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CHAPTER IV On the outskirts of Bahia, the beautiful landscapes abound. The rugged terrain of the promontory, all planted, often lightens the soul with its panorama of the immense surface of the ocean; and we are delighted by the view of the islands of the bay,
Frades Island with their idyllic features, lined with eternal greenery and the intense cultivation of ennobled fields. However, here you will find neither the alternative romantic sights, nor the thriving fullness of the leafy virgin forest, nor the grand forms of the mountains, which makes Rio de Janeiro one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Reconcavo Particularly in Reconcavo, the ancient virgin forests have become rare. It was therefore essential for us to examine the aspect of undisturbed forests in other regions of the province, and we gladly accepted the invitation of Marshal Felisberto Caldeira, so that, while embarking on his schooner, we would visit the
Sao Jorge today village of Sao Jorge dos Ilheus, in whose neighborhood he has a great sugar mill. The decision of our kind elder statesman, Mr. C. F. Schtiter of Hamburg, to accompany us on this excursion, further encouraged us; and so, on the afternoon of December 11, we departed from Bahia and headed out of the harbor, touched by the coolness of the earth, in the splendid moonlight. The illuminated city, the scattered twinkles of light on the coast of Itaparica, and the vague contours of the coast, in such varied shapes, came together to form a beautiful night scene, animated by the far-off tunes of fishermen, and of the astonishing magic that brought us to reminiscent of similar scenes observed in Europe.
At the entrance of the harbor we found a flotilla of Portuguese merchant ships, which, with fear of the numerous pirates from Buenos Aires, arrived there accompanied by a war vessel. When, at dawn, we climbed the deck, we saw west the Morro de Sao Paulo, a conical, granitic hill covered with vegetation, which, although only about 100 feet high, stands out on this low coast, as an important point of recognition for ships that miss the entrance to the bay. The mountain rises on an islet, and has insignificant fortification. The land along which we now travel 187
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