Sucharetheelementsofthescenery，butitisahopelessattempttopaintthegeneraleffect。Learnednaturalistsdescribethesescenesofthetropicsbynamingamultitudeofobjects，andmentioningsomecharacteristicfeatureofeach。Toalearnedtravellerthispossiblymaycommunicatesomedefiniteideas：butwhoelsefromseeingaplantinanherbariumcanimagineitsappearancewhengrowinginitsnativesoil？Whofromseeingchoiceplantsinahothouse，canmagnifysomeintothedimensionsofforesttrees，andcrowdothersintoanentangledjungle？Whowhenexamininginthecabinetoftheentomologistthegayexoticbutterflies，andsingularcicadas，willassociatewiththeselifelessobjects，theceaselessharshmusicofthelatter，andthelazyflightoftheformer，——thesureaccompanimentsofthestill，glowingnoondayofthetropics？Itiswhenthesunhasattaineditsgreatestheight，thatsuchscenesshouldbeviewed：thenthedensesplendidfoliageofthemangohidesthegroundwithitsdarkestshade，whilsttheupperbranchesarerenderedfromtheprofusionoflightofthemostbrilliantgreen。Inthetemperatezonesthecaseisdifferent——thevegetationthereisnotsodarkorsorich，andhencetheraysofthedecliningsun，tingedofared，purple，orbrightyellowcolor，addmosttothebeautiesofthoseclimes。
Whenquietlywalkingalongtheshadypathways，andadmiringeachsuccessiveview，Iwishedtofindlanguagetoexpressmyideas。Epithetafterepithetwasfoundtooweaktoconveytothosewhohavenotvisitedtheintertropicalregions，thesensationofdelightwhichthemindexperiences。Ihavesaidthattheplantsinahothousefailtocommunicateajustideaofthevegetation，yetImustrecurtoit。Thelandisonegreatwild，untidy，luxurianthothouse，madebyNatureforherself，buttakenpossessionofbyman，whohasstuddeditwithgayhousesandformalgardens。Howgreatwouldbethedesireineveryadmirerofnaturetobehold，ifsuchwerepossible，thesceneryofanotherplanet！yettoeverypersoninEurope，itmaybetrulysaid，thatatthedistanceofonlyafewdegreesfromhisnativesoil，thegloriesofanotherworldareopenedtohim。InmylastwalkIstoppedagainandagaintogazeonthesebeauties，andendeavouredtofixinmymindforever，animpressionwhichatthetimeIknewsoonerorlatermustfail。
Theformoftheorange-tree，thecocoa-nut，thepalm，themango，thetree-fern，thebanana，willremainclearandseparate；butthethousandbeautieswhichunitetheseintooneperfectscenemustfadeaway：yettheywillleave，likeataleheardinchildhood，apicturefullofindistinct，butmostbeautifulfigures。
August6th——Intheafternoonwestoodouttosea，withtheintentionofmakingadirectcoursetotheCapedeVerdIslands。Unfavourablewinds，however，delayedus，andonthe12thweranintoPernambuco，——alargecityonthecoastofBrazil，inlatitude8degs。south。Weanchoredoutsidethereef；butinashorttimeapilotcameonboardandtookusintotheinnerharbour，wherewelayclosetothetown。
Pernambucoisbuiltonsomenarrowandlowsand-banks，whichareseparatedfromeachotherbyshoalchannelsofsaltwater。Thethreepartsofthetownareconnectedtogetherbytwolongbridgesbuiltonwoodenpiles。
Thetownisinallpartsdisgusting，thestreetsbeingnarrow，ill-paved，andfilthy；thehouses，tallandgloomy。Theseasonofheavyrainshadhardlycometoanend，andhencethesurroundingcountry，whichisscarcelyraisedabovethelevelofthesea，wasfloodedwithwater；andIfailedinallmyattemptstotakewalks。
TheflatswampylandonwhichPernambucostandsissurrounded，atthedistanceofafewmiles，byasemicircleoflowhills，orratherbytheedgeofacountryelevatedperhapstwohundredfeetabovethesea。TheoldcityofOlindastandsononeextremityofthisrange。OnedayItookacanoe，andproceededuponeofthechannelstovisitit；IfoundtheoldtownfromitssituationbothsweeterandcleanerthanthatofPernambuco。
Imustherecommemoratewhathappenedforthefirsttimeduringournearlyfiveyears’wandering，namely，havingmetwithawantofpoliteness。I
wasrefusedinasullenmannerattwodifferenthouses，andobtainedwithdifficultyfromathird，permissiontopassthroughtheirgardenstoanuncultivatedhill，forthepurposeofviewingthecountry。IfeelgladthatthishappenedinthelandoftheBrazilians，forIbearthemnogoodwill——alandalsoofslavery，andthereforeofmoraldebasement。ASpaniardwouldhavefeltashamedattheverythoughtofrefusingsucharequest，orofbehavingtoastrangerwithrudeness。ThechannelbywhichwewenttoandreturnedfromOlinda，wasborderedoneachsidebymangroves，whichspranglikeaminiatureforestoutofthegreasymud-banks。Thebrightgreencolourofthesebushesalwaysremindedmeoftherankgrassinachurch-yard：botharenourishedbyputridexhalations；theonespeaksofdeathpast，andtheothertoooftenofdeathtocome。
ThemostcuriousobjectwhichIsawinthisneighbourhood，wasthereefthatformstheharbour。Idoubtwhetherinthewholeworldanyothernaturalstructurehassoartificialanappearance。[6]Itrunsforalengthofseveralmilesinanabsolutelystraightline，parallelto，andnotfardistantfrom，theshore。Itvariesinwidthfromthirtytosixtyyards，anditssurfaceislevelandsmooth；itiscomposedofobscurelystratifiedhardsandstone。Athighwaterthewavesbreakoverit；atlowwateritssummitisleftdry，anditmightthenbemistakenforabreakwatererectedbyCyclopeanworkmen。Onthiscoastthecurrentsoftheseatendtothrowupinfrontoftheland，longspitsandbarsofloosesand，andononeofthese，partofthetownofPernambucostands。
Informertimesalongspitofthisnatureseemstohavebecomeconsolidatedbythepercolationofcalcareousmatter，andafterwardstohavebeengraduallyupheaved；theouterandloosepartsduringthisprocesshavingbeenwornawaybytheactionofthesea，andthesolidnucleusleftaswenowseeit。AlthoughnightanddaythewavesoftheopenAtlantic，turbidwithsediment，aredrivenagainstthesteepoutsideedgesofthiswallofstone，yettheoldestpilotsknowofnotraditionofanychangeinitsappearance。
Thisdurabilityismuchthemostcuriousfactinitshistory：itisduetoatoughlayer，afewinchesthick，ofcalcareousmatter，whollyformedbythesuccessivegrowthanddeathofthesmallshellsofSerpulae，togetherwithsomefewbarnaclesandnulliporae。Thesenulliporae，whicharehard，verysimply-organizedsea-plants，playananalogousandimportantpartinprotectingtheuppersurfacesofcoral-reefs，behindandwithinthebreakers，wherethetruecorals，duringtheoutwardgrowthofthemass，becomekilledbyexposuretothesunandair。Theseinsignificantorganicbeings，especiallytheSerpulae，havedonegoodservicetothepeopleofPernambuco；forwithouttheirprotectiveaidthebarofsandstonewouldinevitablyhavebeenlongagowornawayandwithoutthebar，therewouldhavebeennoharbour。
Onthe19thofAugustwefinallylefttheshoresofBrazil。IthankGod，Ishallneveragainvisitaslave-country。Tothisday，ifIhearadistantscream，itrecallswithpainfulvividnessmyfeelings，whenpassingahousenearPernambuco，Iheardthemostpitiablemoans，andcouldnotbutsuspectthatsomepoorslavewasbeingtortured，yetknewthatIwasaspowerlessasachildeventoremonstrate。Isuspectedthatthesemoanswerefromatorturedslave，forIwastoldthatthiswasthecaseinanotherinstance。NearRiodeJaneiroIlivedoppositetoanoldlady，whokeptscrewstocrushthefingersofherfemaleslaves。Ihavestayedinahousewhereayounghouseholdmulatto，dailyandhourly，wasreviled，beaten，andpersecutedenoughtobreakthespiritofthelowestanimal。Ihaveseenalittleboy，sixorsevenyearsold，struckthricewithahorse-whipbeforeIcouldinterfereonhisnakedhead，forhavinghandedmeaglassofwaternotquiteclean；Isawhisfathertrembleatamereglancefromhismaster’seye。TheselattercrueltieswerewitnessedbymeinaSpanishcolony，inwhichithasalwaysbeensaid，thatslavesarebettertreatedthanbythePortuguese，English，orotherEuropeannations。IhaveseenatRiodeJaneiroapowerfulnegroafraidtowardoffablowdirected，ashethought，athisface。Iwaspresentwhenakind-heartedmanwasonthepointofseparatingforeverthemen，women，andlittlechildrenofalargenumberoffamilieswhohadlonglivedtogether。Iwillnotevenalludetothemanyheart-sickeningatrocitieswhichIauthenticallyheardof；——norwouldIhavementionedtheaboverevoltingdetails，hadInotmetwithseveralpeople，soblindedbytheconstitutionalgaietyofthenegroastospeakofslaveryasatolerableevil。Suchpeoplehavegenerallyvisitedatthehousesoftheupperclasses，wherethedomesticslavesareusuallywelltreated，andtheyhavenot，likemyself，livedamongstthelowerclasses。Suchinquirerswillaskslavesabouttheircondition；theyforgetthattheslavemustindeedbedull，whodoesnotcalculateonthechanceofhisanswerreachinghismaster’sears。
Itisarguedthatself-interestwillpreventexcessivecruelty；asifself-interestprotectedourdomesticanimals，whicharefarlesslikelythandegradedslaves，tostiruptherageoftheirsavagemasters。Itisanargumentlongsinceprotestedagainstwithnoblefeeling，andstrikinglyexemplified，bytheever-illustriousHumboldt。Itisoftenattemptedtopalliateslaverybycomparingthestateofslaveswithourpoorercountrymen：
ifthemiseryofourpoorbecausednotbythelawsofnature，butbyourinstitutions，greatisoursin；buthowthisbearsonslavery，Icannotsee；aswellmighttheuseofthethumb-screwbedefendedinoneland，byshowingthatmeninanotherlandsufferedfromsomedreadfuldisease。
Thosewholooktenderlyattheslaveowner，andwithacoldheartattheslave，neverseemtoputthemselvesintothepositionofthelatter；whatacheerlessprospect，withnotevenahopeofchange！picturetoyourselfthechance，everhangingoveryou，ofyourwifeandyourlittlechildren——thoseobjectswhichnatureurgeseventheslavetocallhisown——beingtornfromyouandsoldlikebeaststothefirstbidder！Andthesedeedsaredoneandpalliatedbymen，whoprofesstolovetheirneighboursasthemselves，whobelieveinGod，andpraythathisWillbedoneonearth！
Itmakesone’sbloodboil，yethearttremble，tothinkthatweEnglishmenandourAmericandescendants，withtheirboastfulcryofliberty，havebeenandaresoguilty：butitisaconsolationtoreflect，thatweatleasthavemadeagreatersacrifice，thanevermadebyanynation，toexpiateoursin。
OnthelastdayofAugustweanchoredforthesecondtimeatPortoPrayaintheCapedeVerdarchipelago；thenceweproceededtotheAzores，wherewestayedsixdays。Onthe2ndofOctoberwemadetheshore，ofEngland；
andatFalmouthIlefttheBeagle，havinglivedonboardthegoodlittlevesselnearlyfiveyears。
OurVoyagehavingcometoanend，Iwilltakeashortretrospectoftheadvantagesanddisadvantages，thepainsandpleasures，ofourcircumnavigationoftheworld。Ifapersonaskedmyadvice，beforeundertakingalongvoyage，myanswerwoulddependuponhispossessingadecidedtasteforsomebranchofknowledge，whichcouldbythismeansbeadvanced。Nodoubtitisahighsatisfactiontobeholdvariouscountriesandthemanyracesofmankind，butthepleasuresgainedatthetimedonotcounterbalancetheevils。Itisnecessarytolookforwardtoaharvest，howeverdistantthatmaybe，whensomefruitwillbereaped，somegoodeffected。
Manyofthelosseswhichmustbeexperiencedareobvious；suchasthatofthesocietyofeveryoldfriend，andofthesightofthoseplaceswithwhicheverydearestremembranceissointimatelyconnected。Theselosses，however，areatthetimepartlyrelievedbytheexhaustlessdelightofanticipatingthelongwished-fordayofreturn。If，aspoetssay，lifeisadream，Iamsureinavoyagethesearethevisionswhichbestservetopassawaythelongnight。Otherlosses，althoughnotatfirstfelt，tellheavilyafteraperiod：thesearethewantofroom，ofseclusion，ofrest；thejadingfeelingofconstanthurry；theprivationofsmallluxuries，thelossofdomesticsocietyandevenofmusicandtheotherpleasuresofimagination。Whensuchtriflesarementioned，itisevidentthattherealgrievances，exceptingfromaccidents，ofasea-lifeareatanend。
Theshortspaceofsixtyyearshasmadeanastonishingdifferenceinthefacilityofdistantnavigation。EveninthetimeofCook，amanwholefthisfiresideforsuchexpeditionsunderwentsevereprivations。Ayachtnow，witheveryluxuryoflife，cancircumnavigatetheglobe。Besidesthevastimprovementsinshipsandnavalresources，thewholewesternshoresofAmericaarethrownopen，andAustraliahasbecomethecapitalofarisingcontinent。HowdifferentarethecircumstancestoamanshipwreckedatthepresentdayinthePacific，towhattheywereinthetimeofCook！