e Brazilian cavalry for a few minutes, or afford cover for
musketry; but their best defence is the swamp at the mouth of the
Capabaribe, which is flooded at high water, and which extends nearly to
the Bibiribi. At the edge of the swamp there is a wooden palisade, where
we left the last post of the royalists, and took leave of our friends,
who had accompanied us so far. After riding across the marsh, which by
the by is very fit for rice ground, and is surrounded by cocoa-nut and
tamarind trees, we came to the main stream of the Capabaribe, a deep,
broad, and very rapid river; its sides are steep, and the water
beautifully clear[53]: its banks are studded with country-houses, and
adorned with groves and gardens, for the present abandoned by their
owners, who have taken refuge in Recife.

[Note 53: The Capabaribe has a course of about fifty leagues, but is
only navigable to about six miles from the sea, on account of rapids and
falls in the upper part; it has two mouths, one at Recife, and the other
at Os Affogados. Chor. Braz.]

The hedges on each side of the road are woven of palm-leaves, and where
not quite new, are covered with all splendid creeping plants; the common
and winged passion-flower, white, blue, and yellow clematis, jasmine,
china-rose, and many others, both gay and sweet. The ditches, too, were
full of colour, but we rode too fast to stay to collect plants; and I
could only promise myself, at some future time, to gather one that
appeared like a bog bean, but its colour bright purple.

About two miles from Do Rego's last out-post, we came to the first post
of the patriots, at a country-house on a rising ground, where arms piled
at the door, and a sort of ragged guard, consisting of a merry-looking
negro with a fowling-piece, a Brazilian with a blunderbuss, and two or
three of doubtful colour with sticks, swords pistols, &c., told us an
officer was to be found. After a few minutes parley, we found he was not
authorised to receive our letter, so we rode on under the direction of
the old Brazilian with his blunderbuss, who, being on foot, threatened
to shoot us if we attempted to ride faster than he walked. The slow pace
at which we advanced gave us leisure to remark the beauties of a
Brazilian spring. Gay plants, with birds still gayer hovering over them,
sweet smelling flowers, and ripe oranges and citrons, formed a beautiful
fore-ground to the very fine forest-trees that cover the plains, and
clothe the s