARRIED AWAY. the stern, above Allnutt's head. The boy was nearly washed overboard, but he managed to catch hold of the rail, and, with great presence of mind, stuck his knees into the bulwarks. Kindred, our boatswain, seeing his danger, rushed forward to save him, but was knocked down by the return wave, from which he emerged gasping. The coil of rope, on which Captain Lecky and Mabelle were seated, was completely floated by the sea. Providentially, however, he had taken a double turn round his wrist with a reefing point, and, throwing his other arm round Mabelle, held on like grim death ; otherwise nothing could have saved them. She was perfectly self-possessed, and only said quietly, ' Hold on. Captain Lecky, hold on ! ' to which he replied, ' All right.' I asked her afterwards if she thought she was going overboard, and she answered, ' I did not think at all, mamma, but felt sure we were gone.' Captain Lecky, being accustomed to very large ships, had not in the least realised how near we were to the water in our little vessel, and was proportionately taken by surprise. All the rest of the party were drenched, with the exception of Muriel, whom Captain Brovn held 1iigh above the Water in his arms, and who lost no time m remarking, in the midst of the general confusion, ' I'm not at all wet, I'm not.' Happily, the children don't know what fear is. The maids, however, were very frightened, as some of the sea had got down into the nursery, and the skylights had to be screwed down. Our studding-sail boom, too, broke with a loud crack when the ship broached-to, and the jaws of the fore-boom gave way. Soon after this adventure we all went to bed, full of thankfulness that it had ended as well as it did ; but, alas, not, so far as I was concerned, to rest in peace. In about two hours I was awakened by a tremendous weight of water suddenly descending upon me and flooding the bed. I immediately sprang out, only to find myself in another pool on the floor. It was pitch dark, and I could AN UNCOMFORTABLE NIGHT. not think what had happened ; so I rushed on deck, and found that, the weather having moderarted a little, some kind sailor, knowing my love of fresh air, had opened the skylight rather too soon ; and one of the ang.y waves had popped on board, deluging the cabin. I got a light, and proceeded to mop up, as best I could, and then endeavoured to find a dry place to sleep in. This, however, was no easy task, for my own bed was drenched, and every other berth occupied. The deck, too, was ankle-deep in water, as I found when I tried to get across to the deck-house sofa. At last I lay down on the floor, wrapped up in my ulster, and wedged between the foot stanchion of our swing bed and the wardrobe athwart- ship ; so that as the yacht rolled heavily, my feet were often higher than my head. Consequently, what sleep I snatched turned into nightmare, of which the fixed idea was a broken head from the three hundredweight of lead at the bottom of our bed, swinging wildly from side to side and up and down, as the vessel rolled and pitched, sug- gesting all manner of accidents. When morning came at last, the weather cleared a good deal, though the breeze continued. All hands were soon busily employed in repair- ing damages ; and very picturesque the deck and rigging of the ' Sunbeam ' looked, with the various groups of men, occupied upon the ropes, spars, and sails. Towards evening the wind fell light, and we had to get up steam. The night was the first really warm one we had enjoyed, and the stars shone out brightly. The sea, which had been of a lovely blue colour during the day, showed a slight phos- phorescence after dark. Thursday, July x^tn. — When I went on deck, at half- past six, I found a grey, steamy, calm morning, promising a very hot day, without wind. About 10.30 a.m., the cry of ' Sail on the port beam ! ' caused general excitement, and in a few minutes every telescope and glass in the ship had been brought to bear *mL.mmis-:i..... 8 A FLOATING CELLAR. upon the object which attracted our attention, and which was soon pronounced to be a wreck. Orders were given to starboard the helm, and to steer direct for the vessel ; and many were the conjectures hazarded, and the questions asked of the fortunate holders of glasses. ' What is she ? ' ' Is there any one on board .■* ' ' Where does she come from .'' ' * Can you read her name .'' ' ' Does she look as if she had been long abandoned V Soon we were near enough to send a boat's crew on board, whilst v/e watched their movements anxiously from the bridge. We could now read her name — the 'Carolina' — surmounted by a gorgeous yellow decoration on her stern. She was of between two and three hundred tons burden, and was painted a light blue, with a red streak. Beneath her white bowsprit the gaudy image of a woman served as a figure-head. The two masts had been snapped short off about three feet from the deck, and the bulwarks were gone, only the covering board and stanchions remaining, so that each wave washed over and through her. The roof and supports of the deck-house and the companions were still left standing, but the sides had disappeared, and the ship's deck was burst up in such a manner as to remind one of a quail's back. We saw the men on board poking about, apparently very pleased with what they had found ; and soon our boat returned to the yacht for some breakers,' as the ' Carolina* had been laden with port wine and cork, and the men wished to bring some of the former on board. I changed my dress, and, putting on my sea boots, started for the wreck. We found the men rather excited over their discovery. The wine must have been very new and very strong, for the smell from it, as it slopped about all over the deck, was almost enough to intoxicate anybody. One pipe had already been emptied into the breakers and barrels, and * Small casks, used for carrying water in boats, frequently spelt barricos, evidently from the time of the old Spanish navigators. 'M ,> BOARDING A WRECK. great efforts were made to get some of the casks out whole; but this was found to be impossible, without devoting more time to the operation than we chose tc spare. The men managed to remove three half-empty casks wiih their heads stove in, which they threw overboard, but the full ones would have required special appliances to raise them through the hatches. It proved exceedingly difificult to get at the wine, which was stowed underneath the cork, The Derelict ' Carolina ' laden -with Port Wine and there was also a quantity of cabin bulkheads and fit- tings floating about, under the influence of the long swell of the Atlantic. It was a curious sight, standing on the roof of the deck-house, to look into the hold, full of floating bales of cork, barrels, and pieces oi wood, and to watch the sea surging up in every direction, through and over the deck, which was level with the water's edge. I saw an excellent modern iron cooking-stove washing about from side to side ; but almost every other moveable article, in- cluding spars and ropes, had apparently been removed by previous boarders. mnammeesssi&.ii^'aiies't lO A HARBINGER OF WIND. It would have delayed us too long to tow the vessel into the nearest port, 375 miles distant, or we might have claimed the salvage money, estimated by the experts at 1,500/, She was too low in the water for it to be possible for us, with our limited appliances, to blow her up ; so we were obliged to leave her floating about as a derelict, a fertile source of danger to all ships crossing her track. With her buoyant cargo, and with the trade winds slowly wafting her to smoother seas, it may probably be st)me years before she breaks up. I only hope that no good ship may run full speed on to her, some dark night, for the 'Carolina' would prove almost as formidable an obstacle as a sunken rock. Tom was now signalling for us to go on board again, and for a few minutes I was rather afraid we should have had a little trouble in getting the men off, as their excitement had not decreased ; but after a trifling delay and some rather rough play amongst themselves, they became steady again, and we returned to the yacht with our various prizes. A ' Mother Carey's chicken ' hovered round the wreck while we were on board, and followed us to the ' Sun- beam ; ' and although a flat calm and a heavy swell pre- vailed at the time, we all looked upon our visitor as the harbinger of a breeze. In this instance, at least, the well- known sailor's superstition was justified ; for, before the evening, the wind sprang up, and ' fires out and sails up ' was the order of the day. We were soon bowling merrily along at the rate of seven knots an hour, while a clear starlight night and a heavy dew gave promise of a fine morrow. Friday, July \^th. — We still have a light wind, right aft, accompanied by a heavy roll from the westward, which makes it impossible to sit anywhere with comfort, and difficult even to read. By 6 a.m. the sun had become very powerful, though its heat was tempered by the breeze, A FOG-BANK. II which gradually increased throughout the day, until, having set all our fore-and-aft canvas, as well as our square sails, we glided steadily along, in delightful contrast to the un- easy motion of the morning, and of the past few days. Under the awning — with the most heavenly blue sky above, and the still darker clear blue sea beneath, stretching away in gentle ripples as far as the eye could reach — it was simply perfect. Our little party get on extremely well together, though a week ago they were strangers to each other. We are all so busy that we do not see much of one another except at meals, and then we have plenty to talk about. Captain Lecky imparts to us some of his valuable information about scientific navigation and the law of storms, and he and Tom and Captain Brown work hard at these sub- jects. Mr. Freer follows in the same path ; Mr. Bingham draws and reads : Dr. Potter helps me to teach the children, who, I am happy to say, are as well as possible. I read and write a great deal, and learn Spanish, so that the days are all too short for what we have to do. The servants are settling down well into their places, and the commissariat department does great credit to the cooks and stewards. The maids get on satisfactorily, but are a little nervous on rough nights. We hope not to have many more just at present, for we are now approaching calmer latitudes. In the course of the day, whilst Tom and I were sitting in the stern, the man at th'^ wheel suddenly exclaimed, 'There's land on the port bow.' We knew, from the dis- tance we had run, that this could not be the case, and after looking at it through the glasses, Tom pronounced the supposed land to be a thick wall of fog, advancing towards us against the wind. Captain Brown and Captain Lecky came from below, and hastened to get in the studding-sails, in anticipation of the conning squall. In a few minutes we had lost our fair breeze and brilliant sunshine, all our sails Tusr^ la PRECAUTION AGAINST DANGER. were taken flat aback, and we found ourselves enveloped in a dense fog, which made it impossible for us to see the length of the vessel. It was an extraordinary phenomenon. Captain Lecky, who, in the course of his many voyages, has passed within a few miles of this exact spot more than a hundred and fifty times, had never seen anything in the least like it. As night came on the fog increased, and the boats were prepared ready for lowering. Two men went to the wheel, and two to the bows to look out, while an officer was stationed on the bridge with steam-whistle and bell ready for an emergency ; so that, in case we ran into anything, or anything ran into us, we should at least have the satis- faction of knowing that, so far as we were concerned, it had all been done .strictly according to Act of Parliament. Satuj-day, Jtily i^th. — Between midnight and 4 a.m. the fog disappeared, as suddenly as it had come on. We must have passed through a wide belt of it. At 5.30 a.m., when Tom called me to see a steamer go by, it was quite clear. The vessel was the ' Roman,' and she passed so close to us that we made our number, and exchanged salutations with the officers on the bridge. Towards the afternoon a nice breeze sprang up, and we were able to bank fires and sail. V..Y a. Our First View of Madeira CHAPTER II. MADEIRA, TENERIFFE, AND CAPE DE VERDE ISLANDS. Full many a green >sle needs mii^f b>>. hi this luide sea of misery, Or the mariner ivorn and wan Never thus could voyage on. Sunday, July i6tk. — Porto Santo being visible on the port bow, a quarter of a mile ahead, by 3.55 a.m. this morning, our three navigators congratulated themselves and each other on the good land-fall they had made. It looks a curious little island, and is situated about thirty-five miles north-east of Madeira, with a high peak in the centre, of which we could only see the extreme point, appearing above the clouds. It is interesting to know that it was from his observa- tion of the drift-wood and debris washed on to the eastern shore that Columbus, who had married the daughter of the Governor of Porto Santo, derived his first impressions of the existence of the New World. Here it was that he first realised there might po.ssibly be a large and unknown country to the westward ; here it was that he first con- H ARRIVAL AT PUNCH AL, ceivcd the project of exploring the hitherto unknown ocean and of discovering what new countries might bound its western shores. An hour later wc saw Fora and its light, at the extreme east of Madeira, and could soon distinguish the mountains in the centre of the latter island. As we rapidly ap- proached the land, the beauty of the scenery became more fully apparent. A mass of dark purple volcanic rocks, clothed on the top with the richest vegetation, with patches of all sorts of colour on their sides, rises boldly from the sea. There are several small detached rocks, and one curious pointed little island, with an arch right through the middle of it, rather like the Perce Rock on the coast of Nova Scotia. VVc steamed slowly along the east coast, passing many pretty hamlets, nestled in bays or perched on the side of the hills, and observing how every possible nook and corner seemed to be terraced and culti- vated. Sugar-canes, Indian corn, vines, and many varieties of tropical and semi-tropical plants, grow luxuriantly in this lovely climate. Nearly all the cottages in the island are inhabited by a simple people, many of whom have never left their native villages, even to look at the mag- nificent view from the top of the surrounding mountains, or to gaze on the sea, by which they are encompassed. We dropped our anchor in the bay of Funchal at about twelve o'clock, and before breakfast was over found ourselves surrounded by a perfect flotilla of boats, though none of them dared approach very near until the health-officer had come alongside and pronounced us free from infection. At this moment all are complaining much of the heat, which since yesterday has been very great, and is caused by the wind called ' Este,' blowing direct from the African deserts. It was 79° in the coolest place on board, and 84° on shore in the shade, in the middle of the day. The African mail steamer, ' Ethiopia,' last from Bonny, West Coast of Africa, whence she arrived the day before AN AFRICAN CARGO. »5 yesterday, was lying in the bay, and the children went on board with some of our party to see her cargo of monkeys, parrots, and pineapples. The result was an importation of five parrots on board the' Sunbeam;' but the monkeys were too big for us. Captain Dane, who paid us a return visit, said that the temperature here appeared quite cool to him, as for the last few weeks his thermometer had varied from 82" to 96° in the shade. We had service at 4 p.m., and at 5 p.m. went ashore in a native boat, furnished with bilge pieces, i) keep her straight when beached, and to avoid the surf, for it was too rough for our own boats. At the water's edge a curious sort of double sleigh, drawn by two oxen, was waiting. Into this we stepped, setting off with considerable rapidit)' up the steep shingly beach, under a beautiful row of trees, to the ' l^raga,' where the greater portion of the population were walking up and down, or sitting under the shade of the magnolias. These plants here attain the size of forest- trees, and their large white wax-like flowers shed a most delightful fragrance on the evening air. There were grace- ful pepper' vines too, and a great variety of trees only known to us in England in the form of small shrubs. This bemg a festival day, the streets were crowded with people from town and country, in their holiday attire. The door-posts and balconies of the houses were wreathed with flowers, the designs in many cases being very pretty. One arcade in particular was quite lovely, with arches made of double red geranium, mixed with the feathery- looking pepper leaves, while the uprights were covered with amaryllis and white arum lilies. The streets were strewn with roses and branches of myrtle, which, bruised by the feet of the passers-by and the runners of the bullock sleigh, emitted a delicious aromatic odour. The trellises in the gardens seem overgrown with ste- phanotis, mauve and purple passion-flowers, and all kind.s of rare creepers ; the purple and white hibiscus shoots up ■■1 ir, THE GARDEN AT TIL. some fourteen to sixteen feet in hei,Ljlit ; bananas, full of fruit and flciwcr, strelitzias, heliotrope, geraniums, and pelarL^oniums, bloom all arouml in large shrubs, mixed with palms and mimosas of every variety ; and the whole formed such an enchanting picture that we were loth to tear ourselves away. A ride of about twenty minutes in the bullock sleigh, up a steep hill, by the side of a rocky torrent, whose banks were overgrown with caladiums and vines, brought us to our destination, Til, whence wc had a splendid view of the town and bay stretching beneath us. During the ascent we passed several cottages, whose inhabitants stood airing themselves on the threshold after the great heat of the day, and throujh the open doorways we occasionally got a peep into the gardens beyond, full of bright flowers and luxuriant with vines, fig-trees, and bananas. As we sat in the terrace garden at Til we enjoyed tiie sweet scent of the flowers we could no longer see, and listened to the cool splash of the water in the fountain below ; whilst Allnutt, with unceasing energy, searched amongst the bushes for moths, of which he found a large number. We jogged down the hill a great deal faster than we had come up, stopping only for a short time in the now more than ever crowded ' Pra9a,' to listen to one or two airs played by the Portuguese band, before we got back to the yacht at about half-past ten. Next morning we were off i"0 the fish-market by seven o'clock, but it was not a good lime for our visit, as there had been no moon on the previous night ; and, though there were fish of various kinds, saw nothing specially worthy of notice. The picturesque costumes of the people were, however, interesting. We afterwards went to the iruit-market, though it was not specially worth seeing, for most of the fruit and vegetables are brought in boats from villages on the sea-shore ; and, as it is necessary to wait until the sea-breeze springs up, they do not arrive until M.iRKirriNC, AND HA THING. 17 midday. A cr our walk the children and I went down to the beach and bathed, taking care not to go too far out on account of the sharks, of which we had been warned. We undressed and dressed in tents, not unhke clothes- horses, with a bit of matting thrown over them, in which the heat was intense. The beach is very steep ; and as one gets out of one's depth immediately, indifCt. rent swimmers put on a couple of bladders — which stick out behind their backs and produce a strange effect- or else take a bathing- A.T.B Fish Carrier, man into the water with them. I preferred the latter course ; and we all had a pleasant bathe. The natives seem almost amphibious in their habits, and the yacht is surrounded all day by boats full of small boys, who will dive to any depth for sixpence, a dozen of them spluttering and fighting for the coin in the water at the same time. They will go down on one side of the yacht too, and bob up on the other, almost before you have time to run across the deck to witness tlieir reappearance. C wmm i i r-A- i8 SUDI.Su DOWN-HILL. Tlio Loo Rook, with its old fortress, close co our an- chorage, forms a picturesque objecl ; and the scene from the yacht, enlivened by the presence of numerous market- boats, laden with fruit and vejjetables, is very pretty. We lie about 150 yards from the shore, just imder IMr. Danero's quinta. The clitV just here is overhung; with bou^ainvilheas, geraniums, fuchsias, aloes, prickl)- pears, and other tlowers, which grow luxuriantly quite down to the water's edge, wherever they can contrive to hnd a root-hold. After five o'clock tea we rode up the Mount and through the woods on horseback, along a road gay with masses of wild geranium, hydrangea, amaryllis, and fuchsia. We ilisnuninted at a lovely place, which contains a large number of rare trees and plants, brought from all parts of the world. Here were enormous camellias, as well as purple, red, and white azaleas, Guernsey lilies, all growing in the greatest profusion. Our ilescent o'i the Mount, In' means of a form of con- veyance commonly used on the island, was very amusing. At the summit we found basket-work sleighs, each con structed to hold two people, .uul attended by a couple o! men, lasheii together. Into these we stepped, and were im- mctliately pushed down the hill at a tremen ' )us pace. The gliding motion is delightful, and was altogether a novclt)- to us. The men manage the sleighs with great skill, steer- ing them in the most wonderful manner roimd the sharp angles in the zigzag road, and making use ot their bare feet as brakes when necessary. The turns were occasion- ally so abrupt, that it seemed almost impossible that we could avoid beitig upset ; but we reached the bottom quite safely. The children were especially delighted witii the trip, and indeed we all enjoyeil it immensely. The only danger is the risk of tire from the friction of the steel runners against the gravel road. After paying a visit to Mr, and Mrs. Blandy, whose house is beautifull)' situated, we dined at the hotel, and ^' TO TlIK CRAX CORRAL, 19 aftonvauls sat in the Unci)- scnii-tropical garden until it was time to ^o on hoaul to bed. 'J'lU'Siinv, yu/v \St/i. Wo were called at 4.30 a.m., and went ashore soon after six to meet some friends, with whom we had arranged to riile up to the Ciran Corral, ami to breakfast there, 5,000 feet above the level i>f the sea. It siMMi became evident that the time we had selected lor laniling was the fashionable batliing hour. In fact, it requireil scne skill on our part to keep the bo.it cle.ir o'i the crowds oi peo{>le of both sexes atul all ages, who were taking their morning ilip. It was most absurd to see entire families, from the baUl-he.uleil .iml spect.icled grandfather to the bab>' who iould sc.ircely w.dk. .dl disporting themsehes in the w.itcr tt^gether. man\- oi them supporteil b; die very inelegant-KH>king bl.ulilers I h.ne n:entioned. There w.is a little delay in mounting our horses, under the shade of the tig-trees; but wlien we were once ofV, a part}' of eleven, the cav.dcade became ijuite for- u'.idable. As we cl.ittered up the paved streets, between vineyard and garden walls, 'curiosity openeil her lattice,' on more than one occasion, to a.sciMtain the cause of the unwonted commotion. The views on our way, as we sometimes climbed a steep ascent or descenilecl a deep rjvine, were very varied, but always beautiful. Abcmt half-way up we stoppeil to rest inuler a delightful trellis of vines, by the siile of a rushing mount. lin stream, bordered with ferns ; then, leaving the viney.uds and gardens behir.d us, we pas.sed through forests oi shad}' Spanish chestnut trees, beneath which stretched the luxurious greensward. At ten o'clock we (juitted this grateful shade, and arrived at the neck of the pass, facing the tlr.m Corral, where we had tt> make our choice of ascending a conical hill, on our left, or the Torrinhas Teak, o\\ t>ur right. The latter was chosen, as promising the belter view, although it c a I ■•' r. 20 THE TOR KIN HAS PEAK. was rather farther off, so vvc wen; accordingh' seized upon by some of the crowd of peasants who surrounded us, and who at once proceeded to push and pull us up a steep slippery grass slope, interspersed with large boulders. The view from the top, looking down a sheer precipice of some 1,500 feet in depth into the valley below, was lovely. Quite at the bottom, amid the numerous ravines and small spurs of rocks by which the valley is intersected, we could distinguish some small patches of cultivated ground. Above our heads towered the jagged crests of the highest peaks, Pico Ruivo and others, which we had already seen from the yacht, when we first sighted the island. A pleasant walk over some grassy slopes, and two more hard scrambles, took us to the summit of the Tor- rinhas Peak ; but the charming and extensive view towards Camara dc Lobos, and the bay and town of Funchal, was an ample reward for all our trouble. It did not take us long to get back to the welcome shade of the chestnut trees, for we were all ravenously hungry, it being now eleven o'clock. But, alas ! breakfast had not arrived : so we had no resource but to mount our horses again and ride down to meet it. Mr. Miles, of the hotel, had not kept his word ; he had promised that our provisions should be sent up to us by nine o'clock, and it was midday before we met the men carrying the hampers on their heads. There was now nothing for it but to organise a picnic on the terrace of Mr. Veitch's deserted villa, beneath th^ shade of camellia, fuchsia, myrtle, magnolia, and pepper-trees, from whence we could also enjoy the fine view of the fertile valley beneath us and the blue sea sparkling beyond. Wednesday^ July \<)th. — We were so tired after our exertions of yesterday, that it was nine o'clock before we all mustered for our morning swim, which I think we enjoyed the more from the fact of our having previously been prevented by the sharks, or rather by the rumour of sharks. -ii jiZSiZi^ THE ENGLISH CEMETERY 21 We were engaged to lunch at Mr. and Mrs. Blandy s, but I was so weary that I did not go ashore until about six o'clock in the evening, and then I went first to *-he English cemetery, which is very prettily laid out and well kept. The various paths are .shaded by pepper-trees, entwined with bougainvill.x'a, while in many places the railings are completely covered by long trailing masses of stephanotis in full bloom. Some of the inscriptions on the tombs are extremely touching, and it is sad to see, as is almost always the ca.se in places much resorted to by invalids, how large a proportion of those who lie buried here have been cut ofif in the very flower of their youth. Indeed, the residents at Madeira complain that it is a melancholy drawback to the charms of this beautiful island, that the friendship frequently formed between them and people who come hither in .search of health, is in so many cases brought to an early and sad ter- mination. Having seen and admired Mr.s. P'oljambe's charming garden by daylight, we returned on board to receive some friends. Unfortunately the>' were not very- good sailors, and, out of our party of twenty, one lady had to go a.shore at once, and another bLfure dinner was over. They all admired the yacht very much, particularly the various cozy corners in the deck-house. It was a lovely night ; and after the departure of our guests, at about ten o'clock, we .steamed out of the bay, where we found a nice 'ght breeze, which enabled us to sail. 'ihnrsday, July 20///. — All to-J.i)- has been taken up in arranging our photograi)hs, journals, &c. &c., and in pre- paring for our visit to Teneri ffe. About twelve o'cloc': the wind fell light and we tried fishing, but without success, though several bonitos or flying-fish were seen. It was very hot, and it seemed quite a relief when, at eight o'clock in the evening, we began steaming, thus creating a breeze for ourselves. saats 23 F/JiS7- VIE IV OF TENERIFFE. Friday, July 2\st. — We all rose early, and were full of excitement to catch the first glimpse of the famous Pr^ak of Tencrifife. There was a nice breeze from the north-east, the true trade wind, we hope, which ought to carry us down nearly to the Line. The morning being rather hazy, it was quite ten o'clock before we saw the Peak, towering above A Coicy Corner. the cioims, right ahead, about fifty-nine miles off. As \vc approached, it appeared less perpendicular than we had expected, or than it is generally represented in pictures. The other mountains too, in the centre of the island, from the midst of which it rises, are so very lofty that, in spite of its conical sugar-loaf top, it is difficult at first to realise that the Peak is 12,180 feet high. % 4- ASCENT OF THE PEAK, n We dropped anchor under its shadow in the harbour of Orotava in preference to the capital, Santa Cruz, both on account of its being a healthier place, and also in order to be nearer to the Peak, which we wished to ascend. The heat having made the rest of our party rather lazy, Captain Lecky and I volunteered to go on shore to see the Vice-Consul, Mr. Goodall, and try to make arrange- ments for our expedition. It was only 2 p.m., and very hot work, walking through the deserted streets, but luckily we had not far to go, and the house was nice and cool when we got there. Mr. Goodall sent off at once for a carriage, despatching a messenger also to the mountains for horses and guides, which there was some difficulty in obtaining at such short notice. Having organised the expedition we re-embarked to dine on board the yacht, and I went to bed at seven, to be called again, however, at half-past ten o'clock. After a light supper, we landed and went to the Vice-Consul's arriving there exactly at midnight. But no horses were forthcoming, so we lay down on our rugs in the patio, and endeavoured to sleep, as we knew we should require all our strength for the expedition before us. There were sundry false alarms of a start, as the horses arrived by ones and twos from the neighbouring villages, accompanied by their respective owners. Ky two o'clock all our steeds, twelve in number, had assembled, and in another quarter of an hour we were leaving the town by a steep stony path, bordered by low walls. There was no moon, and for the first two hours it was very dark. At the end of that time we could sec the first glimmer of dawn, and were shortly afterwards able to distinguish each other and to observe the beautiful view which lay below us as we wended our way up and up between small patches of cultivation. Soon we climbed above the clouds, which pre- sented a most curious appearance as we looked down upon them. The strata through which we had passed was so WJIik;: 24 PLAINS OF PUMICES TO \E. dense and so white, that it looked exactly like an enor- mous glacier, covered with fresh fallen snow, extending for miles and miles ; while the projecting tops of the other Canary Islands appeared only like great solitary rocks. The sun had already become very oppressive, and at half-past seven we stopped to breakfast and to water the horses. Half-past eight found us in the saddle again, and we commenced to traverse a dreary plain of yellowish white pumice-stone, interspersed with huge blocks of ob- sidian, thrown from the mouth of the volcano. At first tlu- monotony of the scene was relieved by large bushes of yellow broom in full flower, and still larger bushes of the beautiful Rctaina hlanca, quite covered with lo\e!\- white bloom, scenting the air with its delicious fragrance, and resembling huge tufts of feathers, eight or nine feet high. As we proceeded, howev r, we left all traces of vegetation behind us. Itv.'as like the Great Sahara. On every side a vast expanse of yellow pumice-stone sand spread around us, an occasional block of rock sticking up here and there, and looking as if it li'.d indeed been fused in a might}' furnace. By half-past ten we had reached the ' Estancia de los In- gleses,' 9,639 feet abcne the level of the sea, where the baggage and some of the horses had to be left behind, the saddles being transferred to mules for the very . teep climb before us. After a drink of water all round, we started again, and commenced the ascent of the almost perpen- dicular stream of lava and stone, which forms the onl}- practicable route to the top. Our poor beasts were onl)- able to go a few paces at a time without stopping to regain their breath. The loose ashes and lava fortunately gave them a good foothold, or it would have been quite impos- sible for them to get along at all. One was only en- couraged to proceed by the sight of one's friends above, looking like flies clinging to the face of a wall. The road, if such it can be called, ran in zigzags, each of which was about the length of two horses, so that we were in turns - ■•" —--"-■ ■"-'i- Tl ALT A VISTA. 25 one above another. There were a few sHps and sHdes and tumbles, but no important casualties ; and in about an hour and a half we hid reached the ' Alta Vista,' a tiny plateau, where the horses were to be left. The expedition so far had been such a fatiguing one, and the heat was so great, that the children and I decided to remain here, and to let the gentlemen proceed alone to the summit of the Peak. We tried to find some shade, but the sun was so immediately above us that this was almost an impossibility. However, we managed to .squeeze our- selves under some slightly overhanging rocks, and I took some photographs while the children slept. The guides soon returned with water-barrels full of ice, procured from a cavern above, where there is a stream of water con.stantly running ; and nothing could have been more grateful and refreshing. It was more than three hours before Tom and Captain Lecky reappeared, to be soon followed by the rest of the party. Whilst they rested and refreshed themselves with ice, they described the ascent as fatiguing in the extreme, in fact, almost an impossibility for a lady. P'irst they had scrambled over huge blocks of rough lava to the tiny plain of the Rambleta, 11,466 feet above the level of the sea, after which they had to climb up the cone itself, 530 feet in height, and sloping at. an angle of 44 degrees. It is composed of ashes and calcined chalk, into which their feet sank, while, for every t\"o steps they made for- wards and upwards, they slipped one backwards. But those who reached the top were rewarded for their exer- tions by a glorious view, and by the wonderful appearance of the summit of the Peak. The ground beneath their feet was hot, while sulphurous vapours and smoke issued from various small fissures around them, though there has been no actual eruption from this crater of the volcano since 1704. They brought down with them a beautiful piece of calcined chalk, covered with crystals of sulphur and arsenic, and 36 DIFFICULT DESCENT. some other specimens. Parched and dry as the ground looked where I was resting, a few grains of barley, dropped by mules on the occasion of a previous visit, had taken root and had grown up into ear ; and there were also a few roots of a sort of dog-violet, showing its delicate lavender-coloured flowers 1 1,000 feet above the sea, and far beyond the level of any other vegetation. It was impossible to ride down to the spot where we had left the baggage animals, and the descent was conse- quently very fatiguing, and even painful. At every step our feet sank into a mass of loose scoriae and ashes ; and so we went slipping, sliding, and stumbling along, sometimes running against a rock, and sometimes nearly pitching for- ward on our faces. All this too beneath a blazing sun, with the thermometer at 78°, and not a vestige of shade. At last Tom and I reached the bottom, where, after partaking of luncheon and draughts of quinine, we lay down under the shadow of a great rock to recruit our weary frames. Refreshed by our meal, we started at six o'clock on our return journey, and went down a good deal faster than wc came up. Before the end of the pumice-stone or Retama plains had been reached, it was nearly dark. Sundry small accidents occurring to stirrup-leathers, bridles, and girths — for the saddlery was not of the best description — delayed us slightly, and as Tom, Dr. Potter, Allnutt, and the guide had got on ahead, we soon lost sight of them. After an interval of uncertainty, the other guides confessed that they did not know the way back in the dark. This was not pleasant, for the roads were terrible, and during the whole of our journey up, from the port to the Peak, we had met only four people in all — two goatherds with their flocks, and two 'nevcros,' bringing down ice to the town. There was therefore not much chance of gaining information from any one on our way down. We wandered about among low bushes, down watercourses, and over rocks for a long time. Horns were blown, and other means of attracting attention LOST ON THE MOUNTAIN. Vt were tried ; first one and then another of the party mcan- vvliile coming more or less to grief My good little horse fell down three times, though we did not part company, and once he went up a steep bank by mistake, instead of going down a very nasty watercourse, which I do not wonder at his objecting to. I managed to jump off in time, and so no harm was done ; but it was rather anxious work. About ten o'clock we saw a light in the distance, and with much shouting woke up the inhabitants of the cottage whence it proceeded, promising to reward them liberally if they would only show us our way back. Three of them con- sented to do this, and provided themselves accordingly with pine-torches,wrapped round with bracken and leaves. One, a very fine man, dressed in white, with his arm extended above his head, bearing the light, led the way ; another walked in front of my horse, while the third brought up the rear. They conducted us down the most frightfully steep paths until we had descended beneath the clouds, when the light from our torches threw our sh dows in gigantic form upon the mists above, reminding us of the legend of the 'Spectre of the Brocken.' At last the torches began to go out, one by one, and just as the last light was expiring we arrived at a small village, where we of course found that everybody was asleep. After some delay, during which ^vlabelle and I were so tired that we lay down in the street to rest, more torches were procured and a fresh guide, who led us into the com- paratively good path towards Puerto Orotava. Finally, half an hour after midnight, we arrived at the house of the Vice-Consul, who had provided refreshments for us, and whose nephew was still very kindly sitting up awaiting our return. But we were too tired to do anything but go straight on board the yacht, where, after some supper and champagne, we were indeed glad to retire to our berths. This was at 3.30 a.m., exactly twenty-nine hours since we had been called on Friday night. 38 OUR VISITORS. It is certainly too long an expedition to be performed in one day. Tents should be taken, and arran<;ements made for camping out for one, if not two, nights ; but, in the case of such a large party as ours, this would have been a great business, as everything must be carried to so great a height, up such steep places, and over such bad roads. Still, there are so many objects and places of interest, not only on, but around, the Peak, that it is a pity to see them only when hurried and fatigued. Sunday, July 2.yd. — Orders had been given not to call us nor to wash decks, and it was conscciucntly half-past ten before any one awoke, and midday before the first of our party put in an appearance on deck. Long before this, the ' Sunbeam ' had been inundated with visitors from the shore. We had given a general invi- tation to the friends of the Vice-Consul to come and see the yacht ; and they accordingly arrived in due course, accompanied in many cases by a large circle of acquaint- ances. Those who came first were conducted below and all over the vessel, but the number ultimately became sc great that, in self-defence, we were obliged to limit theii wanderings to the deck, opening the skylignts wide, how- ever, to enable them to see as much as possible of the saloon and cabins. From breakfast-time until prayers, at three o'clock, when the yacht was closed for an hour, there was a con- stant stream of visitors from the shore. It was a great nuisance ; but still it seemed unkind to refuse to allow them to see what they had never seen before, and might possibly never have an opportunity of seeing again. All steamers and sailing-ships, as a rule go to Santa Cruz ; and the fame of our vessel having been spread abroad by our visitors of Friday, many of the poor people had come from villages far away over the mountains. We could not help feeling a certain respect for the determined way in which physical infirmity was mastered by curiosity nOTAMCAL GARDENS. 89 for. though many experienced very serious inconvenience from the motion of the vessel, Uicy still persevered in their examination. About five o'clock we went ashore ourselves, and drove up to Villa Orotava. The wide road is macadamised and marked with kilometre stones, and is planted on eithrr side with pepper-trees, plane-trees, and the Iii(calyptiis globulus, which has grown 35 metres, or 115 feet, in seven years. The hedges are formed of blue plumbago, scarlet geranium, yellow acacia, lavender-coloured heliotrope, white jasmine, and pink and white roses. After driving a few miles, we turned dcnvn an old paved road towards the sea, and, by dint of a considerable amount of shaking, arrived at the celebrated Botanical Gardens, mentioned by Humboldt and others. We jiassed through a small house, with a fine dragon-tree on either side, and entered the gardens, where we found a valuable collection of trees and shrubs of almost every known species. The kind and courteous Curator, Don Hermann VVildgaret, ac- companied us, and explained the peculiarities of the many interesting plants, from Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia, New Zealand, and the various islands of the North and South Pacific and Indian Oceans. The climate of Teneriffe is so equable, that the island forms a true garden of acclimatisation for the vegetable productions of the various countries of the world ; by the judicious ex- penditure of a little more money, this establishment might be made an important means of introducing to Europe many new and valuable plants. At present the annual in- come is 5,000 francs, the salary of the Curator being 1,000 francs. A rough drive over paved roads, commanding extensive views of sea and rocks, and of some palm-trees on a pro- montory in the distance, brought us, at about seven o'clock, to the boat, which was waiting our return. We arrived in due course on board the ' Sunbeam,' laden with bouquets of KUt mimSvif&iiM 30 AN OLD DRAGON-TREE. the choicest flowers, and soon after dinner we all retired to bed, not having yet recovered from the fatigues of yesterday. Monday, July 24th. — What one gains in the beauty and abundance of vegetable life here, one loses in its rapid and premature decay. Fruit gathered in the morning is scarcely fit to eat at night, and the flowers brought on board yes- terday evening were dead to-day at 4.30 a.m. ; whilst some of the roses we brought from Cowes lasted until we reached Madeira, though it must be owned so many fell to pieces that my cabin used to be daily swept with rose-leaves instead of tea-leaves. We went ashore socn after six, and drove straight to the garden of the Marquis de Sonzal, where there is a beautiful palm-tree, loi feet high, the remains of an enor- mous dragon-tree, old even in the fifteenth century, besides hedges of myrtle, jasmine, and clematis, and flowers of every description in full bloom. The dragon-tree is a species of dracaena, and looks rather like a gigantic can- delabra, composed of a number of yuccas, perched on the top of a gnarled and somewhat deformed stem, half palm half cactus. Another beautiful garden was next visited, be- longing to the Marquis de la Candia, who received us and showed us his coffee and plantains in full growth, as well as a magnificent Spanish chestnut-tree, coeval with the dragon- tree. Out of one of its almost decayed branches a so-called young tree was growing, but it would have been thought very respectable and middle-aged in any other locality. Every one here, as in Madeira, has been more or less ruined by the Aiilurc of the vines. Most of the large landed proprietors have left their estates to take care of them- selves ; and the peasants, for the last few years, have been emigrating by hundreds to Caraccns, in Venezuela. Things are, however, beginning to look np a little now. The cul- tivation of cochineal appears to succeed, though the price Is low ; coffee answers -veil ; and permission has been ob- tained from the Spanish Government to grow tobacco, COCHINEAL CULTIVAriON. 31 accompanied by a promise to purchase, at a certain fixed rate, all that can be produced. Still, people talk of the Island of Tenerifte as something very different now from what it was twenty-five or thirty years ago, both as regards the number of its inhabitants and the activity of its com- merce, and mourn over 'the good old times;' — a custom I have remarked in many other places ! A i-'alm-tree m a Gardau, Urotava, Teiienffe. The Marquis de la Candia and Don Hermann Wild- garet returned on board with us to breakfast. The anchor had been weighed, and the ' Sunbeam ' was slowly steam- ing up and down, waiting for us. The strc.irn of visitors had been as great and as constant as ever during our absence, in spite of the heavy roll of the sea, and the deck seemed 3* MORK VISITORS. quite covered with baskets of flowers and fruit, kindly sent on board by the people who had been over the yacht the day before. Amongst the latest arrivals were some very hand- some Spanish ladies, beautifully dressed in black, with mantillas, each of whom was accompanied by a young man carrying a basin. It must, I fear, be confessed that this was rather a trial to the gravity of all on board. It cer- tainly was an instance of the pursuit of knowledge, or the gratification of curiosity, under considerable difficulties. Immediately after breakfast, our friends bade us adieu, and went ashore in the shore-boat, while we steamed along the north side of the island, past the splendid clififs of Buenavista, rising 2,000 feet sheer from the sea, to Cape Teno, the extreme western point of Tenerifte. In the dis- tance we could see the Great Canary, Palma, and Hierro, and soon passed close to the rocky island of Gomera. Here, too, the dark cliffs, of volcanic form and origin, are magnifi- cent, and as we were almost becalmed by the high land whilst we sailed along the north shore of the island, we had ample opportunities of admiring its rugged beauty. During the night we approached Palma, another large island of the Canary group, containing one of the most remarkable calderas, or large basins, formed by volcanic action in the world. 33 CHAPTER III. PAI.MA TO RIO DE JANEIRO. A wet sheet and a jlowint; sea, A wind that follows fast And fills the white and rustling sail And bends the gallant mast. Tuesday, jfiily 25///. — There was not much wind during the night, and Palma was consequently still visible when I came on deck at daybreak. We had a light fair wind in the morning, accompanied by a heavy swell, which caused us to roll so much that I found it very difficult to do any- thing. Several shoals of flying fish skimmed past us along the surface of the water, occasionally rising to a considerable height above it. Their beautiful wings, glittering in the bright sunlight, looked like delicate silver filigree-work. In the night one flew on board, only to be preserved in spirits by Dr. Potter. Saturday, Jidy 2gth. — For the last three days we have been going on quietly with fair, warm weather, but a nice fresh breeze sprang up to-day. At midday the sun was so exactly vertical over our heads, that it was literally pos- sible to stand under the shadow of one's own hatbrim, and be sheltered all round. Our navigators experienced con- siderable difficulty in taking their noon-tide observations, as the sun appeared to dodge about in every direction. About two o'clock we made the high land of St. An- toniOj one of the Cape de Verde Islands, and, soon after- wards, the lower land of St. Vincent. Some doubt existing as to the prevalence of fever at the latter place, Tom 34 PORTO GRANDE. decided not to stop there, for fear of having to undergo quarantine at Rio de Janeiro. We therefore shortened sail, and passed slowly between the islands to the anchor- age beyond the Bird Rock. This is a very small island, of perfectly conical form, covered with thousands of sea-fowl, who live here undisturbed by any other inhabitants. The town of Porto Grande, with its rov/s of white houses on the sea-shore, at the base of the rocky crags, looked clean and comfortable in the evening light. During the day, however, it must be a hot and glaring place, for there are no trees to afford shade, nor, indeed, any kind of vegeta- tion. The water, too, is bad. and all supplies for passing steamers are brought from the other islands, at very uncer- tain intervals. It is still a great coali-^g-station, though not so much used as it was formerly, before the opening of the Suez Canal. The ships come out with coal, and go away in ballast (there is nothing else to be had here), procured from a point near the town, to Rio or elsewhere, where they pick up their homeward cargo of fruit, &c. The absence of twilight in these latitudes, both at dawn and sunset, is certainly very remarkable. This morning, at four o'clock, the stars were shining brightly ; ten minutes later the day had commenced to break ; and at half-past four the sun had risen above the horizon, and was gilding the surrounding mountain tops. Sunday, July ydth. — About lo a.m. we were off Ta- rafal Bay — a most hopeless-looking place for supplies. High rocky mountains, sandy slopes, and black volcanic beach, composed a scene of arid desolation, in the midst of which was situated one small white house, with four win- dows and a thatched roof, surrounded by a little green patch of sugar-canes and cocoa-nut palms. But the result proved the sageness of the advice con- tained in the old proverb, not to trust to appearances only ; for, whilst we were at breakfast, Mr. Martinez, the son of the owner of the one whitewashed cottage to be seen, came on WASHERWOMAN-BIRD. 35 board. To our surprise, he spoke English extremely well, and promised us all sorts of supplies, if we could wait until three o'clock in the afternoon. Having agreed to do this, we shortly afterwards went ashore in his boat, with a crew of more than half-naked negroes, and a hot row of about three miles brought us to the shore, where, after some little difficulty, we succeeded in effecting a landing. Our feet immediately sank into the hot black sand, composed entirely of volcanic deposits and small pieces, or rather grains, of amber, through which we had a fatiguing walk until we reached some palm-trees, shading a little pool of water. Here we left some of the men, with instructions to fill the breakers they had brought with them, while we walked on along the beach, past the remains of an English schooner that caught fire not far from this island, and was run ashore by her captain, thirty years ago. Her iron anchor, chain, and wheel still remained, together with two queer little iron cannon, which I should have much liked to carry off as a memorial of our visit. We then turned up a narrow shadeless path, bordered by atone walls, leading away from the sea, past a sugar-mill and a ruin. A few almond, castor-oil, and fig trees were growing amongst the sugar-canes, and as we mounted the hill we could see some thirty round straw huts, like beehives, on the sandy slopes beside the little stream. An abrupt turn in the mountains, amid which, at a distance of three leagues, this tiny river takes its rise, hides it from the sea, so that the narrow valley which it fertilises looks like a small oasis in the desert of rocks and sand. Mr. Martinez's house, where we sat for some time, and beneath the windows of which the one stream of the island runs, was comparatively cool. Outside, the negro washer- women were busy washing clothes in large turtle-shell tubs, assisted, or hindered, by the ' washerwoman-bird,' a kind of white crane, who appeared quite tame, playing about just like a kitten, pecking at the clothes or the women's feet, D 2 ^1 36 TARAFAL BAY. and then running away and hiding behind a tree. The stream was full of water-cresses, while the burnt-up Httle garden contained an abundance of beautiful flowers. There were scarlet and yellow mimosas, of many kinds, combining every shade of exquisite green velvety foliage, alpinias, with pink, waxy flowers and crimson and gold centres, oleanders, begonias, hibiscus, allamandas, and arum and other lilies. Mr. Bingham sketched, I took some photographs, Dr. Potter and the children caught butterflies, and the rest of our party wandered about. Every five minutes a negro arrived with a portion of our supplies. One brought a sheep, another a milch-goat for baby, while the rest contribu*^^ ' severally, a couple of cocoa-nuts, a papaya, three n.angoes, a few water- cresses, a sack of sweet potatoes, a bottle of milk, three or four quinces, a bunch of bananas, a little honey, half-a-dozen cabbages, some veal and pork, and so on ; until it appeared as if every little garden on either Gide of the three leagues of stream must have yielded up its entire produce, and we had accumulated sacks full of cocoa-nuts and potatoes, hundreds of eggs, and dozens of chickens and ducks. It was very amusing to see the things arrive. They were brought in by people varying in colour from dark yellow to the blackest ebony, and ranging in size from fine stalwart men, over six feet in height, to tiny little blackies of about three feet six, with curly hair, snowy teeth, and mischievous, beady eyes. The arrival of the provision boat and the transfer of its miscellaneous cargo to the ' Sunbeam ' was quite an amusing sight. The pretty black goat and the sheep bleated, the fowls cackled, and the ducks quacked, while the negroes chatted and laughed as they handed and hauled on board fish of all shapes and sizes, bunches of bananas, piles of cocoa-nuts, sacks of potatoes, and many other things, finishing up with a tiny black boy, about three years old, whom I think they would rather have liked to leave behind with us, if we would only have taken him. The MISCELLAXEOUS SL'PPLIES. 37 fish proved excellent, though some of them really seemed almost too pretty to eat. A brilliant gold fish, weighing about three pounds, and something like a grey mullet in flavour, was perhaps the best. The prices were very curious. Chickens a shilling each, ducks five shillings, goats thirty shillings, and sheep ten shillings. Vegetables, fruit, and iiualal liu^ , St. Antonio. fiowers were extremely cheap ; but the charge for water, fetched from the spring in our own breakers by our own crew, with but little assistance from four or five negroes, was 3/. i8.i'. However, as ours is the only yacht, with one ex- ception, that has ever visited this island, there was nothing for it except to pay the bil! without demur. \ 38 7 HE FIRST MANGO. I never in my life felt so warm as I did to-day on shore, though the inhabitants say it will not be really hot for two months yet ; I never before saw cocoa-nut palms growin^j ; and I never tasted a mango until this morning ; so I have experienced three new sensations in one day. The night was fearfully close, muggy, and thundery, the temperature in the cabins being 89°, in spite of open sky-lights and port-holes. Generally speaking, it has not hitherto been as hot as we expected, especially on board the yacht itself On deck there is almost always a nice breeze, but below it is certainly warm. Tuesday, August \st, — Yesterday we were still under sail, but to-day it has been necessary to steam, for the wind has fallen too light. There was a heavy roll from the south, and the weather continued hot and oppressive. In the cabins the thermometer stood at 89° during the whole of the night, in spite of all our efiforts to improve the temperature. We therefore put three of the children in the deck-house to sleep, opening the doors and windows ; and some of the rest of our party slept on deck in hammocks. In anticipation of the heavy equatorial rains, which Captain Lecky had predicted might commence to-day, we had had the awnings put up ; a fortunate piece of foresight, for, before midnight, the rain came down in torrents. Wednesday, August 2nd. — At daybreak the sky was covered with heavy black clouds, and the atmosphere was as hot and muggy as ever. We had a great deal of rain during the day, and took advantage of the opportunity to fill every available tub, bucket, and basin, to say nothing of the awnings. It came dov/n in such sheets that mackin- toshes were comparatively useless, and we had soon filled our seventeen breakers, the cistern, and the boats, from which we had removed the covers, with very good, though somewhat dirty, washing water. Friday, August ^tli. — We were only 289 miles off Sierra Leone in the morning, and at noon therefore Tom THE SOUTHERN CROSS. 39 decided to put about. Having done so, we found that we went along much more easily and quite as fast on the other tack. We maintained a good rate of speed on our new course, which was now nearly due west, passing a large barque with every stitch of canvas set, hand over hand. We are still in the Guinea current, and the temperature of the water is 82°, even in the early morning ; but the heat of the sun does not seem to have much effect upon it, as it does not vary to any great extent during the day. In the evening we saw the Southern Cross for the first time, and were much disappointed in its appear- ance. The fourth star is of smaller magnitude than the others, and the whole group is only for a very short time in a really up- right position, inclining al- most always either to one sid^ or the other, as it rises and sets. Tuesday y August Sth. — We crossed the line at day- light. This event caused much fun and excitement, both in cabin and forecastle. The conventional hair was put across the field of the telescope fo«- the unsophisticated ' really to see the line,' and many firmly believed they did see it, and discussed its appearance ^t some length. Jim Allen, one of our tallest sailors, and coxswain of the gig, dressed in blue, with long oakum wig and beard, gilt paper crown, and trident and fish impaled in one hand, was seated on a gun-carriage, and made a capital Father Neptune. i'ather Meptui.« i i 40 CROSSING THE USE. liia Doctor (Croasing tho Line). Our somewhat portly ciii^nnecr, Mr. Rdwhotliani, with fur- trimmed dressing gown and cap, and bent form, leaning on a stick, his face partially concealed by a long grey beard, and a large band- box of pills on one arm, made an equally good doc- tor to his Marine Majesty, while the part of Mrs. Tri- dent was ably filled b\- one of the youngest sailors, dressed in some of the maids' clothes ; but the ac- companying pictures will give a better idea than any description of mine. Soon afterwards we saw an enormous shoal of gram- puses, large black fish, about 25 feet in length, something between a dolphin and a whale, with the very ugliest jaws, or rather snouts, imaginable. They are of a predatory and ferocious disposition, attacking not only sharks, dolphins, and porpoises, but even whales, more than twice their own size. We also passed through enormous quantities of flying- fish, no doubt driven to the surface by dolphins and bonitos. They were much larger and stronger in the wing than any we have hitherto seen. Lulu's puppies, born yesterday, have been respectively named Butterfly (who survived her birth only an hour), Poseidon, Aphrodite, Amphitrite, and Thetis— names sug- gested by their birth-place on the ocean close to his Marine Majesty's supposed equatorial palace. At noon we were 250 miles oft" St. Paul's Rock.s. Thursday, August' loth. — A very hot, showery day. Saw two large ships in the distance. In the morning we were almost becalmed for a time, but the breeze returned TROPICA I. J f 'KA THER. 41 during the afternoon, and wc were able to proceed on our course. I think this has been the most lovely of the many .. .^^>f^ -%#w- Lulu and her Puppies. ex'iv.isite days we have enjoyed since we left England. It commenced with a magnificent sunrise, and ended with an equally gorgeous sunset, only to be succeeded by a beautiful moonlight night, so clear and bright that we could see to read ordinary print on deck. Saturday, August \2th. — At noon we were 300 miles off IJahia, a place we have made up our minds not to visit, as it would lengthen our vojage considerably, and there is not much to see there. We have therefore decided to pro- ceed direct to Rio, where we are looking forward to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday next. The night was showery, v/ith a good deal of wind and sea. Sunday, August i 3//^.-— Sailing in the tropics is really very delightful ! When going to the westward, there is almost always, at this season of the year, a favourable breeze, and the wcc'ther is generally either quite fair or motlerately so. Whispered to ii, westward, westward, And with speed it darted forward. We had service at 11.15 a.m., and again at 5.30 p.m. The choir has considerably improved ; one of our new men plays the violin very well, and frequently accom- A WHALE IX siaiir. i L panics the children and the nurse ii\ their songs. On a clear calm night, beneath a tropical sky, when the members of this little group assemble on deck, and, by the light of a lantern, sing some of their simple songs, the effect produced is both melodious and pic- turesque. The wind dropped at about 10 p.m., and we had an unpleasant amount of roll during the night, sails flapping, spars creaking, and booms swinging as if they would pull the masts out of the vessel. Veajjera. Monday, August 14///. — This morning we saw a small schooner ahead, and thinking from her manoeuvres that she wished to speak us, we madj our number and ran towards her. We soon found out, however, that she was a whaler, in chase of two large grampuses. She had two men on the look-out in the cross-trees, in a sort of iron cage ; and though she was of much smaller tonnage than the 'Sunbeam,' she carried five big boats, one of which, full of men, was ready to be lowered into the water, the CAPE FRIO. 45 instant they had approached sufficiently near to the whale or fjrampus. These seas used formerly to abound with wiialcrs, but they are now much less numerous, the seasons iuiving been bad of late. To-night the stars were especially brilliant, and we spent some hours in trying to make out their names. Vega, our polar star for some time to come, shone con- spicuously bright, and the Southern Cross could be seen to great advantage. WaiiKsday, August i6t/i. — VVc had a fine fair breeze all day, and at 5 p.m. there was a cry from the mast-head of 'Land ahead!' Great excitement immediately pre- vailed on board, and Tom and Captain Brown rushed, for about the twelfth time, to the foretop to see if the report was true. They were soon able to announce that Cape Frio was visible on the port bow, about thirty-five miles distant. After even a fortnight at sea, an indescribable sensation is produced by this cry, and by the subse- quent sight of the land itself. When we came up on deck this evening, after dinner, we all gazed on the lighthouse on the still distant shore as if we had never beheld such a thing in our lives before. The colour and temperature of the water had perceptibly changed, the former from a beautiful, clear, dark ultramarine to a muddy green ; innumerable small birds, moths, locusts, and grasshoppers came on board ; and, having given special orders that we were to be called early the next morning, we went to bed in the fond hope that we should be able to enter Rio harbour at daybreak. Thursday, August ijth. — ' L'homme propose ; Dieu dispose.' Steam was up at midnight, but by that time it was blowing half a gale of wind from the south-west, with such a steep short sea that the screw was scarcely ever properly immersed, but went racing round and round in the air with tremendous velocity, as we pitched and rolled about. Our progress was therefore at the rate of 44 STEERING FOR RIO. \ \ I something rather under a mile an hour, and at daybreak, instead of entering the harbour of Rio, as we had hoped to do, we found ourselves close to Cape P'rio. About 6 a.m. matters mended, the wind moderating and .-hanging its direction slightly ; so that, under steam and sail, we were soon going along the coast at the rate of four or five miles an hour. The surf was breaking witli a loud roar upon the white sandy beach, while the spray was carried by the force of the wind far inland, over the strip of flat fertile-looking country, lying between the sea and a chain of low sugarloaf-shaped mountains, parallel with the shore, and only a short distance off. Our course lay between the mainland and the islands of Maya and Payo, where the groves of bananas and other trees looked very miserable in the wind. The tall isolated palm-trees, whose elastic stems bowed readily before the fury of the blast, looked, as they were twisted and whirled hither and thither, like umbrellas turned inside out. Pass- ing the false Sugarloaf mountain, as it is called, we next opened out the true one, the Gavia, and the chain of moun-- tains beyond, the outlines of which bear an extraordinary resemblance to the figure of a man lyinf on his back, the profile of the face being very like that of the late Duke of Wellington. As the sun sank in gorgeous splendour behind these hills, I think I never saw a grander or more beautiful sight ; though the sky was so red and stormy- look ng that our hopes of a fine day to-morrow were but faint. Before entering the harbour, a bar had to be crossed, which is a dangerous operation all the world over. The skylights and hatches wet"* fastened down, and those of our party who did not like bv mg shut up below took their places on the bridge, where, for the first time since we left England, it felt really quite cold. As we advanced, the beautiful harbour, with its long rows of glittering gas- lights, extending for miles on either side of the bay, and CROSSING A BAR. 45 illuminating the city and suburbs, gradually became visible. On our left lay the two islands, Rodonda and Raza, on the latter of which is situated a lighthouse. The wind was blowing ofif the land when we reached the bar, so that, after all our preparations, there was hardly any sea to encounter, and the moment we were over, the water on the other side was perfectly smooth. A gun and a blue light from Fort Santa Cruz,- answered immediately by a similar signal from Foit Santa Lucia, announced our arrival, and we shortly afterwards dropped our anchor in the quarantine ground of Rio close to Botafogo Bay, in the noble harbour of Nictheroy. After dinner it rained heavily, and c itinued to do so during the whole night. Botafogo Bay. CHAPTER IV. RIO DE JANEIRO. The sun is ivartn, the sky is clear, The waves are dancing fast and bright, Blue isies and snowy mountaius wear The purple noon's transparent light. Friday, August \^th. — The clouds still hung heavy on the hills, or rather mountains, which surround the bay, occasionally descending in the form of torrents of rain, and hiding everything from our view. Early in the morning we weighed anchor and steamed up the bay to the man-of-war anchorage, a much pleasanter situation than the quarantine harbour, where we had brought up last night. About 9.30 a.m. the health officers came on board, and half an hour later we had a visit from the custom-house official, who required Tom to sign and seal a declaration upon oath that he had no cargo on board, and not more coal than we absolutely required for our own consumption. NO NEWS FROM HOME. 47 About eleven o'clock we put on our mackintoshes and thick boots, and, accompanied by an interpreter, who (together with several washerwomen) had suddenly made his appearance on board, rowed ashore, pushing our way through crowds of boats laden with fruit and vegetables. The landing-place was close to the market, at some broken- down steps, and was crowded with chattering negroes, of every shade of colour. The quays seemed covered with piles of fruit and vegetables, discharged from the boats, the principal produce being sugar-cane, bananas, and oranges. Each side treet that we came to was a little river, which had to be crossed, or rather forded, after paddling throuj^h the mud in the main thoroughfare. Our first visit was to the post-office — ' no letters ' — then to the British Consulate — ' no letters ' — and finally to the Legation, but there was nobody at home there ; so we set ofi" for the Hotel des IZt rangers, to breakfast. Our way lay through the straggling suburbs of the city for about two miles, and as we drove along we could see and admire, despite the heavy rain, the magnificent groves of palm-trees, and the brilliancy and beauty of the tropical vegetation in the various private and public gardens that we passed. After breakfast we returned to the Legation, where we were most kindly received, but, much to our regret, no letters were forthcoming. \ next paid a visit to some of the shops in the Rua do Ouvidor, for the sale of imitations of flowers, made from the undyed feathers of birds, and a large number of the more expensive \arie- ties of ordinary artificial flowers, each petal consisting of the entire throat or breast of a humming-bird, and the leaves are made from the wings of beetles. They are very rare and beautiful, their manufacture being quite a spkialit^ of this city. The prices asked astonished us greatly ; the cost of five sprays, whicli I had been com- missioned to buy, was 29/.. smA the price of all the others 48 BRAZILIA.X TRAMS. was proportionatels' hifrh. Hut then they wear for ever. I have had some for nine years, and they are as g6od now as when they were bought. Saturday, August \<)th. — Though far from brilliant, the weather improved, and we were able to enjoy occasional glimpses of the beautiful scenery around us. Mr. Gough and Mr. O'Conor breakfasted with us on board, and we afterwards proceeded in a ' bond ' to the Botanical Gardens, about seven miles out of the city. These ' bonds,' which are a great institution here, are large carriages, either open or closed, drawn sometimes by one, sometimes by two, sometimes by three mules. They go at a great pace, and run very smoothly. Ordinary carriages are dear ; and as tramways have been laid down in almost every street and road, driving is a rather difficult affair. On our road we passed several delightful-looking private gardens. The railings were completely covered, some with white stephanotis and scarlet lapageria, others with a beau- tiful orange-coUaireti creeper and lilac bougainvillaea, or passion-flowers of many colours and variety. Inside we could see large trees with green and yellow stripes, croton- oil plants, spotted and veined caladiums, and dracaenas, the whole being shaded by orange-trees. Along the edge of Botafogo Bay there is a delightful drive, beneath a splendid avenur- of imperial palms, extend- ing to the gates of the Botanical Gardens. Each specimen rises straight up like the column of an Egyptian temple, and is crowned with a feathery tuft of large shiny dark green leaves, some thirty feet in length. The clumps of bamboos, too, were very fine, and nearly all the trees seemed to be full of curious orchids and parasites of every sort and kind. We had an agreeable drive back in the cool evening to dinner at the Hotel de ri'.urope. The f(M>d was excellent, and included some delicious tiny queer-shaped oysters, which are found on the mangrove-treas, overhanging the water higher up the bay. VVc afterwards went to a A PEEP AT SOCIETY. 49 pleasant little reception, where we enjoyed the splendid sini^ing of some young Brazilian ladies, and the subsequent row ofif to the yacht, in the moonlight, was not the least delightful part of the programme. Sunday, August 20th. — At last a really fine day. We could now, for the first time, thoroughly appreciate the beauties of the noble bay of Nictheroy, though the distant Organ mountains were still hidden from our view. In the morning, we went to church on board H.M.S. 'Volage,' afterwards rowing across the bay to Icaraky, where we took the tramway to Santa Rosa. On our way we again passed many charming villas and gardens, similar to those we had admired yesterday, while the glorious and ever- attractive tropical vegetation abounded everywhere. In spite of the great heat, the children seemed untiring in the pursuit of butterflies, of which they succeeded in catching many beautiful specimens. Monday, August 21st. — After an early breakfast, we started oft" to have a look at the market. The greatest bustle and animation prevailed, and there were people and things to see and observe in endless variety. The fish- market was full of finny monsters of the deep, all new and strange to us, whose odd Brazilian names would convey to a stranger but little idea of the fish themselves. There was an enormous rockfish, weighing about 300 pounds, with hideous face and shiny back and fins; there were large ray, and skate, and cuttle-fish — the /^Vw^t^ of Victor Hugo's ' Travailleurs dc la Mer' — besides baskets full of the large prawns for which the coast is famous, eight or ten inches long, and with antenna; of twelve or fourteen inches in length. They make up in size for want of quality, for they are insipid and tasteless, though, being tender, they make excellent curry. The oysters, on the other hand, are par- ticularly small, but of the most delicious flavour. They are brought from a park, higher up the bay, where, as I have said, they grow on posts and the branches of the mangrove- so A ZOOLOGICAL MARKET. tree, which hang down into the water. We also saw a large quantity of fine mackerel, a good many turtle and por- poises, and a few hammer-headed sharks. The latter are very curious creatures, not unlike an ordinary shark, but with a remarkable hammer-shaped projection on either side of their noses for which it is difficult to imagine a use. In the fruit-market were many familiar bright-coloured fruits ; for it is now the depth of winter at Rio, and the various kinds that we saw were all such as would bear transport to England. Fat, jet-black negresses, wear- ing turbans on their heads, strings of coloured beads on their necks and arms, and single long white garments, which appeared to be continually slipping off their shoul- ders, here presided over brilliant-looking heaps of oranges, bananas, pineapples, passion-fruit, tomatoes, apples, pears, capsicums and peppers, sugar-cane, cabbage-palms, cheri- moyas, and bread fruit. In another part of the market all sorts of live birds were for sale, with a few live beasts, such as deer, monkeys, pigs, guinea-pigs in profusion, rats, cats, dogs, marmosets, and a dear little lion-monkey, very small and rather red, with a beautiful head and mane, who roared exactly like a real lion in miniature. We saw also cages full of small flamingoes, snipe of various kinds, and a great many birds of smaller size, with feathers of all shades of blue, red, and green, and metallic hues of brilliant lustre, besides parrots, macaws, cockatoos innumerable, and torchas, on stands. The torcha is a bright-coloured black and yellow bird, about as big as a starling, which puts its little head on one side and takes flies from one's fingers in the prettiest and most enticing manner. Unfortunately, it is impossible to introduce it into England, as it cannot stand the change of climate. The other birds included guinea-fowls, ducks, cocks and hens, pigeons, doves, quails, &c., and many other varieties less familiar or quite unknown to us. Altogether OUR FIRST TROPICAL JOURNEY. 51 the visit was an extremely interesting one, and well repaid us for our early rising. At eleven o'clock we started for the Petropolis steamer, which took us alongside a wooden pier, from the end of which the train started, and we were soon wending our way through sugar and coffee plantations, formed in the midst of the forest of palms and other tropical trees. An Englishman has made a large clearing here, and has established a fine farm, which he hopes to work success- fully by means of immigrant labour. After a journey of twenty minutes in the train, we reached the station, at the foot of a hill, where we found several four-mule carriages awaiting our arrival. The drive up from the station to the town, over a pass in the Organ mountains, was superb. At each turn of the road we had an ever-varying view of the city of Rio and its magnificent bay. And then the banks of this tro- pical high-road ! From out a mass of rich verdure grew lovely scarlet begonias, and spotted caladiums, shaded by graceful tree-ferns and overhung by trees full of exquisite parasites and orchids. Among these, the most conspi- cuous, after the palms, are the tall thin-stemmed sloth- trees, so called from their being a favourite resort of the sloth, who with great difficulty crawls up into one of them, remains there until he has demolished every leaf, and then passes on to the next tree. The pace of the mules, up the steep incline, under a broiling sun, was really wonderful. Half-way up we stopped to change, at a buvette, where we procured some excellent Brazilia coffee, of fine but exceedingly bitter flavour. Our next halt, midway between the buvette and the top of the hill, was at a spring of clear sparkling water, where we had an opportunity of collecting some ferns and flowers ; and on reaching the summit we stopped once more, to enjoy the fine view over the Pass and the bay of Nictheroy. The descent towards Petropolis then E 2 Sa A VIRGIN FOREST. commenced ; it lies in the hollow of the hills, with a river flowing through the centre of its broad streets, on either side of which are villas and avenues of noble trees. Alto- gether it reminded me of Bagneres-de-Luchon, in the Pyrenees, though the general effect is unfortunately marred by the gay and rather too fantastic painting of some of the houses. Tuesday, August 22nd. — We were called at half-past five, and, after a hasty breakfast, started on horseback by seven o'clock for the Virgin Forest, about six miles from Petropolis. After leaving the town and its suburbs, we pursued our way by rough winding paths, across which huge moths and butterflies flitted, and humming-birds buzzed in the almond-trees. After a ride of an hour and a half, we entered the silence and gloom of a vast forest. On every side extended a tangled mass of wild, luxuriant vegetation : giant-palms, and tree-ferns, and parasites are to be seen in all directions, growing wherever they can find root-hold. Sometimes they kill the tree which they favour with their attentions — one creeper, in particular, being called ' Mata-pao ' or ' Kill-tree ; ' but, as a rule, they seem to get on very well together, and to depend mutually upon one another for nourishment and support. The most striking of these creepers is, perhaps, the liane, whose tendrils grow straight downwards to the ground, twisting themselves together in knots and bundles. Occasion- ally one sees, suspended from a tree, at a height of some fifty feet, a large lump of moss, from which scarlet orchids are growing ; looking like an enormous hanging flower- basket. All colours in Brazil, whether of birds, insects, or flowers, are brilliant in the extreme. Blue, violet, orange, scarlet, and yellow are found in the richest profusion, and no pale or faint tints are to be seen. Even white seems purer, clearer, and deeper than the white of other countries. We had a long wet walk in the forest ; the mosses and ferns being kept moist and green by the innumerable little PETROPOLIS. 53 streams of water which abound everywhere. Owing to the thickness of the surrounding jungle, it was impossible to stray from our very narrow path, notwithstanding the attractions of humming-birds, butterflies, and flowers. At last we came to an opening in the wood, whence we had a splendid view seawards, and where it was decided to turn round and retrace our steps through the forest. After walking some distance we found our horses waiting, and after a hot but pleasant ride reached Petropolis by twelve o'clock, in time for breakfast. Letter-writing and butterfly- catching occupied the afternoon until four o'clock, when I was taken out for a drive in a comfortable little phaeton, with a pretty pair of horses, while the rest of the party walked out to see a little more of Petropolis and its environs. We drove past the Emperor's palace — an Italian villa, standing in the middle of a large garden — the new church, and the houses of the principal inhabitants, most of which are shut up just now, as everybody is out of town, but it all looked very green and pleasant. It was interesting to see a curious breed of dogs, descended from the blood- hounds formerly used in hunting the poor Indians. Wednesday, August 2ird. — At six o'clock we assembled all on the balcony of the hotel to wait for the coach, which arrived shortly afterwards. There was some little delay and squabbling before we all found ourselves safely esta- blished on the coach, but starting was quite another matter, for the four white mules resolutely refused to move, with- out a vast amount of screaming and shouting and plur.g- ing. We had to pull up once or twice before we got c'ear of the town, to allow more passengers to be somehow or other squeezed in, and at each fresh start similar objections on the part of the mules had to be overcome. The air felt fresh when we started, but before we had proceeded far we came into a thick, cold, wet fog, which, after the heat of the last few weeks, seemed to pierce us to the very marrow. Eight miles farther on the four frisky 84 GOOD COACHMANSHIP. white mules were exchanged for five steady dun-coloured ones, which were in their turn replaced after a seven-mile stage by four nice bays, who took us along at a tremendous pace. The sun began by this time to penetrate the mist, and the surrounding country became visible. We found that we were following the course of the river, passing through an avenue of corai-trecs, loaded with the most bril- liant flowers and fruit imaginable, and full of parroquets and fluttering birds of many hues. We stopped at several small villages, and at about 1 1 a.m. reached Entre Rios, having changed mules seven times, and done the 59^ miles in four hours and fifty minutes, including stoppages — pretty good work, especially as the heat during the latter portion of the journey had been as great as the cold was at the commencement. The term 'cold' must here be taken only in a ' lative sense, for the thermometer was never lower than 4t , though, having been accustomed for a long while to 85", we felt the change severely. After a capital breakfast at the inn near the station, we got into the train and began a very hot dusty journey over the Serra to Palmeiras, which place was reached at 4 p.m. We were met on our arrival by Dr. Gunning, who kindly made room for Tom and me at his house, the rest of our party proceeding to the hotel. The view from the windows of the house, which is situated on the very edge of a hill, over the mountains of the Serra, glowing with the light of the setting sun, was perfectly enchanting ; and after a refreshing cold bath one was able to appreciate it as it deserved. A short stroll into the forest adjoining the house proved rich in treasures, for in a few minutes I had gathered twenty-six varieties of ferns, including gold and silver ferns, two creeping ferns, and many other kinds. The moon rose, and the fireflies flashed about among the palm-trees, as we sat in the verandah before dinner, while in several places on the distant hills we could see circles of bright I1UMML\G-lilRDS AND BUTTE HI- LIES. 55 flames, vvlicrc tlie forest had been set on fire in order to make clearings. We were up next morning in time to see the sun rise from behind the mountains, and as it gradually became warmer the humming -birds .^nd buttcrflicr came out and buzzed and flitted among the flowers in front of our win- dows. We had planned to devote the tlay to a visit to Barra, and it \>as, therefore, necessary to hurry to the station by eight o'clock to meet the train, where we stopped twenty minutes to breakfast at what appeared to be a capital hotel, built above the station. The rooms were large and lofty, everything was scrupulously clean, and the dishes most appetising-looking. Our carriage was then shunted and hooked on to the other train, and we proceeded to the station of Santa Anna, where Mr. Faro met us with eight mules and horses,and a large old-fashioned carriage, which held some of us, the rest of the party galloping on in front. We galloped also, and upset one unfortunate horse, luckily without doing him an> harm. After a couple of miles of a rough road we arrived at the gates of the Baron's grounds, where the old negro slave- coachman amused us very much by ordering his young master to conduct the equestrians round to the house by another way. Beneath the avenue of palm-trees, leading from the gates to the house, grew orange, lemon, and citron trees, trained as espaliers, while behind them again tall rose-bushes and pomegranates showed their bright faces. Driving through an archway we arrived at the house, and, with much politeness and many bows, were conducted in- doors, in order that we might rest ourselves and get rid of some of the dust of our j' urney. Santa Anna is one of the largest coffee fazendas in this past of Brazil. I'he house occupies three sides of a square, in the middle of which heaps of coffee were .spread out to dry in the sun. The centre building is the dwelling-house, with a narrow strip of garoon, full ot sweet-smelling flowers. 56 BARON BONITaS ESTATE. In front of it; the right wing is occupied by the slaves' shops and warehouses, and by the chapel ; while the left wing con- tains the stables, domestic offices, and other slave-rooms. By law, masters are bound to give their slaves one day's rest in every seven, and any work the slaves may choose to "S'S^gr-: A.Y.B. The Slave VillaiSe, Fazenda, Santa Anna do on that day is paid for at the same rate as free labour. But the day selected for this purpose is not necessarily Sun- day ; and on adjoining fazendas different days are invari- ably chosen, in order to prevent the slaves from meeting and getting into mischief. Thursday (to-day) was Sunday on this estate, and we soon saw all the slaves mustering in SANTA ANNA. S7 holiday attire in the shade of one of the verandahs. They were first inspected, and then ranged in order, the children being placed in front, the young women next, then the old women, the old men, and finally the young men. In this order they marched into the corridor facing the chapel, to hear mass. The priest and his acolyte, in gorgeous robes, performed the usual service, and the slaves chanted the responses in alternate companies, so that sopranos, con- traltos, tenors, and basses, contrasted in a striking and effec- tive manner. The singing, indeed, was excellent ; far better than in many churches at home. After the conclusion of the mass the master shook hands with everybody, exchanged good wishes with his slaves, and dismissed them. While they were dawdling about, gossiping in the verandah, I had a closer look at the babies, which had all been brought to church. They seemed of every shade of colour, the com- plexions of some being quite fair, but the youngest, a dear little woolly-headed thing, was black as jet, and only three weeks old. The children all seemed to be on very good terms with their master and his overseers, and not a bit afraid of them. They arc fed most liberally, and looked fat and healthy. For breakfast they have coffee and bread ; for dinner, fresh pork alternately with dried beef, and black beans (the staple food of the poor of this country) ; and for supper they have coffee, bread, and mandioca, or tapioca. Returning to the house, we sat down, a party of thirty, to an elaborate breakfast, the table being covered with all sorts of Brazilian delicacies, after which several complimen- tary speeches were made, and we all started off to walk round the fazenda. Our first visit was to the little school- children, thirty-four in number, who sang very nicely. Then to the hospital, a clean, airy building, in which there were happily but few patients, and next we inspected the new machinery, worked by water-power, for cleaning the coffee and preparing it for market. The harvest lasts from May to August. The best quality of coffee is picked before it is S8 LIFE AT A COFFEE PLANTATION. quite ripe, crushed to free it from the husk, and then dried in the sun, sometimes in heaps, and sometimes raked out flat, in order to ^^ain the full benefit of the heat. It is afterwards gathered up into baskets and carefully picked over, and this, being very light work, is generally performed by young married women with babies. There were nineteen tiny piccaninnies, in baskets, beside their mothers, in one room we entered, and in another there were twenty just able to run about Cassava is an important article of food here, and it was in- teresting to watch the various processes by which it is turned into flour, tapioca, or starch. As it is largely exported, there seems no reason why it should not be introduced into India, for the ease with which it is cultivated and propagated, the extremes of temperature it will bear, and the abundance of its cro^, all tend to recommend it. We went on to look at the maize being shelled, crushed, and ground into coarse or fine flour, for cakes and bread, and the process of crush- ing the sugar-cane, turning its juice into sugar and rum, and its refuse into potash. All the food manufactured here is used on the estate ; coffee alone is exported. I felt thoroughly exhausted by the time we returned to the house, only to exchange adieus and step into the carriage on our way to Barra by rail en fontc to Rio de Janeiro. After passing through several long tunnels at the top of the Serra, the line drops down to Palmeiras, after which the descent became very picturesque, as we passed, by steep in- clines, through virgin forests full of creepers, ferns, flowers, and orchids. The sunset was magnificent, and the subse- quent coolness of the atmosphere most grateful. Leaving the Emperor's palace of Sao Christovdo behind, Rio was entered from a fresh side It seemed a long drive through the streets to the Hotel de I'Europe, where, after an ex- cellent though hurried dinner, we contrived to be in time for a private representation at the Alcazar. As a rule, ladies do not go to this theatre, but there Wv^re a good many there SLA VE-DEALING. on the present occasion. Neither the play nor the actors, however, we.o very interesting, and all our party were ex- cessively tiitd ; so we left early, and h?d a delightful row off to the yacht, in the bright moonlight. Monday, August 2St/i. — We have all been so much interested in the advertisements we read in the daily papers of slaves to be sold or hired, that arrangements were made with a Brazilian gentleman for some of our party to have an opportunity of seeing the way in which these transactions are carried on. No Englishman is allowed to hold slaves here, and it is part of the business of the Legation to see that this law is strictly enforced. The secrets of their trade are accordingly jealously guarded by the natives, especially from the English, The gentlemen had therefore to dis- guise themselves as much as possible, one pretending to be a rich Yankee, who had purchased large estates between Santos and San Paulo, which he had determined to work with slave instead of coolie labour. He was supposed to have come to Rio to select some slaves, but would be obliged to see and consult his partner before deciding on purchase. They were taken to a small shop in the city, and, after some delay, were conducted to a room upstairs, where they waiter! a quarter of an hour. Twenty-two men and eleven women and children were then brought in for inspection. They declared themselves suitable for a variety of occupations, in-door and out, and all appeared to look anxiously at their possible purchaser, with a view to ascertain what they had to hope for in the future. One couple in particular, a brother and sister, about fourteen and fifteen years old respectively, were most anxious not to he separat'.;d, but to be sold together ; and the tin)' children seemed quite frightened at being spoken to or touched by the white men. Eight men and five women havinj; been specially selected as fit subjects fi)r further consideration, the \ imi terminated. The daily Brazilian papers are full of advertiseimnls of slaves for sale, and liescriptions of men, pigb, children, 6o HUMAN FLESH AND BLOOD FOR SALE. I 14 cows, pianos, women, houses, &c., to be disposed of, are inserted in the most indiscriminate manner. In one short half-column of the ' Jornal do Commercio,' published within the last day or two, the following announcements, amongst many similar ones, appear side by side : — I \/ENDK-SE lima es>.fava, du 22 annos, ' boa figura, lava, cngommr .^ C'>se bem ; infornia-se iia rua de S. Pedro n. 97. WKNDE-SE ou aluga-se um rice piano forte do autor Erard, de 3 cordas, per 2^%, garanlido ; na rua da Quitunda n. 43, 3 andar. V ENDE-SE, por i,5ooi>, um escmvo de 30 annos, pnra service de padaria ; na na da Princeza dos Cajueiros n. 97. A/ENnE-SE unia machina Singer, para quaK)uer costurn, trabaiha perfeita- menle, por piei;o muito commodo ; trata-se na rua do Sabao n. 95. A/ ENDE-SE uma preta mo^a, boa figura e * de niuito boa indole, com Ires filhos, sendo uma negrinlia de 6 annus, um moleque de 5 e uma ingeniia de 3, c ibenda cozinhar bem, lavnr e cngoinmar ; na mesma casa vcndcsc sil uma ne^rillha de is annos, de coiiilucta afiaii(;aila o mui'.i propria p.ira «ervici; de c'lsr, vie r.iiuiiia, por ja ter boi'S principles, lendu vindo de Sania Cathariiia ; na rua da Uruguayana 11. 90 sobrado. W ENDE-SE o Diccionario ponuguez de _ Lacerda, em dous grandes volumes, novo, vindo pelo ultimo paquete, por 30$, custao aqui 40$ ; na rua do Hospicio n. 15, a° andar, ATENDE-SE uma preta de meia idade, ' que cozinha, lava, e eng.imma com per- fei<;ao ; para trutar na rua do Viscande de Itai'ma n. 12. \7ENDEM-SE arrcios para cirrocinhas * de pao ; na rua do General Camara n. 86, placa. V'ENDEM-SE 20 inoleqi'i's, de 14 a 20 annos, vindos do Maranhao no ultimo vapor ; na rua da Prainha n. 73. T7OR SALE. —A female slave, 22 years of •*■ age, a good figure, washes, irons, and sews well ; for particulars apply at No. 97 rua de S. Pedro pOR SALE, OR TO BE LET ON '■ Hire. — A splendid trichord pianoforte by Erard, for g!28o, guaranteed ; apply at rua da Quit.mda No. 42, 2iid floor. 'TO HE SOLD FOR $1,500. —A male ^ slave 20 ye.irs of age, fit for a baker's establishment ; apply at rua da Princeza dos Cajtieii'os No. 97, pOR SALF.— On verj' rea.sonable terms, *• a Slnjjer's sewing-machine, adapted for any description of work : works splendidly: apply at No. 95 rua do SabSo. IpOR SALE. — A good black woman, good ^ figure, good disposition, with three children, who are a little black girl 6 years of age, a black boy of 5, and a child 3 vears of age ; she is a good cook, washes ,Tiui 'rons well. At the same house there is like- wise for Hale a lillle black girl 12 years of .ige : her character will 1 guaranteed ; she is well adapted for the ■ ice of a family, as she has had a gcod . ginning, having come from .Santa Cathari...i ; ixppTy at No. 90 rua da L'ruguayana, first floor. pOR SALE.— Lacerda's Portuguese Dic- ■'• tionary, in two large volumes, quite new, arrived by the last mail, prii:e!ii3o, costs here ^40 ; No. 15 rua do Hospicio, 2nd Hoor. pOR SA1,E.~ A middle-agffd blaik wo- *• man, who is a first-raic cook, washes and irons splendidly ; for particul.trs apply at No. 13 rua do Viscande de Itauna No. 13. pOR SALE.— Harnesses for small carts "^ for delivery of hre.id ; apply at No. 86 ma do Ge11cr.1l Camara. pOR SALE. - so young M.icks from 14 ^ to 20 years of ago just arrived from NLir- anham by the last stuanier ; No. 72 ma da Pramha. We had many visitors to breakfast to-day, and it was nearly two o'clock before we could set off for the shore en route to Tijuca. We drove nearly as far as the Botanical TROPICAL RAIN. 6l Gardens, where it had been arranged that horses should meet us ; but our party was such a large one, including children and servants, that some little difficulty occurred at this point in making a fair start. It was therefore late before we started, the clouds were beginning to creep down the sides of the hills, and it had grown very dusk by the time we reached the Chinisi river. Soon afterwards the rain began to come down in such tropical torrents, that our thin summer clothing was soaked through and through long before we reached the Tijuca. At last, to our great joy, wc saw ahead of us large plantations of bananas, and then some gas-lights, which exist even in this remote locality. We followed them for some little distance, but my horse appeared to have such a very decided opinion as to the proper direction for us to take, that we finally decided to let him have his own way, for it was by this time pitch dark, and none of us had ever been this road before. As we hoped, the horse knew his own stables, and we soon arrived at the door of White's hotel, miserable, drenched objects, looking forward to a complete change of clothing. Unfortunately the cart with our luggage had not arrived, so it was in clothes borrowed from kind friends that we at last sat down, a party of about forty, to a sort of table- d'hdte dinner, and it continued to pour with rain during the whole evening, only clearing up just at bed-time. Tuesday, Aus^ust 29///. — After all the fine weather we have had lately, it was provoking *:o find, on getting up this morning, that the rain .still came steadilj' down. Daylight enabled us to see wh.it a quaint-looking place this hotel is. It consists of a series of low wooden detached buildings, mostly one story high, with verandahs on both sides, built round a long courtyard, in the centre of which are a garden and some large trees. It is more like a boarding-house, however, than an hotel, as there is a fixed daily charge for visitors, who have to be provided with a letter of introduc- tion ! The situation and gardens are good ; it contains I Si 1 A BATH FIT FOR UNDINE. \ -, among other lux^nes a drawing-room, with a delightful swimming-bath f.)r hidies, and another for gentlemen, A mountain stream is turned into two large square reservoirs, where you can disport yourself under the shade of bananas and palm trees, while orange trees, daturas, poinsettias, and other plants, in full bloom, drop their fragrant flowers into the crystal water. There is also a nice little bathing-house, with a douche outside ; and the general arrangements seem really perfect. The views from the walks around the hotel and in the forest above are beautiful, as, indeed, they are from every eminence in the neighbourhood of Rio. During the morning, the weather cleared sufficiently for us to go down to ' The Boulders,* huge masses of rock, either of the glacial period, or else thrown out from some mighty volcano into the valley beneath, ilere they form great caverns and caves, overhung with creepers, and so blocked up at the entrance, that it is difficult to find the way into them. The effect of the alternate darkness and light, amid twisted creepers, some like gigantic snakes, others neatly coiled in true man-of-war fashion, is very Striking and fantastic. Every crevice is full of ferns and orchids and curious plants, while moths and butterflies flit about in every direction. Imagine, if you can, scarlet butter- flies gaily spotted, yellow butterflies with orange edgings, butterflies with dark blue velvety-looking upper wings, the under surface studded with bright owl-like peacock eyes, grey Atlas moths, and, crowning beauty of all, metallic blue butterflies, which are positively dazzling, even when seen in a shop, dead. Imagine what they must be like, as they dart hither and thither, reflecting the bright sunshine from their wings, or enveloped in the sombre shade of a forest. Most of them measure from two to ten inches in length from wing to wing, and many others flit about, equally remarkable for their beauty, though not so large. Swallow-tails, of various colours, with tails almost as long, in proportion to their bodies, as those of their feathered GORGEOUS BUTTERFI.TES. «3 namesakef • god-parents and ' eighty-eights,' with the figures 88 plainly marked on the reverse side of their rich blue or crimson wings. In fact, if nature coul i by any possibility be gaudy, one might almost say that she is so in this part of the world. From ' The Boulders ' we went down a kind of natural staircase in the rock to the small cascade, which, owing to the recent rains, appeared to the best advantage, the black rocks and thick vegetation forming a fine background to the sheet of flowing white water and foam. Our way lay first through some castor-oil plantations, and then along the side of a stream, fringed with rare ferns, scarlet begonias, and grey ageratum. We returned to the hotel, too late for the general luncheon, and, after a short rest, went out for a gallop in the direction of the peak of Tijuca, past the large waterfall, the 'Ladies' Mile,' and 'Grey's View.' The forest is Government property ; the roads are therefore excellent, and are in many places planted with flowers and shrubs, rare even here. It seems a waste of money, however; for there is hardly any one to make use of the wide roads, and the forest would appear quite as beautiful in its pristine luxuriance. To our eyes the addition of flowers from other countries is no improvement, though the feeling is otherwise here. More than once I have had a bouquet of common stocks given to me as a grand present, while orchids, gardenias, stephanotis, large purple, pink, and white azaleas, orange-blossom, and roses, were growing around in unheeded profusion. Wednesday^ August 30///. — Once more a wet morning ; '^ut as it cleared towards noon, we ordered horses and some luncheon, and went up to Pedro Bonito. The ride was pleasant enough at first, but as we mounted higher and higher, we got into the clouds and lost the view. Finally, there seemed nothing for it but to halt near the top, under a grove of orange-trees, lunch in the pouring rain, and return without having reached the summit. ( «4 THE PEAK OF TIJUCA. Friday, September \st. — At three o'clock this morning, when I awoke, I sav/ at last a bright, clear sky, and at five, finding that there was every prospect of a beautifijl sun- rise, we sent for horses, ate our early breakfast, and set off for the peak of Tijuca. Step by step we climbed, first through the grounds of the hotel, then through the forest, till we reached ' The Bamboos,' a favourite halting-place, by the side of a stream, near which grow, in waving tufts, the graceful trees which lend their name to the spot. It was very beautiful in the hill-side forest, with a new prospect opening out at every step, and set in an ever- varying natural framework of foliage and flowers. There was not sufficient time to linger, however, as we would fain have done, in the cool and shady paths, occasionally illumed by the bright rays of the sun, shining through the foliage of noble palms, the fronds of tree-ferns, and the spiral stems of many-coloured creepers. Before reaching the top of the peak, there are twenty- nine wooden and ninety-six stone steps to be ascended, at the foot of which we tied our horses. An iron chain is hung by the side to assist you, without which it would be rather giddy work, for the steps are steep, and there is a sheer precipice on one side of them. Arrived at the top, the scene was glorious ; on every side mountains be- yond mountains stretch far away into the distance, and one can see as far north as Cape Frio, and southwards as far as Rio Grande do Sul, while beneath lies the bay of Rio, with its innumerable islands, islets, and indentations. All too soon we had to scramble down again, and mount our horses for a hurried return to the hotel, there being barely time for lunch and a scramble to the yacht. Monday, September A^th. — We were all up very early this morning, superintending the preparations for our eldest boy's departure for England. The yacht had been gaily dressed with flags, in honour of the anniversary of the Emperor's wedding-day ; but it must be confessed that A VERY SAD DAY. «5 our own feelings were hardly in accordance with these ex- ternal symbols of joy. Breakfast was a melancholy meal, and I fear that the visitors from the 'Volage' were not very well entertained. After breakfast, we went ashore to the market, to get a couple of lion-monkeys, which had been kept for us, and which Tab was to take home with him to present to the Zoological Gardens. At one o'clock the steam-launch from the ' Volage ' came alongside and embarked the luggage and servants. Half an hour later it returned for us ; then came many tearful farewells to the crew, and we set off. We knew the parting had to be made, but this did not lessen our grief: for although it is at all times hard to say good-bye for a long period to those nearest and dearest to you, it is especially so in a foreign land, with the prospect of a long voyage on both sides. Moreover, it is extremely uncertain when we shall hear of our boy's safe arrival ; not, I fear, until we get to Valparaiso, and then only by telegram — a long time to look forward to. Over the next half-hour I had better draw a veil. At two o'clock precisely, just after we had left the steamer, the starting bell rang, and the ' Cotopaxi ' steamed away. As she passed the yacht, all our flags were dipped and the guns fired. Then we could see her rolling on the bar, for, calm as the water was in the bay, there was a heavy swell outside ; and then, all too soon, we lost sight of her, as she sank, * . . . with all we love, below the verge.' We heard to-day that, the Saturday before our first arrival at Rio, the bar was quite impassable, even for a man-of-war, and that, although she succeeded the next day, the sea was extremely rough. On our return to the ' Sunbeam,' I went to bed to rest, and the remainder of the party went ashore. A great many visitors came on board in the course of the afternoon ; some remained to dine with us. At half-past nine we all went on shore again to a ball at the Casino, the grand 66 A BRAZILIAN BALL. public mom in Rio, to which we had been invited some days a^o. It seemed a splendid place, beautifully decorated in white and ^old and crimson, with frescoes and pictures let into the walls, and surrounded by galleries. It is ca- pable of containing fifteen hundred persons, and I believe that there were even more than that number present on the occasion of the ball given to the Duke of Edinburgh some years ago. The arrangement of the large cloak- rooms, refreshment-rooms, and passages downstairs, and the balconies and supper-rooms upstairs, is very convenient. The ball this evening being comparatively a small affair, the lower rooms only were used, and proved amply sufficient. There were not a great many ladies present, but amongst those we saw some were extremely pretty, and all were exqui- sitely dressed in the latest fashions from Paris. The toilettes of the younger ones looked fresh and simple, while those of the married ladies displayed considerable richness and taste ; for although Brazilian ladies do not go out much, and, as a rule, remain en peignoir \x\\'i\\ late in the afternoon, they never fail to exhibit great judgment in the selection of their costumes. The floor was excellent, but the band made rather too much noise, and the dancing was different, both in style and arrangement, from what we are accustomed to at home. The time had now come when we had to say farewell to the many kind friends whom we have met here, and who have made life so pleasant to us during the last three weeks, in order that we might return to the yacht, to complete our preparation for an early start. The last leave-takings were soon over, and, with mutually expressed hopes that we might ere long meet some of our friends in England, Tom and I drove off, in the bright moonlight, to the quay, where our boat was waiting for us. The other members of our party found the attractions of the ball so irresistible that they were unable to tear themselves away until a much later hour. The Three Navigators CHAPTER V. THE R I V !•; K P L A T E. lit lit, glossy green, and velvet black, They coiled iind S7i\im ; and ezery li\u k Was a flash of golden fire. Tuesday, September ^th. — We got under way at 6 a.m., and soon bade adieu to Rio, where we have spent so many happy days, and to our friends on board H.M.S. ' Volage' and ' Ready,' with whom we interchanged salutes in pass- ing. It was a dull wet morning, and we could not see much of the beauties we were leaving behind us. The peak of Tijuca and the summit of the Corcovado were scarcely visible, and the Sugarloaf and Gavia looked cold and grey in the early mist. It was not long before we were rolling on the bar, and then tumbling about in very uncomfortable fashion in the rough sea outside. One by one we all disappeared below, w litre most of us remained [ ! I I i I -i 68 7-00 ,V/iAJi TO BE PLEASANT. during the greater part of the day. As for me, I went to bed for good at six o'clock in the evening, but was called up again at ten, to see some large bonitos playing about the bows of the yacht. It was really worth the trouble of getting ip and climbing quite into the bows of the ves- sel to watch them, as they gambolled and frisked about, brightly illumined by the phosphorescence of the water, now swimming together steadily in pairs or fours, now starting in sudden pursuit of one of their number, who would make an independent rush forward in advance of his companions. Saturday. September ^th. — The last three days have been showery, with squalls which have freshened to a gale, and we are now scudding along, under all storm canvas, followed by crowds of cape-pigeons and cape-hens, and a few albatrosses. Towards this evening, however, the wind fell light, and we got up steam, in order to be prepared for any emergency, as a calm is frequently succeeded on this coast by di pampero, and we are now approaching a lee shore. Sunday, September lot/t. — Tom has been on deck nearly all night. The shore is very low and difficult to distinguish, and the lights are badly kept. If the lighthouse-keeper happens to have plenty of oil, and is not out shooting or fish- ing, he lights his lamp ; otherwise, he omits to perform this rather important part of his duties. The lighthouses can therefore hardly be said to be of much use. About 5 a.m. Kindred rushed down into our cabin, and woke Tom, calling out, ' Land to leeward, sir 1 ' and then rushed up on deck again. The first glimmer of dawn had enabled him to see that we were running straight on to the low sandy shore, about three miles off, a very strong current having set us ten miles out of our course. The yacht's head was accordingly at once put round, and steaming seaward we soon left all danger behind. The sun rose brilliantly, and the weather during the day was very fine. Morning MONTE VIDEO, service was impossible, uvving to the necessity for a constant observation o! the land ; but, after making the lij^hthousr on Santa Maria, we hail prayers at 4.30 p.m., with the hymn, ' For those at Sea.' In the night we made the light on Flores, burning brightly, and before morning those in the harbour of Monte Video, Monday, September wth. — After making the Flores light we proceeded slowly, and dropped our anchor in the outer roads of Monte Video at 4 a.m. At seven o'clock we got it up again, and by eight were anchored close to the shore. We found that our arrival was expected, and the health-officers' boat was soon alongside. Next came an officer from the United States' man-of-war ' FVolic,' with polite messages and offers of service ; and then a steam- launch belonging to the Pacific Company, and another from the Consul, Major Monro, with piles of letters and newspapers for us. Monte Video, as seen from the water, is not an imposing- looking place. On the opposite side of the entrance to the harbour rises a hill, called the Cerro, 450 feet higi from which the town derives its name, and further inland, on the town side, is another eminence, 200 feet high, called the Cerrito. With these exceptions the surrounding country looks perfectly flat, without even a tree to break the monotony. Soon after breakfast we went ashore — in more senses of the word than one ; for they have commenced to build a mole for the protection of small vessels, which, in its unfinished state, is not yet visible above the water. The consequence was that, at a distance of about half a mile from the landing-steps, we rowed straight on to the sub- merged stonework, but fortunately got off again very quickJy, without having sustained any damage. On land- ing, we found ourselves opposite the Custom House, a fine building, with which we afterwards made a closer acquaintance. ' iH^ ":^a> ^;>. -.^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) ^« ^ // ^ .^'4^. Ki ^ !l!l i.O I.I III 1.8 1.25 il.4 m ^M //A ^/ M % '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation \ y gentle, and fast. We first took a canter round the culti- vated ground, about 300 acres in extent, and in capital condition. Lucerne grows here splendidly, and can be cut seven times a year. As we left the yard, Mr. Nield's man asked if he would take the dogs. He replied in the negative ; but I suppose he must have referred to the grey- hounds only, for we were certainly accompanied on the present occasion by eleven dogs of various sorts and sizes, those left behind being shut up and kept without food, in anticipation of the stag-hunt to-morrow. We rode over the race-course, where the horses are trained, and on to the partridge ground. The larger kind of these birds are extremely stupid, and are easily ridden down by a horse- man, or caught in" a noose. They rise three times, and after the third flight they are so exhausted and terrified that it is easy to dismount and catch them with the hand, as they lie panting on the long grass. Partridge-hunting is considered good sport. It is necessary to keep your eye constantly fixed upon the bird, and to watch where he settles, and then to gallop to the spot as hard as possible, k.aving your horse to look after himself amid the long grass ; and this manoeuvre has to be repeated until at last the unfortunate bird is overtaken and caught. As we were riding along, the dogs found and killed a bizcacha, in a bank. Just as Mr. Elliott had pulled it out, and had laid it, dead, in the field, its little companion owl arrived, and appeared to be in the most dreadful state of mind. It shrieked and cried, as it hovered over us, and finally selected a small white fox terrier, who, I think, really had been principally concerned in the death, as the object of its vengeance, pouncing down upon his head, and giving him two or three good pecks, at the same time flapping its wings violently. The other dogs drove it off; but more than half an hour afterwards, while we were looking at some horses, nearly a mile from the spot, the plucky little owl returned to the charge, and again swooped down upon the A FAITHFUL FRIEND. same dog, with a dismal cry, and administered a vigorous peck to him. Altogether it was a striking and interesting proof of the attachment existing between these curious birds and beasts ; the object of the owl in the present instance clearly being to revenge if possible the death of its friend. On our return to the farm, we went all round the place, and found that everything was being made secure for the night ; after which we watched all the servants come in one by one for their daily ration of grog, and then retired to dress for dinner, shortly after which, being thoroughly tired out, I retired to my bed-room, attended by a very kind old Irishwoman, who had been deputed to look after me. My mind was at first somewhat disturbed by the discoveiy of one or iwo enormous toads and long-armed spiders in my apartment ; but they fortunately did not interfere with my repose, for I slept like a top. All the rooms being on the ground-floor, it is almost impossible entirely to exclude intruders of this description. I admired very much what I took to be two fine ponchos, of a delicate fawn-colour, used as tablecloths, but upon a closer examination I found that they were made of the finest silk, and learned afterwards that they were imported from England. I don't know why the same material should not be employed for a .similar purpose at home ; but I believe that those manufactured hitherto have been designed expressly for the South Ameri- can market, to which they are exported in considerable quantities. Thursday, September 2\st. — At five o'clock, when I awoke, it was so misty that I could only see about half-way across the yard. By six, the hour at which we were to have started on our hunting expedition, matters had im- proved a little ; but it was still considered unsafe to ven- ture out, for fear of being iost on the vast plains which surrounded us. An hour later, however, it was reported that the fog was clearing ofif, and a little before eight o^ock A GLORIOUS GALLOP. 95 we started. Horses, riders, and dogs, all appeared to be in the highest spirits, the former jumping and frisking about, hardly deigning to touch the ground, the latter tearing after one another and barking at every stray bird they met. The pack numbered seventeen, and could hardly be called a level lot of hounds, comprising, as it did, two deerhounds, five well-bred greyhounds, two retrievers, one setter, one spaniel, one French poodle, two fox terriers, one black and tan terrier, and two animals of an utterly indescribable breed ; but they all did their work well, as the event proved. Even the shaggy fat old French poodle arrived in each case before the deer was cut up. Two deer were soon descried in the distance, and we can- tered steadily towards them at the rate of about ten miles an hour, until the dogs winded and sighted them. Then, directly the first short yelp was heard, every horse extended himself in an instant, galloping away as hard as he could go, almost literally ventre a tcrre. They were nearly all thoroughbreds, and had been raced, so that the speed was something delightful. But it only lasted ten minutes, at the end of which time the dogs ran into one of the deer, and thus put a temporary stop to our enjoyment. He proved to be a fine buck, and was soon killed. His legs were cut off for trophies, but, his horns being like velvet, the head was not worth having. Some of the dogs pur- sued the doe, but failed to pull her down, and returned half an hour later fatigued and panting. It had become hot by this time, so we rode to the nearest water, to enable the animals to drink and bathe, and then started afresh at a sharp canter. There were plenty of bizcacha holes and boggy places to be avoided ; but we allowed the horses to take care of themselves and us in this respect, and occupied ourselves almost exclusively in looking for fresh deer. For some time we found nothing ; then two sprang out of the long grass close to the cailada, which they crossed, and, on reaching the other side, started :/\ A GLORIOUS GALLOP off in different directions. The pack pursued and divided, some going after each animal. I, and two others of the party, followed the doe, and after another short burst of ten minutes, at a tremendous pace, we ran into and killed her. As soon as she had been despatched, we wanted to follow the buck, in pursuit of which the rest of the riders had gone, but there was now nothing to be seen of him or them. Flat as the country looked, the slight undulations of the ground quite hid them from our view. After riding about for two hours in various directions, looking and listening most patiently, we abandoned the search in despair, and returned to the house, where we found that our friends had already arrived. They had enjoyed the best run they have had for many months — seven miles, from point to point — but the dogs had lain down, dead beat, at the end of the first six miles. The horsemen had galloped on, their animals tailing off one by one, until only two remained in it at. all. Having mutually agreed to let the stag live till another day to afford perhaps as good a run and as much pleasure to some one else, they thereupon also abandoned the chase, and turned their horses' heads home- wards. . < • ' After a change of dress, we proceeded to pack up, pre- paratory to our departure, and then had breakfast, after which we bade adieu to our kind hosts, and started in the waggonette to retrace our steps to the station. It was very bright and hot, and the sun and wind had already begun to have a visible effect upon the vegetation of the Pampas. The streams were much more passable, and we reached Caflada de Gomez at about half-past five, in a shorter time than it had taken us to perform the outward journey yesterday. On reaching Rosario at about ten o'clock, we found several friends waiting to receive us, with invitations to tea ; but we felt too tired in body and too disreputable in appearance to accept them, and preferred going straight to our hotel and to bed. 97 CHAPTER VII. MORE ABOUT THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. The twilight is sad and cloudy, The wind blows wild and free, And like the wings of sea-birds Flash the white caps of the sea. Friday, September 22nd. — Mr. Fisher called for me at 8 a.m., to drive me in his little carriage to the railway yard and workshops, and then to pay some farewell visits. We also went to see the market, and to get some photographs of Rosario ; after which, breakfast, packing-up, and paying the bill occupied our time until one o'clock, when we started for the steamer, to return to Buenos Ayres. On our arrival along;>ide the ' Proveedor,* I found that nearly all our Rosario friends had come down to the landing-place to see us off, and had brought all manner of remembrances for me and the children. Flowers in profusion ; a tame car- dinal bird for Muriel ; a pair of dear little long-tailed green paroquets ; the skin of a seal, shot at the Alexandria colony ; a beautiful poncho ; an Argentine bit, whip, and stirrups ; a carpincha skin ; two pretty little muletas — a sort of arma- dillo, very tame, and often kept in the houses here as a pet ; and several other presents, all of which, when I look at them at home, will serve to remind me of the kind donors, and of the happy days spent in the Argentine Republic. It was not long before we were off, and steaming slowly astern of the ' Uruguay.* This boat is not so large nor so fast as the ' Uruguay,' though the difference in speed does not probably amount to more than fifteen minutes in the H 1 1' 98 THE RIVAL BOATS. twenty-four hours. Her saloon and deck are not so good, but her sleeping-cabins are much larger and more comfort- able. The Italian captains are equally agreeable on both steamers, the civility is the same, and the fares and food are precisely similar, so that there is not much left to in- fluence one in the choice of vessels. We had a pleasant party at an excellent dinner in the evening, the captain only regretting that we had not been on board two days ago, when Mile. P. and the opera company went down from Rosario to Buenos Ayres. They had a very cheery even- ing, and some good music, which Tom told us afterwards he thoroughly enjoyed. There were no musicians on board to-night, and not any temptation to sit up late, which was perhaps as well ; one of the reasons for our going back this way being that we wished to have an opportunity of seeing the River Tigrd, which we should reach in the early morning. On the upward journey we had, to save time, embarked at Campafia, which is situated above that river. Saturday, September 23;'^. — At 4.30 a.m. the captain called me, being anxious that I should not miss any of the beauties of the Tigre. On my arrival on deck he kindly had a chair place, for me right in the bows, provided me with rugs and wraps, and sent for some hot coffee, which was particularly acceptable, as the morning air was fresh and chilly. The sky was flushed with rosy clouds, the fore- runners of one of the most beautiful sunrises imaginable. The river itself is narrow and monotonous, the branches of the willow-tree on either bank almost sweeping the sides of the steamer. The centre channel is fairly deep ; but w^e managed to run aground once, though we only drew nine feet, and in turning a sharp corner it was necessary to send a boat ashore with a rope, to pull the vessel's head round. At half-past six we reached the port of Tigr^ where we found many fine ships waiting for the tide, to go up the river. Some delay occurred while the passengers' luggage MODERATE PRICES. 99 was being examined ; but in about half an hour we were able to land and walk to the railway-station, through an avenue of shady trees, round the trunks of which the wistaria, now in full bloom, was climbing, and past several houses, whose pretty gardens were ablaze with all sorts of flowers. At the station I found a letter from Tom, telling me we were expected to breakfast at a quinta, not far from Buenos Ayres. For about an hour and a half the line ran through a rich and fertile country, quite the garden of Buenos Ayres, until we arrived at the station where we were to alight. Here Mr. Coghlan met us and drove us to his house, which is charmingly situated in the midst of a grove of olive- trees, formerly surrounding the palace of the viceroys. After breakfast the gardener cut us a fine bouquet of roses and violets, and we walked to the tramway, and were con- veyed by one of the cars, smoothly and quickly, to the city. The contrast between this mode of travelling and riding in an ordinary carriage through the ill-paved streets is very striking. It is really less fatiguing to walk than to adopt the latter mode of conveyance, ar d I believe that, but for the look of the thing, most people would prefer to do so. How the vehicles themselves stand the jolting I cannot imagine, for they are all large and handsome, and must suffer tremendous strains. At noon we went with Mr. Coghlan to see the market and the museum, and to do some shopping. The market is a large open building, well supplied with everything at moderate prices ; meat, game, fruit, vegetables, and flowers being especially cheap and good. House-rent and fin« clothes — what Muriel would call 'dandy things' — are very dear in Buenos Ayres, but all the necessaries of life are certainly cheap. People of the middle and lower classes live much better here than they do at home, and the de- velopment of borie and muscle in large families of small children, owing to the constant use of so much meat and H 2 zoo ELABORATE BOUQUETS. strong soup, is very remarkable. When once they have attained the age at which they can run about, children get on very well ; but the climate, and the difficulty of obtain- ing a proper supply of milk in hot weather, often prove fatal to infants. It is very difficult to get good servants here, as they can easily obtain much higher pay in other capacities, and are very soon enabled to set up in business for themselves. Returning to the hotel, we collected our parcels and had some luncheon, and then proceeded to the pier, where we found the children waiting for us to em- bark in the gig, and we soon arrived safely on board the ' Sunbeam.' At about half-past six, Tom and Mabelle returned from their expedition to the largest and most comfortable estan- cia in the country, where they were received most hospi- tably, and enjoyed themselves very much. After dinner, some of our party left in the whale-boat, being anxious to be present at Madame Almazilia's benefit performance at the opera, for which I fear they arrived too late after all. Whilst we were waiting at the railway- station to-day, some of the bouquets, which were to be presented at the theatre to-night, arrived by train. The flowers were arranged in all manner of stranr;e shapes and devices — full-sized tables and chairs, music-stands, and musical instruments, and many other quaint conceits, composed entirely of grey Neapolitan violets, marked out with camellias and other coloured flowers. Sunday, September 24th. — Most of us went ashore in the whale-boat at ten o'clock, to attend the English church, re- ^ened to-day for the first time for some months. After our own service we met many friends, and walked to the Roman Catholic cathedral. The streets were full of well-appointed carriages, and in the interior of the building we found a great many well-dressed ladies, and a few men. Mass had not commenced, and a constant stream of worshippers was still entering ; but we remained only for a short time, and then DANGERS OF LANDING. lOI returned to the Mole. By this time the ind had freshened considerably , and several of our friends tried to persuade us to remain on shore ; but as we knew Tom was expecting us, and we wanted to get the things we required for our next journey, we *^hought it better to go off. It took us two hours and a half, beating against the wind, to reach the yacht, sea-sick, and drenched to the skin. Directly we got outside the bar the sea was very bad, and each wave broke more or less over the little half- deck, under which the children had been packed away for shelter. Seeing how rough it was out at the anchorage — far worse than near the shore — Tom had quite given us up, for it was now half-past three, and was preparing to come ashore, bringing our things with him. On board the yacht we found an unfortunate French maid, and another servant, who had come off early in the morning to spend the day and have dinner with our people, but who were now lying prostrate and ill in the cabin. Champagne and luncheon revived us a little, and Tom hurried us off to get ashore again by daylight, before the weather became worse. It was a very pleasant twenty minutes' sail to the shore, racing along before the wind, with two reefs in the mainsail — quite a different thing from beating out. The tide was high, and the captain therefore steered for the pier, where he hoped to land us. Unfortu- nately, however, he missed it ; and as it was impossible to make another tack out, all that could be done was to let go the anchor to save running ashore, and wait until they sent out a small boat to fetch us. This took some little time during which we pitched and tossed about in a very disagreeable fashion. When the boat did at last arrive she turned out to be a wretched little skiff, rowed by two men, with very indifferent oars, and only capable of taking three passengers at a time. Tom went first, taking with him the two children, and the two poor sea-sick maids, and the boat at once put off for the land, Tom steering. I I02 A NARROW ESCAPE. It was terrible to watch them from the whale-boat, and when one tremendous sea came, and the skifif broached to, I thought for a moment that all was over, as did every one who was watching our proceedings from the pier. I could not look any more, till I heard shouts that they were safe ashore. Then came our turn. The boat returned for us, this time provided with better oars, and we were soon landed in safety, if not in comfort; and a third and last trip brought ashore the rest of the party and the luggage, Tom remaining at the tiller. Mr. Coghlan had come down to meet us, but, seeing the peril of the first boat, had gone away until he heard we were all landed, and now returned to congratulate us on our narrow escape and present safety. After we had rested for a short time in the waiting-room, to recover from our fright and shake our dripping garments, we went to the Hotel de la Paix, where we dined, and at ten o'clock we walked down to the railway-station, where a large number of people had already assembled, some of whom were to accompany us to Azul, while others had only come to see us off. Everything had been most comfortably arranged for us in the special train. The interior fittings of two second- class American carriages had been completely taken out, and a canvas lining, divided into compartments, each con- taining a cozy little bed, had been substituted. Wash- stands, looking-glasses, ftc, had been provided, and a profusion of beautiful flowers filled in every available spot. In a third car two tables, occupying its entire length, with seats on one side of each table, had been placed ; and here it was intended that we should breakfast, lunch, and dine. Monday t September 2$th. — We slept soundly — speaking for the children and myself — until we were aroused at six o'clock this morning by the agreeable intelligence that we had reached our destination. Azul is about 300 miles south of Buenos Ayres, on the Southern Railway. It is a A RUNAWAY. 103 small and primitive place in itself, but is situated in the midst of splendid pastures, both for rearing sheep and cattle, of which there are large flocks and herds. Whilst we were waiting for breakfast, we walked a little distance to see a troop of mares treading mud for bricks. It was a curious, but rather sad sight. Inside a circular en- closure, some fifty yards in diameter, about fifty half-starved animals, up to their houghs in very sloppy mud, were being driven round about, and up and down, as fast as they could go, by a mounted peon, assisted by five or six men on foot, outside the enclosure, armed with long heavy whips, which they used constantly. Some of the poor creatures had foals, which were tied up a little distance off, and which kept up a piteous whinnying, as an accompaniment to the lashings and crackings of the whips. On our way back to the station we saw a horse, attached to a light gig, bolt across the Pampas at full gallop, vainly pursued by a man on horseback. First one wheel came off and then the other ; then the body of the gig was left behind, and then the shafts and most of the harness followed suit ; until at last — as we afterwards heard — the runaway reached his home, about five miles off, with only his bridle remaining. At nine o'clock the breakfast-bell rang, and we found an excellent repast spread out for us on two long tables. An hour later we started in seven large carriages, and pro- ceeded first to make the tour of the town, afterwards visiting the bank, and a fine new house in the course of construction by a native, built entirely of white marble from Italy. Then we piid a visit to some Indians — an old chief and his four wives, who have settled quietly down in a toldo near the town. They were not bad-looking, and appeared fairly comfortable, as they squatted in the open air round the fire, above which was suspended a large iron pot, containing, to judge by the look and smell, a most savoury preparation. We next went to a store, where we picked up a few curiosities, and then drove to the mill of Azul, a new I04 A GRASSERIA. establishment, of which the inhabitants of the town are evidently verj' proud. There is a pretty walk by the mill- stream, overhung with willows, and close by is another toldo, inhabited by more Indians. Leaving the town, we now proceeded about two leagues across the Pampas to Mr. Frer's estancia. He is a farmer, on a very extensive scale, and possesses about 24,000 sheep and 500 horses, besides goodly herds of cattle. The locusts have not visited this part of the country, and the pastures are consequently in fine condition after the late rains, while the sheep look proportionately well. We passed a large grasseria, or place where sheep are killed at the rate of seven in a minute, and are skinned, cut up, and boiled down for tallow in an incredibly short space of time, the residue of the meat being used in the furnace as fuel. Running about loose, outside, were four or five curly- homed rams, between two of which a grand combat took place, apparently conducted in strict accordance with the rules of fighting etiquette. The two animals began by walking round and round, eyeing each other carefully, and AN ESTANCJA. 105 then retiring backwards a certain distance, which might have been measured out for them, they stopped so exactly simultaneously. Then, gazing steadfastly at one another for a few moments, as if to take aim, they rushed forward with tremendous force, dashing their foreheads together with a crash that might have been heard a mile away. It seemed marvellous that they did not fracture their skulls, for they repeated the operation three or four times before Mr. Frer could get a man to help to stop the fight, when the two combatants were led off, in a very sulky state, to be locked up apart. Arrangements had been made for us to see as much of station-life as possible during our short visit. The peons' dinner had been put back, in order that we might witness their peculiar method of roasting, or rather baking, their food, and eating it ; but we were rather later than was expected, and the men were so hungry that we were only able to see the end of the performance. Mr. Frer had also sent a long way across the Pampas for some wild horses, belonging to him, in order that we might see them lassoed ; and Colonel Donovan had brought with him one of his best domidors, or horse-breakers, that we might have an opportunity of seeing an unbroken colt caught and backed for the first time. About a hundred horses were driven into a large corral, and several gauchos and peons, some on horseback and some on foot, exhibited their skill with the lasso, by catch- ing certain of the animals, either by the fore leg, the hind leg, or the neck, as they galloped round and round at full speed. The captured animal got a tremendous fall in each case, and if the mounted horse was not very clever and active, he and his rider were very likely to be thrown down also. There was the risk too of the man receiving an in- jury from the lasso itself, if it should happen to get round his body, in which case he would probably be almost cut in half by the sudden jerk. io6 A CORRAL. The next proceeding was to cast a lasso at a potro, or unbroken colt, who was galloping about in the very centre of the troop, at full speed. His fore legs were caught dex- terously in the noose, which brought him up, or rather down, instantly, head over heels. Another lasso was then thrown over his head, and drawn quite tight round his neck, and a bridle, composed of two or three thongs of raw hide, was forced into his mouth by means of a slip-knot rein. A sheepskin saddle was placed on his back, the man who LassoiQf^ Horses. was to ride him standing over him, with one foot already in the stirrup. All this time the poor horse was lying on the ground with his legs tied close together, frightened almost out of his life, trembling in every limb, and per- spiring from every pore. When the man was ready, the horse's legs were loosened sufficiently to allow him to rise, and he was then led outside the corral. The lassoes were suddenly withdrawn, and he dashed forwards, springing and plunging upwards, sideways, downwards, in every direction, in the vain effort to rid himself of his unaccustomed load. The man remained planted, like a rock, in the saddle. LUXURIOUS TRAVELLING. 107 pulling hard at the bridle, while a second domidor, mounted on a tame horse, pursued the terrified animal, striking him with a cruel whip to make him go in the required direction. After about ten minutes of this severe exercise, the captive returned to the corral, exhausted, and perfectly cowed, and showing no desire to rejoin his late companions. In order to complete the process of breaking him in, we were told that it would be necessary to keep him tied up for two or three days, rather short of food, and to repeat daily the operation of saddling, bridling, and mounting, the difficulty being less on each occasion, until at last he would become as quiet as a lamb. We now saw our train approaching, orders having been given for it to come as far as it could from the station to meet us. We wished good-bye to Mr. Frer and his party, and, with many thanks to all, got into our carriages and drove across the plains to the railway. On our way we passed some large lagunes, full of wild fowl, and surrounded by scarlet flamingoes and pelicans. The ground we had to traverse was very boggy ; so much so, that two of the carriages got stuck, and their occupants had to turn out and walk. At last we reached the train, and climbed into the cars, where we found an excellent luncheon prepared, which we ate whilst the train dashed along at the rate of forty miles an hour. About seven o'clock we stopped for tea and coffee, and the children were put to bed. By nine we had reached the junction for Buenos Ayres, where an engine met us, and took most of our party into the city, in one of the cars, while we went on to Punta Lara, the station for Ensenada. On arriving we were met by several of our men, who had been allowed to go ashore at Buenos Ayres on Sunday morning, and had iiot been able to rejoin the yacht since. On Sunday night, when they were to have returned, it was impossible for them to get off. Even the whale-boat was nearly dashed to pieces, at anchor, near the pier. They leS A MISSING STEWARD. spent the early part of Monday morning in hunting every- where with the pilot for the lost steward, and at last left the shore just in time to see the yacht steaming down the river, with only half her crew on board, and without a pilot. It seems they had been waited for from eight o'clock until eleven ; it then became necessary to get under way, for fear of losing the tide. As it was, the yacht had not been able to get near the pier at Ensenada, and was now lying in the river, two miles out. The station-master, having been informed of the state of affairs, very kindly had steam got up in the railway tug to take us ofif. The children, with their nurses, remained in bed in the car, which was shunted into a siding until the morning, the doctor staying on shore in charge. The rest of us then set out for the yacht, which we reached at i a.m., only to be greeted with the pleasing intelligence that no fresh provisions had arrived on board for the party of friends we were expecting. The captain of the tug was good enough to promise to do what he could for us on shore ; but everything is brought here from Buenos Ayres, and it is too late to telegraph for a supply. We cannot help fearing that something must have happened to our steward, for he lias always been most steady and respectable hitherto, and I fancy Buenos Ayres is rather a wild place. Every inquiry is to be made, and I can only trust the morning may bring us some news. Tuesday, September 26th. — The morning was fine, with a nice breeze, but the tide was so low that we should have been unable to get liongside the pier until ten o'clock, when Tom thought we should just miss our guests. It was therefore decided that it would be better to send the steam-tug to meet the special train, especially as, if we took the yacht in, it would be impossible to get out again in the middle of the night, when we had arranged to sail. The steam-tug came ofif early, bringing two sheep, half a bullock, and some wild ducks, much to the relief of the cook's mind ; but there were no vegetables to be had on SHORT OF PROVISIONS. 109 shore, and of course it was too late to send to Buenos .\yres for any. We had to do the best we could without them, therefore, and I really do not think any one knew of the dilemma we had been in, until they were told, at the end of the day. The servants all turned to and worked with a will ; but it was rather a different matter from having a large luncheon party on board in the Thames, with our London servants and supplies to fall back upon. For our own part, I think we all felt that the com- parative scarcity of meat this morning was an agreeable change, after our recent experiences. Animal food is so cheap and so good in this country that at every meal four or five dishes of beef or mutton, dressed in various ways, are provided. In the camp — as all the country round Buenos Ayres is called — people eat nothing but meat, either fresh or dried, and hardly any flour with it. Especially in the more distant estancias, beef and mutton, poultry and eggs, form the staple food of the inhabitants. Very little bread is eaten, and no vegetables, and an attempt is rarely made to cultivate a garden of any sort. This year, too, the ravages of the locusts have made vegetable food scarcer than ever, and it must now be looked upon quite as a luxury by ver>' many people ; for there can be little doubt that to live entirely on meat, even of the best quality, though probably strengthening, must be exceed- ingly monotonous. About one o'clock we saw the tug coming off again, this time with her decks crowded. We found she had brought us fifteen ladies and thirty gentlemen— more than we had expected, on account of the shortness of the notice we had been able to give. The luncheon was managed by dividing our guests into three parties, the coffee and dessert being served on deck ; but I am afraid the last division got very hungry before their time arrived. It could not, however, be helped, and it is to be hoped that the exami- nation of the various parts of the yacht and her contents no A LARGE PARTY. served to while away the time. Every one seemed to be pleased with the appearance of the vessel, never having seen one like her before. Indeed, the only yacht that has ever been here previously is the ' Eothen,' which formerly belonged to us. Mr. St. John's servant brought me a most magnificent bouquet, composed entirely of violets, arranged in the shape of a basket, three feet in width, full of camellias, and marked with my initials in alyssum. Altogether it was quite a work of art, but almost overpoweringly sweet. It was late before our friends began the task of saying good-bye — no light matter where, as in the present case, it is doubtful whether, or at any rate when, we shall meet again. At last they left us, steaming round the yacht in the tug, and giving us some hearty cheers as they passed. The Minister's flag was run up, salutes were exchanged, and the little steamer rapidly started off in the direction of the shore, followed by a dense cloud of her own smoke. Through a telescope we watched our friends disembark at the pier, and saw the train steam away ; and then we turned our thoughts to the arrangements for our own departure. Wednesday, September 2'jih. — A fine breeze was blow- ing this morning, in a favourable direction for our start, but as ten and eleven o'clock arrived, and there were still no signs of the expected stores, Tom was in despair, and wanted to sail without them. I therefore volunteered to go ashore in the gig and see what had happened to them, and telegraph, if necessary, to Mr. Crabtree. Fortunately, we met the tug on our way, and returned in tow of her to the yacht. Then, after settling a few bills, and obtaining our bill of health, we got the anchor up, and proceeded down the river under sail. Between one and two o'clock we commenced steaming, and in the course of the evening were clear of the River Plate and fairly on our way to the Straits of Magellan. Ill CHAPTER VIII. RIVER PLATE TO SANDY POINT, STRAITS OF MAGELLAN. / have seen tempests, when the scolding winds Haveriv'd the knotty oaks; and I h.ive seen The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam, To be exalted with the threat' ning clouds : But nevtr till to-night, never till now Did I go through a tempest dropping fire. Thursday, September 28///.— A fine bright morning, with a strong, fair wind. The order to stop firing was given at noon, and we ceased steaming shortly after. There had evidently been a gale from the southward during the last few days, for the swell was tremendous, and not only made us all feel very uncomfortable after our long stay in har- bour, but considerably diminished our speed. Still, we managed to go twenty-seven knots in two hours and a half. I was lying down, below, after breakfast, feeling very stupid, when Mabelle rushed into the cabin, saying, ' Papa says you are to come up on deck at once, to see the ship on fire.' I rushed up quickly, hardly knowing whether she referred to our own or some other vessel, and on reach- ing the deck I found everybody looking at a large barque,, under full sail, flying the red union-jack upside down, and. with signals in her rigging, which our signal-man read as ' Ship on fire.' These were lowered shortly afterwards, and; the signals, ' Come on board at once,' hoisted in their place. Still we could see no appearance of smoke or flames, but we nevertheless hauled to the wind, tacked, hove to, and sent off" a Loafs crew, well armed, thinking it not impossible that a mutiny had taken place on board, and that the 112 SHIP ON FIRE. captain or officers, mistaking the yacht for a gunboat, had appealed to us for assistance. We were now near enough to the barque to make out her name through a glass — the * Monkshaven,' of Whitby — and we observed a puff of smoke issue from her deck simultaneously with the arrival of our boat alongside. In the course of a few minutes, the boat returned, bringing the mate of the ' Monkshaven,' a fine- looking Norwegian, who spoke English perfectly, and who reported his ship to be sixty-eight days out from Swansea, ' Monkshaven on Fire. bound for Valparaiso, with a cargo of smelting coal. The fire had first been discovered on the previous Sunday, and by 6 a.m. on Monday the crew had got up their clothes and provisions on deck, thrown overboard all articles of a combustible character, such as tar, oil, paint, spare spars and sails, planks, and rope, and battened down the hatches. Ever since then they had all been living on deck, with no protection from the wind and sea but a canvas screen. Tom and Captain Brown proceeded on board at once. They found the deck more than a foot deep in water, and all a-wash; when the hatches were opened for a moment dense JUST IN TIME. 113 [ clouds of hot suffocating yellow smoke immediately poured forth, driving back all who stood near. From the captain's cabin came volumes of poisonous gas, which had found its way in through the crevices, and one man, who tried to enter, was rendered insensible. It was perfectly evident that it would be impossible to save the ship, and the captain therefore determined, after consultation with Tom and Captain Brown, to abandon her. Some of the crew were accordingly at once brought on board the 'Sunbeam,' in our boat, which was then sent back to assist in removing the remainder, a portion of whom came in their own boat. The poor fellows were almost wild with joy at getting alongside another ship, after all the hardships they had gone through, and in their excitement they threw overboard many things which they might as well have kept, as they had taken the trouble to bring them. Our boat made three trips altogether, and by half-past six we had them all safe on board, with most of their effects, and the ship's chronometers, charts, and papers. The poor little dingy, belonging to the ' Monkshaven,' had been cast away as soon as the men had disembarked from her, and there was something melancholy in seeing her slowly drift away to leeward, followed by her oars and various small articles, as if to rejoin the noble ship she had so lately quitted. The latter was now hove-to, under full sail, an occasional puff of smoke alone betraying the presence of the demon of destruction within. The sky was dark and lowering, the sunset red and lurid in its grandeur, the clouds numerous and threatening, the sea high and dark, with occasional streaks of white foam. Not a breath of wind was stirring Everything portended a gale. As we lay slowly rolling from side to side, both ship and boat were sometimes plainly visible, and then again both would disappear, for what seemed an age, in the deep trough of the South Atlantic rollers. I 114 A LAST LOOK. For two hours we could see the smoke pouring from various portions of the ill-fated barque. Our me*^, who had brought off the last of her crew, reported that, as they left her, flames were just beginning to burst from the fore- hatchway ; and it was therefore certain that the rescue had not taken place an hour too soon. Whilst we were at dinner, Powell called us up on deck to look at her again, when we found that she was blazing like a tar-barrel. The captain was anxious to stay by and see the last oi her, but Tom was unwilling to incur the delay which this would have involved. We accordingly got up steam, and at nine p.m. steamed round the ' Monkshaven,' as close as it was deemed prudent to go. No flames were visible then ; only dense volumes of smoke and sparks, issuing from the hatches. The heat, however, was intense, and could be plainly felt, even in the cold night air, as we passed some distance to leeward. All hands were clustered in our rigging, on the deck-house or on the bridge, to see the last of the poor ' Monkshaven,' as she was slowly being burnt down to the water's edge. She was a large and nearly new (three years old) com- posite ship, built and found by her owners, Messrs. Smales, of Whitby, of 657 tons burden, and classed A i for ten years at Lloyd's. Her cargo, which consisted of coal for smelting purposes, was a very dangerous one ; so much so that Messrs. Nicholas, of Sunderland, from whose mines the coal is procured, have great difficulty in chartering ves- sels to carry it, and are therefore in the habit of building and using their own ships for the purpose. At Buenos Ayres we were told that, of every three ships carrying this cargo round to Valparaiso or Callao, one catches firt, though the danger is frequently discovered in time to pre vent much damage to the vessel or loss of life. The crew of the ' Monkshaven ' — Danes, Norwegians, Swedes, Scotch, and Welsh — appear to be quiet, respect- able men. This is fortunate, as an incursion of fifteen rough lawless spirits on board our little vessel would have .1 THE RESCUED CREW. tfi been rather a serious matter. In their hurry and fright, however, they left all their provisions behind them, and it is no joke to have to provide food for fifteen extra hungry mouths for a week or ten days, with no shops at hand from which to replenish our stores. The sufficiency of the water supply, too, is a matter for serious consideration. We have all been put on half-allowance, and sea-water only is to be used for washing purposes. Shipwrecked Crew coming on Board. 'I Some account of the disaster, as gathered from the lips of various members of the crew at different times, may perhaps be interesting. It seems that, early on Monday morning, the day following that on which the fire was dis- covered, another barque, the 'Robert Hinds,' of Liverpool, was spoken. The captain of that vessel offered to stand by them or do anything in his power to help them ; but at that time they had a fair wind for Monte Video, only 120 miles distant, and they therefore determined to run for that port, I a Ii6 DISAPPOINTED HOPES. and do their best to save the ship, and possibly some of the cargo. In the course of the night, however, a terrible gale sprang up, the same, no doubt, as the one of which we had felt the effects on first leaving the River Plate. They were driven hither and thither, the sea constantly breaking over them and sweeping the decks, though fortunately without washing any of them overboard. After forty-eight hours of this rough usage the men were all exhausted, while the fire was gradually increasing in strength beneath their feet, and they knew not at what moment it might burst through the decks and envelope the whole ship in flames. They were beginning to abandon all hope of a rescue, when a sail was suddenly discovered ; and as soon as the necessary flags could be found, the same signal which attracted us was displayed. The vessel, now quite close to them, proved to be a large American steamer, but she merely hoisted her own ensign and code-pennant, and then coolly steamed away to the southward. ' I think that captain deserved tarring and feathering, anyway,' one of the men said to me. Another observed, ' I wonder what will become of that man ; for we had put all our lives in his hand by signalling as we did ; and every seaman knows that right well.' Another said, ' When we saw that ship go away, we all gave in and lay down in despair to die. But our captain, who is. very good to his crew, and a religious man too, said, " There is One above who looks after us all." That was true enough, for, about ten minutes afterwards, as I was talking to the cook, and telling him it was all over with us, I saw a sail to lee- ward, and informed the captain. We bore down a little, but did not like to go out of our course too much, fearing you might be a " Portuguese," and play us the same trick as the American.' (They could not understand our white ensign ; for, our funnel being stowed, we looked like a sail- ing vessel, while all gunboats of our size are steamers.) ' When we saw it was an English vessel, and that you answered our signals and sent a boat off, we were indeed r HARDSHIPS ON BOARD. "7 thankful ; though that was nothing to what we feel now at once more having a really dry ship under our feet. Not that we have really suffered anything very terrible, for we had a bit of shelter, and plenty to eat, and the worst part was seeing our things washed overboard, and thinking perhaps we might qo next. We have not had a dry deck since we left Swansea, and the pumps have been kept going most of the time. Why, with this sea, ma'am, our decks would be under water.' (This surprised me ; as, though low in the water, the ' Monkshaven * did not appear to be overladen, and the PlimsoU mark was plainly visible.) * Our boats were all ready for launching, but we had no sails, and only one rudder for the three ; so we should have had hard work to fetch anywhere if we had taken to them. We lashed the two boys— apprentices, fourteen and six- teen years old — in one of the boats, for fear they should be washed overboard. The youngest of them is the only son of his mother, a widow ; and you could see how she loved him by the way she had made his clothes, and fitted him out all through. He was altogether too well found for a ship like ours, but now most of his things are lost. His chest could not be got up from below, and though I borrowed an old bread-bag from the steward, it was not half big enough, and his sea-boots and things his mother had given him to keep him dry and cover his bed — not oilskins, like ours.' — 'Mackintoshes,* I suggested. — 'Yes, that's the name — they were all lost. It did seem a pity. The boy never thought there was much danger till this morning, when I told him all hope was gone, as the Ameri- can ship had sailed away from us. He said, " Will the ship go to the bottom .? " and I replied, " I fear so ; but we have good boats, so keep up your heart, little man," He made no further remark, but laid down gently again, and cried a little.' This poor child was dreadfully frightened in the small boat coming alongside, and his look of joy and relief, when ii8 THE ONLY VICTIM. V once he got safely on board, was a treat to me. Every one on board, including the captain, seems to have been very kind to him. One of the men had his foot broken by the sea, and the captain himself had his leg severely injured ; so the Doctor has some cases at last. It was almost impossible to sleep during the night, owing to the heavy rolling, by far the most violent that we have yet experienced. Friday, September 2gth. — Again a fine morning. A fair breeze sprang up, and, the dreaded storm having appa- rently passed over, we ceased steaming at 6 a.m. All on board are now settling down into something like order. The stewards are arranging matters below, and measuring out the stores, to allowance the men for twelve days. The men belonging respectively to the port and star- board watches of the ' Monkshaven ' have been placed in the corresponding watches on board the ' Sunbeam.' The cook and steward are assisting ours below, and the two boys are very happy, helping in the kitchen, and making themselves generally useful. The deck does not look quite as neat as usual. Such of the men's sea-chests as have been saved are lashed round the steam-chest, so that they can be got at easily, while their bags and other odd things have been stowed on deck, wherever they can be kept dry ; for every inch of available space below is occupied. Captain Run- ciman is writing, with tears in his eyes, the account of the loss of his fine ship. He tells me that he tried in vain to save sixty pounds' worth of his own private charts from his cabin, but it was impossible, on account of the stifling atmosphere, which nearly overpowered him. For- tunately, all his things are insured. He drowned his favourite dog, a splendid Newfoundland, just before leav- ing the ship ; for, although a capital watch-dog, and very faithful, he was rather large and fierce ; and when it was known that the ' Sunbeam ' was a yacht, with ladies and children on board, he feared to introduce him. Poor » A DANGEROUS CARGO. 119 ' ,.* fellow ! I wish I had known about it in time to save his life ! The great danger of smelting coal, as a ship's cargo, besides its special liability to spontaneous combustion, appears to be that the fire may smoulder in the very centre of the mass for so long that, when the smoke is at last dis- covered, it is impossible to know how far the mischief has advanced. It may go on smouldering quietly for days, or at any moment the gas that has been generated may burst up the vessel's decks from end to end, without the slightest warning. Or it may burn downwards, and penetrate some portion of the side of the ship below water ; so that, before any suspicion has been aroused, the water rushes in, and the unfortunate ship and her crew go to the bottom. On board the ' Monkshaven ' the men dug down into the cargo in many places on Sunday night, only to find that the heat became more intense the deeper they went ; and several of them had their hands or fingers burnt in the operation. This has been about the best day for sailing that we have had since we left the tropics. The sea has been smooth, and a fair breeze has taken us steadily along at the rate of nine knots an hour. The sun shone brightly beneath a blue sky^ and the temperature is delightful. The sunset was grandj though the sky looked threatening ; but the moon rose brilliantly, and until we went to bed, at ten o'clock, the evening was as perfect as the day had been. At midnight, however, Tom and I were awakened by a knock at our cabin clooi, and the gruff voice of Powell, saying: * The barometer's goirgdown very fast, please, sir, and it's lightning awful in the sou'-west. There's a heavy storm coming up.' We were soon on deck, where we found all hands busily engaged in preparing for the tempest. Around us a splendid sight presented itself On one side a heavy bank of black clouds could be seen rapidly ap- proaching, while the rest of the heavens were brilliantly illuminated by forked and sheet lightning, the thunder ISO TOUGH MORSELS. meanwhile rolling and rattling without intermission. An ominous calm followed, during which the men had barely time to lower all the sails on deck, without waiting to stow them, the foresail and jib only being left standing, when the squall struck us, not very severely, but with a blast as hot as that from a furnace. We thought worse was coming, and con- tinued our preparations ; but the storm passed rapidly away to windward, and was succeeded by torrents of rain, so that it was evident we could only have had quite the tail of it. Saturday, September zofk. — The morning broke bright and clear, and was followed by a calm, bright, sunny day, of which I availed myself to take some photographs of the captain and crew of the ' Monkshaven.* The wind failed us entirely in the afternoon, and it became necessary to get up steam. In the ordinary course of things, we should probably have had sufficient patience to wait for the return of the breeze ; but the recent large addition to our party made it desirable for us to lose as little time as possible in reaching Sandy Point. Another grand but wild- looking sunset seemed like the precursor of a storm ; but we experienced nothing worse than a sharp squall of hot wind, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Sunday, October ist. — A fine morning, with a fair wind. At eleven we had a short service, at four a longer one, with an excellent sermon from Tom, specially adapted to the rescue of the crew of the burning ship. As usual, the sun- set, which was magnificent, was succeeded by a slight storm, which passed over v/ithout doing us any harm. I have said that it was found impossible to save any provisions from the ' Monkshaven.' As far as the men are concerned, I think this is hardly to be regretted, for I am told that the salt beef with which they were supplied had lain in pickle for so many years that the saltpetre had eaten all the nourishment out of it, and had made it so hard that the men, instead of eating it, used to amuse themselves by carving it into snuff-boxes, little models of ships, &c. I i ■, m CAPE VIRGINS. 191 should not, however, omit to mention that Captain Runci- man managed to bring away with him four excellent York hams, which he presented to us, and one of which we had to-day at dinner. Wednesday, October ^th. — At 6 a.m., on going on deck I found we were hove-to under steam and closely-reefed sails, a heavy gale blowing from the south-west, right ahead. The screw was racing round in the air every time we encountered an unusually big wave ; the spray was dashing over the vessel, and the water was rushing along the deck — altogether an uncomfortable morning. As the sun rose, ^he gale abated, and in the course of the day the reefs were shaken out of the sails, one by one, until, by sunset, we were once more under whole canvas, beating to windward. There we're several cries of ' land ahead ' during the day, but in each case a closer examination, through a glass, proved that the fancied coast-line or mountain-top existed only in cloud-land. Thiirsdav, October $th. — We made the land early, and most uninteicsting it looked, consisting, as it did, of a low sandy shore, with a background of light clay-coloured cliffs. Not a vestige of vegetation was anywhere to be seen, and I am quite at a loss to imagine what the guanacos and ostriches, with which the chart tells us the country here- abouts abounds, find to live upon. About twelve o'clock we made Cape Virgins, looking very like Berry Head to the north of Torbay, and a long spit of low sandy land, stretch- ing out to the southward, appropriately called Dungeness. Some of the charts brought on board by Captain Runci- man were published by Messrs. Imray, of London, and in one of them it is represented that a fine fixed light has been established on Cape Virgins.' This we knew to be an ' I have since received a letter from Messr.«. Imray requesting me to state that the light was inserted on erroneous information from the hydrographic office at Washington, and has since been erased from their charts. «aa TRANSFER OF THE CREW. impossibility, not only on account of the general character of the country, but because no indication is given of the light in our newest Admiralty charts. Captain Runciman, however, had more confidence in the correctness of his own chart, and could hardly believe his eyes when he saw that the light really had no existence on the bare bleak head- land. His faith was terribly shaken, and I hope he will not omit to call Messrs. Imray's attention to the matter on his return home ; for the mistake is most serious, and one which might lead to the destruction of many a good ship, About two o'clock we saw in the far distance what looked at first like an island, and then like smoke, but gradually shaped itself into the masts, funnel, and hull of a large steamer. From her rig we at once guessed her to be the Pacific Company's mail boat, homeward bound. When near enough, we accordingly hoisted our number, and signalled 'We wish to communicate,' whereupon she ^ore down upon us and ceased steaming. We then rounc' ip •under her lee and lowered a boat, and Tom, Mabeli , ^.iJ I, with Captain Runciman and four or five of the ship- wrecked crew, went on board. Our advent caused great excitement, and seamen and passengers all crowded into the bows to watch us. As we approached the ladder the passengers ran aft, and directly we reached the deck the captain took possession of Tom, the first and second officers of Mabelle and myself, while Captain Runciman and each of his crew were surrounded by a little audience eager to know what had happened, and all about it. At first it was thought that we all wanted a passage, but when we explained matters Captain Thomas, the com- mander of the ' Illimani,' very kindly undertook to receive all our refugees and convey them to England. We there- fore sent the gig back for the rest of the men and the chests of the whole party, and then availed ourselves of the oppor- tunity afforded by the delay to walk round the ship. It ■Vr'as most amusing to see the interest with which we were ; ! WELCOME SUPPUES. "3 , regarded by all on board. Passengers who had never been seen out of their berths since leaving Valparaiso, and others who were indulging, at the time of our visit, in the luxury of a ' day sleep,' between the twelve o'clock luncheon and four o'clock dinner, suddenly made their appearance, in dressing-gowns and wraps, with dishevelled hair and wide- opened eyes, gazing in mute astonishment at us, quite unable to account for our mysterious arrival on board in this out-of-the-way spot. A mail steamer does not stop for a light cause, and it was therefore evident to them that the present was no ordinary occurrence. The captain told us that the last time he passed through the Straits he picked up two boats' crews, who had escaped from a burning ship, and who had suffered indescribable hardships before they were rescued. Captain Runciman is convinced, after comparing notes with the chief officer of aie ' Illimani,' that the vessel which refused to notice his signal of distress was the 'Wilmington,' sent down from New York, with a party of forty wreckers, to try and get the steamer ' Georgia ' off the rocks near Port Famine, in the Straits of Magellan. If this be so, it is the more surprising that no attempt was made to render assistance to the ' Monkshaven,' provided her signals were understood, as the 'Wilmington' had plenty of spare hands, and could not have been in a particular hurry. Moreover, one would think that, with her powerful engines, she might have made, an attempt to tow the distressed vessel into Monte Video, and so secure three or four thousand pounds of salvage money. The captain of the ' Illimani ' kindly gave us half a bullock, killed this morning, a dozen live ducks and chickens, and the latest newspapers. Thus supplied with food for body and mind, we said farewell, and returned to the * Sunbeam ; ' our ensigns were duly dipped, we steamed away on our respective courses, and in less than an hour we were out of sight of each other. It is a sudden change 124 REGRET AT PARTING. for the * Monkshaven * men, who were all very reluctant to leave the yacht. Many of them broke down at the last moment, particularly when it came to saying good- bye to Tom and me, at the gangway of the steamer. They had seemed thoroughly to appreciate any kindnesses they received while with us, and were anxious to show their gratitude in every possible way. The two boys, especially, were in great grief at their departure, and were very loth to part with their boatswain, who remains with us to make up our complement.' About 8 p.m. we anchored for the night in Possession Bay. It was thick at sunset, but afterwards clear and cold, with a splendid moon. Friday, October 6th. — We got under way at 5. 30 a.m., and steamed past the low sandy coast of Patagonia and the rugged mountains of Tierra del Fuego, and through the First and Second Narrows, to Cape Negrg, wher"? the ' After our return to England the following letter reached us from Messrs. Smales : — ' Whilby, June 30th, 1877. •THOM^s Brassey, Esq. ' Dear Sir, — Observing by the newspapers that you have returned home after your cruise, we take this opportunity of thanking you most heartily for the valuable assistance you rendered to the crew of our late barque " Monkshaven," in lat. 43 28 S., Ion. 62 21 W., after she proved to be on fire and beyond saving. Your kind favour of October 1 last duly reached us, and it was ver)' satisfactory to know from an authority like your own, that all was done under the trying circum- otanccs that was possible, to save the ship and cargo. The inconvenience of having so many extra hands for the lime on board your vessel, must have tried your rcjources ; but you will he probably aware that the Board of Trade willingly com- pensate for loss sustained in rescuing c crew, when a claim is made. You will be glad to learn that the master and crew iirrived all well, in due course, at Liverpool, by the " lUimani," Hud were Nvry jrateful for your kindness to them. Our ill-fated vtsscl must have sunk very soon after you took off the crew, as nothing more has been heard of her, and it was a most fortunate circumstance that you weie so near at hnnd ; more especially as the captain reported to us, that a vessel carr)'ing the American colours took no notice of his signal of distress. As shipowners, we gene- rally find that our own countrymen are more heroic, and always ready to lend a helping hand to brother mariners in distress, so that, as you say, we do not doubt you experienced some satisfaction '" rendering this service. — Trusting that you have enjoyed your trip, wo beg to remain yours, truly obliged, ' SMALEd Brothers.' I SANDY POINT. 135 :i character of the scenery began to improve a little, the vegetation gradually changing from low scrubby brush- wood to respectable-sized trees. When passing between Elizabeth Island, so named by Sir Francis Drake, and the island of Santa Madalena, we looked in vain for the my- riads of seals, otters, and sea-lions with which this portion of the Straits is said to abound ; but we saw only seven or eight little black spots on the she re, in the distance, which disappeared into the sea as we approached. At 3 p.m. we reached Sandy Point, the only civilised place in the Straits. It is a Chilian settlement, and a large convict establishment has been formed here by the Govern- ment. Almost before we had dropped our anchor, the har- bour-master came on board, closely followed by the officers of the two Chilian men-of-war lying in the harbour. The rain, which had been threatening all day, now descended in torrents, and we landed in a perfect downpour. We thought the pier at Buenos Ayres unsafe and rickety, but here matters were still worse, for the head of the structure had been completely washed away by a gale, and no little care was necessary in order to step across the broken tim- bers in safety. The town, which contains between 1,200 and 1,300 inhabitants, is composed entirely of one-storied log huts, with slate or tile roofs, and with or without verandahs. They are all arranged in squares, separated from each other by wide roads ; and the whole settlement is surrounded by stockades. At the further end of the town stE..ids the convict prison, distinguished by its tower, and the Governor's house, which, though built of wood, is the most pretentious-looking edifice in the place. There is a nice little church close by, and some tidy-looking barracks. We went straight to the house of the British Vice- Consul, who received us very kindly, and promised to do what he could to assist us in obtaining supplies ; but the resources of the place are limited, and eggs, ship's beef 126 PATAGONIAN INDIANS. and biscuits, and water, will, I expect, be the sum total of what we shall be able to procure. In fact, it is rathei doubtful whether we shall even be able to renew our stock of coal. In the meantime we started off to potter about the town, finding, however, very little to amuse us. There were some new-laid ostrich eggs to be bought, and some queer-looking worked Patagonian saddle-bags. I fear we shall not see any of the Patagonians them- selves, for they come to the colony only three or four times a year, to purchase supplies, and to sell skins and ostrich eggs. They are a mounted tribe of Indians, living on the northern plains, and are now on their way down here, to pay one of their periodical visits ; but, being encumbered with their families, they move very slowly, and are not expected to arrive for another ten days. They will no doubt bring a splendid supply of skins, just too late for us, which is rather disappointing, particularly as we are not likely to have another opportunity of meeting with them at any of the places we touch at. They live so far in the interior of the countiy that they very seldom visit the coast. We went to see three Fuegian females, who are living in a house belonging to the medical officer of the colony. They were picked up a short time since by a passing steamer from a canoe, in which they had evidently sought refuge from some kind of cruelty or oppression. The big- gest of them, a stout fine-looking woman, had a terrible gash in her leg, quite recently inflicted, and the youngest was not more than eight years old. They appeared cheer- ful and happy, but we were told that they are not likely to live long. After the free life and the exposure to which they have been accustomed, civilisation — in the shape of clothing and hot houses — almost always kills them. Their lungs become diseased, and they die miserably. Their skin is slightly copper-coloured, their complexions high-coloured, their hair thick and black ; and, though certainly not hand- \ I • i GUANACO ROBES. 127 some, they are by no means so repulsive as I had expected from the descriptions of Cook, Dampier, Darwin, and other more recent travellers. Saturday, October yth. — My birthday. Tom gave me a beautiful guanaco-skin robe, and the children presented me with two ostrich rugs. The guanaco is a kind of large deer, and it is said that the robes made from its skin are the warmest in the world. People here assure me that, with the hair turned inside, these robes have afforded them sufficient protection to enable them to sleep in comfort in Fuegian Weapons. the open air, exposed to snow, frost, and rain. They are made from the skin of the young fawns, killed before they are thirteen days old, or, better still, from the skins of those which have never had an independent existence. In colour, the animals arc a yellowish brown on the back, and white underneath, and they are so small that when each skin is split up it produces only two triangular patches, about the size of one's hand. A number of these are then, with infinite trouble, sewed neatly together by the Indian women, who use the fine leg-sinews of the ostrich as thread. Those worn by the caciques, or chiefs, have generally a pattern in the centre, a brown edging, and spots- 9BBHB1 128 PATAGONIAN SADDLES. of red and blue paint on the part which is worn outwards. Such robes are particularly difficult to obtain, on account of the labour and time necessary to produce them. Each cacique keeps several wives constantly employed in making them, of the best as well as of the ordinary description. The ostrich rugs, which are made here, are more ornamental, though not so warm and light as the guanaco robes. They are made of the entire skin of the ostrich, from which the long wing-feathers have been pulled out. Mabelle has been given a beautiful little rug composed of the skins of thirty little ostriches, all from one nest, killed when they were a fortnight old, each skin resembling a prettily marked ball of fluff. At eleven o'clock we wen*- ashore. The Governor had kindly provided horses for all the party, and while they were being saddled I took some photographs. There are plenty of horses here, but the only saddles and bridles to be had are those used by the natives. The saddles are very cumbrous and clumsy to look at, though rather pic- turesque. They are formed of two bits of wood, covered with about a dozen sheepskins and ponchos ; not at all uncomfortable to ride in, and very suitable for a night's bivouac in the open. ' Plenty of nice soft rugs to lie upon and cover yourself with, instead of a hard English saddle for your bed and stirrups for blankets,' as a native once said, when asked which he preferred. About one o'clock we started, accompanied by the officers commanding the garrison and two attendant cavaliers, equipped in Chilian style, with enormous carved modern stirrups, heavy bits and spurs mpch bigger than those whose size struck us so much in the Argentine Republic We had a pleasant ride, first across a sandy plain and through one or two small rivers, to a saw-mill, situated on the edge of an extensive forest, through which we proceeded for some miles. The road was a difficult one, and our progress was but slow, being often impeded bya morass or by the trunk of a treewhich had A RIDE IN PATAGONIA. 129 fallen right across the path, and was now rapidly rotting into touchwood under the influence of the damp atmosphere and incessant rain. Lichens of every colour and shape abounded, and clothed the trunks gracefully, contrasting with the tender spring tints of .he leaves, while the long hairy tillandsia, like an old man's beard, three or four feet long, hung down from the topmost branches. The ground was carpeted with moss, interspersed with a few early spring flowers, and the whole scene, though utterly unlike that presented by any English forest, had a strange weird beauty of its own. Not a sound could be heard ; not a bird, beast, or insect was to be seen. The larger trees were principally a peculiar sort of beech and red cedar, but all kinds of evergreens, known to us at home as shrubs, t Fuegian Bow and Attowb. such as laurestine, and various firs, here attain the propor- tions of forest-trees. There is also a tree called Winter's Bark {Drvnys Winteri), the leaves and bark of which are hot and bitter, and form an excellent substitute for quinine. But the most striking objects were the evergreen berberis and mahonia, and the Darwinia, the larger sort of which war covered with brilliant orange, almost scariet, flowers, which hung down in bunches, of the shape and size of small outdoor grapes. On our way back we took a sharp turn leading to the sea-shore, to which the forest extends in places, and rode along the beach towards the town. It was low water, or this would not have been possible, and as it was, we often ' had considerable difficulty in making our way between wood and water. The day was bright and clear, with a bitteriy cold wind and occasional heavy showers of rain ; a K I30 FL O WE RING E VERGREENS. fair average day for Sandy Point. It is further west, they say, that the weather is so hopeless. Lieutenant Byron, in his terribly interesting account of the wreck of the ' Wager,' says that one fine day in three months is the most that can be expected. I wonder, not without misgivings, if we really shall encounter all the bad weather we not only read of but hear of from every one we meet. Though very anxious to see the celebrated Straits, I shall not be sorry when we are safely through, and I trust that the passage may not occupy the whole of the three weeks which Tom has been advised to allow for it. We saw a few sea-birds, specially some ' steanKT- ducks,' so called from their pecul.'.i. mode of progression through the water. They neither swim nor fly, but use their wings like the paddles of a steamer, with a great noise and splutter, and go along very fast. On reaching the plains we had an opportunity of testing the speed of our horses, which warmed us up a little after our slow pro- gress by the water's edge in the bitter wind. We rode all round the stockades, outside the town, before dismounting ; but I saw nothing of special interest. Before the party broke up, arrangements were made for us to go to mor- row to one of the Government corrals, to see the cattle lassoed and branded — an operation which is always per- formed twice a year. ^ We reached the yacht again at half-past five. Dr. Fenton came on board to dinner, and from him we heard a great deal about the colony, the Patagonians or Horse Indians, and the Fuegians or Canoe Indians. The former inhabit, or rather roam over, a vast tract of country. They are almost con- stantly on horseback, and their only shelter consists of toldos, or tents, made of the skins of the old guanacos, stretched across a few poles. They are tall and strong, averaging six feet in height, and are bulky in proportion ; but their size is nothing like so great as old travellers have represented. Both men and women wear a long flowing mantle of skins, , HORSE INDIANS. 131 reaching from the waist to the ankle, with a large loose piece hanging down on one side, ready to be thrown over their heads whenever necessary, which is fastened by a large flat pin hammered out either from the rough silver or from a dollar. This, their sole garment, has the effect of adding greatly in appearance to their height. They never wash, but daub their bodies with paint and grease, especially the women. Their only weapons are knives and bolas, the latter of which they throw with unerring precision. During their visits to the Sandy Point settlement their arms are always taken from them, for they are extremely quarrel- some, particularly when drunk. Nobody has been able to ascertain that they possess any form of sacred belief, or that Pin for faat^nisg Cloak, made Arom a DoUar, beaten out they perform any religious ceremonies. Their food consists principally of the flesh of mares, troops of which animals always accompany them on their excursions. They also eat ostrich-flesh, which is considered a great delicacy, as well as the fish the women catch, and the birds' eggs they find. Vegetable food is almost unknown to them, and bread is nevei used, though they do sometimes purchase a little flour, ric:, and a few biscuits, on the occasion of their visits to the colony. The Fuegians, or Canoe Indians, as they are generally called, from their living so much on the water, and having no settled habitations on shore, are a much smaller race of savages, inhabiting Tierra del Fuego— literally Land of Fire — so called from the custom the inhabitants have of lighting; fires on prominent points as signals of assembly. K2 133 CANOE INDIANS. The English residents here invariably call it Fireland — a name I had never heard before, and which rather puzzled me at first. Whenever it is observed that a ship is in distress, or that shipwrecked mariners have been cast ashore, the signal-fires appear as if by magic, and the natives flock together like vultures round a carcase. On the other hand, if all goes well, vessels often pass through the Straits without seeing a single human being, the savages and their canoes lying concealed beneath the overhanging branches of trees on the shore. They are cannibals, and are placed by Darwin in the lowest scale of humanity. An old au^^hor describes them as ' magpies in chatter, baboons in countenance, and imps in treachery.' Those frequenting the eastern end of the Straits wear — if Fuegian Boat and Oars. they wear anything at all — a deerskin mantle, descending to the waist : those at the western end wear cloaks made from the skin of the sea-otter. But most of them are quite naked. Their food is of the most meagre description, and consists mainly of shell-fish, sea-eggs, for which the women dive with much dexterity, and fish, which they train their dogs to assist tK..m in catching. These dogs are sent into the water at the entrance to a narrow creek or small bay, and they then bark and flounder about and drive the fish before them into shallow water, where they are caught. Bishop Stirling, of the Falkland Islands, has been cruising about these parts in a small schooner, and visiting the natives, for the last twelve years, and the Governor here tells us that he has done much good in promoting THE 'WILMINGTON'S' EXPLANATION. 133 their civilisation ; while the hardships he has endured, and the difficulties and dangers he has surmounted, have re- quired almost superhuman energy and fortitude on his part. The Fuegians, as far as is known, have no religion of their own. The 'Wilmington' came in this morning. Her captain declares that as the ' Monkshaven ' was not hove-to, he never thought that there could be anything seriously amiss with her. His glass was not good enough to enable him to make out the union-jack reversed, or the signal of distress, which he therefore supposed to be merely the ship's number. It was satisfactory to hear this explana- tion ; and as not only the interests of humanity, but his own, were involved, there is every reason to believe that his account of the transaction is perfectly true. 134 -if i CHAPTER IX. SANDY POINT TO LOTA BAY. And far abroad the canvas wings exttnd, Along the glassy plain the vessel glidts. While asure radiance trembles on her sides , The lunar rays in long reflection gleam. With silver deluging the fluid stream. Sunday, October 8///.— At 6 a.m. we weighed anchor, and proceeded on our voyage. At first there was not much to admire in the way of scenery, the shores being low and sandy, with occasional patches of scrubby brushwood, and a background of granite rocks and mountains. Soon after passing Port Famine we saw the bold out- line of Cape Froward, the southernmost point of South America, stretching into the Straits. It is a fine headland, and Tom ordered the engines to be stopped in order to enable Mr. Bingham to sketch, and me to photograph, both it and the splendid view back through the channel we had just traversed to the snowy range of mountains in the distance, crowned by Mount Sarmiento, not unlike the Matterhorn in appearance. At this point the weather generally changes, and I suppose we must look forward to living in mackintoshes for some little time to come. In the afternoon, when in English Reach, where many vessels have been lost, great excitement was caused on board by the appearance of canoe on our port bow. She was stealing out from the Barbara Channel, and as she appeared to be making direct for us, Tom ordered the STRANGE VISITORS. •35 H crif^incs to be slowed. Her occupants thereupon redoubled their efforts, and came paddling towards us, shouting and making the most frantic gesticulations, one man waving a skin round his head with an amount of energy that threat- ened to upset the canoe. This frail craft, upon a nearer in- spection, proved to be made only of rough planks, rudely / tied together with the sinews of animals ; in fact, one of Bartering with Fuegiana the party had to bale constantly, in order to keep her afloat. Wc flung them a rope, and they came alongside, shouting ' Tabaco, gall^ta ' (biscuit), a supply of which we threw down to them, in exchange for the skins they had been waving ; whereupon the two men stripped themselves of the skin mantles they were wearing, made of eight or ten sea-otter skins sewed together with finer sinews than those used for the boat, and handed them up, clamouring •36 A GOOD EXCHANGE. for more tobacco, which we fjave them, together with some beads and knives.' Finally, the woman, influenced by this (;xamplc, parted witli her sole garment, in return for a Httle more tobacco, some beads, and some looking-glasses I had thrown into the canoe. The party consisted of a man, a woman, and a lad; and I think I never saw delight more strongly depicted than it was on the faces of the two latter, when they handled, for the first time in their lives probably, some strings of blue, red, and green glass beads. They had two rough pots, made of bark, in the boat, which they also sold, after which they reluctantly departed, quite naked but very happy, shouting and jabbering away in the most inarticulate language imaginable. It was with great diffi- culty we could make them let go the rope, when we went ahead, and I was quite afraid they would be upset. They were all fat and healthy-looking, and, though not handsome, their appearance was by no means repulsive ; the coun- tenance of the woman, especially, wore quite a pleasing expression, when lighted up with smiles at the sight of the beads and looking-glasses. The bottom of their canoe was covered with branches, amongst which the ashes of a recent fire were distinguishabl' Their paddles were of the very roughest description, consisting simply of split branches of trees, with wider pieces tied on at one end with the sinews of birds or beasts. Steaming ahead, past Port Gallant, we had a glorious view over Carlos III, Island and Thornton Peaks, until, at about seven o clock, we anchored in the little harbour of Borja Bay. This pLce is encircled by luxuriant vegetation, overhanging the water, and is set like a gem amid the granite rocks close at hand, and the far-distant snowy mountains. • These skins proved to be the very finest quality ever plucked, and each separate skin was valued in England at from 4/. to 5/, SLIPPERY WALKING. isr Our carpenter had prepared a board, on which the name of the yacht and the date had been painted, to be fixed on shore, as a record of our visit ; and as soon as the anchor was down we all landed, the gentlemen with their guns, and the crew fully armed with pistols and rifles, in case of acci- dent. The water was quite deep close to the shore, and we had no difficulty in landing, near a small waterfall. To A,T B. Thornton Peaks penetrate far inland, honevcr, was not so easy, owing to the densoness of the vegetation. Large trees had fallen, and, rotting where they lay, under the influence of the humid atmosphere, had l><;come the birthplace of thousands of other trees, -.hrubs, p!Hrt.«. ferns, mosses, and lichens. In fact, in some plnf-cs we might almost be said to be walking on the tops of the trees, and first one and then another of the party found his feet suddenly slipping through inta unknown depths below. Under these circumstances wc 138 LEAVING OUR CARDS. were contented with a very short ramble, and having filled our baskets with a varied collection of mosses and ferns, we returned to the shore, where we found many curious shells and some excellent mussels. While we had been thus engaged, the carpenter and some of the crew were employed in nailing up our board on a tree wc had selected for the purpose. It was in company with the names of many good ships, a portion of which only were still legible, many of the boards having fallen to the ground and become quite rotten. Near the beach we found the remains of a recent fire, and in the course of the night the watch on deck, which was doubled and well-armed, heard shouts and hoots proceed inj4 from the neighbourhood of the shore. Towards morning, too, the fire was relighted, from which it was evident that the natives were not far off, though they did not actually put in an appearance. I suppose they think there is a probability of making something out of us by fair means, and that, un- like a sealing schooner, with only four or five hands on board, and no motive power but her sails, we are rather too formidable to attack. Monday, October gt/i. — We are indeed most fortunate in having another fine day. At 6 a.m. the anchor was"weighed, and we resumed our journey. It was very cold ; but that was not to be wondered at, surrounded as we are on every side by magnificent snow-clad mountains and superb glaciers. First we passed Snowy Sound, in Tierra del Fuego, at the head of which is an immense blue glacier. Then came Cape Notch, so called from its looking as if it had had a piece chopped out of it. Within a few yards of the surrounding glaciers, and close to the sea, the vegeta- tion is abundant, and in jnany places semi-tropical, a fact which is due to the comparativelj' mild winters, the tempe rate summers, the moist climate, and the rich soil of these parts. Passing up English Reach, we now caught our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, between Cape Pillar on one M UPLENDID GLACIERS. «39 side, and Westminster Hal!, Shell Bay, and Lecky Point, on the other. Steering to the north, and leaving these on our left hand, we issued from the Straits of Magellan, and entered Smyth's Channel, first passing Glacier Bay and Ice Sound, names which speak for themselves. Mount Joy, Mount Burney, with its round sncw-covcred summit, rising is-m^i <}lacterfi, Snowy Hound. six thousand feet from the water, and .several unnamed peaks, were gradually left behind ; until, at last, after threading a labyrinth of small islands, we anchored for the night in Otter Bay. a snug little cove, at the entrance to the intricacies of the Mayne Channel. It wa< almost dark when we arrived, but the children, Captain brown, and I, went on shore for a short time, and ■ I40 A FUEGIAN VILLAGE. gathered a few ferns and mosses. We also found the embers of a fire, which showed that the natives were not far off, and we therefore thought it prudent to hurry on board again before nightfall. No names of ships were to be seen ; but, in our search for ferns, we may possibly have overlooked them. We have not come across any Fuegians to-day, though in two of the places we have passed — Shell Hay and Deep Harbour, where a few wigwams are left standing as a sort of head-quarters — they are gene- rally to be met with. During the night the watch again heard the natives shouting ; but no attempt was made to re-light the fire we had noticed, until we were steaming out of the bay the ne.xt morning. Tuesday, October \oth. — In the early moining, when we resumed our voyage, the weather was still fine ; but a few light clouds were here and there visible, and an icy wind, sweeping down from the mountains, made it appear very cold, though the thermometer— which averages, I think, 40° to 50° all the year round — was not really low. The line of perpetual snow commences here at an elevation of from 2,500 to 3,500 feet only, which adds greatly to the beauty of the scene ; and as it is now early spring the snow is still un- melted, 500 feet, and even less, from the shore. The stu- pendous glaciers run right down into the sea, and immense masses of ice, sometimes larger than a ship, are continually breaking oft", with a noise like thunder, and falling into the water, sending huge waves across to the opposite shore, and sometimes completely blocking up the channels. Some of these glaciers, composed entirely of blue and green ice and the purest snow, are fifteen and twenty miles in length. They are by far the finest we have, any of us, ever seen ; and even those of Norway and .Switzerland sink into comparative insignificance beside them. The mountains here are not so high as those of Europe, but they really appear more lofty, as their entire surface, from the water's edge to the extreme summit, is clearly visible. At this end of the Straits they A NAMESAKE. 141 terminate in peaks, resembling Gothic spires, carved in the purest snow ; truly ' virgin peaks,' on which the e.ye of man has but seldom rested, and which his foot has never touched They are generally veiled in clouds of snow, mist, and driving rain, and it is quite the exception to see them as distinctly as we now do. After leaving Mayne's Channel, and passing through Union and CoUingwood Sounds, we found ourselves be- neath the shadow of the splendid (,'ordilleras of Sarmiento — quite distinct from Mount Sarmiento, already referred to — along the foot of which extended the largest glacier we have yet seen.' With Tarlccon Pass on our right hand, and Childer's Pass on the left, we came in sight of Owen's Island, one extremity of which is called Mayne Head, and the other Cape Brassey, these places having all been so named by Captain Mayne, during his survey in the ' Nas- sau,' in 1S69. Near the island of Esperanza, the clouds having by that time completely cleared away, and the sun shining brightly, we had a splendid view of another range of snowy mountains, with Stoke's Monument towering high in their midst. The numerous floating icebergs added greatly to the exquisite beauty of the scene. Some loomed high as mountains, while others had melted into the most fanciful and fairy-like shapes — huge swans, full-rigged ships, schooners under full sail, and a hundred other fan- tastic forms and devices. The children were in ecstasies at the sight of them. As we gradually opened out our anchorage — Puerto Bueno — we found a steamer already lying there, which proved to be the ' Dacia,' telegraph ship, just in from the Pacific coast. Having dropped our anchor at about 5 p.m., we all went on shore, armed as before, some of the gentlemen hoping to find a stray duck or two, at a fresh- * I should explain that the names of places in these Straits fre- quently occur in duplicate, and even triplicate, which is rather confusing. 142 MEETING FRIENDS. I water lake, a little way inland. We met several of the officers of the ' Dacia,' who, being the first comers, did the honours of the place, and told us all they knew about it. The vegetation was as luxuriant and beautiful as usual — in fact, rather more so ; for we are now advancing north- wards at the rate of about a hundred miles a day. There were no ducks in the lake, but we enjoyed the scramble alongside it, to the point where it falls over some rocks into the .sea. The gig was drawn under this waterfall, and having been loaded to her thwarts with about three tons and a half of excellent water, she was then towed off to the yacht, where the water was emptied into our tanks, which were thus filled to the brim. A small iceberg, also towed alongside, afforded us a supply of ice ; and we were thus cheaply provided with a portion of the requisite supplies for our voyage. The ' Dacia ' had an iceberg half as big as herself lying alongside her, and all hands were at work until late at night, aided by the light of lanterns and torches, chopping the ice up and stowing it away. Our boat being thus engaged, we were obliged to wait on shore until long past dark ; but as we were a large and strong party, it did not much matter. Our men amused themselves by collecting a number of large and excellent mussels, some of which, distinguishable by the peculiar appearance of their shells, arising from a diseased condition of the fish, contained from ten to thirty very small seed pearls. The captain of the ' Dacia ' came to dinner, and the officers in the cvcr.ing; and they gave us much valuable information about the anchorages further up the Straits, and many other things. The captain kindly gave Tom all his Chilian charts of the Darien Channel, which has not yet been fully surveyed by the English Government, though the 'Nassau' passed through in 1869. IVt'd/u'sdaj; Octokr i i//r. — I never in my life saw any- thing so beautiful as the view when I came on deci< thi.s 1 GLACIERS AND ICEBERGS. 143 artcr to five. Th( Ir 4 morning, at a quarter to nve. l ne moon was snini and golden, liigh in the heavens ; the rosy streaks of dawn were just tinging the virgin snow on the highest peaks with faint but ever-deepening colour ; whilst all around, the foliage, rocks, and icebergs were still w rapped in the deepest shade. As the sun rose, the pink summits of the mountains changed to gold and yellow, and then to dazzling white, as the light crept down into the valleys, illuminating all the dark places, and bringing out the shades of olive- greens, greys, and purples, in the most wonderful contrasts and combinations of colour. The grandeur of the scene increased with every revolution of the screw, and when fairly in the Guia narrows we were able to sto[) and admire it a little more at our leisure, Mr. Bingham making some sketches, while I took some photographs. To describe the prospect in detail is cjuite impo.ssible. Imagine the grandest Alpine scene you ever saw, with tall snowy peaks and pin- nacles rising from huge domed tops, and vast fields of unbroken snow ; glaciers, running down into the sea, at the heads of the various bays ; each bank and promontory richly clothed with vegetation of every shade of green ; bold rocks and noble cliffs, covered with many-hued lichens ; the floating icebergs ; the narrow channel itself, blue as the sky above, dotted with small islands, each a mass of ver- dure, and reflecting on its glassy surface every object with such distinctness that it was difficult to say where the reality ended and the image began. I have .seen a photograph of the Mirror Lake, in California, which, as far as I know, is the only thing that could possibl.' give one an idea of the marvellous effect of these reflections. Unfit Bay, on Chatham Island, looking towards the mountains near Pill Channel, and Ladder Hill, which looks as if a flight of steps had been cut upon its face, were perhaps two of the most striking points amid all this loveliness. All too soon came the inevitable order to steam ahead; and once more resuming our course, we passed through 144 ROCKS AiYD RAVINES. Innocents and Conception Channels, and entered Wide Channel, which is frequently blocked up with ice at this time of year, though to-day we only met with a few ice- bergs on their way down from I'^yre Sound. I have already re'"erred to the extraordinary shapes as- sumed by some of the mountain peaks. That appropriately ^^m A T B ^■: y Unfit Bay. called Singular Peak— on Chatham Island — and Two-peak Mountain and Cathedral Mountain — both on Wellington Island — specially attracted our attention to-day. The first-named presents a wonderful appearance, from which- ever side you view it ; the second reminds one of the beautiful double spires at Tours ; while the last resembles the tapering spire of a cathedral, rising from a long roof, covered with delicate towers, fret-work, and angles. In PEAKS AND PINNACLES. 145 Wide Channel we felt really compelled to stop again to admire some of the unnamed mountains. One wc chr is- tened Spire Mountain, to distin^^uish it from the rest ; it consisted of a single needle-like point, piercing deep into the blue vault of heaven, and surrounded by a cluster of less lofty but eijually sharp pinnacles. This group rose from a va.st chain of exquisitely tinted snow-peaks, that Two -peaked Mounttin. looked almost as if they rested on the vast glacier beneath, seamed with dark blue and green crevasses and fissures. All this time the weather continued perfect. Not a cloud was to be seen, the sun was hot and bright, and the sky WPS blue enough to rival that of classic Italy. If we could but be sure that this delightful state of things would continue, how pleasant it would be to stop and explore some of these places. We have, however, been so frequently warned of the possibility of detention for days and even r^ ■•»j»;»AiiJiuiv- 146 CHASM RE AC If. i ; weeks at anchor, owing to bad weather, that we are hurry- ing on as fast as we can, expecting that every day will bring the much-dreaded deluge, gale, or fog. In thick weather it is simply impossible to proceed : and if it comes on suddenly, as it generally does, and finds you far from an anchorage, there is nothing to be done but to heavc-to and wait till it clears, sending a party ashore if possible to light a fire, to serve as a landmark, and so enable you to maintain your position. How thankful I am that we have been hitherto able to make the passage under such favourable circumstances! It has been a vision ol beauty and variety, the recollection of which can never be effaced. Europe Inlet, on our right,going up Wide Channel, was full of ice. Husband's Inlet looked as if it was frozen over at the farther end, and nguin Inlet seemed quite ch( ked up with huge hummocks and blocks of ice. Tom therefore decided not to attempt the passage of Icy Reach, for fear of being stopped, but to go round Saumarez Island to Port Grapplcr by way of Chasm Reach, rather a longer route. It was a happy decision ; for nothing could exceed the weird impressive splendour of this portion of the Straits. We were passing through a deep gloomy mountain gorge, with high perpendicular cliffs on either side. Below, all was wrapped in the deepest shade. Far above, the sun gilded the snowy peaks and many-tinted foliage with his departing light, that slowly turned to rose-colour ere the shades of evening crept over all, and the stars began to peep out, one by one. We could trace from the summit to the base of a lofty mountain the course of a stupendous avalanche, which had recently rushed down into the sea, crushing and destroying everything in its way, and leaving a broad track of desolation behind it. If must for a time have completely filled up the narrow channel ; and woe to any unfortunate vessel that might happen to be there at such a moment ! A DA Ad/: ROUS .>/'07\ •47 Tort Giupplcr is rather a ditVicult place lo make in the dark ; but Tom managed il with much dexterity, and by eight o'clock we were safely anchored for the night. We all wanti i Tom to stay here to morrow to get some rest, which he much needs, but he has determined to start at five o'clock in the morning as usual, tor lear of being caught by bad weather. Even I, who have of course had no anxiety as to the navigation, felt so fati;.;ued Irom having been on the bridge the whole day sin^i' very early thi.s Indian Reach 10 to me to at morning, that I went straight to bed before dinner, in order to be ready for to-morrow. Thursday, October \2tli. — A day as perfect as yester- day succeeded a clear coKl night. We weighed anchor at 5.15 a.m., and, retracing our course for a few miles, pa.ssed round the end of Saumarez Island, and entered the narrow channel leading to Indian Reach. The greatest care is here neccssar\-, to avoid several sunken rocks, which have dready proved fatal to manj' ships, a large German steamer having been wrecked as recently as last year. The smooth but ireacher/us surface of the channel reflected sharply the cliffs and foliage, and its mirror-like stillness was only I I4» DISAPPOINTED TRADER. broken at rare intervals, by the siaklen appearance of a seal in search of a fresh supply of air, or by the efforts, delayed until the very last moment, of a few steamer-ducks, ^annets, oi cormorants, to ^et out of our way. Having accomplished the passage of Indian Reach in safety, we were just passing Kden Harbour, when the cry of ' Canoe ahead ! ' was raised. A boat was seen paddling out towards us from behind Moreton Island, containing about half-a-dozen people, apparently armed with bows and arrows and spears, and provided with fishing-rods, which projected on either side. One man was standing up and waving, in a very excited manner, something which turned out ultimately to be a piece of cotton-waste. Our engines having been stopped, the canoe came alongside, and we beheld six wild-looking half-naked creatures two men, three women, and a very small bo) , who was crouch- ing over a fire at the bottom of the boat. There were ai.so four sharp, cheery-looking little dogs, rather like Esquimaux dogs, only smaller, with prick ears and curly tails, who were looking over the side and barking vigorously in re- sponse to the salutations of our pugs. One man had on a square roLe of sea-otter skins, thrown over his shoulders, and laced together in front, two of the women wore sheep- skins, and the rest of the party were absolutely naked. Their black hair was long and shaggy, and they all cla moured loudly in harsh guttural tones, accompanied by violent gesticulations, for ' tabaco ' and ' galleta.' We got some ready for them, and also some beads, knives, and looking-glasses, but through some mistake they did not manage to get hold of our rope in time, and as our way carried us ahead they were left behind. The passage was narrow, and the current strong, and Tom was anxious to save the tide in the dangerous English Narrows. We could not, therefore, give them another chance of communicating with us, and accordingly we went on our way, followed by what were, I have no doubt, the curses — not only deep, but IXTKICA TE NA Vh .A TION. 149 loud — of the whole party, who iiululged at the same time in the most liirious and threatening gestures. I was iiuite sorr>' for their disappointment at losing their hoped-for luxuries, to say nothing of our own at missing the opportunity of bargaining for some more furs and curiosities. Shortly afterwards there were seen from the masthead crowds of natives among the trees armed with long spears bows, and arrows, busily engaged pushing off their canoes from their hiding-places in creeks and hollows ; so perhaps it was just as well we did not st<)[), or we might have been surrounded. Not far from here are the English .\arrows, a passage which is a ticklish but interesting piece of navi- gation. A strong current prevails, and, to avoid a shoal, it is necessary at one point to steer so close to the western .shore that the bowsprit almost projects over the land, the branches of the trees almost .sweep the rigging, and the rocks almost scrape the side of the vessel. Two men were placed at the wheel, as a matter of precaution, and we appeared to be steering straight foi the shore, at full speed, till Tom suddenly gave the order ' Hard a-port ! ' and the ' Sunbeam ' instantly flew round and rushed swiftly past the dangerous spot into wider waters. It is just here that Captain Trivett was knocked off the bridge of his vessel by the boughs - a mishap he warned Tom again.st before we left I^ngland. Whilst in the Narrows we looked back, to see every- thing bright and cheerful, but ahead all was black and dis- mal : the sky and sun were obscured, the tops of the moun- tains hidden, and the valleys filled up with thick fog and clouds — all which seemed to indicate the approach of a storm of fain, although the glass was still very high. We went up South Reach and North Reach, in the Messier Channel, till, just as we were off Liberta Hay, in lat. 48° 50' S., long. 74° 25' W., the blackest of the black clouds came suddenly down upon us, and descended upon the deck in a tremen- dous shower — not of rain, but oidiist and ashes. Windows, hatches, and doors were shut as soon as we discovered I I f: 150 DUST STORM. the nature of this strange visitation, and in about half an hour we were through the worst of it : whereupon dust- pans, brooms, and dusters came into great requisition. It took us completely by surprise, for we had no reason to expect anything of the sort. Assuming the dust to be of volcanic origin, it must have travelled an immense distance ; the nearest volcano, as far as we know, being that of Cor- covado, in the island of Chiloe, nearly 300 miles off. We had heard from Sir Woodbine Parish, and others at Buenos Ayres, of the terrible blinding dust-storms which o:cur t/iere, causing utter darkness for a space of ten or fif teen minutes ; but Buenos Ayres is on the edge of a river, with h indreds and thousands of leagues of sandy plains behind it, the soil of which is only kept together by the roots of the wiry pampas grass. For this dust to reach the Messier Channel, where we now are, it would have to surmount two chains cT snowy mountains, six or seven thousand feet in height, and in many places hundreds of miles in width, and traverse a va.st extent of country besides. The weather was still so fine, and the barometer so high — ^0'52 inches — that Tom determined to go to sea to-day, instead of stopping at Hale Cove for the night, as we had originally intended. Directly we got through the English Narrows, therefore, all hands were busily engaged in once more sending up the square-yards, top-masts, ike, and in making ready for sea. Just before sunset, as we were quit- ting the narrow channels, the sun pierced through the cl uds and lightened up the lonely landscape as well as the broad waters of the Pacific Ocean. Its surface was scarcely rippled by the gentle breeze that wafted us on our course ; the light of the setting sun rested, in soft and varied tints, on the fast-fading mountains and peaks ; and thus, under the most favourable and encouraging circumstances, we have fairly entered upon a new and important section of our long voyage. THE BROAD PACIFIC. 151 e Although perhaps I ought not to say so, I cannot help admiring the manner in which Tom has piloted his yacht through the Straits, for it would do credit, not only to any amateur, but to a professional seaman. He has never hesitated or been at a loss for a moment, how- ever intricate the part or complicated the directions ; but having thoroughly studied and mastered the subject be- forehand, he has been able to go steadily on at full speed the whole way. It has, however, been very fatiguing work for him, as he hurdly ever left the bridge whilst we were under way. We steamed the whole distance from Cape Virgins to the Gulf of Pefias, 659 knots, in 16 hours, anchoring six times. This gives seven days' steaming, of an average length of eleven hours each ; and as we stopped two or three- hours, at difterent times, for Fuegians, photographs, and sketches, our average speed was nine and a half knots, though sometimes, when going with strong currents, it was twelve or fourteen, and, when going against them, barely six knots. Just at dark, we passed between Wager Island and Cheape Channel, where H. M.S. 'Wager,' commanded by Captain Cheape, was wrecked, and we spent the night in the Gulf of Pefias, almost becalmed. Friday, October i itli. — We ceased steaming at 7.30 a.m., and made every efifoit throughout the rest of the day, by endless changes of sail, to catch each fleeting breath of wind. We did not, however, make much progress, owing to the extreme lightness of the breeze. Sorry as we are tw lose the .scenery of the Straits, it is pleasant to find the weather getting gradually warmer, day by day, and to be able to regard the morning bath once more as a luxury instead of a terror. The change is also thoroughly .ippreciated bj- the various animals we have on board, especially the monkeys and parrots, who may n<t <: Orrft^ > '.r «.,„-i; •>.;•/;.«/..■..„./ ill' '•'•'"'•«' ■vWsfi'"' '•"■"■ S/, „•/.,« //S i\ — >»'. •' l.irrc /;» ' IT I' <«4b>(^ //. ,i..iin'."''" A Ifcwt^i' Vi' ■"^j^ V*'"" ll.■•.^^^„ vMtZk . -^ if I V/ , .HI" I '* i,..,)i'/"""/' '"/••/ iUrn tfVuihfrtttit I .SVnim.'V - =; (.111- -r.MV 'i.v.'- . _ . m ;^R a^,.^.i. . II....... ./.-^w.v(«r, , •,-..,,-.i>s. •: .' '''l*** vA' s, ij^ /»* ■//« // •^ /;'^^ in,-,,„,..^,l. -,■< 4 •,:»<——- •+• M,w,;..«r^ .r^g^. •.:'"./ ■ ,^^_-.v Hani. ''i.;^!*"-'/!.".!.-^ 7 \'l\ ; :■ ((IT ilf(W>N ' >IA(;i:i.l.AN STKAIT WKr,I.IN<;T()N ( IIANVKI .n «H ,l,:fl,lt 1 W . .Ml- • {» K.V(;i.lSII NAIMMms <• \t I I ..I.I.'* S..M Oil.- Hn-tltitt v/- (;i lA VAKKOWS I'Dilxtitf I* , 1 '-. I, A»«^i «^'''V^ '**.. "'irro ') ^*-iP'- "^'^.. (>•' /lam . ,„i„IUU /- ./t-9tlHt /■' \ .V Sfi'.mftMit IUf\- l*i' It t H ^ II I . ■if-:'"'' >. J;7 1 I .i*^^ / t. It II .1 m^i I) i: I V ■ '; ^-^ •^ ill"'*. • ■*.. >JWjJF i/'/'iWHBo^ ^j ■ ' ** -^ "1 1 I; n i^~!\ ^ ' S*ilt(l|*-/f/i ' A^i4mni'- / „, : 7/,rf..iii./'-i , uv/.,.. V «^ >5i CH APT I :k X. Cfiii.r. Suiiteum of uitnmer, oh what is like thee, Hope of the witJetness, joy of the sea. Wi'diirsiiay, October \^t/i. — At 3.30 a.m. we were close fo the l.iiul lying south of ihc Bay of Lota ; at 4 a.m. the engines were stopped on account of the mist ; and at 6 a..-n. we began to go slowly ahead again, though it was still not very easy to make out the distance and bearing of the coast. The pas.s.tge into the bay, between the island of Santa Maria and L ivapit' I'oint, is narrow and difficult, and abounds with sunken rc^- md other hidden dangers, not yet fully surveyed. Tom said it was the most arduous piece of navigation he cyir undertook on a misty morning; but hapi)ily he accomplished it successfully. Just as he entered the sun broke through the mist, disijlaying a beauti- ful hay, surrounded on three sides bj- well-wooded hills, and sheltered fmin all winds except tiie north. One corner is com[)letely occupied by the huge establishiuent belonging to Madame Cousifio, consisting of coal-mines, enormous smelting-works, and extensive potteries. Tlie hill just at the back is completely bare of vegetation, which has all been poisoned by the sulphurous vapours from tiie furnaces. This spot, from its contiguity to the works, has been se- lected as the site of a village for the accommodation of the numerous labourers and their families. It is therefore to be hoped that sulphur fumes are not as injurious to animal as they evidently are to vegetable life. As we drew nearer T B tsfi JA ARTIilCIAL PARADISE. to the shore wc ctuild distinguish Madame Cousifio's house, in the midst of a park on the summit of a liill. and sur- rounded on all sides by beautiful {jardons. Every piomi- nent point had a little summer-house perched upon it, and some of the trees had circular seats built round tluir trunks half-vay up, approached by spiral staircases, and thatched like xvij^wams. The ^'cncral aspect of the coast, which is a combination of rich red earth, ^^ranite cliffs, and trees to Ih'j water's eil^je, is verj- like that of Cornwall and Devon- shire. We had scarcely dropped our anchor before the cap- tain of the port came on board, and told us we were too far from the shore to coal, which was our special object in comnig here , so up went the anchor a^ain, ami we steamed a few hundred yards further in, and then let go close to the shore, in ileep waver. Captain M oiler waited to go ashore with us, introduced our steward to the butc.'ier and postmaster of the place, and then accompanied ms to Madame Cousifio's gardens. It was a steep climb up the hill, but we were well nv wariled for our labour. Tended by over a huiulred men, whose efforts are directed by highh' paid and thoroughly experienced Scotch gardeners, these grounds contain a collection of plants from all the four quarters of the globe, and from New Zealand, Polynesia, and .Australia. Amiil them were scattered all kinds of fantastic grottoes, fountains, statues, and ferneries ; flights of steps, leading downwards to the bi;ach,and upwards to sylvan nooks ; arcaiies, arched over with bambj)er produced annual Ij' is enormous. In fact, three parts of the copper u^cil in luirope comes from here. The on- is brought from various jiarts of Chili ami Teru. generally in .Madame Cousino's ships; and coal is found in such ibimdance, and .so near the surface, that the oi)eration of smelting is a profitable one. (^ur afternoon, spent amiil smoke, and heat, and dirt, and half-naked work- men, manipulating with dexterous skill the glowing streams of molten ore, was a great contrast to our morning ramble. Having seen the works, and received a curious and in teresting collection of coppiT ore, as a remembrance of our visit, we started in a little car, lined with crimson cloth, and drawn by a locomotive, to visit the various coal mines. First we went through the park, and then along a valley near the sea, full of wild flowers and ferns, and trees festooned with 'copigue,' the Chilian name for a creeper which is a speciality of this country, and which imparts a character of its own to the landscape during the month of l^ # IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I •^ 1^ III 2.2 ^ 1^ iilM 11.25 i 1.4 1.8 1.6 V] t^ /2 ^a ^;. ^;' y >!^ Photographic Sciences Corpomtion 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. M580 (716) 872-4503 \ ,v SJ ;\ \ fv 6^ <^ «,- '«6 158 COAL-PITS. May, when its wreaths of scarlet, cherry, or pink flowers are in full bloom. We went to the mouths of three coal-pits, and looked down into their grimy depths, but did not descend, as it would have occupied too much time. They are mostly about i,ooo yards in depth, and extend for some distance under the sea. We next visited a point of land whence we could see an island which closely resembles St. Michael's Mount. It is quite uninhabited, except by a few wild goats and rabbits. The sea-shore is lined with trees to the water's edge, and there are many bold rocks and fine white sandy caves in different parts of it. Some boats were drawn up high and dry on the beach, along which several picturesque- looking groups of shell-fish collectors were scattered. The mussels that are found here are enormous — from five to eight inches in length and they, together with cockles and limpets, form a staple article of food. A steam-launch had been sent to meet us, but it could not get near enough to the shore for us to embark. A rickety, leaky small boat, half full of water, was therefore, after some delay, procured, and in this we were sculled out, two by two, till the whole party were safely on board. Oi'tside there was quite a swell, and a north wind and rain are prophesied for to-morrow. Mr. Mackay returned with us to the yacht, and stayed to dinner. Before he left, the prognostications of bad weather were to some extent justi- fied ; for the wind changed, and rain, the first we have felt for some time, began to fall. TJiursday, October \(^tli.—^^ have been persuaded by our friends here to try and see a little more of the interior of Chili than we should do if we were to carry out our original intention of going on to Valparaiso in the yacht, and then merely making an excursion to Santiago from that place. We have therefore arranged to proceed at once overland to Santiago, by a route which will enable us to see something of the Cordillera of the Andes, to have a SLIDING AND JOLTING. 159 peep at the Araucanian Indians on the frontier, and to visit the baths of Cauquenes. Tom, however, does not Hke to leave the yacht, and has decided to take her up to Val- paraiso, and then come on to Santiago and meet us, in about five or six days' time. The anchor was accordingly hove short, and the mizen hoisted, when we landed this morning, in a drenching rain. A coach runs daily from Lota to Concepcion, the first stage of our journey, but a special vehicle was engaged for our accommodation, and a curious affair ft was to look at. It seemed to be simply a huge wooden box, suspended, by means of thick leather straps, from C springs, without windows or doors, but provided with two long, narrow openings, through which you squeezed yourself in or out, and which could be closed at pleasure by roll-up leather blinds. Inside, it was roomy, well-padded, and comfortable. The rain had made the road terribly greasy, and several times the carriage slewed half-way round and slid four or five feet sideways down the hill, causing us to hold on, in expectation of a spill. At last we reached the bottom in safety, and, crossing a small river, emerged upon the sea- shore at Playa Negra, or Black Beach, along which we drove for some distance through the deep, loose sand, the horses being up to their fetlocks in water most of the time. Then we forded another little river, and, leaving the beach, proceeded up a steep road, not more than three yards wide, with a ditch on one side and a steep precipice on the other, to the little village of Coronel, overlooking the bay of the same name. While the horses were being changed, we walked down to the little wooden pier, on the sea-shore, and saw the ' Sunbeam ' just coming out of Lota Bay. Drawn up by the side of the pier was a picturesque- looking market-boat, full of many sorts of vegetables, and little piles of sea-eggs, with their spines removed, and neatly tied up with rushes in parcels of three. The people seemed to enjoy them raw, in which state they are con- i6o SEA-EGG OMELETTES. sidered to be most nutritious ; and when roasted in their shells, or made into omelettes, they are a favourite article of food with all classes. Coronel is a great coaling station, and the bay, which is surrounded by tall chimneys, shafts, and piers, connected with the mines, was full of steamers and colliers. Our road now ran for some time through undulating pasture-land, in which were many large trees, the scene resembling a vast park, Masses of scarlet verbena, yellow calceolaria, and white heath, grew on all sides, while the numerous niyrtle, mimosa, and other bushes, were entwined with orange-coloured nasturtiums, and a little scarlet tro- paiolum, with a blue edge, whose name I forget. Bent ith the trees the ground was thickly carpeted with adiantum fern. The road over which we travelled was of the worst description, and our luncheon was eaten with no small difficulty, but with a considerable amount of merriment. Once, when we jolted into an unusually big hole, the whole of our provisions, basket and all, m;.Je a sudden plunge towards one side of the coach, and very nearly escaped us altogether. Half-way between Coronel and Concepcion, we met the return stage-coach, crowded with passengers, and looking as if it had just come out of the South Kensington Museum or Madame Tussaud's, or like the pictures of a coach of Queen Elizabeth's time. It was a long low vehicle, with unglazed windows all round it, painted bright scarlet decorated with brilliant devices on every panel, and sus- pended, like our own, by means of innumciable leather straps, from huge C springs. The seats on either side held three passengers, and there was a stool in the middle, like the one in the Lord Mayor's coach, on which four people sat, back to back. Soon after we drew up to rest the horses at a little posada, kept by two Germans, called ' Half-way House,' and seven miles more brought us to a rich and well-cultivated AN UNFORTUNATE MONARCH. i6r farm belonging to Mr. Hermann, where we stopped to change horses. It was six o'clock in the evening when we reached the Bio-Bio, a wide shallow river, at the entrance of the town of Concepcion ; it had to be crossed in a ferry-boat, carriage and all, and as it was after hours, we had some difficulty in finding any one to take us over. At last, in consideration of a little extra pay, six men consented to undertake the job, and having set a square-sail, to keep us from being carried down the river by the current, they punted us over with long poles. Sometimes there was nine feet of water beneath us, but oftener not more than four or five. The boat could not get close to the opposite shore, and it was a great business to get the carriage out and the horses harnessed, in some eighteen inches of water. First the car- riage stuck in the sand, and then the horses refused to move, but after a great deal of splashing, and an immense display of energy in the way of pulling, jerking, shricking,sh()uting — and, I am afraid, swearing — we reached the bank, emerged from the water, struggled through some boggy ground, and were taken at full gallop through the streets of the town, until we reached the Hotel Comercio, where we found comfortable rooms and a nice little dinner awaiting us. This was all ver>' well, as far as it went, but when we came to inquire about our onward route we were dis- appointed to learn that the line to Angol was closed, owing to the breaking dov/n of a bridge, and would remain so until next month, and that, with the exception of a contractor's train, which runs only once a week, there was nothing by which we could travel. ' To-morrow is Friday,' added Monsieur Letellier, ' and that is so near Monday, what can Madame do better than wait here till then ? ' Bv way of consolation, he informed us that there were no Indians now at Angol, as the Araucanian ' Indians * I have lately received a letter from a friend in Paris, who says : * Strange to tell, it is only a few days ago that poor Or^lie Antoine I., 1 62 EARTHQUAKES. had recently all been driven further back from the frontier by the Chilenos, but that, if we were still bent on trying to get there, we could go by boat as far as Nacimiento, where we might, with some difficulty, procure a carriage. The river just now, however, is so low, that the boat frequently gets aground, and remains for two or three days ; therefore, taking everything into consideration, we have decided to abandon this part of our programme, for otherwise we shall not reach Santiago in time. In any case, the journey will be a much longer one than we expected. Friday, October 20tk. — Wc went out for a short stroll round the Plaza before breakfast, which meal was scarcely over when Mr. Mackay arrived in a carriage, and .took us off to see what there was to see in the town. The Plaza was full of bright-looking flower-beds, in which were superb roses, and many English flowers, shaded by oranges, pome- granates, and deutzias. Each plot belongs to one of the principal families in the town, and great emulation is dis- played as to whose little garden shall be in the best order and contain the finest collection of plants and flowers. Concepcion has suffered, and still suffers, much from earthquakes. The existing town is only thirty-five years old. The houses are all one story high only, and the streets, or rather roads, between them are wide, in order to afford the inhabitants a chance of escape, should their dwellings be thrown down by a sudden shock. In summer everybody rushes out into the street, no matter what hour of the day or night it may be, as soon as the first symptoms of an earthquake are felt ; but during the winter, when ex- King of Araucania, died at Bordeaux, in a hospital. He reigned for some years, and then made war upon Chili, which gave him a warm reception ; even captured his Majesty and sent him back to his native land. I met him here a few years ago, surrounded by a small court, which treated him with great deference. I found him a dignified, intelligent sovereign. He attempted to return to his kingdom, but was captured on the high seas by a BraziHan cruiser, and sent back to France to die a miserable death.' AN ENGLIS/l HOME IN CHILL 163 the shocks are never so severe, the alarm caused is not so great. The old town was about two miles distant from the present site, near a place now called Penco, but after being demolished in the ordinary way, an immense wave rolled up and completely destroyed all traces of its existence. We drove out to Puchacai, Mr. Mackay's hacienda, a pretty little thatched cottage, surrounded by a verandah, in the midst of a garden, where laburnums and lilacs bloom side by side with orange -trees and pomegranates. Round the garden are groves of shady English oaks (the first we have seen since leaving home) and Norfolk Island pines, the effect of the whole scene being strangely suggestive of the idea that a charming little bit of English rural scenery has in some my.sterious manner been transported to this out-of- the-way spot in Chili. The interior of the house, which is simply but tastefully furnished, and at the time of our visit was full of fresh flowers, arranged with an artistic eye to colour, bears the same indescribable homelike air. We were kindly received and regaled with luncheon, including, amongst other good things, fried pejerey (king of fish), deservedly so called. In the afternoon we strolled about the garden, and looked at the farm and stable, and were shown the probable winner of one of the prizes at the forthcoming race-meeting. In the cottages on the estate some speci- mens of niiilaqiic lace were offered to us — a lace made by most of the peasants in this part of the country. It varies considerably in quality, from the coarse kind, used for covering furniture, to the finest description, used for per- sonal adornment. It is very cheap, wears for ever, and strongly resembles the torchon lace, now so fashionable in Paris and London for trimming petticoats and children's frocks. The women also spin, dye, and we:ive the wool from the fleece of their own sheep into the bright-coloured pon- chos universally worn, winter and summer, by the men in this country. These ponchos are not made of nearly such good 164 A CHILIAN RAILWAY. ( material as those used in the Argentine Republic, but they are considerably gayer and more picturesque in appearance. After dinner, there was nothing to do except to stroll about the town and buy photographs. They arc extremely good in Chili — both views and portraits — but proportion- ately dear, the price being double what would be charged in London or Paris for the same thing. Saturday, October 21st. — Having wished good-bye to Mr. Mackay, and taken our seats in the train for Linares, we were now fairly launched on oui own resources in a strange country, I being the only one of the party who could speak Waiting for the Train, (Jbili. even a little Spanish. At San Romde we stopped half an hour to allow the train from Chilian to pass. Most of the passengers took the opportunity of breakfasting, but as we were not hungry we occupied the time in having a chat with the engine-driver, a very intelligent Canadian. He told us that, as it happened, we might have gone to Angol to-day after all, as a special car and engine were going there to take a doctor to see a patient, returning early to- morrow morning. The railroad runs alongside the Bio-Bio all the way to San Romde. On either bank are low wooded hills, on A LARGE FAIR. 165 >g to whose sides vines are cultivated in considerable quantities. The wild flowers grow luxuriantly everywhere : calceolarias, especially, in huge busiies of golden bloom, two or three feet high. At San Romdc we left the river, and travelled through a pretty and well-cultivated country to Chilian, which derives its name from an Indian word, signifying 'saddle of the sun,' and is so called from the fact that the sun shines upon it through a saddle-shaped pass in the chain of the Andes. Like Concepcion, the existing town has been recently built at a distance of about a mile from the remains of the old place of the Scime name, which was overthrown by an earthquake about thirty years ago. The destruction was, however, not so complete as in the case of Concepcion, and some few of the better-conditioned houses are still inha- bited by very poor people, though the walls have great cracks in them from top to bottom, and they are otherwise in a deplorable state. A large cattle and horse market is held at Chilian every Saturday, and it is said that, on these occasions, 100,000 dollars frequently change hands in the course of the morning, in the open market-place. All the business of the day was over by the time we got there, and there was nothing to be seen but a few stray beasts and quaint bullock-carts, and some peasants selling refreshments, miilaque lace, and other trifles. In several of the old-fashioned shops on the Plaza there were curious- looking stirrups, bits, spurs, and other horse-gear, all made of solid silver, roughly worked by the Indians themselve.s. Having had our baths, we returned to the hotel, M'here we found dinner laid out in my bed-room, which happened to be the largest, for our host did not approve of our dining at the table-d'hote, as we should have preferred to do. He gave us an excellent dinner, with good wine, and attended to us most a.ssiduously himself While the gentlemen were smoking, I went to see a poor engine-driver who had met with a bad accident, i66 A BAD ACCIDENT. and who was lying at this hotel. He. is a fine healthy- looking Englishman, and he told me that, until this mis- fortune, he had never known a day's illness in Jiis life. It seems that, at four o'clock in the afternoon of this day week, he was sent off with a special engine to convey an important message. Something going wrong during the journey, he slackened speed, and, in stepping off the engine to see what was the matter, his foot slipped, and the wheel of the tender went over it. He had no one with him who could manage the engine alone, so he was obliged to get up again, and endeavour to struggle on to Talca ; but after going a few miles further, the engine suddenly ran off the track, at a part of the unfinished line that had not yet been sufficiently ballasted. They could not get it on again unaided, and one of the men had to start off and walk many miles before he could procure assist- ance. Altogether, poor Clarke underwent forty-two hours of intense agony from the time of the accident until he received any medical attention. In spite of this he is now doing well ; and though the foot, which is in a bath of carbolic acid and water, looks very bad, he is in great spirits, because the three local doctors, in consultation, have decided that amputation will not be necessary. He spoke in the highest terms of the kindness of our French host and his Spanish wife, the latter of whom, he says, has nursed him like a mother. He certainly has the one large room in the house, and when I saw him his bed was comfortably made and arranged, flowers and fruit were on a table by his side, and everything looked as neat and snug as possible. It was a treat to him to see some one fresh from the old country, and to hear all the news, and our voyage appeared to interest him greatly. While I was with him one of his friends came in, who remembered me quite well, and who knew one or two people with whom we are acquainted, including the manager of Messrs. Bowdler and Chaffers' yard, where the ' Sunbeam ' was built. NO BRIDGES. 167 Sunday, October 22nd. — Though it was Sunday, we had no choice but to travel on, or we shniild not have been able to start until Tuesday. We were therefore up at five o'clock, and at the station before seven. From San Carlos, where we arrived at 8.15 a.m., we started for Linares, which was reached a coui)le of hours later. It is a much smaller town than Chilian, I)ut is built on exactly the same plan — Plaza, cathedral, and all. To-day the streets were ciowded with men on horseback, a Fellow Passenger who had brought their wives in, seated pillion-fashion on the crupper behind them, to attend mass. Our road lay through a rich country, intersected by small rivers, with the distant snowy chain of the Andes as a background, and through thickly planted groves of poplars, growing in long shady avenues, fragrant with perfume from the magnificent roses which blossomed beneath their shade. In the course of our four hours' drive, we crossed a great many streams, in some of which the water was deep enough to come in at the bottom of the carriage, and cause us to tuck ourselves up on the .seats ; there was always a little pleasing excitement and doubt, as we approached one of these rivulets, as to whether we were to be inundated or not. We met a good many people riding and walking about in their holiday clothes, and at all the cabarets groups of talkers, drinkers, and players were assembled. The cottages we have seen by the roadside have been picturesque but wretched-looking edifices, gene- rally composed of the branches of trees stuck in the ground, plastered with mud and thatched with reeds. Two outhouses, or arbours, consisting of a few posts and sticks, fastened together and overgrown with roses and other flowers, serve respectively as a cool sitting-room and a kitchen, the oven being invariably built on the ground «f Itt A RICH COUNTRY. outside the latter, for the sake of coolness. The women, when young, are singularly good-looking, with dark com- plexions, bright eyes, and luxuriant tresses, which they wear in two plaits, hanging down their backs far below the waist. The men are also, as a rule, fine -looking. In fact, the land is good, and everybody and everything looks prosperous. The beasts are up to their knees in rich pas- ture, are fat and sleek, and lie down to chew the cud of contentment, instead of searching anxiously for a scanty sustenance. The horses are well fed, and their coats are fine and glossy, and the sheep, pigs, and other animals arc in equally good condition. It is tlierefore a cheery country to travel through, and at this spring-time of the year one sees it in its highest perfection. Before reaching Talca we had to cross the Maule, a wide, deep river, with a swift current. The carriage was first put on board a large flat-bottomed boat, into which the horses then jumped, one by one, the last to embark tumbling down and rolling among the legs of the others. With a large oar the boat was steered across the stream, down which it drifted about 200 yards into shallow water, where the boatmen jumped out and towed us to a con- venient landing-place. Here we found several people waiting to be ferried over. A troop of mules having been driven into the water, which they seemed rather to enjoy, swam across safely, though they were carried some distance down the river. About five o'clock we arrived at Talca, and went straight to the Hotel Colon, kept by Gassaroni. Every Italian who starts an hotel in this part of the world calls it, as a matter of course, ' The Columbus Hotel ; ' for they are very anxious to claim the great navigator as a countryman, though the Spaniards dispute their right to do so, on the ground that Genoa, where he was really born, was at that time an independent State. While we were waiting for dinner we walked about the town, which so exactly A DISTU RUING SERENADE. 169 resembles Concepciun and Ciliillaii in the arranj^enicnt of its streets, buildings, and trees, that 1 doubt whether any one familiar with the three places could tell immediately which town he was in, if transported suddenly to the middle of the Plaza, though I believe Taica is rather the largest. It still retains its old Indian name, meaning ' thunder,' doubtless on account of the frequency and violence of the thunder-storms by which it is visited. Monday, October 23/7/. — Soon after midnight I was aroused by a great noise. At first I thought I was dream- ing, but a very brief reflertion convinced me of the existence of an energetically played big-drum, somewhere in the immediate neighbourhood of my bed-room. I at once got up and, peeping through the window in the door, saw a military band of twenty-five performers, standing on the other side of the courtyard, blowing and hitting their hard- est. It must be confessed that they played well, and that their selection of music was good, but it was, nevertheless, rather annoying, after a long and fatiguing day, and with the prospect of an early start, to be kept awake until half- past three in the morning, while they serenaded and toasted the prima doumi, ^x\d each c " the other members of the theatrical company who are staying here. The noise was, of course, increased by the reverberation from the walls of the courtyard, and, finding it impossible to sleep, I aban- doned the attempt, and took to writing instead. At last the welcome notes of the Chilian national air gave me hope that the entertainment was over for the night — or rather morning — and soon afterwards all was once more quiet. We left Talca by the 7.30 train, Mr. Budge, who had business at Curico, accompanying us. All the engines and rolling stock this side of Santiago are of American make and pattern. Mr. Budge had secured one of the long cars, with a passage down the centre, and a saloon at each end, for us, so we were verj' comfortable, and he told us a great deal about the country as we went along. Like all I70 ,/ FAITHLESS GUARD. Chilenos, he is very patn\)tic, and is especially proud of the financial stability of his country. He often said, ' If Eng- lish people would only invest their money here, instead of in Peru or the Argentine Republic, they would get eight per cent, on good security.' We heard the same thing froi.i many other sources ; and it certainly does seem that this country is the most settled, and the least liable to be disturbed by revolutions, of any in South America. At Curico ' we breakfasted at a little restaurant on Chilian dishes and the wine of the country. The latter is excellent and of various kinds, but it is so cheap that none of the innkeepers can be persuaded to supply it to travellers, whose only chance of tasting it, therefore, is at some small inn. Mr. Budge left us at Pelequen, the next station to San Fernando, having put us in charge of the conductor, who promised to see after us at Cauquenes, but who wofuUy betrayed his trust. There was no regular station at the latter place, but as the train stopped, and we saw 'Bains de Cauquenes ' on an hotel close by, we jumped out just in time to see it go on again. Luckily the other pas- sengers were kind enough to interest themselves on our behalf, and shrieked and hallooed to such good purpose that ihe cnginj was once more brought to a standstill, and our lugg.'UTfc was put out. Half-a-dozen little boys carried it to the inn, where I had to explain to the patron, in my best Spanish, that we wanted a carriage to go to the baths, seven leagues off. In a wonderfully short space of time, four good horses were harnessed to a queer sort of vehicle, which held four inside and one out, besides the driver, and which had to be entered by means of a ladder. Having all packed in, and paid our fare beforehand, we were rattled off at a merry pace towards the Andes. The road went up and down and round about, and crossed ' An Indian name, signifying 'black waters,' having reference to the mineral springs in the neighbouring mountains. MINERAL BATHS. 171 (■■^ many rivers, but was fairly good throughout. We changed once at a large hacienda, where a man went into a large yard, containing about sixty horses, and dexterously las- soed the particular four required for our use. Several horsemen were waiting about, and I looked at their saddles, which were made of a dozen or more sheepskins, laid one on the top of the other, forming a soft scat to ride in by day and a comfortable bed to sleep on at night. he of of le er. ;ed ; to Baths of Uauquenes Early in the afternoon we saw some buildings in the distance, which we rightly guessed to be the baths, and soon afterwards we passed in at the entrance gate of the establishment, by the side of which was a rock with the word ' Welcome ' painted upon its face. 1 he whole distance from the station was twenty-three miles, which we had accomplished in a little over two hours. Driving between hedgerows of roses in full bloom, we were not long in •72 A MUCH-TEASED MONKEY. reaching the door of the hotel, where we were received by the proprietor. He told us he was very full, but he managed to find us some small rooms, and then conducted us to the luxuriously fitted bathing establishment. After this came the table-d'hdte, to which about seventy sat down, though many of the visitors were dining in their own rooms. In the evening we walked about the garden and chatted with several people, who all seemed to have heard of us and our voyage, and to be anxious to know what we thought of the Straits. We sav/ some English papers too, which was a great treat, though there did not seem to be much news in them. Tuesday, October 24M. — This is a wonderful place, built entirely of wood. The centre part is a square, seventy yards in extent, surrounded by a single row of one-storied rooms, with doors opening into the courtyard, and windows looking over the river or up into the mountains. In the middle of the square are a pavilion containing two billiard- tables, a boot-blacking arbour, covered with white and yellow jessamine and scarlet and cream-coloured honey- suckle, plenty of flower-beds, full of roses and orange- trees, and a monkey on a pole, who must, poor creature, have a sorry life of it, as it is his business to afford amuse- ment to all the visitors to the baths. He is very good- tempered, does several tricks, and is tormented ' from early dawn to dewy eve.' I remonstrated with our host on his behalf; but he merely shrugged his shoulders and said, • Mais il faut que le monde se divertisse, Madame.' From the centre square, marble steps lead to a large hall, with marble baths on either side, for ladies and gentlemen respec- tively. A few steps further bring one to a delightful swimming-bath, about forty feet square, filled with tepid water. The water, as it springs from the rock, is boiling hot, and contains, I believe, a good deal of magnesia and other salts, beneficial in cases of rheumatism and gout ; but the high temperature of the water makes the air very CONDORS. 175 muggy, and we all found the place relaxing, though perhaps it was because we indulged too freely in the baths, which are a great temptation. In the afternoon we went for a ride, to see a celebrated view of the Andes. Unfortunately it was rather misty, but we could see enough to enable us to imagine the rest. it; :ry Up the Valley towards the Andbo. Some condors were soaring round the rocky peaks, and the landscape, though well clothed with vegetation, had a weird, dreary character of its own, partly due to the quantity of large cacti that grew in every nook and corner, singly, or in groups of ten or twelve, to the height of twenty or thirty feet. Though they say it hardly ever rains in Chili, a heavy shower fell this afternoon, and our m' 174 CHARACTERISTIC VEGETATION. landlord thoughtfully sent a boy on horseback after us with umbrellas. Wednesday, October 2$th. — The bath was so delightful this morning, that we felt quite sorry it was to be our last. One could very well spend a week or two here, and find plenty to do in the way of excursions into the valleys of the Andes, which look most inviting in the distance. At half-past ten, we set out on our return journey to the railway, changing horses at the same place where we __ had stopped at coming up, and which we reached half an hour before the train was due ; when it arrived we were allowed to get in with our belongings in rather a less hurried fashion than we had alighted. Luncheon was procured at Rancagua, and we finally reached San- tiago at about 4.50 p.m. No sooner had we got fairly into the station than the car was invaded by a crowd of porters touting for employ- ment. They are all dressed in white, and wear red caps, on which is a brass number, by means of which they are easily recognised. The land- lord from the Hotel Ingles, M. Tellier, met us, and we at once drove off, leaving our luggage to follow, in charge of one of the red-capped gentlemen. The drive from the station was along the Alameda, on either side of which were many fine houses ; but the road was ill-paved and shaky as usual. The Grand Hotel, which used to be considered the best in South America, is now shut up, the company who owned it having recently failed ; so all the smaller hotels, none Cacti ol the Cordillera. DISAPPOINTMENT. '75 of which are very good, are crowded to overflowing. The Hotel Ingles is considered the best, though I cannot say much in its favour. The rooms are good, but the situation is noisy, being at the corner of two streets ; the servants are attentive, but the cuisine and arrangements are bad. Independently of all this, wc have great reason to com- plain of the conduct of the landlord, for my first question, as soon as he had introduced himself, was, of course, ' Have Mr. and Miss Brasscy arrived .■' ' ' Yes, Madame, and went away this morning.' * What ! and left no letter .? ' ' No ; but Monsieur returns to-morrow.* Imagine my sur- prise and disappointment ! But there was nothing to be )y- sed )er, id- at of Ithe lich md Huasso Hut3. done but to go to the hotel and wait patiently. We afterwards found that Tom had left a long letter, and that he hid never said a word about returning. The wretched man would not give me the letter, because he thought he could detain us, and he never sent the telegram I handed to him to forward to Tom at once, asking for an answer. Our luggage arrived just in time to enable us to dress for the second table-d'hote at six o'clock, after which we went for a walk through some arcades, paved with marble, and full of fine shops, past the Grand Hotel, which was situated at the end of the Alameda, and is built over an N' ! r76 SANTIAGO. arcade of shops. It is a handsome building, and must command a fine view. The cathedral and the arch- bishop's palace, large but rather dull-looking brick build- ings, are close by. The surrounding gardens looked pretty by gaslight, and the scent of roses pervaded the evening air. fioMio of Chill. 177 CHAPTER XI. SANTIAGO AND VALPARAISO. Gems of the changing autumn, how beautiful you are, Shining from your glassy stems, like many a golden star, Thursday, October 26th. — Our kind hostess at Lota had given us a letter of introductior. to her manager at Santiago, who called this morning to inquire what arrange- ments he could make which would be most agreeable to us during our stay. She had also given orders that her carriages ana horses should be placed at our disposal, and at about ten o'clock we all started in an open ||| break, drawn by a pair of good- lookin^j half-bred brown horses, bigger than any we had seen before in this country. We went first to the Com- paflfa, a large open square, planted with flowers, the site of the old Jesuit Church, which was burnt down on December 8th, 1863. Well known as the story is, I may here recall the tragic details, standing on the very spot where they took place. It was the Feast of the Virgin, and the church was densely crowded with a congregation composed almost Morning Mass at Santiaf^o 17^ FIRE AT THE COMPANtA. \ entirely of women, principally young, many of whom were servant-girls. Some of the draperies used in the decoration of the building caught fire, the flames spread rapidly, destroying in their course the cords by which the numerous paraffin and oil lamps were suspended across the nave and aisles, and precipitating their burning contents upon the people beneath. The great doors opened inwards ; the crowd, trying to press out, closed them .nd kept them hermetically sealed. The priests, anxious to save the church properties and sacred relics, shut the large iron gates across the chancel and kept them fastened, not- withstanding the agonising shrieks of the unhappy victims, many of whom might otherwise have escaped. Their con- duct on this terrible occasion created at the time a feeling of bitter and universal indignation, and caused a shock to the popularity and authority of the priesthood in this country, from which it will take them a long time to recover. Mr. Long told us that, between seven and eight o'clock on the evening of the catastrophe, he was walking with some friends on thv^ Alameda, when he saw smoke rising in dense volumes f^om the quarter of the city where the house in which he resided was situated. He and his friends ran quickly in the direction of the fire, giving the alarm as they went, and on reaching the church they found the doors closely shut, while fearful screams were issuing from the interior, and smoke and flames pouring from the windows. They got a party of men together accus- tomed to the use of the lasso — no difficult task here — and with them climbed from the neighbouring houses to the top of the church. Making a hole in the roof, they then dropped their lassoes over some of the women beneath, and so dragged them out of the building ; but the number thus saved was necessarily very small, and it happened too often that many of the poor creatures below, in their eagerness to escape, hung on to the legs or body of the one they saw lassoed, and by their weight literally dragged A HORRIBLE SCENE. 179 her to pieces. Sometimes even a lasso broke, and those clinging to it, when almost within reach of safety, were again precipitated into the burning mass below. Any one who has seen a raw liide lasso, capable of withstand- ing the sudden rush of the fiercest bull ever captured, will be able to realise the immense strain which would be re- quired to cause one to give way. The next morning at daybreak, the interior of the church presented a terrible spectacle. Mi. Long described it as being full of women, standing up, tightly wedged together, their hands stretched out as if in an attitude of supplication, their faces and the u|)per part of their bodies charred beyond recognition, the lower part, from the waist downwards, completely un- touched. Their remains were buried in one large grave, in the cemetery of the Recoleta, and the spot is now marked by a square piece of ground, full of bright flowers, enclosed by iron railings, almost hidden by the creepers that en- twine them, and shaded by willows, orange-trees, cypresses, and pomegranates. In the centre is a large cross, and on either side of the iron railings there is a marble tablet with the simple but touching inscription, in Spanish- - ' Iiiccndio de la Ifjlesia de la Compania, 8 de Dicicmbre, 1863. Restos de las Victiir.as ; 2000, mas o m^nos.' (Burning of the Church of the Compania, December 8th, 1863 Remains of the victims. 2,000, more or less.) Almost every household in Santiago had lost one of its members. One lovely girl of seventeen was pulled out through the roof and taken to Madame Cousifto's residence, where she lay for nearly a fortnight. She suffered the greatest agonies, but was sensible to the last, and gave a graphic account of the whole harrowing scene. The site of the church, hallowed by such sad memories, has never been built upon, but is preserved as an open space. i8o THOROUGHBRED STOCK. ! surrounded by a strip of garden, and having in its centre a finely carved monument. The Houses of Congress were the next thing we went to see, after which we drove through a great part of the city and over a handsome bridge with statues and small niches on either side. Beneath it, however, there is little more than a dry torrent bed ; and it is said that an American, when visiting this spot with a Santiago friend, who was showing him round, remarked, ' I guess you ought either to buy a river or sell this here bridge.' We also went to the Church of La Recoleta. From the church we went to the cemetery of the same name, which is prettily laid out, and well stocked with flowers and trees. It being now past eleven o'clock, we began to think about breakfast, and accordingly returned to the hotel, where I was disappointed to find no news from Tom and no answer to the telegram I sent last night. At one o'clock we started again, and had a pleasant but rather dusty drive of eight miles to Macul, the stud- farm established by the late Don Luis Cousiflo. We had some luncheon at Mr. Canning's house, in a room that had recently been split from top to bottom by an earthquake, and afterwards sat in the verandah to see the horses and some of the cattle, which were brought round for our inspection. Amongst them were Fanfaron, Fandango, and other beautiful thoroughbreds, three fine Cleveland coach-horses, Suffolk cart-horses and percherons, and some of the young stock. We saw only a few of the beasts, as at this time they are away feeding on the hills, but I believe they are as good as the horses. Mr. Long had arranged for us all to ride round the farm, and I was mounted on a lovely chestnut mare, sixteen hands high, daughter of Fanfaron, and niece to Kettledrum. I should have liked to have bought her and sent her home, but she was not for sale, though her value was 400/. English horses here are as dear, in proportion, as native horses are HOW^ LASSOES ARE MADE. i8r cheap. The latter may be bought for from twenty to sixty dollars apiece ; and some of them make capital little hacks. We rode all over the farm, attended by half-a-dozen peones, who drove the young thoroughbred stock together, in the enormous fields, for us to see, and afterwards did the same thing with some of the cattle. We alj.o went through the farm buildings, in one part of which we saw the operation of making lassoes. The best are com- posed of neatly plaited strips of cured hide, about a quarter of an inch wide, the commoner sort being made from an undressed cow's hide, with the hair on, cut from the centre in an ever-increasing circle, so that they are in one piece, many yards in length. In another part of the farm there were a few acres more of flower-gardens, orange-trees, and kitchen-gardens. Beautiful as the whole place is, it loses much in interest from its vastness. You never seem to know where you are, or when you have come to an end. I hear that Madame Cousiflo talks of extending the park still further, right up into the moun- tains, which seems almost a pity, as it is already too big to be kept in really perfect order, even with a hundred and twenty men employed upon it. Everything is completely surrounded and overgrown with flowers. Even the fields are separated by hedges of sweet-smelling double pink roses, and these hedges are larger than many a ' bull-finch ' in the old country. After a delightlul gallop of about two hours, we returned to the farmhouse, where we found a fresh pair of horses waiting for us in the break, and drove back to Santiago by moonlight. It was eight o'clock when we reached the hotel, and as the table-d'hdte dinner only lasts from five till half-past Vbat makes Horssa Ao in Chili. 1 82 AN UNCIVIL LANDLORD. seven, I asked for a private dinner in our own room or in the general dining-room, for our own party and two guests in addition. But the landlord said he was not at all sure about giving us dinner ; he must see what there was in the kitchen first. We then declared we would go and dine at a cafd, and in less than half an hour managed to get an excellent little dinner at the Cafe Santiago, though even Mr. Long, who ordered it for us, could not induce them to give us native wine. I am bound to confess, however, that we punished ourselves at least as much as the landlord, for as we paid so much a day for board and lodging, he was of course bound to provide us with dinner, and we had thus to pay for t)ur food twice over. Friday, October ifth. — Still no news from Tom. Mr. Long called at half-past eight, to take me to the market, and my first step was to send another telegram, this time taking care to see that it really was despatched. We then walked through the streets to the market-hall, a handsome iron building, commodiously arranged, which was sent out from England in pieces, and put together here. All round it are stalls, where you can get a capital breakfast, generally consisting of coffee, tender beef-steak, buttered toast, and boiled beans, for a small sum. One ot our party, who had been at the market since half-past five, tried one, and fully confirmed the report we had heard as to their excellence and cleanliness. At the time of our visit all these refreshment stalls were crowded, and I felt rather tempted to join one of the hungry merry-looking groups myself The market-was well supplied with meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and flowers of all kinds, green peas, French beans, and strawberries being specially abundant. There were quantities of queer-looking baskets to be seen, and some curious pottery, made by the nuns from a kind of cement. Outside the building there were men and women hanging about with ponchos, of their own manu- facture, which they had brought in from the country, for HIGH MASS. '«3 sale. \Vc bought some l)iij;ht specimens as presents for the children, but it took some time to collect them, as each individual had only one to ofifer. They are the work of the women, in the intervals of household labour, and as soon as one is completed it is sold, in order that materials for a fresh one may be purchased. We also bouj^ht some of the carved wooden stirrups, made in the country, and used by all the natives. They are rather like a small coal- scuttle in sh.ipe, and must be heavy ami cumbersome. From the market we went to hear high mass at the cathedral. This is a fine building, though the interior seemed very dark. The high altar was illuminated by hundreds of candles, whose light shone on a crowd of kneel- ing women, all dressed in black, and with black veils over their heads, the contrast between their sombre appearance and the gilding and paintings on the walls — handsome at a distance, but tawdry on a closer examination — being very striking. The organ is of splendid tone and quality and reverberated grandly through the aisles, and the whole scene was not without a certain impressivencss I had not thought of paying a visit to the cathedral when I went out this morning, and it was not until I saw every one staring at me that I remembered I had committed the terrible mistake of going to church in a hat, and without any veil ; but we remained in a dark corner most of the time, and emerged into open daylight again before any of the autho- rities of the place had time to observe or remonstrate with me. My wearing a hat was, however, quite as much against all church rules as a similar proceeding on the part of a man would have been. The women of this city are almost always good-looking when young, and they glide gracefully about the streets in their long black clinging gowns and mantos, by which they are completely enveloped from head to foot. In the afternoon we went for a drive in the park, and to see Santa Lucia, of which, as the only hill in Santiago, the II |84 EXPENSIVE HATS. N inhabitants of the city are very proud, and from thence drove to the Cousifto Park, an extensive piece of ground near the yVlameda, laid out and arranged under the direc- tion of the late Don Luis Cousiflo, and presented by him to the city of Santiago. A^ter a stroll round the park, Mr. Long took us to an emporium for Panama hats, which are made in Lima, Guayaquil, and other states of Chili, as well as in Panama, from a special kind of grass, split very fine, and worn by almost everybody on this coast. The best made cost 340 dollars, or about sixty guineas, and fifty pounds is not at all an uncommon ptice to pay, though the inferior kind may be had for two pounds. Those ordinarily worn by the gentlemen here cost from twenty to thirty pounds each, but they are so light, pliable, and elastic that they will wear for ever, wash like a pocket-handkerchief, do not get burnt by the sun, and can be rolled up and sat upon — in fact, ill-treated in any way you like — without fear of their breaking, tearing, or getting out of shape. For the yacht, however, where so many hats are lost overboard, they would, I fear, prove a rather unprofitable investment. We now drove back to the hotel, past the Mint, a hand- some building, guarded by soldiers, and with v/indovvs pro- tected by iron gratings. On our return I found that one of the valuable ponchos, given to me in the Argentine Re- public, had been taken from our room. The landlord declined to trouble himself about its recovery, as he said it was * most unlikely that any one would take a thing of no value to him here ; ' the real truth being that the guanaco ponchos are worth nearly double as much in Chili as they are on the other side of the Andes. After dinner we walked to the theatre, where we saw La Sonnambula, well put on the stage, and well sung and acted by an Italian opera company. The prima donna, contralto, baritone, and bass were all good, but the scenery was occasionally somewhat deficient. The house, which AN OPERA IN CHILI. 185 is highly decorated — perhaps too much so for the ladies' dresses — looked well by night, though if it had been full the effect would have been still better. The box-tiers are not divided into pigeon-holes, as they are with us, and everybody can therefore see equally well. The Presidential box seemed commodious and handsome, and had the Chilian coat of arms in front of it, making it look very much like a Royal box. The walk back by moonlight was delightful. Some of our party afterwards went to the Union Club, where they met several English gentlemen, who were most kind and pressing in their invitations to them to stay a few days longer, and go up the mountains to see the views and to have some guanaco shooting. About twenty-four hours from here they say you can have your first shot, and a little further on you meet them in herds which may be counted by thousands. There are also wild horses and wild donkeys. Quaggas and huemuls used to be found, but are now extinct. The last named is a rare animal, exactly resembling a horse in every particular, except that its hoofs are cloven. It used only to be found in the mountains of Chili, and it is one of the supporters of the national coat of arms. SaUirday, October 28///. — At 5 a.m. we were called, and soon afterwards parting gifts of flowers began to arrive, and even I was obliged to confess that four large clothes-baskets full of rosebuds were more than I quite knew what to do with. At seven Mr. Long came to know if he could help us in any way, and a little later Madame Cousifio's coachman appealed Vi/ith the carriage, to take us to the station. We had a pleasant drive down the Alameda, the sun shining brilliantly in a bright blue sky, and the distant mountains for the first time being clearly visible. The station was crowded with vendors of pottery, curious things in buffalo horn, sweetmeats, &c. The rolling stock on this line is of English manufacture, and we were therefore put into the too familiar, close, stuffy, first-class carriage, and 1 86 THE 'BURNING BUSW duly locked up for the journey down to Valparaiso. The line, running as it does through mountain gorges for a great portion of the way, must have been a difficult one to make. Just now the whole country wears a golden tint from the bloom of the espinosa, which seems to grow every- where, and which is now in perfection. The branches of this shrub arc so completely covered with little yellow balls of flowers, which come before the leaves, and which have no separate stalk, but grow along the shiny, horny branches, that they look as if they were made of gold. It is called the ' burning busli ' here, and its wood is said to be the hardest in the country. The flowers are often plucked off and dried, in which state they arc most fragrant and are used for scenting linen and for keeping away moths. The thorns, however, are a terrible nuisance to the shep- herds and owners of cattle, catching their clothes and tearing them as they gallop swiftly across over the plains. If I bore you by saying too much about the flowers, for- give me. I want to make you all realise, if possible, what a lovely flowery land Chili is. The whole air is quite per- fumed with roses, principally large double pink roses, some- thing like the old-fashioned cabbage rose, though there are a good many of the monthly kind and a few white and deep scarlet ones. They formed hedgerows on either side of the road, and in many places climbed thirty or forty feet up the trees, and then threw down long brambles laden with bloom, almost producing the effect of a wall of pink. There were also plenty of wild flowers of other sorts, such as scarlet and white lilies, larkspurs, eschscholt- zias, evening primroses, and many others whose names I do not know. At Llaillai we stopped for breakfast, procured at a small restaurant at the station. While waiting for the train for Santiago to come in, we had plenty of time to observe the half-Indian girls selling fruit, flowers, cakes, &c., and jab- bering away in a sort oi patois Spanish, in recommendation 'TOUJOURS (EUFS: 187 of their wares. Some of them were really pretty, and all were picturesquely dressed in bright-cok)ured stuffs, their hair neatly done up and decorated with flowers, their faces clean and smiling. At 11. 15 a.m. we reached Quillota, where the train was literally besieged by men, women, and children, offering bouquets for sale — two or three of which were thrust in at every carriage window — and baskets of strawberries, cherimoyas, nisperos, melons, oranges, sugar- cane, plantain, bananas, asparagus, green peas, French beans, eggs, chickens, and even fish — nice little pejereyes, fresh from the stream close by. It must evidently be the custom of the Chilenos to visit by rail these fertile districts, for the purpose of doing their marketing ; for the occupants cf the train soon absorbed the entire stock of the vendors, who were left with empty baskets. I never saw such a country as this is for eggs and chickens. A hen seems never to have a smaller brood than ten, and I have often counted from seventeen to twenty-one chickens with the mother, and, more than once, as many as twenty-four. However well you may have breakfasted or dined, the waiters always come at the end of the meal to ask, not whether you will have any eggs, but how you will have them — fried, boiled, poached, or in some sort of omelette. If you refuse altogether, the chances are that two very lightly boiled eggs will be placed by your side, with the suggestion that you should beat them up and drink them. The inhabitants of the counti}- always seem to finish their meals with eggs in some form or another. The celebrated ' Bell of Quillota,' a mountain which derives its name from its peculiar shape, and which serves as a good landmark in entering the harbour of Valparaiso, is well seen from the railway, a little below Quillota Station, We stopped again at Limache, a little village, situated in the midst of a fertile country, about twenty-five miles from Valparaiso, where fruit, flowers, &c., were as freely offered for sale as before, and again at Vifia del Mar, the next 1 88 FAMILY REUNION. .1 i station to Valparaiso. There is a good hotel here, in the midst of a pretty garden, where you can get an excellent breakfast or dinner. From this spot the line runs close along the edge of the sea, and we strained our eyes in vain, trying to discover the yacht. At the station we were assailed by porters and touts of every description, but, seeing no one to meet us, and not knowing where to go, we contenttd ourselves with collecting our luggage in a little heap, while a fight went on close by between a policeman and a coachman, who had been too persistent in his endeavours to obtain a fare. They knocked one another about a good deal, and broke one or two windows, after which they appeared quite satis- fied, shook hands, and were good friends again. Tom, Mabelle, and Muriel arrived before it was over, and we were very glad to meet again after our short absence. A long, dusty drive brought us to the mole, and while the luggage was being packed into the boat, Tom and I went to call on the British Consul, where we found some letters. We were on board in time for two o'clock luncheon, after which, amid many interruptions from visitors, we devoured our news from home and other parts — for amongst our letters were some from Natal, India, Japan, Canada, Tenerifife, South American ports, St. Petersburg, Con- stantinople, and several other places, besides those from dear old England. About four o'clock Tom and I went ashore. We had intended going alone in the ' Flash ' (our lightest boat), but a strong southerly wind had sprung up, which at once made the sea so rough that we went in the ' Gleam ' (the gig) instead, with six oars. It took the men all their time to get us ashore, though we had not far to go, for wind, tide, and waves were all against us. Valparaiso consists mainly of two interminable streets, running along the edge of the sea, at the foot of the hills, which rise immediately behind them, and on which EXTRAVAGANT PRICES. 189 are built all the residences and villas of the gentlemen of the place. Very few live in the town itself, which is composed almost entirely of large warehouses and fine shops, where you can get almost anything you want by paying between three and four times as much for it as you would do in England. For instance, the charge for hair- cutting is a dollar and a half (4$".), a three-and-sixpenny Letts's Diary costs two dollars and a half (loj.), a tall hat costs fifty-eight shillings, you must pay sixpence each for parchment luggage-labels, threepence apiece for quill pens, four shillings for a quire of common notepaper, and so on in proportion. We had, as I have said, seen the yacht leave Lota Bay, with a strong head-wind blowing, on Thursday, the 19th instant. In a few hours the wind fell to a calm, which then changed to a light favourable breeze, and the ' Sunbeam ' reached Valparaiso on the following Saturday afternoon, anchoring out in the bay, not far from H.M.S. ' Opal.' Here they rolled and tumbled about even more than if they had been at sea, the swinging capacities of the saloon tables and lamps being tried to the utmost. On Sunday half the men went ashore for a few hours' leave, but neither they nor the boat returned until the next morning, as they had not been allowed to leave the shore after nine o'clock. In the meantime Tom had been told that small-pox was raging in the town, and he was much annoyed at their having to pass the night on shore, owing to proper inquiries as to the regulations of the port not having been made by them on landing. The next day the doctor went to see some medical confrhes at the hospital, and found that the re- ports were much exaggerated, the reality being that small- pox is always more or less prevalent both here and at Santiago, Three months ago it was very bad, but at the present time it is not worse than usual. Tom and Mabelle started for Santiago on Monday, but unfortunately left their letters of introduction behind ; and as they did £japi"if : I 190 FREQUENT EARTHQUAKES. not like the hotel, they found it rather dull. We could not telegraph to them from Cauquenes, or anywhere en route, for there were no wires ; so on Wednesday morning, not hearing or seeing anything of us, they returned to Val- paraiso. Tom left a long letter for me, with enclosures (which I never received), in the innkeeper's hands, asking for a telegraphic reply as to our plans and intentions, and, as I have already mentioned, never said a word about coming back. Thursday was spent in seeing what little there is to see in Valparaiso, and in visiting the ' Opal.' On Friday Tom went for a sail, moved the yacht close in- shore, had a dinner-party on board, and went to a pleasant ball afterwards, given by the Philharmonic Society, an asso- ciation of the same sort as the one at Rio. It was not, however, called a regular ball, but a tertulia, so the ladies were in demi-toilctte. Tom described the room as good, the floor first-rate, the music excellent, the ladies good- looking, and the men agreeable. To-day he met us at the station with the children ; and now, therefore, one account will describe the movements of the whole reunited party. Sunday, October 29///. — We all went ashore to church, having been told it was only five minutes' walk from the landing-place, instead of which it took us at least a quarter of an hour, in an intensely hot sun, to climb up a steep hill. The building itself was large, airy, and cool, and there is a good organ and choir, but most of the choristers had gone away to-day to a picnic in the country. During the Litany our attention was suddenly drawn to the fact that earth- quakes are matters of frequent occurrence in this country, by a special prayer being offered up for preservation from them and their destructive effects. At four o'clock we went ashore for a ride, and having climbed the hills at the back of the town, which command extensive views over land and sea, we galloped across the downs and through some villages on to the old high road from Valparaiso to Santiago, along which we rode only OFF AGAIN. 191 for a few yards, turning off into a romantic valley, where the path was so narrow that we could barely squeeze through between the thickly growing shrubs and trees. At last we went up a steep hill on to another high road, and re-entered the town quite at the opposite end to that at which we had left it, after which a ride of two miles along the stony, ill-paved streets brought us to the landing- place. Monday, October ydth. — We were to be off directly the sea-breeze sprang up, at about eleven o'clock, and as I had many letters to write, I was called at 4 a.m., and finished them all before breakfast at eight. But first one visitor and then another arrived, and it was nearly eleven o'clock when we landed to make the final preparations for starting on our long voyage of eleven thousand miles across the Pacific. Our route, as at present arranged, will be via the Society, Friendly, and Sandwich Islands. Juan Fernandez (Robinson Crusoe's Island), which we at first thought of visiting, we have been obliged, I am sorry to say, to give up, not on account of its distance from Valparaiso, as it is only 270 miles off, but because it lies too far to the southward, and is consequently quite out of the track of the trade wind, which we ought to pick up, according to the charts and sailing directions, about 500 miles to the northward and westward of this place. I have been trying to persuade Tom to steam out five or six hundred miles, so that we may make a quick passage and econo- mise our time as much as possible, but he is anxious to do the whole voyage under sail, and we are therefore taking very little coal on board, in order to be in the best trim. If we do not pick up a wind, however, there is no knowing how long we may lollop about. I suppose till we are short of water and fresh provisions, when the fires will be lighted and we shall steam away to the nearest island — unin- habited, we will hope, or at any rate peopled by friendly 192 ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND. i natives, which is rather the exception than the rule in the south-east corner of the Low Archipelago. There we shall fill up with fresh water, bananas, bread-fruit, and per- haps a wild hog or two, and resume our voyage to Tahiti. But this is the least favourable view of the matter, and we must hope to fall in with the trades soon, and that they will blow strong and true. The island of Juan Fernandez now belongs to the Chilian government, but is let on a long lease to a man who, they say here, is somewhat of a robber. He was very desirous that we should give him a passage in the yacht, and another man wanted to come too, with some pointers, to show us the best spots for game, goats, turtle, crayfish, and sea-fish, with all of which the place abounds. Some cattle have also been introduced, and the island is much frequented by whalers, who go there for fresh pro- visions and water. There is nothing particular to be seen, however, and the scenery of the island is not remarkable ; at least, so people who have been there tell us, and the photographs I have bought quite confirm their report. Admiral Simpson, who stayed there once for a fortnight, told us a good deal about the place, and strongly recom- mended us not to go there unless we had plenty of time to spare, as we should not be repaid for our trouble, which would probably only result in the dissipation of all our childish illusions. Our first step on landing this morning was to go to the Consul's to post our letters. By the bye, I hope people in England will appreciate them, for they cost between nine and ten pounds to send home. For our outward letters, although prepaid in England, we had to pay over eight pounds before we were allowed to have them from the office. Twenty-nine cases of stores, provisions, wine, &c., which had also been sent out, all arrived safely, and cost comparatively little. There are very good French hair-dressers here, a tempting hat-shop, and a well-stocked A FAIR START. '93 book-shop ; but everything, as I have said, is frightfully dear. It was half-past three when the harbour-tug arrived to tow us out of the harbour and so save our getting up steam. There was not a breath of air stirring, but Tom hoped we should find more outside when the tug cast us off. As we dropped slowly out, we had a good view of the harbour and town ; and we soon found ourselves once more fairly embarked on the bosom of the wide ocean. '94 CHAPTER XII. VALPARAISO TO TAHITI. The western sea was all aflame, The day was well nigh done! Almost upon the western wave Rested the broad bright sun. Tuesday, October 31J/. — Throughout the night a flat calm prevailed. The morning was wet and foggy, or we might still have seen Valparaiso, and perhaps have had a peep at Aconcagua. There was a light contrary wind from the N.W. throughout the day. In the afternoon we saw two whales blowing in the distance. Wechiesday, November ist. — An almost calm day, with a few light showers, and fitful but unfavourable ' reezes. Some thirty or forty little birds, which the sailors called Mother Carey's chickens, but which were smaller and more graceful than any I have seen of that name, followed closely in our wake. I was never tired of watching the dainty way in which they just touched the tips of the waves with their feet, and then started off afresh, like a little maiden skip- ping and hopping along, from sheer exuberance of spirit. Thursday, November 2nd. -A bright sunny morning, with a heavy swell and light contrary wind, but the sea became more tranquil towards the evening. The sunset was superb, and the afterglow, as is often the case in these lati- tudes, lighted up sky and sea with an indescribable beauty, which attained its greatest magnificence about five minutes after the sun had disappeared, reminding one of the AMATEUR TAILORS. '95 glorious sunsets of the African deserts, so often described by travellers. Friday, November ^rd. — Still a blue sky, bright sun- shine, smooth sea, and light head-wind. The crew have all turned tailors, and are making themselves new suits from some dungaree we bought at Valparaiso, the clothes we expected for them not having met us there. Saturday, November \th. — As fine as ever. This is certainly sailing luxuriously, if not swiftly. We have now settled down into our regular sea-ways, and have plenty to Juveaue bcrubbdrtj. do on board ; so the delay does not much signify. Still, our time is limited, and we all hope to fall in with the trades shortly to carry us to Tahiti or some of the South Sea islands. We caught half-a-dozen of the little petrels, for stuffing, by floating lines of black cotton astern, in which they became entangled. To-night's sunset was more superb than ever. Each moment produced a new and ever increasingly grand effect. T mean to try and take an instantaneous photograph of 196 A VAST OCEAN. 1 one. It would not, of course, reproduce all the marvellous shades of colouring, but it would perhaps give some idea of the forms of the masses of cloud, which are fin^r than any I ever saw before. This ocean seems to give one, in a strange way, a sense of solemn vastness, which was not produced to the same extent by the Atlantic. Wh-cther this results from our knowledge of its size, or whether it is only fancy, I cannot say, but it is an impression which we all share. Sunday y November $th. Fine, and considerably hotter, though not unpleasantly so. We had the Litany at eleven, and evening prayers and a sermon at four o'clock. Not a single ship has passed within sight since we left Valparaiso, and the only living creatures we have seen arc some albatrosses, a few white boobies, a cape-hen, the little petrels already mentioned, a shoal of porpoises, and two whales. Mo)iday, November 6/h. — Passed, at 3 a.m. to-day, a large barque, steering south, and at 8 a.m. a full-rigged ship, steering the same course. We held — as we do with every ship we pass — a short conversation with her through the mean*? of the mercantile code of signals. (This habit of exchanging signals afterwards proved to have been a most useful practice, for when the report that the ' Sun- beam ' had gone down with all hands was widely circulated through England, I might almost say the world, — for we found the report had preceded us by telegram to almost all the la' .r ports we touched at, — the anxiety of our friends was relieved many days sooner than it would otherwise have been by the fact of our having spoken the German steamer ' Sakhara,' in the Magellan Straits, Oct. 13, four days after we were supposed to have gone to the bottom.) The weather continues fine, and we have the same light baffling winds. We hoped, when we started, to average at least 200 miles a day, but now we have been a week at sea, and have only made good a little more than 7ubt the iron knee we had seen on the island originally formed part of this vessel. Wednesday, November i<)th. — We seem to have got into the real south-east trades, just as the chart tells us we ought to expect to lose them ; for there was a strong fair breeze all day, which made it very pleasant on deck in the shade of the sails. But "t was exceedingly hot in the saloon, where some of the woodwork has been pulled down, in order to secure better ventilation for the galley and the berths of .'•ome of the men, who, I hope, appreciate the alteration, for it is a source of considerable discomfort to us. We had the bigger of our two little pigs for dinner to- day, and a welcome change it was from the salt and potted meats. He was most excellent, and fully corroborated Captain Cook's statement as to the superiority of South Sea Island pork to any other — a fact which is doubtless due to the pigs being fed entirely on cocoa-nuts and bread- fruit. Still it seemed a pity to eat such a tame creature, and I mean to try and preserve the other one's life, unless we are much longer than we expect in reaching Tahiti. He is only about ten inches long, but looks at least a hundred years old, and is altogether the most quaint, old- fashioned little object you ever saw. He has taken a great fancy to the dogs, and trots about after me with them everywhere, on the tips of his little toes, even up and down the st^ep cabin stairs. I call him Agag, because he walks so delicately, whilst others accost him as Beau, not only on account of his elegant manners, but as being the name of his former home. The moon was more brilliant this evening than we have yet seen her during our voyage, and we could enjoy sitting A DIFFICULT LANDING. 219 on deck reading, and even doing some coarse needlework, without any other light. One splendid meteor flashed across the sky. It was of a light orange colour, with a fiery tail about two degrees in extent, and described in its course an arc of about sixty degrees, from S.S.E. to N.N.W., before it disappeared into space, far above the horizon. If the night had been darker, the spectacle would have been finer ; but even as it was, the moon seemed quite paled for a few minutes afterwards. We have seen many meteors, falling-stars, and shooting-stars since we left Valparaiso, but none so fine as the one this evening. Friday. December \st. — The sun rose grandly, but the heavy black and red clouds, looking like flames and smr.ke from a furnace, gave promise of more rain. The heat was greater to-day than any we have yet felt ; and it is now nearly mid-winter at home. At 5 a.m. we made the island of Maitea, and expected to reach it in about an hour and a half; but the wind fell light, and it was a quarter to ten before we got into the gig and set out for the shore. There are not many instructions about landing, either in Captain Cook or Findlay, but the latter mentions that houses are to be found on the south side of the island. We thought, however, we could distin- guish from the yacht a little cove, close to some huts, at another part of the shore, where the surf did not break so heavily. We accordingly rowed straight for it, and a^ we approached we could see the natives coming down from all parts to meet us, the women dressed in the same sort of long, bright, flowing garments we had seen at Hao Karpe, with the addition of garlands round their necks and heads, the men wearing gay-coloured loin-cloths, shirts of Man- chester cotton stufi", flying loose in the wind, and sailors' hats with garlands round them, or coloured silk handker- chiefs — red and orange evidently having the preference — tied over their heads and jauntily knotted on one side. 220 AMIDST THE SUJiF. Several of the men waded out into the surf to meet us, sometimes standing on a rock *.wo feet above the water, sometimes buried up to iheir necks by a sudden wave But the rocks were sharp, the only available passage was narrow, and the rollers long and high ; and altogether it looked, upon a closer inspection, too unpromising a place to attempt a landing. Much to the disappointment of the natives, therefore, we decided to go round and try the other side of the island. Seeing us prepare to depart, the people on shore immediately launched a tiny canoe, with an enor- mous outrigger, and a man dressed in a pale green shirt. Mai tea. dark blue and yellow under garment, and with a silk hand- kerchief and garland on his head, came alongside and made signs that he would take us ashore one by one in his frail- looking craft. But the heavy Pacific rollers and the sharp rocks daunted us, and wc declined his offer with thanks, and rowed off to the southward. Anything more enticing than the cove we were quitting can hardly be imagined. A fringe of cocoa-nuts and bread-fruit trees, overhanging an undergrowth of bright glossy foliage and flowers, a few half hidden palm-leaf covered huts, from one of which — I AN UNPLEASANT CIRCUIT. Ill suppose the chief's — a tattered Tahitian flag floated in the breeze, a small schooner drawn up among the trees and carefully covered with mats, the steep sugar-loaf point, at the entrance to the cove, clothed to its summit with grass and vegetation : these were the objects which attracted our attention in our hurried survey of the scene. We had to give the island a wide berth in rowing round it", on account of the heavy rollers, which seemed to come from every side, breaking in surf against the dark brown cliffs, and throwing columns of white spray, from which the Our BoatLuan. brilliant sunshine was leflected in rainbow hues, high into the air. As we proceeded matters looked worse and worse, and the motion of the boat became so disagreeable that both Lxuricl and I were very ill. At last we came t'^ a spot where we could see some people sitting on the shore, and st , eral others, who had probably come over from the other side to meet us, running swiftly down the sides of the cliffs to the beach. The island was of a different character from the one we had already visited, and was evidently of vol- canic origin. No coral was anywhere to be seen, but there 933 IVE LAND AT LAST. were big rocks jutting out at intervals into the sea all round it, one of which seemed large enough to afford us a sort of shelter in landing. The natives waved and pointed towards the channel beyond this rock, and one or two swam out tf) meet us ; but we soon found that the channel would not be wide enough to admit our big boat, though it was no doubt sufificient for a light canoe, drawing some two inches of water. We therefore reluctantly turned away and resumed our uneasy coasting voyage, in the course of which we passed some nearly leafless trees, full of white patches, too large for flowers, which afterwards turned out to be booby- birds, who here find a resting-place. They are so numerous that it is hardly possible to walk beneath the trees without treading on their eggs. Having completed the circuit of the island, we found ourselves once more opposite the spot where we had first thought of landing, and the tide being by this time a little higher, we decided to make another attempt. Some of the natives, seeing us approach, plunged into the water as before, and seized the gunwale of the boat, while others, on shore, brought down rollers to put beneath our keel. We went in on the top of a big wave, and thus at last found ourselves — boat and all — high and dry on the beach of Maitea. The people came down to meet us, and conducted us to the house of the chief, who, with his pretty wife, received us kindly, but with much gravity and dignity. Mats were placed for me to sit upon, wreaths were offered me for my head and neck, and cocoa-nut milk to drink. We wished for some bananas, and they immediately cut down a tree in order to obtain a bunch. Cocoa-nuts were at the same ♦lime thrown down from the trees, and a collection of fruit, poultry, and meat - the latter consisting of the immemorial hog was laid at our feet, as a present from the chief. The rest of the natives brought us pearls, shells, mother-of- pearl, small canoes, fish-hooks, young boobies, and all sorts PUZZLED NATIVES. !23 of things, for barter ; but the chief himself refused any return for his gift. Perhaps the greatest curiosity they offered us was about six fathoms of fine twine, made from human hair. Before these ishmds were visited by Euro- peans, this was the material from which fishing-lines were made ; but it is now rarely used, and is consequently very difficult to procure. The young boobies they brought us looked just like a white powder-puff, and were covered with down far thicker and softer than any swan's down I ever saw. The natives seemed quite an fait in the matter of mone- tary transactit)ns and exchanges. For an English sovereign they would give you change at the rate of five dollars. Chilian or United States' dollars they accepted readily, but Brazilian currency they would not look at. They were pleased with knives, beads, looking-glasses, and picture papers I had brought on shore, and we did a brisk trade. We experienced great difficulty in explaining to them that we wanted some fresh eggs, Muriel's especial fancy, and a luxury which we have been without for some time. At last, by pointing to the fowls and picking up some small egg-shaped stones, we managed to procure a few, though, from the time it took to collect them, I should think the island must have been scoured in the search for them. Most of the natives seemed puzzled to comprehend why we had visited the island at all. ' No sell brandy > ' — ' No.' ' No stealy men } '— ' No.' ' No do what then > ' Their knowledge of English was too limited to enable us to make them understand that we were only making a voyage of circumnavigation in a yacht. It was now time to bid farewell to our amiable hosts and their beautiful island. As we reached the landing- place, a small schooner, which we had previously noticed in the distance, came close to the shore, and a canoe put off from the island to meet it. We found that the vessel was bringing back from Tahiti and other places some of the 224 EXCUSES FOR NATIVES. inhabitants of the island, who had been away on a visit or in search of work. The meeting of the reunited friends and relatives was in some cases quite touching. Two women, in particular, sat and embraced each otiier for nearly a cjuarter of an hour, without moving, but with tears running down their faces. All our gifts and purchases having been placed in the boat, and one or two of us having embarked, she was shoved out over the wooden rollers into the narrow channel, where she lay-to while the rest of the party were brought alongside, one by one, in a frail canoe an opera- tion which occupied some time, during which we had leisure once more to admire the little bay I have already attempted to describe. We asked the captain of the schooner, who spoke French, to give us a tow off to the yacht, which he willingly consented to do, chatting cheer- fully all the time, but evidently fearful of approaching too close to the yacht, and positively refusing our in\ itation to him to come on board. There can be little doubt that he mistrusted oiw intentions, and feared we might attempt to kidnap him and his crew ; for the whites have, in too many cases, beh. vcd in a most viilanous manner to the inhabi- tants of uiese islands, who are, as a rule— to which there are of course exceptions — a kind and gentle people. I think if the many instances of the murder of ships' and boats' crews could be thoroughly sifted to the bottom, it would be found that most of them were acts of reprisal and revenge for brutal atrocities committed on the defenceless natives, who have been kidnapped, plundered, and mur- dered by unscrupulous traders and adventurers. Unfor- tunately, the good suffer for the bad, and such lives as those of Captain Goodenough and Bishop Patteson are sacrificed through the unpardonable misconduct of others — perhaps their own countrymen. It is still quite a chance how you may be received in some of the islands ; for if the visit of the last ship was the occasion of the murder, plunder, and A PKOTIXTINC REEF. 335 ill-treatment of the inhabitants, it is not to be wondered at that the next comers sin uld be received with distrust, if not with treachery and violence. We reached the yacht at four o'clock, rather exhausted by so many hours' exposure to the broiling sun, having had nothinf^ to eat since breakfast, at 7 a.m., except cocoa- nuts and bananas. The ship was put about, the sails fdled. and, continuing steadily on our cour.se throughout the evening, we made the smaller of the two peninsulas that form the island of Tahiti at 10.30 p.m. Saturday, Dectinbcr 2nd. \Vc were dodging on and off a'l night, and at daybreak the weather was thick and rainy. At 4.30 a.m. we made the land again, and crept slowly along it, past Point Venus and the lighthouse in Matavai Hay (Captain Cook's first anchorage), until we were off the harbour of Papeete.' The rain was now descending in iox- rents, and we lay-to outside the reef for a short time, until a French pilot came on board and took us in through the narrow entrance. It was curious, while we were tumbling about in the rough sea outside, to see the natives placidly fishing in the tiniest of canoes on the lagoon inside the reef, the waves beating all the time furiously on the outer surface of the coral breakwater, as if anxious to seize and engulf them. At nine o'clock we were safely anchored in the chief port of the island of Tahiti. Perhaps I cannot better bring this account of our long voyage from Valparaiso to a conclusion than by a quotation from a charming book, given to me at Rio, which I have lately been reading Baron do Hubncr's 'Promenade autour du Monde : ' — ' Les jours se suivent et se ressemblent. Sauf le court episode du mauvais temps, ces trois semaines me font I'efifet d'un charmant r^ve, d'un conte de fee, d'une promenade imaginaire i travers une salle immense, tout or et lapis-lazuli. Pas un moment d'ennui ou d'impatience. ' ' Papiete ' or * Pjipeete,' a hag of water. 226 A LONELY VOYAGE. Si vous voulcz abreger les longueurs d'une grande traversee, distribuez bien votre temps, et observez le roglement que vous vous etes impost. C'est un moyen siir de se faire promptement k la vie claustralc et mer/ic d'en jouir,' We have been five weeks at sea, and have enjoyed them quite as much as the Baron did his three. We saw but two ships between Valparai^so and Tatakotoroa : he saw onlv one between San Francisco and Yokohama. It is iiideed a vast and lonely ocean that we have traversed. Quarantine Islaad, Papeete xbe jm_ W,QM^ — I ---.i^lAi' HAWAII, '«"<"» '"■••V ,fi , i»ii.i;»ii.i.a^^<— ~^ ^ . ^ ,tH//\ ."4 tix t^ lltl T 14U 13B — r— I'.W l:i4 I ' vai;m(vil- OH LOW AHCHirKl.AC.O . ij Jjl* ^^*^ , . T ( IJir.annwiutuiwul hwr/i./.i-,. •■•■■ 'T -^lf,l.il.il I (•■ i.,n l»J .-.Mi.i/I.^i r ., , I IM.,M., I , »•" j„0>\ ;. ■., ;„„,„(■« , . •r.i.v.u..; i , iJil*''^ <,, '. ■■•.h- v>' cv>'^v'^'>'*'r? >5^*:'--y'"''"' oipi-jSTi...,,., tas. -. -M -M po..- n - **' ,, . .,.A., ,; .yftinttli.tn'nl- •^ Till,,.. ^.♦l»r!ktar ^^ •<■-+■■ Vjvjtfto sfVffttfVjftiyiu t /■ortidllJ Itmt' 143 r'.-Kf'Woll^i ' \ 237 CHAPTER XIV. AT TAHITI. 7'ie cava /east, the yam, the cocoa's root. Which bears at oiue the cup, and milk, and fruit. The bread-tree which, without the ploitgliiliare, yields The unixap'd har-oest of unf arrowed fields. These, with the In xurirs of si\is and woods. The airy joys of social solitudes. Tamed eich rude -.oanderer. Saturday, December 2nd. — The anchor was dropped in the harbour of I'apeete. it niiif; o'clock, and a couple of liours later, by which time the weather had cleared, we went ashore, and at once found ourselves in the midst of a fairy- like scene, to de- scribe which is al- most impossible, so bewildering is it in the bri;.',htness and variety of its colour- ing. The niaj^nolias and yellow and scar let hibiscus, over- shadowing the water, the \clvcty turf on to which one »teps from the boat, the white road running between rows of wooden houses, whose little gardens are a mass of flowers, Under Lua I'luas, 1-apeete. 228 QUEEN POMARE. the men and women clad in the gayest robes and decked with flowers, the piles of unfamiliar fruit lying on the grass, waiting to be transported to the coasting vessels in the harbour, the wide-spreading background of hills clad in verdure to their summits- these are but a few of the objects which greet the new-comer in his first contact with the shore. We strolled about, and left our letters of introduction ; but the people to whom they were addressed were at break- fast, and we were deliberating how best to dispose of our time, when a gentleman accosted us, and, seeing how new it all was to us strangers, offered to show us round the town. The streets of Papeete, running back at right angles with the beach, seem to have wonderfully grand names, such as the Rue de Rivoli, Rue de Paris, &c. Every street is shaded by an avenue of high trees, whose branches meet and interlace overhead, forming a sort of leafy tunnel, through which the sea-breeze passes refreshingly. There is also what is called the Chinamen's quarter, through which we walked, and which consists of a collec- tion of regular Chinese-built bamboo houses, whose occu- pants all wore their national costume, pigtail included. The French commandant lives in a charming residence, surrounded by gardens, just opposite the palace of Queen Pomare, who is at present at the island of l^ola-Bola, taking care of her little grandchild, aged five, the queen of the island. She went down in a French man-of-war, the ' Limier,' ten days ago, and has been obli.i;cd to remain, owing to some disturbances amongst the natives. I am rather disappointed that she is absent, as 1 should like to see a perscjn of whom I have heard so much. Havinj.', ( ompleted our tour, we next went to call on the British Consul, who received us kindly, and enter- tained us with an interesting account of the island and its inhabitants, its pearl-fisherie.-. and trade, the l^'rench SUBMARINE GARDENS 229 policy, the missionaries, &c., on all of which subjects he is well informed. He has just completed an exhaustive consular report on the condition of the island, which will, no doubt, appear in due course in the form of a blue- book. On our return to Messrs. Brander's office, where we had left one of our letters of introduction, we found the manager, with whom we had a long chat before returning on board. At 5 p.m. we went for a row in the ' Glance ' and the ' Flash ' to the coral reef, now illumined by the rays of ChBBtodon lYicolor. the setting sun. Who can describe the.sc wonderful gar- dens of the deep, on which we now gazed through ten and twenty fathoms of crystal water } Who can enumerate or describe the strange creatures moving about and darting hither and thither, amid the masses of coral forming their submarine home .'' There were shells of rare shape, brighter than if they had been polished by the hand of the most skilful artist ; crabs of all sizes, scuttling and sidling along ; sea-anemones, spreading their delicate feelers in search of prey ; and many other kinds of zoophytes, crawling slowly over the reef ; and scarlet, blue, yellow, gold, violet, spotted. 230 FISHING IfV TORCHLIGHT. Striped, and winged fish, short, long, pointed, and blunt, of the most varied shapes, were darting aSout like birds among the coral trees. At last, after frequent stoppages, to allow time for ad- miration, we reached the outer reef, hauled the boat up and made her fast, and, in bathing shoes, started on a paddling expedition. Such a paddle it was, too, over the coral, the surf breaking far above our heads, and the underflow, though only a few inches deep, nearly carrying me and the chil- dren off our legs ! There were one or two native fishermen walking along the reef, whipping the water ; but they ap- peared to have caught only a few small rock-fish, pretty enough to look at, but not apparently good to eat. The shades of night compelled us to return to the yacht, laden with corals of many different species. After dinner the bay was illuminated by the torches of the native fisher- men, in canoes, on the reef Tom and I went to look at them, but did not see them catch anything. Each canoe contained at least three people, one of whom propelled the boat, another stood up waving about a torch dipped in some resinous substance, which threw a strong light on the water, while the third stood in the bows, armed with a spear, made of a bundle of wires, tied to a long pole, not at all unlike a gigantic egg-whip, with all its loops cut into points. This is aimed with great dexterity at the fish, who are either transfixed or jammed between the prongs. The fine figures of the natives, lighted up by the flickering torches, and standing out in bold relief against the dark blue star- lit sky, would have served as models for the sculptors of ancient Greece. Sunday, December ^rd. — At a quarter to five this morn- ing some of us landed to see the market, this being the great day when the natives come in from the country and surrounding villages, by sea and by land, in boats, or on horseback, to sell their produce, and buy necessaries for the coming week. We walked through the shady streets A PARADISE OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS. a3» to the two covered market buildings, partitioned across with great bunches of oranges, plantains, and many- coloured vegetables, hung on strings. The mats, beds, and pillows still lying about suggested the idea that the sales- men and women had pa«sed the night amongst their wares. The gaily attired, good-looking, flower-decorated crowd, of some seven or eight hundred people, all chatting and laughing, and some staring at us — but not rudely looked much more like a chorus of opera-singers, dressed for their parts in some grand spectacle, than ordinary market-going peasants. Whichever way one turned, the prospect was an animated and attractive one. Here, beneath the shade of large, smooth, light-green banana leaves, was a group of earnest bargainers for mysterious- looking fish, luscious fruit, and vegetables ; there, sheltered by a drooping mango, whose rich clusters of purple and orange fruit hung in tempting proximity to lips and hands, another little crowd was similarly engaged. Orange-trees were evidently favourite rendezvous ; and a row of flower- sellers had established themselves in front of a hedge of scarlet hibiscus and double Cape jasmine. Every vendor carried his stock-in-trade, however small the articles composing it might be, on a bamboo pole, across his shoulder, occasionally with rather ludicrous effect, as, for instance, when the thick but light pole supported only a tiny fish six inches long at one end, and two mangoes at the other. Everybody seemed to have brought to market just what he or she happened to have on hand, however small the quantity. The women would have one, two, or three new-laid eggs in a leaf basket, one crab or lobster, three or four prawns, or one little trout. Under these cir- cumstances, marketing for so large a party as ours was a somewhat lengthy operation, and I was much amused in watching our proveedor, as he went about collecting things by ones and twos, until he had piled a little cart quite full, and had had it pushed off to the shady quay. I 332 THE QUEEN'S BROTHER. Wc strolled about until six o'clock, at which hour thr purchasers began to disperse, and were just preparing to depart likewise, when an old man, carrying half-a-dozen little fish, and followed by a small boy laden with vege- tables and fruit, introduced himself to us as the brother-in- law of Queen Pomare IV. and chief of Papeete, and, after a short talk, invited us to visit him at his house. We con- sented, and, following him, presently reached a break in the hedge and ditch that ran along the side of the road, beyond which was a track, bordered by pineapples and dracaenas, leading to a superior sort of house, built in the native style, and surrounded, as usual, by bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, 3' Vs. banana, mango, and guava trees. We were conducted into the one large room, which contained two four- post bedsteads and four mattresses, laid on the floor, two or three trunks, and a table in the corner, on which were writing mate- rials and a few books. The chief himself spoke a very little English, his son an equally small amount of French ; so the conversation languished, and after a decent interval we rose to depart. Our host asked if he might ' come and see my ship,' and procured pen, ink, and paper— not of the best quality —for me to write an order for him do so, ' in case lady not at home.' He also presented me with some pictures of soldiers, drawn by his son a boy about eleven years old, of whom he seemed very proud, and expressed his regret that we could not prolong our stay, at the same time placing at our disposal the whole house and garden, including a fat sow and eleven little pigs. CbsBtodoa Piagmauce. /I NATIVE CHURCH. 333 Several other visitors had arrived by this time, one of whom was on horseback, and, as I was rather tired, he was asked if he would kindly allow me to ride down to the land- ing place. He replied that he would lend the horse to a gentleman, but not to me, as the saddle was not suitable. 1 explained that this made no difference to me, and mounted, though I did not attempt to follow the fashion of the native ladies here, who ride like men. Our new friend was quite delighted at this, and volunteered himself to show us something of the neighbourhood. Accordingly, leading my — or rather his — horse, and guiding him care- fully over all the rough places, he took us through groves and gardens to the grounds belonging to the royal famil)-, in which were plantations of various kinds of trees, and a thick undergrowth of guava. After an enjoyable little expedition we returned to the yacht at about half-past seven, accompanied by the small boy who had been carrying our special purchases from the market all this time, and by a little tail of followers. At half-past eight we breakfasted, so as to be ready for the service at the native church at ten o'clock ; but several visitors arrived in the interval, and we had rather a bustle to get off in time, after all. We landed close to the church, under the shade of an hibiscus, whose yellow and orange flowers dropped off into the sea and floated away amongst the coral rocks, peeping out of the water here and there. The building appeared (o be full to overflowing. The windows and doors were all wide open, and many members of the congregation were seated on the steps, on the lawn, and on the grassy slope beyond, listening to a discourse in the native language. Most of the people wore the native costume, which, especially when made of black stuff and .surmounted by a little sailor's hat, decorated with a bandana handkerchief or a wreath of flowers, was very becoming. Sailors' hats are universally worn, and are generally made by the natives themselves from plantain 234 MANNEKS AND CUSTOMS. or palm leaves, or from the inside fibre of the arrowroot. Some rather elderlj' men and women in tlie front rows were taking notes of the sermon. I found aftervvards that they belonged to the Bible class, and that their s^reat pride was to meet after the service and repeat by heart nearly all they had heard. This seems to show at least a desire to profit by the minister's efforts. After the usual service there were two christenings. The babies were held at the font by the men, who looked extremely sheepish. One baby was grandly attired in a book-muslin dress, with flounces, a tail at least six feet long dragging on the ground, and a lace cap wiih cherry- coloured bows ; the other was nearh' as .sin.ir% in a white- worked long frock and cap, trimmed with blue bows. The christenings over, there was a hymn, somewhat monotonous as to time a- tune, but sung with much fervour, followed by the administration of the sacrament, in which cocoa-nut milk took the place of wine, and bread-fruit that of bread. The proper elements were originally used, but experience proved that, although the bread went nnind pretty well, the cup was almost invariably emptied by the first two or three communicants, sometimes with unfortunate results. After service we drove through the shady avenues of the town into the open country, past trim little villas and sugar-cane plantations, until we turned off the main road, and entered an avenue ot mangoes, whence a rough road, cut through a guava thicket, leads to the main gate of Fa.itaua '—a regular square Indian bungalow, with thatched roofs, verandahs covered with creepers, windows opening to the ground, and steps leading to the gardens on ever)- side, ample accommodation for stables, kitchens, servants, being provided in numerous outbuildings. Soon after breakfast, IVIrs. Brander dressed me in one of her own native costumes, and we drove to the outskirts of a dense forest, through which a footpath leads to the ' 'Fuatawah ' or ' Faataua,' to make friends. // WOODLAND WALK, 335 waterfall and fort of Faataua. Here we found horses waititv^' for us, on whiVh \vc nnlc, accompanied by the gentlemen on foot, through a thick growth of palms, orangc-trccs, guavas. and other tropical trees, some uf which were overhung and alm