Original. RIO DE JANEIRO. BY D. P. KIDDER. - higher conceptions of the power and greatness of the Creater. Does the atheist here presume to mock at Him who "brought forth the mountains?" The Sugar Loaf, Comparative importance of the city-Position of the harbor the Corcovado, the Gavia, and their neighboring heights, Character of the scenery-Aspect and summary view of the frown upon him in awful majesty, and the tall Organ town-Its inhabitants-First settlement by the French-Disas- peaks, which skirt the northern horizon, point to trous issue-Contests between the Portuguese and French-heaven in silent but emphatic rebuke. Does he desire Founding of St. Sebastian-Melancholy specimen of intoler ance. to have his dark mind illuminated by some faint similitude of the "light inapproachable,” in which Jehovah RIO DE JANEIRO, like but few other cities, is at once dwells? Let him open his eyes upon the resplendence the commercial emporium and the political capital of of a vertical sun, enhanced by an atmosphere of unriits nation. While Brazil embraces a greater territorial valed transparency, and multiplied by a thousand redominion than any other country of the New World, flections from the mirrored waters, the white sanded together with natural advantages second to those of but beach, the polished foliage, and the unclouded sky. few countries on the globe, the position, the scenery, Does he wish to obtain an idea of that Being who and the increasing magnitude of its capital, render that "maketh the clouds his chariot, who walketh upon the a metropolis worthy of the empire. Rio de Janeiro is wings of the wind?" Let him listen to the sudden the largest city of South America, and boasts an anti-thunder gust that comes bursting and pealing down quity greater than that of any existing town of this the mountains, or hurrying before the tempest from the republic. sea. Let him gaze upon the blackening heavens rent Just within the borders of the southern torrid zone, with lightnings, and await the clash and conflict of the the harbor on which this city is located opens, by a agitated elements, and he shall shrink within himself, bold and narrow passage, between two granite moun- and ask God to defend him. Thenceforward, with the tains, into the wide rolling Atlantic. Its entrance is so Christian, he may see the propriety and beauty of the safe to the navigator as to render the guidance of a exclamations of the Psalmist, "Praise ye the Lord pilot unnecessary. So commanding, however, is the from the heavens, praise him in the heights, praise ye position of the fortresses at the mouth of that harbor, him sun and moon, praise him all ye stars of light! and upon its islands and heights, as, if properly con- Fire and hail, stormy wind, fulfilling his word, mounstructed, and efficiently manned, to defy the hostile in-tains, and all hills, fruitful trees, and all cedars, kings gress of the proudest navies of the globe. Quietly retired within a circle of mountains lies this magnificent bay of Nitherohy, or the Hidden Water. Here the wanderer of the seas may moor his bark upon a sure anchorage within hearing of the roar of the ocean surf, but safe from its agitation. Around him ride the flag-ships of England, of France, of the United States, and sometimes those of Russia, of Portugal, and of Austria. A short distance farther to leeward lies the merchant fleet, combining a still greater variety of flags, and indicating a diversity of interests as wide as the space that separates their several nations. Liberty can scarcely afford greater delight to the prisoner, nor home to the exile, than does the sight of land to the tempest-tossed voyager. When the broad blue circle of sea and sky which has for days and weeks, and perhaps months encompassed his vision, is at length broken by a shore, even though that shore be barren and desolate, every object upon it is invested with surpassing interest. The very ice mountains of the Arctics are robed with charms when thus viewed, free from apprehensions of danger. How much more the scenery of tropics, with its towering and crested palms, its golden fruits, and its giant vegetation arrayed in fadeless green. of the earth, and all people, both young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name is alone excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven." The aspect which Rio de Janeiro presents to the beholder bears no resemblance to the compacted brick walls, the dingy roofs, the tall chimnies, and the generally even sites of our northern cities. The surface of the town is diversified by several ranges of hills which shoot off in irregular spurs from the neighboring mountains, leaving between them flat intervals of greater or less width. Along the bases of these hills and up their sides stand rows of buildings whose whitened walls and red tiled roofs, are both in happy contrast with the deep green of the foliage that always surrounds and often embowers them. Upon the most prominent height, the Morro do Castello, which directly overlooks the mouth of the harbor, stands the tall signal staff on which a telegraph announces the nation, class, and position of every vessel that appears in the offing. Passing above this to a parallel between the Ponta do Calabouso, and the Ilha das Cobras, the older and denser part of the town appears in sight. Adopting the phraseology of the country, this might be denominated the city of palaces. The emperor has two-the first immediately in front of the general land The first entrance of an individual into such a harbor as that of Rio de Janeiro deserves to form an era in his existence; for he must be a dull observer of nature who would not thenceforward cherish sublimer views of the beauty and variety of creation, as well as || imagined resemblance to a human hand. * They are sometimes called the finger mountains, from their accomplish their task of delineating the present, without throwing in some sketches of the history of the past as introductory to the scenes and events which they may have witnessed. ing place, which was anciently occupied by the vice-woe, involves the deepest interest. And there are but roys of Portugal, but is now only occasionally occupied few travelers who do not feel that they can but poorly by the emperor on gala or court days-the second and more splendid one, is about five miles distant, in a suburb denominated St. Christopher's. In this the imperial family have their permanent residence. A bird's eye view of the whole metropolis will bring to our ob- The first settlement in this harbor was commenced servation also the palace of the National Assembly or by the French as early as 1555. The leader of the House of Deputies, the palace of the Senate, the pal-expedition was Nicholas Durand de Villegagnon, a acete of the Campo da Honra, the palace of the Munici- man of considerable abilities and of some distinction in pality, and the palace of the Diocesan Bishop. Among the French naval service. This individual had the other important edifices are the Naval and Military address, in the outset, to secure the patronage of CoArsenals and Academies, Quarters for troops, the Cus- ligny, the admiral of France, an illustrious statesman tom House and Consulado, offices of the National and distinguished friend of the Protestants. He proGovernment and of the Police, Prisons, and Halls of posed to found an asylum for the persecuted Huguenots. Justice, an ancient College of the Jesuits, now con- The admiral's influence secured to him a respectable verted into an Academy of Medicine, an Academy of number of colonists. The French court was disposed the Fine Arts, a National Library, and a National to view with no small satisfaction the plan of founding Museum. a colony after the example of the Portuguese and Spaniards. For religious purposes there are three monasteries and two nunneries, an imperial chapel, a cathedral, about forty churches and chapels of various names and magnitude, two public and three private hospitals, and two cemeteries. Henry II., the reigning king, furnished three small vessels, of which Villegagnon took the command, and sailed from Havre de Grace. A gale of wind occurred while they were yet on the coast, and obliged them to put into Dieppe, which they accomplished with considerable difficulty. By this time many of the artificers, sea, and abandoned the expedition as soon as they got on shore. To this desertion its ultimate failure may in a great measure be imputed. Where the surface admits of it, the city is regularly divided by streets, and traverses at right angles; but in many places along the sea beach, and the decliv-soldiers, and noble adventurers, had become sick of the ities of hills, there is only room for a single winding street. In a very airy portion of the town, fully open to the regular sea breezes, lies the Passeio Publico, or public promenade, a spot adorned and beautified according to its importance as a general resort for recreation. Several squares, or commons, of different dimensions, also appear in other parts of the town. Fountains are met with in every direction, some of them beautifully constructed with façades of granite. These supply all the inhabitants with pure and running water, brought by acqueducts from the adjacent mountains. After a long and miserable voyage Villegagnon entered the Bay of Nitherohy, and commenced fortifying a small island near the entrance, now denominated Lage, and occupied by a fort. His fortress, however, being of wood, could not resist the action of the water at flood tide, and he was obliged to remove farther upward to an island now called Villegagnon, where he built a fort, at first named in honor of his patron, CoFrom the central portion of the city, the suburbs ligny. This expedition was well planned, and the extend about four miles in each of three principal direc-place for a colony fitly chosen. The native tribes were tions. Within this wide extent are the residences and the business establishments of the different classes and individuals that compose a population of two hundred thousand. Here dwell a large part of the nobility of the nation, and, for a considerable portion of the year, the representatives of the different provinces, the ministers of state, the foreign ambassadors and consuls, and a commingled populace of native Brazilians and foreigners, including, among other kindreds and tongues, those of the China-man, the African, and the aboriginal South American. But what, in the popular estimation, confers greatest distinction upon Rio, is the residence in it of the young emperor, Don Pedro II., and his imperial sisters, Donna Januaria and Donna Francisca. This family unites the royal blood of Portugal and of Austria, and is assuredly heir to a peculiar destiny. After all that we can say of the natural scenery and the beauties of art abounding in any country, it must be confessed that human existence, with its weal or hostile to the Portuguese, but had long traded amicably with the French. Some hundreds of them assembled on the shore at the arrival of the vessels, kindled bonfires in token of their joy, and offered every thing they possessed to these allies, who had come to defend them against the Portuguese. Such a reception inspired the French with the idea that the continent was already their own, and they denominated it La France Antarctique. On the return of the vessels to Europe for a new supply of colonists, a considerable zeal was awakened for the establishment of the reformed religion in these remote parts. The Church of Geneva became interested in the object, and sent two ministers and fourteen students, who determined to brave all the hardships of an unknown climate, and of a new mode of life, in the cause. As the situation of the Protestants in France was any thing but happy, the combined motive of seeking deliverance from oppression, and the advancement of their faith, appears to have pre vailed extensively, and induced many to embark. One chew. Carguilleray du Pont, our leader, holding out writer remarks, "There was, therefore, every reason to one day a piece in his mouth, said to me, with a deep hope that the reformation would take root here, and fill sigh, 'Alas! my friend, I have due to me in France the south as well as the north with a Protestant peo-the sum of four thousand livres; and would to God ple." But misfortunes seemed to attend every step of that, after giving a discharge for the whole, I held in the enterprise. At Harfleur, the Catholic populace my hand a pennyworth of bread and a single glass of rose against the colonists, and after losing one of their wine!"" Several died of hunger; and they had began best officers in a conflict, the latter were obliged to seek to form the resolution of devouring each other, when safety in retreat. They had a tedious voyage, suffer- land appeared in view. They arrived just in time to ing at one time from a violent storm; and having near- undeceive a body of Flemish adventurers ready to ed the Brazilian coast, had a slight encounter with the embark for Brazil, and also about ten thousand FrenchPortuguese. However, they were received by Villegag-men, who would have emigrated, if the object of Conon with apparent cordiality, and effectual operations ligny in founding his colony had not thus wickedly began to be undertaken for their establishment. But it been betrayed. was not long before some untoward circumstances oc- Though the Portuguese were so jealous of the Bracurred which developed the real and villainous charac-zilian trade that they treated all interlopers as pirates, ter of their leader. Villegagnon, under pretense of yet, by some oversight, they permitted this French colchanging his religion, and returning to the true faith, ony to remain four years unmolested; and, had it not commenced a series of persecutions. Those who had been for the treachery of Villegagnon to his own parcome to Antarctic France to enjoy liberty of conscience, ty, Rio de Janeiro would probably have been, at this found their condition worse than before. They were day, the capital of a French colony. subjected to abusive treatment and great hardships. The Jesuits were well aware of this danger, and This unnatural defection consummated the premature Nobrega, their chief and provincial, at length succeeded ruin of the colony. The colonists demanded leave to in rousing the court of Lisbon. A messenger was return, which was granted, but in a vessel so badly fur-commanded to discover the state of the French fortifinished that some refused to embark, and the majority, cations. On the ground of his report, orders were diswho persisted, endured the utmost misery of famine.patched to Mem de Sa Barreto, governor of the colony, Villegagnon had given them a box of letters, wrapped and resident at San Salvador, to attack and expel the in sere cloth, as was the custom. Among them was intruders who remained. Having fitted out two vessels one directed to the chief magistrate of whatever port of war and several merchantmen, the Governor taking they might arrive at, in which this worthy friend of the command in person, embarked, accompanied by the Guises, denounced the men whom he had invited Nobrega as his prime counselor. They appeared off out to Brazil, to enjoy the peaceable exercise of the the bar of Rio early in 1560, with the intention of surreformed religion, as heretics worthy of the stake.prising the island at the dead of night. Being espied The magistrates of Hennebonne, where they landed, by the sentinels, their plan was foiled. The French happened to favor the reformation, and thus the malig- immediately made ready for defense, forsook their ships, nity of Villegagnon was frustrated, and his treachery and with eight hundred native archers, retired to their exposed. Of those who had feared to trust themselves forts. to a vessel so badly stored, and so unfit for the voyage, three were put to death by this persecutor. Others of the Huguenots fled from him to the Portuguese, where they were compelled to apostatize, and profess a religion which they disbelieved. Mem de Sa now discovered that he was in want of canoes and small craft, and of men who knew the harbor. Nobrega was sent to San Vicente to solicit the requisite aid. He soon dispatched a fleet of canoes and boats, manned by Portuguese, Mamalucos, and natives-men who knew the coast, and who were inured to warfare with the Tupinambas and the Tamoyos, tribes allied to the French. With this reinforcement Mem de Sa won the landing place, and routing the French from their most important holds, so intimidated them that, under cover of the night, they fled, some to their ships, and some to the main land. To illustrate the extremity to which those on their homeward voyage were reduced by famine, we give the words of one of the sufferers: "After having devoured all the leather in our vessel, even to the covering of the trunks, we thought ourselves approaching to the last moment of our life; but necessity suggested to some one the idea of pursuing the rats and mice; and we had the greater hope of taking them easily, The Portuguese not being strong enough to keep because, having no more crumbs, nor any thing to the position they had taken, demolished the works, and devour, they ran in great numbers through the vessel, carried off the artillery and stores which they found. dying from hunger. We pursued them so carefully, A short time after this, new wars, made by their native and by so many kinds of snares, that very few re-tribes, broke out against them, and were prosecuted at mained. Even in the night we sought them with our different points with great ferocity for several years. eyes open, like cats. A rat was more valued than an ox on land. The extremity was such that nothing remained but Brazil wood, the dryest of all woods, which many, however, in their despair attempted to In the meantime, the French recovered strength and influence at Rio. Preparations were again made to extirpate them. A party of Portuguese and friendly Indians, under the command of a Jesuit appointed by Nobrega, landed near the base of the Sugar Loaf, and remaining without. The Alcaide then called out to taking a position now known as Praya Vermelha, him, asking who he was, and if he wished to enter. maintained a series of indecisive skirmishes with their The Governor then replied that he was the commander enemies for more than a year. Occasionally, when of that city of St. Sebastian, and that, in the King's successful, they would sing in triumphant hope a verse name, he would come in. The gates were then opened from the Scriptures, saying, "The bows of the mighty in acknowledgment of his authority as commander of are broken," &c. Well might they call the bows of that city and fortress of the King of Portugal. the Tamoyos mighty; for an arrow sent by one of them would fasten a shield to the arm that held it, and sometimes it was passed through the body and continued its way with such force as to pierce a tree, and hang quivering in the trunk. In connection with the event just narrated there remains on record a melancholy proof of the cruelty of intolerance. According to the annals of the Jesuits, Mem de Sa stained the foundations of his city with innocent blood. "Among the Huguenots who had been Nobrega at length came to the camp, and at his sum- compelled to fly from Villegagnon's persecution was mons Mem de Sa again appeared with all the succors one John Boles, a man of considerable learning, being he could raise at San Salvador. All was made ready, well versed both in Greek and Hebrew. Luiz de Gram and the attack deferred forty-eight hours, in order to caused him to be apprehended, with three of his comtake place on St. Sebastian's day. The auspicious rades, one of whom feigned to become a Catholic-the morning came, that of January 20, 1567. The strong-others were cast into prison; and there Boles had rehold of the French was stormed. Not one of the Tamoyos escaped. Two Frenchmen were killed, and five, being made prisoners, were hung, according to the ferocious system of warfare then pursued by the Europeans in America. Another fortification was also carried, but most of the French escaped by means of their vessels in the harbor, leaving their allies in total defeat. mained eight years when he was sent for to be martyred at Rio de Janeiro, for the sake of terrifying his countrymen, if any should be lurking in those parts. The Jesuits boast that Auchieta convinced him of his errors, and reconciled him to the holy Catholic Church; but the story which they relate seems to show that he had been tempted to apostatize by a promise that his life should be spared, or at least that his death should be made less cruel; for when he was brought out to the place of execution, and the executioner bungled in his bloody office, Auchieta hastily interfered, and instructed him how to dispatch a heretic as speedily as possible, fearing, it is said, lest he should become impatient, being an obstinate man, and newly reclaimed, and that thus his soul would be lost. The priest who in any way accelerates the execution of death is thereby suspended from his office; and, therefore, the biographer of Auchieta enumerates this as one of the virtuous actions of his life." Southey most justly remarks, never was a war, in which so little exertion had been made, and so little force employed on both sides, attended by consequences so important. The French court was too busy in burning and massacreing Huguenots to think of Brazil, and Coligny, after his generous plans had been ruined by the villainous treachery of Villegagnon, regarded the colony no longer-the day for emigration from his country was over, and they who should have colonized Rio de Janeiro were bearing arms against a bloody and implacable enemy, in defense of every thing dear to man. Portugal was almost as inattentive to Brazil; so that few and unaided as were the Antarctic Happily, such scenes no longer occur, and in no French, yet had Mem de Sa been less earnest in his | Roman Catholic country does there prevail less of their duty, or Nobrega less able and less indefatigable in his spirit at the present time than at Rio de Janeiro. opposition, the former would have retained their place, and perhaps the entire country have this day been French. Immediately after his victory, the Governor, conformably to his instructions, traced out a new city, which he named St. Sebastian, in honor of the saint under whose patronage the field was won, and also of the king of the mother country. He began also to fortify both sides of the bar. The whole of the works were completed by the Indians, under direction of their spiritual guides, and without any expense to the state. In the midst of the city he assigned the Jesuits ground for a college, and in the King's name endowed it for the support of fifty brethren, a donation which they had well deserved, and which was ratified at Lisbon the ensuing year. The Alcaide Mor (mayor) of the new city was put in possession of his office with all the usual formalities. The Governor gave him the keys of the gates, upon which he went in, locked them and the two wickets also, and bolted them, the Governor Original. THE OCEAN. BY JOHN TODD BRAME. ILLUSTRIOUS image of almighty power! We hear His voice who rides upon the deep, 48 Original. SCENES AT SEA. structive rocks he pointed out the vortex of bad company, and the strong current setting towards it. These laid just the outside of the gulf of perdition, which swallowed more sailors than the vast and dangerous ocean. A Christian mariner, preaching under the Bethel flag, in a distant port, alarmed him of his danger, and led him to the cross of Christ. When apprized of his fearful danger as a lost sinner, he made signal for a pilot to steer him for the straits of repentance, the only passage out of the dangerous seas he run a long way to leeward, but for the last ten he had SCENES AT SEA.-NO. III. shaped a new course, and had got in the wake of those AMONG Our crew, on board the ship Caledonia, was who are making full sail for the port of glory. He had a deist, a genuine son of the sea. He believed in the been an abandoned profligate, and knew, by sad expeexistence of God, and the doctrine of special provi- rience, the dangers of the navigation to the shores of dence; but esteemed the light of nature a sufficient eternity. He could tell of the dangerous rocks of inguide through life's tempestuous way-discarding the temperance and licentiousness, white with the bones of Bible because he could not understand and satisfacto- cast away sailors, of the infamous wreckers around rily explain all its revelations. Like all the other lu- | them, laboring to deceive and destroy. Near these deminaries of reason, he made a sad havoc among the sublime doctrines of the cross, undeified the Savior, extinguished the Holy Spirit, and frittered away the doctrine of human depravity and an atonement for sin. I acknowledged that the Bible contained incomprehensible doctrines-mysteries that baffled the intelligence of men and angels; but that it was the perfection of reason to receive them, because they were revealed by God, and to believe them on the simple testimony of his word; for if we limit human credence only to those things which we can fully understand and satis-had been traversing, to the sea of salvation, on the factorily explain, few truths can be received. But the sailor was impregnable to all my reason and argument. A few days afterwards, the deistical seaman was at the helm. I stood at his side by the wheel, looking at the compass in the binnacle, and inquired if the compass was a faithful and trusty guide on the wide and trackless ocean? did he depend implicitly upon it? "Aye, aye, sir, I do, indeed; for I have tested it on every ocean, and in every latitude," was his unhesitating reply. "Can you tell me why the needle invariably, without any material deviation, points to the north? Do you fully understand, and can you satisfactorily explain magnetic attraction?" "No, sir, I cannot; for I do not understand the philosophy of it, yet I know it is just so." "But how can you take the compass for your guide on this wide ocean waste? If you do not understand the laws of magnetic attraction, throw it overboard, and replace it in the binnacle with some fabrication of your own which you can understand and explain." At this moment Jack found that he was on the wrong tack, and with the frankness and feeling of a genuine tar, exclaimed, "You have taken me aback, and got me on my beam ends. I am an unreasonable man-I trust in my compass that I cannot explain, and for the same reason disbelieve the Bible. How great my inconsistency!" The conviction was irresistible. During the rest of the voyage, a Bible, bearing the inscription, "American Bible Society," which had long laid neglected in his chest, was assiduously studied. And from his conversation I cherished the fond hope, that its soul-saving truths were grappling with his conscience, that henceforth the heavenly magnet should be the unerring guide of his life; that amidst the howling tempest, and wreck-making billows, the sweet experience of sins forgiven, and hopes renewed, would inspire his soul, and make him an heir of glory. On the same vessel we had a Christian sailor, a burning and a shining light. He had been at sea for near thirty years. During twenty of these, he had shore of which lay the port of heaven. He did not find it pleasant passing through these straits; but a stiff breeze and a steady hand at the helm brought him through into the wide and delightful bay of faith. Here, on a lofty promontory, called Mount Calvary, he saw a light-house completely lighted, and he had not yet lost sight of it. It always gilded the highlands of hope, where he found good anchorage and a pleasant breeze to swell his canvass to the port of eternal bliss. It was delightful and soul-edifying to hear the experience of this devoted Christian. He was the salt of the forecastle, a city set on a hill in the midst of his wicked messmates. He talked of Jesus and salvation with unbounded ecstasy, and yet the most heart-felt humility and confidence. He was waiting in hope for the word of command to unmoor from the shores of time, and cast his anchor hard by the throne of God, that he might serve him in his temple for ever. The Sabbath after reaching port, I saw this pious seaman, and several of his ship-mates, and among them the awakened deist, now an inquirer for the truth, in the floating chapel, engaged in solemn devotion, worshiping their God. Then we parted to meet no more, till, with an assembled universe, we shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. B. W. C. THE MOON. PALE queen of night! I love thy wandering rays, How pleasing then on thy full orb to gaze. Like beings with ourselves? dost thou inclose Or do the varied scenes of hill and plain, |