IN THE CAPITAL
A WEEK after they had left home, the children saw for the first time
the harbour of Rio de Janeiro, the _Icamiaba_ entering the beautiful
bay between the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Fortress of Santa Cruz, in
all the glory of a Brazilian sunset.
[Illustration: "THE CHILDREN SAW FOR THE FIRST TIME THE HARBOUR OF RIO
DE JANEIRO."]
At the left was the curious mountain called _Seria dos Orgaos_, so
named from its resemblance to a church organ. Charming islets dotted
the bay, and orange trees, bananas, always green and loaded with fruit,
and flowers everywhere met the eye.
Mountains seemed to rise from the sea; the cliffs are nearly
perpendicular with scarce a yard of greensward at the water's edge,
and they guard jealously the most beautiful harbour in the world.
Scarcely two ships can enter between the islands marking the entrance
of the bay, which is so narrow that the discoverer thought it a river
and named it "Rio." Within, however, the sheet of water widens until
it is a glorious inner sea, called by the Indians, "Nictheroy"--Hidden
Waters.
The houses of the city, walled in stucco, are of a deep canary yellow
with roofs tiled in deep red, turning to fire beneath the sun's
departing rays.
"How beautiful it is," said the Senhora. "It seems to me my old home
never looked so fair!"
"It is one of the most beautiful places in the world," said her
husband. "See those large buildings, children. That is the Sailors'
Hospital on Ilha da Governador,[11] which was once used as a hunting
preserve by the royal family. It is a beautiful island and many strange
things have happened there. One was the death of the founder of the
city, Estacio de Sa. He was a famous Indian fighter, and here received
a fatal wound from an arrow."
"Something seems to have happened everywhere in Brazil," said Lola.
"How near we are to land."
"Yes," cried her mother. "And there is your uncle waving his hat upon
the wharf. Martim is with him! He sees us! Wave to him, daughter!" and
the usually calm Senhora, flushed and excited, waved her handkerchief,
smiling happily.
"I have not seen you look so gay for many months," said her husband,
and she replied, "It is so long since I have seen my dear old home and
my own people!"
Soon the ship was made fast, and the children stepped off the gang
plank to be greeted warmly by the uncle whom they had not seen since
Lola was a baby, and the cousin whom they had never seen before.
"Your Aunt Luiza and Maria are anxiously awaiting you at home," he
said. "Here is the carriage, so we will hasten."
"Drive through the Street do Ouvidor, papa, will you not?" asked
Martim. "It is so gay with the French shops, my cousins will enjoy it."
Martim was a handsome boy of twelve, with a bright, pleasant face, an
only child, for the Senhor and Senhora Lopez had lost all their other
children in an epidemic of yellow fever some years before.
"What are those men doing with long poles over their shoulders," asked
Lola, pointing to several men who carried bamboo rods with baskets hung
at the ends.
"They are fish and vegetable vendors," Martim replied. "Some of
those baskets weigh over a hundred pounds. Those other men with the
gaily-painted tin trunks on their backs peddle clothing."
"They make a lot of noise," said Affonzo.
"Yes, they warn people they are coming by clapping together two pieces
of wood fastened to their hands by a leather strap," said his cousin.
"Oh! What a beautiful statue!" cried Lola.
"That is the Emperor Dom Pedro I," said her uncle. "It was made by a
noted French sculptor and represents the Emperor shouting the Brazilian
watch word 'Independencia ou morte.'[12] Here we are at home!" as the
carriage turned into a broad street on either side of which were old
fashioned houses with broad verandas and red and white blinds. "There
is Aunt Luiza waiting to welcome you!"
The children jumped out of the carriage and ran to meet their aunt, who
kissed them warmly and drew forward a tall girl of ten, who looked
pale and sad. Her hair was very light, her eyes deep blue, and she was
a great contrast to black-eyed, brown-cheeked Lola.
"This is Maria, your North American cousin," said their aunt, and Lola
kissed her warmly on either cheek.
"We are so glad to have you come," she said. "And my mother is going
to take you home with us for a nice long visit. I have always wanted a
sister, so let us play we are sisters."
Maria kissed her and smiled, while Aunt Luiza said, "Come, children, it
is very late; dinner is waiting and then all you little folk must get
to bed early so you will be ready for to-morrow. There are ever so many
things for you to see."
Early next day the four cousins set out for a morning's sight-seeing,
accompanied by their Uncle Hilario. The Senhor Lopez was one of those
rare men who are really fond of children, and he enjoyed their society.
Most of the streets of the city have no curbing, and the children had
to be careful lest they be run down by passing carriages.
Their uncle decided first to take them to the famous Botanical Gardens
and as they entered the main gateway, they saw the avenue of fine royal
palms.
"The avenue is almost half a mile long," said the Senhor. "And the
trees are a hundred feet high."
"Aren't they fine," said Affonzo. "They are the tallest palms I ever
saw."
"They meet together at the top and form a regular archway the whole
length of the walk," said Martim.
"What is that very high mountain?" asked Lola.
"That is the Corcovado, and some day we shall go over there and ascend
it," said Martim. "We shall have to start very early in the morning,
for it is a long trip."
"Here comes Doctor Barbosa, papa," said Martim. "I wonder if he will go
around the gardens with us."
"Perhaps he will, if he is not too busy. If he does, he can tell you
all about the trees and flowers for he has explored the country along
the Amazon and knows all about the Brazilian flora."
As the Senhor spoke, Doctor Barbosa came up smiling, for he and Senhor
Lopez were old friends.
"You have quite a bevy of little folk with you to-day," he said
pleasantly.
"This is my nephew, Affonzo Diaz, Doctor Barbosa," said the Senhor.
"And these girls are my nieces, Charlotta and Maria. Of course you know
Martim."
"I am very glad to see you all," said the doctor with a smile.
"This is the first visit of Affonzo and his sister to our city," said
Senhor Lopez.
"Indeed," replied the doctor. "I really think then that you should let
me help show them around the gardens. I have a few moments of leisure
just now, that I will be glad to devote to you."
"That will be delightful," said the Senhor. "You know so much about
this place and I so little that I am sure the children will much prefer
you as a guide." Bowing in appreciation of the compliment, the doctor
led the party down the avenue.
"These gardens," he said, pointing down across the avenue, "as you see,
are on the border of a large sheet of water. That is called the Lagoa
de Rodrigo Freitas, and is separated from the sea only by a narrow
strip of sand."
"What are those crooked, twisted trees," asked Lola, as they passed
into another long avenue.
"They are mangoes. They are not very handsome to look at, but you know
what delicious fruit they bear."
"Indeed I do," said Lola.
"This," said the doctor, pointing to a tall palm beside the pathway,
"is a Bahia palm. It is from trees of this kind that your brooms and
brushes at home are made."
Next they saw the great candelabra tree.
"It looks," said Maria, "as if it were already to be lighted for
church, doesn't it?"
"See the beautiful grove of orange trees," said the Senhor.
"Oh yes," said Affonzo. "And the trees have both fruit and blossoms on
them."
"That is not at all uncommon with many of our tropical fruit trees,"
said Doctor Barbosa.
"Many of the trees here," he continued, "are useful for other purposes
than fruit-bearing. There is the cow tree over yonder. Its sap looks
like milk, and when exposed to the air is soon changed to glue, and
from this a useful cement is made."
As the party approached a little lake in the centre of the gardens,
they saw a small eight-sided pavilion. On its top was a bust.
"Whose statue is that?" asked Affonzo.
"If you will step closer, you can read the inscription on the tablet,"
said the doctor. "And that will answer your question."
"To the Memory of Friar Leandro do Sacramento of the
Order of Carmelites, a graduate in the natural sciences
at the University of Coimbra, first professor of botany
in the School of Medicine in Rio, and first technical
director of the Botanical Gardens."
"If I can do as much for this beautiful park as Friar Leandro did, I
shall be content," said Doctor Barbosa.
"What a magnificent palm that is!" said the Senhor Lopez, as they
turned from the pavilion and came in sight of an unusually tall tree.
"Yes," said the doctor, "that is a royal palm, over one hundred and
twenty-five feet high. The seed is said to have been brought here by a
Portuguese naval officer who escaped from prison on the Isle de France.
It was planted with great care by the regent, Dom Joao himself, and
here is the splendid result. I am sorry that I must leave you now, but
you must come again to see the gardens."
"Thank you very much for all that you have shown us," said Affonzo, and
all the children chorused, "Thank you very much."
"It is past noon and we ought to be at home now," said the Senhor
looking at his watch.
"I believe I am hungry," said Martim, "though I hadn't thought about it
before."
So they all went back to the house with appetites such as the balmy air
of Rio gives to young and vigorous boys and girls.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 11: Governor's Island.]
[Footnote 12: Independence or death.]