Brazil, the Amazons and the coast .. . have delighted init! Ships are picturesque everywhere, but in Rio harborthey are supremely so. I know not if it be the limpid water,or the background of hazy mountains, or an indescribablesomething in the air; but there are no other ships like these ;not even on the Hudson, where the sloops and schooners areall enchanted. There are monitors—expensive toys of theBrazilian Government, which does not need them at all—andgunboats, and war-steamers ; English ships, French, Portu-guese, German ; rarely, one that carries the American flag, SOCIAL LIFE AT RIO. 45
Brazil, the Amazons and the coast .. . have delighted init! Ships are picturesque everywhere, but in Rio harborthey are supremely so. I know not if it be the limpid water,or the background of hazy mountains, or an indescribablesomething in the air; but there are no other ships like these ;not even on the Hudson, where the sloops and schooners areall enchanted. There are monitors—expensive toys of theBrazilian Government, which does not need them at all—andgunboats, and war-steamers ; English ships, French, Portu-guese, German ; rarely, one that carries the American flag, SOCIAL LIFE AT RIO. 459 though many belong to American merchants, and are com-manded by American masters. To return to the city. Rio is a great, sprawHng, shape-less place; the main business part is pretty compact, butbeyond, there are spider-like prolongations along the shoreson either side, and back among the picturesque valleys tothe very feet of Corcovado and Tijuca. Perhaps the prettiestof these suburbs is Botafogo. It is built along the shores of. Up the Bay. one of those picturesque side-bays that open into the har-bor of Rio ; a placid stretch of clear water, with rocky head-lands here and there, and a broad sand-beach, and theSugar-loaf rock in the background. Some years ago, an en-terprising American conceived the idea of uniting this placeto the Ouvidor, by a street-railroad. At that time, peoplewho could not afford a carriage of their own, must ride indirty, crowded omnibuses, or go on foot, as the most of themdid. The Yankee idea was received with favor and opposi-tion, in about equal measure ; however, it was carried out,and now the Botafogo line is probably the finest of its kindin the world ; the stock three or four hundred per cent. 46o BRAZIL, above par, and not to be had at that.* Since this one wasbuilt, street-railroads have risen in favor; many other linesare in operation, but none so successful as the first. In Botafogo, nearly all the houses are of the better class ;srome
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbrazild, bookyear1879
