closer inspection.  Along the finely-curved
shore, for the more than a mile, stretched a line
of lovely villas , each standing in its garden;
and the glare of the sun, broken by a row of
dark, thick-foliaged mango-trees, the fruit
yet hanging young and green amid the leaves.
Whichever way we turned we literally found
ourselves in one of nature's paradises. Sun
and breeze played on the broad waters; and
the distant city wore its brightest look. As
we here sauntered along, one pleasant house
after another gave us glimpses into the
gardens behlnd, and the forest hills which
overlooked them. These villas are generally
built with a forecourt, or screen, on columns,
through which you catch a, glimpse of statues,
fountains, and garden seclusions of the most
inviting description. We followed a quiet
lane leading beyond the village of St.
Domingo, and soon found ourselves in a region of
wooded hills, and valleys running every
way amongst them, in which stood other
isolated country houses amid their orange
groves, interspersed with lofty clumps of
cocoa-nut palms, and the broad waving
boughs of the verdurous bananas. Here,
sloped down green crofts from the woods,
and here, over hot and sunny swells, spread
fragrant plantations of pine-apples, many of
them golden with ripeness, and gushing with
their fruity aroma. Solitary winding lanes
and little footpaths teeming with the most
prodigal vegetation, all new to our eyes, all
studded with gorgeous flowers—Thunbergias,
Paullinias, and still more brilliant, but to us
unknown species — all speaking of tropical
grace and luxuriance, led us between these
different estates to still new scenes of retired
beauty. At one moment we heard the distant
roar of the ocean, and caught a sight of
its flashing billows; at another, we were
gazing up into steep hills buried in a perfect
chaos of hanging boughs and blossoms. The
figures of the negro labourers at work on the
plantations, or bringing baskets piled with
fruit down from the hills; the women washing
by some old shadowy well, or spreading
out their linen on the grass in embowered
orchards, completed the tropical character of
scene. The huge cactus—a perfect tree
in size, the intense colour of the flowers on
the wild bushes, or growing under their shade
—blue, and scarlet, and orange—and the
brilliant deep-blue butterflies, large as your
outspread hand, and some of them having
their wings studded, as it were, with jewels
—the largest and most magnificent creatures
of their species in the world were all
evidences of the affluent nature of the Brazils.
Reluctantly we turned away from those
elegant abodes, with their delicately tinted
walls; theirvivid frescoes, and their broad,
shady verandahs, trellised with clambering
vines; from the overshadowed cottage, whence
came the sound of music and of a pleasant
voice; from the open windows, at which sate
dark-eyed but delicately-featured maidens;
and we again issued into the hot sun of the
least shaded street of Praia Grande, where
the negro was sweltering and singing under
his load;  where knots of old black women
sat on the scorching, dusty pavement, amidst
their baskets of bananas and oranges; where
dead fish almost seethed in the lazy waves
that brought them to the shore; where negro
brats tumbled about in the dust, without
any superfluity of raiment; and where, finally,
the steamboat came puffing up, to carry us
back to town.

The land breeze, next morning, at six o'clock,
bore us out to sea; and thus terminated
our two days in Rio —two of the
pleasantest, sunniest,most fragrant and golden
days that we ever spent in any quarter of
the world.

But others of our fellow-travellers had their
two days, as well as ourselves. Why not?
And four clever youths spent them as fast
young Britons often do on such occasions.
For them, the Hotel Pharoux spread its
beds on the floor of the lofty lumber-room,
and its table in the lofty saloon; for them,
a splendid carriage, drawn by four spirited
mules, and driven by a splendid Jehu, in
bright blue uniform, and cocked hat, and
feather-bush, like any field-marshal, whirled
them to all the wonders of the place; for
them, the palms of the botanic garden waved
over a champagne luncheon al fresco; for
them, the Signora Castillioné trilled, at the
opera, her most entrancing airs; and foreign
friends, most cordial and kind, most
moustachioed and mellifluous, started, as it were,
out of the ground, and supped and sung with
them at the delightful Hotel Pharoux.

" At six o'clock, gentlemen, on the second
morning," said the captain, before leaving the
ship, " I set sail positively."  At eight o'clock,
on the second morning, the four jovial youths
woke up, looked out, and saw no ship! Rapid
was the race to the quay. " A boat! a boat!
twenty pounds for a boat! "—the cry of the
old Thames parrot —was heard once more on
the strand of Rio. A score of boats, manned
with two score of negroes, dashed their bows
together on the beach. Away flew two of
them with our heroes, negroes pulling, sails
bending to the breeze. Was it a day or an
age that that chace after the missing ship
endured? Ten long miles the sons of Congo
pulled, and still no ship. Yes! there she is!
—but, to the pursuers' eyes, with all canvas
stretched, and running before the breeze. It
was not so, however; for British captains have
bowels of compassion. We lay to, with sails
backed, and waiting in impatient patience.

As the boats came dashing up, what rows
of merry faces, peering over the tall ship's
side!  What kind greetings!   "What!  so
soon? " " How are all friends in Rio?"

Silent, sullen, and angry, mount the delinquents
and are received amid the sharp
raillery of more prudent men. Reader!
didst thou ever see a picture of the Prodigal