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, we 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'hôte
dinner, and it continued to pour with rain during the whole evening,
only clearing up just at bed-time.

_Tuesday, August 29th_.--After all the fine weather we have had
lately, it was provoking to find, on getting up this morning, that the
rain still came steadily down. Daylight enabled us to see what 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 introduction! The situation
and gardens are good; it contains among other luxuries a