Picturesque hills, adorned with chapels and detached houses, rise on each side, and immediately beyond are considerable mountain ranges, spreading in a semi-circle round the valley, while a lovely island forms a most beautiful foreground to the whole.
We had scarcely landed before the captain informed us that we must stop for at least five days.

The Italians, one of the Frenchmen, and myself determined that we would take advantage of this delay to make an excursion to St.Paulo, the largest inland town of the Brazils, and about forty miles from Santos.

The same evening we hired mules, for which we paid five milreis (10s.

10d.) each, and set out upon our trip.
15th December.

Early in the morning, we armed ourselves with well- charged double-barrelled pistols, having been alarmed by accounts of the Maroon negroes, {55} about a hundred of whom were said to be at that time lurking in the mountains, and to be so daring that they extended their inroads as far as the vicinity of Santos itself.
The first eight miles led through the valley to the lofty range of mountains which we had to cross.