It rarely happens that a person is so lucky as to enjoy, immediately on his arrival, so beautiful and extensive a view as fell to my lot; fogs, clouds, or a hazy state of the atmosphere, very often conceal certain portions, and thus disturb the wonderful impression of the whole. Whenever this is the case, I would advise every one, who intends stopping any time in Rio Janeiro, to take a boat, on a perfectly clear day, as far as Santa Cruz, in order to behold this peculiarly beautiful prospect.
It was almost dark before we reached the place of anchorage. We were first obliged to stop at Santa Cruz to have the ship’s papers examined, and then appear before an officer, who took from us our passports and sealed letters; then before a surgeon, who inspected us to see that we had not brought the plague or yellow fever; and lastly, before another officer, who took possession of different packets and boxes, and assigned us the spot to anchor in.
It was now too late for us to land, and the captain alone proceeded on shore. We, however, remained for a long time on deck, contemplating the magnificent picture before us, until both land and sea lay shrouded in night.
With a light heart did we all retire to rest; the goal of our long voyage had been attained without any misfortune worthy of being mentioned. A cruel piece of intelligence was in store for the poor tailor’s wife alone; but the good captain did not break it to her today, in order to let her enjoy an undisturbed night’s rest. As soon as the tailor heard that his wife was really on her passage out, he ran off with a negress, and left nought behind but—debts.
The poor woman had given up a sure means of subsistence in her native land (she supported herself by cleaning lace and ladies’ apparel), and had devoted her little savings to pay the expenses of her voyage, and all to find herself deserted and helpless in a strange hemisphere. [{14}]
From Hamburgh to Rio Janeiro is about 8,750 miles.
CHAPTER II. ARRIVAL AND SOJOURN IN RIO JANEIRO.
INTRODUCTION—ARRIVAL—DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN—THE BLACKS AND THEIR RELATIONS TO THE WHITES—ARTS AND SCIENCES—FESTIVALS OF THE CHURCH—BAPTISM OF THE IMPERIAL PRINCESS—FETE IN THE BARRACKS—CLIMATE AND VEGETATION—MANNERS AND CUSTOMS—A FEW WORDS TO EMIGRANTS.
I remained in Rio Janeiro above two months, exclusive of the time devoted to my different excursions into the interior of the country; it is very far from my intention, however, to tire the reader with a regular catalogue of every trifling and ordinary occurrence. I shall content myself with describing the most striking features in the town, and likewise in the manners and customs of the inhabitants, according to the opportunities I possessed during my stay to form an opinion of them. I shall then give an account of my various excursions in an Appendix, and afterwards resume the thread of my journal.
It was on the morning of the 17th of September that, after the lapse of nearly two months and a half, I first set foot upon dry land. The captain himself accompanied the passengers on shore, after having earnestly advised each one separately to be sure and smuggle nothing, more especially sealed letters. “In no part of the world,” he assured us, “were the Custom-house officers so strict, and the penalties so heavy.”