We had a long wet walk in the forest; the mosses and ferns being kept
moist and green by the innumerable little 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 bloodhounds formerly used in
hunting the poor Indians.

_Wednesday, August 23rd_.--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 established on the coach, but starting was
quite another matter, for the four white mules resolutely refused to
move, without a vast amount of screaming and shouting and plunging. We
had to pull up once or twice before we got clear of the town, to allow
more passengers to be somehow or other squeezed in, and at each fresh