About twenty miles to the westward of Pernambuco, there is a small German Colony called Catucá; it was established about eighteen years before, at a period when a German regiment, which had been in the service of the Brazilian government, was here disbanded, but it is now fast dwindling into decay. The few families residing there gained a livelihood by the manufacture of charcoal, which they carried to town for sale. Being desirous of spending a day or two at this place, I started early one morning in the beginning of November, accompanied by Mr. White, a young gentleman whom I had previously met on the Organ mountains. We were guided by two Germans who were returning from Pernambuco, and their horses carried our luggage. Our route for about two hours was through a flat country, principally planted with mandiocca, although a great part of it was still uncleared, only the large trees having been cut down: a few of those remaining rose high above their fellows of the wood, and agreeably diversified the landscape. After passing through this cultivated country, and ascending a slight eminence, we entered the virgin forest. Previously the road had been of a sandy nature, but now we found it to consist of hard red clay. Many of the trees were very lofty, although they do not commonly attain the stature of those in the Province of Rio, nor have their trunks the same circumference. Among the shrubs that grew below them, I observed a few _Melastomaceæ_, _Myrtaceæ_, and _Rubiaceæ_. Here everything betokened a drier atmosphere, and a more arid soil than at Rio. There were no _Ferns_, _Begonias_, _Pipers_, or _Orchidaceous_ plants. On the stems and branches of the larger trees a few _Bromeliaceæ_ and _Aroideæ_ were alone to be seen. After riding for about an hour through this forest, we reached the cleared valley containing the cottages of the colonists, several of which we passed before reaching the one in which we remained. These cottages are generally of small size, although much superior in cleanliness and neatness of arrangement to those belonging to the same class of Brazilians. At night we slung our hammocks in a small apartment, and enjoyed a sound sleep till morning.