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THE STUDENT'S CLIFFS.

17

ST. GUDULA, BRUSSELS.

THE cathedral church of St. Gudula, at Brussels, is a fine and imposing Gothic building, built in the form of a cross. It was begun in the year 1010, and consecrated to St. Michael. In the year 1047, the remains of St. Gudula were brought hither from the chapel of St. Gery, and the church was henceforth known by the united names of St. Michael and St. Gudula. This cathedral is built on the slope of a hill, so that, whilst one end is on a level with the adjacent ground, the principal entrance is approached by a flight of forty stone steps. The interior is simple, but striking, the roof is supported by fine massive pillars, and contains several specimens of sculpture, which are much admired. The pulpit, of black oak, is the work of Henry Verbruggen, and was carved for the jesuits of Louvain, in 1699. It was presented to the cathedral, in 1766, by the Empress Maria Theresa. The sculptor has embodied the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise; the steps and bannisters representing several sorts of trees, covered with innumerable beasts and birds. Some of the tombs in this church are very superb and beautiful.

THE PLEASING INTELLIGENCE.

In all pictures in which but two female forms appear, it seems an acknowledged law of art that the theme must be love or friendship, our readers will be at no loss in the selection, in the plate before us. The artist has treated his subject very judiciously, the contrast of light and shade in the different parts of the dress of the fair reader and her confidante is skilfully managed, and the atmosphere, the foliage and architecture, all contribute to give a rich and harmonizing effect to the whole.

THE STUDENT'S CLIFFS.

ALTHOUGH not so extensive as most of the mountain chains and ridges of central Europe, these mountains have a peculiar interest, as being the only elevation of considerable height in the great plain, which, spread over the north of Germany and north east of Europe, extends, with the single interruption of the Ural mountains, to the shores of China. They display too, every variety of scenery, and the different valleys by which they are intersected afford scenes of great beauty, which occasionally rises to sublimity. In the near neighbourhood of villages and towns, the traveller can here enjoy the feeling of solitude, in its full extent, except when interrupted by the noisy merriment of some of the sons of Alma Mater.

VOL. III.

F

RIO DE JANEIRO.

RIO DE JANEIRO, or Rio, the capital of the empire of Brazil, is situated in the province of the same name, and, as its name implies, on the river Janeiro. During the war with Napoleon, and for some time subsequent to his fall, it was the residence of the King of Portugal; and, since 1823, has been the residence of the Emperor of Brazil. A narrow opening, inclosed by two bare rocks, forms the entrance to the harbour, which is defended by several forts and batteries. Its capacious basin contains several islands, and being surrounded by hills and mountains, which defend it from the winds, it is reckoned one of the best harbours in the world. The environs are beautiful and extensive; mountain rises on mountain, like a vast amphitheatre, on whose declivities rest churches and monasteries, fortifications, and country houses, between them pleasing valleys enriched with pomegranate trees and verdent beeches. The city is situated on a level, but elevated tongue of land, about two miles from the entrance into the harbour, on the north side of the bay, and surrounded on the other sides by high and woody hills. A regular fortress on one side of the promontory, and a well fortified Benedictine monastery serve for its defence. Both of these command the town and anchorage. The population of Rio Janeiro, including forty thousand negroes and the garrison, has been estimated at two hundred and ten thousand souls. Other writers make the amount of the whites about equal to that of the black slaves. Almost all the streets are narrow, run in a direct line, and intersect each other at right angles. One of the broadest and finest is the Rua de Dereito. They are all paved with granite, and provided with pavement for foot-passengers. The town is but partially lighted, but this defect is in some measure remedied by the many lamps which hang before the pictures of the Virgin. The houses have, in general, but two stories, there are some, however, which are of considerable size. The galleries of the upper stories, by which the buildings were much disfigured, have disappeared. Among the public edifices, the most remarkable are the churches and monasteries, particularly the new cathedral; the royal chapel and the mint, both of which form part of the palace, deserve mention. The marketplaces are adorned with fine fountains. The water is conveyed to the city from a distance of nearly two leagues, by means of an aqueduct, consisting of two rows of arches above one another. Rio Janeiro possesses a university, an academy of arts and sciences, a marine school, a school of surgery, a museum, public library, an

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observatory and botanical garden, with other public buildings. Trade and manufactures have much increased since it became the residence of the King of Portugal. Rio Janeiro is the principal market for Brazil, and an active intercourse prevails with the mining districts, to a distance of three or four hundred leagues. Eight hundred, or one thousand mules often enter the city on the same day, and a considerable commerce is likewise carried on, by means of coasting vessels, with the southern and northern harbours of the empire. The situation of Rio Janeiro is admirably adapted as a central depot for produce from all countries; and here may be met ships from Europe, Africa, America, the East Indies, China, and the South Sea. In estimating the extent of the foreign trade, the reader must bear in mind that it is supposed that not more than one acre in one hundred and sixty of the whole surface of the soil is in a state of cultivation. The following approximation is founded upon official documents, furnished by the French minister from the reports of the consuls. In 1840, and in the first half of the year 1841, Rio Janeiro exported coffee for nearly three million pounds sterling; gold, diamonds, and other articles, to nearly one million pounds. Although only the higher classes, and the inhabitants, are accustomed to the daily use of bread, the quantity of wheat grown in the mild provinces of the south is insufficient for home consumption; Rio Janeiro consumes ten thousand casks of flour monthly, and one hundred and twenty-eight thousand casks were imported in the year 1841 from North America and Europe.

The climate of Rio de Janeiro is exposed to considerable variations; in the summer months the days are extremely hot, the evenings are very cool and damp; the sudden change is most sensibly felt in the hot season, when the dew, in the morning and evening, frequently falls like drizzling rain, and produces fevers and cutaneous diseases. The natives, as might be supposed, suffer comparatively little, strangers more severely until they have become acclimatized. There is abundance of provisions of every kind, but clothes and house-rent are very dear, and Europeans are often put to inconvenience from the scarcity of hotels. The festivals of the church are celebrated with extraordinary pomp; and, on these occasions, the statues of the saints are literally covered with diamonds.

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