84 POLITICAL STATE the slaves, not only the city, but the whole empire is far from being in safety against another, which may be ranked next to it in bloodshed and ruin, revolt and civil war among an ignorant and heterogeneous people. The foundations of the empire, from all I can learn, are far from being sure. It is morally and politically corrupt, and filled with ignorance and superstition; and the leaven of republicanism is scattered so extensively through the dominion, that it is not improbable that Brazil, in her order, will be the theatre of that turning and overturning which for twenty years has kept the neighbouring states in agitation and distress. This no philanthropist or enlightened politician, acquainted with the elements of the population, could wish to see, for it would only be to impoverish the empire, and to deluge the land with its best blood, without meliorating the state of the people in general, or securing to them any immunities, worth the sacrifice, which they do not now enjoy. Every native-born citizen of the United States knows and feels, as well as believes, the republican form of government to be the best and most noble for a people prepared, in morals and education, for its high privileges and mild dominion; yet I have met none who, after a personal observation of the countries in South America, are not decidedly of the opinion that a perpetual executive, with more than republican powers, is best suited to their present condition. And this must continue to be the case till knowledge is much more generally diffused than it now is; and till pure morals and an enlightened piety take place of the vice and superstition which too extensively reign. Two objects of particular interest in the vicinity of Rio remained yet unvisited, the Peak of the Corcovado, commanding a sublime prospect of both land and sea, and the Botanic Gardens, founded by the late king, John VI. of Portugal, during his residence in Brazil. The ascent of the Corcovado is tedious, and the weather at the summit, from the clouds which gather round it, uncertain; which circumstances, added to the danger of the way, except to an armed party, from negroes who have fled from bondage to the fastnesses of the mountain, and are driven for subsistence to theft and robbery, have led me to relinquish the expectation of making it. Impediments of the kind do not exist in a ride to the gardens, five miles distant, in the direction of Bota fogo; and this morning Commodore Thompson, Lieut. Hull, Dr. Osborne, and Mr. Armstrong, from the Guerriere, and Lieut. Downing, late of the Vandalia, came on shore for the purpose of making the excursion. Dr. Walsh, of the British embassy, and myself, made up the whole number of our party. Carriages and horses were at the door by eleven o'clock, and the company arranged according to the choice of each one in the mode of riding. Dr. Walsh, after ascertaining that I was accustomed to pedestrian excursions, proposed that we should walk; to which I readily agreed, and we followed at our leisure the cavalcade in advance. The heat of the sun was great, however; and before we had reached Botafogo Dr. Walsh became quite indisposed, so much so that we thought best to seek a carriage. As there were none to be hired in the vicinity, we called on the English clergyman of Rio, whose residence was near. He was exceedingly kind and willing to assist us in our dilemma as far as in his power; but he had no carriage, and but one horse. This we thankfully accepted, agreeing, with a laugh "to ride and tie" for the remaining distance; my friend taking the pony for the first stage, and I keeping pace by his side. He is a learned and scientific man, and an amiable and pleasing companion; and notwithstanding the discomfiture of the onset, we had an interesting, and, to myself, delightful morning. The The road from Botafogo is across a flat piece of land in a gorge between the mountains around the Corcovado, at the foot of which the gardens are, and the range terminating at the Sugar-Loaf. It is richly cultivated, and covered with all the varied and luxuriant productions of the country. scenery on every side is beautiful in the profusion of its bloom and verdure. A charming sheet of water, four or five miles in circumference, lies immediately in front of the gardens, called the Lagoa de Rodrigo Frieres, while in the rear the Corcovado springs, seemingly within its precincts, in one perpendicular, and on this side inaccessible shaft to its loftiest height. It was so late before I arrived at the gardens, that our party had returned, and fearful of keeping the dinner of the whole in waiting, I took but a hasty and imperfect survey of it. The whole is laid out in extensive squares, planted with trees, now grown beautiful and lofty. It was not designed for indigenous plants, but for the most valuable of oriental growth, especially for the tea, which the king obtained from China, with a number of families skilled in its cultivation. The plants have thrived well, but most of the Chinese are dispersed, and little tea has yet, I believe, been cured. The cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, camphor, &c., are growing luxuriantly, as if in their native soil. A fine stream, passing through a lovely valley above, waters the gardens. The attendants were polite and obliging, readily furnishing me with specimens in flower and seed of the choicest plants, and offering refreshments of nuts and fruit: and I had to regret that a day, instead of half an hour, was not at my command for a more satisfactory view of the whole. LETTER XII. CHARACTER OF THE HON. WILLIAM TUDOR. Education and Writings of Mr. Tudor.-His Diplomatic Services. His Modesty and Private Worth.-Family Attach ments. U. S. Ship Guerriere, Rio de Janeiro, THE whole party visiting the botanic gardens yesterday, dined at Flamengo on their return; and as the Guerriere was expected to sail early this morning, I was under the necessity, in the evening, of bidding farewell with them to Mr. Tudor, and of rejoining the ship. This I did with deep regret, and a degree of painful emotion that might surprise you, considering the short personal intercourse we have enjoyed, were you uninformed of his exalted worth and the many charms of heart and mind which nature and education have unitedly thrown around him. He is one of the most talented, extensively informed, and truly amiable men, I have ever met. Received by him. with the cordiality of a brother, and admitted at once to the confidence of his bosom, I discovered, during the fortnight of our companionship, traits so noble and so fascinating as to excite an admiration I have seldom known for one not decidedly spiritual in his character; and to win an attachment I can never forget. With his literary reputation, you are well acquainted. A lively and superior genius was discoverable in him from early childhood, which, united to a heart of the most amiable and tender mould, made him the idol of his parents and an object of interest and affection to all who knew him. The high respectability of his family and the political and literary distinction of his father, afforded every facility for the developement and cultivation of his powers and after completing a general course of classical and scientific studies at the university of Harvard, in his native State, he enjoyed the additional advantage of travelling for several years in Europe, and of intimate access to many of the most learned and polished circles of the period. Possessed of a pure and high-toned patriotism, the benefits of his education and residence abroad |