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page 325 ---flowers---geology---Mogy
das Cruces---hospitality---
At the time we passed through them, however, these plains seemed to be
poor in animals, particularly insects. The mountain consists of gneiss,
sometimes with much black shorl. Before we reached Mogy
das Cruces, a small village about two miles from Tarumá,
we saw, in many places, a
On the road to Sao Paulo, near Mogy das Cruces
reddish sandstone, which alternates with layers
of clay. We  gradually descended considerably, and at the bottom came to
the river Tieté, the dark brown water of which flows here much more slowly than farther
to the northwest, where it has many falls, till its junction with the Rio Paraná. At Mogy we were received
with much cordiality and kindness by the capitão.
These good people entertained ideas of the Germans similar to those that
the Greeks formerly had of the Hyperboreans.
They were therefore interested, not only by the distance of our northern
country, but by our external appearance. The female part of the family
examined our dress with the simplicity and grace peculiar to the Paulistas,
praising the fairness of our complexions, which is much admired here.
page 326 ---snake bite remedy---Sao
Paulo---
A workman belonging to this family had been bitten
a few days before by a venomous serpent (schiraraca)
and died of the wound. A vial of eau de luce, which we left in
this hospitable house as a remedy against similar accidents, obtained
us blessings from the whole family. The country about Mogy is already pretty well cultivated; but the want of labourers, which has
been partly caused by the march of the militia to the south, seems to
be at present very sensibly felt.
On the last day of the year, after we had passed a wood, and a desolate  tract of meadow ground which was for the most part swampy, and a pretty
country house, called Caza Pintada, three leagues and a half [ten and a half miles]
from the capital , we beheld before us, from the eminence of Nossa
Senhora da Penha, the city of S.
Paulo, standing upon a hill in a plain, which is partly covered
with bushes or groves. Several large buildings give it, on this side,
a very grand appearance; the most remarkable are --- the residence of the
governor, formerly the Jesuits' college; the Carmelite convent; and the episcopal palace. When we arrived in the city, we found, by the kind attention
of one of our countrymen, a house ready for our reception, and fitted
up as well as circumstances permitted.
City of Sao Paulo
page 327
Mr. Daniel Peter Muller, Lieut.-colonel in the Royal Portuguese Engineers,
whose father was the first clergyman of the Protestant German congregation,
and afterwards secretary to the Society of Sciences at Lisbon,
has retained, though brought up in Portugal from his earliest youth, the most affectionate regard for his original
countrymen, and received us with a German cordiality and friendship which
could not fail immediately to inspire us with the sincerest esteem and
gratitude, sentiments which we feel peculiar pleasure in being able thus
publicly to acknowledge.
 
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.........
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